French, The Alderson LionFrench, The Alderson Lion
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
Author: Steve Gilly
The Amazing Life of One-Armed JimmyThe Amazing Life of One-Armed Jimmy
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,
The Buffalo Creek DisasterThe Buffalo Creek Disaster
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
Death on the Wilderness Road: Daniel Boone’s First Settlement Attempt in KentuckyDeath on the Wilderness Road: Daniel Boone’s First Settlement Attempt in Kentucky
In the fall of 1773 Daniel Boone led an expedition from his home in the Yadkin Valley in North Carolina, intent on settling in what would become Kentucky. This attempt
The Outlaw Otto Wood: Appalachian Escape ArtistThe Outlaw Otto Wood: Appalachian Escape Artist
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
The Flatwoods MonsterThe Flatwoods Monster
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
Uncle Bush’s Magnificent FuneralUncle Bush’s Magnificent Funeral
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
Abijah Alley, Appalachian Preacher, Traveler and ProphetAbijah Alley, Appalachian Preacher, Traveler and Prophet
230 years ago a man was born in the Long Hollow section of Scott County, Virginia. This man grew up to become a Shaker, then a spiritualist and lay preacher,
Hell’s CabinHell’s Cabin
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
The Girl From Slab Fork, West VirginiaThe Girl From Slab Fork, West Virginia
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