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
Category: Oddities
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.
Billy PossumBilly Possum
The opossum, or just plain possum as we tend to say, is, for a lot of folks, a symbol of Appalachia. It seems some important people happen to like possums
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 Great UFO Invasion of AppalachiaThe Great UFO Invasion of Appalachia
On a few nights in October, 1973 all over Appalachia, from Ohio to Tennessee, there was a wave of UFO sightings and reports of attempted abductions. Today we tell that
The Appalachian Rip Van WinkleThe Appalachian Rip Van Winkle
In the Washington Irving story, Rip Van Winkle partakes in some boozy fun in the Catskill Mountains in New York, then falls asleep for 20 years, waking to find the