Nineteen seventy-two was a big year for me. I was seventeen years old, graduated from high school in May, moved away, and started college in June. It was also the year I discovered the Foxfire books. The first was published in 1972, the year I first saw in print the Appalachian culture that I had grown up with. I discovered that the life my parents lived and that I grew up in … [Read more...] about The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Women
History
Moonshine Memories
Bo and Luke Duke - of Dukes of Hazzard fame - were just a couple of good old boys hauling moonshine in their souped-up 1969 Dodge Charger through the back roads of Hazzard County. Hot on their trail was ever-persistent Boss Hogg, accompanied by the dimwitted but loveable Rosco P. Coltrane. The lawmen were hardly a match for the Duke brothers. “Bo and Luke took off faster than … [Read more...] about Moonshine Memories
Secrets From a Time Capsule
Since the fall of 2020, a glass-topped display case has been sitting next to the checkout desk in my library. Strewn across a piece of artfully arranged white fabric is a handful of what’s left of the contents of a time capsule buried on June 20, 1970, on the grounds of the courthouse lawn. There was much pomp and circumstance in the burying. Tuxedoed pallbearers with top hats … [Read more...] about Secrets From a Time Capsule
A Daredevil Well Before His Time
The Tallulah Gorge in north Georgia has been carved out of the stone of the Tallulah Dome by the Tallulah River over millions of years. Now nearly 1,000 feet deep, it is called one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. Protected as a state park, its river, rock formations, waterfalls, and natural beauty make it a popular tourist destination. In the past, many have been most … [Read more...] about A Daredevil Well Before His Time
Entrepreneur, Firebrand and Controversial Character; Cas Walker
If you grew up in East Tennessee, Virginia, or Kentucky in the 1940s thru the 1980s, there is one man you likely remember. He was a very successful businessman, a politician, and an entertainer. Orton Caswell (better known as Cas) Walker was an extraordinary personality in all of those areas. Part business owner, carnival barker, showman, and politician, he was outspoken and … [Read more...] about Entrepreneur, Firebrand and Controversial Character; Cas Walker
