The Bridge Burners of East Tennessee

We’ve told hundreds of stories about Appalachia, but few are as bizarre as the night a Kentucky drug smuggler named Andrew Thornton II fell to his death during a smuggling run over south Knoxville, Tennessee back in 1985. Join Steve and Rod as they tell the incredible story of a decorated police officer and practicing lawyer who led a double life as a major drug smuggler and the connections between this run and an incident with a black bear in north Georgia that would eventually inspire a well-known Hollywood movie.Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.Thanks for listening

In July, 1912, a joyful Fourth of July outing on a mountain turned into a tragedy when a crowded passenger coach collided head-on with a massive coal train on the Wilpen Branch of the Ligonier Valley Railroad in Pennsylvania. The wooden coach was crushed between engines, killing 27 and injuring over 30, many of them young children.This week, Steve and Rod tell the story of that crash and the haunting aftermath in the town of Ligonier.Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast if you haven’t done so already.  You’ll find us wherever you get your favorite podcasts.Thanks for listening.

In November 1861, a secret band of East Tennessee Unionists struck at the heart of Confederate supply lines by burning railroad bridges across the region. They believed the Union army would soon march in to liberate them, but it didn’t happen. Instead, Confederate authorities unleashed brutal retaliation, hanging several of the men, while others barely escaped with their lives. In this episode, we tell the story of the East Tennessee bridge burners, the risks they took and the terrible cost they paid. It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia. If you’ve not done so already, subscribe to the Stories podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts so you don’t miss any of our stories.

This week, we wrap up our commemoration of the first anniversary of Hurricane Helene by talking with Mitchell County’s David Biddix, who documented the effects of the storm and its aftermath in that hard-hit part of North Carolina. From his home in Spruce Pine to small communities like Poplar, and along the Nolichucky where CSX rail lines were washed away, he shares what he saw as the area endured the flooding of September 2024.Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast. You’ll find us on your favorite podcast app.Thanks for listening.

When Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina a year ago, it left behind washed-out roads, flooded homes, and communities cut off from each other. For first responders, the storm was more than just a headline, it was a fight to save lives.In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, we sit down with Kevin Behm, a firefighter and first responder with the Nebo Fire Station in McDowell County, North Carolina, who lives in Marion. Kevin was on duty the night Helene hit and in the days that followed. He shares what it was like working that night and on the days that followed, navigating road closures and flooding and seeing firsthand how his neighbors pulled together in the aftermath of the storm.It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.Thank you for listening.

On the first anniversary of Hurricane Helene’s flooding in Appalachia, Rod and Steve share the story of Maria True, general manager of Jet Broadcasting in Erwin, Tennessee. When the Nolichucky River overflowed, it destroyed the studios and AM tower of WEMB and WXIS, along with family belongings tied to her and her late father and former station owner, Jim True. In this episode, Maria talks about the impact of the flood, the recovery in Erwin, and her plans for the future of the stations. If you’ve not done so already, be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast so you don’t miss any of our stories. You’ll find us wherever you get your favorite podcasts.Thank you for listening.

In July 1944, a troop train packed with new Army recruits derailed near Jellico, Tennessee, plunging into Clear Fork River. Thirty-five soldiers died and ninety-one were injured. In this episode, Steve and Rod tell the story of how Tennessee prepared for World War II and the one tragic night that brought the war home to Appalachia.You can subscribe to the Stories podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts and on our YouTube channel.Thanks for listening

In 1919, a nitroglycerin explosion near Torrent, Kentucky, killed four men and leveled a factory. Today we tell the story of that tragedy and the explosive history of oil well “torpedoes” in Appalachia.It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast if you haven’t done so already. You’ll find us wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

In 1750, surveyor Christopher Gist set out to explore the wilderness of what’s now Southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, and West Virginia. Hired by the Ohio Company, Gist mapped the Appalachian frontier and discovered coal.  He also guided a young George Washington, becoming an important figure in the French and Indian War. Join us as we tell the story of Christopher Gist, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.If you’ve not done so already, subscribe to the Stories podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts.Thanks for listening!

In March 1864, Union Colonel William B. Stokes and his cavalry were ambushed at Dug Hill, in Tennessee, leaving dozens of his men dead. Enraged, Stokes led a brutal raid on William and Cynthia Officer’s home, where Confederate soldiers, including their son John, were staying. Six were killed, and the family narrowly escaped destruction thanks to the courage of one of their slaves, Uncle Abe.This week we tell of the brutality of the Civil War, a story of vengeance, survival, and the high cost of that war in Appalachia.You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Spreaker, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.Thanks for listening.