Stories-a History Of Appalachia, One Story At A Time

In the heart of Appalachia, a legend looms as large as the mountains themselves. Today, we tell the story of John Wesley Wright.Born in the Elkhorn Valley of Kentucky, John Wright's life was a mix of adventure, violence, and survival. From his early days as a Confederate soldier making a daring escape from Union forces, Wright's exploits during the Civil War set the stage for his legendary status. But his story doesn't end with the war. Wright's journey led him to the circus spotlight alongside his uncle, the famed Kentucky Giant, Martin Van Buren Bates, to the shadowy world of manhunting with the Pinkerton and Baldwin-Felts detective agencies.As a lawman, Wright's reputation for meting out justice was as formidable as his skills with a gun, earning him the nicknames "Bad John” and “Devil John” from those outlaws he pursued and captured.  But his life was not solely defined by bullets and bravado. Wright's complex personal life, fathering over 30 children with multiple women, paints a portrait of a man as mul

Today we venture into the untamed wilderness of the late 18th-century Appalachian frontier, along the Ohio River. In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, Steve and Rod unearth the life and lore of Lewis Wetzel, a man whose name is etched in the annals of history as a fearless pioneer, frontiersman, and Indian fighter.    Join us on a journey through time as we trace Wetzel’s origins from uncertain beginnings to his rise as a formidable force known for his exceptional weapon skills who earned the name “Deathwind.” We’ll recount his harrowing escape from capture at just 13 years old, his notorious reputation that stirred a mix of fear and admiration, and the long, dark ponytail that became his trademark among the ladies of the frontier.    But Wetzel’s story is not without its shadows. We explore the controversial actions and the thirst for vengeance that drove him to extremes.  From daring jailbreaks to a life’s end shrouded in mystery, this is a tale that mirrors the complexities of the Appalachian frontier

Step into the world of Appalachian giants with the incredible tale of Joseph Jefferson Copeland, known to all as Big Joe, the strongest man in Tennessee. In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins bring to life the legend of a man whose feats of strength and size became the benchmark for tales of might in the 19th century.  Join us as we explore the life of Big Joe. We'll share anecdotes that are as heartwarming as they are jaw-dropping, including a Kentucky challenger who learned the true meaning of strength—not through combat, but over a meal and a barrel of whiskey.  Don't miss this extraordinary episode that proves, once again, they grow them big in Appalachia. Subscribe to the Stories podcast on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, or your favorite podcast platform.  Thank you for listening and remember to share these Appalachian stories with your friends.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-appalachia--5553692/support.

In this captivating episode of Stories of Appalachia, we delve into the lucky discovery that forever altered the lives of a father and son in Monroe County, West Virginia. Join Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins as they recount the day in 1928 when a simple game of horseshoes unearthed a treasure that would remain hidden in plain sight for 15 years. Hear the tale of the Punch Jones Diamond, an alluvial gem weighing a staggering 34.48 carats, and its journey from an ordinary backyard to the record books as North America's largest diamond of its kind. But riches and records aside, this story takes unexpected turns, from a World War II tragedy to a family's unique claim to fame that even caught the eye of President Franklin Roosevelt.Discover the mystery of how the diamond ended up where it was, the theories that abound, and the legacy left behind by the Jones family. It's an Appalachian story of luck, loss, and the twists of fate that can change fortunes overnight. Don't miss this glittering episode of the Stories pod

Discover the fascinating tale of George Maledon, the legendary hangman for Arkansas' Hanging Judge Parker, and his peculiar path to Tennessee's Mountain Home veterans cemetery. Uncover a piece of Old West justice on our latest podcast episode.Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast...we're on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-appalachia--5553692/support.

Today we tell the story of the deadliest mine disaster in Eastern Kentucky history, the explosion in shafts number 15 and 16 at Hurricane Creek near Hyden, Kentucky.The Stories podcast is on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Be sure to subscribe!Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-appalachia--5553692/support.

Russell Bean was the son of William Bean and his wife, Lydia, the first people to settle in what's now Tennessee and for whom Bean Station is named. Russell, considered the first child of European descent to be born in the future Tennessee, was a large, strong man with a temper who most folks avoided that temper came to a boil.Andrew Jackson was a judge on the Tennessee Superior Court, hearing cases at the Washington County Courthouse in Jonesborough at the turn of the 19th century. He also had a reputation of being a strong-willed man with a temper.And one fateful day the two came face-to-face near Jonesborough.Today we tell that story.Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast so you don't miss any of our stories. We're on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Goodpods, Audible or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.Thank you so much for listening and for sharing our Stories of Appalachia with your friends.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-appalachia--5553692/

In the 1880s and 1890s a bloody feud was happening across two Appalachian counties, with conflicts over hogs, shootings, ambushes, cabins set on fire and the threat of the governor to call in the state militia to stop it.This feud was NOT between the Hatfield and McCoy families in Kentucky and West Virginia. This one was about a hundred miles to the southwest, in Hancock and Hawkins counties in Tennessee and was so violent it's remembered as the Greene-Jones War instead of the Greene-Jones Feud.Today we tell that story.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-appalachia--5553692/support.

