Dave Tabler, Author at Appalachian History

cartoon character with oversized crown holds nose

March 26, 2019 Regional food / Wild foraging

The King of Stink

Mountain folks have traditionally looked forward to the return of the ramp after a winter of eating mostly dried foods.

March 25, 2019 Fashion / Tennessee

The true pork pie hat

The fabled phoenix, that marvelous bird endowed with the power to rise from its own ashes, finds a match in the pork pie hat.

March 22, 2019 Appalachian music / Blues / Georgia

Every woman in my place is bound to feel blue too

Ida Prather Cox, vaudeville performer, pioneering blues singer. Founded female blues genre along with Gertrude “Ma” Rainey & Bessie Smith.

March 21, 2019 Kentucky / Whittling/carving

Every boy around, practically, carried a Barlow knife

Most of the boys carried an old Russell Barlow pocket knife. You could get a 1-blade at a store for 15¢ and a 2-blade for a quarter.

From 1919 to the 1940s, Madison County, NC’s first (and only) hospital was maintained and operated by the Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church, USA.

Author: Dave Tabler

The King of Stink

The true pork pie hat

Every woman in my place is bound to feel blue too

Every boy around, practically, carried a Barlow knife

Nurses who are glad to serve & who do not count too closely the hours of service