How One Man Drowned San Diego.

What if someone promised to make it rain—and you believed them?

In the early 1900s, Charles Hatfield went from selling sewing machines door to door to pitching American cities on an impossible idea: that he could manufacture rainfall using a secret chemical process. Farmers hired him. Towns paid him. And rain seemed to follow wherever he went.

Then San Diego made a deal.

Facing an extreme drought and mounting pressure as it prepared for a major world exposition, city leaders took a gamble on Hatfield’s “no rain, no pay” promise. What followed was not relief—but chaos. Rain fell. Then more rain. Then flooding, collapsing infrastructure, and a disaster that would permanently change the city.

In this episode, Jody walks Shea through:

• How Hatfield built his reputation as The Rainmaker
• Why early 20th-century America was primed to believe him
• The thin line between innovation, coincidence, and catastrophe
• And the legal and moral fallout that lasted more than 20 years

Did Hatfield actually make it rain?

Or was he simply very good at predicting when nature was already about to unleash itself?

The answer isn’t as simple—or as comforting—as you might think.

Today we have a huge announcement! Rainy Day Rabbit Holes has joined the MSW Media Network! We are so excited for this new partnership. We will continue to bring you all of the juicy and unhinged history that you have grown to love, but now with 25% more politicians behaving badly!

Also, if you haven't heard about it yet, we cover the story of the Columbia outdoor wear company offering its assets to anyone who can provide a photo of the edge of the earth. #expeditionimpossible

https://youtu.be/JxJOAsTMC6w

Go check out our website at www.rainydayrabbitholes.com, and check out the other great podcasts at MSW Media! www.mswmedia.com

History is messy. It’s weird, wild, and anything but boring.

Rainy Day Rabbit Holes is a history podcast about unhinged stories that make you stop and ask, wait… is this real life?

From crazy disasters and tasty scandals to enlightening and surprisingly heartwarming tales, the show explores moments where people behaved badly—and sometimes beautifully. Expect naughty politicians, cultural chaos, and a deep love for the Pacific Northwest… including Bigfoot.

It’s thoughtful, irreverent, occasionally serious, and always entertaining.

Go listen now and fall down the rabbit hole.

Find Rainy Day Rabbit Holes at rainydayrabbitholes.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this special fan-fiction episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes, Shea and Jody dive headfirst into myth, memory, and maritime magic with a story written especially for beloved Patreon supporter Captain Dan.

Set against the storm-soaked docks and taverns of the 19th-century Salish Sea, this tale follows a seasoned ship’s captain whose final voyage brings him face-to-face with Cadborosaurus—the legendary sea serpent said to haunt the waters of Cadboro Bay. What begins as a routine herring run turns into an encounter with something ancient, terrifying, beautiful… and irresistible.

Blending historical texture, Pacific Northwest folklore, and unapologetic romantic weirdness, this episode is a love letter to:

• Old sailors with haunted eyes
• Sea monsters who may not be monsters at all
• The pull of the ocean—and what happens when you answer it

This story is inspired by Episode 26, “Release the Kraken: Sea Monsters of the Salish Sea,” and created as a thank-you to Rainy Day Rabbit Holes Patreon supporters. It is fan fiction, folklore, and birthday present all rolled into one slightly damp, fish-scented package.

🎂 Happy (belated) 70th birthday, Captain Dan.

⚓ Some sailors retire. Others sail on forever.

If fog rolls in and you hear singing from the harbor… maybe don’t follow it. Or do.

Chris Staudinger, sorry we killed you off.

If you want your very own piece of bespoke fan fiction, consider signing up for our Patreon! Not only will you get ad-free episodes early, you get bonus content and so much more! Check out our website at www.rainydayrabbitholes.com

🎉 This week is a little different—and very special.

We’re not bringing you a new historical story in this episode. Instead, we invite you to curl up with us as we look back, laugh, and reflect on the last 100 episodes of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes.

If you’re in the mood for something story-driven instead, no worries at all—feel free to hop over to our latest fan fiction episode, which is ready and waiting for you. 🐇

🎙️ 100 episodes. Somehow.

In this milestone episode, Shea and Jody celebrate over two years of podcasting chaos, curiosity, friendship, and forgotten history. What started as a half-formed idea in the Pacific Northwest turned into 100 full episodes, countless rabbit holes, a growing community, and friendships we never expected.

This episode is part celebration, part reflection, and part love letter—to listeners, collaborators, historians, and each other.

• Why reaching 100 episodes is such a rare podcast milestone
• Early audio struggles, evolving formats, and champagne-fueled recording days
• The episodes that still stick with us (and why)
• Listener-favorite stories like:
• Madam Mustache
• The Salish Sea Human Foot Discoveries
• The Traveling Corpse of Elmer McCurdy
• Ishi: The Last Wild Indian
• Sea Monsters of the Salish Sea
• How podcasting changed the way we see history—and historians
• Why preserving uncomfortable history matters
• Messages and reflections from listeners, friends, and fellow podcasters
• The friendships and creative communities that grew out of this show

We take time to thank the people who made the last 100 episodes possible—from collaborators and historians to fellow podcasters, Radio Tacoma, behind-the-scenes helpers, and the listeners who stuck with us while we figured things out.

