Jim Kissane · Industrial History Storyteller
Rescuing Forgotten Voices from 1850–1950 America
Jim Kissane is a historian, storyteller, and author who shares vivid stories from 1850–1950 Industrial America. Because he has worked in industrial settings for decades, his programs feel both accurate and personal. Libraries, museums, historical societies, and municipalities invite Jim when they want carefully researched history that also speaks to the heart. As a result, his storytelling deepens visitor engagement and often supports grants and community projects. In addition, he reaches wider audiences through books, podcasts, and written stories that bring forgotten voices from railroads, mines, factories, farms, and early automobile roads back into the light.
Live Storytelling Programs for Your Organization
In these programs, you step into the grit and glory of Industrial America through immersive 45–60 minute storytelling sessions tailored to Florida libraries, museums, civic groups, and festivals. Along the way, Jim’s vivid narratives blend historical accuracy with compelling personal stories, sparking emotion, reflection, and conversation among your audiences.
– 📖 Themes include Florida railroads, ports, agriculture, inventors, phosphate mines, lumber and turpentine camps, cigar factories, and small‑town main streets
– 🎭 Interactive sessions with Q&A that connect statewide history to your community’s local stories
– 📍 Available for in-person or virtual delivery across Florida and beyond
My Books: The Story of Industrial America Collection
Five volumes of deeply researched, story‑driven narratives are available in regular print, large print, and e‑book formats. As a result, they work well for individual readers, libraries, book clubs, and educational settings. In each volume, you are immersed in the people, places, and pivotal moments that traditional history often overlooks.
– 📚 Discussion guides available for libraries and book clubs
– ✍️ Each volume spans different industries and time periods within 1850–1950
– 🔍 Thoroughly researched and rooted in primary sources and personal accounts
Podcasts, Substack & Digital Stories
Discover experimental narratives, behind-the-scenes research, and character studies through Jim’s Substack publication and occasional podcast episodes. This is where new stories are born and tested before becoming future book volumes.
– 🎙️ Regular Substack posts exploring ideas and scenes in progress
– 🧪 A “story laboratory” for curious readers and history enthusiasts
– 💡 Direct insight into the storytelling and research process
What Makes Me Different
Unlike typical history presentations, my programs blend academic rigor with deeply human storytelling.
Because I have spent five decades of personal experience in industrial work—walking factory floors, riding the rails, exploring mines—mean my narratives are rooted in real knowledge and an authentic connection to the era.
As a result, every program is researched, purposeful, and crafted to leave audiences not just informed, but moved.
– 🎯 50+ years of firsthand industrial experience
– 💼 Published author with a full Industrial America book series in multiple formats
– 🌟 Nationally recognized storyteller trusted by museums, libraries, and organizations
– 🔗 All stories connect to preserved oral history and primary sources
I bring to life The Story of Industrial America, sharing vivid tales from the 1850s to the 1950s.
This was the era when the United States—and Florida—were transformed by railroads, ports, factories, and new kinds of work.
My original stories reveal the people, places, and pivotal events that traditional history books often overlook, inviting audiences to discover “the rest of the story.”
