Stories of Appalachia

Roger Tandy Quisenberry had every advantage in life: wealth, education, and opportunity, but chose a path few could understand. From the California Gold Rush to a dangerous expedition in Nicaragua, his early years were filled with adventure. But when he returned home to Kentucky, something had changed. He withdrew from everybody, lived alone in a crude cabin, and became known for his extreme isolation and strange behavior. Today we tell the story of Tandy Quisenberry, the woman hating hermit of Kentucky, another one of the Stories of Appalachia. Be sure to subscribe and leave us a comment on your favorite podcast app, we’d appreciate it. Also consider becoming a supporter of the podcast at spreaker.com. You’ll have access to an ad-free feed of the Stories podcast plus extra unreleased episodes! Thanks for listening.

In the spring of 1895, a sudden wage cut swept through the Flat Top-Pocahontas coal fields along the Virginia/West Virginia border, touching off one of the earliest large-scale labor confrontations in that part of Appalachia. What began as a wildcat strike quickly shut down mines along the Norfolk and Western Railroad, disrupted coal shipments to Norfolk, and brought state militia into the company town of Pocahontas. Today we tell the story of the Flat Top miners’ strike of 1895. If you enjoy our stories of Appalachian history and folklore, subscribe to the Stories podcast and follow the show wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Consider becoming a supporter of the Stories podcast as well, at spreaker.com. You’ll get an ad-free feed of our stories along with lots of extra audio! Thanks for listening.

Born aboard a ship of immigrants in the Atlantic Ocean, Kasper Mansker became a longhunter, venturing out to explore the wilderness of Kentucky and Tennessee from his home in what’s now West Virginia. From those longhunts to building Mansker’s Station and helping shape the Cumberland frontier, his life is part of the story of those who moved west on the Appalachian frontier. If you enjoy our stories, be sure to subscribe wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Consider becoming a supporter of the podcast, too…you’ll get an ad-free version of the Stories podcast plus lots of extra unreleased episodes! Thanks for listening.

Daniel Ellis of Carter County, Tennessee was a wagon maker who became one of the most successful guides of the Civil War. Living behind Confederate lines in East Tennessee, Ellis created a secret route through the Appalachian Mountains to Union territory at Cumberland Gap. Traveling mostly at night and avoiding Confederate patrols, Ellis made about twenty journeys through East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, guiding roughly four thousand Union supporters to safety. About two thousand of them later joined the Union Army. Join us as we tell the story of the man Confederate soldiers called “The Old Red Fox” for his ability to escape capture, another one of the Stories of Appalachia. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast so you don’t miss a single episode. And consider becoming a supporter of the podcast on Spreaker.com, where you can get an ad-free version of our stories, plus exclusive content. Thanks for listening!

This week, Rod and Steve tell the story of Ray Vaughn Shores, better known as Von Shores, an Appalachian aviator and popular aerial daredevil in Southwest Virginia and Eastern Kentucky during the 1920s and ’30s, who, it’s said, once crashed his airplane near Pound, Virginia. He was a favorite at local airshows and fairs and it’s also said he ran whiskey for Al Capone during prohibition. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast wherever you get you favorite podcasts. Consider becoming a supporter of the podcast, too, and help us tell our Stories of Appalachia! Thanks for listening!

This week, we tell a story from the lawless mountain border between western North Carolina and east Tennessee during the Civil War. As great battles raged elsewhere, outlaws and deserters came to the mountains to hide, to rob and to turn old trails and creek crossings into killing grounds. At the center of this story is John Jackson Kirkland and his gang, whose violence touched soldiers, civilians, rivals, and even their own kin. This is a story of a war without sides, and justice that never came. If you’ve not done so already, subscribe to the Stories podcast wherever you get your podcasts, so you don’t miss any upcoming episodes. Consider becoming a supporter of the podcast and get extra content along with an ad-free feed of our stories! Thanks for listening.

This week, Steve and Rod tell the story of Granville “Stick” McGhee and Walter “Brownie” McGhee, two brothers from East Tennessee whose music helped shape American blues and early rock ’n’ roll. Born in Knoxville, the McGhee brothers took the music they heard growing up and used it to launch themselves onto the national stage. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Consider becoming a supporter of the podcast and get extra content along with an ad-free feed of our stories! Thanks for listening!

In 1730, seven Cherokee leaders traveled from their Appalachian home to the heart of London. Hand-picked by a Scottish adventurer named Alexander Cumming, they were presented to King George II as “Kings” of a new empire. Today we tell the story of that voyage and how these Native Americans navigated their way through the streets of the city at the center of the British Empire, all while securing an alliance on their own terms. It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia. If you like our stories of Appalachian history and folklore, be sure to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast app, and leave us a comment, too. You can also help support the Stories podcast by becoming a supporter at spreaker.com. There you’ll find extra content and an ad-free version of the podcast! Thanks for listening.

The Big Bull Tunnel in Wise County, Virginia looks like any other railroad tunnel, just a simple cut through a hillside. Looks, though, can be deceiving, as the tunnel’s history is packed with accidents, strange noises, deaths, and a chilling encounter that turned a routine inspection into a bit of Appalachian folklore. In this episode, Steve and Rod tell the story of the tunnel’s difficult construction, the tragedies that followed, and the story that convinced railroad officials something inside the mountain was best avoided. If you like our Stories of Appalachia, be sure to subscribe and share the podcast with friends who love Appalachian history and folklore. If you want to help us continue telling these stories, consider becoming a supporter of the podcast at Spreaker, where you’ll get an ad-free feed of the podcast, plus extras like supporter-only episodes! Thanks for listening!