Podcast
The History Chick
Hosted by Lesley Schierenbeck · EN
From hidden gems to hometown legends, we explore history, folklife, and culture in New Jersey and the Tri-State Area. Whether it’s Revolutionary War tales, boardwalk stories, or local folklore, The History Chick is here to keep the past alive—and a little bit sassy.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Morristown Murder: Spooky Season in NJ History
Sep 1700:19:48Tap to summarizeSend a text“Because they treated him like a beast of burden…” Those were the words of Antoine LeBlanc as he awaited the gallows in Morristown, New Jersey.In this episode, The History Chick takes you through one of the strangest murders and executions in NJ history. From LeBlanc’s desperate search for fortune to the brutal killings at the Sayre farm, his capture at the Mosquito Tavern, and even the bizarre experiments on his corpse, this is a tale of opportunity gone horribly wrong.💀 What you’ll hear in this episode:The background of Morristown in the 1830sAntoine LeBlanc’s troubled past and failed American dreamThe murders of Samuel, Sarah, and Phoebe SayreThe trial, confession, and execution before a crowd of 10,000The shocking aftermath: galvanic experiments, flayed skin, and ghostly legends✨ Connect with The History Chick:📧 Email: historychicktours@gmail.com🌐 Website: www.historychicktours.com🎥 TikTok & Instagram: @historychicktours💌 Join my email list via the website for tour updates, spooky extras, and first dibs on new episodes!🎙️ If you enjoyed this story, please share the podcast, leave a review, or forward it to a friend who loves history with a spooky twist.Thanks for listening!Want to walk the very streets where this chilling story unfolded? Join me on one of my History Chick Tours in Asbury Park, NJ. Visit historychicktours.com for upcoming dates and tickets. 💌 Contact: Got an idea for a future episode? Want to be a guest? Email me at historychicktours@gmail.com
Transcribe →The Vanishing of Marie Smith: Asbury Park’s Forgotten Murder
Jun 20, 202500:08:29Tap to summarizeSend a textIn 1910, 10-year-old Marie Smith disappeared just 600 feet from her home in Asbury Park, New Jersey. What followed wasn’t just a tragic murder — it exposed the racial tensions, investigative failures, and dark underbelly of a resort town trying to maintain its pristine image.Join host Lesley Schierenbeck (aka The History Chick) as she unpacks one of the most shocking — and nearly forgotten — true crime cases in New Jersey history. This episode takes you from the rushed arrest of Tom Williams, to the arrival of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, to a professional “roper” who lured the real killer into confessing inside an Atlantic City hotel.🕵️♀️ It’s a story of injustice, persistence, and a chilling confession — all set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Asbury Park.📚 Further Reading: This episode was inspired in part by The Rope: A True Story of Murder, Heroism, and the Dawn of the NAACP by Alex Tresniowski — a gripping account that dives even deeper into this case and its national implications.📖 Find The Rope on AmazonThanks for listening!Want to walk the very streets where this chilling story unfolded? Join me on one of my History Chick Tours in Asbury Park, NJ. Visit historychicktours.com for upcoming dates and tickets. 💌 Contact: Got an idea for a future episode? Want to be a guest? Email me at historychicktours@gmail.com
Transcribe →The Summer Solstice Murder!
Jul 9, 202400:18:08Tap to summarizeSend a textWe're back in action! And just in time for Summerween! We're kicking off these sweltering days with a true crime story that is sure to leave you shuckin' for more! Join Lesley Schierenbeck this week as she delves into the true crime story of the Summer Solstice Murder of 1901 - which happened in Tuckerton, New Jersey. Hear about how one clammer's fate brought an oyster watchman to vengeance! Thanks for listening!Want to walk the very streets where this chilling story unfolded? Join me on one of my History Chick Tours in Asbury Park, NJ. Visit historychicktours.com for upcoming dates and tickets. 💌 Contact: Got an idea for a future episode? Want to be a guest? Email me at historychicktours@gmail.com
Transcribe →Duck Duck ... Decoy!
Apr 28, 202400:21:06Tap to summarizeSend a textJoin me this week as Heirloom Historical is back in action - with live interviews from the 2024 New Jersey Decoy Collectors Annual Show! Listen and find out more about decoy carving, what makes it a unique American Folk Art, and how to get started in collecting or carving your own bird! If you want to join the Facebook Group: CLICK HEREThanks for listening!Want to walk the very streets where this chilling story unfolded? Join me on one of my History Chick Tours in Asbury Park, NJ. Visit historychicktours.com for upcoming dates and tickets. 💌 Contact: Got an idea for a future episode? Want to be a guest? Email me at historychicktours@gmail.com
Transcribe →The First Female Surfer on the East Coast!
