Ridiculous History – "CLASSIC: Gustaf Broman Tried to Cross the Atlantic in a Canoe...Or Did He?"

Original air date: October 21, 2025
Hosts: Ben Bowlin (A), Noel Brown (B)
Super Producer: Casey Pegram
Podcast: Ridiculous History by iHeartRadio

Episode Overview

This episode of Ridiculous History dives into the outlandish saga of Gustaf Broman, a 19th-century con artist who made headlines for allegedly attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a self-made cedar log canoe. The hosts, Ben and Noel, unravel whether Broman was a daring adventurer, a ridiculous showman, or an enterprising scammer—and the story quickly swerves from nautical stunts to true-crime absurdity. Along the way, the episode illuminates the concept of the "milkshake duck," unpacks 1800s stunt culture, and details Broman’s many cons, culminating in a plan for insurance fraud by faking his own death.

Main Discussion Points

1. Setting the Stage: The Stunt Era and Gustaf Broman's Canoe Ambition

• Stunt Popularity in the 1890s: The hosts explain that the late 19th century was full of sensational feats and weird quests. Broman’s Atlantic-crossing plan fit right in—at first glance.
• Broman's Declaration: In 1895, Broman announced he would "sail a 13-foot long boat made from a cedar log across the Atlantic Ocean" (05:42).
• The Gustav Adolf II: The boat was humorously named after the King of Sweden, but from the start, seemed poorly conceived and dangerously impractical (06:02).

2. A Journey Fraught with Red Flags

• An Odd Route: Instead of launching from the East Coast, Broman started in Coos Bay, Oregon (then Marshfield), planning to sail to San Francisco, train the canoe to New York, then cross the Atlantic (06:49). The hosts find this absurd and suspect ulterior motives.
• Boat-Rail Hybrid: Broman planned to modify the canoe to run on rails using "naptha or electricity," prompting laughter and skepticism from Ben and Noel (07:21).

3. The Initial 'Voyage' and Public Spectacle

• Immediate Problems: At the Oregon launch, 4,000 spectators watched as Broman’s boat “was immediately blown into a sandbar, far enough shore that nobody could get close enough to ask him what was going on” (09:20).
• Rescue by Steamer: He reportedly never made it to San Francisco under his own power. The LA Times noted he had to be rescued by a steamer captain after repeatedly capsizing (10:05).

4. Media & Community Skepticism

• Mocked by the Press: The San Francisco Call described Broman’s craft as fitted with “contrivances never before seen on land or sea,” and “about as safe for passenger service as a bale of hay...” (11:06). Ben and Noel revel in the snark of the era’s reporting.
• Suspicions about Broman's Intentions: The press speculated his boat was “designed not for ocean travel, but for the Midway nickel trade,” i.e., cheap amusements or scams (12:35).

5. Broman's Criminal Background Unveiled

• Celebrity to Law Enforcement: Broman was notorious to the California police, who tipped off the press about his real background as “a funny kind of finny cuss…with all his evil doings, he always comes out on top” (13:41).
• A String of Schemes: Examples include:
  • Blackmail & Extortion: Blackmailed a hotel keeper by pretending to have been robbed (15:14).
  • Public Shaming: Was “tarred and feathered” and driven out of town for seducing local women (15:17).
  • Insurance Fraud & Potential Fratricide: Took out large insurance policies on his developmentally disabled brother, who died in a suspicious fire. Broman was arrested but ultimately acquitted after a key witness was allegedly bribed (18:36–20:06).

6. Further Shenanigans in San Francisco and Beyond

• Marrying a Wealthy Widow: Broman wed “Mrs. Leroy” (sometimes “Mrs. Roy”) and gave her a valuable diamond ring, but police doubted his reformation (25:33).
• Suspicious Legal Troubles: Tried to involve police in a supposed robbery of $8,000—while himself a suspected scammer (30:21).

