In March 2000, Leah Roberts drove across the country hoping for a fresh start. Her trip made sense—until the moment it didn’t. Her Jeep was found in the Cascades. Leah was gone.
In this week’s episode, we walk through her journey west and the mystery that’s remained unsolved for nearly 25 years.
The road West: what happened to Leah Roberts is out now, everywhere you listen to Podcasts!
#LeahRoberts #MissingPerson #TrueCrime #PNWTrueCrime #WashingtonState #NorthCascades #ColdCase #UnsolvedMystery #TrueCrimePodcast #MysteriousPacificNorthwestSources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Leah_Roberts
https://unsolved.com/gallery/leah-roberts/
https://charleyproject.org/case/leah-toby-roberts
https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/54548/Leah-Roberts-Case-Files
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/vanished-in-the-cascades-the-leah-roberts-case/
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/vanished-north-cascades-leah-roberts/281-503678532
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKZt0U21v1A
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unsolved-mysteries-leah-roberts/id1524320916
https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/2w3sjy/leah_roberts/
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/wa-leah-roberts-23-whatcom-county-13-march-2000.94943/

The Stanwood Hotel & Saloon, one of the oldest buildings in town, has stood witness to over a century of history—lumbermen, loggers, travelers, and patrons have all passed through its doors. But beyond its rich past, the hotel has gained a reputation for the unexplained. Guests and staff have reported footsteps, whispers, and mysterious apparitions, including a flirtatious female spirit, a watchful madam named Margret, a mischievous young man named Carl, the tragic Charlie Gibbons, and the elegant Lily. Paranormal investigations, including detailed EVP and EMF sessions by the PIHA Grey Team, have captured voices, misty figures, and unexplained activity throughout the building. This episode delves into the Stanwood Hotel’s layered history, its hauntings, and the lingering spirits that continue to make their presence known, offering a compelling glimpse into the paranormal heart of Stanwood, Washington.

Episode Sources:

https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/149984

https://www.wahauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/stanwood-hotel-saloon.html

https://roadtirement.com/2021/09/21/historic-and-haunted-stanwood-hotel-and-bar/

https://www.sahs-fncc.org/?p=2693

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/restored-stanwood-hotel-reopens-for-guests-ghosts/

https://www.discoversnohomishcounty.com/blog/stanwood-hotel-a-cozy-mix-of-old-new/

http://www.greatamericanghosttour.co.uk/Pages/Washington/Stanwood.html

In 1937, a cafeteria menu sparked one of the strangest food fights in American history.

Idaho and Maine both claimed to grow the best potatoes — and when the U.S. House dining room served one state’s spuds over the other, pride, politics, and produce all went head-to-head.

It’s petty. It’s proud. It’s perfectly Idaho.

Bonus Episode: The Great Potato War — streaming now on Mysterious Pacific Northwest.

#MysteriousPacificNorthwest #PNWHistory #ThanksgivingBonusEpisode #IdahoPotatoes #MainePotatoes #TheGreatPotatoWar

Sources:

https://history.house.gov/Blog/Detail/15032428950

https://history.house.gov/Collection/Detail/15032427678

https://idahopotato.com/dr-potato/maine-vs-idaho-potatoes-in-production

https://idahopotato.com/aristocrat-in-burlap/online/52

https://www.rickjust.com/blog/potato-wars

https://spudman.com/article/idaho-potato-commission-celebrates-70-years/

https://tmcdermott.com/potato-wars/

https://brewminate.com/half-baked-the-1937-potato-war-in-the-house-of-representatives/

Once upon a time on the Oregon Coast, there was a place where steam trains chugged through the mist and log flumes splashed into a fairytale. Pixieland was meant to be Oregon’s Disneyland — a dream built on tidewater and hope. But when the rains came and the crowds faded, the pixies disappeared back into the fog.

Listen to Gone with the tides: The rise and fall of Pixieland — a story of ambition, imagination, and the amusement park the sea reclaimed.

