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
Category: The Great Depression
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
The Showgirl and the Tobacco HeirThe Showgirl and the Tobacco Heir
On November 23, 1931, 20-year-old Zachary Smith Reynolds of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was divorced from his first wife. Six days later he married his second wife, Broadway showgirl Libby Holman,
The Harlan County Coal War (Podcast Episode)The Harlan County Coal War (Podcast Episode)
During the Great Depression of the 1930s coal miners in Harlan County, Kentucky, struck against the coal operators for better pay and better working conditions. These strikes often turned violent
The Harlan County Coal WarThe Harlan County Coal War
In the 1930s the Harlan County coal war, also referred to as “Bloody Harlan,” occurred. A series of strikes, bombings and gun battles between striking miners and coal company guards,