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The hillbilly stereotype is frequently used to shame mountain people, but there are gentler versions, like Snuffy Smith, the long-running comic strip character. Snuffy Smith originally started out as a supporting character in his comic strip, which first launched in 1919 when Billy DeBeck created Barney Google. Artist Fred Lasswell was brought in during the ‘30s to create Snuffy Smith and his friends. And now the strip is written and drawn by John Rose, who lives in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
Home » Winter, Wine, And A Walk Outside, Inside Appalachia
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Winter, Wine, And A Walk Outside, Inside Appalachia
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For some, winter can be a difficult time — dark and cold. For others, time outside in the winter is a powerful experience. After everything we’ve been through in the past year, getting outside can be one way to help with the stress. Taking a break from social media and the news, getting bundled up and venturing out into nature, even just for five minutes, can help.
In this episode of Inside Appalachia, we’ll go outside into a cold, crisp forest on a winter hike. We’ll hear why the winter months actually provide unique opportunities to hear birds.
We’ll also learn about a group of Italian immigrants who escaped religious persecution and moved to the mountains of North Carolina. They brought cultural traditions, including winemaking, to this small pocket of Appalachia. And we’ll also delight in one town’s twist on the classic West Virginia slaw dog — the “Marmet Yellow slaw dog.” The dish has been around since the 1930s but isn’t widely known outside this tiny Kanawha County town.
Ashlin Douglas, our associate producer's daughter, eats snow, just like Reid Frazier's daughters.
A few years ago, Reid Frazier, a reporter with the Allegheny Front, wrote a story about his children’s love of snow, and what it taught him about embracing the simple joys of the new year.
Birds Of Winter
Andy Kubis, a producer for The Allegheny Front headed out for a winter hike with Gabi Hughes, an environmental educator at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve north of Pittsburgh. The reserve is run by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, Their aim was to find out what there is to see and hear in the coldest months of the year.
Blocking A Pipeline
Mason Adams
Tree sitters blocking the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Yellow Finch, Virginia.
Some of Appalachia’s most rugged and beautiful places are located along the Allegheny Mountains. Straddling Virginia and West Virginia, this stretch of mountains is the site of the 300-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline, a major natural gas pipeline project. But it’s still incomplete.
This is partly because of activists. The Yellow Finch tree-sits have blocked the pipeline in Virginia for more than two years. In November, a judge ordered the protesters out, but the tree sitters are still there. Inside Appalachia co-host Mason Adams has been reporting on this issue for the last six years. He recently visited Yellow Finch, and brings us an update.
Using The Bright Sunshine
Companies and government officials are promising to use more renewable energy as a way to address climate change. One way to do that is to build solar farms, but a solar farm needs flat land. That’s something that’s in short supply in Appalachia.
Developershave found some flat land in portions of Appalachia, including in Pennsylvania. StateImpact Pennsylvania’s Rachel McDevitt reports how the solar industry could take some communities by surprise. They might just push back.
Revival Of The Yellow Slaw Dog
Zack Harold
Yellow slaw hotdog at Chum's Hotdog stand in Marmet, W.Va.
Have you ever heard of the Marmet yellow slaw dog? The dish has been around since the 1930s, but isn’t widely known outside this tiny Kanawha County town. Folkways reporter Zack Harold has been digging into this story. He called up Inside Appalachia co-host Caitlin Tan to talk about this unique take on the iconic West Virginia hotdog. Click here to see the abbreviated recipe for the yellow slaw dog.
Making Wine
In the 1890s, a few dozen Italian immigrants settled in Valdese, North Carolina. They built communal bread-baking ovens, they made a special type of sausage, played bocce ball and they made wine. Rebecca Williams of our Folkways Reporting Corps has the story.
Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. The fiddle music you heard in today’s show is from the archived field recordings at the Augusta Heritage Center, recorded in the 1990s by Gerry Milnes. Other music this week was provided by Dinosaur Burps, Dr. Turtle and Jason Shaw.
Roxy Todd is our producer. Eric Douglas is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Andrea Billups. Kelley Libby edited our show this week. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode. You can find us on Twitter @InAppalachia.
"Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire" is a young adult novel set in Appalachia. Written by West Virginia native Don Martin, the book follows the story of a witch-in-training who uses her magic to help a forgotten mountain coal town. It was an instant New York Times bestseller after it was released last year. Inside Appalachia Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Martin about the book and his podcast "Head on Fire."
On this West Virginia Week, Gov. Patrick Morrisey vetoed 12 bills that made it through the legislative process. We also hear the latest in the battle over which vaccines are required for school attendance in the state. And, a growing interest in data centers has the attention of people around West Virginia – both for and against.
This week, having a very specific talent can lead to a dream job. It’s how cartoonist John Rose got his foot in the door to draw the comic strip Snuffy Smith. Also, there are dos and don’ts for treating poison ivy. And, a young, old-time musician wants to save her family’s lost ballads.
For nearly 100 years, Snuffy Smith has been a staple of newspaper comic pages, though these days, it’s easier to find him online. Snuffy Smith was brought to life by artist Fred Lasswell in the 1930s, but now the strip is written and drawn by John Rose, who lives in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Inside Appalachia host Mason Adams spoke to Rose about drawing the famous hillbilly.