7. Analysis: Was It All a Death-Faking Scam?

• Detective’s Theory: Detective Anthony suggested Broman designed his canoe to appear doomed in order to fake his death (pseudocide), cash in a life insurance policy, and split the payout with a confederate (41:04).
  • “He wanted somewhere between Marshfield and San Francisco for his boat. He wanted to disappear and have his boat wash up on a remote area.” (42:41)
• Evidence: Broman did, in fact, secure a $15,000 life insurance policy; the insurer, wise to his reputation, canceled it before a claim could be made (43:17–43:51).
• Hosts reflect: Faking your death for an insurance scam is “very, very difficult” and rarely succeeds, citing the book Playing Dead by Elizabeth Greenwood (44:25).

8. Reframing Broman as a "Milkshake Duck"

• Internet Lexicon Connection: The hosts fulfill their opening promise by explaining “milkshake duck”—a viral phrase for someone idolized and quickly exposed as problematic (50:26).
  • The term’s origin: “The whole Internet loves Milkshake duck. A lovely duck that drinks milkshakes. Five seconds later, we regret to inform you the duck is racist.” (51:10)
  • Broman, briefly lauded for his bravery, is shown to be a scoundrel.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the absurdity of the quest:
  “He would ride this log, which he called the Gustav Adolf II... But here's the thing. His plan seemed pretty ridiculous just from the beginning.” (06:02, Ben)
• On 'naptha' as boat fuel:
  “I'm sorry, naptha?” (07:44, Noel)
• On his criminal record:
  “A funny kind of finny cuss indeed. So apparently he was known all over California for running a series of varying degrees of bonkers scams...” (14:00, Noel)
• On faking his brother’s death:
  “He took these two insurance policies out on his brother's life, and then what happened not a month later? The shanty burned to the ground with the brother inside.” (18:36–18:45, Ben)
• On Broman as a con artist:
  “This guy... If she would not testify against him on that, that second go round.” (20:02, Ben)
• Detective Anthony’s pseudocide theory:
  “…He wanted it to look like the kind of thing that would easily sink because he was planning on the boat to be found bottom up in some beach, and he was going to essentially commit pseudocide.” (41:29, Ben)
• The Milkshake Duck definition:
  “The whole Internet loves Milkshake duck. A lovely duck that drinks milkshakes. Five seconds later, we regret to inform you the duck is racist.” (51:10, Casey reading tweet)
• Reflecting on Broman’s character:
  “So Gustav Broman, in that case, in this sense, is a milkshake duck because he was, for a very brief time, this American hero.” (51:22, Ben)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [05:42] — Gustaf Broman’s claim to cross the Atlantic in a cedar canoe
• [06:49] — Details of the planned journey, suspicious logistics
• [09:20] — Public spectacle and failed initial launch
• [10:05] — The steamer rescue and skepticism from local press
• [13:41] — Law enforcement exposes Broman’s past
• [15:14–20:06] — Details of insurance fraud and suspected fratricide
• [25:33] — Broman marries the wealthy widow
• [30:21] — Attempts to involve police in further schemes
• [41:04–44:41] — Detective Anthony’s pseudocide theory and insurance fraud plot revealed
• [50:26–51:22] — The “milkshake duck” explanation and its relevance to Broman’s story

Tone & Language

The episode is irreverent, quick-witted, and playful, with Ben and Noel leaning heavily into period-appropriate snark, wordplay, and recurring bits. They balance laughter at the story's absurdity with measured condemnation of Broman's nastier deeds—punctuating critique with mock-formality and humorous speculation.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode meticulously traces Gustaf Broman from would-be folk hero, through a parade of bamboozling scams, to a classic “milkshake duck”—someone rapidly idolized, then exposed as a fraudster. It’s an entertaining exploration of how some of history’s most ridiculous schemes are both more sinister and more slapstick than they initially appear.

Not just a tale of a failed Atlantic crossing, it’s a cautionary—and hilarious—history of stunt culture, scam artistry, and con men in America’s Gilded Age.