Appalachian History Series Evarts High School stood at the heart of Clover Fork for most of the twentieth century, first as the community’s own secondary school, then as one of three high schools in the Harlan County district. The Wildcats carried blue and gold in halls filled with class banners, pep club signs, and KHSAA schedules.

Appalachian History Series

Evarts High School stood at the heart of Clover Fork for most of the twentieth century, first as the community’s own secondary school, then as one of three high schools in the Harlan County district. The Wildcats carried blue and gold in halls filled with class banners, pep club signs, and KHSAA schedules.

Evarts High School, Harlan County’s Wildcat School

Appalachian History Setting the stage in Western North Carolina By the spring of 1865, war in North Carolina had fractured into scattered columns, couriers, and rumors. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston had agreed to surrender terms to Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman on April 26 at Bennett Place, yet in the mountains the situation remained fluid. Confederate forces in the Western District under Brig. Gen.

Appalachian History Setting the stage in Western North Carolina   By the spring of 1865, war in North Carolina had fractured into scattered columns, couriers, and rumors. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston had agreed to surrender terms to Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman on April 26 at Bennett Place, yet in the mountains the situation remained fluid. Confederate forces in the Western District under Brig. Gen.

Waynesville, 1865: Martin’s Surrender and the “Last Shot” Legend

Appalachian History What happened At daybreak on April 30, 1863, Union Col. Abel D. Streight’s provisional brigade was pushing east along Sand Mountain when Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest’s pursuing cavalry struck the column’s rear at Day’s Gap in present-day Cullman County. The Federals stood, repulsed the first assaults, and kept moving.

Appalachian History What happened   At daybreak on April 30, 1863, Union Col. Abel D. Streight’s provisional brigade was pushing east along Sand Mountain when Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest’s pursuing cavalry struck the column’s rear at Day’s Gap in present-day Cullman County. The Federals stood, repulsed the first assaults, and kept moving.

Day’s Gap, April 30, 1863: Forrest Catches Streight on Sand Mountain

Appalachian History Series Why the cove mattered In the spring of 1864 Ulysses S. Grant pushed on all fronts in Virginia. One prong sent Brigadier General George Crook to wreck the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad at Dublin Depot and to burn the big railroad bridge over the New River at Central Depot, today’s Radford.

Appalachian History Series Why the cove mattered   In the spring of 1864 Ulysses S. Grant pushed on all fronts in Virginia. One prong sent Brigadier General George Crook to wreck the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad at Dublin Depot and to burn the big railroad bridge over the New River at Central Depot, today’s Radford.

Cove Mountain, May 10, 1864

Appalachian History Series A company town takes shape In 1916 Pocahontas Fuel established a new camp on the Guyandotte and named it for company president Isaac T. Mann. Within a short time Itmann gained pre cut houses, two early frame stores, a theater, and segregated schools. The store site was graded in 1917 in anticipation of a larger, permanent building that would anchor the town.

Appalachian History Series

A company town takes shape In 1916 Pocahontas Fuel established a new camp on the Guyandotte and named it for company president Isaac T. Mann. Within a short time Itmann gained pre cut houses, two early frame stores, a theater, and segregated schools. The store site was graded in 1917 in anticipation of a larger, permanent building that would anchor the town.

Itmann Company Store and Office: Pocahontas Fuel’s stone citadel in Wyoming County

Appalachian History On a cold Saturday morning in Anderson County, Tennessee, the Knoxville Iron Company’s Cross Mountain Mine No. 1 blew apart and turned the little coal town of Briceville into a scene of grief and rescue work that lasted ten long days. Eighty-four miners were dead, yet five men emerged alive after fifty-eight hours behind a hastily built barricade.

Appalachian History  On a cold Saturday morning in Anderson County, Tennessee, the Knoxville Iron Company’s Cross Mountain Mine No. 1 blew apart and turned the little coal town of Briceville into a scene of grief and rescue work that lasted ten long days. Eighty-four miners were dead, yet five men emerged alive after fifty-eight hours behind a hastily built barricade.

Five Lived Behind a Wall: The Cross Mountain Mine Disaster of 1911

Appalachian Figures Introduction Robert Burns “Bob” Conley was born in Mousie, Knott County, on February 1, 1934. He reached the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies in September 1958, starting two games in five days. His brief stay still matters here because it shows how a mountain kid from a small bend of Troublesome Creek climbed all the way to a big league mound.

Appalachian Figures Introduction   Robert Burns “Bob” Conley was born in Mousie, Knott County, on February 1, 1934. He reached the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies in September 1958, starting two games in five days. His brief stay still matters here because it shows how a mountain kid from a small bend of Troublesome Creek climbed all the way to a big league mound.

The Story of Bob Conley from Knott, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures Leila Feltner Begley’s time as Kentucky’s Secretary of State was short, but the paper trail she left behind is unusually clear. Appointed by Governor Louie B. Nunn after the death of her husband and predecessor, Elmer Begley, she served through the fall of 1970 into early 1971.

Appalachian Figures  Leila Feltner Begley’s time as Kentucky’s Secretary of State was short, but the paper trail she left behind is unusually clear. Appointed by Governor Louie B. Nunn after the death of her husband and predecessor, Elmer Begley, she served through the fall of 1970 into early 1971.

The Story of Leila Begley from Hyden, Kentucky

Appalachian Historian A mountain childhood “I know that you were born in Cumberland, Kentucky in 1931,” the interviewer begins. “I grew up in that little town in the Depression,” Betty Lentz Siegel replies, then sketches the geography of her Harlan County world: the market town of Cumberland, flanked by the company coal towns of Benham and Lynch just up the mountain toward Virginia.

