WonderlandWonderland
Today we tell the story of the Wonderland Hotel and the area around it, Elkmont, both part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can subscribe to the Stories
Category: The Great Depression
The Flood of 1939The Flood of 1939
On July 5th, 1939, heavy rains in Eastern Kentucky led to massive flooding, affecting 21 counties with the worst of the floods happening in Rowan and Breathitt counties. The rains
The Notorious Kinnie WagnerThe Notorious Kinnie Wagner
In 1924 a circus sharp shooter accused of killing a deputy sheriff in Mississippi managed to escape and return to his home in Appalachia. From there Kinnie Wagner went on
Who Am I ?Who Am I ?
Today we tell the story of an East Tennessee man who realized after 20 years of marriage that he wasn’t who he always thought he was. You can subscribe to
Bouncing Bertha’s GhostBouncing Bertha’s Ghost
In 1938 a family had an encounter with an Appalachian ghost when young Bertha Sybert’s bed began to shake mysteriously every night. Soon people were coming from all over the
March 30, 1930March 30, 1930
On this day in 1930 work began to construct a 3 mile tunnel beneath Gauley Mountain in West Virginia. The reason for the tunnel was to divert the waters of
Brushy Mountain’s Prodigal SonBrushy Mountain’s Prodigal Son
An attempted robbery of a Johnson City, Tennessee, laundry in 1930 eventually led to a stint in Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, a prisoners strike and an escape for the robber.
William FayssouxWilliam Fayssoux
William Irvine Fayssoux was a psychic and illusionist in the south early in the 20th century. He traveled throughout Appalachia, performing feats that would seem incredible even today. There’s little
Lillie LaddLillie Ladd
In 1927 the wife of the Roane County, Tennessee, sheriff managed to persuade two escaped prisoners to return to the jail in Kingston without using a weapon of any kind.
The Bunch GangThe Bunch Gang
In May, 1934, a man wanted for the robbery of a bank in Ewing, Virginia, made a daring escape from the Cocke County, Tennessee, jail. Thus started a summer of