Stories of Helene: Maria True, Erwin, Tennessee
On the first anniversary of Hurricane Helene’s flooding in Appalachia, Rod and Steve share the story of Maria True, general manager of Jet Broadcasting in Erwin, Tennessee. When the Nolichucky River o...
20 Sep 202520min
The Jellico Troop Train Disaster of 1944
In July 1944, a troop train packed with new Army recruits derailed near Jellico, Tennessee, plunging into Clear Fork River. Thirty-five soldiers died and ninety-one were injured. In this episode, Stev...
13 Sep 202518min
The 1919 Torrent, Kentucky Nitro Explosion
In 1919, a nitroglycerin explosion near Torrent, Kentucky, killed four men and leveled a factory. Today we tell the story of that tragedy and the explosive history of oil well “torpedoes” in Appalachi...
6 Sep 202519min
Christopher Gist and the Opening of Appalachia
In 1750, surveyor Christopher Gist set out to explore the wilderness of what’s now Southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, and West Virginia. Hired by the Ohio Company, Gist mapped the Appalachian front...
30 Aug 202512min
Bloody Vengeance in Appalachia: The Battle of Dug Hill/The Officer House Massacre
In March 1864, Union Colonel William B. Stokes and his cavalry were ambushed at Dug Hill, in Tennessee, leaving dozens of his men dead. Enraged, Stokes led a brutal raid on William and Cynthia Officer...
23 Aug 202517min
The Rhea County Spartans: The South's All-Female Cavalry Unit
In the final years of the Civil War, a group of young women in Rhea County, Tennessee, made American history as the only known all-female cavalry unit: the Rhea County Spartans. Born from loyalty to t...
16 Aug 202515min
The Kentucky Longhunter, Henry Skaggs
In this episode, we tell the story of Henry Skaggs, one of the legendary Kentucky longhunters of the 18th century and his remarkable journey from his early days in Maryland to his time as an explorer ...
9 Aug 202515min
Mountains, Moonshine and Mutiny: WW1 Desertion in North Carolina
In 1918, the mountains of North Carolina erupted in quiet rebellion. Dozens of young men dodged the World War I draft, hiding in the backcountry with help from friends and family. When a deadly shooto...
2 Aug 202514min
