This week, before emancipation, Appalachia provided pathways to freedom for enslaved people trying to escape bondage. A new project identifies more than two dozen previously unknown underground railroad sites. Also, the Fly Around Music & Arts Festival in North Carolina was inspired by the hard work that followed Hurricane Helene. And, a ballad about floods recorded a generation ago still provides solace for people today.
Silas House, Tyler Childers and Jason Kyle Howard on set for the “In Your Love” music video by Tyler Childers.
Courtesy
Silas House is a prolific writer who is a vital voice in Appalachia. The Kentucky native has written more than 15 books, served as the state’s poet laureate, done music journalism and even wrote and directed a music video for Tyler Childers.
His latest book is The Tulip Poplars. It’s a sweeping novel that chronicles the lives of four people as they navigate friendship and forbidden love throughout the 20th century.
David Cale stands below chandeliers he hung underground to light Laurel Caverns in Fayette County, PA.
Photo Credit: Andrea Peterson/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Across much of Appalachia, there’s a hidden world beneath your feet. The region is chock full of ancient cave systems. Some are just little caverns you can walk in and out of. Some are so deep nobody’s sure where they begin or end.
The masthead of the Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper is seen on the side of an office building where the paper was once located in Lexington, Kentucky.
Courtesy of Alex Acquisto
Print journalism has been struggling for years. What happens when a newspaper shutters or loses most of its staff, and what do we lose?
Mary Hyre’s column from the time of the initial Mason County Monster sighting. Courtesy of The Athens Messenger
Fans of Appalachian monsters and cryptids know Mothman. In West Virginia lore, it’s a human-sized creature with wings and red eyes that glow. It was first spotted in the 1960s. A small-town newspaper writer covered the Mothman sightings. And then tragedy struck the town.
Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Larry Rader, Harvey and Copeland and Blue Dot Sessions.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Irina Zhorov is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens and our Folkways Audio Engineer is Charlie Kaier. We had help this week from Folkways Editor Ibby Caputo.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
On this West Virginia Week, the board of education is in charge of rulemaking for schools according to a ruling from the Court of Appeals of West Virginia, Sen. Jim Justice is admonished and a rule to weaken silica limits in mines is proposed.
This week, before emancipation, Appalachia provided pathways to freedom for enslaved people trying to escape bondage. A new project identifies more than two dozen previously unknown underground railroad sites. Also, the Fly Around Music & Arts Festival in North Carolina was inspired by the hard work that followed Hurricane Helene. And, a ballad about floods recorded a generation ago still provides solace for people today.
On this West Virginia Morning, a Marshall University historian discusses documenting previously unknown underground railroad sites throughout the region.
