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
Category: The 1890’s
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
The Man Who Wanted to be Alone – Uncle Nick GrindstaffThe Man Who Wanted to be Alone – Uncle Nick Grindstaff
In the late 19th century a man from Stoney Creek, in Johnson County, Tennessee, went West to seek his fortune. He found that fortune. He then lost that fortune and
The Unfetchable Melungeon Moonshiner (Video)The Unfetchable Melungeon Moonshiner (Video)
A woman who once lived atop Newman’s Ridge in Hancock County developed a reputation as the biggest moonshiner in Appalachia, literally. Her unique ability to avoid the law brought reporters
The Unfetchable MoonshinerThe Unfetchable Moonshiner
One of the biggest moonshiners (literally) in Appalachia was a Melungeon woman from Newman’s Ridge in Hancock County, Tennessee. She lived an interesting life, providing shine in many ways, including
The Greenbrier GhostThe Greenbrier Ghost
In 1897 a young woman’s neck was broken, killing her. Her husband was arrested and convicted, partly on testimony from her mother, who told the jury what the ghost of
Thirty-Seven Years on the Run: The Story of Patton and William FlanneryThirty-Seven Years on the Run: The Story of Patton and William Flannery
In 1890 two brothers were riding their horses in Scott County, Virginia, when they encountered a young acquaintance of theirs who happened to owe them money. After an argument, guns
The Appalachian “Bat-Man”The Appalachian “Bat-Man”
In 1892 a West Virginia hermit living high above the Cheat River announced to the world that he had an invention: a suit that would allow him to fly above
The Cloudland HotelThe Cloudland Hotel
After the Civil War fine hotels were built all along the mountain range that separated North Carolina and Tennessee, each one grander than the last, a sort of Guilded Age
The Hatfields and the McCoys: After the FeudThe Hatfields and the McCoys: After the Feud
When you say “feud” anywhere in America, what comes to most folks’ minds are the names “Hatfield” and “McCoy.” That notorious feud has been the stuff of legend not just