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
The Appalachian Insurrection of 1917The Appalachian Insurrection of 1917
As the United States entered World War I, it was found to be necessary to start drafting men to serve in the military. That decision was met with widespread resistance
The Kentucky Cannibal: Boone HelmThe Kentucky Cannibal: Boone Helm
Right before and during the Civil War an outlaw roamed the West who was unlike any of the other outlaws you might have heard of. This man, born and raised
An Appalachian Frontier Legend: Simon Kenton, Part TwoAn Appalachian Frontier Legend: Simon Kenton, Part Two
Today we wrap up our story about legendary Appalachian explorer, longhunter and guide Simon Kenton, who went from explorer and longhunter to owning hundreds of thousands of acres of frontier
An Appalachian Frontier Legend: Simon Kenton, Part OneAn Appalachian Frontier Legend: Simon Kenton, Part One
Today we have a story so big we had to split it into two parts! Simon Kenton was an Appalachian explorer, longhunter and guide. His life was so filled with
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 Amazing Life of One-Armed JimmyThe Amazing Life of One-Armed Jimmy
Today we tell the story of a man who refused to let a “disability” keep him down. Linguist, athlete, amateur astronomer, adventurer and genealogist James Brownlow Lawson from Sevier County,
The Buffalo Creek DisasterThe Buffalo Creek Disaster
In February, 1972, a coal company muck dam along Buffalo Creek in Logan County, West Virginia, collapsed after a winter of heavy snow and rain. The resulting flash flood of
Death on the Wilderness Road: Daniel Boone’s First Settlement Attempt in KentuckyDeath on the Wilderness Road: Daniel Boone’s First Settlement Attempt in Kentucky
In the fall of 1773 Daniel Boone led an expedition from his home in the Yadkin Valley in North Carolina, intent on settling in what would become Kentucky. This attempt
The Outlaw Otto Wood: Appalachian Escape ArtistThe Outlaw Otto Wood: Appalachian Escape Artist
Otto Wood was headed in the wrong direction from a young age. As a child he learned how to make moonshine while in the care of his relatives in West