After the Civil War, as the South lay in ruins, a group of freedmen decided to depart the Mississippi plantation on which they had been held as slaves in search of a promised land. They found it...in the mountains of Appalachia.Come along with us as we tell the story of one of the first successful black communities in the south, the Kingdom of the Happy Land.Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast at Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.And we invite you to be a supporter of the Stories of Appalachia podcast on Spreaker! As a member, you'll get bonus episodes of the podcast, early access to new releases and other perks...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-appalachia--5553692/support.

Billy Dean Anderson was born in Fentress County, Tennessee, and, by all accounts, lived a normal law-abiding life as he grew up, even becoming a volunteer preacher in his church.Then it all went horribly wrong.He and some other men held up a theater in Jamestown, beginning a life of crime in two states. He eventually made the FBI most wanted list.This is his story.Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast for more Stories of Appalachia...we're on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-appalachia--5553692/support.

After the Civil War a young man bought Cherry Mountain in Rutherford County, North Carolina and used the wild cherries found there to add flavor to his distilled product, illegal of course, that became a runaway hit. Not only was his distinctive "Cherry Bounce" popular in his part of Appalachia, but it was also the favored beverage on riverboats from Cincinnati to New Orleans!Today we tell the story of Amos Owens, beloved Appalachian moonshiner!Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast at Spotify, Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Audible, or on your own favorite podcast app.Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories of Appalachia with your friends!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-appalachia--5553692/support.

John Romulus Brinkley was born in Burnsville, North Carolina, to a former Confederate medic and his housekeeper. From those humble beginnings young Brinkley grew up to become a traveling "Quaker doctor," a medical huckster and conman in both Knoxville, Tennessee and Greenville, South Carolina, a student at several "eclectic medical schools," a successful surgeon in Kansas, renowned for his "goat gonad" transplants into willing men hoping to boost their sexual prowess, the owner of two radio stations, one of which was on the Mexican border and blasted out his goat gland pitches, along with performances by the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and many other early country music stars, all across North America with a million watt signal, and, most importantly for him, a very, very rich man. Until it all came crashing down.Today we tell the story of Appalachia's own goat gland doctor, from Burnsville, another one of the Stories of Appalachia!Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app.

Joe Brown was a hell-raiser, thug and violent alcoholic who terrorized the town of Whitmer, West Virginia at the turn of the 20th century. He did, that is, until he went a step too far.That, folks, is our story today.Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss any of our stories of Appalachia.Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories with your friends.

On January 3, 1921, a massive fire broke out at the West Virginia state capitol in Charleston. Not a big deal, you might be thinking, fires happen all the time. This one, though, had a twist or three, as you'll find out.Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast, at Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Audible or on your favorite podcast app.Thanks for listening and for sharing our little podcast with your friends!

On December 30, 1881, 30 convicts, along with their guards, were shackled and deposited on the banks of the Tuckaseegee River near Dillboro, North Carolina, with a job to do: cross the river in a boat and then start digging out the Cowee Tunnel for the Western North Carolina Railroad. 19 of the 30 didn't make it across alive.Today we tell that tragic story.Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast at Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, or on your favorite podcast app.Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends.

In the early 1900's a young mother in Polk County, North Carolina, had a decision to make. She had separated from her abusive husband and had several young children to feed, house and clothe, with very few job prospects. So she started her own business...moonshining. Bettie Simms was good at that chosen profession but, as so often happens, she had a run-in with the law.Today we tell the story of the woman the press dubbed "The Queen of the Moonshiners," another one of the Stories of Appalachia!Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast so you don't miss any of our stories. We're on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker, Audible and on your favorite podcast app, too.Thanks for listening and for sharing our little podcast with your friends.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553692/advertisement

With Christmas fast approaching, Rod and Steve talk about the history and the folklore behind Christmas in Appalachia...You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PlayerFM, Spreaker, Audible or on your favorite podcast app, whatever that might be.Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, y'all!This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553692/advertisement

David Crockett Beaty was a farmer in Fentress County, Tennessee...until the start of the Civil War.He became a guerrilla fighter in that war, on the side of the Union, with his most well-known rebel counterpart being Champ Ferguson, with whom he had a running war all its own. Today we tell the story of Tinker Dave Beaty, Union guerrilla/outlaw.Be sure to subscribe on our YouTube channel or on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss any of our Stories of Appalachia!This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553692/advertisement

In 1902 coal miners struck the mines along the New River, seeking better wages and better working conditions. The strike continued until February 25, 1903, when a massive gun battle broke out between miners and coal company men, including detectives from the Baldwin-Felts agency and local law enforcement. The battle was fierce, with both sides exchanging gunfire for approximately five minutes.Many of the miners, faced with overwhelming firepower, rushed out of the building and surrendered. However, some fled into the woods, where they were pursued and arrested.This conflict was a precursor of the West Virginia Mine Wars, which would begin in earnest ten years later at Paint Creek and Cabin Creek.Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast at Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553692/advertisement

In 1843 a prominent man in Jamestown, Tennessee, distributed a broadsheet, under an assumed name, accusing the wife of a tavern owner of being, among other sordid things, a "witch of the most extraordinary power." That, as you can imagine, led to legal action in the Fentress County courts. Today we tell the story of the Fentress County witch, another one of the Stories of Appalachia!Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast so you don't miss any of our stories of Appalachian history and folklore. Go to Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Spotify, Audible, Goodpods or on your favorite podcast app.Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends...This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553692/advertisement