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

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 […]

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 […]

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!

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 […]

(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 […]