Mar 18, 202400:13:07Tap to summarizeSend a textJoin us this week as we 'Hang Ten!' and learn about the "Queen of the Waves" here in Asbury Park! If you want to know more about Emma, check out this new book!Thanks for listening!Want to walk the very streets where this chilling story unfolded? Join me on one of my History Chick Tours in Asbury Park, NJ. Visit historychicktours.com for upcoming dates and tickets. 💌 Contact: Got an idea for a future episode? Want to be a guest? Email me at historychicktours@gmail.com
Transcribe →The First Female New Jersey Decoy Carver of the Year!
Mar 11, 202400:34:51Tap to summarizeSend a textDecoys—it's not just a man's world anymore! Join us this week for our very first guest, Nancee Jo Luciani, who will discuss how she broke into the field of decoy carving and ultimately made her mark! If you want to support Nancee Jo's Art, please check out her craft page: The Painted ParrotOr, check out other female carvers by buying the book: Tradition From A Woman's Hand here! Thanks for listening!Want to walk the very streets where this chilling story unfolded? Join me on one of my History Chick Tours in Asbury Park, NJ. Visit historychicktours.com for upcoming dates and tickets. 💌 Contact: Got an idea for a future episode? Want to be a guest? Email me at historychicktours@gmail.com
Transcribe →Colonial Women of New Jersey!
Mar 4, 202400:19:41Tap to summarizeSend a textA shipwreck survivor. A (legal) witch. A patriotic rebel at 74. These are just some of the baddies that you'll learn about here in this episode as we delve into the histories of New Jersey's most tenacious ladies of the colonial period! Join us this month as we celebrate women's history! Thanks for listening!Want to walk the very streets where this chilling story unfolded? Join me on one of my History Chick Tours in Asbury Park, NJ. Visit historychicktours.com for upcoming dates and tickets. 💌 Contact: Got an idea for a future episode? Want to be a guest? Email me at historychicktours@gmail.com
Transcribe →The Black Oystermen Of South Jersey
Feb 26, 202400:09:01Tap to summarizeSend a textNestled along the Maurice River is the now-sleepy community of Shell-Pile, New Jersey - once the world's Oyster Capital!Come find out about the African Americans that made this community thrive! If you want, check out the Smithsonian Article! Thanks for listening!Want to walk the very streets where this chilling story unfolded? Join me on one of my History Chick Tours in Asbury Park, NJ. Visit historychicktours.com for upcoming dates and tickets. 💌 Contact: Got an idea for a future episode? Want to be a guest? Email me at historychicktours@gmail.com
Transcribe →Springwood Avenue Asbury Park!
Feb 19, 202400:13:50Tap to summarizeSend a textJoin us this week as we stroll down Springwood Avenue in Asbury Park to take listeners back to a time when Ike & Tina, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and other jazz, blues, and R&B greats would serenade audiences in many of the nightclubs that were a part of the culture and Black community. Want to read more about Asbury? | Check out Daniel Wolff's BookWant to get involved in the preservation of the Turf Club? | Check out AP-AAMPThanks for listening!Want to walk the very streets where this chilling story unfolded? Join me on one of my History Chick Tours in Asbury Park, NJ. Visit historychicktours.com for upcoming dates and tickets. 💌 Contact: Got an idea for a future episode? Want to be a guest? Email me at historychicktours@gmail.com
Transcribe →New Jersey's All-Black Town: Whitesboro!
Feb 12, 202400:13:54Tap to summarizeSend a textDid you know that New Jersey was home to over a dozen all-Black towns? Well, it's true! Come learn about one of the longest-lasting all-Black towns here in the Garden State, Whitesboro! The Colored AmericanWhitesboro Concerned CitizensThanks for listening!Want to walk the very streets where this chilling story unfolded? Join me on one of my History Chick Tours in Asbury Park, NJ. Visit historychicktours.com for upcoming dates and tickets. 💌 Contact: Got an idea for a future episode? Want to be a guest? Email me at historychicktours@gmail.com
Transcribe →