• The American Countryside is truly a slice of Americana. It might be a well-known music or TV star or just someone with an interesting story that lives down the street. From Iditarod sled dog mushers, to NASA scientists... from the Rooster Crowing Championships to NFL greats...The American Countryside is sure to be of interest. Click the button above to listen to the latest show, or visit the American Countryside archives.
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The McElhaney Cattle Company

Along Interstate 8 in Southwestern Arizona, you can find one of the largest cattle operations in the nation. It’s called the McElhaney Cattle Company and today we take a look at a herd of over 100,000…

The Budweiser Clydesdales

Irocnically, this well known team of horses was first assembled during the prohibition years. Today, they continue to be some of the most loved and recognized animals in the nation…

Defending the Alamo

It’s one of the most famous buildings at the center of one of the most famous battles in history. A site of a defeat that became the rallying cry for the fight for independence…

A Tennessee Congressman at the Alamo

James Bowie and William Barrett Travis are two of the famous names to defend the Alamo. Perhaps the most well known of those inside the walls on March 6, 1836 was a former congressman from Tennessee…

Mission San Antonio de Valero

Today we head to Mission San Antonio de Valero. Most people believe they have never heard of the place, but it’s safe to wager just about every American will know what we are talking about…

When Life Gives You Lemons…

When life throws you a lemon, you make lemonade. Mark certainly has plenty of lemons, but he doesn’t have to make them into lemonade to compete. Even though trade rules have made this a difficult business, his family is still finding ways to thrive in growing lemons…

A Citrus Family Tradition

You’ve probably bought their fruit and not even realized it. This is a family-owned citrus packer that grows, packs, markets and ships around the world. We head to Southwestern Arizona for a look ourselves…

Near Libertation from a POW Camp

Andrew and Paula McCrea pose with Tom Crosby and his wife Nancy at the Veterans Museum in San Deigo.

American troops had finally made it to Manila and were attempting to free POWs like Tom Crosby. Just when things seemed hopeful, the tables turned and this young boy found himself in the middle of a hostage negotiation…

Suffering in a POW Camp

It is difficult to imagine the conditions for POWs like Tom Crosby in the weeks leading up to their camps liberation. Some had already died from malnutrition, and now they feared they might lose their life in the American forces attempt to free them…

Living As A Prisoner of War

In January of 1942, eight year old Tom Crosby, along with his brother, mother and grandmother, Americans living in Manilla, were taken prisoner by the Japanese who had invaded the Philippines. For the next three years we would experience life as a child POW…

An 8-Year Old POW

Life was good for eight year old Tom Crosby, an American living in Manila in 1941. Then December 7th came, and his life changed forever…

George Washington

Sometimes a person gains so much fame, they become bigger than life. So is that the case when we hear the story of George Washington telling the truth about a cherry tree he chopped to the ground?

Andrew Johnson

Every February we celebrate the birthdays of Lincoln and Washington. But what about some of the other lesser known individuals who occupied the White House? This is the story of the man who served after Lincoln…

Western Expansion

Daniel Boone is one of the most famous American frontiersmen. But when he crossed the Mississippi River, he went to work for a country other than the newly founded United States…

An Early History of St. Louis

It’s one of the oldest and largest cities on the Mississippi River. Although some may have heard of names like Laclede and Chouteau, why did they choose this spot for a town and why did it become the city it is today?

Shawnee Mission

It was one of the most ethnically mixed schools in America with whites and slaves teaching children of many backgrounds from the age of 5 into their early twenties…

A Midwest Mission

As Europeans crossed the Atlantic, those who had been living on the eastern seaboard for centuries were often forced to leave their homes. Here’s the story of one of those tribes and the imprint they still make on society today…

Park City, Utah Olympic Park

Although winter might seem to be the only time this facility could be in operation, it has become a destination during any season of the year. It is a place that once hosted crowds of spectators from around the world, a place that still draws the nation’s athletes to train for Olympic medals…

Levee High Apple Pie

The flood of 1993 almost washed away this restaurant. The levee saved the building and provided the inspiration behind their best selling item. Now, they’re baking and mailing pies across the nation…

Baking Cookies at the Blue Owl

1983 was the best of times and worst of times for Mary. She was going through a divorce, but it’s also the year she began baking cookies. What began in her own kitchen has grown into a national sensation…