Appalachian Historian A mountain childhood   “I know that you were born in Cumberland, Kentucky in 1931,” the interviewer begins. “I grew up in that little town in the Depression,” Betty Lentz Siegel replies, then sketches the geography of her Harlan County world: the market town of Cumberland, flanked by the company coal towns of Benham and Lynch just up the mountain toward Virginia.

The Story of Betty Siegel from Cumberland, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures Born in Knott County in 1942, Elijah Haydn “Lige” Clarke grew up between Cave Branch and Hindman. He carried Appalachian sensibilities into national activism. Historian Jonathan Coleman argues that Clarke’s mountain upbringing shaped a politics that rejected respectability and favored personal freedom and experiment. Coleman’s peer-reviewed study is the deepest scholarly treatment of Clarke’s life and Kentucky roots.

Appalachian Figures  Born in Knott County in 1942, Elijah Haydn “Lige” Clarke grew up between Cave Branch and Hindman. He carried Appalachian sensibilities into national activism. Historian Jonathan Coleman argues that Clarke’s mountain upbringing shaped a politics that rejected respectability and favored personal freedom and experiment. Coleman’s peer-reviewed study is the deepest scholarly treatment of Clarke’s life and Kentucky roots.

The Story of Lige Clarke from Knott, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures Lynch, Kentucky, as a beginning Lynch was carved out of Harlan County by the U.S. Coal &amp; Coke Company, a U.S. Steel subsidiary, beginning in 1917. It grew into a model company town with miles of planned streets, graded house types, a hospital, schools, churches, and one of the most advanced coal loading plants of its era.

Appalachian Figures Lynch, Kentucky, as a beginning   Lynch was carved out of Harlan County by the U.S. Coal &amp; Coke Company, a U.S. Steel subsidiary, beginning in 1917. It grew into a model company town with miles of planned streets, graded house types, a hospital, schools, churches, and one of the most advanced coal loading plants of its era.

The Story of Louise Slaughter from Lynch, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures A coal camp beginning Clara Juanita Morris was born in Lynch, Kentucky, a model company town built by the U.S. Coal &amp; Coke Company, a U.S. Steel subsidiary. Lynch rose quickly after 1917 with stone public buildings, graded streets, schools, a hospital, and a massive coal tipple.

Appalachian Figures A coal camp beginning   Clara Juanita Morris was born in Lynch, Kentucky, a model company town built by the U.S. Coal &amp; Coke Company, a U.S. Steel subsidiary. Lynch rose quickly after 1917 with stone public buildings, graded streets, schools, a hospital, and a massive coal tipple.

The Story of Juanita Kreps from Lynch, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures Leland Eugene “Hammer” Byrd began life in the coal camp of Lynch, Kentucky, and grew up in Matoaka, West Virginia. He reached Morgantown in 1944 as a left-handed forward, became one of West Virginia University’s earliest hardwood stars, and later helped steer college athletics through a transformative era as an athletic director and conference leader.

Appalachian Figures  Leland Eugene “Hammer” Byrd began life in the coal camp of Lynch, Kentucky, and grew up in Matoaka, West Virginia. He reached Morgantown in 1944 as a left-handed forward, became one of West Virginia University’s earliest hardwood stars, and later helped steer college athletics through a transformative era as an athletic director and conference leader.

The Story of Leland Byrd from Lynch, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures On paper Charles Counts was a potter. In practice he was a builder of communities who linked clay, quilts, and economic hope from the Kentucky coalfields to the hills of north Georgia and classrooms in northern Nigeria.

Appalachian Figures  On paper Charles Counts was a potter. In practice he was a builder of communities who linked clay, quilts, and economic hope from the Kentucky coalfields to the hills of north Georgia and classrooms in northern Nigeria.

The Story of Charles Counts from Lynch, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures Few Leslie Countians have written a song that climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard country chart. One did it from Hyden. Betty Jean Robinson, born Betty Jean Rhodes on June 17, 1933, grew up in the hills around Hyden and later carried that upbringing to Nashville as a working songwriter and, in time, a prolific gospel artist.

Appalachian Figures  Few Leslie Countians have written a song that climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard country chart. One did it from Hyden. Betty Jean Robinson, born Betty Jean Rhodes on June 17, 1933, grew up in the hills around Hyden and later carried that upbringing to Nashville as a working songwriter and, in time, a prolific gospel artist.

The Story of Betty Robinson from Hyden, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures Born in Hyden in Leslie County in 1934, Jim Morgan became a hardwood star at Dayton’s Stivers High School and the University of Louisville, then chose the classroom over the NBA before crafting a second, celebrated career as a thoroughbred trainer in Ohio. He died in Dayton in 2019 at age 85. From Hyden to Dayton Morgan’s family left the Hyden area for Dayton in the early 1940s.

Appalachian Figures  Born in Hyden in Leslie County in 1934, Jim Morgan became a hardwood star at Dayton’s Stivers High School and the University of Louisville, then chose the classroom over the NBA before crafting a second, celebrated career as a thoroughbred trainer in Ohio. He died in Dayton in 2019 at age 85. From Hyden to Dayton   Morgan’s family left the Hyden area for Dayton in the early 1940s.

The Story of Jim Morgan from Hyden, Kentucky

Appalachian History What happened at Pound Gap On the night of November 29–30, 1927, a white mob seized Leonard Woods, a Black coal miner from Jenkins, Kentucky, from the Letcher County jail in Whitesburg. They drove him to Pound Gap on the Kentucky–Virginia line and killed him there.

Appalachian History

What happened at Pound Gap On the night of November 29–30, 1927, a white mob seized Leonard Woods, a Black coal miner from Jenkins, Kentucky, from the Letcher County jail in Whitesburg. They drove him to Pound Gap on the Kentucky–Virginia line and killed him there.

