The Eccles Mine DisasterThe Eccles Mine Disaster
In 1914 a series of massive explosions occurred in the Eccles Mine No. 5 near Eccles, West Virginia in Raleigh County, West Virginia, leaving over 180 men and boys dead,
Category: The 1910’s
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: Paint Creek and Cabin CreekThe West Virginia Mine Wars: Paint Creek and Cabin Creek
For a century and a half the king of central Appalachia has been coal. That mineral powered the industrial revolution in America, made some men and corporations very wealthy and
The Dark Mystery of Booger HoleThe Dark Mystery of Booger Hole
Starting in the latter part of the 19th century and continuing up into the 20th century a valley in Clay County, West Virginia, became the site of a series of
The Great Glen Alum Payroll RobberyThe Great Glen Alum Payroll Robbery
On Friday, August 14, 1914, three Glen Alum Coal Company employees were returning to the mine office with that week’s payroll. They didn’t make it with the money to the
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
Floyd Allen: The Untamed Legacy of Hillsville’s Outlaw PatriarchFloyd Allen: The Untamed Legacy of Hillsville’s Outlaw Patriarch
In 1912 Floyd Allen was convicted for his part in freeing his nephews from custody and sentenced to a term in prison. This did NOT sit well with Mr. Allen
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
The Appalachian Insurrection of 1917The Appalachian Insurrection of 1917
As the United States entered World War I, it was found to be necessary to start drafting men to serve in the military. That decision was met with widespread resistance
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,