Rainy Day Rabbit Holes: History Unhinged

A Forgotten Life Hidden in Seattle’s History
Seattle is full of legends—underground tunnels, ghost stories, cryptids—but this episode explores something far stranger:
👉 a real historical figure whose story was nearly erased
Moses Seattle, the grandson of Chief Seattle, lived a life that sits between recorded history, oral tradition, and unsettling mystery. His story raises difficult questions about how—and why—some histories are remembered while others are buried.
And the person bringing this forgotten story back into light?
➡️ Historian, filmmaker, and author David Norman Lewis
👉 Explore David’s books here:
https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/artist/david-norman-lewis?srsltid=AfmBOorWkxSgPcvxOK6hQTgqHTTS5jxpxeIrytgQf3ZCphRm_AgNgxM5
👉 Listen to more episodes:
https://rainydayrabbitholes.com
Who Was Moses Seattle?
FACT: Moses Seattle was the grandson of Chief Seattle and part of a high-status Indigenous family.
FACT: He lived a complex life shaped by boarding schools, cultural change, and shifting identity between Indigenous and settler worlds.
FACT: He worked odd jobs, played accordion at community dances, and briefly entered the world of traveling entertainment.
SPECULATION: Some accounts suggest he may have been involved in labor organizing among hop pickers, though evidence is limited.
Culture, Folklore, and Identity
FOLKLORE: His origin story intersects with Indigenous beliefs about spirits, healing practices, and reincarnation.
FACT: Oral traditions play a major role in how his story survives—blending lived experience with cultural interpretation.
FACT: His life reflects the realities of assimilation, boarding schools, and identity pressures in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
A Tragic and Forgotten Ending
FACT: Moses Seattle’s death followed a violent incident tied to alcohol, conflict, and systemic conditions of the time.
FACT: Accounts describe severe burns and a prolonged survival before his passing.
FACT: No clear accountability followed, and responsibility remains unclear in historical records.
FACT: His story faded from public memory for decades.
Why This Story Matters
This episode isn’t just about one man—it’s about:
how history is preserved (or erased)
whose voices are recorded
and how uncomfortable stories disappear
David Norman Lewis reconstructs a powerful narrative that forces us to confront the gaps between official history and lived experience.
🎧 Related Episodes (Explore More Indigenous History)
If this story resonated with you, continue down the rabbit hole:
👉 Ishi: The Last of His Tribe
https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/ishi-the-last-of-his-tribe
👉 How Did the Muckleshoot Rise Again?
https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/how-did-the-muckleshoot-rise-again
👉 Seattle’s Odd Couple: Doc Maynard & Chief Sealth
https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/seattles-odd-couple-doc-maynard-and-chief-sealth
These episodes explore Indigenous history from different angles—personal stories, resilience, and the people who shaped the Pacific Northwest.

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🧠 Ever Wondered What Happens When the FBI Investigates Bigfoot?
Spoiler alert: it does not end in a dramatic Sasquatch reveal.
In this Five Minute Friday episode, we dig into the FBI’s real-life Bigfoot files—yes, those exist—and unpack one of the strangest (and funniest) government investigations you’ve probably never heard of.
From mysterious hair samples to very polite scientific disappointment, this is the story of how Bigfoot almost became official… and then immediately didn’t.
🕵️ The FBI vs Bigfoot (A Very Polite Letdown)
Back in the 1970s, a cryptozoology group sent the FBI a batch of mysterious hair samples they couldn’t identify. Naturally, they believed this might finally be proof of Sasquatch.
And the logic was simple:
If we can’t identify it… it must be Bigfoot.
The FBI, in a rare moment of curiosity (or maybe boredom), agreed to analyze the samples—despite normally only handling criminal investigations.
After careful examination using the technology available at the time, they came back with their official conclusion:
It was deer.
That’s it. That’s the story.
Dreams crushed. Case closed. Hair returned.
🌲 The Atlas That Sparked Sasquatch Fever
This whole situation started when a 1975 government atlas casually included references to Sasquatch sightings in the Pacific Northwest—complete with maps.
Yes. A real government document basically said:
Here’s the plants
Here’s the animals
Also… Bigfoot might be out there
That single detail sparked public curiosity, media attention, and a wave of people demanding answers from the FBI.
Because nothing fuels belief faster than:
Vague government statements
“Unknown” scientific results
And a creature that refuses to be photographed clearly
🧬 Facts vs Folklore vs Speculation
FACT:
The FBI tested alleged Bigfoot hair and determined it came from deer.
FOLKLORE:
Sasquatch has been a staple of Pacific Northwest legends for decades, with countless sightings and stories.
SPECULATION:
Before modern DNA testing, “unknown” samples created space for imagination—and Bigfoot filled that gap perfectly.
🚨 The Part We Tried to Forget (But Won’t Let You)
At one point in this episode, we briefly revisit something we wish we could unlearn:
Bigfoot erotica.
Yes. It exists.
No. You should not Google it.
If you’re curious (or dangerously brave), we covered it in a past episode that lives safely behind our Patreon paywall—where it can hopefully do less harm.
Support the show and unlock that deeply questionable content here:
👉 rainydayrabbitholes.com/support
You’ve been warned.
🐾 Final Thought
The FBI says Bigfoot isn’t real.
But also…
They tested the hair.
So.
Draw your own conclusions.
🔗 Related Episodes
This episode pairs perfectly with our deeper dive into Sasquatch legends and sightings. If you want more Bigfoot chaos, mythology, and history, check out:
https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/6-this-is-not-a-bigfoot-podcast-sasquatch-and-ape-canyon

