Stories-A History of Appalachia: Recent Episodes
Steve Gilly
Dillion “Old Dill” Asher was one of the early pioneers of southeastern Kentucky, a frontier soldier and farmer who became the toll keeper at the Cumberland River ford at what’s now Pineville, giving him a front row seat to the early settlement of the state.
In this episode, we tell Old Dill’s story, from his connection to the first settlers in what became Tennessee, his military service, his journeys into Kentucky along the Wilderness Road, the settlement of Red Bird Valley, and his, shall we say, “complicated family life.”
Along the way, we try to separate what can be documented from the rich folklore that grew up around one of eastern Kentucky's most colorful pioneers.
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In 1779, on the Georgia frontier, a group of armed Loyalist soldiers forced their way into Nancy Hart's cabin, demanding a hot meal from a helpless woman and her daughter.
Instead, they found themselves face to face with one of the American Revolution's toughest and fiercest patriots.
Join us as we tell the story of Nancy Hart, whose courage, quick thinking, and daring stand against soldiers loyal to the British crown made her one of the most celebrated heroines of the southern Appalachian frontier, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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The infamous Killing Rock massacre ended with the deaths of a moonshiner and his wife and several of their friends on a mountain along the Virginia-Kentucky border.
It began years earlier with a lawsuit, a bitter rivalry, and two determined men on opposite sides of the law. This week, we trace the feud between lawman Doc Marshall Benton Taylor and moonshiner Ira "Bad Ira" Mullins, and the long road that ended in one of the most notorious acts of violence in that part of Appalachia.
It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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In the winter of 1789, Cherokee war leader John Watts made a daring decision. Instead of returning to the Chickamauga towns as he usually did for the winter, he established a hidden winter camp deep in the mountains, at what’s now the Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park in Unicoi County, Tennessee, so he and his men could attack the frontier farms when it was least expected.
When John Sevier learned of the camp's location, he led a militia through snow and bitter cold to launch a surprise attack that became one of the bloodiest and most controversial battles with the Cherokee. Join us as we tell the story of the Battle of Flint Creek, the last military action taken by the short-lived State of Franklin.
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In the late 1780s a man from Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, William Hewitt, crossed the Ohio River seeking to find solitude in the Appalachian wilderness after heartbreak changed his life forever. Living alone in caves and rough dugouts for nearly fifty years, Hewitt lived in peace alongside the Shawnee, served as a scout during the War of 1812, and became a legend across southeastern Ohio.
But the strangest chapter of his story began after his death.
Join us as we tell the haunting true story of the Hermit of Hewitt’s Fork.
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In September 1894, a routine drilling operation on a Tyler County, West Virginia, farm broke into a massive natural gas pocket, unleashing one of the most powerful and uncontrollable wells the world had ever seen. For nearly a year, the Big Moses well defied human engineering, triggered massive fissures in the ground, survived two separate lightning strikes, and wasted billions of cubic feet of gas.
Join us as we tell this wild true story from the West Virginia oil boom era about the legendary Big Moses gas well.
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Vincent “Clawhammer” Witcher became one of the most feared Confederate guerrilla leaders along the Virginia/Kentucky border in the Civil War. As the leader of what was called “Witcher’s Boys, he operated from the Ohio River in what’s now West Virginia down into northeast Tennessee, bringing brutal violence to both friend and foe alike.
This week we tell his story, including notorious incidents in Lee County, Virginia and Unicoi County, Tennessee, that earned him the name “The Devil in the Mountains.”
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The early settlements along the Watauga and Holston Rivers in what’s now Tennessee were the very beginning of "The Wild West." While names like Daniel Boone, John Sevier, and William Bean filled the history books, another man was standing right beside them at nearly every major turning point—yet his story has been lost to time.
In this episode, suggested by one of our listeners, Steve and Rod tell the story of Captain William Asher. One of the first to arrive in the Watauga settlement, Captain Asher served as a Patriot in the American Revolution, fought the Chickamauga, established fortified stations on the frontier and guided surveyors as they headed west, only to meet a sudden, tragic end while hunting deer near his home at Bean Station.
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In 1781, as the American Revolution raged, Appalachian settlers in what’s now West Virginia rose in armed rebellion against the Virginia government. Angry over crushing taxes, forced military service, and wartime demands, John Claypool led an Appalachian backcountry revolt that sparked panic across the Shenandoah Valley. This is the little-known story of Claypool’s Rebellion, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
Quill Rose was a Confederate veteran, bear hunter, blacksmith, storyteller, and moonshiner who lived deep in the Smoky Mountains along Eagle Creek. In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, we tell his story, from Cades Cove in the 1840s through war, family life, isolation, to his illegal whiskey-making in the mountains.
Along the way, Quill became a figure known not just for survival, but also for his loyalty to family, his reputation with Plott hounds, his run-ins with the law, and the many colorful stories told about him, many of which he told himself.
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This week we have not one but two podcast episodes for you!
In this one, we go to Glen Ferris, West Virginia, a town at the falls of the Kanawha River, to tell the story of the Glen Ferris Inn, a place that hosted presidents, businessmen, Civil War generals and even, it’s said, a ghost!
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This week we have not one, but two episodes for you!
For this story, we travel back to December of 1908, when people in Russell and Adair counties in Kentucky were shaken after 12-year-old Mamie Womack failed to return home from school. Her disappearance that winter afternoon triggered a desperate search, as neighbors, family, and bloodhounds followed a trail through the woods that uncovered a horrible crime.
As the hunt for answers widened, suspicion fell on Elmer Hill, a young man with ties to the Womack family, who also went missing. What followed was a multi-county manhunt involving posses, bloodhounds, and growing public outrage. Hill would eventually be captured after days on the run, but the case would not end in a courtroom.
In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, Steve and Rod tell the story of Mamie Womack’s disappearance and the chilling fate of the man thought to be responsible, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
In the late 1600’s, Dr. John Lederer, a German immigrant to the Virginia colony, became one of the first Europeans to explore the Appalachian region. Between 1669 and 1670, Lederer made three trips into the Blue Ridge Mountains, traveled west and south through Native territories in Virginia and the Carolinas, and searched for a passage west through the Alleghenies.
Along the way he encountered wolves, rattlesnakes, deadly spiders, Native villages, rumors of strange bearded white men, and stories that hinted at vast inland waterways beyond Appalachia. Lederer’s journal about his travels became one of the earliest written descriptions of Appalachia.
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The highest mountain valley in Virginia is Burke’s Garden, also referred to as “God’s Thumbprint” for its bowl-like shape.
It was here that something began killing sheep in the winter of 1952. Night after night, farmers woke to fresh losses, and no one could agree on what was responsible. Was it a wolf, a panther, or something stranger and unexplainable?
This week we tell the story of Burke’s Garden and the mysterious predator that became known as the “Varmint of Burke’s Garden” and gripped an Appalachian community with fear for nearly a year.
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This week we tell the strange and little-known story of the Mountain Cove Community, a spiritualist commune founded in the mountains of what’s now West Virginia in the early 1850s.
Led by Reverends Thomas Lake Harris and James L. Scott, the group believed they could communicate with spirits, build a new Eden in Appalachia, and create a perfect society apart from the corruption of the outside world. But as power, prophecy, and control grew inside the community, Mountain Cove began to unravel.
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In 1948, a small town in West Virginia became the center of a growing national fear over the perceived evil influence of comic books. There, in the town of Spencer, a schoolteacher and her students gathered thousands of comic books and set them ablaze in a bonfire, starting with one featuring the Man of Steel, Superman.
What led to this dramatic moment? In this episode, Rod and Steve tell the story of the time a national panic reached into the heart of Appalachia, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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George Washington Kirk was a carpenter from Greene County, Tennessee.
He was also a feared and hated Union soldier/bushwhacker during the Civil War, operating in the mountains along the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. Kirk and his band of Unionists known as Kirk's Raiders were hailed as heroes by some and denounced as nothing but savages by others.
From the audacious raid on Camp Vance and the brutal Battle of the Bloody Chucky at Red Banks in what’s now Erwin, to his post-war role in the Kirk-Holden War against the Ku Klux Klan, George Kirk’s story is another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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In 1755, the frontier settlement of Draper’s Meadow was shattered by a brutal Shawnee raid in which many settlers were killed and the survivors captured. Among those taken prisoner was Mary Draper Ingles, a young wife and mother. The group was forced into a grueling march north to a village in the Ohio country. Separated from her children and facing a winter in the wilderness, Mary made a choice that would become one of the greatest survival stories in American history.
This week, we tell the story of Mary’s incredible 500-mile journey home. With nothing but a tomahawk, a knife, a blanket and sheer will, she navigated treacherous terrain and escaped starvation to return to her Virginia home in the New River Valley.
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James Harrod was a soldier, a longhunter, an explorer and the man who founded Kentucky’s first permanent pioneer settlement. But in February 1792, the legendary Colonel Harrod walked into the woods and never returned.
Today we tell the story of the man who founded Harrodsburg, Kentucky and the many theories surrounding his mysterious disappearance, including a possible connection to the fabled Swift’s silver mine.
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Roger Tandy Quisenberry had every advantage in life: wealth, education, and opportunity, but chose a path few could understand. From the California Gold Rush to a dangerous expedition in Nicaragua, his early years were filled with adventure. But when he returned home to Kentucky, something had changed. He withdrew from everybody, lived alone in a crude cabin, and became known for his extreme isolation and strange behavior.
Today we tell the story of Tandy Quisenberry, the woman hating hermit of Kentucky, another one of the Stories of Appalachia. Be sure to subscribe and leave us a comment on your favorite podcast app, we’d appreciate it.
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In the spring of 1895, a sudden wage cut swept through the Flat Top-Pocahontas coal fields along the Virginia/West Virginia border, touching off one of the earliest large-scale labor confrontations in that part of Appalachia. What began as a wildcat strike quickly shut down mines along the Norfolk and Western Railroad, disrupted coal shipments to Norfolk, and brought state militia into the company town of Pocahontas.
Today we tell the story of the Flat Top miners’ strike of 1895.
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Born aboard a ship of immigrants in the Atlantic Ocean, Kasper Mansker became a longhunter, venturing out to explore the wilderness of Kentucky and Tennessee from his home in what’s now West Virginia. From those longhunts to building Mansker’s Station and helping shape the Cumberland frontier, his life is part of the story of those who moved west on the Appalachian frontier.
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Daniel Ellis of Carter County, Tennessee was a wagon maker who became one of the most successful guides of the Civil War. Living behind Confederate lines in East Tennessee, Ellis created a secret route through the Appalachian Mountains to Union territory at Cumberland Gap.
Traveling mostly at night and avoiding Confederate patrols, Ellis made about twenty journeys through East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, guiding roughly four thousand Union supporters to safety. About two thousand of them later joined the Union Army.
Join us as we tell the story of the man Confederate soldiers called “The Old Red Fox” for his ability to escape capture, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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This week, Rod and Steve tell the story of Ray Vaughn Shores, better known as Von Shores, an Appalachian aviator and popular aerial daredevil in Southwest Virginia and Eastern Kentucky during the 1920s and ’30s, who, it’s said, once crashed his airplane near Pound, Virginia
He was a favorite at local airshows and fairs and it’s also said he ran whiskey for Al Capone during prohibition.
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This week, we tell a story from the lawless mountain border between western North Carolina and east Tennessee during the Civil War. As great battles raged elsewhere, outlaws and deserters came to the mountains to hide, to rob and to turn old trails and creek crossings into killing grounds.
At the center of this story is John Jackson Kirkland and his gang, whose violence touched soldiers, civilians, rivals, and even their own kin. This is a story of a war without sides, and justice that never came.
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This week, Steve and Rod tell the story of Granville “Stick” McGhee and Walter “Brownie” McGhee, two brothers from East Tennessee whose music helped shape American blues and early rock ’n’ roll. Born in Knoxville, the McGhee brothers took the music they heard growing up and used it to launch themselves onto the national stage.
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In 1730, seven Cherokee leaders traveled from their Appalachian home to the heart of London. Hand-picked by a Scottish adventurer named Alexander Cumming, they were presented to King George II as "Kings" of a new empire. Today we tell the story of that voyage and how these Native Americans navigated their way through the streets of the city at the center of the British Empire, all while securing an alliance on their own terms.
It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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The Big Bull Tunnel in Wise County, Virginia looks like any other railroad tunnel, just a simple cut through a hillside. Looks, though, can be deceiving, as the tunnel’s history is packed with accidents, strange noises, deaths, and a chilling encounter that turned a routine inspection into a bit of Appalachian folklore. In this episode, Steve and Rod tell the story of the tunnel’s difficult construction, the tragedies that followed, and the story that convinced railroad officials something inside the mountain was best avoided.
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Today we tell not one but two stories, both involving the same community in Fannin County, Georgia.
In 1864 two men, brothers-in-law Elisha Stanley and Evan Hughes, became the victims of a gang of violent bushwhackers who terrorized the area during the Civil War, leaving their families to pick up the pieces. Forty years later, in 1906, the Tilley Bend massacre occurred in the same area, causing a local woman, Elizabeth Bradley, known as a "Granny Woman" and healer, to place a curse on the community, in the process creating what may be the most well-known bit of Appalachian folklore in that part of Georgia.
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This week Rod and Steve tell the story of a gang of robbers who cast a long shadow over Ashe County, North Carolina in the unsettled years after the Civil War. One by one they fell, until only Linville Eller remained. He, too, met his fate in 1890 after a massive manhunt.
This is the story of the Eller Gang, led by brothers Linville and Henry Eller, the North Carolina high country’s most notorious 19th-century outlaws, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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This week’s story is the bizarre true tale of Leila Davidson Hansell, known as "The Sunshine Woman," and the controversy surrounding her final resting place in Hendersonville, NC.
Leila's final wish upon her death in 1915 was to be buried above ground in a unique mausoleum topped with 147 squares of prism glass, designed to let the sun shine down on her remains. For over two decades, her glass-topped tomb became a must-see tourist attraction, fueled by a 1926 newspaper article that confirmed the skeleton could, indeed, be seen through the glass, contrary to the designer’s adamant denials.
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Born in Blount County, Hut Amerine grew into one of East Tennessee’s most notorious moonshiners. After the Civil War, federal whiskey taxes ignited a bitter conflict between mountain distillers and revenue agents. Accused in the fatal shooting of a federal officer, Amerine became the target of an intense manhunt, spoke publicly in his own defense, escaped jail twice, and ultimately vanished. It’s a true Appalachian outlaw story, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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James Faye Hall, better known as Roy Hall, was born in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, in 1921. He died in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee in 1984.
Between those dates is a story about a hillbilly boogie pianist who played for Uncle Dave Macon in a traveling version of the Grand Ole Opry as a child, formed his own hillbilly/R&B band. He found success in Detroit, worked as a session musician for such Nashville stars as Webb Pierce, Marty Robbins and Red Foley, and was on the very cusp of stardom as a rockabilly act in the 1950s, only to have it slip away from him.
Oh, by the way, he’s also credited by many to have co-written “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” which made Jerry Lee Lewis a rock and roll legend.
Join us as we tell the fascinating story of Roy Hall, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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We’ve told the story of labor conflicts from Harlan, Kentucky to Blair Mountain, West Virginia. This week, we tell a story that’s not set in the Kentucky or West Virginia coalfields, but in Western North Carolina. It’s the story of the 1906 “Tally War,” a violent clash between Italian railroad laborers and company officials of contractors for the South and Western Railroad, which was building their railroad through the North Carolina mountains. Between Spruce Pine and Marion, North Carolina, a violent confrontation erupted over a wage dispute and the harsh conditions in the railroad construction camps that ended in an international incident between the United States and Italy.
It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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A once thriving lumber and mill town in the mountains of western North Carolina, Mortimer rose fast, becoming prosperous…until it was washed away twice in massive flooding events.
Shortly after a 1916 wildfire burned large tracts of timberland in the mountains, two hurricanes struck the area back to back, causing historic floods not seen again in the area until Helene in 2024, nearly wiping out the town.
The people of Mortimer made a comeback driven by textile work and the CCC, until a final blow came from another flood in 1940. Today little remains of Mortimer along Wilson Creek.
Mortimer’s story is another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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This week Steve and Rod tell the story of a Christmas morning that ended in heartbreak instead of celebration.
In 1882, a passenger train and a freight engine collided near Millboro, Virginia, killing six crewmen and scalding the lone surviving passenger. How this tragedy occurred, the story of the men who paid the price along with that of the injured passenger, is another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
John Pemberton Gatewood was a notorious Confederate bushwhacker/guerrilla leader.
Born in Fentress County, Tennessee, in 1844, Gatewood's life took a dark turn after a Union attack on his family led him to abandon the Confederate army and become a guerrilla fighter. Leading his own unit in north Georgia and known as the long-haired, red-bearded beast, Gatewood was driven by his thirst for revenge after the brutal assault on his family.
John Pemberton Gatewood, a figure whose story is another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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Major Lewis Redmond’s story sounds like it comes from a 19th century dime novel. He was a Carolina moonshiner, an outlaw and, thanks to actually being in some of those dime novels after the Civil War, a folk hero.
His killing of a U. S. Marshal led to a life on the run across North and South Carolina, making Redmond a legend. Today we tell his story.
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In 1955, at the age of 67, Emma Gatewood became the first woman to solo thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, from Springer Mountain in Georgia to the top of Mt. Katahdin in Maine. In this episode, Steve and Rod tell the story of her remarkable journey from a childhood in rural Ohio, through years of hardship and abuse, to the day this grandmother stepped onto the trail with nothing but a sack, a shower curtain, and an iron will. Her hike captured America’s attention, inspiring generations of hikers.
It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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In 1909, a Johnson City businessman named A.J. Slagle was lured by promises of buried Spanish gold hidden in a Cocke County house. What began as a desperate bid to recover from business losses ended in a murder, the body tossed into the French Broad River.
Join Steve and Rod as they tell a true story of greed, deception, and a treasure that never existed, a case that shocked East Tennessee and became another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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Four years after the Hillsville courthouse shootout shocked Virginia, another one of the Allen brothers met a violent end. Jack Allen, brother of Floyd Allen, and once a constable in that Carroll County courtroom, was shot and killed in 1916 at a roadhouse near Mt. Airy, North Carolina. His killer, 24-year-old Will McCraw, claimed self-defense and was acquitted.
But the story doesn’t stop there.
McCraw may not have been a stranger to Jack Allen’s family and some believe he was nudged into the confrontation by men with unfinished business from Hillsville.
In this episode, Steve and Rod follow the trail from the courtroom to the roadhouse, tracing rumors of revenge, Baldwin-Felts detectives and a possible family connection to the killer.
It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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After the Civil War, thousands of defeated Confederates refused to live under the Union flag. Instead, they packed up their families and headed for new lives in South America in a Confederate exodus from the United States.
One of them was Ezekiel B. Pyles, a young man from the mountains of north Georgia, who rode with General John Hunt Morgan’s raiders, fought across East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia and was captured at the Battle of Kingsport before becoming part of Jefferson Davis’ guard as he fled Richmond at the end of the Civil War.
His story didn’t end there, for he joined around 20,000 other Southerners who migrated to Brazil to start over.
In this episode, Rod and Steve tell the story of Pyles’ incredible journey — from the hills of Appalachia to the colony of Americana.
It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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In August 1925, two years before the famed Bristol Sessions, Ralph Peer and Okeh Records set up a temporary studio on the rooftop of Asheville’s brand-new Vanderbilt Hotel.
Over ten sweltering days, local musicians cut sixty test records, capturing the raw sounds of traditional Appalachian ballads, banjo tunes, and old songs. Though often overlooked, these Asheville sessions lit the spark that would explode two years later in Bristol, igniting the Big Bang of country music.
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This Halloween marks 10 years of stories from Rod and Steve; to mark the holiday and our tenth anniversary, we’re going to take you deep into the dark side of Appalachia with two chilling tales from southwest Virginia.
First, Steve tells the story of three strange sisters who ran girls’ schools in Murfreesboro and Christiansburg—women whispered to be linked to evil spirits and who eventually faced justice for a terrible crime. Some say their spirits still haunt the ground where their school stood in Christiansburg over a hundred years ago.
Then, Rod shares the legend of two cunning sisters from Scott County, whose greed and cruelty led to a savage end. Their ghosts are said to still haunt the cemetery where they were denied burial.
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Happy Halloween, y’all!
We’ve told hundreds of stories about Appalachia, but few are as bizarre as the night a Kentucky drug smuggler named Andrew Thornton II fell to his death during a smuggling run over south Knoxville, Tennessee back in 1985. Join Steve and Rod as they tell the incredible story of a decorated police officer and practicing lawyer who led a double life as a major drug smuggler and the connections between this run and an incident with a black bear in north Georgia that would eventually inspire a well-known Hollywood movie.
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In July, 1912, a joyful Fourth of July outing on a mountain turned into a tragedy when a crowded passenger coach collided head-on with a massive coal train on the Wilpen Branch of the Ligonier Valley Railroad in Pennsylvania. The wooden coach was crushed between engines, killing 27 and injuring over 30, many of them young children.
This week, Steve and Rod tell the story of that crash and the haunting aftermath in the town of Ligonier.
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In November 1861, a secret band of East Tennessee Unionists struck at the heart of Confederate supply lines by burning railroad bridges across the region. They believed the Union army would soon march in to liberate them, but it didn’t happen. Instead, Confederate authorities unleashed brutal retaliation, hanging several of the men, while others barely escaped with their lives. In this episode, we tell the story of the East Tennessee bridge burners, the risks they took and the terrible cost they paid.
It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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This week, we wrap up our commemoration of the first anniversary of Hurricane Helene by talking with Mitchell County’s David Biddix, who documented the effects of the storm and its aftermath in that hard-hit part of North Carolina. From his home in Spruce Pine to small communities like Poplar, and along the Nolichucky where CSX rail lines were washed away, he shares what he saw as the area endured the flooding of September 2024.
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When Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina a year ago, it left behind washed-out roads, flooded homes, and communities cut off from each other. For first responders, the storm was more than just a headline, it was a fight to save lives.
In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, we sit down with Kevin Behm, a firefighter and first responder with the Nebo Fire Station in McDowell County, North Carolina, who lives in Marion. Kevin was on duty the night Helene hit and in the days that followed. He shares what it was like working that night and on the days that followed, navigating road closures and flooding and seeing firsthand how his neighbors pulled together in the aftermath of the storm.
It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
Thank you for listening.
On the first anniversary of Hurricane Helene’s flooding in Appalachia, Rod and Steve share the story of Maria True, general manager of Jet Broadcasting in Erwin, Tennessee. When the Nolichucky River overflowed, it destroyed the studios and AM tower of WEMB and WXIS, along with family belongings tied to her and her late father and former station owner, Jim True. In this episode, Maria talks about the impact of the flood, the recovery in Erwin, and her plans for the future of the stations.
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In July 1944, a troop train packed with new Army recruits derailed near Jellico, Tennessee, plunging into Clear Fork River. Thirty-five soldiers died and ninety-one were injured. In this episode, Steve and Rod tell the story of how Tennessee prepared for World War II and the one tragic night that brought the war home to Appalachia.
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In 1919, a nitroglycerin explosion near Torrent, Kentucky, killed four men and leveled a factory. Today we tell the story of that tragedy and the explosive history of oil well “torpedoes” in Appalachia.
It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast if you haven’t done so already.
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In 1750, surveyor Christopher Gist set out to explore the wilderness of what’s now Southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, and West Virginia. Hired by the Ohio Company, Gist mapped the Appalachian frontier and discovered coal. He also guided a young George Washington, becoming an important figure in the French and Indian War. Join us as we tell the story of Christopher Gist, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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In March 1864, Union Colonel William B. Stokes and his cavalry were ambushed at Dug Hill, in Tennessee, leaving dozens of his men dead. Enraged, Stokes led a brutal raid on William and Cynthia Officer’s home, where Confederate soldiers, including their son John, were staying. Six were killed, and the family narrowly escaped destruction thanks to the courage of one of their slaves, Uncle Abe.
This week we tell of the brutality of the Civil War, a story of vengeance, survival, and the high cost of that war in Appalachia.
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In the final years of the Civil War, a group of young women in Rhea County, Tennessee, made American history as the only known all-female cavalry unit: the Rhea County Spartans. Born from loyalty to their Confederate fathers, brothers, and sweethearts, they rode sidesaddle into history, carrying supplies, letters, and, according to some accounts, intelligence for the Confederate cause.
As Union forces swept through East Tennessee, these women defied the odds, and the rules, to keep their mission alive. But in April 1865, just days before Lee’s surrender, Union Captain John Walker made them his personal target, arresting sixteen Spartans in a dramatic march through cold rain and mud. What happened next surprised everyone, including their captors.
In this episode, Rod and Steve tell the story of the rise, arrest, and legacy of the Rhea County Spartans. You’ll hear how wartime loyalties split communities, how women stepped into unconventional roles, and how one small group of women from East Tennessee left a mark on Civil War history.
Perfect for fans of Civil War history, Appalachian heritage, and untold stories of women in wartime.
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In this episode, we tell the story of Henry Skaggs, one of the legendary Kentucky longhunters of the 18th century and his remarkable journey from his early days in Maryland to his time as an explorer and hunter on the Appalachian frontier.
Discover how Henry explored the wilderness, including his encounter with the infamous Harpes, America's first known serial killers. Hear tales of his daring exploits, including with other notable frontiersmen like Daniel Boone.
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In 1918, the mountains of North Carolina erupted in quiet rebellion. Dozens of young men dodged the World War I draft, hiding in the backcountry with help from friends and family. When a deadly shootout left two men dead on a remote mountain road, Governor Thomas Bickett launched an unprecedented campaign to bring the deserters in, using not just raids and arrests, but public persuasion designed to get these men to turn themselves in, no questions asked.
And it worked.
It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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In this episode we tell the story of Michael Stoner, a German-born frontiersman, longhunter, and close companion of Daniel Boone. From his early days in Pennsylvania to brutal battles like Blue Licks and Boonesborough, to his final expedition up the Missouri River, Michael Stoner was the definition of Appalachian exploration and settlement, making his story one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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On February 28, 1890, a long-simmering feud turned deadly in the halls of the U.S. Capitol.
Former Kentucky Congressman William P. Taulbee was shot on the marble stairs by journalist Charles Kincaid after years of personal and political conflict. In this episode, Steve and Rod tell the story of the events that led to the murder and the ghostly legend said to haunt the Capitol to this day.
