Ep 174: Keystone Lake — The Towns Beneath the Waves

What if the place you called home was chosen to be wiped off the map?

In Episode 174, Tiff dives deep into the murky waters of Keystone Lake, Oklahoma’s second-largest reservoir, to uncover a rich history of American exploration, Native American heritage, and 20th-century engineering that forever rewrote the local geography. Before it was a massive 23,000-acre playground for boaters, this rugged valley was known as the "Triangle Country"—a wilderness walked by the likes of Washington Irving and Thomas Nuttall.

But in the late 1950s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers arrived with a $123 million plan to tame the Arkansas and Cimarron rivers. The cost of progress? The total submersion of entire communities.

We explore the fascinating and heartbreaking stories of Oklahoma's "drowned towns":

• Keystone: The bustling railroad hub built at the "key" river confluence, now sitting completely underwater just north of the dam.

• Mannford & Prue: Two communities that refused to die, banding together to meticulously rebuild entirely new towns on higher ground.

• Appalachia: A settlement completely wiped off the map, leaving only the sandy shores of Appalachia Bay as its monument.

• Cleveland: The Land Run town saved by an existential engineering marvel—a massive levee system that keeps the lake at bay just feet from residents' doorsteps.

Finally, Tiff looks into the "Kooky and Spooky" side of Keystone Lake. From divers reporting unsettling, shadowy shapes navigating the underwater ruins, to local legends of a witch's smoldering chimney and the phantom cries of a baby near the old bridges—this episode balances heavy history with local folklore. Plus, Tiff wraps up with a look at other Oklahoma lakes sitting atop ghost towns and how historic droughts are bringing these lost main streets back to the surface.

Sources:

• US Army Corps of Engineers

• The TCC Connection

• Wikipedia

• Tulsa People

• The Oklahoman

• National Endowment for the Humanities
  

Ep 173: Elohim City Pt 3

⚠️ WARNING: If you haven’t listened to Parts 1 and 2 yet, stop right here, go back, and binge those first—or prepare to be utterly confused!

In Jess’ final installment on Oklahoma’s most infamous extremist compound, she is tying up all the loose ends and answering the burning questions that left our jaws on the floor last week.

Last week, Tiff asked a fantastic question: Do the residents of Elohim City actually vote in mainstream U.S. elections? The answer lies in a wild, anti-government theology that completely isolates them from modern civic life—though they aren't above using a capitalism loophole to fund their compound.

Then, Jess dives straight into the explosive aftermath of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing:

• The Citizen-Driven Grand Jury: Discover how a rare loophole in the Oklahoma Constitution forced a massive, independent investigation that put the FBI's "Lone Wolf" theory to the ultimate test.

• The "John Doe No. 2" Mystery: Who was the phantom square-jawed man seen with Timothy McVeigh? We look at the mind-bending psychological theory the government used to erase him from the case, and why the eyewitnesses refused to back down.

• Undercover Informant CI-183: Meet Carol Howe, a wealthy debutante turned ATF spy who successfully infiltrated Elohim City and explicitly warned handlers about a plot to bomb federal buildings on April 19th—weeks before the tragedy. Why did the government ignore her, and why did they try to lock her up afterward?

Finally, we look at Elohim City today. From its transition to a council of elders to swapping its 1970s aesthetic for smartphones, Wi-Fi, and a massive dome church, we look at how this compound managed to survive into the modern era by rebranding from armed militants to quiet "survivalists."

🎧Grab your headphones—the finale is here.🎬

Sources:

• Wikipedia

• Flatlandkc.org

• Center for Public Secrets

• SPLC

• Los Angels Times

• Today In Fort Smith

🎧 Episode 172: Inside the "Babylon Loophole" of ElohimCity

Sovereignty, Steel, and the State

Deep within the Ozark foothills lies Elohim City, a private, tight-knit enclave that has long operated on the fringes of American society and law enforcement radar. For decades, its residents have rejected the authority of the United States government, viewing the outside world through a deeply insular lens. But a community can’t survive entirely cut off from the modern world—especially when its economic lifeblood depends on the open road.

In this episode, Jess dived deep into the fascinating contradiction known as the "Babylon Loophole." She explores how a community that strictly rejects state-issued driver's licenses internally manages to operate a massive, highly profitable interstate trucking fleet. Discover the complex legal tightrope residents walk: holding state-sanctioned Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) to keep their rigs legal on federal highways, while simultaneously denying the very government that issues them.

How do you reconcile a theological rejection of the state with the practical economic need for its infrastructure? Join us as we unpack the history of Elohim City, the mechanics of the "Babylon Loophole," and the ongoing tension between sovereign ideals and the reality of the American highway system.

🚛 What We Cover This Week:

• The Sovereign Contradiction: Why local state IDs are banned inside the gates, but federal DOT compliance is strictly enforced.

• The Trucking Fleet: How hauling freight became the economic engine keeping this controversial community afloat.

• The Legal Gray Area: How residents navigate traffic stops, federal audits, and interstate commerce laws.

💬 Oklahomans, we want to hear from you! Did you grow up hearing stories about this place? Do you have your own encounters or local legends from the area? Drop a reply below!

Sources:

• Wikipedia

• Flatlandkc.org

• Center for Public Secrets

• SPLC

• Los Angels Times

• Today In Fort Smith