- Posted November 19, 2025
This week, we’re diving back into the story of Sarah Haviland, getting into her trial, punishment, and other finer…
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The "Passing On" of the Haviland children: Part Two
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The "Passing On" of the Haviland children: Part One
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The Bombing (and Survival) of Charlene Dell
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Bad Axe Hitman
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Revisiting the Case of Douglas Gene Bowers
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Connected or Not?
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The McPhee Incident - Part 2 of 2
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The McPhee Incident - Part 1 of 2
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Prohibition in the Thumb
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Dogman
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Daniel "Danny" Hazard
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An Epilogue to the Sparlings
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St. Clair County's Drug Trade - Part 3 of 3
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St. Clair County's Drug Trade - Part 2 of 3
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St. Clair County's Drug Trade - Part 1 of 3
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Nixon Visits the Thumb
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Michigan's Inside Scoop
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Wilbur Hamm
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The Paasches
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Murder at SC4
Thumbing Through the Archives
Join hosts Arica Frisbey, Mike Gallagher and Nick Lien as they cover some of Michigan's most notable historical events, urban legends and oddities.
More Episodes
- Posted November 12, 2025
When this case took place, the American Civil War had only ended some seven months earlier, and many were…
- Posted October 1, 2025
A little more than two months before Timothy McVeigh and former Decker resident Terry Nichols committed the Oklahoma City…
- Posted July 17, 2025
At 9:30 p.m. on January 22, 1984, Jerry Western was found with a single gunshot wound to the back…
- Posted June 5, 2025
The death of Douglas Hendricks in 1973 remains unthinkable. He was 19 at the time and a resident of…
- Posted May 22, 2025
On February 4, 1976, the body of Carol Wudarcki was found in Worth Township. She had been struck by…
- Posted March 28, 2025
With Esther McPhee deceased, the trial for her husband began on the afternoon of October 17, with Prosecutor RJ…
- Posted March 21, 2025
A small village in Sanilac County’s Speaker Township, Melvin boasts a hearty population of 148 residents, with it not…
- Posted March 8, 2025
Prohibition officially hit the United States in 1919 when the 18th Amendment was ratified. While it may have intended…
- Posted December 28, 2024
Daniel Lewis Hazard made his way to Croswell on July 21, 1998, unaware that it would be his last…
- Posted December 28, 2024
On this special edition of Thumbing Through the Archives, we’re returning to our roots by taking some time to…
- Posted December 28, 2024
This might be our final gambit regarding the drug trade in St. Clair County, but we’re going out with…
- Posted December 28, 2024
The St. Clair County Drug Task Force officially began its operations on January 2, 1985, with its tip-line being…
- Posted December 28, 2024
Located within the region of the Thumb, St. Clair County has a complicated history as part of the drug…
- Posted December 28, 2024
On April 10, 1974, President Nixon campaigned his way across the Thumb, visiting Saginaw, Bad Axe, Cass City, and…
- Posted December 28, 2024
From Blue Moon to Superman to Moose Tracks, we’re scooping up another origin story on this week’s episode! Join…
- Posted December 28, 2024
There is murder within today’s case, but it’s not the main focus of the story. This is a tale…
- Posted December 28, 2024
The story of January 9, 1993, might never have a conclusion. This day involves the death of a man…
- Posted December 28, 2024
On a chilly November day in 1985, the boom from a single shotgun blast cut through the air of…
- Posted December 27, 2024
Having peeked at all of the available information concerning Collins’s trial, including the tricky jury selection and testimony from…
- Posted December 27, 2024
Today’s episode features all of the details surrounding the jury selection, testimony, and the defense’s case in relation to…
- Posted December 27, 2024
What started in July of 1967 would go on to last nearly three years, culminating in the conviction of…
- Posted December 27, 2024
On our last episode, we headed across the country to California, touching upon the murder of 17-year-old Roxie Phillips…
- Posted December 27, 2024
A brief reminder that listener discretion is advised due to the graphic nature of this case. We spoke extensively…
- Posted December 27, 2024
As this is the third part in our longest series to date, we recommend starting from the beginning if…
- Posted December 27, 2024
We’re back with our second part on our deep dive on the Michigan Murders. Last time we focused our…
- Posted December 27, 2024
From 1967 to 1969, one person terrorized southeastern Michigan, leaving five (or potentially six) victims in their wake. Join…
- Posted December 27, 2024
A very early (or late) Happy Halloween! On this special episode, we’ll be exploring the haunted tales of two…
- Posted December 27, 2024
As we near the end of our first three-parter, there are still several questions left remaining in this confusing…
- Posted December 27, 2024
Last time we left off, the Lord brothers had fled from the scene of the crime, leading to a…
- Posted December 27, 2024
The Lord family arrived in Elk Township around 1899, almost three decades after the Thumb’s first towns had already…
- Posted December 26, 2024
Come discover the origins of Snover, a place often overlooked in Michigan’s history. With a population of 300 in…
- Posted December 26, 2024
Pinkertons, the Matteson brothers, and hidden crimes–oh my! We might be wrapping up our investigation into the Morris Murders, but…
- Posted December 26, 2024
One family above all others remains tangled up in Decatur’s past. The Morrises were considered the village darlings, but…
- Posted December 26, 2024
James Jesse Strang, otherwise known as the “King of Beaver Island,” was a Mormon polygamist. Even though he passed…
- Posted December 26, 2024
The death of Douglas Hendricks and (later) disappearance of Douglas Bowers seemingly happened out of the blue, sending shockwaves…
- Posted December 21, 2024
We’re moving away from natural disasters and peering into the life of a self-proclaimed cult leader, Benny Evangelista, and…
- Posted December 21, 2024
On Thursday, June 8th, almost seventy years ago, a black funnel cloud so large it tinged the sky green…
- Posted December 21, 2024
Everyone loves an origin story, and this week, we’re looking back on Sanilac County’s local history. It all started…
- Posted December 21, 2024
On today’s episode of Thumbing Through the Archives, we take a look at the achievements of Michigan’s so-called “fastest…
- Posted December 21, 2024
Dive into the pages of Michigan’s history with Thumbing Through the Archives. This week’s episode is all about the…
- Posted December 21, 2024
Just where is a church caretaker meant to turn when he discovers the fright of his life? Filled with…
- Posted December 21, 2024
Continuing our deep dive into the case of the “Dying Sparlings,” we’re wrapping up the official investigation concerning (and…
- Posted November 13, 2024
Discover the origins of one of the Thumb’s greatest but relatively unknown mysteries: the Sparling Murders. This case spanned…
- Posted October 31, 2024
You might think you know everything there is to know about the Thumb’s most famous ghost story, but do…
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