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On June 23, 1944, a massive F4 tornado struck Shinnston, West Virginia, the deadliest tornado in the state’s history. This week we tell the story of the terrifying twister that tore through seven counties and its aftermath. It’s the story of the Shinnston tornado, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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In this episode, we tell the dramatic true story of Charles Jefferson Harrison, a respected San Antonio businessman who became one of Appalachia's most elusive train robbers.
Caught when an employee tried to deposit some of the loot from a 1915 robbery, Harrison and his partners in crime were tried in Martinsburg, West Virginia in 1916, where the grizzled outlaw stunned the public by breaking down in tears and confessing to a string of crimes dating back more than two decades. It turns out Harrison lived a double life that fooled everyone around him including his ex-wife.
It's another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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On December 14, 1910, a deadly explosion rocked the Greeno Mine in Tacoma, Virginia, claiming 14 lives and leaving a lasting mark on the Appalachian coalfields. Today we tell the story of Irish immigrant Patrick Hagan, who once owned the land on which the mine was located, and the dangerous conditions that led to this tragedy.
It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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A preacher with five wives, a kidnapped teenage girl, and a cross-country manhunt. This isn’t fiction, it’s the unbelievable true story of Joseph Herman Johnson, a Primitive Baptist minister whose lies and crimes unraveled in an East Tennessee courtroom in 1927. From bigamy to abduction to a bizarre promise of Hollywood stardom to his victim, this episode covers one of the most twisted scandals in Appalachian history, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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In this episode we explore the lesser-known but historically rich Johnson City Sessions of 1928 and 1929. While the Bristol Sessions are often credited as the “Birthplace of Country Music,” Johnson City played a vital follow-up role in capturing the authentic sounds of Appalachia.
Frank Buckley Walker, a Columbia Records talent scout, recorded local musicians in a Johnson City lumber company office, including Clarence Ashley, Charlie Bowman, and the Roane County Ramblers.
It's another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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Nannie Kelly Wright ran an iron furnace at a time when most women weren’t even allowed near one. Born in Kentucky, raised on the Ohio River, and later married into the iron industry, Nannie became one of the few women in American history to manage a furnace operation herself — traveling weekly, overseeing workers, and building a fortune.
Once rumored to be the richest woman in the world after Queen Victoria, she was also presented at the Court of St. James, backed Teddy Roosevelt’s trust-busting policies, and made headlines with a divorce scandal where her husband asked for alimony.
Join us as we tell the story of Nannie Kelly Wright, Appalachia’s Iron Lady.
William McClellan Ritter didn’t just cut down trees, he built an empire. In this week’s episode, we tell his story, from Pennsylvania farm boy to head of one of the world’s largest lumber companies. He built railroads, ran coal mines, advised the U.S. war effort in World War I and once gifted $3 million to his workers.
But that story also includes the cutting down of much of Appalachia’s old growth forests and forced labor charges that stained his legacy.
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On a quiet Sunday morning in the spring of 1782, Pastor John Corbly and his family were headed for church when he realized he’d forgotten his Bible and turned back alone to get it. That action saved his life when his family was ambushed by Indians.
In this episode of the Stories podcast, Steve and Rod tell the chilling true story of the Corbly family massacre near Garards Fort, Pennsylvania.
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On this episode of the Stories podcast, we tell the dramatic tale of Gus McCoig, a Jefferson County boy who became one of East Tennessee’s most notorious Depression-era outlaws. McCoig’s story starts with his chance encounter with outlaw Clarence Bunch in a jail cell, followed by their escape and his later capture and conviction for crimes he committed while in the Bunch gang. After he escaped the Tennessee State Prison, he went on a crime spree across East Tennessee that ended with his capture and execution at just 25 years old.
It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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Step back in time to the golden era of Appalachian luxury as we explore the rise and fall of Tate Springs, a once-famous resort in Bean Station, Tennessee. Known for its healing mineral spring, lush golf course, and elite clientele, including the Rockefellers and Fords, Tate Springs was the South's hidden gem. Discover how this jewel of East Tennessee became a forgotten relic and what still remains today.
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In the winter of 1779, a determined group of Appalachian settlers set out on a thousand-mile journey by river, led by Virginia surveyor John Donelson.
Battling disease, starvation, ambushes, and the raw forces of nature, they pushed westward down the Holston River, into the Tennessee River, the Ohio and then up the Cumberland River, all through hostile and unknown lands.
Their goal? A place called French Lick—later known as Nashville.
In this episode, Steve and Rod trace the expedition that carried Appalachian grit to Middle Tennessee, laying the foundations for the city many call “The Athens of the South.”
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Today we tell the story of the battle over the Tellico Dam, the last major project of the Tennessee Valley Authority. TVA's ambitious plans for the Tellico project included not only a dam and lake but also the development of a brand-new city to be called Timberlake.
However, the project faced fierce resistance from landowners who were being forced to sell their land, the Cherokee, whose most important Overhill towns were going to be flooded by the dam, and environmentalists trying to save the habitat of the endangered snail darter fish.
A lawsuit over the fish won a victory in the Supreme Court for those wanting to stop the Tellico Dam, but that wasn’t the end of the story, as you’ll find out in this episode.
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Nearly twenty years before Tennessee was a state, William Bean built a cabin along the Watagua River and planted roots. In this episode, we tell the story of his journey from longhunter to settler, his friendship with Daniel Boone, and his wife Lydia’s dramatic rescue from execution by Cherokee Beloved Woman Nancy Ward.
It’s the story of Tennessee’s first settlement, the founding of Bean Station, and a life that helped shape the Appalachian frontier.
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This week, Steve and Rod bring you the remarkable story of Isaac Cline, a Tennessee-born son of Appalachia who rose to become one of America’s most respected meteorologists. From his humble beginnings in a two-room log cabin near the Great Smoky Mountains to his fateful role during the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, Cline’s life was marked by groundbreaking contributions, profound loss, and an enduring legacy.
He defied standard protocol of the time to warn the people of Galveston and turned that tragedy into a mission to redefine storm forecasting.
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In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, we tell the story of a shocking event in January 1927 in Jefferson County, Tennessee.
That was when a prominent county businessman named W.B. Johnson turned from respected community member to notorious outlaw. This tale unfolds with a fateful meeting involving Johnson, two women, and a tragic dispute that escalated into a deadly confrontation.
This is a story of tragedy, madness, and the dark side of the Appalachia.
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In this episode, we tell the harrowing story of the Jellico explosion, a catastrophic event that shook the town of Jellico, Tennessee, on September 21, 1906. What began as a normal morning quickly turned into chaos when a shipment of 11 tons of dynamite detonated, leveling the downtown area and leaving the community in ruins.
Join Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins as they tell the story of Jellico’s darkest day.
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In this episode, we tell the inspiring story of the packhorse librarians, a group of determined women who brought literacy and hope to the remote hollers of Eastern Kentucky during the Great Depression. As families struggled to survive, these brave librarians on horses (and mules) navigated rugged terrain to deliver books and educational materials to isolated communities where access to the written word was scarce.
Joining us for this story is our special guest Nicki Jacobsmeyer, author of "Kentucky's Packhorse Librarians," who shares her insights and research on this remarkable chapter of Appalachian history.
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In this episode, we tell the strange tale of Polly Feltner, a young woman from Hyden, Kentucky, who vanished in 1897 under mysterious circumstances.
What began as a search for a missing person quickly escalated into charges of murder, a frenzy of suspicion and mob justice, targeting an innocent man. As tensions rose and a near-lynching unfolded, the story took a dramatic twist that no one could have anticipated.
Join us as we tell Polly's unique Appalachian story.
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In this episode, we journey back to the mid-1700s to uncover the story of the Schwartzenau Brethren, also known as the Dunkards, who established one of the earliest settlements in the New River Valley of Virginia. Join us as we tell the story of this fascinating religious community, their unique beliefs, and the challenges one family of Dunkards faced while trying to create a self-sustaining life in the wilderness.
From their roots in Germany to their journey to Pennsylvania, then on to the New River in Virginia, then finally to the Cheat River in what’s now West Virginia, this family’s story is one of faith, determination, and the harsh realities of frontier life.
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In this episode of the podcast, we tell the story of Reverend William Riley Rickman, a steadfast preacher who took on the liquor industry in Pocahontas, Virginia. Join Steve and Rod as they tell you about Rickman's fervent battle against alcohol in that Appalachian coal mining community.
Rickman’s tireless efforts resulted in Pocahontas becoming a dry town in 1916. However, that victory soon brought an explosive response, putting his family in grave danger.
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Today we tell the story of Jean Ritchie, the "Mother of Folk."
Born in the small town of Viper, Kentucky, Jean captivated audiences worldwide, influencing legends like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash along the way. Join Steve and Rod as they tell the story of her remarkable life, from her roots in the mountains to her role in the folk revival of the mid-20th century.
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Old Tassel, a prominent figure among the Overhill Cherokee, was a staunch advocate for peace during a period of conflict between them and the settlers moving into East Tennessee. Despite his efforts to forge treaties and maintain peace and harmony between the two groups, the rise of tensions ultimately led to tragedy for both. The killing of the Kirk family by Cherokee warriors led to revenge at the site of a meeting called to discuss peace.
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Discover the fascinating story of Kentucky's unique soft drink, "Ale 8 One," in this episode of Stories of Appalachia. Join Steve and Rod as they tell the history of this Appalachian soda, which has been a staple in Eastern Kentucky since 1926.
From its origins in northern European ginger recipes to its modern-day variations like Cherry Ale-8 and Ale-8 Salsa, this episode uncovers the rich heritage and ongoing legacy of Kentucky's only native soft drink.
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By request of one of our listeners, this week we tell the story of Bad Tom Smith, a notorious figure at the very heart of the French-Eversole feud in Kentucky. As he grew up an orphan, he was regularly in trouble, until he crossed paths with two powerful rivals, Joseph C. Eversole and B. F. French, an encounter that would shape his life.
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Nimrod Jarrett Smith, born in 1832 near Murphy, North Carolina, was a member of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee who played a crucial role in shaping the tribe’s future. His life was marked by his dedication to his people during a time of immense change and challenge. As principal chief of the Eastern Band, he guided them to self-government on Western North Carolina land they themselves bought and secured a future for those Cherokee who still lived in their Appalachian home after the forced migration of the Trail of Tears.
Today we tell his story, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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At the beginning of the Civil War, the small Appalachian town of Philippi, Virginia, now West Virginia, became the site of the first organized land action of the conflict as the Union made a move into Confederate territory. Despite its strategic importance, the battle is sometimes humorously referred to as the "Philippi Races" due to the swift retreat of untested raw Confederate recruits. Join us as we tell the story of the Battle of Philippi, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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In the late 1920s and early 30s, the coal fields of Harlan County, Kentucky, became the backdrop for one of the darkest chapters in labor history. Known as Bloody Harlan, this tumultuous time saw miners fighting for justice and fair treatment during a time of economic despair and corporate greed. At the heart of this struggle was William B. Jones, a determined union organizer who dared to stand up to the powerful coal operators, culminating in the battle of Evarts.
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On New Year's Eve 1959, the quiet town of Spruce Pine, North Carolina, became the stage for a teenage prank that would put the town in newspapers all around the country. Join us as we tell the story of two local teenagers armed with dynamite bought at the town’s hardware store who decided to ring in the new year with a bang—literally.
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Elisha Wallen was more than just a man of the frontier—he was a trailblazer who left an mark on the region's history. Today we tell the story of this legendary long hunter, a man who traveled alongside Daniel Boone through Southwest Virginia and into Eastern Kentucky.
From his beginnings in Prince George County, Maryland, to his adventures across the uncharted wilderness of the Appalachian frontier, Elisha Wallen's story is one of courage, exploration, and survival in the wilderness.
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Nestled in Mingo Hollow, six miles west of Middlesboro, Kentucky, the Quarter House was no ordinary saloon. Its unique position on the Tennessee state line allowed patrons to evade the law by simply stepping across a painted line on the floor. Built like a fortress with heavy railroad timbers and a log stockade, it became a notorious hotspot for gambling, fights, and moonshine-fueled chaos. Over a decade, the saloon was linked to the deaths of at least 50 people.
In 1902, a property dispute escalated into a full-blown conflict, culminating in a battle that left several men dead and the saloon in flames.
Join us as we tell the story of the Quarter House saloon, another one of the Stories of Appalachia Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app so you don’t miss any of our stories.
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On the night of June 13, 1924, what appeared to be a summer thunderstorm in Carter County, Tennessee, transformed into one of the most devastating flash floods in the state's history. Join us as we tell the harrowing story of this natural disaster.
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In the summer of 1905, the Wild West came alive in the heart of Appalachia, complete with a saloon, a shootout, and a dramatic train attack. Join us as we tell the wild tale of Texas Bill's Wild West Show, which turned a simple sightseeing trip by their performers into a deadly encounter on the train out of Richwood, West Virginia.
This was the kind of Wild West show the passengers on that train didn’t expect, nor want.
Don't miss this episode of the Stories podcast.
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There was once a coal company in Appalachia that was owned not by wealthy investors but by its employees, in a cooperative enterprise. And the houses in the company’s coal camp were owned by the miners as well, most of whom were Hungarian immigrants on the Kentucky side of Tug Fork.
Join Steve and Rod as they tell the fascinating history of Himlerville, a unique coal mining town in Appalachia founded by a visionary Hungarian immigrant coal miner named Martin Himler. Discover how Himlerville's miners were not only workers but also shareholders, creating a revolutionary model for coal mining communities in the early 1920s.
And after the end of the cooperative caused by an economic downturn, Himler himself went on to lead a most interesting life as an American espionage agent during World War II, leading to his being awarded one of the country’s most prestigious honors.
Don't miss this episode of the Stories podcast!
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Ginseng is a plant with a rich history and high demand in Asia, which brought buyers to Appalachia, home to an American version of this much desired root.
This week, Rod and Steve tell the story of a man who made his fortune gathering, processing and selling ginseng in the mountains of North Carolina 150 years ago.
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In this episode, we tell the fascinating tale of John Henry, the legendary steel-driving man of Appalachia. Join Steve and Rod as they explore the story of this American folk hero, a man of strength and determination who is said to have stood against the power of machines during the industrial revolution.
From the Big Bend Tunnel in West Virginia to the comic book adaptations in the 21st century, John Henry's story is woven into the fabric of American culture. Don't miss this episode of Stories of Appalachia.
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Harry "Pop" Kramer, was a vaudeville trick cyclist whose story is filled with circus flair, daring feats, and personal tragedy. Born in 1875 in Alexandria, Virginia, Harry's journey from a disciplined farm life to the dazzling world of vaudeville is nothing short of remarkable.
Today we tell the story of Pop Kramer, the Appalachian daredevil on two wheels, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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In this episode, we revisit the catastrophic summer of 1916, when two hurricanes unleashed unprecedented destruction on the mountains of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, an event with eerie similarities to the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.
Rod and Steve also tell you of the connection between this event and the tale of Mary the elephant, hanged in Erwin for killing her handler in Kingsport that same year.
This story highlights the determination of the Appalachian people in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Don't miss this compelling episode of Stories of Appalachia. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast, available on your favorite podcast app.
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This week we explore the fascinating connection between moonshining and NASCAR racing, a tale that combines the rugged spirit of Appalachia with the high-speed world of motorsports. Discover how the need to outrun the law transformed moonshiners into legendary drivers, setting the stage for a sport that captivates millions across the country today, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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Today we tell the story of Fiddlin' John Carson, a man who was not only an early pioneer of country music but also a master storyteller with a controversial past.
Discover how Carson, born in the Appalachian foothills of Georgia, rose from humble beginnings to become one of the first national country music stars, a few years before the famous Bristol Sessions of 1927. With his fiddle in hand and a knack for spinning a yarn, Carson captivated audiences both on the radio and through his recordings.
However, his story is not without its shadows, as you’ll find out.
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Today we tell the story of one of the boldest raids of the Civil War—the Great Locomotive Chase, also known as Andrews' Raid.
We tell of the daring plan to steal a Confederate train, the high-speed chases, and the desperate acts of sabotage that unfolded in this incredible story of espionage and bravery. Join us as we delve into the details of James J. Andrews' audacious mission, the relentless pursuit by the conductor of the train they hijacked, and the final outcome of this bit of Civil War history.
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Join us as we tell the story of one of the most shocking crimes in Tennessee's history: the brutal murders of the O'Neal family in Overton County in 1846. Patsy Troxdale, the sole survivor, became the prime suspect in a case filled with intrigue, betrayal, and a chilling deathbed confession. Discover the dark secrets that Patsy revealed and the fate of her accomplices, William Upton and Nicholas Stephens, one of the Stories of Appalachia.
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Join us as we tell the adventurous and daring story of the kidnapping of Jemima Boone, daughter of the legendary frontiersman Daniel Boone, by a Native American war party and her dramatic rescue. Discover how Jemima's quick thinking and bravery, along with the relentless efforts of her father and Colonel Richard Calloway, led to her safe return.
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Join us as we tell the tragic and lesser-known story of Willis Hatfield, the youngest son of Devil Anse Hatfield. While the Hatfield-McCoy feud had cooled down by the time Willis came of age, his life was still marked by turmoil and violence. Willis's life took a dark turn on December 31, 1911. After a heated encounter with Dr. Edwin O. Thornhill in a local drugstore in Mullens, West Virginia, Willis's actions led to a shocking and brutal killing that reverberated through the community and beyond.
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Join us as we tell the story of one of the most notorious landmarks in West Virginia: the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.
Known as the most haunted place in America, this episode uncovers the dark history and eerie folklore surrounding this infamous asylum. From its beginnings in the 1850s to its closure in 1994, the asylum's story is filled with tragedy and overcrowding. We also tell about the spirits that are said to haunt its halls, including the ghost of a young girl named Lily, and the alleged murderer known as Slewfoot.
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This week we tell the mysterious and tragic story of Blaise Harsell, a wealthy naturalist and writer from New York who vanished into the rugged mountains along the Tennessee-North Carolina border, leaving behind a puzzle. In the fall of 1921, Blaise embarked on what was supposed to be a preliminary wilderness expedition before a planned journey to a remote part of South America. However, this hike through Appalachia would be the last time he was ever seen.
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Today, we tell a story about a place that over a century ago was said to have been shrouded in mystery and fear, known for inexplicable and mysterious disappearances. That, folks, is our story today. Join us as we tell the eerie tales of Black Mountain, a region straddling the border between Virginia and Kentucky, infamous for its history of vanishing people.
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On Christmas Eve in 1881, Ashland, Kentucky, was shattered by a horrific crime that would forever be known as the Ashland tragedy. Join us as we recount the chilling events that led to the brutal murders of Robert and Fanny Gibbons and their friend Emma Carrico, whose lives were violently cut short in a crime that shocked the entire state of Kentucky.
We explore the trials, the public outrage, and the violent and deadly confrontations that marked this tragic chapter in Appalachian history. Don't miss out on this gripping tale of crime, punishment, and the search for justice.
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Today we tell a story about a man from Kentucky whose life was said to have spanned across three centuries. Truth or fiction? Well, folks, you'll have to decide that for yourselves. Join us as we tell the story of John Shell, a man who claimed to be the oldest person to have ever lived.
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This week, we tell the fascinating story of a beloved American soft drink, Dr Pepper.
Join us as we explore the origins of this iconic beverage, which has roots right here in Appalachia.
We'll take you on a journey from the small town of Rural Retreat, Virginia, to the bustling streets of Waco, Texas, where it blossomed into the beloved drink we know today. Whether you call it pop, soda, or soft drink, this episode is sure to tickle your taste buds and warm your heart.
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In the early morning hours of May 13, 1972, a head-on collision involving a double-decker Greyhound bus and a tractor-trailer occurred on US Route 11W, about 5 miles west of Bean Station, Tennessee. This tragic accident resulted in 14 deaths and 15 injuries, marking it as the deadliest traffic accident in Tennessee history, further cementing the reputation of a road known locally as “Bloody 11W.”
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Our story today involves a member of the infamous Wild Bunch, Butch Cassidy's gang. Known as the wildest of the bunch, Harvey Alexander Logan, better known as Kid Curry, was a force to be reckoned with.
After a successful train robbery put a bounty on their heads, the gang members went their separate ways to wait for things to cool off. Curry chose Knoxville, Tennessee, as a hideout in December, 1901. There he got into a brawl with another man, leading to a violent confrontation with the police and Curry’s desperate escape attempt.
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In the heart of Appalachia lies a small town with a story unlike any other.
Philippi, West Virginia, is home to two perfectly preserved mummies, the result of a mysterious embalming process developed by an unassuming farmer named Graham Hamrick nearly 140 years ago. This intriguing story shines a light on the rich and sometimes eerie history of a state known for its eerie tales, West Virginia.
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Join us this week as we tell a chilling story from Martin County, Kentucky. This episode recounts the harrowing events of January 9, 1933, when the quiet community of Tomahawk was rocked by a gruesome discovery. The lifeless body of a 72-year-old woman was found in her mountain cabin, the victim of a bizarre ritual led by her own son, John H. Mills. The story unfolds with details of religious hysteria, frenzied rituals, and the tragic consequences of blind faith and the subsequent trial that shocked the nation.
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This week we tell the story of a man from Pike County, Kentucky, who made his mark in aviation history. Join Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins as they tell the story of John Paul Riddle, from his humble beginnings in Appalachia to his pioneering contributions to aviation. His passion for flight led him to become a daredevil barnstormer, a co-founder of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a key figure in training pilots during World War II.
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This week on the Stories podcast, we tell the story of two Appalachian towns, Loyston and Butler, that were submerged beneath TVA lakes but refused to disappear. Join Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins as they recount the fascinating tales of these communities that were dramatically transformed by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
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Join Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins as they tell the story of Nancy Emmeline Callahan Dollar, affectionately known as Granny Dollar. This Cherokee matriarch lived on Lookout Mountain near Fort Payne, Alabama, and became a legendary figure in her community. Born in 1826, Granny Dollar's life was a rich tapestry of Cherokee heritage, history, and survival.
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This week on the Stories podcast, we tell of the harrowing events of the first Battle of Saltville and its tragic aftermath. Join Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins as they recount the significance of Saltville's salt mines during the Civil War, a resource as valuable as gold for preserving food.
We also shed light on a lesser-known but profoundly impactful event involving the brave soldiers of the Fifth US Colored Cavalry. These newly formed African American troops, composed mainly of formerly enslaved men, faced not only the enemy but also prejudice and abuse from their own ranks. Despite these challenges, their courage during the battle earned them respect and admiration.
What happened to them and their commanders after the battle, however, was harrowing, in an event that’s come to be known as the Saltville massacre.
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In this week’s episode of Stories of Appalachia, we tell the captivating tale of the Beale Treasure—a story that has fascinated treasure hunters and cryptographers for well over a century. Join Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins as they share the story of the mystery surrounding a massive cache of gold, silver, and jewels allegedly buried in Bedford County, Virginia, worth over $63 million today.
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In this episode of the Stories podcast, we tell a crime story involving a wealthy heir from Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia, whose life ended tragically in New Orleans. James Mahoney, a man of many talents and pursuits, found himself entangled in a web of mystery and murder that has intrigued many for decades.
Join Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins as they tell the story of the bizarre case of Mahoney's murder in a French Quarter hotel room.
This is a tale you won't want to miss.
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In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, we tell the story of the prelude to the infamous Trail of Tears—the murder that inflamed Cherokee tensions and provided the legal framework for the tragic forced relocation of the tribe from the southeast to what’s now Oklahoma. Join Rod Mullins and Steve Gilly as they unravel the complex tale of Jack Walker Jr., a Cherokee man caught in the crossfire of a nation's strife and the murky politics that led to a pivotal moment in American history.
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In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, we tell the story of one of the most devastating natural disasters to strike southwest Virginia: the Rye Cove cyclone of 1929. A day that began like any other would end in tragedy as a powerful tornado tore across the community of Rye Cove, leaving death and destruction in its wake.
Listen as Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins recount the terrifying moments when a monstrous F2 tornado descended upon the small community of Rye Cove, Virginia, demolishing the school and claiming the lives of 12 children and one of their teachers.
Be sure to listen to this episode of Stories of Appalachia on your favorite podcast app. We invite you to make Spreaker your app of choice, and also invite you to go there and become a supporter of Stories to gain access to unreleased podcasts and other extras. You can find out more here:
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Today we tell the remarkable story of James Smith, a frontiersman and longhunter whose fight for survival in the Appalachian wilderness in 1767 after a hunting expedition tested his knowledge, ingenuity and determination to live.
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In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, we tell the remarkable tale of Talmadge Judd, a backyard innovator from Kingsport, Tennessee, whose vision and mechanical abilities led to the creation in 1945 of the Humming Bird, an automobile far ahead of its time.
With no blueprints, Judd built the Humming Bird in just four months—a subcompact marvel that boasted impressive fuel efficiency and a sleek design decades ahead of its time.
Join Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins as they tell another one of the Stories of Appalachia!
Listen now on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, or wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to share the wonder of our Stories of Appalachia with your friends, and consider becoming a supporter on Spreaker to keep these tales alive.
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Today we tell a story with echoes of the Wild West…along with a twist! We unravel the mysterious life of Jack Vermillion of Mendota, Virginia, a man who many say once walked the dusty streets of Tombstone, Arizona, alongside the legendary Earp brothers.
Join hosts Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins as they journey through the tangled tales of a figure many believed to be the notorious Texas Jack Vermillion!
Was the Jack Vermillion laid to rest in Mendota the same man who earned his fame in the deserts of Arizona?
Subscribe and listen to the Stories of Appalachia podcast on your favorite podcast app to join us on this fascinating exploration of the history of this place we call home, Appalachia.
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In the heart of Appalachia, a legend looms as large as the mountains themselves. Today, we tell the story of John Wesley Wright.
Born in the Elkhorn Valley of Kentucky, John Wright's life was a mix of adventure, violence, and survival. From his early days as a Confederate soldier making a daring escape from Union forces, Wright's exploits during the Civil War set the stage for his legendary status. But his story doesn't end with the war. Wright's journey led him to the circus spotlight alongside his uncle, the famed Kentucky Giant, Martin Van Buren Bates, to the shadowy world of manhunting with the Pinkerton and Baldwin-Felts detective agencies.
As a lawman, Wright's reputation for meting out justice was as formidable as his skills with a gun, earning him the nicknames "Bad John” and “Devil John” from those outlaws he pursued and captured. But his life was not solely defined by bullets and bravado. Wright's complex personal life, fathering over 30 children with multiple women, paints a portrait of a man as multifaceted as the hills he called home.
Join us as we explore John Wright's story, from his encounters with outlaws and feudists to his final days, when he sought redemption and left his devilish nickname behind. It's a journey through Appalachia's past that's as captivating as the landscape itself.
