Appalachian Shine

Meet the Directors: Dr. Gary Stratton

Dr. Gary Stratton, an original founder and board member (and Vice-President) talks about economic development and opportunities in the region and why he believes strongly in the grassroots efforts to improve our quality of life in Appalachia. 

We also talk about two of our original founders that unfortunately passed away. Melinda Elswick and James Hibbitts have left their mark on our organization and on our hearts. 

#Appalachia #AppalachiaEducation #EconomicDevelopment #DrGaryStratton

Haunted Rotherwood Mansion, Kingsport, TN

Appalachia is no stranger to tall tales, legends, and haunts. In this episode we talk about Rotherwood Mansion in Kingsport, TN. It is the home of tragedy and despair, of hope and hopes dashed, and a history of brutality leading up to the Civil War. Come along for the ride and learn about the 4 ghosts that still haunt the place to this very day.

#RotherwoodMansion #KingsportTN #Kingsport #ghosts #hauntings #Appalachia

Virginia‘s First Blueway State Park-The Clinch River State Park

The Clinch River is one of the most ecologically diverse rivers in America. Thanks to a lot of local support and grass roots effort, the Clinch River State Park is a reality and could be an important part of the puzzle for bringing in tourism and getting our locals back outside and enjoying nature here in our own back yard! 

#ClinchRiver #StatePark #Virginia #blueway 

A Case of the Curious Sheriff and Prisoner

We go back to the 1800's for this criminal case out of Lewis County, Kentucky! Mayhem was the crime, and the sheriff was his friend. This tale of fisticuffs and a journey to the penitentiary in Frankfort leads the prisoner to the Governor by accident. You'll never guess what happens next (unless you've already heard this story)!

#KentuckyHistory #Appalachia #LewisCountyKY #AppalachianHistory

Spies In Appalachia

It's been decades since the infamous Manhattan Project was hidden away in Central Appalachia at Oak Ridge, TN. During that time spies roamed our mountains in search of national secrets during WW2 and leading up to the Cold War with the Russians. 

#ManhattanProject #Appalachia #OakRidgeTN

Books About Appalachia

Looking for something to read about Appalachia or from Appalachian authors? You'll love this episode of Appalachian Shine! Make sure to pick up some of these gems for the book lover in your life this holiday season.

#Appalachia #Appalachianbooks #Appalachianauthors

 

Christmas in Appalachia Wasn‘t Always Celebrated on Dec. 25th

Well, we all learn something new everyday. And today I stumbled upon some fun history that I didn't know about. Little Newbern, VA was a shopping hub and possibly the first location in Appalachia that embraced buying gifts for Christmas! People travelled from far around to the Great Wagon Road that took them to downtown Newbern!

#GreatWagonRoad #NewbernVA #Appalachia #ChristmasInAppalachia

Income Disparity in Appalachia

We're all aware of the issue of income disparity in Appalachia vs. the rest of the country. A recent article on Bloomberg (shared on our Facebook page) reveals how far behind we are on owning income generating assets. This is an important piece of solving our economic issues that we can start to impact right now. 

#Appalachia #IncomeDisparity #Investing #CentralAppalachia

www.facebook.com/supportappalachia 

www.supportappalachia.org

 

"A Summer Without Children": Polio outbreak in the 1950's

In the 1950's Wytheville, VA was thrust into the national spotlight for having the highest per capita ratio of the polio pandemic. It was running at twice the national average. Wytheville, then a tourist destination, had to shut down and put up a sign to warn travelers away. 

We can find a lot of similarities in how we handled that outbreak in Appalachia and how we are handling COVID-19. "We've been to this rodeo before," as one elderly man recently told me. 

#Appalachia #pandemic #polio #Wytheville #SummerWithoutChildren

100 Years Ago in Appalachia

100 years ago this month the Battle of Blair Mountain in West Virginia made national headlines, putting the fight for unionization on the front page in every home. 

Also, will Appalachia be prime real estate in 50 years?

#Appalachia #history #BlairMountain #WestVirginia