The Tragedy at the Cowee Tunnel

The Tragedy at the Cowee Tunnel

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.

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Episoder(585)

Appalachian Travellers

Appalachian Travellers

At one time it was a common sight to see a traveling group of Roma, known then as gypsies, come through Appalachia. Folks would barter with them for livestock, utensils and services. Along with the Ro...

21 Nov 202015min

The Last Gunfight In Knoxville

The Last Gunfight In Knoxville

Disputes in Appalachia between the well-to-do were often handled with the use of firearms with one of the most well-known people from the region, Andrew Jackson, being famous for his duels with rivals...

14 Nov 20208min

The New Market Train Wreck

The New Market Train Wreck

Saturday, September 24, 1904, started just like any other day for the passengers getting ready to board the Southern Railway Number 15 train at the Bristol Train Station.  It would end in a horrible, ...

7 Nov 202010min

Ghost Stories 2020/A Look Back Over Five Years

Ghost Stories 2020/A Look Back Over Five Years

It's Halloween so Rod and Steve each have a bit of Appalachian folklore for you, in the form of two ghost stories.  Stick around after the stories, though, because Halloween is the fifth anniversary o...

31 Okt 202034min

Will Harris

Will Harris

In 1906 a North Carolina prison escapee comes to Asheville.  There he gets into a drunken shootout with police and an escape littered with his murdered victims.  Today we tell the story of Will Harris...

24 Okt 202011min

Raccoon John Smith

Raccoon John Smith

In 1784 a child was born on the Appalachian frontier, along the Holston River, in what was then the state of Franklin.  This child would grow up to become a preacher, a leader in the Restoration Movem...

17 Okt 202014min

More Short Stories

More Short Stories

Today we have another collection of what we call "short stories," bits of Appalachian history that are interesting but which by themselves won't make for a full podcast episode. On this episode we tel...

10 Okt 202014min

Ollan Cassell

Ollan Cassell

Many world renowned athletes have come from Appalachia, from NFL players Thomas and Julius Jones to gymnast Mary Lou Retton, just to name a few.  Today we tell the story of a runner born in Nickelsvil...

3 Okt 202012min

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