Don't miss this episode of Stories of Appalachia, available on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, or your favorite podcast platform.
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Today we venture into the untamed wilderness of the late 18th-century Appalachian frontier, along the Ohio River. In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, Steve and Rod unearth the life and lore of Lewis Wetzel, a man whose name is etched in the annals of history as a fearless pioneer, frontiersman, and Indian fighter.
Join us on a journey through time as we trace Wetzel’s origins from uncertain beginnings to his rise as a formidable force known for his exceptional weapon skills who earned the name “Deathwind.” We’ll recount his harrowing escape from capture at just 13 years old, his notorious reputation that stirred a mix of fear and admiration, and the long, dark ponytail that became his trademark among the ladies of the frontier.
But Wetzel’s story is not without its shadows. We explore the controversial actions and the thirst for vengeance that drove him to extremes. From daring jailbreaks to a life’s end shrouded in mystery, this is a tale that mirrors the complexities of the Appalachian frontier itself.
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Step into the world of Appalachian giants with the incredible tale of Joseph Jefferson Copeland, known to all as Big Joe, the strongest man in Tennessee. In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins bring to life the legend of a man whose feats of strength and size became the benchmark for tales of might in the 19th century.
Join us as we explore the life of Big Joe. We'll share anecdotes that are as heartwarming as they are jaw-dropping, including a Kentucky challenger who learned the true meaning of strength—not through combat, but over a meal and a barrel of whiskey.
Don't miss this extraordinary episode that proves, once again, they grow them big in Appalachia. Subscribe to the Stories podcast on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, or your favorite podcast platform.
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In this captivating episode of Stories of Appalachia, we delve into the lucky discovery that forever altered the lives of a father and son in Monroe County, West Virginia. Join Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins as they recount the day in 1928 when a simple game of horseshoes unearthed a treasure that would remain hidden in plain sight for 15 years.
Hear the tale of the Punch Jones Diamond, an alluvial gem weighing a staggering 34.48 carats, and its journey from an ordinary backyard to the record books as North America's largest diamond of its kind. But riches and records aside, this story takes unexpected turns, from a World War II tragedy to a family's unique claim to fame that even caught the eye of President Franklin Roosevelt.
Discover the mystery of how the diamond ended up where it was, the theories that abound, and the legacy left behind by the Jones family. It's an Appalachian story of luck, loss, and the twists of fate that can change fortunes overnight.
Don't miss this glittering episode of the Stories podcast. Subscribe on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.
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Discover the fascinating tale of George Maledon, the legendary hangman for Arkansas' Hanging Judge Parker, and his peculiar path to Tennessee's Mountain Home veterans cemetery.
Uncover a piece of Old West justice on our latest podcast episode.
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Today we tell the story of the deadliest mine disaster in Eastern Kentucky history, the explosion in shafts number 15 and 16 at Hurricane Creek near Hyden, Kentucky.
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Russell Bean was the son of William Bean and his wife, Lydia, the first people to settle in what's now Tennessee and for whom Bean Station is named. Russell, considered the first child of European descent to be born in the future Tennessee, was a large, strong man with a temper who most folks avoided that temper came to a boil.
Andrew Jackson was a judge on the Tennessee Superior Court, hearing cases at the Washington County Courthouse in Jonesborough at the turn of the 19th century. He also had a reputation of being a strong-willed man with a temper.
And one fateful day the two came face-to-face near Jonesborough.
Today we tell that story.
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In the 1880s and 1890s a bloody feud was happening across two Appalachian counties, with conflicts over hogs, shootings, ambushes, cabins set on fire and the threat of the governor to call in the state militia to stop it.
This feud was NOT between the Hatfield and McCoy families in Kentucky and West Virginia. This one was about a hundred miles to the southwest, in Hancock and Hawkins counties in Tennessee and was so violent it's remembered as the Greene-Jones War instead of the Greene-Jones Feud.
Today we tell that story.
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After the Civil War, as the South lay in ruins, a group of freedmen decided to depart the Mississippi plantation on which they had been held as slaves in search of a promised land.
They found it...in the mountains of Appalachia.
Come along with us as we tell the story of one of the first successful black communities in the south, the Kingdom of the Happy Land.
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Billy Dean Anderson was born in Fentress County, Tennessee, and, by all accounts, lived a normal law-abiding life as he grew up, even becoming a volunteer preacher in his church.
Then it all went horribly wrong.
He and some other men held up a theater in Jamestown, beginning a life of crime in two states. He eventually made the FBI most wanted list.
This is his story.
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After the Civil War a young man bought Cherry Mountain in Rutherford County, North Carolina and used the wild cherries found there to add flavor to his distilled product, illegal of course, that became a runaway hit. Not only was his distinctive "Cherry Bounce" popular in his part of Appalachia, but it was also the favored beverage on riverboats from Cincinnati to New Orleans!
Today we tell the story of Amos Owens, beloved Appalachian moonshiner!
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John Romulus Brinkley was born in Burnsville, North Carolina, to a former Confederate medic and his housekeeper. From those humble beginnings young Brinkley grew up to become a traveling "Quaker doctor," a medical huckster and conman in both Knoxville, Tennessee and Greenville, South Carolina, a student at several "eclectic medical schools," a successful surgeon in Kansas, renowned for his "goat gonad" transplants into willing men hoping to boost their sexual prowess, the owner of two radio stations, one of which was on the Mexican border and blasted out his goat gland pitches, along with performances by the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and many other early country music stars, all across North America with a million watt signal, and, most importantly for him, a very, very rich man.
Until it all came crashing down.
Today we tell the story of Appalachia's own goat gland doctor, from Burnsville, another one of the Stories of Appalachia!
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Joe Brown was a hell-raiser, thug and violent alcoholic who terrorized the town of Whitmer, West Virginia at the turn of the 20th century.
He did, that is, until he went a step too far.
That, folks, is our story today.
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On January 3, 1921, a massive fire broke out at the West Virginia state capitol in Charleston. Not a big deal, you might be thinking, fires happen all the time.
This one, though, had a twist or three, as you'll find out.
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On December 30, 1881, 30 convicts, along with their guards, were shackled and deposited on the banks of the Tuckaseegee River near Dillboro, North Carolina, with a job to do: cross the river in a boat and then start digging out the Cowee Tunnel for the Western North Carolina Railroad.
19 of the 30 didn't make it across alive.
Today we tell that tragic story.
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In the early 1900's a young mother in Polk County, North Carolina, had a decision to make. She had separated from her abusive husband and had several young children to feed, house and clothe, with very few job prospects. So she started her own business...moonshining. Bettie Simms was good at that chosen profession but, as so often happens, she had a run-in with the law.
Today we tell the story of the woman the press dubbed "The Queen of the Moonshiners," another one of the Stories of Appalachia!
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With Christmas fast approaching, Rod and Steve talk about the history and the folklore behind Christmas in Appalachia...
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, y'all!
David Crockett Beaty was a farmer in Fentress County, Tennessee...until the start of the Civil War.
He became a guerrilla fighter in that war, on the side of the Union, with his most well-known rebel counterpart being Champ Ferguson, with whom he had a running war all its own.
Today we tell the story of Tinker Dave Beaty, Union guerrilla/outlaw.
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In 1902 coal miners struck the mines along the New River, seeking better wages and better working conditions. The strike continued until February 25, 1903, when a massive gun battle broke out between miners and coal company men, including detectives from the Baldwin-Felts agency and local law enforcement. The battle was fierce, with both sides exchanging gunfire for approximately five minutes.
Many of the miners, faced with overwhelming firepower, rushed out of the building and surrendered. However, some fled into the woods, where they were pursued and arrested.
This conflict was a precursor of the West Virginia Mine Wars, which would begin in earnest ten years later at Paint Creek and Cabin Creek.
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In 1843 a prominent man in Jamestown, Tennessee, distributed a broadsheet, under an assumed name, accusing the wife of a tavern owner of being, among other sordid things, a "witch of the most extraordinary power."
That, as you can imagine, led to legal action in the Fentress County courts.
Today we tell the story of the Fentress County witch, another one of the Stories of Appalachia!
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Granny women were the healers and caretakers of folks in Appalachia, dispensing folk remedies, serving as midwives, and even dousing for water. These women were essential in rural Appalachia, where doctors and hospitals were scarce.
Today we tell the story of one of these women, Orlean Hawk Puckett, from Carroll County, Virginia, known for being a midwife responsible for helping to bring over a thousand Appalachian babies into the world!
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At the turn of the 20th century a wealthy and politically connected man from Grainger County, Tennessee, lost a lawsuit filed by a widow and was ordered to pay her a sum of money. Failing to do that, the court ordered a sale of some lumber this man owed, which was bought by a blacksmith in the community of Thorn Hill.
Out of this came two murders, a prison sentence, a feud, and a deadly gun battle at the blacksmith's shop five years later.
That, dear listeners, is our story of Appalachia this week!
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In 1914 a series of massive explosions occurred in the Eccles Mine No. 5 near Eccles, West Virginia in Raleigh County, West Virginia, leaving over 180 men and boys dead, including an insurance salesman who had the bad luck of making a call on the miners that day.
Today we tell the story of West Virginia's second-worst mine disaster.
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At the turn of the 20th century a young woman named Cora Wilson Stewart was hired as an elementary school teacher, later becoming Rowan County school superintendent. Fifteen years later she began a program that has since spread across the country: the idea of adult education for those who needed it.
Today we tell her story and the story of the schools she founded, the Moonlight Schools of eastern Kentucky.
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Today we tell the story of one of the 20th century's most brilliant mathematicians, born in Bluefield, West Virginia, and the subject of the movie "A Beautiful Mind," John Forbes Nash, Jr.
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Thomas David Carr was born in Wheeling, West Virginia in 1846. After a childhood marked by abuse, a prison term at age 8 and an attemped poisoning of one of his "acquaintances," Carr joined the Union Army at the start of the Civil War.
As he traveled with his unit, and by his own admission, Carr left a string of murders in his wake, culminating with the brutal murder of a 13-year-old girl who spurned his persistent marriage proposals.
Today we tell the story of a dark and dangerous man, Thomas David Carr.
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Sanctified Hill was a section of Cumberland, Kentucky, where many retired African American miners and their families resided in homes many had built themselves. In 1972 heavy rains fell across Appalachia, resulting in flooding and, in the case of Sanctified Hill, a terrible disaster.
Today we tell that story.
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Around the turn of the 20th century a man charged with murder escaped from the Scott County, Virginia, jail and headed to Texas. He likely would have spent the rest of his life there but for an accident.
A real accident, involving a train.
Today we tell the story of a man whose demand for justice from the railroad company led to his own reckoning back home.
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Rising tensions along the Appalachian frontier culminated with what's called "Lord Dunmore's War," named after the royal governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore. That conflict came to a head with a battle in 1774 at Point Pleasant in what's now West Virginia, in which Dunmore's forces battled the Shawnee warriors under Chief Cornstalk.
Today we tell that story.
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Our story of the West Virginia Mine Wars continues at Matewan, West Virginia, where a famous gun battle left several mine company hired guards dead, along with the town mayor, among others. The fighting was so fierce, many townsfolk fled across the Tug Fork into Kentucky, seeking safety. This battle also set the stage for the climax of the mine wars: the Battle of Blair Mountain.
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On April 5, 1872, the last man to be hanged in Fentress County, Tennessee, was said to have made three eerie predictions, all of which came true.
Today we tell the story of Cal Logston, a convicted murderer who is said to have foretold events up to a hundred years in the future.
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For a century and a half the king of central Appalachia has been coal. That mineral powered the industrial revolution in America, made some men and corporations very wealthy and provided jobs for the Appalachian men and women who dug it out of the ground.
Those jobs, though, didn't pay nearly well enough to justify the human costs of the work, so in 1912 miners in the Paint Creek and Cabin Creek areas of West Virginia went on strike, triggering the first battle in what's come to be known as the West Virginia Mine Wars.
Today we tell that story.
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Alvin Goins was a hard worker who, like many Appalachian men of his time, never finished school and was unable to read or write. That never stopped him from getting work as a laborer in and around his home of Rhea County, Tennessee.
But Mr. Goins was a little bit different.
He was a mathematical genius, able to look at a pile of block, bricks and lumber and calculate in his head, almost to the last piece of wood, how much material would be needed to do the job.
Today we tell his story.
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Starting in the latter part of the 19th century and continuing up into the 20th century a valley in Clay County, West Virginia, became the site of a series of mysterious disappearances and deaths.
It only stopped with the aid of an organized mob (yeah, we know, an oxymoron, but also true).
Today we tell the story of the mysterious Booger Hole.
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On Friday, August 14, 1914, three Glen Alum Coal Company employees were returning to the mine office with that week's payroll.
They didn't make it with the money to the mine alive.
Today we tell the story of the great Glen Alum payroll robbery.
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In 1912 a young man's life was transformed by his witnessing a historic tragedy: the infamous Carroll County courthouse shootout, which left several prominent lawyers, police officers and a judge dead. Bob Childress left a life of violence, ignorance and alcohol abuse for a life of faith and service, establishing several churches in his part of Appalachia, many of which still exist today.
Today we tell this man's remarkable story.
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The Pocahontas coal field, located in southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia, was one of the most productive coal areas in the United States. The town of Pocahontas, in Tazewell County, Virginia, and for which the field was named, was granted a town charter by Virginia on January 31, 1884.
Less than two months later tragedy struck when the Laurel (East) mine suffered a series of massive explosions powerful enough to move homes off their foundations and uproot massive trees.
Today we tell the story of the Laurel mine disaster of 1884, a tragedy that cost the lives of at least 114 men and boys.
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In November 1966 a man on his way home from work literally drove into Appalachian history when he encountered a UFO blocking his way on I-77 outside Parkersburg, West Virginia. Not only that, he actually "spoke" to the occupant of said UFO!
Today we tell the fascinating story of Woodrow Derenberger and his encounter with....something.
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In 1948 Clintwood, Virginia, held an election for the town's offices. After the campaigning, the voting, and the vote counting, something unique for it's time had happened: All of Clintwood's elected officials were women!
Today we tell the story of the first all-female elected government in Appalachia.
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From the 1930s to the 1980s an itinerant preacher from Georgia traveled throughout Appalachia and beyond in a ramshackle wagon pulled by a herd of goats. It was his way of spreading the gospel and of seeing the world beyond his home. Over those years Ches McCartney became world-renowned as the Goat Man.
Today we tell his story.
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In 1820 French orphan Martin Fugate and his wife Elizabeth arrived as new settlers in eastern Kentucky. Unknown to them, they carried genetic traits that would pass on to their descendants, causing many of them to have skin that was a purplish-blue color.
Today we tell the story of the blue people of Kentucky.
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On Christmas Eve, 1945, a mysterious fire broke out at the Fayetteville, West Virginia home of George and Jennie Sodder. Try as they might, George and his oldest son were unable to put out the fire, nor were they or their neighbors able to call for help, as all the phone lines in the area had stopped working. Five of the Sodder children were trapped inside the burning house, with no hope of rescue.
Then things got really strange.
Today we tell the story of the mysterious Christmas Eve fire and what may or may not have happened to those children.
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Theft. Infanticide. Insanity. Murder. Ghosts.
The stories that surround a notorious tunnel in Tennessee contain all those elements and more.
Today we tell some of those stories and tell you a little bit of the history of the infamous Sensabaugh Tunnel, near Kingsport, Tennessee, in Hawkins County.
Come along with us, if you dare...
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A tale was told by the Cherokee of a siren that inhabited the deep whirlpools of the French Broad River in western North Carolina. These sirens were said to be demons that would lure men to their deaths in the river.
Today we tell the folktale of a young man from Asheville who encountered that siren.
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A mountain farmer and schoolteacher from the North Carolina town of Magnetic City (now Buladean) got so tired of shaving that he tossed his straight razor in the garbage and just let that facial hair grow.
Unbeknownst to him, that decision launched him on a path to fame and fortune throughout North America as the “Man With The Longest Beard In The World.” He met the King of England, Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, and many other celebrities of his day, all while maintaining his farm and teaching in the local school.
Today we tell the fascinating story of Sam Brinkley and his magnificent beard.
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As the United States entered World War I, it was found to be necessary to start drafting men to serve in the military.
That decision was met with widespread resistance across the country, with protests and riots springing up. In one part of America, though, that resistance came close to turning into something akin to the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia that happened that same year.
Today we tell the story of an Appalachian populist revolt that almost happened in the summer of 1917, centered in the town of St. Paul, Virginia.
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Right before and during the Civil War an outlaw roamed the West who was unlike any of the other outlaws you might have heard of. This man, born and raised in eastern Kentucky, gained a reputation for not only robbery and murder, but for his practice of cannibalizing both his victims and a few of his fellow outlaws.
Today we tell the story of Boone Helm, the Kentucky Cannibal.
(Note: this story, while it does discuss cannibalism, does not go into great detail, but does talk frankly about what Helm did on his way about the American Wild West.)
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Today we wrap up our story about legendary Appalachian explorer, longhunter and guide Simon Kenton, who went from explorer and longhunter to owning hundreds of thousands of acres of frontier land, businesses, and a small fortune...only to have it all ripped away from him by the end of his life.
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Today we have a story so big we had to split it into two parts!
Simon Kenton was an Appalachian explorer, longhunter and guide. His life was so filled with adventure that it became the stuff of legend, second only to Daniel Boone, Kenton's close friend. Numerous buildings, schools, and other places bear Kenton's name in those states that border the Ohio River, testament to his place in history.
Today we begin to tell his amazing story.
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In 1890 the circus came to Alderson, West Virginia. When the circus moved on, it left a new resident of the town, which became loved by all, well, except for one traveling salesman.
Today we tell the story of a gentle and loving lion named French, for the circus that brought him to town, another one of the stories of Appalachia.
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Today we tell the story of a man who refused to let a "disability" keep him down.
Linguist, athlete, amateur astronomer, adventurer and genealogist James Brownlow Lawson from Sevier County, Tennessee, lived the life he wanted, despite the loss of his arm as a young man.
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In February, 1972, a coal company muck dam along Buffalo Creek in Logan County, West Virginia, collapsed after a winter of heavy snow and rain. The resulting flash flood of water and gob destroyed homes, businesses and took several lives in that Appalachian holler.
Today we tell that story.
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Otto Wood was headed in the wrong direction from a young age. As a child he learned how to make moonshine while in the care of his relatives in West Virginia, to whom he had run away from home.
One thing led to another and before you knew it Otto was a wanted man in at least six states.
Thing is, the authorities in those states just couldn't keep Otto locked up for long, since he was always escaping.
Today we tell the story of the Appalachian escape artist and outlaw, Otto Wood.
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Did some Braxton County, West Virginia, kids see a UFO back in 1952? Some folks thought so, especially after locals began exhibiting strange symptoms. Today Steve and Rod tell the tale of the Flatwoods Monster, or the Phantom of Flatwoods, as it was also called. It’s another story that makes up the history of this place we call home.
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We're on Facebook, YouTube and TikTok @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter and Instagram @storyappalachia.
In 1938 a Roane County, Tennessee, hermit felt the pull of time. Concerned about how he was going to be remembered after he was gone and wondering if anyone cared anyway, he decided to plan and hold his funeral service...while he could experience it.
Today we tell the story of Uncle Bush's magnificent funeral...
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There was once a cabin down by Sinking Creek at the foot of Droop Mountain in West Virginia, or so it's been told. That cabin was the home of a mysterious man known as "Old Hell."
Some folks around there said that hell was the right name, for that house became known for hellish sounds and otherworldly lights. It was also found to have more to it than that, though, and this bit of folklore is today's story of Appalachia.
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Doris Payne was born in 1930 to a coal miner in Slab Fork, West Virginia.
She didn't stay there. In fact, she ended up traveling the world for decades pursuing her chosen path in life.
International jewel thief.
Today we tell her story.
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In the late 19th century a man from Stoney Creek, in Johnson County, Tennessee, went West to seek his fortune.
He found that fortune.
He then lost that fortune and in the process decided that he no longer wanted the company of his fellow man, so he took what money he had left and purchased the top of an East Tennessee mountain on which to live, with his faithful dog and, for a time, with a pet rattlesnake.
Today we tell the story of Uncle Nick Grindstaff, whose grave and monument still stand next to the Appalachian trail atop Iron Mountain for the entire world to visit, if they've a mind to.
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In 1919 a wave of riots and lynchings occurred across America, fueled in part by a fear of communism and communist agitation among minorites and in part by fear of battle-hardened African-American soldiers returning from service in World War I not complying with Jim Crow laws in the south.
Appalachia was not immune to this wave.
In the summer of 1919 a mob swept through downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, after the arrest of a prominent African-American resident named Maurice Mays in the assault and murder of a white woman in the city. The riot only ended after the intervention of the Tennessee National Guard.
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Years before European settlers moved into Appalachia, native tribes from Alabama to Ohio spoke of going to war with a mysterious race of pale-skinned people who were so sensitive to sunlight they only came out at night. These "moon-eyed" people were forced from Alabama into North Carolina, then to Tennessee and Kentucky before being driven out west of the Mississippi River.
Today we tell the legend of the Moon-eyed People.
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Today we bring you part of the end of an era of public executions in Appalachia, which had, in many cases, turned into an excuse for a carnival, with vendors selling food and drink (much of it the hard stuff) and children brought in for a day with a picnic and other family activities, prior to the hanging itself.
Our first story comes from Wilkes County, North Carolina, where an alleged horse thief shoots and kills the man looking for that horse; the second comes from Lawrence County, Kentucky, and involves a feud, with the accused shooting and killing his own uncle.
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One of the biggest moonshiners (literally) in Appalachia was a Melungeon woman from Newman's Ridge in Hancock County, Tennessee. She lived an interesting life, providing shine in many ways, including from a hollow tree.
To find out more, give this week's episode a listen!
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The 1920s were a decade of loosening morals, Prohibition and crime, with notorious outlaws popping up across America. Along with the likes of Al Capone, John Dillinger and Bonnie and Clyde was a home-grown Appalachian outlaw whose exploits made headlines across the South.
Today we tell the story of Appalachian outlaw Kinnie Wagner, from Scott County, Virginia.
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In 1911 Devil Anse Hatfield’s sons Troy and Elias were in Fayette County running a bar, which was doing quite well. They had established their liquor and beer territory thanks to agreements with the competition and things looked bright…until someone with ties to the Italian-American miners’ community decided to compete with them.
Things did not turn out well.
Today we tell the story of the last gunfight of Troy and Elias Hatfield.
We've told stories of moonshiners; we've even interviewed one of them. Today we're going to tell the story of untaxed whiskey from the other side, that of the federal revenue agent, or revenuer.
One of those agents was well-known in the hills and hollers of Kentucky, the legendary Big Six.
Today we tell his story.
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A man from Anderson County, Tennessee, had developed a reputation as being a bit strange, going on about all those visions he had after his wife left him years before. One vision, though, led many people to decide that maybe they'd misjudged him.
Today we tell the story of John Hendrix, the prophet of Appalachia.
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In 1892 a West Virginia hermit living high above the Cheat River announced to the world that he had an invention: a suit that would allow him to fly above the forests and mountains of Appalachia just like the hawks that lived there.
If only he had a little more money to finish his invention...
Today we tell the story of the Appalachian "Bat-Man."
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To many the word "Appalachia" is synonymous with the word "hillbilly," for better or for worse.
Often used as a derogatory term by non-residents of the region, many here have adopted "hillbilly" with defiant pride.
Today we're going to tell a bit of the history of that word, which involves religion, war, and a famous British king and queen.
Quite the story.
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After the Civil War fine hotels were built all along the mountain range that separated North Carolina and Tennessee, each one grander than the last, a sort of Guilded Age race between the wealthy hotel operators flooding into the region. There were many of these fine hotels, from the Wonderland Hotel to Unaka Springs to the Cloudland Hotel.
That last hotel had one advantage the others didn't. It sat high atop Roan Mountain, making that hotel the higher than any other hotel in the region, with a most spectacular view.
Today we tell the story of the Cloudland Hotel.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Audible, Spotify, Goodpods, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts...we will be there.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, y'all!
It is Christmas week, folks, so join us as we talk about Old Christmas and some Appalachian Christmas folklore.
Merry Christmas, all!
Christmas Eve, 1924, started like Christmas Eve always had, with people getting ready for family gatherings, caroling, and opening presents the next morning.
That's not what ended up happening in Saltville, Virginia, that night. Instead, the town suffered through a literal nightmare of caustic muck, debris, death and destruction as an alkali plant's muck dam collapsed, sending a massive wave down the north fork of the Holston River.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Audible, Stitcher, Goodpods or on your favorite podcast app.
When you say "feud" anywhere in America, what comes to most folks' minds are the names "Hatfield" and "McCoy." That notorious feud has been the stuff of legend not just in Appalachia but all across America as well.
But that feud eventually burnt itself out. So what happened to Devil Anse Hatfield and Randall McCoy after that?
Well, for one thing, did you know that Devil Anse Hatfield went on the vaudeville circuit early in the twentieth century? Today we tell you that story and more about the Hatfields and McCoys after the end of their famous feud.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Audacy, Goodpods, Audible, or on your favorite podcast app.
In the early part of the 19th century, a woman was arrested for the gruesome murder of her husband in what's now Mitchell County, North Carolina.
Some said she acted in jealousy, others say she reacted to ongoing spousal abuse to protect herself and her baby daughter.
Today we tell the story of Frankie Silver, the first woman to be hanged in North Carolina.
On a few nights in October, 1973 all over Appalachia, from Ohio to Tennessee, there was a wave of UFO sightings and reports of attempted abductions.
Today we tell that story.
If you like our stories of Appalachian history, you might want to subscribe to our podcast so you don't miss an episode. You can do that at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker, Audible, Goodpods, PlayerFM or on your own favorite podcast app...we'll be there.
Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories with your friends!
(Picture of Watauga Lake by Ryan Rice at the English-language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2246001)
(Picture of Broad Street by AppalachianCentrist - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113623763)
In the late 1940's a man who went by the name of Ernest I. Torrence traveled across Appalachia, from Georgia to Pennsylvania, seeking his true love.
Unfortunately for the women he met, his true love was not them, but their money.
Today we tell the tale of a smooth-talking Appalachian con man, who targeted women through the lonely hearts clubs ads in newspapers all around the region.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, Audible, Goodpods, or on your favorite podcast app.
Thanks for listening!
Earlier this summer we took our YouTube viewers to the area around Fontana Lake to show them a road that was promised but never fully built. On today's podcast episode, we're going to tell the story of what's come to be known as the "Road to Nowhere."
