CLASSIC: California Schoolchildren and the Great Squirrel War
Ridiculous History
iHeartPodcasts
4.2 • 4.7K Ratings
🗓️ 28 March 2026
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this week's Classic episode: In 1918, as the planet was consumed by World War I, the government of California found itself combating an unexpected and catastrophic enemy: Ground squirrels. The rodents were wreaking havoc across the countryside, consuming crops left and right. State horticulture commissioner George H. Hecke proposed an unorthodox solution -- enlist schoolchildren in a statewide massacre of all ground squirrels. Oddly enough, it worked.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | fellow ridiculous historians, welcome back to this week's classic episode. |
| 0:04.9 | We are quickly approaching the moment, Noel, where our pal Max Williams joins the show. |
| 0:10.1 | That's true. |
| 0:11.3 | And this is a really fun episode to mark the occasion. |
| 0:15.0 | Or, you know, at least getting close to the occasion. |
| 0:17.0 | That time California school children participated in something called the Great Squirrel War. |
| 0:22.7 | Oh my gosh. |
| 0:25.0 | This is crazy. |
| 0:26.1 | We don't even want to spoil it. |
| 0:27.6 | Let's just roll the tape. |
| 0:29.2 | Let's do it. |
| 0:32.8 | Ridiculous History is a production of IHeart Radio. |
| 1:13.3 | Music History is a production of IHeart Radio. Friends, neighbors, farmers, city dwellers, rural, and urban residents alike, have you ever had an infestation of pests, say roaches or rats or bats and so on. |
| 1:14.4 | Hi, I'm Ben. |
| 1:15.3 | I'm Noel. |
| 1:20.0 | No, but I did once have a pet squirrel named Mr. Muffentops. |
| 1:20.8 | Mm-hmm. |
| 1:26.0 | Was this, was it an animal that lived nearby or an animal in a cage? |
| 1:27.0 | Yes. |
| 1:28.2 | Both. |
| 1:30.5 | Okay, I made that up. |
| 1:35.2 | I just wanted to say Mr. Muffin' Tops, but, and I would honestly be terrified to have a squirrel for a pet. |
... |
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