Rainy Day Rabbit Holes: History Unhinged

Proud members of the MSW Media Network

Last week, we revisited one of our biggest episodes ever: How the West Was Stolen — The Oregon Land Fraud King, our 2024 deep dive into the Oregon Land Frauds featuring Allison Gill (The Daily Beans) and Shea’s brother Jason. If you want the full “how the scheme worked” breakdown — the dummy entrymen, the timber grabs, the scale of the theft — go listen to that episode first. It’s the foundation. But you can still enjoy this week's episode even if you missed last week.
Because this week… we’re zooming in on the slipperiest character orbiting the whole mess: U.S. Senator John H. Mitchell.
John H. Mitchell was the kind of politician who didn’t just survive scandal — he collected it. Name changes, personal controversy, corruption accusations, railroad money, political sabotage, courtroom drama… and through it all, he kept finding his way back into power. Not once. Not twice. Four terms.
In this episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes, Shea takes you through Mitchell’s entire chaotic arc — from early reinvention and reputation-building, to the legal landmark case Pennoyer v. Neff, to the factional warfare of Oregon politics, all the way to the moment the federal government finally stopped looking the other way.
And as we join the MSW Media Network, this story feels like a perfect kickoff for the next era of the show — because if you’ve ever looked at modern political headlines and thought, “Wait… how is this allowed?” — you’re going to feel extremely at home here.
🎧 In this episode:
John H. Mitchell’s rise from reinvention to influence
The Pennoyer v. Neff case and what it reveals about his methods
The 1866 “bolting caucus” and Oregon’s political chaos
Bribery accusations and the shadow of railroad power
Deadlocked legislatures, backroom deals, and a Senate seat held hostage
The Oregon Land Fraud fallout… and the scandal that finally stuck
If last week was the crime, this week is the politician who kept skating past it — until he couldn’t.
🎙️ Rainy Day Rabbit Holes — unhinged history, corruption, and the uncomfortable reminder that some things never change… especially in politics.
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Special Guest Allison Gill of the Daily Beans, Unjustified, Cleanup on Aisle 45, and founder of MSW Media!
This week, Rainy Day Rabbit Holes is going full “wild west,” with a scandal that spans four decades, features millionaire tycoons, U.S. senators, railroad barons, and—because history is never normal—a belly dancer called “Little Egypt.”

Shea takes us deep into the late-1800s timber boom, where public land laws like the Homestead Act and the Timber & Stone Act were exploited so thoroughly that the “American Dream” basically became: “steal from the government, call it business.”

Joining Shea and Jody for this chaos is special guest Allison Gill—host of The Daily Beans and the head of MSW Media—who brings her trademark sharp political insight (plus swearing, jokes, and the occasional Eddie Izzard reference) to a scandal where everyone involved is conveniently already dead.

And big news: Rainy Day Rabbit Holes has officially joined Allison’s network, MSW Media! We’re beyond excited to be part of the MSW Media family and can’t wait to share even more weird, messy, unhinged history with an even bigger community of listeners.

If you’ve ever wondered how people pulled off land fraud before the internet (or indoor plumbing), buckle up: this episode has bribes, fake homesteads, corrupt officials, and indictments by the thousand.

Check out the rest of our episodes and our bonus content available on Patreon! Head on over to www.rainydayrabbitholes.com

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How One Man Drowned San Diego.
What if someone promised to make it rain—and you believed them?
In the early 1900s, Charles Hatfield went from selling sewing machines door to door to pitching American cities on an impossible idea: that he could manufacture rainfall using a secret chemical process. Farmers hired him. Towns paid him. And rain seemed to follow wherever he went.
Then San Diego made a deal.
Facing an extreme drought and mounting pressure as it prepared for a major world exposition, city leaders took a gamble on Hatfield’s “no rain, no pay” promise. What followed was not relief—but chaos. Rain fell. Then more rain. Then flooding, collapsing infrastructure, and a disaster that would permanently change the city.
In this episode, Jody walks Shea through:
How Hatfield built his reputation as The Rainmaker
Why early 20th-century America was primed to believe him
The thin line between innovation, coincidence, and catastrophe
And the legal and moral fallout that lasted more than 20 years
Did Hatfield actually make it rain?
Or was he simply very good at predicting when nature was already about to unleash itself?
The answer isn’t as simple—or as comforting—as you might think.

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Today we have a huge announcement! Rainy Day Rabbit Holes has joined the MSW Media Network! We are so excited for this new partnership. We will continue to bring you all of the juicy and unhinged history that you have grown to love, but now with 25% more politicians behaving badly!
Also, if you haven't heard about it yet, we cover the story of the Columbia outdoor wear company offering its assets to anyone who can provide a photo of the edge of the earth. #expeditionimpossible
https://youtu.be/JxJOAsTMC6w

Go check out our website at www.rainydayrabbitholes.com, and check out the other great podcasts at MSW Media! www.mswmedia.com

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History is messy. It’s weird, wild, and anything but boring.
Rainy Day Rabbit Holes is a history podcast about unhinged stories that make you stop and ask, wait… is this real life?
From crazy disasters and tasty scandals to enlightening and surprisingly heartwarming tales, the show explores moments where people behaved badly—and sometimes beautifully. Expect naughty politicians, cultural chaos, and a deep love for the Pacific Northwest… including Bigfoot.
It’s thoughtful, irreverent, occasionally serious, and always entertaining.
Go listen now and fall down the rabbit hole.
Find Rainy Day Rabbit Holes at rainydayrabbitholes.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/history-unhinged-rainy-day-rabbit-holes/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy