Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: I Tell Stories
Episode: Snowshoe Thompson: Going Postal
Description: Send us a textEver heard of the Norwegian immigrant who single-handedly revolutionized mail delivery across America's most treacherous mountain terrain? Meet Snowshoe Thompson, an unsung American hero whose extraordinary story defies belief.Born as John Torstensenruh in Norway's Telemark District, Thompson immigrated to America at age 10 before eventually making his way to California during the Gold Rush of 1851. When he discovered that mail delivery across the Sierra Nevada mountains became impossible during winter months, Thompson drew upon his Nordic heritage to craft an ingenious solution. Using traditional Norwegian skiing techniques, he hand-carved 10-foot oak...