Stories of Appalachia

On this episode of Stories, Rod tells a ghost story, about a “haint” at the Tavern in Abingdon, Virginia, who just might pinch your behind! Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @storyappalachia. Thanks for listening…

In 1929 there was an outbreak of deadly tornadoes in the eastern U.S., including Appalachia. One of the worst hit places was in Rye Cove, Virginia, where the twister destroyed a school. On this episode, we tell the story of that tornado and its aftermath. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or Stitcher […]

On this episode of the podcast, Steve tells the story of how a 12 mile wide strip of land led to a war between North Carolina and Georgia in the early 19th century. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or Stitcher or on your favorite Android or Windows phone podcast app. You can […]

On this episode of Stories, Steve and Rod tell the story of what is possibly the worst mining disaster in the history of Virginia. Forty-five men lost their lives in 1938 when an explosion tore through the Red Jacket Coal Company’s mine at Keen Mountain, near Grundy, at shift change time. You can subscribe to […]

On this episode, we tell the story of a will left by Lloyd Ford, of Washington County, Tennessee. This will was the subject of a pre-Civil War court battle in Jonesborough between Mr. Ford’s children and his slaves, and it went all the way up to the Tennessee Supreme Court, leading to a landmark decision. […]

In 1920, UMWA organizing was in full swing, with the union successfully gaining pay raises and better working conditions in mines across the country. In that year, John L. Lewis set his sights on the coal fields of West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and Southwest Virginia, and the mine owners responded with force. On this episode, […]

Today Steve tells the story of Gabriel Arthur, 17th century fur trader and explorer who was adopted into the Cherokee tribe and who was the first English colonist to travel through the Cumberland Gap, 80 years before Dr. Thomas Walker traveled to the area. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or on your […]

This is the story of a witch. Not a real witch, but an elderly lady by the name of Jane Dutton who was accused of being a witch by her neighbor. Aunt Jane, as she was known, didn’t take that insult lightly; she promptly sued her neighbor and we’ll tell you what happened on this […]

It’s only three days til Christmas…or is it fifteen? This week, Steve lets you know which when he tells the story of Old Christmas in the mountains. Then Rod tells you about the Santa Train, which runs from Kentucky, through Virginia, and into Tennessee every year, passing out food, candy, toys and clothing to the needy in the area.

In this week’s podcast Steve tells the story of Condy Dabney of Harlan County, Kentucky, who, in 1925, was convicted of murdering a young girl. But…did he do it? You can subscribe to Stories on iTunes or on Stitcher, or on your favorite Android or Windows podcast app. We also have a Facebook page, and […]

In this episode, Rod tells the story of the election of an all-woman town council and mayor in the town of Clintwood, Virginia, in the late 1940’s. This was so unusual, it made national and international news, and was used as propaganda by the Voice of America in its broadcasts to the USSR! Thanks for […]

Prior to gaining power in Europe, both Hitler with his brownshirts and Mussolini with his blackshirts set the stage for gaining power as fascists in Germany and Italy. Other fascist movements arose at that same time in different parts of the world, such as under Franco in Spain and Oswald Mosley in Britain. But did […]

“Doc” Marshall Benton Taylor On this episode of the podcast, Steve and Rod tell a story of violence, murder, revenge and justice in Wise County, Virginia, in the 1890’s. It’s the story of Doc Taylor and Ira Mullins and how their hatred for each other led to a massacre in the Pound Gap between Virginia […]

Listen as Steve and Rod tell you the story of an armed uprising against the political machine running McMinn County, Tennessee, in the late 1940’s, led by returning World War II GIs. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Stitcher, the podcast app on your iPhone or on your favorite Android or Windows phone […]

This week’s story is a well-known story about the Sparks’ World-Famous Circus and its visit to Kingsport, Tennessee, 99 years ago. The day’s festivities turned deadly, and the rest is, as they say, history… You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or Stitcher, or on your favorite iPhone, Android or Windows phone app. Thanks […]

On this week’s podcast, Rod Mullins tells us the story of the legend of Swift’s Lost Silver Mine, supposedly located somewhere in the hills of Southwest Virginia. Rod also shares a personal connection to this legend, as well as trying to pin down the general location of the mine. If you like the podcast, please […]

Today, I’m sharing the story of John Randolph Neal, Jr., whose life revolved around the law. Neal was a rather eccentric law professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law in the 1920’s who went on to defend both famous clients (in Dayton, Tennessee) and not so famous clients (in Elizabethton, Tennessee, Harlan, Kentucky, […]

We have a sports-related podcast this week as Steve and Rod tell you the story of a woman from Scott County, Virginia, who traveled the country playing professional women’s basketball in the 1960’s, on the All-American Redheads team. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Stitcher or on your favorite Android podcast app. Thanks […]

This week on the podcast, Steve and Rod go back to the 1790’s to tell you the story of the last raid of the Cherokee warrior Bob Benge against the settlers of Scott, Lee and Wise Counties in Southwest Virginia. You can subscribe to the podcast on your iPhone or Android phone by clicking the […]

This week, Steve and Rod tell you the story of one of Southwest Virginia’s minor league baseball teams, the Norton Braves. Thanks for listening! View image | gettyimages.com

In 1788, a brash 21 year-old came over the mountains from North Carolina to the frontier,seeking fame and fortune as a lawyer. Andrew Jackson began a long and illustrious career in what’s now Jonesborough, Tennessee, when he was sworn in as an attorney there that spring. Find out what else he was up to in […]

Welcome to our new podcast, Stories, A History of East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Each week we’ll take a look at the history of the area, one story at a time. This week, it’s the story of the Holston Defense employee who passed plant secrets to the Russians during World War II, leading to the […]