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Goodpods, Audible, Stitcher, and on most other podcast apps.
Thanks for listening and for sharing us with your friends!
Building a railroad in Appalachia after the Civil War was always a hard, back-breaking effort. But in the very rugged mountains of Western North Carolina, which contained the tallest mountains east of the Mississippi River, it was deadly.
Today we tell the story of the building of the Western North Carolina Railroad.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, Goodpods, Audible, or on your favorite podcast app.
Thanks for listening!
Building a railroad in Appalachia after the Civil War was always a hard, back-breaking effort. But in the very rugged mountains of Western North Carolina, which contained the tallest mountains east of the Mississippi River, it was deadly.
Today we tell the story of the building of the Western North Carolina Railroad.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, Goodpods, Audible, or on your favorite podcast app.
Thanks for listening!
In 1925 a man from Coal Creek, Tennessee, named Condy Dabney came to Harlan County, Kentucky, looking for work down in the mines. He soon tired of that work and started a taxi service that shuttled folks around Harlan and other towns in the county.
Things were looking bright for Mr. Dabney, until he was arrested and charged with killing a 14-year-old girl who it was said had taken a ride in his cab. He was convicted of her murder.
Then, things got strange.
Today we tell the story of a Harlan County murder that never happened.
You can subscribe to our stories by going to Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Audible, TuneIn, Stitcher, Goodpods, PlayerFM or on your own favorite podcast app.
Thanks for listening and for sharing our podcast with your friends.
In 1925 a man from Coal Creek, Tennessee, named Condy Dabney came to Harlan County, Kentucky, looking for work down in the mines. He soon tired of that work and started a taxi service that shuttled folks around Harlan and other towns in the county.
Things were looking bright for Mr. Dabney, until he was arrested and charged with killing a 14-year-old girl who it was said had taken a ride in his cab. He was convicted of her murder.
Then, things got strange.
Today we tell the story of a Harlan County murder that never happened.
You can subscribe to our stories by going to Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Audible, TuneIn, Stitcher, Goodpods, PlayerFM or on your own favorite podcast app.
Thanks for listening and for sharing our podcast with your friends.
Back during the Great Depression East Tennessee was visited by a mysterious beast, a large dog with, some say, glowing red eyes. This dog, called the Witch Dog by some, terrorized farms in the region. Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the Witch Dog vanished, never to be seen again.
Today we bring you the story of the Witch Dog, in honor of Halloween...
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Audible, Goodpods, PlayerFM, Radiopublic or wherever you download your favorite podcasts.
Thanks for listening. Have a fun and safe Halloween!
Every now and then there appears a man or woman with a sense of the true importance of the culture of Appalachia. Bascom Lamar Lunsford was one of those people.
Trained as a teacher and as a lawyer, Lunsford not only taught and practiced law in Western North Carolina, he also spent time as a fruit tree salesman, a beekeeper, a newspaper publisher, and an auctioneer, among other pursuits.
But it was his love of old-time Appalachian music that made him famous. Lunsford is known for his travels through the hills and hollers collecting songs and tunes, many of which he recorded himself.
Today we tell the story of Bascom Lamar Lunsford.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Goodpods, Spotify, Audible or on your favorite podcast app.
Thanks for listening!
In 1935 a young Appalachian teacher from Pound, Virginia, was arrested for the murder of her abusive father. The trials that followed attracted the attention of the national press, which chose, as it always does, to portray Appalachia as a land of ignorant, backward and poor folks while they focused on the more lurid details of the case.
Today we tell the story of Edith Maxwell.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker, Audible, Goodpods, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app.
Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends.
In the 1880's and early 1890's Harlan County, Kentucky was the scene for one of the most notorious feuds aside from the one between the Hatfields and McCoys.
Two prominent families, the Howards and the Turners, and their allies, fought to avenge wrongs inflicted by the other side, for control of the county and for control of the local whiskey trade. Harlan itself was the scene of gun battles, murders and even threats to burn the town itself to the ground.
Today we tell the story of the Howard-Turner feud.
On January 7, 1938, a blast rocked the little community of Hampton, Tennessee. After the smoke cleared, the home of Harmon and Pauline Gouge was in ruins, their three daughters lay dead, and Pauline Gouge was in a coma.
On this episode of the Stories podcast, Steve and Rod tell the story of this bit of Appalachian history.
During the post-Civil War coal boom in West Virginia, many new towns were founded to serve the coal industry and the railroads that hauled that coal to market. One of these towns was Thurmond, founded by a former Confederate captain of Thurmond's Rangers which was based in the area.
Along with those towns came hotels to accomodate visitors and businessmen. In Thurmond one of those hotels gained quite a saucy reputation: the Dunglen Hotel.
Today we tell that story.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Audible, Goodpods, IHeartRadio, or on your favorite podcast app.
Talt Hall had a very interesting life. Born and raised in eastern Kentucky, he had been a Confederate soldier, a deputy sheriff, a U. S. Marshal, a feudist, a railroad employee and a traveler who lived in various places across the country.
He was also alleged to have killed nearly a hundred men in his lifetime. He was tried for 6 of those killings over the years and was acquitted of 5 of them. It was that 6th one, the last one attributed to him, that sent him to the gallows...just a short time before the hanging of the man who captured him in Memphis, Tennessee.
Today we tell the story of Bad Talt Hall.
During the Civil War a man from Kentucky who had moved to Tennessee joined the Confederate side as a guerrilla fighter. Due to his extreme anger issues he soon became a Confederate vigilante, killing anyone he knew who had any connections with the Union. It was an infamous incident at a Confederate hospital in Saltville, Virginia, that resulted in his capture and arrest by Confederate authorities in 1865.
Today we tell the story of an outlaw from both sides in the Civil War: Champ Ferguson.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Audible, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Goodpods, or on your favorite podcast app.
Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends!
A man's family in the Smoky Mountains community of Cade's Cove is torn apart by the Civil War, with tragic results for him.
Today we share that story.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Spotify, Audacy, Goodpods, Audible, or on your favorite podcast app.
A man's family in the Smoky Mountains community of Cade's Cove is torn apart by the Civil War, with tragic results for him.
Today we share that story.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Spotify, Audacy, Goodpods, Audible, or on your favorite podcast app.
In the 1920s residents of Maryville, in Blount County, Tennessee, were living in fear of being the victim of a violent home invasion by a mysterious man known as the Night Marauder. One man was arrested and charged with being the Night Marauder, Will Sheffey, and he was put on trial for several sexual assaults and two murders.
Today we tell that story.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Audible, Goodpods, Spotify, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app.
Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories with your friends...
For more information, go the Night Marauder Project here: https://thenightmarauderproject.com/
On November 20, 1968, there was a massive explosion at the Consol number 9 mine near Farmington, West Virginia. This explosion resulted in the death of scores of miners, including the uncle of a current U. S. senator from West Virginia. It also spurred the passage of mine safety legislation by Congress to lessen the chances of another such mine explosion.
Today we tell that story.
From its beginnings in a former church, the Barter Theater has become the premiere theatrical destination in Appalachia, starting the careers of many a Broadway and Hollywood actor.
Today we tell the story of the Barter and the man whose vision made it possible.
Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our podcast with your friends.
In the Washington Irving story, Rip Van Winkle partakes in some boozy fun in the Catskill Mountains in New York, then falls asleep for 20 years, waking to find the world completely changed. That story was a fantasy tale.
Today we have the true story of a woman who, like old Rip, fell asleep one night in 1936 and didn't wake up until 1948 to a world turned upside down.
Thanks for listening to our stories!
Every place has a name, and every name has its story...including the tourist destination of the Smokey Mountains, Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Listen as we tell you the very interesting story of how White Oak Flats became Gatlinburg!
Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories with your friends...
In the 1880's there was a feud between the Turner and Howard families in Harlan County, Kentucky, almost as notorious as the one going on between the Hatfields and the McCoys a couple of counties to the east at the same time. One of the feudists, Wilson, or Wils, Howard was alleged to have killed seven men in that feud and he left Harlan for Missouri, then on to California, as a result.
Mr. Howard ended up on trial for another murder that happened in Missouri and the story of his trial for that killing is our story today.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, Goodpods, Spotify, Audible or on your favorite podcast app.
Thanks for listening...
Back in the 1940s Roy Acuff was at the top of his game. He was a country music star with such hits as "The Great Speckled Bird" and "The Wabash Cannonball" under his belt; he was appearing in the movies, and he was one of the biggest stars on the Grand Ol' Opry.
In 1948, Mr. Acuff tried to attain one more goal: the office of Governor of the State of Tennessee.
Today we tell you that story.
If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast, at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker, Audible, Goodpods, or on your favorite podcast app.
Isabella Marie Boyd, better known to history as Belle Boyd, was a notorious rebel spy during the Civil War who used her wiles to obtain Union secrets which she then passed on to the Confederate government. Today we tell the story of this woman, who was born in what's now West Virginia.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Audible, Goodpods, Audacy, Spotify, or on your favorite podcast app.
Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends.
Lawyer, politician, Confederate general, land developer, promoter of coal and the founder of the town of Damascus, Virginia. All these jobs were held by one man for whom a mine and a coal camp were also named: General John D. Imboden.
Today we tell his story.
Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Thanks for listening!
It's been said that there is a mine somewhere in Appalachia, in which a vein of the highest quality silver can be found. And it's located...well, that's the problem. Nobody knows where this supposed silver mine can be found.
Today we tell the story of the legendary Swift's Silver Mine.
Early in 1940 two middle-aged sisters and a teen-aged boy who did odd jobs for them were brutally murdered in their home in Oliver Springs, Tennessee.
These killings were unsolved for over 60 years.
Today we tell that story.
On November 23, 1931, 20-year-old Zachary Smith Reynolds of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was divorced from his first wife. Six days later he married his second wife, Broadway showgirl Libby Holman, and six months later he was dead from a gunshot wound that may or may not have been self-inflicted.
This was a tragedy, magnified in the media by the fact that Smith was the youngest son of tobacco magnate R. J. Reynolds.
Today we tell that story.
In 1965 a Kentucky widow managed to drive the coal company from her land with what was called a "sit-in," an early use of peaceful civil disobedience in Appalachia.
Today we tell the story of Ollie Combs of Knott County, Kentucky, and her fight to save her farm from strip-mining.
Thanks for listening!
A jilted young man came over the mountains from North Carolina to Tennessee, intent on spending the rest of his life alone on a mountaintop. This he did, along with developing his own moral code, rewriting the U. S. Constitution, and killing a man, among other things.
Today we tell the story of David (Hog) Greer, of Big Bald Mountain.
Thanks for listening!
Many years ago, before the first settlers had arrived on the Appalachian frontier of what's now West Virginia and far southwestern Virginia, it's told that a long hunter and his son spent some time hunting and trapping, gathering meat and furs to take back home to their farm in North Carolina.
That trip turned out to be one not soon forgotten, for they encountered...something. And that something has a statue erected in its honor on High Knob in Norton, Virginia.
Today we tell you a story that's a little bit history and a little bit folklore.
You can subscribe to our stories at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spreaker, Goodpods, Audacy, Audible, or on whatever podcast app you prefer.
In 1788 the fate of the State of Franklin was uncertain. North Carolina had re-exerted control over the area, appointing judges, sheriffs and other state and county officials, and residents of the area were divided between supporters of Franklin and supporters of North Carolina. Everything came to a head early in 1788 at the John Tipton farm in Washington County, Franklin/North Carolina. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories with your friends...
We've told the stories of businessmen in Appalachia, all with their own colorful history, folks from Cas Walker to Virgil Q. Wacks. But they take a back seat to an Asheville businessman who took pushing boundaries to a whole new level. Today we tell the story of who the newspapers of the 1920's called "Asheville's Ponzi," Scott Dillingham.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s coal miners in Harlan County, Kentucky, struck against the coal operators for better pay and better working conditions. These strikes often turned violent and gun battles were common. Today we tell the story of the Harlan County coal war of the 1930s.
Today we tell the story of one of the most successful musicians to come from Southwest Virginia: Dr. Ralph Stanley, from Dickenson County. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Audacy, Audible, Goodpods, RadioPublic, or on your own favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening to our stories!
In 1923 a rigid airship, made with new material produced by Alcoa Aluminum in Pittsburgh, became the U. S. Navy's flagship aircraft. Two years later this airship came down in bad weather in eastern Ohio with tragic results. Today we tell the story of the crash of the Shenandoah. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Audacy, Spotify, Audible, Goodpods, RadioPublic or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening.
Today we tell the story of the man who led the most successful Confederate raid on American territory during the Civil War, leading his men into battle throughout Indiana and Ohio. Afterwards, General John Hunt Morgan met his end at the hands of Union soldiers in Greeneville, Tennessee. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Goodpods, RadioPublic, Audacy, Audible or on your own favorite podcast app.
In April 1865 a riverboat that carried cargo from Illinois south to New Orleans was hired to transport newly freed Union prisoners from Vicksburg, Mississippi, home. Unfortunately, many of them would end up dying during this trip. Today we tell the story of the man claimed to be the last survivor of this ill-fated trip, a man born and raised in Blount County, Tennessee.
In the 1930's a man interested in writing, new age religions and far-right politics came to Asheville, North Carolina, where he established his own fascist organization in support of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party in Germany. Today we tell the story of William Dudley Pelley.
In the area of Bland and Tazewell Counties in Virginia in the late 1780's a pregnant young woman and her child were captured by a band of renegade Indians consisting of two Cherokee, three Shawnee, three Wyandots and three Delaware. After a year as their slave, this woman managed to escape and make it back through the Appalachian wilderness to her family and friends. Today we tell the story of Jenny Wiley. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!
In 1912 a Presbyterian pastor in Greeneville, Tennessee, decided to help his former secretary back at the school he headed in Pittsburgh. That decision cost the woman her life and landed the pastor in jail. Today we tell that story.
In the late 1700s two cousins, Micajah Harpe and Wiley Harpe, terrorized the Appalachian frontier, stealing, fighting, raping and killing pioneers as they crossed Appalachia looking for a new home. Today we tell the story of the Bloody Harpes, two of America's most vicious serial killers. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast, at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Goodpods, Audacy, Audible, IHeart Radio, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening.
Today we tell the fascinating story of the first woman in this country to go down in the coal mines to make a living, and how she made it legal for women to do so. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audacy, Goodpods, Audible or on your own favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!
In the summer of 1946 a training mission for a B-29 Superfortress ended in tragedy. Today we tell the story of that B-29, which crashed into the third-highest mountaintop in the eastern United States. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audacy, Stitcher, Goodpods, Audible, Spotify, IHeart Radio, RadioPublic, or on your favorite podcast app.
Who were the men who moved into what’s now East Tennessee, establishing the first local governments there, such as the Watauga Association in 1772 and the State of Franklin in 1784? Many of them came from a movement that had been quashed in North Carolina by the Royal Governor in a battle that’s still remembered and re-enacted today. Today we tell the story of the Regulator Movement.
In 1950 a man shot and killed his sister-in-law and niece in a country store in northeast Tennessee. Why he did that is our story today. Don't forget to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app!
In 1951 Little League baseball came to Norton, Virginia. In that very first season the Little League allowed black boys and white boys to play together, fully integrated, for the first time in the South. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Audacy, Goodpods, Audible, IHeart Radio or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!
After the end of the Revolutionary War the land north and west of the Ohio River was organized by Congress into the Northwest Territory. Soon settlers began to move into the eastern part of the territory (the future state of Ohio) and form new towns, including Marietta, at the junction of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers. One of these new settlers was an Irish nobleman, Harman Blennerhassett, who built a fine estate on an island in the Ohio not far from Marietta. There he entertained the rich and famous, and that, folks, led to his downfall. Today we tell the story of Harmon Blennerhassett's ill-fated venture with a former vice-president, Aaron Burr. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audacy, Stitcher, TuneIn, Goodpods, Audible, or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories!
At the turn of the 20th century, a Kentucky man obsessed with spiritualism, fortune-telling, seances and speaking to the dead, was convinced to marry a "psychic" and give her all his property. This act set off a chain of events involving this man, his siblings, his new (fourth) wife, and a man named Fred, all of which ended up very badly for him. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Audacy, Audible, Goodpods, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, IHeart Radio, or on your favorite podcast app.
In May of 1902 one of the best-run mine companies in the Coal Creek, Tennessee, area suffered a disaster when an explosion trapped and killed 216 miners, all but 3 of the adult male population of the Fraterville community. Today we tell that story. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app!
This holiday season has been a tough one for us, so we haven't had the opportunity to put together this year's Christmas episode. Instead we give you last year's wonderful tale of the Krampus. By the way, all the references in that episode to 2020? Nothing's really changed, so just mentally put in "2021" when you hear us say "2020." Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, y'all!
On June 17, 1922, a tremendous explosion happened at the Thealka mine near Paintsville, Kentucky, killing two miners starting up mine equipment. This blast was no accident. Join us today for a story of labor unrest, coalfield violence, and justice, along with a bit of redemption. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audacy, Stitcher, Audible, RadioPublic, Google Podcasts, Goodpods, or on your favorite podcast app.
In the spring of 1856 the two little boys of Samuel and Susanna Cox disappeared, seemingly without a trace. Today we tell the story of how the tragedy of that disappearance led to a miracle, one memorialized with a monument in the township of Pavia, Pennsylvania, east of Johnstown. You can subscribe to the audio version of the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Audible, Spotify, Audacy, Goodpods, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app.
There was a man who lived in Lee County, Virginia, who claimed to have once been a Tennessee Circuit Court judge, a preacher, a teacher and a business owner in Cumberland Gap. He was also tried for killing two lawmen who tried to arrest his son-in-law. Today we tell the story of Green Allen Brooks, dubbed by the press as the "Mountain Man." You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Audacy, Spotify, Audible, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening
With it being Thanksgiving weekend, Rod and Steve have decided to take this week off, so today we are presenting an encore presentation of one of our first podcast episodes. In 1935 a young woman from Pound, Virginia, was accused of murdering her father and put on trial in Wise. The trial brought on an onslaught of national news attention. And when the media descended on Wise, Virginia, they brought their Appalachian stereotypes with them. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Audacy, Audible or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!
Over 120 years ago one of Devil Anse Hatfield's sons made his escape from a Williamson, West Virginia, jail. How he got in that jail, why he escaped and where he went is our story this week. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast, at Apple Podcasts, Audible, PlayerFM, Stitcher, Spotify, Audacy or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!
A hundred years ago two men were captured near Harriman, Tennessee, after an intense manhunt. They, along with two other men, were responsible for an attempted armed bank robbery, two kidnappings, and one murder during a crime spree through the Tennessee hills west of Knoxville in June, 1921. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Stitcher, IHeart Radio, Audacy, or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories of Appalachian history with your friends!
In the early 1800's central Pennsylvania was the home of a man named David Lewis. Lewis joined the army then went AWOL, starting down a road that led to him becoming a charming con man, counterfeiter, robber and murderer, as well as a legend in the area, some even comparing Lewis to Robin Hood. Today we tell his story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Stitcher, IHeart Radio or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening.
For this year’s Halloween tale, we’re going to go back a couple of years to once again tell you one of our more popular stories, about the hermit of Pound Gap. A traveler uncovers a local legend about an old hermit living in a cave on the Virginia/Kentucky border, so he sets about to investigate. We tell you that story, this year’s Halloween tale, on today’s podcast. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, IHeart Radio, and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening…Happy Halloween!
In 1877 a young Kentucky man's body was found by the side of the road, the victim of a knife attack. Suspicion quickly fell on the deceased's former best friend since the two had recently had a falling out over a girl. That led the friend to go on the run. 20 years later he was found and brought back to Kentucky to face justice. Today we tell that story.
In 1803 John Sevier was the governor of the state of Tennessee and Andrew Jackson was a Superior Court judge, both in Knoxville. They were also bitter political rivals. One day the two met on the steps of the Knox County Courthouse and began an argument that turned into a fist fight and challenges from both men to the other to settle matters with a duel. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends!
In 1977 a small town along the Tug River in West Virginia needed a bridge. They got that bridge, and became world-famous in the process. That's our story this week. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Audible, Spotify, Stitcher, RadioPublic, IHeart Radio or on your own favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!
After the Civil War a group of English men and women traveled to the hills of Tennessee to set up a utopian colony. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, IHeart Radio, Audacy, or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends!
Today we tell a story that's a little bit history and a little bit folklore about a legend in eastern Kentucky named Moses Stepp, supposedly the oldest man to have ever lived in the state. Thanks for listening and for sharing our podcast with your friends.
In 1959 a mining operation ignored mine regulations leading not only to a mine roof collapse but flooding so bad that miners were killed and the entire economy in the area was pretty much destroyed. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audacy, IHeart Radio, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends...
1929 was a rough year for the jailer at the Yancey County jail, in North Carolina. That year saw not one but two 3-prisoner escapes from the facility. That's our story today. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories of Appalachian history.
We wrap up our story about Davy Crockett, telling of his leaving Tennessee and moving to Texas to fight in the Texas War of Independence. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app...please add us to your favorites list! Thanks for listening...
Probably nobody embodies Appalachia and her people more than a man born near Limestone, Tennessee, in 1786. Davy Crockett was a frontiersman, cowboy, businessman, politician and a martyr to the cause of Texas independence. Today we start telling you his very big story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening!
In 1945 a preacher was arrested and charged in his wife's death...by snakebite. Seems he had been holding a service near Norton, Virginia, in which a large poisonous snake had been placed in his hand, and his wife had been bitten when she reached over to pat the creature's head. Today we tell the story of a death in a snake-handling church, another part of the history of this place we call home: Appalachia.
In 1671 Thomas Batts and Richard Fallam set out from Appomatox Town (near present day Petersburg), Virginia, on a mission of exploration into Appalachia. Along the way they discovered the New River and many other places in the western part of the colony. Today we tell their story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, IHeart Radio, Deezer and many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening!
One hundred years ago this month the largest labor uprising in American history occurred in southern West Virginia when striking coal miners gathered with weapons and headed toward the Appalachian coal fields, intent on unionizing the mines there. What started with a deadly shootout in Matewan between men hired by the coal company to kick striking miners out of company-owned housing and Police Chief Sid Hatfield and his men in the spring of 1920 and Hatfield's subsequent killing on the McDowell County Courthouse steps by those same enforcers a year later exploded into a mass movement that took the police, hired mercenaries, bombs dropped from airplanes, machine guns, poison gas and, finally, the intervention of the U. S. military to stop. Today we tell that story.
In 1912 a Carroll County, Virginia, man was sentenced to serve a one year sentence in the state penitentiary. The announcement of that sentence set off a gun battle that became one of the worst incidences of violence ever to occur in an American courtroom. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, IHeart Radio or on your favorite podcast app.
In 1931 Knox County, Tennessee, sheriff's deputies, along with federal Prohibition officers, found something very interesting underneath a house in Knoxville. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories with your friends!
Shortly after the end of the Civil War an orphan boy disappeared near the High Knob, on the border of Scott and Wise Counties in Virginia. Today we tell a story that's been handed down for over a hundred years of an Appalachian unsolved mystery! You can subscribe to the audio version of our podcast on your favorite podcast app. As always, thanks for listening!
Today we tell the story of the Wonderland Hotel and the area around it, Elkmont, both part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!
In the 1920s a young woman opened a business providing moonshine to all the bootleggers in the Harlan, Kentucky, area during Prohibition. After Prohibition she opened a store that sold legal liquor. She also sold moonshine there, for which she was arrested and tried and served her one and only jail sentence, even though she was arrested again and again, 37 more times, without a conviction. Oh, she was also the model for a character in a popular television series that aired just a few years ago. Today we tell the story of Maggie Bailey Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories of Appalachian history.
In 1877 a farmer was shot dead as he was working in his fields. No one saw who fired the shot and nobody confessed to the murder. But Daniel Dean was hanged for the crime, splitting his community in half. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening.
In 1929 there were textile strikes going on across the southeastern U. S., including at the two mills located in Elizabethton, Tennessee. Mack Elliott worked at one of those plants and was involved in union organizing there, which led, literally, to an explosive development. Today we tell that story.
During the French Revolution a French baron attempted to establish a colony of Frenchmen in Appalachia, at present-day St. Paul, Virginia. Today we tell you that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, IHeart Radio, TuneIn, Audible or wherever you find your podcasts. Thanks for listening!
Explorer, surveyor, soldier and Indian agent are all jobs held by Joseph Martin. He also built a settlement, Martin's Station, that was a way station for settlers moving west into Kentucky. Today we tell his story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, IHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, or on you favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories of Appalachian history.
During World War I a wealthy playboy from Philadelphia refused induction into the U. S. Army and was charged and convicted of draft evasion. He managed to escape and, when captured, offered to buy his way out of prison with gold he said was hidden in the hills of West Virginia. That's just a small part of this week's story...you'll have to listen for the rest! Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app for all our stories of Appalachian history. Thanks for listening!
Today we tell the story of an East Tennessee man who realized after 20 years of marriage that he wasn't who he always thought he was. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, IHeart Radio, Audible or on your own favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!
On April 11, 1946, Earl McFarland was captured by the FBI at the corner of Gay Street and Magnolia Avenue in Knoxville while waiting for a streetcar. Why this happened to a Marine veteran of the Battle of Guadalcanal is the subject of our story today. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening to our stories of Appalachian history.
In 1925 the state of Tennessee passed the Butler Act, which made it illegal to teach the theory of evolution in public schools. Today we tell part two of that story, the trial itself. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast in many ways: on our website, www.storiespodcast.net, at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Audible, Player FM and many more. Thanks for listening!
In 1925 the state of Tennessee passed the Butler Act, which made it illegal to teach the theory of evolution in public schools. A group of men in Dayton, Tennessee, decided to challenge that law with the help of the ACLU, picking a high school teacher named John Scopes as their defendant. Today we tell part one of that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast in many ways: on our website, www.storiespodcast.net, at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, IHeart Radio, Audible, RadioPublic and many more. Thanks for listening!
Today we go back and retell one of our favorite stories, about a very odd occurrence at a farm in Kentucky in the 1870s that's still a mystery today. A tasty tale, indeed. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on such fine podcast apps as Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Audible, IHeart Radio and more. Thanks for listening!
Prior to the Civil War the Clay family of Kentucky was one of the nation's most prominent political families, the most well-known of which was congressman, senator, speaker of the House and Secretary of State Henry Clay. Today we tell not his story, but the story of another Clay, abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay, who also was the namesake of another well-known Kentucky native, the boxer who dropped that name for the name Mohammed Ali. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, Audible, among other podcast apps. Thanks for listening!
