Appalachian History

Please welcome guest blogger Barbara Fisher, author of food blog Tigers and Strawberries. Says Fisher of her blog: ‘On the farm, I gathered eggs and learned how to dress out hogs, steer and chickens and how to harvest and preserve the fruits of summer. With a childhood like that, it’s no wonder I became obsessed [...]

Along Route 219, in Silver Lake, WV, southeast of Kingwood (pop. 2,944), you’ll find “Our Lady of The Pines,” promoted on old postcards and signs as the “Smallest Church in 48 States.” It boasts seating for 12, with six pews. The church is always open. You may have to buy your postcards on the honor [...]

Before the organization of the Diamond Match Company in 1867, there were in existence throughout the United States over thirty match factories, employing about 4,000 people, and several of those were found in Kentucky and West Virginia. The typical match factory was very small, often simply the size of a medium sized house, and consisted [...]

“When I started I didn’t have very much. Didn’t need very much, didn’t have many customers. Course I would see them go into the store across the street. I worked over there at one time and at the building that burned down. I’ve been fooling with [the grocery business] all my life. Before we came [...]

Usually there’s no homework here at the Appalachian History blog, but see that nifty poll over to the right there? Well, I’d like to invite you to put that little baby to use over the next several days! Tell our community what you thought of ‘Hillbilly: The Real Story.’ Here’s what the History Channel has [...]