In early 1907 consumer goods prices were high and continuing to increase, a situation set in motion by too easy credit. Most glaringly, the money center banks of New York City owed their depositors more money than the whole country possessed, real money and ‘credit money’ combined. The system couldn’t sustain itself that way any [...]
1 commentsAppalachian History
Stories, quotes and anecdotes.
Tag Archives: appalachia history
Feb
14
Chocolate covered cherries for Valentine’s Day? Classic!
William E. Brock’s company wasn’t the first to mass market the delightful French concoction in the US. That distinction goes to the New York City firm Cella’s Confections, which began large scale production in 1929. But Brock Candy Company was well positioned to become a major competitor. During the 1930s, Brock introduced its own chocolate [...]
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Feb
13
The Family Bible
Prior to easily retrievable birth certificates, marriage licenses, death certificates, and digitized record keeping in general, the family Bible held the ultimate narrative of ancestral history. They’re a treasure trove for both genealogists and historians. For example, here’s a simple entry in the Lampton family Bible, which was carried from southwest Virginia as the household [...]
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Feb
08
A system of morality veiled in allegory
No, they’re not taking over the world, they’re not Illuminati. The Masons were and are a fraternity of men who all share similar moral beliefs (including a belief in a God) and get together regularly, often to raise money for various charities. And for many decades they were at the center of small town life–being [...]
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Feb
02
They drew straws for to see who should shave who first
“Once we hit a place where a feud was being settled. It was back in the hill country of Virginia and the place was called Rocky Comfort. It really wasn’t a town. There was a water-power grist mill, a store, a blacksmith shop and about a quarter of a mile up the little valley there [...]
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