Hanged, Shot, and Burned: The 1927 Lynching at Pound Gap

Appalachian History A round valley with a very old story Stand at the Pinnacle Overlook above Cumberland Gap and look down on the town of Middlesboro. The basin that cradles the streets is strikingly circular. For decades geologists mapped and argued about that circle’s origin.

Appalachian History A round valley with a very old story   Stand at the Pinnacle Overlook above Cumberland Gap and look down on the town of Middlesboro. The basin that cradles the streets is strikingly circular. For decades geologists mapped and argued about that circle’s origin.

Middlesboro: Kentucky’s Crater City at the Cumberland Gap

Appalachian Figures Why Baker matters Edwin T. Baker served eight years in the California Assembly, then two years on the Los Angeles City Council, during a moment when Southern California was growing fast and demanding a bigger voice in state government.

Appalachian Figures Why Baker matters   Edwin T. Baker served eight years in the California Assembly, then two years on the Los Angeles City Council, during a moment when Southern California was growing fast and demanding a bigger voice in state government.

The Story of Edwin Baker from Oakland, Maryland

Appalachian Figures Charles McElroy White grew up in the logging and rail hamlet of Hutton on the outskirts of Oakland, Maryland. He went on to lead one of the nation’s largest steelmakers during the most turbulent decades of American industrial history. His path ran from a mountain schoolhouse to the University of Maryland, from mill floors to boardrooms, and into the hearing rooms of Congress.

Appalachian Figures  Charles McElroy White grew up in the logging and rail hamlet of Hutton on the outskirts of Oakland, Maryland. He went on to lead one of the nation’s largest steelmakers during the most turbulent decades of American industrial history. His path ran from a mountain schoolhouse to the University of Maryland, from mill floors to boardrooms, and into the hearing rooms of Congress.

The Story of Charles White from Oakland, Maryland

Anita Cherry: Like Father Like Daughter  History was made in the winter of 1973 in the coal seams of Jenkins, Kentucky. Alongside Diana Baldwin, Anita Cherry became one of the first two women in the United States to work underground in a coal mine.

Anita Cherry: Like Father Like Daughter

History was made in the winter of 1973 in the coal seams of Jenkins, Kentucky. Alongside Diana Baldwin, Anita Cherry became one of the first two women in the United States to work underground in a coal mine.

The Story of Anita Cherry from Letcher, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures From Double Creek to Hindman James Still was born on July 16, 1906, in the Double Creek/Double Branch community near LaFayette, Alabama. After studies at Lincoln Memorial University (’29) and graduate work at Vanderbilt (M.A., 1930), he arrived at the Hindman Settlement School in the summer of 1931.

Appalachian Figures From Double Creek to Hindman   James Still was born on July 16, 1906, in the Double Creek/Double Branch community near LaFayette, Alabama. After studies at Lincoln Memorial University (’29) and graduate work at Vanderbilt (M.A., 1930), he arrived at the Hindman Settlement School in the summer of 1931.

The Story of James Still from Knott, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures A voice from Knott County Verna Mae Slone was born in Knott County, Kentucky, on October 9, 1914, and died in Hindman on January 5, 2009. She and her husband, Willie Slone, raised five sons. In addition to writing, she became known across Eastern Kentucky for her quilts and cloth dolls.

Appalachian Figures A voice from Knott County   Verna Mae Slone was born in Knott County, Kentucky, on October 9, 1914, and died in Hindman on January 5, 2009. She and her husband, Willie Slone, raised five sons. In addition to writing, she became known across Eastern Kentucky for her quilts and cloth dolls.

The Story of Verna Slone from Knott, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures Rodney Leon “Rod” Brasfield turned a quiet Lewis County town into a running character on one of America’s biggest radio stages. From the late 1940s through the 1950s, the Grand Ole Opry’s premier comedian regularly told listeners he hailed from Hohenwald, and he worked that hometown into his bits with affectionate precision.

Appalachian Figures  Rodney Leon “Rod” Brasfield turned a quiet Lewis County town into a running character on one of America’s biggest radio stages. From the late 1940s through the 1950s, the Grand Ole Opry’s premier comedian regularly told listeners he hailed from Hohenwald, and he worked that hometown into his bits with affectionate precision.

The Story of Rod Brasfield from Hohenwald, Tennessee

Appalachian Figures William Miller Drennen began life in a brand new coal camp on Elkhorn Creek and ended it as a nationally known judge who helped reshape the United States Tax Court.

Appalachian Figures  William Miller Drennen began life in a brand new coal camp on Elkhorn Creek and ended it as a nationally known judge who helped reshape the United States Tax Court.

The Story of William Miller Drennen from Jenkins, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures If you grew up in Jenkins, you probably heard the name Burpo in two different settings. Older railroad hands remembered engineer H. L. Burpo at the throttle of the first passenger train into town. Younger fans might remember another Burpo: a tall left handed pitcher who clawed his way from the coalfields to a brief stint with the Cincinnati Reds.

Appalachian Figures

If you grew up in Jenkins, you probably heard the name Burpo in two different settings. Older railroad hands remembered engineer H. L. Burpo at the throttle of the first passenger train into town. Younger fans might remember another Burpo: a tall left handed pitcher who clawed his way from the coalfields to a brief stint with the Cincinnati Reds.

The Story of George Burpo from Jenkins, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures Nelson Robinette “Robb” Webb grew up in a Letcher County household where school calendars and mountain stories mixed around the table. Decades later, his voice opened Sunday nights for millions of viewers as the familiar sound that introduced 60 Minutes and the CBS Evening News.

