The 1921 West Virginia Capitol FireThe 1921 West Virginia Capitol Fire
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.
Category: The Roaring 20’s
The West Virginia Mine Wars: The Battle of Blair MountainThe West Virginia Mine Wars: The Battle of Blair Mountain
We have a mid-week extra podcast episode for you, available ONLY on our podcast YouTube channel, Stories of Appalachia Podcast. It’s our story of the Battle of Blair Mountain, the
The Outlaw Kinnie WagnerThe Outlaw Kinnie Wagner
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
Orlean Hawks Puckett, Appalachian Granny WomanOrlean Hawks Puckett, Appalachian Granny Woman
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
Cora Wilson Stewart and the Moonlight Schools of KentuckyCora Wilson Stewart and the Moonlight Schools of Kentucky
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
The West Virginia Mine Wars: MatewanThe West Virginia Mine Wars: Matewan
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,
From Darkness to Hope: The Appalachian Journey of Bob ChildressFrom Darkness to Hope: The Appalachian Journey of Bob Childress
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
The Dark Mystery of the Sensabaugh TunnelThe Dark Mystery of the Sensabaugh Tunnel
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
Lost Legacy: The Curious Case of The Kentucky Man Who Almost Inherited a French Fortune!Lost Legacy: The Curious Case of The Kentucky Man Who Almost Inherited a French Fortune!
Back in 1924 a poor mountaineer from Middlesboro, Kentucky, became an overnight sensation. Steve White was apparently not Steve White but instead a man named Gustave Solome, the heir to
Sam’s Magnificent BeardSam’s Magnificent Beard
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