The Misadventures of Dick FellowsThe Misadventures of Dick Fellows
This week on our YouTube channel, we unravel the amazing tale of George Brittain Lyttle, a privileged youth from Harlan County, Kentucky who chose a life of crime over the
Category: The 1890’s
Devil John Wright of the CumberlandsDevil John Wright of the Cumberlands
In the heart of Appalachia, a legend looms as large as the mountains themselves. Today, we tell the story of John Wesley Wright. Born in the Elkhorn Valley of Kentucky,
The Greene-Jones WarThe Greene-Jones War
In the 1880s and 1890s a bloody feud was happening across two Appalachian counties, with conflicts over hogs, shootings, ambushes, cabins set on fire and the threat of the governor
The Kingdom of the Happy LandThe Kingdom of the Happy Land
After the Civil War, as the South lay in ruins, a group of freedmen decided to depart the Mississippi plantation on which they had been held as slaves in search
The Appalachian Earthquake of 1897The Appalachian Earthquake of 1897
Rod and Steve share the story of one of the largest earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains, which happened in Pearisburg, Virginia, in 1897. Plus an announcement about our YouTube
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
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 Pound Gap Massacre (Video)The Pound Gap Massacre (Video)
In 1892 a terrible and brutal murder took place at Pound Gap in Virginia, one of the most notorious crimes ever committed in Southwest Virginia. Here’s a link to a
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
French, The Alderson LionFrench, The Alderson Lion
In 1890 the circus came to Alderson, West Virginia. When the circus moved on, it left a new resident of the town, which became loved by all, well, except for