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

The West Virginia Mine Wars were the labor conflicts that occurred in the coalfields of that state as the UMW tried to establish itself as a force on the side of the coal miners against the coal operators. Starting in the early part of the 20th century and continuing up to the early 1920s, the battle of Blair Mountain was the culmination of that struggle and stands as the largest popular uprising since the Civil War. This is that story, an exclusive for members of the podcast. www.storiesofappalachia.com YouTube @StoriesOfAppalachia TikTok @storiesofappalachia Instagram @storyappalachia Facebook @storiesofappalachia X @storyappalachia Threads @storiesofappalachia

Saltville, Virginia, was a strategic asset for the Confederacy due to the large salt deposits located there. Desire to control those assets led to two battles between the Union and the Confederacy. The first battle saw the introduction of black troops into the war on the side of the Union, resulting in a massacre of black Union soldiers and their white commanders after the end of the battle by guerrilla fighters and some of the Confederate troops. This is that story, an exclusive for members of the podcast. www.storiesofappalachia.com YouTube @StoriesOfAppalachia TikTok @storiesofappalachia Instagram @storyappalachia Facebook @storiesofappalachia X @storyappalachia Threads @storiesofappalachia 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.

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!

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. Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories with your friends!

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.