Judaculla Rock rests unassumingly along a sleepy backroad just outside of Cullowhee, North Carolina, in Jackson County near Caney Fork Creek of the Tuckasegee River. Just taking a quick glance, you’d never know that it is one of the more baffling mysteries of the Appalachian and Native American cultures. The rock is made of soapstone

Blue Ridge brand dishware/tableware was produced by Southern Potteries in Erwin, Tennessee until 1957. Despite last being produced over 60 years ago, Blue Ridge is still very popular with collectors for its unique style and look. Southern Potteries was once a major employer in Erwin with almost 1,200 employees at its peak. The company that

In 1918, Robert Ripley had a newspaper column that would eventually become famous as Ripley’s Believe It or Not. The column dealt with real-life events that were so outlandish and bizarre that the reader might question their validity. I have always loved Ripley’s Believe It or Not and am still drawn to odd stories. so

Few things elicit such an emotional response as the memory of a father’s chair. It is often as revered as a king’s throne or maybe more so because a king just ain’t dad. The chair is almost always in the form of a well-worn recliner that shows the wear and tear from a man who

On New Year’s Day 1888, an infamous event that set the wheels in motion to end the Hatfield-McCoy Feud took place. It is now known as the “New Year’s Day Massacre” for its bloodshed. It made national headlines that were sensationalized by the media in a way that portrayed the participants, and Appalachians as a

December 30th in the year of our Lord 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the worst mining disaster in the history of Eastern Kentucky, a region built on coal. The Hurricane Creek mine disaster left 38 coal miners dead with only one survivor to tell the tale. It remains the darkest day in the history

The Pauley Bridge in Pikeville, Kentucky is a landmark that sits just outside the city. It was built in 1936 with funds provided by the WPA (Works Progress Administration – an infrastructure program that was part of the New Deal agency established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt). It stretches across the Big Sandy River and

The name Edwin Wiley Grove might not jump off the page at first glance but his impact on the city of Asheville, North Carolina, left a lasting legacy. His Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic helped make him a fortune and is an example of one of the all-time great marketing campaigns. Edwin Wiley Grove was born

Not all heroes wear capes…some wear bathrobes. From the “it is so crazy it has to be true” file, Kentucky man Timothy Browning cleared the snow off his driveway with a flamethrower while dressed as Cousin Eddie from the Christmas Vacation movie. You can see the video of this greatness at the link below: I

I stopped off in Cedar Bluff, Virginia (in Tazewell County) on my way to Richlands to pick up my son. Cedar Bluff is a beautiful town any time of year but especially so in the snow of winter. The video below shows “The Cuts,” the old grist mill, the gazebo in the town square, and