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
Month: March 2023
Abijah Alley, Appalachian Preacher, Traveler and ProphetAbijah Alley, Appalachian Preacher, Traveler and Prophet
230 years ago a man was born in the Long Hollow section of Scott County, Virginia. This man grew up to become a Shaker, then a spiritualist and lay preacher,
Hell’s CabinHell’s Cabin
There was once a cabin down by Sinking Creek at the foot of Droop Mountain in West Virginia, or so it’s been told. That cabin was the home of a
The Girl From Slab Fork, West VirginiaThe Girl From Slab Fork, West Virginia
Doris Payne was born in 1930 to a coal miner in Slab Fork, West Virginia. She didn’t stay there. In fact, she ended up traveling the world for decades pursuing
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 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 Knoxville Race RiotThe Knoxville Race Riot
In 1919 a wave of riots and lynchings occurred across America, fueled in part by a fear of communism and communist agitation among minorites and in part by fear of