On our first episode of Cult Season 2021, Nora tells us the strange story of New Mexico's druids.  .

80. The Druids of New Mexico

New Mexico Cult Season continues with Mike Smith's report on the Aggressive Christianity Missionary Training Corps, a group with a military take on the always-impending End of the World.

The Aggressive Christianity Missionary Training Corps

After talking about his less-savory side, we return to Elfego Baca, this time to tell of his legendary gunfight against a legion of drunken Texans.

87. The Legend of Elfego Baca

An interview with Professor John Gram, author of "Education at the Edge of Empire: Negotiating Pueblo Identity in New Mexico's Indian Boarding Schools.

88. New Mexico's Indian Boarding Schools

89. In the depths of the Great Depression, President Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps to both provide relief jobs to unemployed men and improve the nation's historic and natural resources. The men of Camp F8N came from all over the country to live and work in our own  Sandia Mountains, and their legacy remains visible today.

The CCC and Camp F8N

In 1933, an Iowa boy left his home and family to seek out his pen pal, who lived at the Pueblo of Santo Domingo.

90. The Runaway

Before the conquistador Juan de Oñate established the first Spanish colonies in New Mexico, another Spaniard attempted to do so. Why did Gaspar Castaño de Sosa fail? And why isn't he remembered today?

91. The Slaver's March

Inspired by the Pride Parade last weekend, Ty looks into the beginnings of the Albuquerque LGBTQ rights movement.

Vulpes Vulpes

92. Albuquerque Pride 1970-1979

Some people like tacos. I don't get it. Some people like cults. I'm still not sure why. Some people... well, hardly anybody likes starvation. I get that.

93. Tacos, Cults and Starvation

From 19th century botanists to elite WWII soldiers, the history of the Sandia Tram takes us to some surprising places.

94. The History of the Sandia Tram

Hey, we've come back after a long break! And frankly, we need a refreshing drink of water, preferably from a beautiful, Giardia-free mountain spring. Fortunately, Mike knows where to find them.

The Seven Springs of Sandia

Our far-flung correspondent Nora Hickey finds a surprising connection to Albuquerque in her new town: a Madonna of the Trail statue.

Madonna  of the Trail

RIP Mannie's. 1965-2020. And RIP to the building, 1940ish-2023.We also talk about the Colour Fence and Leisure Bowl.

97. Goodbye Mannie's, and other thoughts on the ephemeral

A two time gold rusher, automobile booster and, well, a racist, DKB Sellers was a man with many facets even before he founded one of the  most desirable neighborhoods in modern Albuquerque.

98. DKB Sellers, the Father of Nob Hill

Mike takes us on a deep dive into the history, meaning and mystery of his street in the suburbs.

99. Snowheights

100 years ago, an itinerant ox rancher named Mike Smith discovered the Sandia mountains and decided to make a podcast about them. Today, we celebrate that great day with a very self-indulgent ramble session of an episode. We talk City on the Edge history, highs and lows, the Simpsons and whatever else comes to mind over the course of an hour and 40 minutes.

100th Anniversary!

A new podcast delving into the history and identity of a Soutwhestern city—Albuquerque, NM. In this episode, hosts Mike Smith and Ty Bannerman tell some ghost stories including the story of Mrs. M at the Albuquerque Press Club and  Bobby Darnall, the boy who is said to haunt the KiMo Theatre. 

City on the Edge Episode 1

The Albuquerque Police Department has faced its share of controversies over the years, culminating in an investigation by the Department of Justice which released its findings in 2014. In this episode, we sit down with New Mexico In Depth reporter Jeff Proctor and get up to speed on the origin of the controversies and where things stand now. Also, Mike shares an article he wrote from the front-lines of the anti-police brutality protests of 2014. 

Episode 14: The APD controversies

Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul have done more than any other pop-culture phenomenon to bring Albuquerque's unique city-scape to the eyes of the world. But is the Albuquerque portrayed in these shows accurate? What do they get right and wrong about our city? We talk to Bryan of the podcast It's Saul Goodman about his impressions of Albuquerque as seen on the show, as well as an in-depth conversation with Gabriel Hesch and Jonathan Baca from Breaking Math regarding their experiences growing up in the city.

Episode 30: Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul vs Albuquerque

For this live show, we joined up with Marya Errin Jones to take a look at Black history in New Mexico. We discuss Esteban, perhaps the first non-native person in the New Mexico territory, African American cowboys in the territory and, of course, the Buffalo soldiers. We also delve into some uniquely Albuquerquean stories, including how the civil rights struggle kicked off in our city.

Black History in New Mexico

We talk about the most famous WWII correspondent you've never heard of: Ernie Pyle. A beloved journalist who wrote about America's everyday stories before he went to war, Ernie Pyle's fame skyrocketed when he began covering the Western Front. So what's the Albuquerque connection? Listen and find out!

Ernie Pyle

We chat with Albuquerque poet Hakim Bellamy and photographer Justin Thor Simenson about their new book, We Are Neighbors, which explores an Albuquerque neighborhood through image and fiction.

We Are Neighbors, featuring Hakim Bellamy and Justin Thor Simenson

Did infamous Chicago gangster Al Capone spend time in the mountains of New Mexico? If he did, was he "hiding out?" We look into the persistent legends and try to  find the truth.

City on the Edge Podcast 

Al Capone in New Mexico

We follow the lives of several women who traveled on El Camino Real, the royal road that ran from Mexico City to Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico.

Women of El Camino Real

New Mexico is filled with places you can't go. Our pal, Regis Lacher, talks about a few of them.

Episode 66: You can't go there

One of the most well-preserved ghost towns near Albuquerque is the coal-mining village of Hagan.

City on the Edge

Episode 69: Hagan

Well, we're all stuck inside due to coronavirus, so why not take a look back at the 1918 flu and how it affected Albuquerque and New Mexico?

Episode 71: The 1918 Quarantine

Hey! It's a global pandemic! City on the Edge checks in.

72. Albuquerque in the Time of COVID-19

We’ve never covered the Westside mass grave in detail at City on the Edge, mainly out of a desire to give it the time and attention it deserves and to do so in a way that doesn’t minimize the victims. In February of this year, however, local journalist Tierna Unruh-Enos launched The Mesa podcast, a series that focuses on the West Side crime site in a way that we never could, with interviews and investigations featuring family members of the victims, police officers who worked on (and are still working on) the case, as well as Tierna’s own experiences as a member of the media during in the time period covering the mass grave’s discovery. 

I recently spoke to Tierna about the podcast, as well as what drew her to covering the case in the first place, and how her investigations have changed her view of Albuquerque’s most notorious crime scene.

73. The Mesa

We all have bad days, but most of the time they don't involve nuclear weapons. Our guest Roland Pentilla tells about the day Albuquerque came awfully close to nuclear Armageddon, as well as other military aircraft accidents that have been mostly forgotten. This is a long one, but jam packed with fascinating information!

77. The Day Albuquerque (Almost) Got Nuked

In 1947, the villainous New Mexico Highway Department knocked a 3 million year old landmark and Route 66 icon off of its pedestal. 73 years later, we're upset about it!

78. The Secret of Elephant Rock

We delve into the stories of one Southwestern city. 

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