After the French and Indian War the governor of Virginia awarded veterans land in the western part of the state in payment for their service to king and colony. Among those vets receiving land was George Washington, who decided to set up a colony of settlers in what's now West Virginia. Today we tell the story of that attempt to set up an early Appalachian settlement. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, IHeart Radio, TuneIn, or on your own favorite podcast app. We're also on YouTube, for those who like to watch us tell our stories. Thanks for listening!
In 1938 a family had an encounter with an Appalachian ghost when young Bertha Sybert's bed began to shake mysteriously every night. Soon people were coming from all over the country to witness the spirit, or demon or witch or whatever it was that was moving Bertha's bed around. Today we tell the story of Bouncing Bertha's ghost. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, IHeart Radio, among others. Thanks for listening!
In 1949 a gang robbed the Bank of Follansbee, near Weirton, West Virginia, of $5,400.00 and made their escape. Later that night two policemen pulled over a car they suspected belonged to those robbers. Things did not go as they planned, and we tell that story this week. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Audible and on many other podcast apps.
November 14, 1970, is a date burned into the memories of the residents of Huntington, West Virginia. That's the day Marshall University lost its football team in a terrible plane crash, and that's the story we tell today. Thank you for listening and for sharing our stories of Appalachian history with your friends.
New Straitsville, Ohio, was founded as a coal town in the Hocking Valley after the Civil War. Labor unrest happened in the 1880's, leading to the Great Hocking Valley coal strike. During that strike something unthinkable happened, and is still happening today. On this episode of the podcast we tell that story. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast at our website, www.storiespodcast.net, at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Audible, Spotify, TuneIn, IHeart Radio or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening...
In 1873 a wave of cholera swept across the southeastern U.S. This epidemic hit the town of Greeneville, Tennessee, hard; so hard, in fact, that around 10% of the town's population was killed. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, IHeart Radio, TuneIn, Amazon Music and more. Thanks for listening.
Loyalties were divided in Appalachia, from Kentucky to Tennessee to North Carolina. And it was in western North Carolina that a Confederate army unit committed an atrocity against Union sympathizers living in Madison County. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on a ton of apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Audible, IHeart Radio, TuneIn, Amazon Music, Deezer and more. Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories with your friends...
Wise County, Virginia, saw very little racial violence after the Civil War. In fact, up until 1927, there were only three known cases of death by lynching in this southwestern Virginia county. But those three, each one more violent than the one before, led to the passage in Virginia of the first anti-lynching law in the former Confederacy. Today we tell that story. Thanks for watching...
Firefighters responding to a house fire in Canton, Pennsylvania, in 1896 were stunned by what they found. Today we tell that story. The Stories podcast is available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, IHeart Radio, Amazon Music, RadioPublic, Audible and more. Thanks for listening.
Mason Evans was a schoolteacher and principal in McMinn County, in southeast Tennessee. After his one true love left him he made a fateful and life-changing decision to head to the Smoky Mountains. That's the story we tell you today. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Audible, IHeart Radio, TuneIn and more. Thanks for listening!
The bloody legacy of the Civil War lived on in Appalachia up until the beginning of the 20th century in the form of feuds and honor killings between those who once served the Union and those who did the same for the Confederacy. Today we tell of one such example that arose along the Clinch River in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, the Wright-Templeton Gang. The Stories podcast is available on these fine podcast apps: Apple Podcast, Stitcher, Spotify, IHeart Radio, PlayerFM, RadioPublic, Amazon Music, Audible, as well as your own favorite app. Thanks for listening and sharing our stories with your friends.
After World War II a young vet moves to Abingdon, Virginia, to take a teaching and coaching position in an area high school. And, being short on funds, he rents a room to live in from a widow. Things go down from there, eventually leading to a high profile murder trial. Today we tell you that story. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Libsyn, TuneIn, PlayerFM, or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!
Early on Christmas Eve, 1911, a 24 car coal train wrecked inside the Natural Tunnel in Scott County, Virginia. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the audio version of the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Spotify, RadioPublic, and more. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and give us a thumbs-up, please. Thanks for listening/watching!
Ty Cobb was born in 1886 in Narrows, in north Georgia. He became a baseball legend, known as much for his fierce competitiveness as for his athletic ability. Today we tell the story of what happened when a fan decided it was a good idea to heckle Cobb during a game. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on these podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and many more. Thanks for listening.
For years the UMWA was under the tight control of John L. Lewis. After he retired in 1960, he engineered the election of his hand-picked successor, W. A. (Tony) Boyle, as vice-president and then, on the death of Lewis' successor, he made sure he became UMWA president. Six years later Boyle was challenged for the union presidency by long-time UMWA officer Joseph (Jock) Yablonski on a platform of reforming the union to better serve the needs of rank and file miners. Yablonski lost, amid allegations of wide-spread voter fraud. And then Jock Yablonski, his wife and his daughter were brutally murdered in their home on New Years Eve, 1969. Today we tell the story of the Yablonski murders. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on many apps, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Spotify and IHeart Radio. Thanks for listening.
An attempted robbery of a Johnson City, Tennessee, laundry in 1930 eventually led to a stint in Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, a prisoners strike and an escape for the robber. Two years later, this man walked into a police station a thousand miles away and surrendered to authorities, who had no idea he was a wanted man. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, IHeart Radio, TuneIn and more. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends.
Christmas is fast approaching so this week, as we do at this time of the year, we tell a Christmas story. And, since this is the pandemic year, 2020, what better story to tell than that of a man-goat being with horns that represents the evil side of Christmas! Today we tell you about Krampus. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on such fine podcast apps as Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, RadioPublic, Spotify, IHeart Radio and TuneIn. If you'd rather watch us, then go over to our YouTube channel. Be sure to click that "Subscribe" button and ring that bell to get new episodes when they're released. Merry Christmas, y'all!
Today we tell the story of Cherokee prophet and leader, Tsali. According to tribal oral tradition, it was Tsali who made it possible for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee to remain in North Carolina after the southeastern Native American tribes were forced to move to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. But the actual historical records tells a different story. We share those stories today. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn and wherever else fine podcasts are found. Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories with your friends.
The Avery family is very well-known in western North Carolina, starting in the late 1700s with Waightstill Avery, a lawyer and the very first attorney general in the state. His grandson, William Waightstill Avery, was, just like his grandfather, a North Carolina lawyer and politician. What happened between him and another man in a courtroom in 1851 is the subject of our story today. You can find the audio version of the Stories podcast on many podcast apps, including Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, RadioPublic, TuneIn and IHeart Radio. We are also on YouTube; you can subscribe by clicking the "Subscribe" button down below. Please give us a like, too, if you don't mind. Til next we meet, so long everybody...
Today we tell the story of the man from West Virginia who became a brigadier general in the U. S. Air Force, helped train the first American astronauts and became the first man to break the sound barrier, Chuck Yeager. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, IHeart Radio, Tunein and more. Thanks for listening!
At one time it was a common sight to see a traveling group of Roma, known then as gypsies, come through Appalachia. Folks would barter with them for livestock, utensils and services. Along with the Roma, the Irish travellers were also present, providing stories and repairs for the locals they met. Today we tell their story, a part of the history of Appalachia. You can subscribe to the audio version of the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, IHeart Radio, Amazon Music and more.
Disputes in Appalachia between the well-to-do were often handled with the use of firearms with one of the most well-known people from the region, Andrew Jackson, being famous for his duels with rivals. And when it wasn't a formal duel, these folks would often shoot it out, much like in the Wild West. Today we tell of a dispute that ended with the son of one of the parties lying dead on Gay Street in Knoxville, along with both of the combatants, an incident so bad it ended up being one of the last such gun battles in East Tennessee. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, Amazon Music, IHeart Radio and more. We're also on YouTube. Be sure to like and subscribe. Thanks for listening...
Saturday, September 24, 1904, started just like any other day for the passengers getting ready to board the Southern Railway Number 15 train at the Bristol Train Station. It would end in a horrible, horrible way in New Market, Tennessee. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, IHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Deezer and many, many more. Thanks for listening.
It's Halloween so Rod and Steve each have a bit of Appalachian folklore for you, in the form of two ghost stories. Stick around after the stories, though, because Halloween is the fifth anniversary of the podcast and we're discussing our favorite episodes over the years. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, TuneIn, IHeart Radio and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening. Happy Halloween...
In 1906 a North Carolina prison escapee comes to Asheville. There he gets into a drunken shootout with police and an escape littered with his murdered victims. Today we tell the story of Will Harris. The Stories podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, Amazon Music, IHeart Radio and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends!
In 1784 a child was born on the Appalachian frontier, along the Holston River, in what was then the state of Franklin. This child would grow up to become a preacher, a leader in the Restoration Movement and would help in the founding of the Disciples of Christ. Today we tell the story of Raccoon John Smith. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, IHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Deezer, and many more. Thanks for listening.
Today we have another collection of what we call "short stories," bits of Appalachian history that are interesting but which by themselves won't make for a full podcast episode. On this episode we tell about a strange substance found at a home in Tom's Creek, Virginia; a criminal who managed to outwit the court system in West Virginia; a vote on Prohibition in Bristol, Virginia; a jailbreak in North Carolina worthy of an episode of the Andy Griffith show; and a murder trial in eastern Kentucky more than two decades after the crime was committed. Like what you hear? Then be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!
Many world renowned athletes have come from Appalachia, from NFL players Thomas and Julius Jones to gymnast Mary Lou Retton, just to name a few. Today we tell the story of a runner born in Nickelsville, Virginia, who won the gold medal in the 4 x 400 meter relay in the 1964 Olympics. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, IHeart Radio, Spotify, Amazon Music and more. Thanks for listening...
In the 1830s the Cherokee of north Georgia had settled on a strategy of using litigation to establish and enforce rights that had been given to them by treaties with the United States. Samuel Worcester, a missionary to the tribe from Vermont, helped to come up with this approach. And they won their case at the U. S. Supreme Court, which said they were a sovereign nation within Georgia. But that didn't matter because both Georgia and the President of the United States ignored that decision, which set the stage for the Trail of Tears. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, Amazon Music, IHeart Radio and more. Thanks for listening.
Today we take another trip to Keystone, West Virginia. Last time we were here, we told of a bank failure so huge it was a forerunner of the financial crash of 2008 and the Great Recession. On this podcast we turn to the seedy part of town, a place called Cinder Bottom, where the liquor ran freely and the women were a plenty (for a price). You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, IHeart Radio and more. Thanks for listening!
19 years ago today Al Qaeda terrorists seized four commercial jets with the intent to use them as suicide bombs against American targets. Three of these succeeded, resulting in the collapse of both towers of the World Trade Center in New York and massive damage to the Pentagon. The fourth attempt was foiled by the plane's passenger over the skies of Appalachia. Today we tell the story as seen from the ground in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the plane crashed. Thanks for listening.
William Irvine Fayssoux was a psychic and illusionist in the south early in the 20th century. He traveled throughout Appalachia, performing feats that would seem incredible even today. There's little doubt that had he been born 100 years later he'd have his own TV show. Today we tell his story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, IHeart Radio, Deezer, RadioPublic and more. We're also on YouTube. Be sure to like and subscribe. Thanks for listening!
In 1962 a World War I vet came to the VA hospital at Mountain Home, Tennessee for medical care. This man decided to stay in the area, getting a job at the weekly newspaper in nearby Jonesborough. There he worked as a linotype operator and part-time reporter. He also developed a relationship with his widowed landlord, eventually marrying her. When he died he was buried at the Mountain Home National Cemetery. It was only after his death that the dark secrets he held were discovered. Today we tell the story of D. C. Stephenson. Today we tell the story of D. C. Stephenson. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, Deezer, TuneIn and on most other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories of Appalachian history...
Today we tell the story of the camp meeting to end all camp meetings, the one that helped to spark the Second Great Awakening. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, RadioPublic and more. Thanks for listening!
In 1927 the wife of the Roane County, Tennessee, sheriff managed to persuade two escaped prisoners to return to the jail in Kingston without using a weapon of any kind. That's a story in and of itself, but it's only part of Lillie Ladd's story, which includes not one but two twists at the end! You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify, IHeart Radio, TuneIn and more. We're also have a YouTube channel, at Stories, A History of Appalachia. Thanks for listening to our stories about Appalachian history.
In May, 1934, a man wanted for the robbery of a bank in Ewing, Virginia, made a daring escape from the Cocke County, Tennessee, jail. Thus started a summer of carjackings, highway robberies, moonshining and high speed chases from Knoxville to Cumberland Gap that came to a tragic end on August 22. Today we tell the story of Clarence Bunch, another part of the history of Appalachia. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, IHeart Radio, and on our YouTube channel. Thanks for listening!
Today we tell the story of the first Republican elected governor of Virginia since the Civil War, who also happens to be the father-in-law of one of the state's current senators, and who also happens to have been raised in the Appalachian town of Big Stone Gap... You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, IHeart Radio, RadioPublic, YouTube and more... Thanks for listening, y'all!
In the 1860s a Cherokee witch doctor arrived in Bristol, Virginia, to assist in the local Confederate hospital with her salves and potions. After the war she invested her meager savings into a building on State Street, from which she operated what became Bristol's largest brothel, the Black Shawl. Today we tell her story, and more. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify, IHeart Radio and on our YouTube channel as well. Thanks for listening.
Back in the 1800's a preacher named Abijah Alley from Scott County, Virginia, made a name for himself when he began traveling around the world. He also was a bit of a prophet, as he foretold the Civil War, emancipation and the defeat of the South. Today we tell his story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, IHeart Radio, RadioPublic and more.
You've probably seen the movie "Thelma and Louise," about two housewives who hit the road for a bit of adventure that eventually goes wrong. Today we're going to tell you a story about a real life pair of Tennessee housewives whose adventures on the road lead to murder in the 1930's. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, IHeart Radio, Deezer and more. Thanks for listening!
From Kona, in Letcher County, Kentucky, came one of the tallest men in the world, a true giant. Martin Van Buren Bates traveled the world as a circus performer, which allowed him to meet the love of his life, Anna Swan, one of the tallest women in the world. Together, they still hold the Guinness record as the tallest married couple ever. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, IHeart Radio, Spotify, TuneIn and more. Thanks for listening!
On this episode we tell the story of Sara Jane Moore, the second woman to attempt to assassinate a president, who was born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, and more. Thanks for listening, y'all!
Today's story is from Clay County, Kentucky, and involves a man who was arrested for allegedly killing his father and stepmother, but who escaped justice for years by breaking out of jail again, and again, and yet again before he was finally captured for good. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, IHeart Radio, TuneIn and more.
William Richardson Mullins made his living as a photographer in Eastern Kentucky and Southwest Virginia. Starting in the Great Depression, he traveled the mountains taking pictures until, eventually, he had amassed a collection of thousands of photographs that documented life in central Appalachia during the mid 20th century. He also earned the nickname "Pictureman" for his work. Today we tell his story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Deezer, RadioPublic, IHeart Radio, Spotify and more. Thanks for listening to our stories of Appalachian history...
Football is big in Appalachia, just like it was 94 years ago when two teams met but only one, apparently, was there to play. Today we tell the story of one of the most lopsided high school football games ever played, between Kingsport's Dobyns Bennett High School and the Raiders from Norton, Virginia. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify, Feedburner and more. Thanks for listening to our stories...
Today we tell how Adolf Hitler came to be in eastern Kentucky after World War II...not. It's actually a story about a massive con job on post-war Nazi sympathizers all done from Middlesboro, Kentucky. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify, IHeart Radio, and more. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories of Appalachian history with your friends.
Today we tell the story of Lillian Grace Browder who, with her husband Carl, robbed the Farmer's Bank in Louisville, Kentucky. In the process she earned the distinction of being the first woman to be convicted of that crime in the state. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at our website, www.storiespodcast.net, on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, Radio.com, Spotify, and on many other apps. Thanks for listening!
In 1982 a man in Nashville managed to con enough people to earn a spot in the Nascar race in Talladega, Alabama. He made it a few laps, earned a little prize money, then vanished, leaving behind several bounced checks and no clue who he really was. Today we tell you the story of a man who called himself L. W. Wright. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, RadioPublic and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening!
In 1907 a woman was killed in a cemetery that straddled the border between Virginia and Tennessee in Bristol. Newspapers of the day soon turned this crime into a media circus, especially after it was linked to a prior homicide in the city. In this, our 300th podcast episode, we tell you that story. The Stories podcast is available at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening, y’all!
In 1937 a devout Christian man in Sequatchie County, Tennessee, was instructed by the Lord to begin a fast. He did as he was told and at the same time attracted the attention of a nation in the grip of the Great Depression. Today we tell his story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, TuneIn and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening. Keep yourselves safe.
A few weeks ago we told about the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic that swept across Appalachia. Today we return to tell more of that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, RadioPublic, Spotify and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening. Keep yourselves safe.
In the 1940's workers, scientists and the military came to Anderson County, Tennessee, and built a city in which to develop an atomic weapon. The weight of what they were doing came to be too much for one Naval ensign. Today we tell what happened. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, TuneIn, Spotify and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening, folks...
At the start of the Civil War, the Appalachian part of Tennessee voted 2-1 to remain a part of the United States in that state's secession vote. When Tennessee left the Union and joined the Confederacy, those loyalists defended that Union, leading to summary executions and marshal law. Today we tell their story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, IHeart Radio, RadioPublic and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening!
Appalachia is filled with unique and colorful characters. Today we tell the story of one of them: journalist, baseball entrepreneur, self-promoter and chronicler of life in southern Appalachia through the medium of Super-8 movie film, Virgil Q. Wacks, of Lee County, Virginia. The Stories podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening!
In 1931 a Chattanooga woman made baseball history by striking out, back to back, two Yankee legends. Today we tell her story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, TuneIn, Spotify and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening!
They say that history doesn't repeat itself. While that's certainly true, it's also true that history does tend to rhyme every now and then. Today we tell the story of the Spanish flu, a story that could have come from today's headlines, except it's actually about a pandemic that happened 102 years ago. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify, IHeart Radio, TuneIn and on most other podcast apps. Thanks for listening, folks. Stay safe.
When the Bell family left North Carolina to settle in Tennessee they imagined a new life with lots of opportunity. They got that, along with a spirit, or witch, or demon, take your pick. Today we tell the story of the Bell Witch. The Stories podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify and many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening for sharing our stories of Appalachian history.
Today we continue the story of labor activist Mother Jones, beloved by generations of Appalachian coal miners. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, TuneIn, Spotify and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories of Appalachian history.
A woman born in Ireland who immigrated to, first, Canada, then the United States, became a schoolteacher and dressmaker. The tragic loss of her husband and children led eventually to a career in labor activism. Today we start to tell you the story of a woman beloved by generations of Appalachian coal miners, Mother Jones. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, TuneIn, IHeart Radio, and more. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories of Appalachian history.
A boy's search for the spirit of his late mother in the Smokey Mountains led to a career as a Great Smoky Mountains National Park guide and a life as a well-loved Gatlinburg businessman and teller of Appalachian tall tales. Today, by listener request, we tell the story of Sevier County's Wiley Oakley. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at our website: www.storiespodcast.net You can also subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, Tune In as well as on most other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories of Appalachian history.
Up until the late 1800's the legal profession in North Carolina was limited to men only. That changed with the admission of a spunky woman born in Iredell County named Tabitha Ann Holton. Today we tell her story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at our website: storiespodcast.net; also at Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher, IHeart Radio, and wherever else fine podcasts are found. Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories of Appalachian history.
One of the most well-known Cherokee on the Appalachian frontier was Nancy Ward. Today we tell the story of the Cherokee "beloved woman." The Stories podcast is available at our website, www.storiespodcast.net, at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify, Google Play and on most other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories of Appalchian history with your friends.
Today we tell the story of a bizarre tragedy that took place aboard a Piedmont Airlines DC-3 in the skies over western North Carolina in 1956. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, IHeart Radio, Tune In and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories with your friends...
Many years ago a railroad ran from Johnson City, Tennessee, over the mountains to the North Carolina high country in Boone. This narrow-gauge passenger and freight railroad is no more, but it is remembered in a theme park named after it, the Tweetsie Railroad. Today we tell its story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, Tune In, IHeart Radio as well as on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening!
Wyoming County, West Virginia, contains a set of strange rock carvings called petroglyphs on a rock ledge of a cliff overhanging the upper Clear Fork of the Guyandotte River. While most scientists think these etchings are the work of Native Americans, some people argue they were made by Irish Christians during the Middle Ages. Today we tell the story of the Luther Elkins Petroglyph. The Stories podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, IHeart Radio, Spotify, RadioPublic and many other podcast apps. Thanks for the use of your ears, folks!
In 1937 the state of Tennessee passed a law that forbade marriage for anyone under the age of 16, without their parents' permission. The first case brought under that new law involved 32 year-old Homer Peels, who married Geneva Hamby, who was 11 years old, in Monroe County. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, Spotify or on our website, www.storiespodcast.net. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends.
What do you get when you mix a coal mine, explosives, and greed? Why, you get today's bit of Appalachian history, of course! Today we tell the tale of an insurance scheme gone horribly wrong in Pike County, Kentucky back in 1925. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, IHeart Radio, Spotify , Tune In and on many other podcast apps. You can also subscribe at our website, www.storiespodcast.net. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories of Appalachian history with your friends.
Today we tell the story of two of the most prominent Cherokee the first settlers encountered on the Appalachian frontier, Attakullakulla and his son Dragging Canoe. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at our website, www.storiespodcast.net, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify, or wherever fine podcasts are found! Thanks for listening and for sharing out stories of Appalchian history with your friends.
Connolly Fields lived with his wife in Scott County, Virginia, in the 1880s. All was well, until he, his wife, his brother in law William and his associates all got into a fight over trespassing on the Fields' land. That resulted in Connally going on the run for 16 years. Today we tell his story. The Stories podcast is found on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, Player FM and on most other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories with your friends.
Appalachia has always been prone to flooding in one valley or another but in 1977 the heavens quite literally opened up over the entire region, setting off the worst widespread flooding in Appalachian history. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and on most other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing us with your friends.
It's Thanksgiving week and Rod and I are absent from the Stories podcast studios, doing family stuff. But that doesn't mean you don't get a story, no sir, for we have an encore of our tale of the most well-known feud to happen in Appalachia, in one nearly hour long episode. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or on any number of podcast apps. Thanks for listening, y'all!
The Minneapolis Lakers weren’t exactly setting the basketball world on fire in January, 1959. In fact, on January 16th they had a 15/27 won loss record for the season. The 16th was the day the Lakers were scheduled to appear in Charleston, West Virginia’s brand new civic center to play the Cincinnati Royals, and they hoped to break a four game losing streak with the help of their talented rookie player Elgin Baylor. As it turned out, that was not to be. Today we tell the story of why Elgin Baylor boycotted that game in Charleston, part of the history of Appalachia. The Stories podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify, TuneIn, IHeart Radio, and on many other apps, all for free. Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories of Appalachian history.
Today we have a story of politics, corruption and murder in 1916 Huntsville, Alabama. The Stories podcast is available on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, IHeart Radio and many other podcast apps. Be sure to subscribe for free! Thanks for sharing our stories of Appalachian history with your friends.
On September 27, 1903, a mail train was on it's way to Spencer, North Carolina, from Monroe, Virginia, when it crashed at a trestle in southern Virginia, near Danville. That terrible wreck inspired a country music classic that's still played today, and on this episode of the podcast we share the story of the crash and the song with you. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, IHeart Radio, TuneIn, and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories of Appalachian history with your friends.
One of the most colorful personalities to ever come out of Appalachia was a media savvy self-made grocer, radio and tv host and Tennessee politician by the name of Cas Walker. Today we tell you about him. The Stories podcast is available on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and sharing our stories of Appalachian history with your friends.
A traveler uncovers a local legend about an old hermit living in a cave on the Virginia/Kentucky border, so he sets about to investigate. We tell you that story, this year's Halloween tale, on today's podcast. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, IHeart Radio, and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening...Happy Halloween!
Between the towns of Big Stone Gap and Appalachia in the mountains of southwestern Virginia was a place once known as "Boneyard Hollow." This little hollow was where a meat butchering concern used to dump the bones left over from preparing steaks, roasts and other meats. It also was where a body could be found, at least as one prisoner told it. Today we tell you that story. The Stories podcast is available free of charge at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, IHeart Radio, Spotify, TuneIn and on many other podcast apps. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening and sharing our stories of Appalachian history.
The strange story of Tizrow McGhee, born on Friday the 13th in Kentucky, who kept getting into all kinds of scrapes, including one that kept him awake for 23 years. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening!
When the Chattanooga Mocs came to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers in the fall of 1958, Tennessee was looking forward to breaking a losing streak. You see, the Mocs had lost their last 28 games with the Vols, so Chattanooga was seen as an easy pick up. That's not what happened, and that led to, well, mayhem on the football field in Knoxville. Today we tell you that story. The Stories podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Spotify, IHeart Radio, and many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and sharing our stories with your friends.
Feuds were fought across the mountains of Appalachia after the Civil War, as families competed for the newly developed timber and coal riches in the area. One of the most well-known, outside the famous Hatfield-McCoy feud, was the one in eastern Kentucky between the Martins and the Tollivers, better known as the Rowan County War. The Stories podcast is available, free of charge, at Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Spotify, IHeart Radio, TuneIn and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening to our stories of Appalachian history....
Today we tell the story of one of southern West Virginia's most beloved circuit riding preachers, William Dyke Garrett. Garrett is best known to the rest of the world, though, as the preacher who saved the soul of the most famous feudist in Appalachia. The Stories podcast is available at RadioPublic, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Player FM, Feedburner, and on most other podcast apps. Be sure to subscribe, for free. Thanks for listening and sharing our little stories of Appalachian history with your friends...
Who shot the mayor of Bluefield, West Virginia, back in 1917? Today we tell the story of that little bit of Appalachian history. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on RadioPublic, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, IHeart Radio, and more, all for free. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends...
Grandfather Mountain is one of the most popular tourist destinations in western North Carolina, and has been for decades. It's also a world heritage site for the protection of the plants and animals native to the area. That's all because of the work done by Hugh Morton, one time owner of Grandfather Mountain. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, Feedburner or any number of other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and sharing our tales of Appalachian history with your friends.
