HillbillyHillbilly
To many the word “Appalachia” is synonymous with the word “hillbilly,” for better or for worse. Often used as a derogatory term by non-residents of the region, many here have
Month: December 2022
The Frontier Nursing ServiceThe Frontier Nursing Service
In the 1920s the granddaughter of a U.S. Vice-President established a unique nurse/midwife service in rural eastern Kentucky. Mary Carson Breckinridge led this program until she died in 1965, providing
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
Christmas Traditions in AppalachiaChristmas Traditions in Appalachia
It is Christmas week, folks, so join us as we talk about Old Christmas and some Appalachian Christmas folklore. Merry Christmas, all! https://youtu.be/2VWrqxTJFpE https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/52218846/download.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe:
Moonshine, Murder and a Hatfield JailbreakMoonshine, Murder and a Hatfield Jailbreak
In 1923 two moonshiners killed a man in Dickenson County, Virginia, over a bad run of moonshine. The two were tried and sentenced in Clintwood, then sent to the jail
The Saltville Muck Dam CollapseThe Saltville Muck Dam Collapse
Christmas Eve, 1924, started like Christmas Eve always had, with people getting ready for family gatherings, caroling, and opening presents the next morning. That’s not what ended up happening in
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
Frankie Silver: An Appalachian Woman Hanged for MurderFrankie Silver: An Appalachian Woman Hanged for Murder
In the early part of the 19th century, a woman was arrested for the gruesome murder of her husband in what’s now Mitchell County, North Carolina. Some said she acted
How Two of Appalachia’s Highest Peaks Got Their NamesHow Two of Appalachia’s Highest Peaks Got Their Names
The tallest mountain east of the Mississippi River is Mount Mitchell in North Carolina, standing at 6684 ft above sea level. Clingman’s Dome in Tennessee is the third tallest mountain