The Blue People of KentuckyThe Blue People of Kentucky
In 1820 French orphan Martin Fugate and his wife Elizabeth arrived as new settlers in eastern Kentucky. Unknown to them, they carried genetic traits that would pass on to their
Category: Oddities
An Appalachian “Rip Van Winkle”An Appalachian “Rip Van Winkle”
One evening back in 1938 Clara Reynolds, of White Pine, Tennessee, went to bed. She woke up 12 years later! During that time her brother and sister-in-law cared for her,
Lost Legacy: The Curious Case of The Kentucky Man Who Almost Inherited a French Fortune!Lost Legacy: The Curious Case of The Kentucky Man Who Almost Inherited a French Fortune!
Back in 1924 a poor mountaineer from Middlesboro, Kentucky, became an overnight sensation. Steve White was apparently not Steve White but instead a man named Gustave Solome, the heir to
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
The Flatwoods MonsterThe Flatwoods Monster
Did some Braxton County, West Virginia, kids see a UFO back in 1952? Some folks thought so, especially after locals began exhibiting strange symptoms. Today Steve and Rod tell the
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
The Tragic Tale of Mary the ElephantThe Tragic Tale of Mary the Elephant
In 1916 the circus came to Kingsport, Tennessee. During a parade, the star elephant, Mary, became enraged when she was jabbed behind an abscessed tooth with a metal prong, killing
The Legend of the Moon-eyed PeopleThe Legend of the Moon-eyed People
Years before European settlers moved into Appalachia, native tribes from Alabama to Ohio spoke of going to war with a mysterious race of pale-skinned people who were so sensitive to
Andrew Jackson’s Giant Wheel of CheeseAndrew Jackson’s Giant Wheel of Cheese
After America’s first Appalachian president was elected, a farmer in New York decided to send him a very fragrant gift, one which President Andrew Jackson had trouble getting rid of.