Stay ConnectedWelcome to “Stories of Appalachia,” the podcast where hosts Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins have been unraveling the captivating history and folklore of the Appalachian region since 2015. Join them as they guide you through mist-covered mountains and winding rivers, exploring the stories that define the heart and soul of Appalachia.
www.storiesofappalachia.com
Copyright: © Copyright Steve Gilly
For years the UMWA was under the tight control of John L. Lewis. After he retired in 1960, he engineered the election of his hand-picked successor, W. A. (Tony) Boyle, as vice-president and then, on the death of Lewis' successor, he made sure he became UMWA president. Six years later Boyle was challenged for the union presidency by long-time UMWA officer Joseph (Jock) Yablonski on a platform of reforming the union to better serve the needs of rank and file miners. Yablonski lost, amid allegations of wide-spread voter fraud. And then Jock Yablonski, his wife and his daughter were brutally murdered in their home on New Years Eve, 1969. Today we tell the story of the Yablonski murders. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on many apps, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Spotify and IHeart Radio. Thanks for listening.
An attempted robbery of a Johnson City, Tennessee, laundry in 1930 eventually led to a stint in Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, a prisoners strike and an escape for the robber. Two years later, this man walked into a police station a thousand miles away and surrendered to authorities, who had no idea he was a wanted man. Today we tell that story. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, IHeart Radio, TuneIn and more. Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories with your friends.
Christmas is fast approaching so this week, as we do at this time of the year, we tell a Christmas story. And, since this is the pandemic year, 2020, what better story to tell than that of a man-goat being with horns that represents the evil side of Christmas! Today we tell you about Krampus. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on such fine podcast apps as Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, RadioPublic, Spotify, IHeart Radio and TuneIn. If you'd rather watch us, then go over to our YouTube channel. Be sure to click that "Subscribe" button and ring that bell to get new episodes when they're released. Merry Christmas, y'all!
Today we tell the story of Cherokee prophet and leader, Tsali. According to tribal oral tradition, it was Tsali who made it possible for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee to remain in North Carolina after the southeastern Native American tribes were forced to move to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. But the actual historical records tells a different story. We share those stories today. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn and wherever else fine podcasts are found. Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing our stories with your friends.
The Avery family is very well-known in western North Carolina, starting in the late 1700s with Waightstill Avery, a lawyer and the very first attorney general in the state. His grandson, William Waightstill Avery, was, just like his grandfather, a North Carolina lawyer and politician. What happened between him and another man in a courtroom in 1851 is the subject of our story today. You can find the audio version of the Stories podcast on many podcast apps, including Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, RadioPublic, TuneIn and IHeart Radio. We are also on YouTube; you can subscribe by clicking the "Subscribe" button down below. Please give us a like, too, if you don't mind. Til next we meet, so long everybody...
Today we tell the story of the man from West Virginia who became a brigadier general in the U. S. Air Force, helped train the first American astronauts and became the first man to break the sound barrier, Chuck Yeager. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, IHeart Radio, Tunein and more. Thanks for listening!
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 Roma, the Irish travellers were also present, providing stories and repairs for the locals they met. Today we tell their story, a part of the history of Appalachia. You can subscribe to the audio version of the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, IHeart Radio, Amazon Music and more.
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. And when it wasn't a formal duel, these folks would often shoot it out, much like in the Wild West. Today we tell of a dispute that ended with the son of one of the parties lying dead on Gay Street in Knoxville, along with both of the combatants, an incident so bad it ended up being one of the last such gun battles in East Tennessee. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, Amazon Music, IHeart Radio and more. We're also on YouTube. Be sure to like and subscribe. Thanks for listening...
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, horrible way in New Market, Tennessee. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, IHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Deezer and many, many more. Thanks for listening.
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 of the podcast and we're discussing our favorite episodes over the years. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, TuneIn, IHeart Radio and on many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening. Happy Halloween...
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