Mokena's Front Porch Podcast Artwork Image

Mokena's Front Porch

Israel Smith & Matt Galik

This is THE Mokena podcast! We cover the rich history of our village,  good and bad, as well as looking at where we are now.  A Chicago Suburb of 20,000+, Mokena started as a farming community that grew up after the Rock Island Train line was built through the middle of what would become downtown Mokena.  Follow our website at MokenasFrontPorch.com or on social media! 

Matt is a lifelong Mokenian and local historian with 2 books about Mokena as well as a Mokena history blog, Matt's Old Mokena. Many of our episodes are based on the Matt's work collecting the history of our Village. 

Israel grew up learning history and real life stories from his WWII grandfathers. His family moved to Mokena in 2016 and live in one of Mokena's Downtown homes that was built in 1916. Getting to know Matt along with Mokena and it's history, Israel worked to make the podcast a reality, through technical challenges and being a first time podcaster. He is a BIG fan of Mokena!

A Tour of Marshall Cemetery; Visiting The Founders of MokenaMay 04, 2024
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A Walk Down Front Street, Talking History, With Matt & Israel; Wolf to Mokena St., Pt.1April 12, 2024
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Mayor Joe Werner; A Legacy of Service and CommunityMarch 27, 2024
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A Legend To Live Again: The History and Future of 11116 Front StreetMarch 10, 2024
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Curtain Call Theater: A Shining Star on Front StreetFebruary 23, 2024
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Mineral Springs: Magical Waters Beneath Our FeetFebruary 09, 2024
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Postmarked History: The 1937 Post Office RobberyJanuary 29, 2024
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Becoming a Village; The Long Road to IncorporationJanuary 12, 2024
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Mokena's Old Schoolhouse, 1872 - 1929December 19, 2023
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The Mokena State Bank - A Front Street Institution For Over A CenturyDecember 01, 2023
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Maddog Strong - A Conversation With Frank & Cyndi GrobmeierNovember 17, 2023
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An Evening With President Lincoln and His Thanksgiving ProclamationNovember 07, 2023
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Halloween Hauntings and Stories - Halloween SpecialOctober 27, 2023
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Schmuhl School Open House - 1930's One Room School HouseOctober 20, 2023
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A Look Back on Our First Year on The Porch - 1 Year of MFPOctober 14, 2023
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The Mokena News Bulletin & The Semmler Family Pt. 2October 13, 2023
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The Mokena News Bulletin & The Semmler Family Pt. 1September 29, 2023
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The Bergmans - A Living History of MokenaSeptember 15, 2023
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11042 Front Street; A Silent Witness To The Growth of MokenaAugust 31, 2023
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The 1909 Mokena JailbreakAugust 18, 2023
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Tracks of History: The Forgotten Flagmen of Mokena Street CrossingAugust 02, 2023
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The Cooper & Hostert Ford Agency of MokenaJuly 07, 2023
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Mamie Bechstein - In Her Own WordsJune 23, 2023
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The Mokena Riot of 1864 - Part 2June 09, 2023
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A Memorial Day TributeMay 26, 2023
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