The Witch DogThe Witch Dog
Back during the Great Depression East Tennessee was visited by a mysterious beast, a large dog with, some say, glowing red eyes. This dog, called the Witch Dog by some,
Bascom Lamar LunsfordBascom Lamar Lunsford
Every now and then there appears a man or woman with a sense of the true importance of the culture of Appalachia. Bascom Lamar Lunsford was one of those people.
Appalachia’s Deadliest RailroadAppalachia’s Deadliest Railroad
For 40 years starting in the 1850’s a railroad was built across the most rugged and remote parts of Appalachia, western North Carolina. This railroad was mostly completed as planned,
The “Hillbilly Girl” Murder Case: Edith MaxwellThe “Hillbilly Girl” Murder Case: Edith Maxwell
In 1935 a young Appalachian teacher from Pound, Virginia, was arrested for the murder of her abusive father. The trials that followed attracted the attention of the national press, which
The Howard-Turner FeudThe Howard-Turner Feud
In the 1880’s and early 1890’s Harlan County, Kentucky was the scene for one of the most notorious feuds aside from the one between the Hatfields and McCoys. Two prominent
Champ Ferguson, Appalachian Guerrilla Fighter (Video)Champ Ferguson, Appalachian Guerrilla Fighter (Video)
During the Civil War a man from Kentucky who had moved to Tennessee joined the Confederate side as a guerrilla fighter. Due to his extreme anger issues he soon became
The Bombing of the Gouge HomeThe Bombing of the Gouge Home
On January 7, 1938, a blast rocked the little community of Hampton, Tennessee. After the smoke cleared, the home of Harmon and Pauline Gouge was in ruins, their three daughters
The Dolly Parton MuralThe Dolly Parton Mural
Near Market Square in downtown Knoxville is Strong Alley. There you’ll find artwork painted on the building walls by local East Tennessee artists. The most notable work there is a
John Fox Jr., An Appalachian StorytellerJohn Fox Jr., An Appalachian Storyteller
One of the first writers to bring the real Appalachia to the world was John Fox Jr., who had come to the coal boom town of Big Stone Gap, making
The Dunglen HotelThe Dunglen Hotel
During the post-Civil War coal boom in West Virginia, many new towns were founded to serve the coal industry and the railroads that hauled that coal to market. One of