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Welcome to the Intergalactic House of Pancakes
👽 Pancakes from a UFO?
When you think of UFO encounters, you probably imagine abductions, bright lights, and terrifying alien experiments. But what if one of the strangest alien mysteries ever recorded involved… pancakes?
In this episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes, host Shea Drury is joined by Amanda and Trevin from the Live, Laugh, Larceny podcast to explore one of the most bizarre, weird, and outrageous UFO encounters in history. Check out their show here:
👉 https://www.livelaughlarceny.com/

🛸 The 1961 Wisconsin UFO Encounter
Facts
In April 1961, Joe Simonton, an ordinary man living in Eagle River, Wisconsin, reported seeing a silver, disc shaped UFO land in his driveway.
Inside were three human-like men who communicated using gestures. After requesting water, one of them was seen cooking pancakes on a strange, flameless grill inside the craft.
Simonton claimed he received several pancakes before the UFO flew away, leaving no physical evidence behind except the food itself.
Adding to the mystery, a second witness nearby reported seeing a disc shaped object in the sky at roughly the same time.

🧪 Government Investigation and Testing
Facts
This strange UFO encounter was investigated by the United States Air Force under Project Blue Book during the Cold War.
The pancakes were tested in a lab and the results were completely ordinary:
Wheat and buckwheat ingredients
No radiation
No unknown materials
In other words, the so-called alien pancakes were just pancakes.

🤔 Folklore, Speculation, and Theories
This case stands out in UFO lore because of how oddly normal it feels.
Folklore: This has become one of the weirdest alien stories because it involves a calm interaction instead of abduction or fear
Speculation: Some theories suggest a misunderstanding involving humans, experimental aircraft, or even time travel
Skeptical view: No physical evidence of a landing was ever found
Believer view: Simonton never changed his story and was considered credible
It is a mystery that sits right between the ordinary and the impossible.

🔗 Related Episodes
Want to explore more UFOs, aliens, and mysteries? Check out these related episodes:
🌀 Explore early UFO sightings and Men in Black origins in the Pacific Northwest
👉 https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/33-summer-of-saucers-ufos-and-the-men-in-black-in-the-pnw

🇯🇵 Dive into historical UFO folklore in Japan’s oldest recorded encounter
👉 https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/japans-oldest-ufo-mystery

🛸 One of the most famous alien abduction stories in America
👉 https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/travis-walton-the-most-famous-ufo-abduction-in-america

🐇 Final Thought
No abduction. No missing time. No terrifying encounter.
Just a quiet morning… and a handful of pancakes from something that should not exist.
And somehow, that makes this one of the most bizarre UFO mysteries ever told.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
The Joe Simonton UFO encounter is one of the strangest alien stories involving pancakes instead of abduction
A Wisconsin man reported a flying saucer landing in his driveway in 1961
The UFO occupants appeared human-like and communicated using gestures
The visitors requested water and gave pancakes in exchange
The pancakes were analyzed and found to contain normal Earth ingredients
Project Blue Book investigated the case during the Cold War
A second witness reported seeing a disc-shaped object nearby
Simonton maintained his story and was considered credible
The case blends UFO folklore with unusually mundane details
The incident remains unexplained despite scientific testing

