Appalachian History

Jesse Jewell (1902-1975) started what was to become Georgia’s largest agricultural crop- poultry. The now $1,000,000,000 a year industry has given Gainesville the title “Poultry Capital of the World.” Jewell pioneered vertical integration—the combining of all phases of the business, such as raw materials, processing, and distribution, within a single company—in the poultry industry. At [...]

It was about the third day on the road to Egypt, when trouble started. Joseph had stopped to rest Jack, who by the way, was grinning from ear to ear. Jack, the donkey, was seeing the world for the first time. Joseph climbed a large rock to look around the countryside. There was trouble coming [...]

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 fresh perspective on the man [...]

Not every place has the distinction of being named after a Christmas treat. Tradition holds that Pudding Ridge, NC, in western Davie County, got its name one rainy day in February 1781 during a Revolutionary War engagement. British General Cornwallis was driving his troops through the soggy hillsides in hard pursuit of American General Nathanael [...]

This article, “What connections did President McKinley’s assassin have with West Virginia?” by Larry Shockley, originally appeared in the Charleston Gazette on February 18, 2009.  It has been slightly edited here. One of the most enduring stories in the history of West Virginia concerns the identity of the assassin of President William McKinley. According to [...]