Stories-a History Of Appalachia, One Story At A Time

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 […]

(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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]