Appalachian History

ONE TIME away back years ago there was a boy named Jack. He and his folks lived off in the mountains somewhere and they were awful poor, just didn’t have a thing. Jack had two brothers, Will and Tom, and they are in some of the Jack Tales, but this one I’m fixin’ to tell [...]

I was borned right here in these mountains, and since I was a boy I’ve knowed ever trail within twenty-five mile. My pappy were a gunsmith afore me and he teached me the trade. Pappy were the best gunsmith in four counties, and I wouldn’t swap one of them ole muzzle-loaders fer all the britch-Ioading [...]

Early one day long ago from time out of memory the people of a Cherokee town awoke and faced east to say their morning prayers to the Creator in heaven (Ca-lun-la-ti). In the distance could be heard the cry of an owl, a sign of death and bad luck. The eastern sky began turning many [...]

I heared my brother-in-law tell a tale about his, about a man a-drivin’ mules and horses to South Carolina. He come to a place and called to stay all night, and this, he got to stay all night there. And in the, in the night when he went to bed, why, they was a man [...]

“We were out playing one Sunday evening and it was cold as blue blazes. It was blowing a little blue snow I believe. And Daddy, he had always been strict about things, and he didn’t want us out that evening. It was just too cold for any of ust to be out there but we [...]