Smithsonian's Stories from Main Street

It's getting hot outside. School is out and July 4 is just around the corner. Summer is here! What does the summer season mean to you? Americans are full of great summer stories. Whether you're meeting a bear on a road trip to Yellowstone or holding on for dear life during a wild whitewater rafting experience, we all have a summer story to tell. These stories are about much more than the fun we have. The real story is how we carry memories of special relationships with our families and friends, and relish our connections to the beauty and thrills of the natural world around us. Celebrate the summer! Get out there and have a great time!

Explore the many ways that people contribute their skills, their passions, and their time to activities that benefit their hometowns. No matter where we live, we benefit from working together to improve the quality of life in the world around us. Listen in as today's storytellers talk about their experiences in serving their communities.

"Too often, the women were unsung, and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achivements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built American was as vital as that oft eh men whose names we know so well." -- President Jimmy Carter, 1980 proclamation announcing Women's History Week. Since our country's founding, women have been at the forefront of community service and community engagement. American women contribute to the workforce: they are teachers, artists, engineers, scientists, ranchers, politician, and everything in between. Listen in as women talk about how their work contributes to their communities and has an impact on their lives.

In addition to our families, we also share ties that bond us with friends, neighbors, and companions in shared interests like religious, cultural and civic groups. These ties are on prime display in small towns and neighborhoods all over the country. We rely on each other, no matter where we live. We carry a package mistakenly dropped at our door over to our neighbor. We gather together to help families and friends in times of need. These strong bonds are built around a deep love of the people and places around us. It's not romantic love, but community is a special kind of love. Listen in as people across the country talk about the bonds of community and how they make their hometowns a special place.

"How do people have fun in your town?" was one of the most interesting questions Stories from Main Street asked of rural Americans over the years. Never let anyone say that life in small towns or rural communities is boring. While a community may look quiet from the outside, there's a ton of life bubbling within -- from town events to enjoying the natural landscape to swimming with an alligator. (Wait, what? Just listen!) Unsurprisingly, football comes up a lot when people answer this question. Communities will always come together to show their support and appreciation for their hometown teams. Having fun in a small town is built around close relationships with people or the land. How do people have fun in your community?

Welcome back to the Smithsonian's Stories from Main Street! It's the holidays, and for many of us, that means food. Our foodways connect us in intimate ways to our families, to history, and tradition. In this episode, we're going to hear from people around the country who see food as a way to remember the people they've lost, and to continue valuable traditions from their ancestors. You might even gest some ideas for some new recipes! Sit back and cozy up for some wholesome goodness. Take a trip down memory lane that will have you ready to gather round with some good food with your friends and family this holiday season. Your host and producer for Smithsonian's Stories from Main Street is Katie Marquette. To explore more stories from rural America, visit us at https://www.museumonmainstreet.org/stories. Want to join the fun and tell us about your experiences in small towns? Visitor our friends at The Peale Museum and use the Be Here Stories web app at https://beherestories.thepeale.org.  

Welcome back to Smithsonian's Stories from Main Street! We're relaunching this series during an introspective time of year, with Halloween just around the corner. Come join us around the campfire for some spooky, eerie, enchanting stories from rural America. Our storyteller today is Joe Perry, a member of the Choctaw Nation in Poteau, Oklahoma. Joe was born in 1956 and remembers a childhood running in the woods and fields of his rural home. Joe takes us into a world of adventure and mystery where we encounter a number of unexplained incidents that will leave you wondering what really happened. Storytellers pull from their own experiences and traditions, and local folklore and legends to weave drama and thrilling moments into their stories. Joe Perry is a master of the art of the story. You'll be on the edge of your seat! Your host and producer for Smithsonian's Stories from Main Street is Katie Marquette. The podcast is a production of the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program, in association with The Peale Museum. To explore stories from rural America, visit us at https://www.museumonmainstreet.org/stories. Want to join the fun and tell us about your experiences in small towns? Visit our friends at the Peale and use the Be Here Stories web app at https://beherestories.thepeale.org/. Download a transcript of this episode at: https://museumonmainstreet.org/sites/default/files/shapeshiftersepisodetranscript_stories_from_main_street.pdf

Young people throughout the country bring new perspectives and attitudes to our history and our culture. But often, they don't feel welcome to the conversations that adults have about community and culture. Since 2012, the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street has been working with small towns that want to highlight youth perspectives. Young people explore topics related to history, culture, and change in their communities and then create multimedia projects that tell their hometown's story. The result is that youth get an important opporunity to show that they are interested in the direction of their communities and have constructive perspectives on how rural Americans can work together for a better future. Listen in as we talk with leaders of local youth projects and hear from students themselves as they talk about life in a rural community.

Here's a sneak peek at our next special episode! Give a listen to the voices and the work of the next generation of rural Americans learning about their communities. Young people living in rural America are just like other American youth: interested in change, thinking about their futures, and ... sometimes feeling like adults aren't interested in what youth have to say. Our episode celebrating youth voices in rural America will be released on March 27. 

You've got to have friends! Personal and professional connections are critical to the development of healthy communities, whether they are rural or urban. In this final episode of our Spark! series, we're examing how two communities innovated around culture and heritage to overcome stagnation and division. In Helper, Utah, the city came together to design their own revitalized main street and plan a future after the coal industry left. In Franklin, North Carolina, the town had to face the past to reconcile with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians so the two communities could work together to preserve the past and build a mutually beneficial future.

In this episode, we're taking a closer look at two very different rural communities that embody technological innovation. In Taos, New Mexico, solar energy is used to power high-speed internet and a jobs training hub for locals that want to stay local. In Chenango County, New York, there's a long history of innovative companies, from aerospace parts manufacturers to Chobani, the famous yogurt brand.

