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Author M. Joanne Nesbit Discusses Her Book "Legendary Locals of Ann Arbor, Michigan"

Graced by the Huron River with an abundance of parks, Ann Arbor offers residents and visitors entertainment, sports, shopping, dining, and of course, the University of Michigan.

Legendary Locals of Ann Arbor, Michigan celebrates its citizens. Many are creative artists, inspiring educators, dedicated public servants, and determined business owners. With the exception of Lewis the cat, who reigned at Downtown Home and Garden, this book is filled with stories about people who have made and are making Ann Arbor one of the best places to live in the United States.

Co-author Joanne Nesbit discusses some of the great stories they discovered while putting together the book and how local legends were selected. With a career spanning journalism and as a public information officer at Indiana University and the University of Michigan, Nesbit has always been fascinated by local history, stories, and people. She is the author of three other books, and is the founder of Knitwits at the University of Michigan.

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#44 Ann Arbor Stories: Professor Foxy Truesport

This is the story of Thomas Clarkson Trueblood—the first golf coach at the University of Michigan, one of the most respected orators in the world during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and noted professor --- of lovemaking.

Get to know Professor Foxy Truesport.

Music by Tunde Olaniran

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#43 Ann Arbor Stories: How the Hippies Almost Killed Football

In 1970, one man tried to stop the University of Michigan and Michigan State from playing their annual football game. And he kind of had an argument. A story of rock music, drugs, sex, love-ins, college football and judicial precedent - fun for the whole family!

Music by Hollow & Akimbo

Listener Warning: Episode contains references to sex, drugs, and the Ann Arbor band The Seventh Seal which played music so mind bending that it drove people to riot.

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#42 Ann Arbor Stories: The Chameleon

You're going to hear a story about a man. It may seem too good and too weird to be true, but trust me—what you are about to hear is 100% real. This is the story of William Douglas Street, better known as The Chameleon.

Music by Shout Out Out Out Out

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Vietnam Vet Tim Keenan Discusses His Journey On The Appalachian Trail and His Book "The Good Hike"

In 1967, Tim Keenan grew to loathe the impenetrable jungle of Vietnam during his one-year tour of duty as a combat soldier. For the 47 years following, he couldn’t shake his dread of the woods, until he confronted his fears head-on and began a hike of the 2,178.3-mile Appalachian Trail.

The Good Hike is Keenan’s story of finally coming to peace with himself, buoyed by the healing powers of nature and his fellow hikers. His story weaves in the beautiful towns and mountains of the great Appalachian Trail with his experiences in the jungle and battle zones around Dak To, including the infamous Hill 1338.

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#41 Ann Arbor Stories: Skyscrapers

Skyscraper is such an elegant word. Two decades after it was first used in print to describe Chicago's tall-building craze, Ann Arbor had its first skyscraper—the seven-story Glazier Building. Twenty years later, the 10-story First National Building went up. This is the story of some of Ann Arbor's first skyscrapers, it's tallest building and the 30-story behemoth that never was.

Music by Chris Bathgate.

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#40 Ann Arbor Stories: Train Crashes

Ann Arbor has a rich history of railroads and trains. So so much rich history. This is not that story. This is a story of the most spectacular train crashes in Ann Arbor's history.

Listener Warning: Contain references to train crashes, more train crashes and a canary named Bobby.

Music by Diego and the Dissidents

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#39 Ann Arbor Stories: We Had a Zoo

Bears. Bobcats. Badgers. Red foxes. Raccoons. And a wolverine. Once upon a time they watched from campus with their predatory eyes as students at the University of Michigan, townies, and delicious delicious children walked past.

Their territory on the corner near Geddes and Washtenaw - that's where these wild beasts stalked for more than 30 years. Stalked is a little hyperbolic. Watched. They watched. But with slavering mouths and sharp curved teeth.

We didn’t mention the cages. There were cages. And some fences. And zookeepers. Wait, we didn’t mention. Um, everyone … we had a zoo!

Parental Listener Warning: This episode contains references to a few animals that die, wild animals at sporting events and otter water slides.

Music by: Shout Out Out Out Out

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#38 Ann Arbor Stories: Top 10 Astronauts

There are enough amazing Ann Arbor astronauts to create a top 10 list, so that's what we did. Men with righter than right stuff, pilots and scientists and world record holders who broke the outer limits of the atmosphere, touched the stars and zoomed around the surface of the moon on a frickin' lunar rover. Who's your favorite?

Parental advisory: This episode contains references to death, more death (we're not psyched about this) and the film Apollo 13.

Music by FAWNN.

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#37 Ann Arbor Stories: MAILBAG #1

Each episode of Ann Arbor Stories ends with our email address: AnnArborStories@gmaill.com and an ask to you, our great listeners, for feedback, story ideas or shockingly personal questions. We personally answer each email, but some of these questions are too good to keep to ourselves. Behold, our first mailbag episode, sharing the best questions and answers to create a few mini Ann Arbor Stories.

Our email address is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So ask us anything. What was that old building back in the day? I heard about this murder—know anything about it?. What did Terry Whitman Shoultes really smell like? Ask anything, offer tips and share your feedback at AnnArborStories@gmail.com. We love you all.

Listener warning: This episode alludes to felching, giggles sophomorically at the word "Hiscock" and talks about freemasons.

Music by FAWNN, The University of Michigan Marching Band, Hollow & Akimbo, Lightning Love, and People Get Ready.