Appalachian Figures  Nelson Robinette “Robb” Webb grew up in a Letcher County household where school calendars and mountain stories mixed around the table. Decades later, his voice opened Sunday nights for millions of viewers as the familiar sound that introduced 60 Minutes and the CBS Evening News.

The Story of Robb Webb from Whitesburg, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures From Kona on the North Fork to the wider world Martin Van Buren Bates was born on 9 November 1837 in Letcher County, Kentucky, probably in the crossroads settlement of Kona near Whitesburg on the North Fork of the Kentucky River. He was the youngest of a large farm family headed by John Wallis Bates and Sarah Walthrop (Wallis) Bates, early settlers whose land lay at the foot of Pine Mountain.

Appalachian Figures From Kona on the North Fork to the wider world   Martin Van Buren Bates was born on 9 November 1837 in Letcher County, Kentucky, probably in the crossroads settlement of Kona near Whitesburg on the North Fork of the Kentucky River. He was the youngest of a large farm family headed by John Wallis Bates and Sarah Walthrop (Wallis) Bates, early settlers whose land lay at the foot of Pine Mountain.

The Story of Martin Van Buren Bates from Letcher, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures John Cornelius Stennis started life on a small Kemper County farm and ended it as one of the longest serving United States senators in history. Born near De Kalb in 1901, he spent more than sixty years in elected office, from the Mississippi House of Representatives to national prominence on the Armed Services and Appropriations Committees. For Kemper County, his story is both local and global.

Appalachian Figures  John Cornelius Stennis started life on a small Kemper County farm and ended it as one of the longest serving United States senators in history. Born near De Kalb in 1901, he spent more than sixty years in elected office, from the Mississippi House of Representatives to national prominence on the Armed Services and Appropriations Committees. For Kemper County, his story is both local and global.

The Story of John C. Stennis from Kemper, Mississippi

Appalachian Figures On paper, Henry “Hank” Presswood’s life reads like a tidy baseball biography. Born in a Mississippi company town in 1921, he worked in the lumber mill, served in the Army during the Second World War, played shortstop and third base in the Negro American League, then spent three decades in a steel mill in industrial Chicago. The reality is harder and more interesting.

Appalachian Figures  On paper, Henry “Hank” Presswood’s life reads like a tidy baseball biography. Born in a Mississippi company town in 1921, he worked in the lumber mill, served in the Army during the Second World War, played shortstop and third base in the Negro American League, then spent three decades in a steel mill in industrial Chicago. The reality is harder and more interesting.

The Story of Henry &#8220;Hank&#8221; Presswood from Kemper, Mississippi

Appalachian Figures A Lewis County start David Fain “Dave” Sisco was born June 26, 1937, the son of Ira Guy Sisco and Cuba Irene Fain. He later made his home in Bon Aqua and died on July 25, 2016. He was a U. S. Army veteran and was buried at Edwards Cemetery in Hohenwald. Those core facts come straight from the funeral home record and contemporaneous obituary, which also list the service and burial details.

Appalachian Figures A Lewis County start   David Fain “Dave” Sisco was born June 26, 1937, the son of Ira Guy Sisco and Cuba Irene Fain. He later made his home in Bon Aqua and died on July 25, 2016. He was a U. S. Army veteran and was buried at Edwards Cemetery in Hohenwald. Those core facts come straight from the funeral home record and contemporaneous obituary, which also list the service and burial details.

The Story of David Sisco from Hohenwald, Tennessee

Appalachian Figures John Jones Pettus is usually remembered as Mississippi’s fiery secession governor. He helped pull the state out of the Union and tried to hold it in the Confederate war effort through conscription, militia policy, and heavy use of enslaved labor. Yet before Pettus ever signed a proclamation in Jackson, he was a boy on the move and then a young lawyer on the cotton frontier of Kemper County along the Alabama line.

Appalachian Figures  John Jones Pettus is usually remembered as Mississippi’s fiery secession governor. He helped pull the state out of the Union and tried to hold it in the Confederate war effort through conscription, militia policy, and heavy use of enslaved labor. Yet before Pettus ever signed a proclamation in Jackson, he was a boy on the move and then a young lawyer on the cotton frontier of Kemper County along the Alabama line.

The Story of John Jones Pettus from Kemper, Mississippi

Appalachian Figures Hardy Myers is usually remembered as Oregon’s long serving attorney general, the lawyer who helped defend the state’s Death with Dignity Act at the United States Supreme Court and who made consumer protection and open government central to his office. Less well known is that his story begins in a company lumber town on the edge of the southern Appalachians.

Appalachian Figures  Hardy Myers is usually remembered as Oregon’s long serving attorney general, the lawyer who helped defend the state’s Death with Dignity Act at the United States Supreme Court and who made consumer protection and open government central to his office. Less well known is that his story begins in a company lumber town on the edge of the southern Appalachians.

The Story of Hardy Myers from Kemper, Mississippi

Appalachian History Series High above the coal camps of Cumberland and Benham, a narrow road climbs onto the crest of Pine Mountain and enters a landscape that feels older than the highways that reach it. Kingdom Come State Park is Kentucky’s highest state park, perched around 2,700 feet on the thrust-up backbone of Pine Mountain and protecting roughly 1,283 acres of cliffs, forests, and wind-scoured rock.

Appalachian History Series  High above the coal camps of Cumberland and Benham, a narrow road climbs onto the crest of Pine Mountain and enters a landscape that feels older than the highways that reach it. Kingdom Come State Park is Kentucky’s highest state park, perched around 2,700 feet on the thrust-up backbone of Pine Mountain and protecting roughly 1,283 acres of cliffs, forests, and wind-scoured rock.