Today we tell the story of William Winfield Scott Duggan, better known as Buster Duggan. Duggan was an outlaw, moonshiner and murderer notorious in southeast Tennessee and northeast Alabama early in the 20th century. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn and on most other podcast apps, all for free. Thanks for listening and sharing us with your friends.
Today we tell the story of two oddly dressed street preachers who showed up in Beckley, West Virginia, in the summer of 1930, causing a great deal of commotion among the African-American community in that city. The Stories podcast is available, free of charge, at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify and many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening to our stories of Appalachian history.
The 1868 presidential election was the first held in the country since the end of the Civil War. Recently freed slaves flocked to the polls on election day in Asheville, North Carolina, to cast their votes for the Republican Party. At the same time white voters came out to vote for the Democratic Party, run by former Confederates. A small clash occurred between two groups of opposing voters, which soon turned into rock-throwing and then into a full fledged riot in which several black voters were shot and one killed. Today we tell that story. The Stories podcast is available on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Feedburner, Spotify Player FM and many other podcast apps. You can also find out podcasts on our website: www.storiespodcast.net. Thanks for listening!
Today we tell the story of Robert Sheffey, one of Southwest Virginia's most well-known circuit riders. These preachers traveled from one community to the next, bringing the word of God to those who would accept it. There was one town, however, that never accepted Preacher Sheffey's efforts to save it, no matter how hard he tried, so, as the story goes, he laid a curse on this town, rejecting it just as the town had rejected the Lord. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast, for free, at Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Spotify, Feedburner or on your own favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening and sharing us with your friends.
The Appalachian frontier of the 1780's and 1790's was a dress rehearsal for the Wild West of the 1870's and 1880's, with the establishment of new towns, new farms, and wars with the Native Americans who were already there. Today we tell the story of the son of a Cherokee woman and a Scots trader who became a legendary Cherokee warrior, raiding the settlements along the Holston and Clinch Rivers in what's now eastern Tennessee and southwestern Virginia during those frontier times. The Stories podcast is available at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and sharing us with your friends.
There are a lot of men and women who make a career out of helping others achieve their life goals. These self-help teachers and authors include Norman Vincent Peale, Tony Robbins and Dale Carnegie. One of the first of these was a man named Napoleon Hill, whose book "Think And Grow Rich," was a world wide bestseller still available in bookstores 80 years after it was first published. Oh, by the way, Napoleon Hill was born in Pound, Virginia, and we tell his fascinating story on today's podcast episode. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Feedburner, or on any number of other podcast apps. Thanks for listening.
During the Great Depression jobs were hard to come by. So when the Rhinehart and Dennis Construction Company came looking for workers to build a hydroelectric tunnel on the New River in West Virginia in 1930, men from around the country started pouring into the area. Many of these men were African Americans from the Deep South, and they worked the hardest, with little or no safety gear provided by the company that commissioned the work, Union Carbide. The result was the worst industrial disaster in American history. Today we tell the story of the Hawk's Nest Tunnel. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast, for free, at IHeart Radio, RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening to our stories of Appalachian history.
We have a "two-fer" for you this week! In our first story, from Pennsylvania, we tell of a murder with a wizardly twist. In the second, a husband with a dying wife in West Virginia appears to be trying to hurry her along. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify, TuneIn or wherever podcasts can be downloaded. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening and sharing us with your friends!
In 1886 two brothers from Carter County, Tennessee, ran for governor of the Volunteer State, one a Republican and the other a Democrat. Instead of ripping the family apart, the campaign allowed the two to have the time of their lives, all the way to the Governor's Mansion. Today we tell the story of the War of the Roses between the Taylor brothers, Alf and Bob. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify, IHeart Radio and wherever else podcasts are found. Thanks for listening and sharing our stories with your friends.
Back in the 1920's A. P. Carter scoured the Appalachian countryside looking for songs the Carter Family could perform. Along with him was a young black musician from Kingsport who was instrumental in finding many of those songs in the area's African-American community. Today we tell his story. The Stories podcast is available for download, for free, from many podcast apps, including Stitcher, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, and more. Thanks for listening to our stories about the history of Appalachia.
Today, in a retelling of our very first podcast episode, Rod and Steve tell the story of a man who, during the 1930's and 40's, worked at Tennessee Eastman, Holston Defense and in Oak Ridge on the Manhattan Project. He also was a Russian asset who sold information about American weapons to his handlers. The Stories podcast is available, for free, at Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Spotify, IHeart Radio, and on most other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and sharing our stories of Appalachian history with your friends.
Today we tell the story of Judge Alexander Ratliff of Pikeville, Kentucky, who ran for office as both a Democrat and as an Independent, at the same time, gathering enough votes from both ballots to be elected. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn or on any number of podcast apps, all for free. Thanks for listening and sharing us with your friends.
This week we bring you an encore presentation from 2015, the story of the last Native American raid on the settlements of Southwest Virginia by Chief Benge, the son of a Cherokee woman and a Scots-Irish trader named John Benge. We're available on such apps as RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify, among others. Join us on Facebook@storiesofappalachia and on Twitter@storyappalachia. Thanks for listening and sharing us with your friends!
The story of the kidnapping of a high school student in Shade Gap, Pennsylvania, who was dragged off into the woods while walking from her bus stop to her house. The man who took her was known as an eccentric in the community. The kidnapping triggered the largest manhunt in American history to that time. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast, for free of course, at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or on any number of other podcast apps. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. There's also a Stories Podcast YouTube channel! We only have two videos, but we are working on adding others for you, so be sure to subscribe!
On September 10, 1897, more than a dozen coal miners, mainly eastern European immigrants, were shot and killed by police while on strike at the Lattimer mine in Hazelton, Pennsylvania. This was a turning point in the UMW's efforts to organize the coal fields of northern Appalachia and today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, IHeart Radio, Stitcher or on most other podcast apps. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening to our little bits of Appalachian history.
Today we tell the story of Nance Dude, of Haywood County, North Carolina, convicted in the death of her granddaughter in 1913. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Player FM and on many other podcast apps. For more stories about the history of this place we call home, you can follow us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and Twitter @storyappalachia.
Today we tell the story of Dr. John Romulus Brinkley, from the mountains of western North Carolina. Dr. Brinkley lived a colorful life as a promoter of patent medicines, quack cures and goat "gonad" operations, among other things. Oh, he even had time to run for governor of Kansas, more than once. He was also a master marketer, pioneering the use of what were called "border blaster" radio stations located near the U.S. border in Mexico and aimed at the American radio market to promote his practice. It was a long and interesting life and we have a long and, hopefully, interesting look at the good doctor. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and on many other podcast apps. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. As always, thanks for listening!
Today we present an encore episode about a polio epidemic which swept through Wytheville, Virginia in the 1950's. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and on most other podcast apps. Thanks for listening to our stories of Appalachian history!
Today we tell a story of love, lust, and espionage in Chattanooga, Tennessee during World War I. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and many other podcast apps, all for free! We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening to our tales of Appalachian history...
For today's podcast we travel over the mountains to Buladean, North Carolina, the hometown of a man who once traveled the world as part of the P. T. Barnum sideshow. Be sure to listen to find out why that was. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn or on your own favorite podcast app. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for the use of your ears, folks!
The Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, Tennessee, outside Knoxville, was in the news recently when one of the buildings there was burned. Fire investigators found a white power symbol in the ashes of that building. Today we're going to tell you just why that might have been as we share the story of Highlander's history in the civil rights movement of the 1950's and 60's, as well as in labor struggles in Appalachia. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and many other podcast apps. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening and sharing our stories with your friends...
Today we're going to have a pea-pickin' old time telling the story of one of the most talented and popular entertainers to ever come out of Appalachia: Tennessee Ernie Ford, of Bristol, Tennessee. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and on many other podcast apps. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening and sharing us with your friends!
Among the pioneers of what was then known as "hillbilly music" was a coal miner from Norton, Virginia, named Moran Lee Boggs. Better known as Dock Boggs, he became known for his unique style of banjo playing and singing, which was a combination of old time Appalachian folk music and African American blues. Today we tell his story. You can find the Stories podcast on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn and on most other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and sharing our stories with your friends...
Today we share some interesting short stories about this place we call home, Appalachia. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at our website, www.storiespodcast.net, RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or on any number of podcast apps. Thanks for listening and sharing our tales of Appalachian history with your friends!
Today we tell you a story about some homegrown Appalachian mummies from West Virginia. The Stories podcast is available on RadioPublic, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and sharing our stories of Appalachian history with your friends!
In 1892 Homestead, Pennsylvania, was the site of a strike, pitting the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers, one of the most powerful unions, against Carnegie Steel, owned by Andrew Carnegie and run by Carnegie and his partner, Henry Clay Frick. The strike turned into a full fledged riot on July 6. Today we tell the story of the Homestead Strike. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and sharing our stories of Appalachian history with your friends.
Greenup, Kentucky, was the scene of a tragic and brutal murder of a three year old child at the end of 1927. That crime and its notoriety brought the nation's attention to the issue of child abuse. Today we tell you that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on RadioPublic, Stitcher, Spotify or on any number of podcast apps. Thanks for listening and sharing our tales of Appalachian history!
In 1742 German immigrant John Peter Salling was asked to join an expedition set to travel far into the Virginia back country, all the way to the Mississippi River. To this he agreed, thus setting him on the path to an adventure involving Indians, French soldiers, the Governor of Louisiana, and even a hijacking at sea. We tell that story on this week's episode of Stories. If you'd like to get our podcast episodes automatically, simply subscribe at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or anywhere podcasts can be found. We'd like you to join us on our Facebook page, @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening and sharing us with your friends.
Andrew Taylor Still, born in the Appalachian frontier town of Jonesville, Virginia, went on to become a self-educated doctor. He moved to Kansas just in time to become involved in the bloody civil war sparked there by the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. He fought in the American Civil War, too, but it was his development of a new form of medical practice that placed him in the history books. You can subscribe to the Stories Podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn and on most other podcast apps. Follow us for even more bits of Appalachian history on Facebook @storiesofappalachia, Twitter @storyappalachia and our website at www.storiespodcast.net. Thanks for sharing our stories of Appalachia with your friends.
In 1935 LaFollette, Tennessee, like most other American towns, was in the grips of the Great Depression. Money was tight and the banks were calling in loans that couldn't be paid. One of those loans was on a restaurant in town owned by an Italian immigrant, and what this man chose to do in response to losing his business is the subject of this week's episode of Stories. You can listen to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or on any number of podcast apps. Thanks for listening, folks.
Our theme today is "the more things change, the more they stay the same." You'll see how that fits in as we tell the story of the contested election for West Virginia governor in 1888. The Stories podcast is available on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn and on a host of other podcast apps. We're on Twitter @storyappalachia and on Facebook @storiesofappalachia. Thanks for listening, y'all!
Today we tell the story of the explosion at the McClure Number 1 Mine in Dickenson County, Virginia, in 1983, resulting in several fatalities including the first fatality of a woman in a mine accident. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening.
Back in 1923 there was a mass jailbreak from the Wise County jail, led by a member of the Hatfield family. Today Steve and Rod tell you that story. Stories is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify and a host of other podcast apps. Follow us for more bits of Appalachian history on our Facebook page @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for the use of your ears!
On Halloween, 1952, James Francis Hill was arrested in Northern Florida after an extraordinary string of carjackings, kidnappings and robberies across Appalachia and the South over the prior two weeks. Today we tell you the story of the Three Gun Maniac, another story that makes up the history of this place we call home. The Stories podcast is available for download on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. Be sure to subscribe! Thanks for listening, y'all...
Back in 1911 several of the sons of Devil Anse and Levisa Hatfield came to the coal town of Boomer, in Fayette County, West Virginia, with the intent of opening a saloon. Now in those days saloons not only provided one with a stiff drink at the bar, they also delivered beer and liquor directly to one's house. And the Hatfields had the market all to themselves there in Boomer, by agreement with another saloon in a neighboring town. Or so they thought. Today we tell their story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or on your own favorite podcast app. You can follow us for more stories about the history of Appalachia at our website, www.storiespodcast.net, on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for lending us your ears, y'all!
What started out as a little racetrack in East Tennessee has developed over the years into a world-class sports complex, hosting NASCAR races, college football, remote area medical services, Christmas lights and a whole lot more. Today Rod and Steve tell the story of the Bristol Motor Speedway. You can subscribe to Stories at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or on any number of other podcast apps. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening to our stories...
Today we tell the story of Dr. Thomas Walker, who was sent by the Loyal Land Company to explore that company's lands in Appalachia in 1750. The Walker expedition named many of the natural features in this part of the country, including the Powell River and Powell Valley, the Cumberland River and, most famously, the Cumberland Gap. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and many other podcast apps. You can also follow us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Happy New Year, y'all!
Rod and Steve are taking this week off to celebrate Christmas, so we're bringing you an encore Christmas episode with letters to Santa and a reading of The Night Before Christmas. Enjoy! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all y'all!
Back in 1903 the Knox County undertaker was discovered to have been engaged in a bit of fraud. We tell you that story on today's episode of Stories, A History of Appalachia. We're on Twitter @storyappalachia and on Facebook @storiesofappalachia. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for the use of your ears, y'all!
Early in the 20th century a family moved to the top of Brush Mountain, near the Cumberland Gap, and proceeded to live the next 50 years much like the pioneers did, growing their own food, making their own clothing and tools, and, um, making moonshine. Today we tell the story of the Hensley Settlement, a place you can still visit today, if you're into a 4 mile hike straight up the side of the mountain. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic or any other podcast app you have. We'd love it if you'd follow us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia or on Twitter @storyappalachia.
Pine Grove, West Virginia, was a boom town back in 1905, fueled by vast deposits of natural gas and oil. One thing the town lacked at the time was a fire department. And in 1905, they really could have used a fire department, as we tell you on today's episode of Stories, A History of Appalachia. You can follow us on Twitter @storyappalachia and on Facebook @storiesofappalachia. We're on Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher and many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening!
In hundreds of thousands of years not one human being had ever been known to have been hit by a meteorite. Then, in 1954, that lucky streak came to an end, in Sylacauga, Alabama. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to Stories at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for the use of your ears, y'all!
In 1934 a woman from a wealthy Kentucky family was kidnapped by a failed law student and former mental patient. Today we tell that story. The Stories podcast can be found on RadioPublic, Apple Podcast, Stitcher and many other podcast services. Be sure to subscribe. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening!
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was formed out of privately owned farms, woodlands, pastures and homes that had been purchased by the government. Most of the structures on those tracts of land were torn down and nature allowed to take its course. One piece of property, though, has not had its buildings removed and you can still visit it today. On this episode of Stories, we tell the story of Elkmont and the Wonderland Hotel, near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a place you can still visit in the heart of the park. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening and sharing us with your friends.
Born in North Carolina, then moving to what's now West Virginia, Nancy Hart Douglas was a Confederate guide, scout and spy during the Civil War. We tell her story on this episode of the podcast. Stories can be found on the RadioPublic app, at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Feedburner or on your favorite podcast app. We are also on Twitter @storyappalachia and on Facebook @storiesofappalachia. Thanks for listening to our stories about this place we call home
Happy Halloween, y'all! Today we tell a little tale about a man who was unjustly hanged in the mountains of North Carolina, so he put a curse on those who sent him to the gallows, in the form of the Shadow. We can be found on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn or on your favorite podcast app. Follow us for more stories of this place we call home on Twitter @storyappalachia and Facebook @storiesofappalachia.
In 1953, Salt Lick High School in Bath County, Kentucky, was scheduled to close with the students there transferred to nearby Owingsville High School. The students were having none of it, so they organized a strike and kidnapped the superintendent of schools. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or on your own favorite podcast app. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia...join us there for more stories about the history of this place we call home. Thanks for lending us your ears, y'all.
Thanks to the work of A.P. Carter and the Carter family, country music can trace its origins back to the hills and hollers of Scott County, Virginia, and Sullivan County, Tennessee, back in the 1920's. At the same time, in the same place, two brothers began to make a name for themselves in another genre of music: the blues. Today we tell the story of the original Blues Brothers, Brownie and Stick McGhee of Kingsport, Tennessee, who wrote and recorded several well-known blues songs and appeared in the movies and on TV. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcatcher. Thanks for listening!
Did you know that the dumpster, now seen behind every convenience store on the planet, was invented in Knoxville, Tennessee? Today we tell you the story of George Roby Dempster, inventor of the Dempster Dumpster. We can be found at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever podcasts can be found. We are on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Be sure to come by for even more stories about Appalachian history. Thanks for listening, y'all!
The city of Kingsport, Tennessee, was a planned community. Built with money from the Appalachian coalfields combined with Yankee expertise, Kingsport was laid out based on towns and cities in New England, with everything planned by the city fathers, which is why it today goes by the name "The Model City." Kingsport was chartered in 1917, but within two years those city fathers discovered that while they could plan and manage their new metropolis, they couldn't plan for the evil that existed in the hearts of men. In 1919 an assault and murder of a young girl occurred there, the first and even today one of the worst the city has seen. And Rod and Steve tell that story on today's episode of the Stories podcast. If you like what you hear, we ask you to head on over to the RadioPublic app to subscribe. You can also subscribe to Stories on Stitcher, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on your own podcatcher. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia.
Once upon a time there was a man who was nearing the end of his days on this earth. This man decided he wanted to attend his own funeral while he was still in the here and now, in order to find out what his friends and neighbor had to say about him. And that's exactly what he did. Today Rod and Steve tell you his story. The Stories podcast can be found on the RadioPublic app, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, Stitcher, or on your favorite podcatcher. Follow us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia for even more tales of the history of this place we call home. Thanks so much for listening and sharing our podcast with your friends.
In August, 1970, two trains loaded with deadly Sarin gas made a journey through Appalachia to the ocean at Wilmington, North Carolina, for disposal at sea. Today we tell that story. The Stories podcast is available at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn or on your favorite podcatcher. Thanks for listening to our stories about Appalachian history!
Crawling around underground isn't for everyone, especially the hosts of the Stories podcast. But there are some for whom exploring caves is their life's work. Probably the best known of these is Floyd Collins, who lost his life when he got stuck in the Sand Cave in eastern Kentucky. Today we tell the story of the rescue operation mounted to save Floyd and the media circus that effort triggered. Stories is available on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, or on your favorite podcast app. We're also on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening and sharing our stories with your friends.
We're back with some short stories for you, bits of history not long enough for a full podcast each, but interesting stories nonetheless. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. We're on Twitter @storyappalachia and on Facebook @storiesofappalachia. Thanks for listening, y'all!
Rod and I have gotten so busy this week that we forgot to record a podcast! Actually, we've had no time to get together to record a new show, so I dug through our vast archives and pulled up a story about one of the most famous incidents to occur in Southwest Virginia - the Pound Gap massacre. You can get the Stories podcast by subscribing at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn or on your favorite podcatcher. A reminder: the reason Rod has been busy this week is that he is heavily involved in the Tales of the Cumberlands conference going on at the Breaks this weekend. Take the time to drive over there for some fantastic natural beauty along with the conference. You might even run into Rod Mullins and get his autograph! Thanks for listening!
In 1939 Clair Young lived with his wife and their children on a farm in Fallowfield Township in southwestern Pennsylvania. In addition to farming, Clair also was a coal miner and a lay preacher of the Gospel. And Clair was hearing voices. Voices telling him to do bad things. Today we tell the tragic story of Clair Young and his baby daughter, Ada. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening...
In 1929 young Flossie Shelton married her ex-husband's cousin, also named Shelton. At first the young couple enjoyed wedded bliss. But then the Green-Eyed Monster raised its ugly head, and jealousy drove Flossie to a crime of passion. Today we tell the story of Flossie's crime against her husband, Fred, in Madison County, North Carolina. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on the RadioPublic app, at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening and sharing the stories that make up the history of Appalachia with your friends.
The first popular Appalachian writer lived and wrote in his adopted hometown of Big Stone Gap. His works became the biggest selling books of his time and gave birth to the official Virginia state outdoor drama, "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine," which is performed every summer in that southwest Virginia town. Today we tell the story of John Fox Jr. Rod and I thank you for lending us your ears.
Patton Flannery was a wanted man. Wanted, but not caught, for 36 years. Then his luck ran out. Today we tell Patton Flannery's story, part of the history of Appalachia. Be sure to download the RadioPublic app and subscribe to the Stories podcast. You can also subscribe at Apple Podcasts, TuneIn or on your favorite podcatcher. You can find even more stories about the history of this place we call home on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for the use of your ears, y'all!
In the winter of 2002 tragedy struck the coal town of Grundy, Virginia, when a Nigerian student at the Appalachian School of Law there opened fire on faculty and students after being expelled due to his grades. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or on your favorite podcatcher. Join us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia for more tales of the history of Appalachia. Thanks for listening to our little bits of history!
Today we tell the story of the results of extreme patriotism during World War I in western Pennsylvania. You can subscribe to Stories at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for the use of your ears, y'all!
At the beginning of World War II, diplomats from the Axis countries were stranded in the United States. These enemy diplomats couldn't just be allowed to roam freely across the country, nor could they simply be locked up in jail, for fear that our stranded diplomats would be treated the same or worse. The solution might surprise you. You can subscribe to Stories at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening!
Granny women are those older ladies in Appalachia who have learned the traditional healing arts, using methods and plants handed down by previous generations of pioneers and Native Americans. Sometimes, though, granny women ain't women. Today we tell the story of Scott County's Tom Carter and his amazing salve. You can subscribe to Stories on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Join us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia or on Twitter @storyappalachia. Enjoy!
Today we tell the story of one of the meanest men to roam southern West Virginia and how he met his fate at the hands of mob justice. You can subscribe to Stories at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. We're on Twitter @storyappalachia and on Facebook @storiesofappalachia. Thanks for listening!
A young man from Harlan, Kentucky, fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War, then returned home to study law with his father. This man had the world in his hands...until alcohol took it away, costing him his law practice. Soon he headed west to reclaim his life, and that's where today's podcast kicks into high gear! You can subscribe to Stories on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Follow us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia for more of the history of this place we call home. Thanks for the use of your ears, y'all!
Today we tell the story of the torching of two North Carolina churches by a very unlikely arsonist. You can subscribe to Stories at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia.
Today, we finish telling the story of one of the first Indian wars in the west, Lord Dunmore's war. You can subscribe to Stories at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening, folks!
One of the first Indian wars fought in the west happened in Appalachia at the time of the American Revolution. Led by the governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, this war, which was named for him, raged on the Appalachian frontier, from Southwest Virginia to southeastern Ohio. Today we begin the story of Lord Dunmore's War. You can subscribe to Stories on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or on your favorite podcast app. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Be sure to tell your friends about us...thanks for listening!
This week we tell three short stories involving politics in Appalachia. You can subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. We're on Twitter @storyappalachia and on Facebook @storiesofappalachia. Thanks for lending us your ears!
Today we tell the story of one of the first criminals from Appalachia to make the FBI's Most Wanted List, Kenneth Ray Lawson, from Wise County, Virginia. You can subscribe to the podcast on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Follow us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia for more stories about the history of this place we call home. Thanks for the use of your ears, y'all!
Well, we are pleased to announce that this is our 200th episode of Stories! Rod and I have enjoyed telling the history of Appalachia over the last two and a half years, and look forward to many more years for the podcast. Today, we tell the story of a tragic accident that happened back in 1959 in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, when a school bus ran off the road and into the Levisa Fork. At the time, this was the deadliest bus accident in the world, and still ranks in the top 5. You can subscribe to Stories at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, the RadioPublic app, or on your own favorite podcast app. We are on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening and sharing us with your friends.
Today we bring you three tales of turn of the 20th century Appalachia which show just how much this area was like the legendary American Wild West. You can find us on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or on your own favorite podcast app. We have even more stories about Appalachia on our Facebook page @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening and sharing our podcast with your friends!
Today Rod brings us a story about the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Confederate treasury after the end of the Civil War. You can subscribe to Stories on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. We also have more stories about Appalachia on our website, storiespodcast.net, on Twitter @storyappalachia and on Facebook @storiesofappalachia. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends.
Nowadays Cade's Cove is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But before the park came into existence in 1934 it was a vibrant Appalachian community, with churches, schools, farms and, of course, moonshiners. Today we tell the story of a run-in between a Primitive Baptist preacher and the biggest moonshiner in Cade's Cove. You can listen to the podcast on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. More stories are available on our Facebook page @storiesofappalachia and on our Twitter feed @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening and sharing our podcast with your friends.
On this week's podcast, Rod and Steve tell a Harlan County, Kentucky, legend about Headless Annie, a parable about Bloody Harlan. You can subscribe to Stories on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Like the stories we tell? Then be sure to subscribe to our blog at storiespodcast.net, follow us on Twitter @storyappalachia or like us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia for even more stories about this place we call home. Thanks for listening and sharing us with your friends.
Today we tell the story of a woman who enlisted her children in a plot to rid herself of "the other woman." According to her, it was her right to do so under "the unwritten law" of Appalachia. Stories is available at storiespodcast.net, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Join us on Twitter @storyappalachia, Facebook @storiesofappalachia, or on our website at storiespodcast.net for even more stories about the history of Appalachia. Thanks for listening and sharing us with your friends...
Tennessee came into the union in 1796, and former Southwest Territory governor William Blount was one of the two first senators appointed from that state. His stay in Washington was cut short, though, over a scheme involving the British and Spanish lands to the west as he became the first senator to face impeachment. Today we tell the story of Senator William Blount, for whom Blountville and Blount County, Tennessee, are named. You can follow us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening.
In the spring of 1974 the Kanawha County, West Virginia, school board had to approve new textbooks for the schools. One of the board members objected to many of the books, saying that the materials contained therein advocated liberal and, even, radical viewpoints that were anti-Christian. After that board member shared those views in the media, a movement arose that led to widespread protests and violence in the coalfields. Today we tell the story of what we call The Great Kanawha County Textbook War. You can subscribe to the podcast at RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Follow us on Twitter @storyappalachia or Facebook @storiesofappalachia for even more Appalachian history facts. Thanks for listening!
In 1924 an elderly Middlesboro, Kentucky, housepainter was taken to the hospital when he fell deathly ill. It was here that he confessed that he was not who everyone in town thought he was. Today we tell the incredible story of Steve White. Stories is now available on the RadioPublic app, which you can download for your iPhone or Android phone. There are tons of your other favorite podcasts there, too, and you can support us and them by listening through the app as that provides us a share of revenue with which to continue to bring you Stories, A History of Appalachia. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for the use of your ears, y'all!
