Ricky's Historical Tidbits Podcast

America’s First "Murder by Mail"

In the summer of 1898, a beautiful box of chocolate creams arrived on a quiet porch in Dover, Delaware. What looked like a sweet gift turned into one of the most shocking crimes in American history. This is the unbelievable true story of Cordelia Botkin — the jealous mistress who turned the U.S. Postal Service into a murder weapon. From a steamy San Francisco affair to a deadly package that traveled 3,000 miles, this Gilded Age scandal is one of the first known cases of “murder by mail” in the United States. In this episode:• How a scorned woman carefully poisoned an entire box of chocolates• The ironclad evidence that caught her from across the country• The circus trial, the jailhouse scandal, and the shocking twist no one talks about A cold, calculated crime driven by jealousy that changed how American law handles cross-state murders forever. Subscribe to my email list:https://rickymortensen.substack.com/ [https://rickymortensen.substack.com/] Follow along:- Website & Articles: https://www.rickyshistoricaltidbits.com [https://www.rickyshistoricaltidbits.com] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RickysHistoricaltidbits [https://www.facebook.com/RickysHistoricaltidbits] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/busy_ricky/ [https://www.instagram.com/busy_ricky/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rickymortensen [https://www.tiktok.com/@rickymortensen] Support the show If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who loves history or true crime. Every share helps these forgotten stories reach more people. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickymortensen.substack.com [https://rickymortensen.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Tehachapi Wreck Of 1883

The Runaway Train That Killed a Governor’s Wife… and the Railroad Cover-Up That FollowedIn January 1883, the Atlantic Express rolled backward down the Tehachapi grade with no engines attached. It hit 70 mph, flew off the tracks, and plunged 75 feet into a ravine. Five cars burst into flames. Fifteen people died — including former California Governor John G. Downey’s wife Maria, who had always been terrified of trains.A little girl on the train noticed the cars moving and woke up retired railman G.H. McKenzie just in time to save the rear cars. But the front five cars weren’t so lucky.Then came the cover-up.The Southern Pacific Railroad tried to blame it on “hoboes” attempting a robbery. They even got their crew arrested… then bailed them out in one hour and made the whole case disappear. No trial. No justice.This is the true story of the Tehachapi Wreck of 1883 — one of California’s most tragic and shady railroad disasters.Ricky's Historical Tidbits brings you the events and people that textbooks skip or only give a paragraph to.Episodes are kept short — most under 15 minutes.If you enjoyed this story, please SHARE it with someone who loves history. Word of mouth is still the best way this channel grows.✅ Available as video, article, or podcast on my website.**Follow & Support the Show:**- Website & Articles: https://www.rickyshistoricaltidbits.com [https://www.rickyshistoricaltidbits.com]- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RickysHistoricaltidbits [https://www.facebook.com/RickysHistoricaltidbits]- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/busy_ricky/ [https://www.instagram.com/busy_ricky/]- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rickymortensen [https://www.tiktok.com/@rickymortensen]Sign up for my email listsubstack.com/@rickymortensenDrop a comment: What other forgotten piece of California history should I cover next?Thanks for watching — I’ll see you at the chalkboard.#TehachapiWreck #CaliforniaHistory #TrainWreck #RailroadHistory #ForgottenHistory #SouthernPacific #JohnDowney This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickymortensen.substack.com [https://rickymortensen.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

America’s Only Emperor: The True Story of Norton I

Joshua Abraham Norton was a wealthy merchant who lost everything in a 1852 rice gamble. Most people would have disappeared into the shadows, but Joshua did something much more interesting: he walked into a San Francisco newspaper office and declared himself Emperor of the United States.And the crazy part? The city actually went along with it.In this episode, we’re looking at the life of one of Northern California’s most legendary icons. From his "Imperial Decrees" to the private currency he printed (that local businesses actually accepted!), this is a story about a man who lost his fortune but found a kingdom in the streets of San Francisco.My website https://www.rickyshistoricaltidbits.com/Substack [SOCIAL MEDIA]Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/busy_ricky/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RickysHistoricaltidbitshttps://x.com/Busy_Rickyhttps://www.tiktok.com/@rickymortensenhttps://rumble.com/user/RickyMortensen This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickymortensen.substack.com [https://rickymortensen.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Ice That Built California

In the late 1800s, California depended on winter. Before refrigeration, the state relied on natural ice cut from frozen ponds in the Sierra Nevada. For a few short weeks each year, men in places like Boca and Truckee harvested blocks up to sixteen inches thick, stacked them forty feet high in sawdust-lined icehouses, and shipped them by rail across the West. That ice kept Comstock Lode miners alive in Virginia City. It preserved California fruit in Pacific Fruit Express railcars bound for eastern markets. It cooled hotels, saloons, and cities during the hottest months. This episode explores the Boston and Alaska ice trade, the railroad’s impact, the rise of Boca, how ice was harvested, and how artificial refrigeration ended one of California’s most important forgotten industries. Before electricity, California ran on winter. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickymortensen.substack.com [https://rickymortensen.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Adolph Weber - The Boy Murderer of Auburn, CA

In 1904, one of the most shocking murder trials in California history unfolded in the quiet foothill town of Auburn.Four members of the Weber family were dead.Their home was burned to the ground.And at the center of it all stood a young man named Adolf Weber.This episode of Ricky’s Historical Tidbits dives deep into the true story of the Auburn family murders, the sensational trial that followed, and how this case ultimately changed California law forever.My website https://www.rickyshistoricaltidbits.com/Substack [SOCIAL MEDIA]Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/busy_ricky/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RickysHistoricaltidbitshttps://x.com/Busy_Rickyhttps://www.tiktok.com/@rickymortensenhttps://rumble.com/user/RickyMortensen This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickymortensen.substack.com [https://rickymortensen.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]