Kingdom Come State Park: Literature, Skyline Road, and Black Bears

Abandoned Appalachia If you stand at the Baxter Coal Monument and look toward the river, a narrow lattice of riveted steel still rises above the trees. That is Baxter Bridge, a Baltimore through truss that once carried U.S. 119 over the Cumberland River’s forks and now hangs quiet over the reengineered channel and floodplain.

Abandoned Appalachia

If you stand at the Baxter Coal Monument and look toward the river, a narrow lattice of riveted steel still rises above the trees. That is Baxter Bridge, a Baltimore through truss that once carried U.S. 119 over the Cumberland River’s forks and now hangs quiet over the reengineered channel and floodplain.

Abandoned Appalachia: Baxter Bridge of Harlan County

Abandoned Appalachia On a narrow side road off U.S. 460 at Millard, an aging brick school sits behind a chain link fence and tall grass. Locals still call it Millard Grade School or “the Rocky Road school,” after its address at 20 Rocky Road in Pikeville. For generations this was where Millard’s youngest students learned their letters, lined up for class pictures, and watched Christmas plays in a low ceilinged gym.

Abandoned Appalachia

On a narrow side road off U.S. 460 at Millard, an aging brick school sits behind a chain link fence and tall grass. Locals still call it Millard Grade School or “the Rocky Road school,” after its address at 20 Rocky Road in Pikeville. For generations this was where Millard’s youngest students learned their letters, lined up for class pictures, and watched Christmas plays in a low ceilinged gym.

Abandoned Appalachia: Millard Elementary School of Pike County

Abandoned Appalachia A stone schoolhouse above a future lake If you drive up Yellow Creek toward Building Mountain today, you can still spot it. Before the road tips over the ridge, a stone building sits on the flat ground across from where Roosevelt Honeycutt once kept a store.

Abandoned Appalachia A stone schoolhouse above a future lake   If you drive up Yellow Creek toward Building Mountain today, you can still spot it. Before the road tips over the ridge, a stone building sits on the flat ground across from where Roosevelt Honeycutt once kept a store.

Abandoned Appalachia: Neely Elementary School of Knott County

Appalachian History A feud comes to the railroad On an April morning in 1921, a long running mountain feud flared beside the tracks at Heidrick in Knox County, Kentucky. Businessman Beverly P. White stepped off the train that had carried him back from Manchester and walked toward the small restaurant at the Cumberland and Manchester Railroad stop. John Bailey, a member of a rival family clan, shot him multiple times.

Appalachian History A feud comes to the railroad   On an April morning in 1921, a long running mountain feud flared beside the tracks at Heidrick in Knox County, Kentucky. Businessman Beverly P. White stepped off the train that had carried him back from Manchester and walked toward the small restaurant at the Cumberland and Manchester Railroad stop. John Bailey, a member of a rival family clan, shot him multiple times.

Murder on the Platform at Heidrick: The 1921 Killing of Beverly P. White

Appalachian History Series Why Marion mattered In the last winter of the war, southwestern Virginia still fed the Confederacy’s armies with salt from Saltville and lead from the mines along the upper New River. Those resources moved over the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad through Wytheville and Marion. Any serious Federal raid into the mountains would try to break that industrial chain.

Appalachian History Series

Why Marion mattered In the last winter of the war, southwestern Virginia still fed the Confederacy’s armies with salt from Saltville and lead from the mines along the upper New River. Those resources moved over the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad through Wytheville and Marion. Any serious Federal raid into the mountains would try to break that industrial chain.

A stand at the Holston: The Battle of Marion, Virginia, December 17–18, 1864

Appalachian History Series Where and why Mossy Creek mattered After the siege of Knoxville, both armies probed across East Tennessee’s roads and creek valleys. Union cavalry under Brig. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis protected the railroad corridor near Mossy Creek and Talbott’s Station. Confederate cavalry under Maj. Gen. William T. Martin covered Longstreet’s winter positions and kept pressure on the Federal outposts.

Appalachian History Series Where and why Mossy Creek mattered   After the siege of Knoxville, both armies probed across East Tennessee’s roads and creek valleys. Union cavalry under Brig. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis protected the railroad corridor near Mossy Creek and Talbott’s Station. Confederate cavalry under Maj. Gen. William T. Martin covered Longstreet’s winter positions and kept pressure on the Federal outposts.

Mossy Creek, December 29, 1863: A small East Tennessee fight with a big ripple

Appalachian History Series Blue Springs, known locally as the community around Midway and today within Mosheim, sat on the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad. On October 10, 1863, Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside met Confederate cavalry under Brig. Gen. John S. “Cerro Gordo” Williams here and drove them from the line.

Appalachian History Series  Blue Springs, known locally as the community around Midway and today within Mosheim, sat on the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad. On October 10, 1863, Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside met Confederate cavalry under Brig. Gen. John S. “Cerro Gordo” Williams here and drove them from the line.

Midway or Blue Springs: Burnside’s October 10, 1863 fight in Greene County

Appalachian History Series What and where Grayson Lake is a narrow, cliff-lined reservoir on the Little Sandy River in Carter and Elliott counties, Kentucky. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Huntington District built an earth and random rock-fill dam about seven miles south of the town of Grayson, creating a lake roughly 20 miles long with about 1,510 acres at summer pool.

Appalachian History Series What and where   Grayson Lake is a narrow, cliff-lined reservoir on the Little Sandy River in Carter and Elliott counties, Kentucky. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Huntington District built an earth and random rock-fill dam about seven miles south of the town of Grayson, creating a lake roughly 20 miles long with about 1,510 acres at summer pool.

Grayson Lake: Flood Control on the Little Sandy

Abandoned Appalachia Series
 


 A Mid‑Century Push for Modern Utilities

In the years after World War II, small cities across the southern Appalachian coalfields raced to install the public works that bigger towns already took for granted.

