The Goat ManThe Goat Man
From the 1930s to the 1980s an itinerant preacher from Georgia traveled throughout Appalachia and beyond in a ramshackle wagon pulled by a herd of goats. It was his way
Category: The Great Depression
An Appalachian “Rip Van Winkle”An Appalachian “Rip Van Winkle”
One evening back in 1938 Clara Reynolds, of White Pine, Tennessee, went to bed. She woke up 12 years later! During that time her brother and sister-in-law cared for her,
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,
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
The “Hillbilly Girl” Murder Case: Edith MaxwellThe “Hillbilly Girl” Murder Case: Edith Maxwell
In 1935 a young Appalachian teacher from Pound, Virginia, was arrested for the murder of her abusive father. The trials that followed attracted the attention of the national press, which
The Bombing of the Gouge HomeThe Bombing of the Gouge Home
On January 7, 1938, a blast rocked the little community of Hampton, Tennessee. After the smoke cleared, the home of Harmon and Pauline Gouge was in ruins, their three daughters
The Hawk’s Nest Tunnel DisasterThe Hawk’s Nest Tunnel Disaster
Hawk’s Nest is in the mountains of West Virginia, not far from Fayetteville. From there you have a lovely view of the New River as it curves around the mountains
Smoky Mountains National Park Sets New Visitor Record – August 6, 1937Smoky Mountains National Park Sets New Visitor Record – August 6, 1937
On this day in 1937 it was announced that the new Smoky Mountains National Park broke a record for visitors during the month of July, with 132,539 people entering the
Robert Porterfield and the Barter TheaterRobert Porterfield and the Barter Theater
From its beginnings in a former church, the Barter Theater has become the premiere theatrical destination in Appalachia, starting the careers of many a Broadway and Hollywood actor. Today we
The Appalachian Rip Van WinkleThe Appalachian Rip Van Winkle
In the Washington Irving story, Rip Van Winkle partakes in some boozy fun in the Catskill Mountains in New York, then falls asleep for 20 years, waking to find the