#OregonCoast #LincolnCityOregon #Pixieland #PixieKitchen #OregonHistory #PNWHistory #OregonLegends #HistoricOregon

Sources:

https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/pixieland/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixieland_(Oregon)

https://thatoregonlife.com/2023/01/pixieland-oregon-coast/

https://www.pdxmonthly.com/travel-and-outdoors/2023/04/pixieland-oregon-amusement-park-history-lincoln-city

https://oldpixieland.blogspot.com/

https://lagoonhistory.com/project/pixieland-oregon/

https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2019/07/03/oregon-pixieland-park-lincoln-city-pixie-kitchen/1584440001/

https://northlincolnmuseum.org/pixieland-and-pixie-kitchen/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pixieland-ruins

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-good-stuff/pixieland-oregon-theme-park/283-46a6f1f8-4e02-4c05-bb7b-4cb0f09e8ed9

https://www.thepixiekitchen.com/

https://redduckponderings.blogspot.com/2011/05/pixie-kitchen.html

https://www.beachconnection.net/news/pixiehist100418_454.php

https://www.orartswatch.org/north-lincoln-county-historical-museum-contains-multitudes-from-pioneers-to-pixieland/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/9385421@N08/34934073572/

In April 1955, Portland’s iconic Meier & Frank department store became the scene of a shocking bombing and extortion plot. A blind chemist, Clarence William Peddicord, detonated a bomb in the store and demanded $50,000 to prevent a second explosion. His sister-in-law, Joyce Keller, was initially accused of aiding him but was ultimately acquitted. The daring scheme, intricate ransom instructions, and dramatic investigation captured national attention, highlighting both the audacity of the crime and the resilience of the city.

Episode Sources:

https://www.nydailynews.com/2016/10/16/cruel-fate-pushes-blind-bomber-to-attack-oregon-department-store-in-1955/

https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/meier-and-frank/

https://time.com/archive/6798814/crime-the-bomb-plot/

https://www.oregonlive.com/history/2016/11/bizarre_1955_extortion_plot_vi.html

https://www.oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/the-meier-frank-bombing-1955/

In 1948, Idaho faced a beaver problem: too many furry engineers were wreaking havoc in lowland towns. Enter Elmo Heter and his genius (and slightly crazy) solution: parachute 76 beavers into the remote wilderness. With WWII parachutes, specially designed crates, and a very patient test beaver named Geronimo, the animals were airlifted to the Chamberlain Basin, where they thrived. This zany experiment became an Idaho icon, showcasing creativity in wildlife management and leaving a lasting legacy on the ecosystem—and our imaginations.

Episode Sources:

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/northwest/idaho/article282932703.html

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/10/25/in-1948-the-idaho-wilderness-needed-beavers-so-they-parachuted-them-in/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/running-ponies/why-76-beavers-were-forced-to-skydive-into-the-idaho-wilderness-in-1948/

https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/environment/2015-01-14/parachuting-beavers-into-idahos-wilderness-yes-it-really-happened

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/beaver-drop-idaho-1948

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_drop

On a cold Sunday in 1958, the Martin family went for a drive into the Columbia River Gorge and vanished without a trace.

No skid marks. No car. Just silence.

Months later, two bodies surfaced. The rest of the family—and their station wagon—were gone.

Now, 66 years later, a discovery beneath the river’s surface may finally bring answers.

Oregon’s lost Family: The disappearance of The Martin family in 1958, is out now everywhere you listen to Podcasts

Sources:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_family_disappearance

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2025/03/car-recovered-from-columbia-river-likely-belonged-to-the-martins-but-oregon-officials-suspend-search-for-more-evidence.html?outputType=amp

https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/car-columbia-river-no-match-to-martin-family-station-wagon-03242025/amp/

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/us/martin-family-station-wagon-columbia-river.html

https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/news/martin-family-disappearance-a-66-year-cold-case-revisited-with-local-diver-s-evidence/article_d32b4d5c-fe49-11ef-a802-cbb9dfb8afcb.html

https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/timeline-what-we-know-about-the-1958-martin-family-disappearance/amp/

https://people.com/car-found-river-believed-belong-oregon-family-went-missing-nearly-seventy-years-ago-11692775

https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/news/december-marks-65-years-since-portland-family-disappearance/article_cac6a08e-a117-11ee-a684-33ffe0eb092b.html

https://allthatsinteresting.com/lost-martin-family