Rural America is full of places of innovation--towns where people work together to conceive new ideas and spark engagement by the community to implement them. Journey with us in this first episode in our look at rural innovation to explore two stories of social innovation, visiting towns that took risks and dreamed big to revitalize their downtowns, and show the community what was possible when they worked together. First up, learn how Hillsboro, Illinois, brought energy and commerce back to Main Street. Then, hear about the creative ways Bethel, Vermont, reinvigorated a sense of community and place.

For many years, the conventional wisdom in the United States has been that rural America is hurting: facing impacts from outmigration, aging populations, and declining economies. The reality is remarkably different. America's small towns are not all the same. Yes, some are struggling, but many more are working together and utilizing the innovation and skills of their people to thrive. Stay tuned for a three-part series on rural innovation inspired by the Smithsonian's traveling exhibition Spark!  Places of Innovation. Hear from people all over the country who have helped breathe new life into their communities.

We're excited to share an episode from our host Hannah Hethmon's podcast Museums in Strange Places. Back in 2019, Museums in Strange Places featured the amazing work of the Smithsonian's state and local partners in rural communities. Starting in Moreland, Georgia (pop. 382) in 1994, the Smithsonian, state humanities councils and local history organizations began a collaboration called Museum on Main Street to bring traveling exhibitions and humanities progams to rural communities. Since that kick-off nearly 30 years ago, more than 2,000 communities (with a median population of 8,300) have participated in the program. Museum on Main Street is all about local history: rural communities use a Smithsonian exhibition and humanities scholars in their state to immerse their visitors in the stories that make their hometowns unique. In 2011, the program launched Stories from Main Street -- the story collection initiative that helps power this podcast -- to elevate and preserve rural voices and perspectives on important topics. Did you know that about half of the museums in the United States are in small towns? American history and culture is everywhere! Enjoy this look at the work, resourcefulness, creativity, joy and pride our communities bring to the project. Be sure to listen to Museums in Strange Places where you get your podcasts or at: https://pod.link/1296895315 Museums in Strange Places and Smithsonian's Stories from Main Street are produced by Better Lemon Creative Audio. Hannah Hethmon is your host.  

Apologies friends! This pod is the actual episode titled "My Vote, My Voice," which should have been originally posted back in October. "The Greater Good: Everyday Democracy" was actually uploaded. We're very sorry for this error. The other episode titles have been updated. Please listen! You have not heard "My Vote, My Voice" yet! Have you voted? What does voting mean to you? Hear from everyday Americans talking about democracy and what it means to them. In this episode, we're focusing on voting as a right and a responsibility. Listen to stories from first-time voters--young and old; the professionals and volunteers that make elections happen; and activists trying to expand voting access. Smithsonian's Stories from Main Street is written, produced and edited by Better Lemon Creative Audio. Hannah Hethmon is your host.    

What civic responsibilities do we have as Americans? What do we owe to the process of democracy? What is the best way to voice our opinions and shape national and local policy? If we want to give back and do our part, where should we start? These are the questions asked and answered by everyday Americans in this episode. Smithsonian's Stories from Main Street is produced by Better Lemon Creative Audio. Hannah Hethmon is your host.

Democracy can be messy. Americans share many common values and ideals, but views on how that works out in the democratic process and in public policy can vary widely. In this episode, you'll hear stories from everyday Americans about their experiences with democracy, polarization, unity, and the issues they care about most. Our storytellers grapple with the big questions about democracy: What level of debate and disagreement is proper? What issues matter the most? How do we balance the need for dissent with the need for unity? Smithsonian's Stories from Main Street is produced by Better Lemon Creative Audio. Hannah Hethmon is your host.

Coming soon! What does "democracy" mean to you? As Election Day 2023 nears and the 2024 presidential campaign is already a daily news story, it is important to reflect on the ties that bind us together. American democracy is complex. It's more than just politics. Our culture, values and history -- national and individual -- play a big role in how we each approach democracy. Listen in as people talk about voting, participation in the democratic process, and the things that motivate them to use their voices in their communities.

Is rural America endangered, thriving, or just scraping by? The answer depends on who you ask and where you ask. As we finish our mini-series on change in rural communities, we're exploring the challenges and opportunities of rural life in the 21st century. Hear from everyday people reflecting on their communities and how they are adapting and reinventing themselves. View the episode transcript. Visit the Museum on Main Street website's story portal to share your own story about rural America! Thanks to our storytelling partners at Be Here Stories at The Peale, Baltimore's Community Museum. Use the online recording tool to tell the Smithsonian about how you experience rural America. This episode was written, produced and edited by Better Lemon Creative Audio. Your hosts are Hannah Hethmon and Bobby Harley.  

Rural America has always been more nuanced and diverse than you often see in popular depictions. People have always experienced rural America in different ways -- for better or worse -- and their experiences have helped shape our rural culture. In this episode, join us in exploring rural identity. What does it mean to grow up in a small townhow? How do people in rural areas build and maintain their identities? How do they define themselves? View the episode transcript. Visit the Museum on Main Street website's story portal to share your own story about rural America! Thanks to our storytelling partners at Be Here Stories at The Peale, Baltimore's Community Museum. Use the online recording tool to tell the Smithsonian about how your have experienced rural America. This episode was produced for the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service by Better Lemon Creative Audio. Hannah Hethmon and Bobby Harley are your hosts. Produced, written and edited by Hannah Hethmon. Additional writing by Bobby Harley.