Keystone, West Virginia is a small town in McDowell County with 282 residents, mostly African American. Like many small coal communities, Keystone has seen its population plummet over the years with the decline of coal mining. But Keystone is unique in that it was also the epicenter of one of the largest banking scandals in American history. Today we tell you that story. You can subscribe to Stories on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening.
During the 1880's a dispute broke out over where the county seat of Tucker County, West Virginia, should be. Unlike the usual political fighting over where the courthouse and county offices should be, this one involved an armed mob intent on taking matters into their own hands. You can now listen to Stories and help us out at the same time. Download the new RadioPublic app from the Apple app store for your Apple device or from the Google store for your Android device and listen to the podcast there. That gives us a share in ads on the app, helping us to bring you these stories of Appalachia, as well as being able to listen to many of your other favorite podcasts. We're on Twitter @storyappalachia and on Facebook @storiesofappalachia. Thanks for your support!
Today we tell the story of Bristol, Virginia, native Charles S. Johnson. Born the son of a Baptist minister during the time of Jim Crow, Johnson got his college education and began a lifelong study of the causes of racism. His efforts doing so laid the groundwork for the civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's. If you'd like to have Stories delivered to your device automatically, subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Feedburner or on your favorite podcast app. For more tales about the history of Appalachia you can follow us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia or on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening, y'all...
After the American Revolution, General George Washington took a trip out west to inspect land he received for his service to the country, land that was located in Appalachian Pennsylvania. And when he got there, he encountered a group of Scots-Irish squatters who had planted a small community there, without his permission. And that set the stage for a dispute. Today on Stories, Steve and Rod tell the story of George Washington's Appalachian land. Thanks for listening. You can subscribe to Stories on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. You can also find us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening and sharing us with your friends!
Think you're safe from earthquakes in Appalachia? Think again. On May 31, 1897, the largest earthquake ever recorded in Virginia (and the second largest in the southeastern United States) struck in Giles County, causing severe damage in several Appalachian states. Today Rod and Steve tell the story of the great Appalachia earthquake. You can subscribe to Stories on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thank you for the use of your ears!
On today's episode of Stories, Steve and Rod sit back and listen as Ira Jackson Seay tells his own story of poverty, war, love, moonshining and racing. Be sure to subscribe to Stories at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Feedburner or on your favorite podcast app. Follow us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia for more bits of Appalachian history. Thanks for listening to our stories...
Rod and Steve wraps up the story of Appalachian icon Daniel Boone with a look at his last days in Missouri. You can subscribe to Stories at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Feedburner, or on the podcast app of your choice. We have more stories of the history of Appalachia on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Come by and follow us. Thanks for listening and sharing us with your friends!
We continue with Part Two of the story of Appalachia's own Daniel Boone. This week we tell of his days in Kentucky, before civilization overtook him and forced him farther west. You can subscribe to Stories on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. You can follow us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening to our stories.
Explorer, long hunter, pioneer, Appalachian icon. All these words describe America’s first national hero, Daniel Boone. Today, Steve and Rod begin telling his story in a three-part podcast series. Thanks for listening. You can subscribe to Stories at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Tune In, or on your favorite podcast app. We’re on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and Twitter @storyappalachia.
The 1960's were a time of radicalism, with protests, riots, and bombings at institutions of higher learning. And the colleges in Appalachia saw their share of these things, too. There had been protests at Bluefield State College for several years, starting in the mid-60's, over the increasing ratio of white faculty and staff at Bluefield State, led by African American students of the historically black college. This all led to a bombing at the campus over the Thanksgiving break. Today Rod and Steve tell that story. If you'd like to subscribe to the podcast, you can do so at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Tune In or on your favorite podcast app. You can join us on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and Twitter @storyappalachia for more stories of this place we call home. Thanks for listening!
It's Christmas week, and on this episode of Stories, Rod and Steve continue a holiday tradition by going back in time to read some letters to Santa from both good and bad little boys and girls. Then our own Q. T. pi reads "The Night Before Christmas." We appreciate each and every one of you who listen to our stories about this place we call home, no matter where on Planet Earth you happen to be. Stay with us for even more stories about Appalachia in 2018. If you want to subscribe to the podcast, you can do so on Apple Podcasts, Libsyn, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening; y'all have a Merry Christmas! (Jingle Bells by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)[CC BY 3.0(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)] via Wikimedia Commons)
Today on Stories, Rod and Steve share the story of an eastern Kentucky barnstormer and aviation pioneer who went on to train military pilots in World War II, then co-found a world-renown aviation school. If you'd like to subscribe to Stories, you can do so at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or on your favorite podcast app. We're on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. We appreciate you listening to our stories about the history of Appalachia.
On today's episode, Rod and Steve tell the story of two 19th century western North Carolina explorers who got into a very public argument over the mountains that are now named after them. We are available for subscription at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Libsyn or on your favorite podcast app. We are also on Twitter and Facebook, sharing more stories about this place we call home...be sure to follow us. As always, your ears are important to us. Thanks for lending them.
1916 saw not one but two hurricanes hit the mountains of North Carolina at once, causing flooding, devastation and death in southern Appalachia. On today's episode, Steve and Rod tell the story of the Great Flood of 1916. You can subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Tune In or on your favorite podcast app. We're also on Twitter @storyappalachia and on Facebook @storiesofappalachia. As always, we appreciate you listening to our stories about the history of this place we call home, and we look forward to your feedback on Twitter, Facebook, or by email to storyteller@storiespodcast.net.
A new podcast episode, and new podcast theme music! On the Norfolk and Southern railroad line between St. Paul and Coeburn, Virginia, are three railroad tunnels drilled into the mountains so that the coal companies could get that black gold out of Appalachia and on to market. From Coeburn to St. Paul those tunnels are, […]
This week, Steve and Rod tell the story of a Georgia doctor who decided that an acceptable alternative to the illegal abortions he was performing in the 1940’s and 50’s was the illegal sale of Appalachian babies. Hundreds of these babies were sold to buyers from all over the country, with no records kept, and […]
Today, we have an encore episode for you as we travel to the little town of Hurley, Virginia. There, in 1909, a widow sold the timber rights to her 150 acres of land for a tidy sum, making her a target for anyone wanting to take that money for himself. On September 21 of that […]
There have been many examples of women who dressed as men in order to fight in a war. But there was only one example of a woman who did so but also ended up serving on both sides. Today Rod and Steve tell the story of Melinda Blalock, who, along with her husband Keith, joined […]
On September 26, 1936, a coal train and a passenger train derailed and crashed in separate incidents near Welch, West Virginia. On today’s podcast we tell you the story of those wrecks and what caused them. Thanks for listening to our stories…
In 1924 a young married couple moved to Logan, West Virginia, from Kentucky. Jack Thurman got a job with the Logan police department, and Mamie Thurman started frequenting the Amour Club, a local speakeasy and house of ill repute. And thus began a series of events that eventually led to death and imprisonment. On this […]
It’s that time of year, folks, and Rod and I have two short tales for you. First up, we tell the story of the Snallygaster, a Maryland monster that got a lot of attention back in the early part of the 20th century. Then its on to the mountains of western North Carolina, where we […]
We’ve told lots of Stories over the last two years, but this one is special. We were contacted by a listener in Dickenson County, Virginia, with a family mystery that she hoped we could unravel. And the result is this podcast. Today, we tell the story of Robert Compton, a man from the mountains of […]
Did you know that Devil Anse Hatfield went on the vaudeville circuit early in the twentieth century? Today we tell you that story and more about the Hatfields and McCoys after the end of their famous feud. You can subscribe to the podcast, if you’re so inclined, at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn or on your […]
Today Rod and Steve tell the story of John Salling of Scott County, Virginia. Mr. Salling was once listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest living Confederate veteran, until records appeared to challenge that claim. You can subscribe to the podcast at TuneIn, Google Play, Apple Podcasts or on your own […]
At the turn of the twentieth century the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia were like the Old West, filled with outlaws. Among these was Clifton Branham, who lost his life at the end of a rope for murdering his wife, becoming the last man hanged in Wise County, Virginia. Today, […]
Photo by Mathew Brady, Library of Congress. A special episode of Stories for you today! As we’ve mentioned, we have a new podcast in which Steve Gilly and Gena Gilly tell stories of the history of not just Appalachia, but all of America, and beyond. I wanted to give those of you who subscribe to […]
THIS EPISODE IS NOT SAFE FOR WORK OR FOR SMALL CHILDREN. Whipple Company Store-West Virginia Historical Photographs Collection. We’ve all heard about the hardships miners and their families went through before the UMWA organized the mines. But there were some places in West Virginia where families suffered unspeakably when a miner became disabled. That’s when […]
On today’s episode, Steve and Rod tell the story of the founder of Tennessee’s preeminent whiskey maker: Jack Daniel’s Whiskey in Lynchburg. You can subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app. We’re on Twitter @storyappalachia and on Facebook @storiesofappalachia. Here’s a tip of the glass to you…thanks for […]
Today we tell the story of the worst mining disaster to occur in the United States, the explosion at the no. 6 and no. 8 mines of the Fairmont Coal Company in Monongah, West Virginia. You can subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening. (Picture by […]
On today’s episode, we look at a dark part of Appalachia’s history as we share three stories of racist mob violence and lynching in Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina that occurred early in the 20th century. You can subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. We’re […]
Just before Halloween, 1984, a small plane slammed into the side of Fancy Gap Mountain in Carroll County, Virginia, scattering a half-ton of pot across the mountainside. The discovery of the plane triggered an international manhunt for the Southwest Virginia owner of the plane that didn’t end until 2015 when the U.S. Attorney’s Office finally […]
Did some Braxton County, West Virginia, kids see a UFO back in 1952? Some folks thought so, especially after locals began exhibiting strange symptoms. Today Steve and Rod tell the tale of the Flatwoods Monster, or the Phantom of Flatwoods, as it was also called. It’s another story that makes up the history of this […]
Early on Christmas Day, 1945, a fire broke out at the home of George and Jennie Sodder near Fayetteville, West Virginia, apparently taking the lives of their five younger children. I say apparently, because no remains were ever found. Not only that, the mysterious circumstances that led up to the fire, as well as a […]
The 1899 election for Kentucky governor was probably the most partisan election in Appalachian history, with vote-stealing and accusations of voter fraud. The General Assembly itself even divided, the Republicans meeting in one city and the Democrats in another. What set this election apart, though, was how the governor came to be sworn in and […]
This week we continue our look at the men who built their Appalachian empires with the story of George L. Carter. Carter not only developed coal and iron mines in Southwest Virginia, he also founded Kingsport, Tennessee, and Coalwood, West Virginia, and built his own railroad, the Clinchfield Railroad, which spanned from Kentucky to South […]
Alexander Arthur was born in Scotland and settled in America, where he saw the potential of timber, iron ore, and coal, all in abundant supply in Appalachia. And he was determined to build his empire in these mountains with the founding of Middlesboro, Kentucky, and Harrogate, Tennessee, to house those who ran his iron ore […]
Colonel John Dils, Jr., was a Pike County, Kentucky, businessman, Union soldier during the Civil War, abolitionist, and the founder of a family cemetery in Pikeville that’s now on the National Register of Historic Places. Today Steve and Rod tell his story. You can subscribe to the podcast if you’re so inclined at Apple Podcasts, […]
It’s time for a crime story, and we have a doozy for you! Today, Steve and Rod tell the story of a woman who had the habit of finding men who, oddly enough, ended up dead. It’s the story of Alabaman Nanny Doss, on this episode of the podcast. You can subscribe to the podcast […]
During the first boom in the Appalachian coalfields, there was such a labor shortage that the mine owners recruited workers from the millions of immigrants who were coming to America from Europe. And along with these immigrants came secret societies that were involved in kidnappings, extortion and murder. Today we tell the story of the […]
Nowadays, celebrating the Fourth of July usually means having a cookout then loading the family into the car or van and going to watch the fireworks. But in turn of the 20th century Appalachia, it meant a whole lot more. Today, its the story of how the Fourth used to be in Appalachia, through one […]
The first Appalachian president, Andrew Jackson, was the recipient of a rather, shall we say, noticeable gift. In fact, this gift was quite easily found by those around the White House simply by taking in a deep breath. Today we tell the story of Andrew Jackson’s giant cheese! We’re on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter […]
A few weeks ago, Rod caught up with the son of Pound, Virginia, native and U2 spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers, who has a new book out about his father. Todays podcast contains Rod’s interview with Francis Gary Powers, Jr. Enjoy! You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or on […]
During World War I, the Germans managed to get Russia out of the fighting by helping communist rebels seize power and overthrow the Russian czar. Did you know that Germany tried to do the same in America? And that this was supposed to start in the coalfields of Appalachia, in Southwest Virginia? While the Appalachian […]
Forty years ago this week convicted assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr., James Earl Ray, along with several other men managed to break out of Brushy Mountain State Prison in Petros, Tennessee. Today we tell the story of that escape. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or on your […]
What would you do if, all of a sudden, flakes of animal flesh started to fall around you? That’s just what happened to an Eastern Kentucky family in 1876 when meat began raining out of the blue Appalachian sky. Today we tell the story of the Kentucky meat shower. You can subscribe to the podcast […]
Today we tell the story of Rotherwood Mansion in Kingsport, Tennessee, a story of the frontier, of love, of loss, of ghosts and a surprising connection to someone you might have heard of. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. We’re on Twitter @storyappalachia […]
25 years ago East Tennessee was abuzz with news of a serial killer. Today, Steve and Rod tell the story of Thomas Huskey, also known as the Zoo Man, who was tried for a murder spree in Knox County. Or maybe it was Kyle…or Daxx… For you see, this killer came with a twist: multiple […]
Today we tell the sad story of the American opioid epidemic and how it got its start right here in Appalachia. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening. (Picture by 51fifty at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons)
In the latter part of the 18th century a family settled along the New River in what’s now Wythe County, Virginia, and began to operate a lead mine there. The area to this day bears the name of that family, as Austinville. And one member left Appalachia to found a new nation in the West […]
The first settler in the Nashville area was a man from Appalachia who was one part historical figure and two parts legend. Thomas Spencer came over the Appalachian Mountains to Middle Tennessee during the American Revolution and became known for his kindness, his extreme strength and, curiously, the size of his feet. Today, Steve and […]
On March 9, 1949, two young men who were drinking in the bar of the Ambassador passenger train just outside Martinsburg, West Virginia, got into an argument with the bartender over their tab. One thing led to another, and soon these two were on the run after robbing the passengers of their valuables. Today we […]
Today we tell the tale of Boone Helm. Helm was born in Kentucky and started out a life of murder with the killing of his cousin because he wouldn’t go west with him. And from there Boone Helm killed and, yes, ate his way to California. It’s the story of Boone Helm, the Kentucky Cannibal. […]
(Photo by Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52598877) Back in the mid-1960s the area around Point Pleasant, West Virginia, was awash in strange tales of a giant man-like creature with huge moth wings. On today’s podcast, Steve and Rod tell the story of the Mothman, one of the most well-known Appalachian legends of the 20th century. You […]
Today we share the full, nearly one hour long podcast on the Hatfield and McCoy feud, in its entirety. It’s quite a story, and we hope you enjoy it. Apple Podcasts is one place you can subscribe to the podcast, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcast app. We’re on Twitter @storyappalachia and on […]
There are all kinds of soft drinks marketed in the United States, mostly under the Coca Cola or Pepsi companies. Of all the soft drinks out there, perhaps the best known of those to originate in Appalachia is Mountain Dew. Today, Rod and Steve tell the story of the birth and growth of Mountain Dew […]
Every now and then we switch gears and tell about legends instead of straight up history. Today Rod and Steve have the story of a monster that’s been seen around these parts, as well as Louisiana and Chicago: the devil monkey. Enjoy. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Tunein or on your […]
The winter of 1971-72 saw large amounts of rainfall throughout the central Appalachians. By February, 1972, the ground was saturated, and the rivers were overflowing. And a gob dam located on Buffalo Creek in West Virginia which wasn’t designed to be a dam gave way in a rushing wall of water, muck and black death […]
A few weeks ago, our own Rod Mullins made an appearance before the Wise County Historical Society in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, where he shared the story of his own ancestor, Brandy Jack Mullins. Mullins was a colorful character, involved in counterfeiting, moonshining and other activities, many of which Rod shared with his audience. Today […]
On New Year’s Eve, 1959, Spruce Pine, North Carolina was rocked by a massive explosion, leaving a crater in the town baseball field. What had happened? Listen to today’s podcast to find out. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. We’re on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and […]
Mt. Airy, North Carolina, is known as the model for Andy Griffith’s Mayberry, as depicted on his television show. But, a hundred years before, it was best known as the home of the first well-known conjoined twins, Chang and Eng, who adopted the American sounding name of “Bunker” when they settled in Appalachia. On today’s […]
The feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys comes to a head on New Years Day, 1888, with the bloody Hatfield attack on the McCoy farm. In this last chapter in our story of the feud, Rod and Steve tell that story, as well as the aftermath of the fighting, which included a U.S. Supreme […]
The election of 1882 in Pike County, Kentucky, started out like any other election, but ended in Ellison Hatfield dead and three McCoy brothers, Tolbert, Pharmer and Bud, lynched on the banks of the Tug River. Today, Steve and Rod tell that part of the story of the Hatfield and McCoy feud. You can subscribe […]
We continue the story of the Hatfields and the McCoys with the tale of an Appalachian Romeo and Juliet. At least that’s how the newspapers of the time portrayed it. But was that really how it happened? Today, Steve and Rod tell the story of Rosanna McCoy and Johnse Hatfield. You can subscribe to the […]
Hello podcast listeners! If there’s one thing about the feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys it’s that the whole thing started with a trial over a pig. And you’d be wrong. Today we tell the stories, yes, stories, of the infamous “Hog Trial” of Pike County, which likely never took place, at least not […]
Hello podcast fans! For the next several weeks Rod and I are going to be telling the story of the Hatfield and McCoy feud. This bit of Appalachian history is probably the most widely known, and the most controversial. Newspaper stories about the conflict planted the seeds of the ignorant, violent, uneducated Appalachian hillbilly stereotype. […]
The Loretta Lynn biopic “Coal Miner’s Daughter” was filmed in Eastern Kentucky and Southwest Virginia during the late 70’s, causing a ton of excitement for the residents of that area, including yours truly, who happened to be working in a radio station in Norton, Virginia, at the time. Both Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones […]
Around the turn of the twentieth century there was a vigilante group that operated in Sevier County, Tennessee, named the “White Caps” for the white hoods they wore. Starting out as a means to enforce morals with switchings of immoral women, the White Caps turned increasingly violent, becoming involved in the murder of a couple. […]
On this encore episode of the podcast, Steve and Rod tell a story of moonshining, bootlegging, corruption, and justice in Franklin County, Virginia, in the 1930’s. Thanks for listening!
In the winter of 1779-1780, a group of settlers set out from the present site of Kingsport, Tennessee, sailing down the Holston River to establish a new settlement in the wilderness. They succeeded in reaching Fort Nashborough, later Nashville, Tennessee, after a trek that took them all the way down to the Ohio River, then […]
On today’s podcast, Rod and Steve tell the story of Mahala Mullins, renowned Melungeon maker of that sweet, sweet mountain nectar known as “moonshine.” Ms. Mullins, a resident of Newman’s Ridge in Hancock County, Tennessee, was also quite literally the biggest moonshiner in those parts, so much so that you’ll be surprised to learn what […]
A little change of pace on today’s podcast as Rod and Steve tell about the old Scots-Irish tradition of storytelling that was brought to the Appalachians by the first settlers. And they also take a stab at a little of that storytelling themselves by sharing a couple of Appalachian Jack tales with you. You can […]
If you think politics are nasty now, you should have lived in southern Appalachia in the middle of the nineteenth century. That’s where a Methodist circuit rider named Parson William Brownlow began his rise to political power as governor from his home in East Tennessee. Generally ranked dead-last on historians’ lists of Tennessee governors, Brownlow […]
Times were good in Saltville, Virginia, in 1924. It was Christmas Eve and people were wrapping up their shopping and getting ready for parties and family and gifts under the tree. Then disaster struck in the form of the collapse of a dam holding back millions of gallons of caustic muck. Today, Steve and Rod […]
In the sixteenth century, Spanish conquistadors explored the Southern Appalachians, blazing trails for an expansion of the Spanish Empire. Captain Juan Pardo led one of these expeditions, which visited Western North Carolina, East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. On today’s podcast, Steve and Rod tell his story. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Stitcher, […]
Back in early 1800’s Abingdon, Virginia, lived a Baptist minister named Abner Vance, who had a daughter named Betty. Betty was done wrong romantically by a local doctor, and Vance took a shot at him, accidentally killing the doctor’s brother. After a time on the run, Vance returned to Washington County, Virginia, where he was […]
On December 23, 1987, a prisoner escaped from the Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, West Virginia. But this wasn’t just any prisoner, this was a member of the Manson Family, a group of hangers-on to Charlie Manson. On this episode of the podcast, Steve and Rod tell the story of the escape and capture of […]
Early in the nineteenth century, a young man was jilted by the love of his life in Asheville, so he left the town to move to the top of a mountain on the Tennessee/North Carolina border, Big Bald Mountain, in order to live a solitary life. His eccentricities soon got him into trouble in both […]
Today’s story takes place in Cocke County, Tennessee, nearly a hundred years ago. It’s a story of greed, deception, and murder involving a non-existent pot of Spanish gold. We appreciate you listening to our stories, which you can get automatically by subscribing at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play and now on the TuneIn app! We’re on […]
On this episode of the podcast, we turn to the world of sports, as Rod tells the story of Pound, Virginia, native Glenn Roberts, the man who popularized the jump shot in the game of basketball. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. You can […]
Frankie Silver was an Appalachian frontierswoman with a terrible secret. All those strange ashes in the fireplace? Turns out that was her husband. At least part of him. For you see, it appears that he was murdered and dismembered, and disposed of by fire, and Frankie was charged with his brutal murder. Today, Rod and […]
On this episode of the podcast, Rod and Steve tell of the Great Fire of 1915 that destroyed the downtown of Grundy, county seat of Buchanan County, in Virginia. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!
In Grayson County, Virginia, in the late 18th century, there was a pioneer family by the name of Sage. One morning, while Mrs. Sage was setting about washing clothes, her daughter, Katy, wandered away after some butterflies and disappeared. What happened to little Katy? Would the family ever see her again? We answer those questions […]
Today, Rod and Steve take a look back at some interesting stories in old newspapers for the third and last time, as they share some “short stories” from Appalachia. You can subscribe on iTunes, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. Follow us on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening!
Otto Wood was born in Western North Carolina and ran away from home at age 7 to live with his uncle in West Virginia. That first “escape” from his mother was a sign of things to come. After a work accident cost him one of his hands, Wood embarked on a life of petty crime […]
During the Civil War, isolated Dade County, Georgia, decided to strike out on its own, declaring its independence from both the State of Georgia and the United States of America. And that’s how things remained until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. On this episode of the podcast, Steve and Rod tell the […]
In the early 1890’s, miners working in the coal mines at Coal Creek in Anderson County, Tennessee, rose up against the mine operators over their jobs being taken by free convict labor. Things eventually became violent, with armed miners squaring off against the Tennessee guard in what can only be described as an armed uprising. […]
On today’s episode, Steve and Rod tell an old Cherokee tale about a mysterious city inside Pilot Knob, in Western North Carolina, discovered by Tsuwe’nähï. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Stitcher, or on your favorite podcast app. We’re on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for your ears!
Merry Christmas, y’all! On today’s Christmas Eve podcast, Steve and Rod take you back to the early 20th century as they read several letters to Santa Claus that were printed in newspapers in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. They also show off their literary side with a Christmas poetry reading as well. You can subscribe […]
Today, in a repeat of last Christmas’ podcast, Rod and Steve tell you about the traditions of Old Christmas as well as the Santa Train, which brings toys, food, and clothing to needy children from Eastern Kentucky, through Southwest Virginia, into Kingsport, Tennessee, every year. Merry Christmas and thanks for listening! (Picture by Thomas Nast […]
(Left to Right) Trussie (Jane) Daniel, Oscar Daniel, Tony Howell (defendant in Ellen Grice rape), Ed Collins (witness), Isaiah Pirkle (witness for Howell), and Ernest Knox. At the turn of the 20th century, African-Americans in Forsyth County, Georgia, made up about 10 percent of the population of the county. A series of incidents involving alleged […]
In 1859, a solar storm stronger than any other in recorded history hit the earth, bringing the northern lights all the way down to Cuba and causing massive interference in telegraph lines throughout the world. Today, Steve and Rod tell the story of what’s become known as the Carrington Event, and what that meant for […]
In the little town of Hurley, Virginia, in 1909, a widow sold the timber rights to her 150 acres of land for a tidy sum, making her a target for anyone wanting to take that money for himself. On September 21, she and her daughter’s family were murdered in cold blood in the daughter’s house […]
A few weeks ago, Steve and Rod shared several short stories from Appalachian newspapers in 1891-92. This week, they’re back with a second set of these “short stories” for y’all! Thanks for listening, folks…
Hello folks! This week on the podcast, Rod and Steve tell the story of how a Corbin, Kentucky, gas station operator ended up cornering the market for gasoline in Corbin in a gun battle with his competitor, also launching his in-station restaurant, which became one of the most successful fast food franchises on the planet. […]
No, folks, Rod and I haven’t gotten into the real estate business. What we have done is put together the story of how Bone Marrow Creek, West Virginia, became Appalachia, Virginia, in the eyes of CBS, NBC, and ABC, and the creative way the town fathers in Appalachia responded. You can subscribe to the podcast […]
In the early part of the twentieth century, two young African American albinos from Truevine, Virginia, made their way into a carnival sideshow, or freak show as it was sometimes called then, and disappeared. Over a decade later, their mother found them performing for the Ringling Brothers Circus in nearby Roanoke and fought a legal […]
In 1875, four men rode their horses into Huntington, West Virginia, and proceeded to rob the local bank. Two of them were later captured, one of whom died without revealing his identity, the other tried and convicted of bank robbery under an alias. The other two? Local legend has it that those men were Frank […]
During the Civil War there were numerous local militias formed, but none quite like Thomas’ Legion. Composed of Cherokee Indians and local Western North Carolina men led by the only white man to be made a Cherokee chief, Thomas’ Legion, also known as Thomas’ Legion of Indians and Highlanders or the 69th North Carolina Regiment, […]
In the course of researching the stories that we pass on to you, Rod and I have happened upon a ton of old newspaper stories that contain nuggets of a tale, but we just can’t find enough other information to flesh out a ten to fifteen minute podcast. We’ve been saving these articles, though, and […]
In the latter part of the eighteenth century, the Wiley family settled in what’s now Southwest Virginia, in the present Bland County. And that’s where they got caught up in the ongoing war between the settlers and the native Americans who had been living in this area for generations. The result was an attack by […]
In the early part of the twentieth century, Helen Timmons Henderson came to Buchanan County, Virginia, to run the Buchanan Mission School with her husband. She did such an outstanding job of running the school that local Democratic party leaders talked her into running for state delegate in 1924, one of the first two women […]
On this episode of the podcast, Steve and Rod tell the story of the Maryville, Tennessee, youth who lived more lives than ten men. Sam Houston was adopted into the Cherokee nation as a teen, then grew up to be an Indian agent, Tennessee governor, commander-in-chief of the Texas military during that nation’s war for […]
On today’s encore episode of the podcast, Steve and Rod tell the story of a Washington County, Tennessee, farmer who left his farm to his slaves prior to the Civil War. As you can imagine, that decision didn’t set well with his children, who promptly contested the will in court, leading to a landmark Tennessee […]
Happy Halloween, podcast listeners! On today’s episode, we have two stories for you. First up, Steve tells the story of the Wampus Cat, a Cherokee legend. Then Rod tells about the legend of the Major Graham Mansion just outside Wytheville, Virginia, which has made that house into one of the premiere Halloween destinations in Appalachia. […]
On this podcast we have two native American stories for you. First, Steve tells the story of Penn’s Cave, in Pennsylvania, where tragedy befell a man who fell in love with a chief’s daughter. Then Rod shares the Cherokee tale of how Blowing Rock, North Carolina got its name. All on the way to Halloween, […]
With Halloween in the air, Rod and Steve tell the story of St. Albans Sanatorium near Radford, Virginia, site of some, well, not so nice “treatments” as well as a lot of paranormal activity. You can subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app. We’re on Facebook @storiesofappalachia and on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for […]
Halloween month rolls on, and today, in an encore presentation, Steve and Rod tell the story of the Greenbrier Ghost of West Virginia. Enjoy! Thanks for listening, and watch out for those ghosts!