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What if you turned on a trusted news broadcast… and it told you spaghetti grew on trees?
Sounds ridiculous today—but in 1957, millions of people believed it.
In this hilarious Five Minute Friday episode, Shea walks Jody through one of the most legendary April Fools’ Day pranks ever aired: the BBC’s infamous “spaghetti tree” hoax. And honestly? It reveals more about human psychology than you might expect.
Fact: On April 1, 1957, the BBC aired a segment showing a Swiss family harvesting spaghetti from trees.
The report looked completely legitimate:
Filmed like a documentary
Narrated by a trusted broadcaster
Included details about “spaghetti weevils” and cultivation
And people believed it.
Fact: Millions tuned in, and hundreds called the BBC asking how to grow their own spaghetti trees.
The BBC’s response? 👉 “Place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.”
That’s peak British humor.
🤯 Why This Prank Worked (REAL INSIGHT)
Fact: In 1950s Britain, spaghetti wasn’t common—many people had only seen canned versions.
So when a trusted program presented it as agriculture… it didn’t sound totally impossible.
This episode dives into something deeper:
Trust in authority figures
Presentation vs. reality
How easily belief can form when something “sounds right”
Insight: As Shea points out, belief isn’t always about ignorance—it’s about comfort and trust.
😂 From Hoax to Life Lesson (MODERN CONNECTION)
The conversation quickly turns into something relatable (and hilarious):
Would you believe this if a trusted voice told you?
Could you trick your kids or grandkids the same way?
Is this really that different from modern misinformation?
Speculation: The hosts jokingly suggest recreating the prank with kids as a fun experiment—planting pasta in soil to see what happens.
Folklore-esque takeaway: Not everything on TV—or the internet—is what it seems.
🎧 Why You’ll Love This Episode
A legendary prank that still holds up
Classic dry British humor
A playful but thought-provoking look at human belief
Laugh-out-loud tangents (because of course)
🔗 Related Episodes
If you loved this mix of absurd history and humor:
“Hold My Sake: Japan Made Alcohol Out of Moth Poop”
https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/hold-my-sake-japan-made-alcohol-out-of-moth-poop-5-minute-friday

“When Pigs Fly”
https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/5-minute-friday-when-pigs-fly

“Rectum? Damn Near Evacuated ‘Em”
https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/5-minute-friday-rectum-damn-near-evacuated-em

Takeaways
The 1957 BBC spaghetti tree hoax convinced millions it was real.
A trusted news format made an absurd prank believable.
Many viewers didn’t question the idea due to limited food familiarity.
Hundreds contacted the BBC asking how to grow spaghetti trees.
Authority and presentation can override common sense.
The prank highlights how easily misinformation spreads.
British humor played a major role in the joke’s success.
Belief is often rooted in trust, not ignorance.
The hoax still serves as a cautionary tale about media literacy.
It mirrors modern issues with internet misinformation and trust.

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In 1803, Japanese fishermen spotted something strange bobbing in the Pacific Ocean—a round, sealed vessel unlike any boat they’d ever seen. Inside was a woman with red hair, pale skin, unfamiliar clothing, and a mysterious box she refused to let go.
This episode dives into the legend of the Utsuro-bune, often called Japan’s earliest “UFO” story. Recorded decades after the alleged event in Edo‑period collections of strange tales, the story has been cited by everyone from folklorists to modern UFO enthusiasts. But what really happened on that beach in Hitachi Province?
Was it an alien encounter? A castaway from a distant land? Or a piece of folklore shaped by fear, curiosity, and isolation during Japan’s sakoku era?
Join Shea and Jason as they explore:
The original Edo‑period sources that describe the Utsuro-bune
Why the vessel looks suspiciously like a flying saucer
How Japan’s isolation policy shaped stories about outsiders
Why historians and folklorists are deeply skeptical of the alien explanation
And why sometimes the most human response to the unknown… is paperwork avoidance
History is messy, weird, and full of rabbit holes. This one just happens to float.
Find sources, images, and more episode notes at
👉 https://rainydayrabbitholes.com

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