We also share news about an upcoming project, State of Disgrace, where we’ll explore moments in history that echo loudly into the present—starting with McCarthyism, fear politics, and how societies find their way back from the brink.

This new show will be more focused and seasonal, but rooted in the same curiosity that drives Rainy Day Rabbit Holes.

This episode isn’t about numbers or algorithms. It’s about showing up, staying curious, and building something together.

Whether you’ve been here since episode one or just fell down the rabbit hole—thank you for being part of this journey.

🕳️ Here’s to 100 more. See you down the rabbit hole.

What happens when ancient mythology collides with modern travel, sibling dynamics, and a very tight bus schedule?

In this episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes, Shea takes us deep into the mountains of Nagano Prefecture to explore Togakushi Shrine, one of Japan’s most sacred—and least touristy—Shinto sites. Along the way, we unravel the myth of Amaterasu, the sun goddess who plunged the world into darkness after her brother Susanoo’s chaos drove her into hiding inside a cave.

As Shea hikes the same forest paths once walked by gods—beneath towering 800-year-old cedar trees—Japanese legend comes vividly to life. We explore the five shrines of Togakushi, the divine doorway sealed shut to save the world, dancing gods, nine-headed dragons, spiritual power spots, and what it really means to experience Japan beyond the “Golden Route” of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.

This episode blends Japanese mythology, spiritual travel, off-the-beaten-path adventure, and real-life mishaps, including sprinting down mountain roads, surviving a hair-raising taxi ride, and realizing—too late—that the bus was actually running behind schedule.

If you’re fascinated by Shinto legends, sacred hikes, authentic travel experiences, or Japan beyond the tourist crowds, this episode is your invitation to step into the forest, slow down, and walk where the gods once did.

In this episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes, Shea and Jody wander straight into the delightfully unhinged heart of Japanese folklore, where the landscapes are beautiful, the temples are ancient, and the raccoon dogs have… opinions. And tricks. And extremely versatile anatomy.

Fresh off Shea's travels through Nagano, the conversation opens with reflections on Japan’s quiet magic — misty mountains, timeless streets, and the spiritual gravity of places like Zenkoji Temple, where centuries of belief hang in the air like incense smoke. From there, things take a turn. A tanuki-shaped turn.

Enter the Tanuki: real animal, legendary menace, folkloric chaos goblin. Known in English as the Japanese raccoon dog, the tanuki occupies a strange and wonderful space where biology collides with myth. Shea and Jody dig into how this very real creature became one of Japan’s most beloved tricksters — a shapeshifter, a prankster, and a master of illusion who delights in confusing humans, impersonating monks, and generally causing low-stakes supernatural nonsense.

And then there’s the scrotum.

Yes, that scrotum. In tanuki folklore, it’s not just anatomy — it’s a multipurpose magical object capable of stretching, transforming, disguising, and occasionally funding a night out. Shea and Jody unpack how this bizarre detail isn’t just crude humor for humor’s sake, but ties back to real historical practices, particularly Kanazawa’s gold-leaf industry, where tanuki legends became symbols of wealth, flexibility, and good fortune. Folklore, it turns out, is nothing if not practical.

Along the way, the episode explores why tanuki statues are everywhere in Japan — outside restaurants, shops, temples, and bars — grinning, wide-eyed, eternally mid-prank. These statues aren’t just cute roadside oddities; they’re cultural shorthand for prosperity, humor, and a reminder not to take life too seriously. Or at least to keep an eye on your wallet when magical animals are nearby.

The discussion weaves together travel stories, religious history, art, pop culture, and the enduring appeal of a creature that refuses to behave. From ancient tales to modern anime, the tanuki continues to evolve, shape-shift, and bounce gleefully through Japanese storytelling, dragging its legends — and its lucky bag — right along with it.

It’s an episode about Japan’s ability to hold beauty and absurdity in the same breath. About sacred spaces and silly stories. About how folklore survives because it entertains as much as it teaches. And about a mischievous raccoon dog whose legacy proves that sometimes, the weirdest stories are the ones that stick the longest.

Visit our website for pictures from Shea's trip to Japan plus links to social media and more! www.rainydayrabbitholes.com

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Shea is back from her Japan adventure and is bringing you some of Japan's most captivating legends!

Today, not only does Shea share some insights into driving in Japan, Japanese bathing culture, castles as adult museums, and toilets, she brings the tale of one of Japan's most terrifying Yokai and urban legends, Kuchisake-onna or the Slit-Mouthed Woman.

Visit our website for pictures from Shea's trip and more! www.rainydayrabbitholes.com

Make sure to check out our YouTube, subscribe, like our videos, leave a comment!

You can follow us on instagram for more photos!

All links at our website!