Abandoned Appalachia: The Old Whitesburg Water Treatment Plant

Appalachian Figures Pikeville beginnings John Paul Riddle was born in Pikeville in 1901 and came of age while aviation was still a dare. He graduated from Pikeville College Academy in 1920, a few years before airplanes became a common sight over the Big Sandy.

Appalachian Figures Pikeville beginnings   John Paul Riddle was born in Pikeville in 1901 and came of age while aviation was still a dare. He graduated from Pikeville College Academy in 1920, a few years before airplanes became a common sight over the Big Sandy.

The Story of John Paul Riddle from Pikeville, Kentucky

Appalachian History Series A Lake for Floods and for Folks Where Johns Creek bends through the hills above Prestonsburg, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers raised an earth dam in the mid twentieth century and impounded an 1,100 acre reservoir that locals still call Dewey Lake.

Appalachian History Series A Lake for Floods and for Folks   Where Johns Creek bends through the hills above Prestonsburg, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers raised an earth dam in the mid twentieth century and impounded an 1,100 acre reservoir that locals still call Dewey Lake.

Dewey Dam: How a New Deal Flood Project Reshaped Johns Creek

Appalachian History Series Along a bend of the Ohio near Lloyd, Kentucky, the Greenup Locks and Dam turned a troublesome stretch of river into a predictable navigation pool and later became home to one of the valley’s most productive municipal hydro plants.

Appalachian History Series  Along a bend of the Ohio near Lloyd, Kentucky, the Greenup Locks and Dam turned a troublesome stretch of river into a predictable navigation pool and later became home to one of the valley’s most productive municipal hydro plants.

Greenup Locks and Dam: How a “super dam” reshaped the middle Ohio

Appalachian History Series Coal shaped Pocahontas before the town had a charter, a post office, or a railroad. In the early 1880s a 13 foot bench of the Pocahontas No. 3 seam drew speculators, surveyors, and the Norfolk and Western. The first commercial mine opened in 1882, the branch line reached town in 1883, and within a year tragedy and growth arrived together.

Appalachian History Series  Coal shaped Pocahontas before the town had a charter, a post office, or a railroad. In the early 1880s a 13 foot bench of the Pocahontas No. 3 seam drew speculators, surveyors, and the Norfolk and Western. The first commercial mine opened in 1882, the branch line reached town in 1883, and within a year tragedy and growth arrived together.

Pocahontas Mine No. 1, The Hole That Named a Coalfield

Appalachian History Why Sycamore Shoals mattered In late September 1780, Patriot militia from the Holston and Watauga valleys answered a frontier alarm and converged on the Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga River, near present-day Elizabethton, Tennessee. There they set a firm rendezvous to carry the war over the mountains, find Major Patrick Ferguson, and break his Loyalist column.

Appalachian History Why Sycamore Shoals mattered   In late September 1780, Patriot militia from the Holston and Watauga valleys answered a frontier alarm and converged on the Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga River, near present-day Elizabethton, Tennessee. There they set a firm rendezvous to carry the war over the mountains, find Major Patrick Ferguson, and break his Loyalist column.

The Gathering at Sycamore Shoals, 1780

Appalachian History Series Herrington Lake began as an idea on paper and ended as a reservoir that changed work, water, and recreation across central Kentucky. Kentucky Utilities planned the project in the early 1920s to produce hydroelectric power on the Dix River and to steady flows on the Kentucky River. Construction started in late 1923, the gates closed in March 1925, and commercial power followed in 1927.

Appalachian History Series

Herrington Lake began as an idea on paper and ended as a reservoir that changed work, water, and recreation across central Kentucky. Kentucky Utilities planned the project in the early 1920s to produce hydroelectric power on the Dix River and to steady flows on the Kentucky River. Construction started in late 1923, the gates closed in March 1925, and commercial power followed in 1927.

Dix Dam and Herrington Lake: A Private Power Experiment That Remade a Kentucky Valley

How two brothers from Leslie County helped turn bluegrass into college-concert fare, took a state song nationwide, and brought it all back home to Hyden. Origins in Leslie County Bobby Osborne and his younger brother Sonny were born in Hyden, the county seat of Leslie County, Kentucky. The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame &amp; Museum lists both brothers’ birthplace as Hyden, with Bobby born December 7, 1931 and Sonny born October 29, 1937.

How two brothers from Leslie County helped turn bluegrass into college-concert fare, took a state song nationwide, and brought it all back home to Hyden. Origins in Leslie County   Bobby Osborne and his younger brother Sonny were born in Hyden, the county seat of Leslie County, Kentucky. The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame &amp; Museum lists both brothers’ birthplace as Hyden, with Bobby born December 7, 1931 and Sonny born October 29, 1937.

The Story of The Osborne Brothers from Leslie, Kentucky

Appalachian History A store that anchored a town When Pocahontas Fuel Company built out its Boissevain operation in Tazewell County, it gave the camp a brick centerpiece that was part supermarket, part office, and part civic hall. Period photographs from the Norfolk &amp; Western Railroad collections confirm a substantial commissary complex standing at Boissevain in 1931 and again in December 1935, the very years that defined the camp’s heyday.

Appalachian History A store that anchored a town   When Pocahontas Fuel Company built out its Boissevain operation in Tazewell County, it gave the camp a brick centerpiece that was part supermarket, part office, and part civic hall. Period photographs from the Norfolk &amp;

The Boissevain Company Store: Pocahontas Fuel’s Brick Heart of a Virginia Coal Camp

Appalachian History Series Setting the scene Kitts sat where a small mountain stream meets the Clover Fork of the Cumberland River, a few miles east of the county seat at Harlan. Historic USGS 7.5-minute topographic maps place “Kitts Creek” entering the river just below the rail and road corridor that funneled coal out of the valley, with the town of Harlan upstream and Evarts downstream.

