What kind of service earned Elizabeth Goss recognition as a Revolutionary War Patriot?
Her story includes devastating loss, life with the Continental Army, and a personal appeal to General George Washington — followed by a path that eventually leads back to central Pennsylvania.
In Season 2 of Folklore & Facts, we’re exploring the overlooked lives behind the American Revolution — the human stories history tends to skip.

You can now also watch us on YouTube!

https://youtu.be/pScd7Uetlno?si=5FuIhDLm9Cj8__Kz

Season 2 is here, and this year we’re heading straight into the stories behind the American Revolution — just in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary.

But don’t worry… we’re still us.

We’re not doing textbook timelines or battle-by-battle breakdowns. We’re digging into the human side of history — the overlooked people, strange details, local connections, and the moments that make you stop and say, “Wait… THAT happened?”

In this season premiere, we share what’s coming this year and introduce you to one of the people whose story we’ll be telling next: Elizabeth Goss — a mother and patriot whose family paid a high price during the Revolution.

Her story is one of sacrifice, resilience, and the everyday people who carried history forward.

And yes… expect rabbit trails. Always.

🎧 Next episode: The full deep dive into Elizabeth Goss and her family’s Revolutionary War story.

Got a person, legend, or local Revolutionary-era story you think we should cover? We’d love to hear it.

And now that we're also over on YouTube you can see us and our guests, we invite you to follow us there - subscribe to our channel, then like and comment on our videos. That'll help tell YouTube that you want to see our videos.

When William Thorp’s life ended so tragically on the Potomac, the story didn’t end there. Another young man with deep roots in the Grampian area — Charles Cecil Wall — stepped into the work William left behind at Mount Vernon.

What began as a role he never expected to fill eventually became his life’s calling. Over the decades, Wall helped protect the integrity, security, and very view of George Washington’s home — including the stretch of Potomac River that meant so much to the site’s history. His work quietly shaped the way Mount Vernon is preserved and experienced today.

In this follow-up episode, we explore the fascinating path that brought a small-town Pennsylvania man into one of the most trusted roles in American historic preservation… and how his friendship with William Thorp makes the story even more powerful.

Come listen in — this one’s full of heart, history, and a legacy that still matters.

At just 25 years old, William Tremaine Thorp had already accomplished what most people never do in a lifetime.

Born into a large Hepburnia and Grampian-area family, William found his way to Mount Vernon, where he held a position of real responsibility and trust—work that required intelligence, discipline, and a deep respect for history.

In this episode, we talk about William’s remarkable path from rural Pennsylvania to one of the most historically significant sites in the country, the important work he was doing there, and the tragic accident on the Potomac River that ended his life far too soon.

It’s a story of promise, purpose, and loss—and a reminder that even short lives can leave a lasting imprint on the places and people they touch.

Why does "Moshannon" supposedly translate to “moose stream” when moose never lived here? The answer spills into Native languages, colonial misunderstandings, ancient wildlife, and a few good Pennsylvania legends. We unpack the clues — from elk and stray moose to stag-moose fossils and bog mysteries — and leave you with a handful of theories to choose from.

When Senator Alexander Ennis Patton died suddenly in 1904, the newspapers offered a simple explanation. But a handwritten note on the back of an old family photograph tells a very different story. In this episode, we explore the life, legacy, and lingering questions surrounding a man whose final moments were recorded in two conflicting versions — one public, and one quietly written by hand.

In this episode, we’re diving into the story behind the Nittany Lion—the beloved Penn State mascot—and the legend of Mount Nittany. We chat about how the original Lenape tales were shared in their own language, and how those stories got a bit of a European makeover when settlers came along. You’ll hear how place names and myths were recorded phonetically, with all the quirks and inconsistencies that come with it. So pull up a chair and let’s talk legends, language, and a bit of local lion lore!

Nit-ah-nee

In late 1889, sixteen-year-old Clara Price left a neighbor's home in Karthaus for a walk home she’d taken many times before. What happened along that stretch of road became one of the most widely talked-about tragedies in central Pennsylvania—and far beyond.

This episode explores the known facts, the unanswered questions, and the shockwaves that followed in a community that never forgot her name. With local historian Mary Kay Royer joining us once again, we revisit Clara’s story with care, context, and curiosity.