One of the most noteworthy stories to ever come across the pages of the Alleghany Times News, now the Alleghany News, was the death of a local school girl in the Saddle Mountain community. Her name was Elva Brannock. Her story is unique in the sense that it was never…
When I was growing up, there were few things more exciting than listening to WCOK (our local radio station) for the birthday reports. It was so exciting to hear your name on the radio when it was YOUR birthday. We also looked forward to getting a copy of the Alleghany…
THE APPALACHIAN WAY Walt’s Campfire 1-8-19 Copyright Walt Hampton When I was growing up in Galax, Virginia in the 1960’s, my dad was the manager of the Virginia Employment Commission office there. We in the family were abreast of the economic and employment situation around…
Walt’s Campfire Copyright Walt Hampton 1-15-19 NOTE: I am retired from commercial gun stock work; I now only keep a hand in as a hobbyist, making the occasional stock for family members. I did make the stocks for all of the firearms in this article, in that I…
Varmints and the Trapper 12-19-18 Copyright Walt Hampton Growing up and living in rural America, and especially in the central Appalachians, puts folks in close contact with the abundant wildlife populations. Folks that grew up in the city environment have no experience with the interactions with animals we…
WALT’S CAMPFIRE HOTROD COPYRIGHT 2-1-19 Walt Hampton I have often said over the years that if reincarnation is real, I want to come back in the next life as Joe Reeves’ dog. One of the great things about life is discovering the true nature of our friends and through…
While giving tours on the campus of Brevard College, N.C. I decided to do a little research on the college’s history so that I may share it with perspective students and their families. However, upon doing so it was a bit of a surprise when I found mention of a…
Where to begin? For example, as a former classroom teacher, one of the first things I did was get connected with my students because only after that could we begin the authentic and real process of getting connected to the material. How do you get connected with your students? You…
Back in the day before hospitals and certainly before there was a pharmacy on every corner, the pharmacy was…well, either outside in the woods or in your grandma’s kitchen…There is nothing like grandma’s cooking, but turns out she had MORE than cornbread and beans to cure what ails you… Many…
My love of history began when I was in fourth grade. However, it would not be until I got to high school that I discovered my true passion for it. So, when it came time to pick a topic for my senior project I chose to do the history of…
