Appalachian History

From Los Angeles Times, Nov. 7, 2010: Crimes grow in rich Appalachian soil Sharyn McCrumb’s ‘The Devil Amongst the Lawyers’ and Vicki Lane’s ‘The Day of Small Things’ find a rare mix of thriller elements in a particular region. By Sarah Weinman | Special to the Los Angeles Times Appalachia’s mix of strong religious ties, farming, crop [...]

Howard Finster (ca. 1915-2001) described himself as a Stranger from Another World, a Messenger from God, a Man of Visions, a second Noah, and God’s Last Red Light on Planet Earth. This unlikely candidate for celebrity status on the post-modern art scene became known to millions of people by the end of his life. His [...]

We post a new episode of Appalachian History weekly podcast every Sunday. You can start listening right away by clicking the podcast icon over on the right side of your screen. If you’d rather grab the show off itunes for later listening, click here: We open today’s show with a look at a new stage [...]

Back at the end of October Blount County, AL celebrated the 27th annual Blount County Covered Bridge Festival. The county bills itself the ‘Covered Bridge Capital of Alabama,’ with 3 remaining historic bridges: the Horton Mill Bridge, the Swann Covered Bridge (also called the Joy Covered Bridge or Swann-Joy Covered Bridge), and the Easley Bridge. [...]

“[Virginia governor] Lord Dunmore concluded to settle the boundary line dispute with Pennsylvania by forcibly taking possession of Pittsburg, or Fort Pitt, and attaching it to the colony of Virginia. “In 1771 the Colonial troops had been withdrawn from Pittsburg, and Fort Pitt was abandoned, so that in 1774 when John Connolly, sent by Lord [...]