Appalachian History Series Setting the scene   Kitts sat where a small mountain stream meets the Clover Fork of the Cumberland River, a few miles east of the county seat at Harlan. Historic USGS 7.5-minute topographic maps place “Kitts Creek” entering the river just below the rail and road corridor that funneled coal out of the valley, with the town of Harlan upstream and Evarts downstream.

Kitts on Clover Fork: a coal camp at the mouth of Kitts Creek

Appalachian History Series On the foggy morning of November 6, 1863, Confederate cavalry swept into Rogersville and struck the Union outposts along Big Creek. The short fight ended with Federal batteries and wagon trains in Confederate hands, hundreds of prisoners on the road south, and a shaken Union command regrouping toward Morristown and Knoxville.

Appalachian History Series

On the foggy morning of November 6, 1863, Confederate cavalry swept into Rogersville and struck the Union outposts along Big Creek. The short fight ended with Federal batteries and wagon trains in Confederate hands, hundreds of prisoners on the road south, and a shaken Union command regrouping toward Morristown and Knoxville.

The Battle of Rogersville, 1863: Surprise at Big Creek in Hawkins County

Repurposed Appalachia Series
 
 
 


 The Early Years

Tucked away in Burke County, North Carolina, the Henry River Mill Village tells a story of industrial ambition, close-knit community life, and cinematic fame.

Repurposed Appalachia: The Rise, Fall, and Revival of Henry River Mill Village

Appalachian History Series Setting the stage On October 10, 1863, Ambrose Burnside’s Army of the Ohio cracked Confederate Brig. Gen. John S. Williams’s line at Blue Springs, between Bull’s Gap and Greeneville. Burnside sent infantry straight at the position while ordering a mounted column to slip to the rear near Rheatown, aiming to block the retreat route along the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad.

Appalachian History Series Setting the stage   On October 10, 1863, Ambrose Burnside’s Army of the Ohio cracked Confederate Brig. Gen. John S. Williams’s line at Blue Springs, between Bull’s Gap and Greeneville. Burnside sent infantry straight at the position while ordering a mounted column to slip to the rear near Rheatown, aiming to block the retreat route along the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad.

Henderson’s Mill and Rheatown, Greene County, Tennessee, October 11, 1863

Appalachian Figures Wallace Clayton “Wah Wah” Jones grew up in Harlan, Kentucky, and carried Appalachian grit onto some of the biggest stages in American sport. He starred at Harlan High, then for the University of Kentucky in basketball, football, and baseball, and in the summer of 1948 he helped the United States win Olympic gold in London.

Appalachian Figures  Wallace Clayton “Wah Wah” Jones grew up in Harlan, Kentucky, and carried Appalachian grit onto some of the biggest stages in American sport. He starred at Harlan High, then for the University of Kentucky in basketball, football, and baseball, and in the summer of 1948 he helped the United States win Olympic gold in London.

The Story of Wallace Jones from Harlan, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures A Harlan County beginning Jerry Donald Chesnut was born in the railroad town of Loyall in Harlan County on May 7, 1931. Multiple primary records fix his birthplace and date, and they place him in the household of A. B. (Alvin Basil) and Ruby Chesnut in Loyall as a child.

Appalachian Figures A Harlan County beginning   Jerry Donald Chesnut was born in the railroad town of Loyall in Harlan County on May 7, 1931. Multiple primary records fix his birthplace and date, and they place him in the household of A. B. (Alvin Basil) and Ruby Chesnut in Loyall as a child.

The Story of Jerry Chesnut from Harlan, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures Pine Mountain Settlement School began with a local farmer’s gift and a plainspoken promise. William “Uncle William” Creech of Harlan County wanted a school where his neighbors’ children could learn without leaving the valley. In his own words he had “heart and craving that our people may grow better,” and he put land and effort behind the idea.

Appalachian Figures  Pine Mountain Settlement School began with a local farmer’s gift and a plainspoken promise. William “Uncle William” Creech of Harlan County wanted a school where his neighbors’ children could learn without leaving the valley. In his own words he had “heart and craving that our people may grow better,” and he put land and effort behind the idea.

The Story of William Creech from Harlan, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures From Harlan to the Army Carl Henry Dodd was born in Harlan County and came of age in a coal camp world that sent many young men into uniform. Before his eighteenth birthday he worked for the Black Mountain Coal Company, then enlisted in the Army at 18, beginning a career that would stretch across World War II and the Korean War.

Appalachian Figures From Harlan to the Army   Carl Henry Dodd was born in Harlan County and came of age in a coal camp world that sent many young men into uniform. Before his eighteenth birthday he worked for the Black Mountain Coal Company, then enlisted in the Army at 18, beginning a career that would stretch across World War II and the Korean War.

The Story of Carl Dodd from Harlan, Kentucky

Appalachian Figures A Harlan County beginning Elbert Benjamin “E. B.” Smith was born in Benham, Kentucky, on May 1, 1921, the son of Elbert and Gladys Smith. Benham was a young company town in Harlan County when Smith arrived, and like many Appalachian families of his generation his early years unfolded in a landscape shaped by coal and community churches.

Appalachian Figures A Harlan County beginning   Elbert Benjamin “E. B.” Smith was born in Benham, Kentucky, on May 1, 1921, the son of Elbert and Gladys Smith. Benham was a young company town in Harlan County when Smith arrived, and like many Appalachian families of his generation his early years unfolded in a landscape shaped by coal and community churches.

