Alcohol Lake
There once was a place called ALCOHOL Lake. It was a dusty little town with a big curse. Practically everyone was an alcoholic. Even some of the children. Then, Phyllis Chelsea decided to stop drinking and persuaded neighbors to fix up anyone’s home who stopped drinking. She also built the town’s first grocery store out of discarded lumber. 8 out of 10 of her neighbors were unemployed. She sobered up her husband and together they opened a hog farm, greenhouse and cafe. 500 people live here. All but 12 have stopped drinking.
Polio is Back
Polio has been detected in New York City wastewater. The announcement came three weeks after a man north of the city in Rockland county was diagnosed with a case of polio that left him paralyzed. The virus we thought we had beat is back in the USA. Polio...
America’s First Gold Rush
America’s first gold mines were not out west. The first gold strike was in the north Georgia mountains. If Matthew Stevenson had his way, Tony Bennet would be singing, “I Left My Heart” in Lumpkin County. Back in 1849, Stevenson stood in the Dalonagah town square and tried to convince Georgia miners not to follow the 49er’s out to California. Mark Twain later paraphrased Stevenson’s speech when he said, “There’s gold in them thar’ hills.”
“These are remarkable and poignant stories that need to be told.”
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KEN BURNS
“Those of us who know and work with Bob Dotson stand in awe of his gifts as a writer. Like the work so many viewers have come to love on NBC, this collection of stories captivates and inspires.”
- SAVANNAH GUTHRIE
“Throughout his remarkable career Bob Dotson has searched for the real essence of America – not by interviewing the so-called famous but by seeking out those unnoticed people we pass by every day. Dotson is a national treasure for caring enough to listen.”
- MEREDITH VIERA
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