On January 7, 1938, a blast rocked the little community of Hampton, Tennessee. After the smoke cleared, the home of Harmon and Pauline Gouge was in ruins, their three daughters lay dead, and Pauline Gouge was in a coma. On this episode of the podcast, Steve and Rod tell the story of the Gouge family […]
Halloween month continues with the story of the mysterious glowing orbs that can be seen on Brown Mountain, near the Linville Gorge in the high country of western North Carolina. Are they spirits? Are they swamp gas? Car lights? Or maybe UFOs? Listen as Steve and Rod tell the story of the Brown Mountain lights… […]
In the early twentieth century, a young man from Scott County, Virginia, joined the circus as a trick shooter, probably one of the best to come out of Appalachia. And in another time, in another place, that talent might have won him accolades, perhaps as a sniper in war, or as a military trainer. But […]
It’s October, folks, and that means Halloween is on the way. To celebrate October, we’re going to present encores of our spookiest, most mysterious podcasts, as well as new Halloween stories, every Tuesday this month. And we start Halloween month with Rod’s story of Aunt Jane Dutton of Dickenson County, Virginia, accused by her neighbor […]
For over a hundred years, the states of Tennessee and Virginia tried to figure out their common border. It took a United States Supreme Court decision and a near war between Bristol, Tennessee, and Goodson, Virginia, over water pipes in the middle of present-day State Street to get that line drawn on a map. On […]
Holston Mountain is the tallest peak in East Tennessee, and the location of several television and radio towers. It’s also near the Tri City Airport, the air hub for the East Tennessee/Southwest Virginia region. And the mountain is the site of several plane crashes, but one crash in particular, over 50 years ago, sparked a […]
During the Civil War, there were guerrilla fighters on both the Union and Confederate sides. One of the most notorious was Appalachia’s Champ Ferguson. Ferguson was a violent man who roamed East Tennessee weeding out Union “traitors” as well as making life miserable for the people who lived there. He and his band of fighters […]
In this encore presentation, Rod tells the story of the legendary Swift’s Lost Silver Mine, thought by many to be located at the Breaks Interstate Park in Southwest Virginia. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!
Today, Steve and Rod have not one story, not two stories, but THREE stories, along with a short story! This week is crime week, and on this podcast we tell the stories of two Scott County, Virginia, prisoners who managed to escape and were later caught by chance, one in the 1850’s and the other […]
One hundred years ago, in 1916, the circus came to Kingsport, Tennessee. The aftermath of the circus was the famous hanging of an elephant, Mary, in the railyards at Erwin, Tennessee. In this encore presentation, Rod and Steve tell Mary’s story. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play or on your favorite […]
In January, 1964, a crippled B-52 was on its way home from Massachusetts to an airbase in Georgia, when it ran into a heavy snowstorm. The plane’s vertical stabilizer (the tail) was ripped off, and it went into a spin, crashing on Big Savage Mountain in Western Maryland. Two of the five crewmen survived the […]
On this encore episode, Rod and Steve present the story of the tornado that tore through the small Appalachian community of Rye Cove, Virginia, on May 2, 1929. This cyclone has been immortalized in country music legend with a song written by A. P. Carter and recorded by the Carter Family, who lived in the […]
In 1926, Prohibition was in full force, and the Commonwealth of Virginia had prohibition enforcement agents employed across the state, looking for illegal liquor. In Dickenson County, Virginia, that man was James Sherman Mullins, who was on the trail of the Dickenson County Sheriff, Pridemore Fleming, on suspicions that he was helping local moonshiners and […]
In the last part of the nineteenth century, newspapers across America were obsessed with tales of blood feuds in Appalachia, the best known of which is the Hatfield-McCoy feud. At the time, however, no other feud got more coverage than that between the French and Eversole families of Hazard, Kentucky. Private armies battling each other, […]
In 1982, Knoxville, Tennessee, hosted a Worlds Fair. The fair was a success, breaking even, but it led to the downfall of the Butcher banking empire in East Tennessee. On this episode of the podcast, Steve and Rod tell the story of Jake and C.H. Butcher and the Knoxville World’s Fair. We’re on Facebook @facebook.com/storiesofappalachia. […]
The people who settled Appalachia were tough. They’d have to be to carve a home out of the forests and mountainsides of the area. In 1777, two girls, Polly Alley and Jane Whittaker, proved how tough they were when they escaped Indian captivity in Ohio and made their way back home to Scott County in […]
In the early 20th century, there was an awakening across Appalachia, with Pentecostal churches coming into being across the area. One of the odder branches of Pentecostalism involved the handling of deadly snakes to prove your devotion to the Lord. Snake handling flourished during the Depression, but after World War II it was banned across […]
Every year the Tri State Singing Convention would come to Big Stone Gap, Virginia, bringing together the most popular southern gospel groups in the world to play for a packed audience. At the Convention in 1959, tragedy struck in the form of a bridge collapse. On this episode, we tell the story of the collapse […]
On July 27th, 1996, the Atlanta Summer Olympic Games were rocked with an explosion which killed one person outright and led to a heart attack that killed another, as well as wounding many more. The man who set off that bomb, as well as three others at abortion clinics and a gay nightclub, led authorities […]
On this episode of Stories, Steve and Rod tell the story of Civil War soldier and unrepentant Confederate Ezekial Pyles, who joined 20,000 other men and women in founding a colony in Brazil after the war. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for […]
After the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education ruling by the Supreme Court, schools began preparing to integrate across the South, with the first school scheduled to be Clinton High School in the East Tennessee town of Clinton. The end of segregation brought protests, threats, beatings, and a bombing that destroyed the high school. On […]
Starting in the early part of the 20th century, coal operators discovered that forming baseball teams in each coal camp was a great way to promote unity among their workers, as well as give the men something to do in their free time. From this tradition sprang minor league teams around Appalachia and a love […]
Appalachia is a land of natural beauty combined with one of the largest deposits of coal on the planet. What happens when a large deposit of that coal catches fire? You get carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur fumes, unbearable heat beneath your feet, quite literally hell on earth. And that’s what happened to the town […]
The 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote, was passed by Congress in 1919. In order to become part of the Constitution, 36 states had to ratify it, and on August 18, 1920, Tennessee became that 36th state. On this episode of Stories, Steve and Rod tell the story of how the right of […]
During the Depression Franklin County, Virginia, was known as the moonshine capital of the United States. Federal officials noted that the small county consumed more sugar per month than the entire city of New York, with it being used in distilling whiskey. And all of this moonshine production was not only being done under the […]
On this episode of Stories, Rod and Steve tell the story of the Southwest Virginia State Mental Hospital in Marion, Virginia. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. We’re on Facebook at facebook.com/storiesofappalachia. We’re also on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening!
In 1815, there was a tremendous volcanic explosion in Indonesia, with millions of tons of dust, ash, and gas spewed into the upper atmosphere. The next year, all that debris blocked the sun’s energy on the other side of the world to such an extent that the people of Appalachia called 1816 “eighteen hundred and […]
During the Great Depression, a man lived in West Virginia much as he imagined his literary hero Tarzan would have lived, had Tarzan been in the wilds of Appalachia instead of the jungles of Africa. Today, Rod and Steve tell the story of the original “hippie,” Orval Elijah Brown of Clay County, long hair, beard, […]
On this episode of the podcast, we tell the story of the formation and admission during the Civil War of the only state that lies completely within Appalachia. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or Google Play or on your favorite podcast app. We’re also on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for your ears!
On this episode of Stories, Steve and Rod tell the story of 18th century explorer, surveyor, guide and Indian agent Christopher Gist. Thanks for listening!
In the early part of the 19th century, gold fever struck the North Georgia mountains. Before that fever went elsewhere, a great Indian nation was literally picked up and forced west of the Mississippi River at the command of President Andrew Jackson. This week, Steve and Rod tell the story of Nu-No-Du-Na-Tlo-Hi-Lu, or the Trail […]
Before the release of the Salk polio vaccine, polio epidemics were commonplace in the United States. In 1950 one such epidemic hit the Commonwealth of Virginia, with the Appalachian town of Wytheville being so badly hit that it made national news. On this episode of Stories, Rod and Steve tell the story of the 1950 […]
In 1775, Appalachia WAS the West, and people were pouring into the region and beyond. With the purchase of millions of acres of Kentucky land by the Transylvania Company, a way was needed to get settlers over the mountains to that land. And that’s where Daniel Boone came in. Boone and a company of ax-men […]
As you probably know, Rod and I not only record and produce the podcast, we also produce programming for Stories Radio, a lot of which we don’t release to our podcast listeners. We thought you might want to hear a sample of what we put on Stories Radio, and, if you like it, you can […]
There is little else worse than a flood in the Appalachian Mountains, due to the water being funneled down deep river valleys straight into towns and cities. What is worse is when that flood could have been prevented. On this episode of Stories, Rod and Steve tell the story of the Johnstown Flood of 1889, […]
By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42629998 The 1930s saw the Great Depression come over America, and probably no place was harder hit than the coalfields of Eastern Kentucky. During that decade, Harlan County was the epicenter of a great struggle to establish the union, and it was a bloody one. Today, we tell the story […]
There are tales of strange creatures seen in the mines and caves of Appalachia. On this episode, Rod and Steve tell the story of the giants in the earth, on Stories. You can subscribe at iTunes, the iPhone podcast app, Google Play or on your favorite Android or Windows phone podcast app. We’re on Facebook […]
Moonshining has long been associated with Appalachia. Probably the most well-known and well-marketed moonshiner was Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton of Cocke County, Tennessee. Popcorn dressed the part, at least the way he believed everybody outside the area thought a moonshiner should look like. And he made sure everybody knew who he was, appearing on television, in […]
In the hills of North Georgia in the 19th century lived a farmer named Micajah Clark Dyer. Dyer wasn’t just a Georgia farmer, though. He was a self-taught inventor and tinkerer whose passion was flight. Clark Dyer devised a very detailed flying machine that not only received a patent from the U.S. Patent office, but […]
In 1780, the Patriot cause was suffering from losses across the colonies. Then, a British commander threatened to cross the Appalachians and lay waste to the settlements established in what is now East Tennessee, and that changed everything. Around 1400 militia were mustered from Southwest Virginia, present-day East Tennessee and Western North Carolina and set […]
In the spring of 1891, wealthy Pikeville, Kentucky, businessman James Hatcher buried his young wife, Octavia, after she apparently died while giving birth to their baby boy, who also died. Unfortunately, there was a bout of African sleeping sickness going around the coalfields at about this same time, with the symptoms mimicking death. On this […]
In 1903, the Wentz family of Philadelphia was in control of the Virginia Coal and Iron Company and Stonega Coal and Coke. In that year, young Edward Wentz came to the coalfields of Wise County, Virginia, to help manage the corporate property. In fact, Edward took a personal hand in patrolling the property, throwing out […]
Starting in the mid-19th century, just before the Civil War, there were several Tennessee court cases that helped define the role of the mysterious people known as “Melungeons” in Appalachian society. On this episode, Rod and Steve tell the story of those cases as well as the history, as best it can be determined, of […]
There is a Cherokee legend about a war with a fair-skinned people with blue eyes and beards, who were extremely sensitive to light. One version of this legend has them responsible for pre-Columbian stone fortifications located in Georgia, pictured above. This week on Stories, Rod and Steve tell the story of the Moon-eyed people of […]
In the fall of 1902, a sickly Englishman arrived in Asheville, North Carolina, from parts unknown. He passed away shortly thereafter and, over the next seven years, became a part of the fabric of the mountain town, until he left just as mysteriously as he came. It’s the story of the Duke of Asheville, on […]
On this week’s episode of Stories, Rod and Steve tell you the story of the Harpes, two men who, at the turn of the 19th century, led authorities on a horrific crime spree from North Carolina to Illinois and back again, leaving numerous murder victims in their wake.
In 1929 a series of textile mill strikes hit the southeastern United States, starting in Elizabethton, Tennessee. On this episode, Rod and Steve tell the story of what happened in Elizabethton when workers went on strike against the rayon plants there. Thanks for listening to the podcast!
Sometimes love just isn’t enough. At least it wasn’t for Harry Powers of Quiet Dell, West Virginia. On today’s episode, we tell a story of murder in the singles ads in 1920’s West Virginia. You can subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app. We’re also on Facebook, where we have even more stories […]
In 1873, there was a world-wide cholera epidemic. One of the worst hit places in the Appalachian region was the East Tennessee town of Greeneville, which saw 90 percent of its population either die or flee in absolute terror. The illness even struck a retired American president who lived in the town. On this episode […]
In 1896, Elva Zona Heaster met and married Edward Shue, a drifter who had just arrived in Elva’s hometown of Greenbrier, West Virginia, to work as a blacksmith. In less than a year, she would be dead and buried and her killer undiscovered but for her appearance as an apparition to her mother, who led […]
When there is a public execution, one expects a somber affair. That wasn’t the case with John Morgan of Ripley, whose hanging on December 16, 1897, for a grisly triple murder had more of a carnival atmosphere, which led the state of West Virginia to outlaw public hangings the next year. On this episode of […]
In the 1790s money was short on the Appalachian frontier, so most farmers would distill their corn into whiskey and use that as a medium of exchange. Then, the federal government, looking for ways to pay debt incurred fighting the Revolution, levied a tax on that whiskey, which led to an uprising across the Appalachians, […]
In the summer of 1859, as the country was rapidly coming apart over the issue of slavery, a man slipped into the Appalachian town of Harper’s Ferry, Virginia under an assumed name and began preparing to spark a massive slave revolt. In the end, what was waiting for John Brown was not a revolution but […]
On today’s episode of Stories, Steve tells the story of David Grier, who spent his adult life atop Big Bald Mountain, just above Flag Pond, Tennessee on the North Carolina border. You might call him the Appalachian Thoreau, but Grier had an odd streak about him, which landed him in a trial for murder and, […]
Up until the end of the nineteenth century, most “doctoring” in the rural parts of Appalachia was done by folk healers or “granny-women,” who used old time roots and herbs and traditional treatments. One of the first true doctors to settle in the mountains of Southwest Virginia was an Englishman named Lawrence Haddon, who came […]
In the mid-19th century, American “filibusters” descended on Latin America with an eye on extending the United States’ influence over the area. The most notorious of these men was William Walker of Tennessee, who led his band of Tennessee and Kentucky mercenaries into Nicaragua, where he made himself dictator. To this day, Walker’s name is […]
In Eastern Kentucky, around Troublesome Creek, lived a group of families that were normal in all respects, but for one: many of them went through life with blue-tinged skin. On this episode of Stories, Rod and Steve tell the story of the Blue Fugates and how science explains their “blueness.” You can subscribe to the […]
At one time, Buchanan County, Virginia, was the home of the largest number of millionaires in the Commonwealth of Virginia, due to the money to be made mining coal. Probably the best known of these “one percenters” was Arthur M. Ratliff, also known as “Smiley.” Smiley Ratliff was a World War II vet, the first […]
In the hills of West Virginia, at White Sulphur Springs, is a fine resort, the Greenbrier. There you can enjoy fine living and also take a tour of a Cold War relic: the underground nuclear bunker designed to protect the elite of Washington politics in the event of a nuclear war with the Russians. On […]
On this episode of Stories we have a tale of love and sex and murder in the mountains of North Carolina. Steve and Rod tell you the story of Tom Dula of Wilkes County, North Carolina, whose life has been immortalized in the song “Tom Dooley.” Thanks for your ears!
Corporal Edward Dickenson from the Cracker’s Neck section of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, was captured by the Chinese during the Korean War and was one of a handful of Americans who initially refused to return to America after the war. On this episode of Stories, Steve and Rod tell you the story of Corporal Dickenson’s […]
On October 4, 1960, the lives of the residents of Kingsport, Tennessee, changed forever. It was on that date that a massive explosion occurred at the Tennessee Eastman Chemical Plant in the city, causing 15 deaths and more than 200 injuries. On this episode of Stories, Rod and Steve tell the story of that horrible […]
The world was in the middle of the Cold War on May 1, 1960, when a young Pound, Virginia, man set off on a U-2 flight from Pakistan which ended up making him part of the history of not only Appalachia, but the world. On this episode of Stories, Steve and Rod tell you the […]
On New Years Eve, 1952, 17 year old Charlie Carr was on a mission to deliver country music star Hank Williams to a concert in Canton, Ohio, and ended up driving into Appalachian history. Despite Charlie’s efforts, Hank didn’t make it to Canton, having died somewhere between Bristol, Virginia and Oak Hill, West Virginia. On […]
On December 18th, 1915, widower and President, Woodrow Wilson, married Edith Galt, from Wytheville, Virginia. The new First Lady went on to help her husband through a stroke and, some say, actually run the country during the last year of his presidency. On today’s episode, Rod and Steve tell her story. You can subscribe to […]
In 1912, Hillsville, Virginia, was the site of a deadly shootout in the Carroll County circuit courtroom that left the judge, a prosecutor, the sheriff and a witness dead, all because one man was intent on never seeing the inside of a jail cell. This week, it’s the story of the Carroll County Courthouse shootout, […]
On this episode of Stories, Rod tells the story of Dickenson County native Shifty Powers, World War II vet who was one of several men whose lives were portrayed in the HBO series, “Band of Brothers.” You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on your iPhone podcast app. If you have an Android […]
This week we bring you the story of what happened after the massacre at Matewan, West Virginia, when striking coal miners set off the largest and bloodiest labor revolt in American history. It’s the story of the Battle of Blair Mountain, part of the history of Appalachia. Thanks for listening!
On this episode of the podcast, we tell you about one of the worst winter storms to ever hit the Appalachian region. Over Thanksgiving weekend of 1950, Pennsylvania and New York saw record flooding, parts of West Virginia saw five feet of snow, there were tornadoes and heavy rain on the eastern side of the […]
On this episode of Stories, Steve tells the story of the state that might have been, the State of Franklin. Consisting of the current East Tennessee counties of Washington, Sullivan, Greene, Unicoi, Carter, Johnson, Hawkins, Hancock, Cocke and Sevier, the state was one of two mountain areas that declared their independence, the other being Vermont. […]
Eastern Kentucky lawman, U.S. marshall, Confederate and Union soldier, circus performer, bigamist, model for John Fox, Jr.’s Devil Jud Tolliver, and legend. Today we tell the story of Bad John Wright of Letcher County, Kentucky. Thanks for listening!
On this episode of Stories, Steve and Rod tell you the story of the birth of country music in what has been called “The Big Bang of country music.” It’s the story of how a New York record engineer and producer found his way to Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee and discovered the sound of gold in the […]
On this episode of Stories, Rod tells a ghost story, about a “haint” at the Tavern in Abingdon, Virginia, who just might pinch your behind! Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening…
In 1929 there was an outbreak of deadly tornadoes in the eastern U.S., including Appalachia. One of the worst hit places was in Rye Cove, Virginia, where the twister destroyed a school. On this episode, we tell the story of that tornado and its aftermath. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or Stitcher […]
On this episode of the podcast, Steve tells the story of how a 12 mile wide strip of land led to a war between North Carolina and Georgia in the early 19th century. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or Stitcher or on your favorite Android or Windows phone podcast app. You can […]
On this episode of Stories, Steve and Rod tell the story of what is possibly the worst mining disaster in the history of Virginia. Forty-five men lost their lives in 1938 when an explosion tore through the Red Jacket Coal Company’s mine at Keen Mountain, near Grundy, at shift change time. You can subscribe to […]
On this episode, we tell the story of a will left by Lloyd Ford, of Washington County, Tennessee. This will was the subject of a pre-Civil War court battle in Jonesborough between Mr. Ford’s children and his slaves, and it went all the way up to the Tennessee Supreme Court, leading to a landmark decision. […]
In 1920, UMWA organizing was in full swing, with the union successfully gaining pay raises and better working conditions in mines across the country. In that year, John L. Lewis set his sights on the coal fields of West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and Southwest Virginia, and the mine owners responded with force. On this episode, […]
Today Steve tells the story of Gabriel Arthur, 17th century fur trader and explorer who was adopted into the Cherokee tribe and who was the first English colonist to travel through the Cumberland Gap, 80 years before Dr. Thomas Walker traveled to the area. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or on your […]
This is the story of a witch. Not a real witch, but an elderly lady by the name of Jane Dutton who was accused of being a witch by her neighbor. Aunt Jane, as she was known, didn’t take that insult lightly; she promptly sued her neighbor and we’ll tell you what happened on this […]
It’s only three days til Christmas…or is it fifteen? This week, Steve lets you know which when he tells the story of Old Christmas in the mountains. Then Rod tells you about the Santa Train, which runs from Kentucky, through Virginia, and into Tennessee every year, passing out food, candy, toys and clothing to the […]
The summer of 1919 was known as “Red Summer,” due to the spreading influence of communism around the world after World War I. Race riots were occurring around the United States, and the unrest came to Knoxville, Tennessee at the end of August, 1919. On this episode, Steve tells the story of the riot and […]
In this week’s podcast Steve tells the story of Condy Dabney of Harlan County, Kentucky, who, in 1925, was convicted of murdering a young girl. But…did he do it? You can subscribe to Stories on iTunes or on Stitcher, or on your favorite Android or Windows podcast app. We also have a Facebook page, and […]
In this episode, Rod tells the story of the election of an all-woman town council and mayor in the town of Clintwood, Virginia, in the late 1940’s. This was so unusual, it made national and international news, and was used as propaganda by the Voice of America in its broadcasts to the USSR! Thanks for […]
Prior to gaining power in Europe, both Hitler with his brownshirts and Mussolini with his blackshirts set the stage for gaining power as fascists in Germany and Italy. Other fascist movements arose at that same time in different parts of the world, such as under Franco in Spain and Oswald Mosley in Britain. But did […]
“Doc” Marshall Benton Taylor On this episode of the podcast, Steve and Rod tell a story of violence, murder, revenge and justice in Wise County, Virginia, in the 1890’s. It’s the story of Doc Taylor and Ira Mullins and how their hatred for each other led to a massacre in the Pound Gap between Virginia […]
Listen as Steve and Rod tell you the story of an armed uprising against the political machine running McMinn County, Tennessee, in the late 1940’s, led by returning World War II GIs. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Stitcher, the podcast app on your iPhone or on your favorite Android or Windows phone […]
On this episode of Stories, we have a true mountain crime story, as Rod tells of a young Pound, Virginia, schoolteacher who was twice convicted of killing her father in 1935. Subscribe by clicking the appropriate button below, either iTunes or Android. You can also subscribe to the podcast at Stitcher.com. Thanks for listening, and […]
This week’s story is a well-known story about the Sparks’ World-Famous Circus and its visit to Kingsport, Tennessee, 99 years ago. The day’s festivities turned deadly, and the rest is, as they say, history… You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or Stitcher, or on your favorite iPhone, Android or Windows phone app. Thanks […]
On this week’s podcast, Rod Mullins tells us the story of the legend of Swift’s Lost Silver Mine, supposedly located somewhere in the hills of Southwest Virginia. Rod also shares a personal connection to this legend, as well as trying to pin down the general location of the mine. If you like the podcast, please […]
Today, I’m sharing the story of John Randolph Neal, Jr., whose life revolved around the law. Neal was a rather eccentric law professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law in the 1920’s who went on to defend both famous clients (in Dayton, Tennessee) and not so famous clients (in Elizabethton, Tennessee, Harlan, Kentucky, […]
We have a sports-related podcast this week as Steve and Rod tell you the story of a woman from Scott County, Virginia, who traveled the country playing professional women’s basketball in the 1960’s, on the All-American Redheads team. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Stitcher or on your favorite Android podcast app. Thanks […]
This week on the podcast, Steve and Rod go back to the 1790’s to tell you the story of the last raid of the Cherokee warrior Bob Benge against the settlers of Scott, Lee and Wise Counties in Southwest Virginia. You can subscribe to the podcast on your iPhone or Android phone by clicking the […]
This week, Steve and Rod tell you the story of one of Southwest Virginia’s minor league baseball teams, the Norton Braves. Thanks for listening! View image | gettyimages.com
In 1788, a brash 21 year-old came over the mountains from North Carolina to the frontier,seeking fame and fortune as a lawyer. Andrew Jackson began a long and illustrious career in what’s now Jonesborough, Tennessee, when he was sworn in as an attorney there that spring. Find out what else he was up to in […]
Welcome to our new podcast, Stories, A History of East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Each week we’ll take a look at the history of the area, one story at a time. This week, it’s the story of the Holston Defense employee who passed plant secrets to the Russians during World War II, leading to the […]