Juan PardoJuan Pardo
In the sixteenth century, Spanish conquistadors explored the Southern Appalachians, blazing trails for an expansion of the Spanish Empire. Captain Juan Pardo led one of these expeditions, which visited Western
The Stories of Abner VanceThe Stories of Abner Vance
Back in early 1800’s Abingdon, Virginia, lived a Baptist minister named Abner Vance, who had a daughter named Betty. Betty was done wrong romantically by a local doctor, and Vance
Squeaky’s RunSqueaky’s Run
On December 23, 1987, a prisoner escaped from the Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, West Virginia. But this wasn’t just any prisoner, this was a member of the Manson Family,
A Pot Of Gold In Cocke CountyA Pot Of Gold In Cocke County
Today’s story takes place in Cocke County, Tennessee, nearly a hundred years ago. It’s a story of greed, deception, and murder involving a non-existent pot of Spanish gold. We appreciate
Glenn Roberts, Appalachian Basketball SuperstarGlenn Roberts, Appalachian Basketball Superstar
On this episode of the podcast, we turn to the world of sports, as Rod tells the story of Pound, Virginia, native Glenn Roberts, the man who popularized the jump
The Hanging of Frankie SilverThe Hanging of Frankie Silver
Frankie Silver was an Appalachian frontierswoman with a terrible secret. All those strange ashes in the fireplace? Turns out that was her husband. At least part of him. For you
The Grundy Christmas Fire of 1915The Grundy Christmas Fire of 1915
On this episode of the podcast, Rod and Steve tell of the Great Fire of 1915 that destroyed the downtown of Grundy, county seat of Buchanan County, in Virginia. You
Katy SageKaty Sage
In Grayson County, Virginia, in the late 18th century, there was a pioneer family by the name of Sage. One morning, while Mrs. Sage was setting about washing clothes, her
Mountain Tales, Volume 3Mountain Tales, Volume 3
Today, Rod and Steve take a look back at some interesting stories in old newspapers for the third and last time, as they share some “short stories” from Appalachia. You
The Escape ArtistThe Escape Artist
Otto Wood was born in Western North Carolina and ran away from home at age 7 to live with his uncle in West Virginia. That first “escape” from his mother