The Story of Elbert Smith from Harlan, Kentucky

Appalachian History Series Why East Tennessee mattered in 1863 When Union Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside moved into East Tennessee in late summer 1863, his columns relied on thin railroad guards to keep the East Tennessee and Virginia line open. One of those guard posts sat at the Limestone Creek railroad bridge and nearby depot at Telford. A short, sharp fight there on September 8 became one of the most lopsided small actions of the campaign.

Appalachian History Series Why East Tennessee mattered in 1863   When Union Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside moved into East Tennessee in late summer 1863, his columns relied on thin railroad guards to keep the East Tennessee and Virginia line open. One of those guard posts sat at the Limestone Creek railroad bridge and nearby depot at Telford. A short, sharp fight there on September 8 became one of the most lopsided small actions of the campaign.

The Battle of Limestone Station, Telford, Tennessee, September 8, 1863

Appalachian History Series April 5, 2010 Just after three in the afternoon at Montcoal, West Virginia, a methane ignition inside the Upper Big Branch South mine became an explosion that swept through the workings. Twenty nine miners were killed, and two survived with injuries. Federal investigators later said the disaster was preventable. What investigators found Federal and state teams reconstructed the blast and its causes.

Appalachian History Series April 5, 2010   Just after three in the afternoon at Montcoal, West Virginia, a methane ignition inside the Upper Big Branch South mine became an explosion that swept through the workings. Twenty nine miners were killed, and two survived with injuries. Federal investigators later said the disaster was preventable. What investigators found   Federal and state teams reconstructed the blast and its causes.

Upper Big Branch: how 29 miners died, and what changed

Appalachian History Series Setting the Scene On the South Fork Holston River just southeast of Bristol, Tennessee, the Tennessee Valley Authority built South Holston Dam to curb destructive flooding and to supply hydropower in the mid-twentieth century. The project impounded a long, slender reservoir that reaches about 24 miles into Virginia, and it became the upstream anchor of TVA’s Holston River system.

Appalachian History Series

Setting the Scene On the South Fork Holston River just southeast of Bristol, Tennessee, the Tennessee Valley Authority built South Holston Dam to curb destructive flooding and to supply hydropower in the mid-twentieth century. The project impounded a long, slender reservoir that reaches about 24 miles into Virginia, and it became the upstream anchor of TVA’s Holston River system.

South Holston Dam: A Mountain River Re-shaped for Power, Flood Control, and a New Lake

Appalachian History Series A Small Lake With County-Wide Importance In 1969 the Martin County Water District finished an earthen dam above Inez and created Curtis Crum Reservoir, a small but strategic pool that feeds the county’s drinking water system. From the start, managers paired the lake with pumps on the Tug Fork River to keep levels stable, then sent raw water to the treatment plant on Turkey Creek for household use.

Appalachian History Series

A Small Lake With County-Wide Importance In 1969 the Martin County Water District finished an earthen dam above Inez and created Curtis Crum Reservoir, a small but strategic pool that feeds the county’s drinking water system. From the start, managers paired the lake with pumps on the Tug Fork River to keep levels stable, then sent raw water to the treatment plant on Turkey Creek for household use.

Curtis Crum Reservoir: Martin County’s Lifeline

Appalachian History Series Kentucky on a Knife-edge In May 1861 Kentucky declared neutrality. That fragile stance crumbled in early September when Confederate forces seized crossings on the Mississippi at Columbus and moved through Cumberland Gap into the southeastern mountains.

Appalachian History Series

Kentucky on a Knife-edge In May 1861 Kentucky declared neutrality. That fragile stance crumbled in early September when Confederate forces seized crossings on the Mississippi at Columbus and moved through Cumberland Gap into the southeastern mountains.

The Battle of Barbourville: Kentucky’s First Clash of the Civil War

Appalachian History Series Kentucky on a knife-edge In the summer and fall of 1861, neutrality in Kentucky faltered while both sides maneuvered for the mountain roads that led into the Bluegrass. Confederate Brigadier General Felix Zollicoffer pushed north from Tennessee after a small success at Barbourville, hoping to pry open eastern Kentucky.

Appalachian History Series

Kentucky on a knife-edge In the summer and fall of 1861, neutrality in Kentucky faltered while both sides maneuvered for the mountain roads that led into the Bluegrass. Confederate Brigadier General Felix Zollicoffer pushed north from Tennessee after a small success at Barbourville, hoping to pry open eastern Kentucky.

The Battle of Camp Wildcat: Holding the Wilderness Road

Appalachian History Series A November evening that changed a town On November 14, 1970, a chartered Southern Airways DC-9 carrying the Marshall University football team, coaches, staff, boosters, and crew struck trees on approach to Tri-State Airport near Huntington, West Virginia. All 75 aboard were killed.

Appalachian History Series A November evening that changed a town   On November 14, 1970, a chartered Southern Airways DC-9 carrying the Marshall University football team, coaches, staff, boosters, and crew struck trees on approach to Tri-State Airport near Huntington, West Virginia. All 75 aboard were killed.

Southern Airways Flight 932: Huntington’s Night of Loss and Resolve

Repurposed Appalachia A mountain camp that belongs to Harlan County Tucked against Pine Mountain near the head of Watts Creek, Camp Blanton began life in 1933 and 1934 when Grover and Oxie Blanton, with relatives, set aside about 13 wooded acres for a Boy Scout camp and a public playground for Harlan Countians.

Repurposed Appalachia A mountain camp that belongs to Harlan County   Tucked against Pine Mountain near the head of Watts Creek, Camp Blanton began life in 1933 and 1934 when Grover and Oxie Blanton, with relatives, set aside about 13 wooded acres for a Boy Scout camp and a public playground for Harlan Countians.

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