Hi, Folks! Meet Ray Tweed; “Rayboy” to everyone who knows him. Rayboy picked up his unusual nickname as a child. The local school principal was also named Ray Tweed. To differentiate between the two, people started referring to the younger as “Rayboy” and the name stuck. Rayboy was raised in…
Hi, Folks! Meet Miss Polly as I call her. Mrs. Polly Gott to be exact. When looking at her life history, Polly could be considered a bit of an anomaly. The reason I say that is because Polly and her husband Peter moved here from New York in 1960 at…
Hi, Folks! This is the late Father Andrew J. Graves and The Church of The Little Flower. With the sole exception of Frances L. Goodrich, Father Graves is probably the most influential religious figure Madison County has ever known. A staunch advocate of the poor, Father Graves began his ministry…
Eleven Months & Twenty-Nine Days. Ask any old-timer that’s been around and in the know. They will tell you that was the automatic sentence anyone would receive if caught hauling moonshine years ago. “Hauling Shine” has left us with a wealth of daring, sad, and hilarious stories throughout Appalachia and…
Hi, Folks! Growing up, I wasn’t much different than most other boys in the western mountains of North Carolina. I loved fishing and the outdoors, spent a lot of time learning how to work with tobacco & hay and was expected to go to school and make good grades. To…
Howdy, Folks! Years ago, it was common place to see animal hides tacked up on the sides of barns and sheds all over Appalachia. From the sport of hunting with dogs or trapping, mountain folks would “show off” a wide array of hides on the side of their barns or…
WILDLIFE BIOLOGY and WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT A short essay on the state of the art Copyright Walt Hampton 5-25-16 Like most folks in the profession I decided to pursue a career in wildlife because I simply loved animals. Some of my earliest memories are of pouring over a series of…
Hello, Folks. Years ago, the most critical day of the year for most Appalachian Farming Families was the day when they took their tobacco crop to market. This was the day of year when hope was placed in the hands of bidders from huge corporations such as R.J. Reynolds and…
Y’all Come See Us By Steve Tweed Rural America has a rich farm history in which Appalachia has played a major role. Some of the more impacting visual reminders are the barns that dot the landscape around us. Along the way, someone figured out that using barns as billboards would…
A Lantern In The Darkness By Steve Tweed Folks, meet Tommy. He’s one of the new faces of hope; A reflection of Old Appalachia in this writer’s opinion. At 23 years of age, the first thing you will encounter are his youthful outlook, exuberant personality and infectious smile. He always…
