Stories of Appalachia

For a century and a half the king of central Appalachia has been coal. That mineral powered the industrial revolution in America, made some men and corporations very wealthy and provided jobs for the Appalachian men and women who dug it out of the ground. Those jobs, though, didn't pay nearly well enough to justify the human costs of the work, so in 1912 miners in the Paint Creek and Cabin Creek a...

Alvin Goins was a hard worker who, like many Appalachian men of his time, never finished school and was unable to read or write. That never stopped him from getting work as a laborer in and around his home of Rhea County, Tennessee. But Mr. Goins was a little bit different. He was a mathematical genius, able to look at a pile of block, bricks and lumber and calculate in his head, almost to the las...

Starting in the latter part of the 19th century and continuing up into the 20th century a valley in Clay County, West Virginia, became the site of a series of mysterious disappearances and deaths. It only stopped with the aid of an organized mob (yeah, we know, an oxymoron, but also true). Today we tell the story of the mysterious Booger Hole. If you haven't already done so, be sure to subscribe t...

On Friday, August 14, 1914, three Glen Alum Coal Company employees were returning to the mine office with that week's payroll. They didn't make it with the money to the mine alive. Today we tell the story of the great Glen Alum payroll robbery. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast wherever you download your podcasts. Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories with your friends.

In 1912 a young man's life was transformed by his witnessing a historic tragedy: the infamous Carroll County courthouse shootout, which left several prominent lawyers, police officers and a judge dead. Bob Childress left a life of violence, ignorance and alcohol abuse for a life of faith and service, establishing several churches in his part of Appalachia, many of which still exist today. Today we...

The Pocahontas coal field, located in southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia, was one of the most productive coal areas in the United States. The town of Pocahontas, in Tazewell County, Virginia, and for which the field was named, was granted a town charter by Virginia on January 31, 1884. Less than two months later tragedy struck when the Laurel (East) mine suffered a series of massive exp...

In November 1966 a man on his way home from work literally drove into Appalachian history when he encountered a UFO blocking his way on I-77 outside Parkersburg, West Virginia. Not only that, he actually "spoke" to the occupant of said UFO! Today we tell the fascinating story of Woodrow Derenberger and his encounter with....something. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podca...

In 1948 Clintwood, Virginia, held an election for the town's offices. After the campaigning, the voting, and the vote counting, something unique for it's time had happened: All of Clintwood's elected officials were women! Today we tell the story of the first all-female elected government in Appalachia. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast so you don't miss a single one of our stories. Thank...

From the 1930s to the 1980s an itinerant preacher from Georgia traveled throughout Appalachia and beyond in a ramshackle wagon pulled by a herd of goats. It was his way of spreading the gospel and of seeing the world beyond his home. Over those years Ches McCartney became world-renowned as the Goat Man. Today we tell his story. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast...we're found on Apple Pod...

In 1820 French orphan Martin Fugate and his wife Elizabeth arrived as new settlers in eastern Kentucky. Unknown to them, they carried genetic traits that would pass on to their descendants, causing many of them to have skin that was a purplish-blue color. Today we tell the story of the blue people of Kentucky. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for lis...

On Christmas Eve, 1945, a mysterious fire broke out at the Fayetteville, West Virginia home of George and Jennie Sodder. Try as they might, George and his oldest son were unable to put out the fire, nor were they or their neighbors able to call for help, as all the phone lines in the area had stopped working. Five of the Sodder children were trapped inside the burning house, with no hope of rescue...

Theft. Infanticide. Insanity. Murder. Ghosts. The stories that surround a notorious tunnel in Tennessee contain all those elements and more. Today we tell some of those stories and tell you a little bit of the history of the infamous Sensabaugh Tunnel, near Kingsport, Tennessee, in Hawkins County. Come along with us, if you dare... Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast so you don't miss any...

A tale was told by the Cherokee of a siren that inhabited the deep whirlpools of the French Broad River in western North Carolina. These sirens were said to be demons that would lure men to their deaths in the river. Today we tell the folktale of a young man from Asheville who encountered that siren. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories of Appalachia podcast so you don't miss any of our stories. Ca...

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 just let that facial hair grow. Unbeknownst to him, that decision launched him on a path to fame and fortune throughout North America as the “Man With The Longest Beard In The World.” He met the King of England, Buffalo Bill C...

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 across the country, with protests and riots springing up. In one part of America, though, that resistance came close to turning into something akin to the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia that happened that same year. Today we tell th...

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 in eastern Kentucky, gained a reputation for not only robbery and murder, but for his practice of cannibalizing both his victims and a few of his fellow outlaws. Today we tell the story of Boone Helm, the Kentucky Cannibal. (Note: this story, wh...

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 land, businesses, and a small fortune...only to have it all ripped away from him by the end of his life. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss a single 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 adventure that it became the stuff of legend, second only to Daniel Boone, Kenton's close friend. Numerous buildings, schools, and other places bear Kenton's name in those states that border the Ohio River, testament to his place in history. To...

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 one traveling salesman. Today we tell the story of a gentle and loving lion named French, for the circus that brought him to town, another one of the stories of Appalachia. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app...

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, Tennessee, lived the life he wanted, despite the loss of his arm as a young man. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Audible, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM or on your favorite po...

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 water and gob destroyed homes, businesses and took several lives in that Appalachian holler. Today we tell that story. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app or on YouTube.

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 Virginia, to whom he had run away from home. One thing led to another and before you knew it Otto was a wanted man in at least six states. Thing is, the authorities in those states just couldn't keep Otto locked up for long, since he was always escapi...

Did some Braxton County, West Virginia, kids see a UFO back in 1952? Some folks thought so, especially after locals began exhibiting strange symptoms. Today Steve and Rod tell the tale of the Flatwoods Monster, or the Phantom of Flatwoods, as it was also called. It’s another story that makes up the history of this place we call home. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Spreaker or on your...

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 anyway, he decided to plan and hold his funeral service...while he could experience it. Today we tell the story of Uncle Bush's magnificent funeral... Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app. Follow us on...

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 mysterious man known as "Old Hell." Some folks around there said that hell was the right name, for that house became known for hellish sounds and otherworldly lights. It was also found to have more to it than that, though, and this bit of folklore is today...