Stories of Appalachia

47 Years a Hermit: The Strange Afterlife of William Hewitt47 Years a Hermit: The Strange Afterlife of William Hewitt

July 17, 2026| Steve Gilly| 0 Comment| 8:00 pm

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.

The Untamable Monster Well of 1894: Big MosesThe Untamable Monster Well of 1894: Big Moses

July 10, 2026| Steve Gilly| 0 Comment| 8:00 pm

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 Devil in the Mountains- The Story of Vincent “Clawhammer” WitcherThe Devil in the Mountains- The Story of Vincent “Clawhammer” Witcher

July 3, 2026| Steve Gilly| 2 Comments| 8:00 pm

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

A Witness to History: The Frontier Life of Captain William AsherA Witness to History: The Frontier Life of Captain William Asher

June 26, 2026| Steve Gilly| 3 Comments| 8:00 pm

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

Appalachia’s Forgotten Uprising: Claypool’s RebellionAppalachia’s Forgotten Uprising: Claypool’s Rebellion

June 19, 2026| Steve Gilly| 0 Comment| 8:00 pm

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

A State of Natural Liberty: The Incredible Life of Quill RoseA State of Natural Liberty: The Incredible Life of Quill Rose

June 12, 2026| Steve Gilly| 0 Comment| 8:00 pm

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

Stagecoaches, Soldiers and Ghosts: The Story of the Glen Ferris InnStagecoaches, Soldiers and Ghosts: The Story of the Glen Ferris Inn

June 5, 2026| Steve Gilly| 0 Comment| 8:00 pm

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

A Dark December in Kentucky: The Disappearance of Mamie WomackA Dark December in Kentucky: The Disappearance of Mamie Womack

June 5, 2026| Steve Gilly| 2 Comments| 8:00 pm

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

Into the Unknown: John Lederer’s Journeys Into AppalachiaInto the Unknown: John Lederer’s Journeys Into Appalachia

May 29, 2026| Steve Gilly| 0 Comment| 8:00 pm

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

The Varmint of Burkes GardenThe Varmint of Burkes Garden

May 22, 2026| Steve Gilly| 2 Comments| 8:00 pm

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