Best Rod Eccles Podcasts (2024)

51
The Mendota Gunslinger? The Story of Texas Jack 17:49

3d ago17:49

17:49

Today we tell a story with echoes of the Wild West…along with a twist! We unravel the mysterious life of Jack Vermillion of Mendota, Virginia, a man who many say once walked the dusty streets of Tombstone, Arizona, alongside the legendary Earp brothers. Join hosts Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins as they journey through the tangled tales of a figure man…

1
Devil John Wright of the Cumberlands 30:53

11d ago30:53

30:53

In the heart of Appalachia, a legend looms as large as the mountains themselves. Today, we tell the story of John Wesley Wright. Born in the Elkhorn Valley of Kentucky, John Wright's life was a mix of adventure, violence, and survival. From his early days as a Confederate soldier making a daring escape from Union forces, Wright's exploits during th…

1
Deathwind in the Wilderness: The Lewis Wetzel Story 12:36

18d ago12:36

12:36

Today we venture into the untamed wilderness of the late 18th-century Appalachian frontier, along the Ohio River. In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, Steve and Rod unearth the life and lore of Lewis Wetzel, a man whose name is etched in the annals of history as a fearless pioneer, frontiersman, and Indian fighter. Join us on a journey through…

1
Appalachian Goliath-The Tale of Tennessee's Strongest Man 10:46

20d ago10:46

10:46

Step into the world of Appalachian giants with the incredible tale of Joseph Jefferson Copeland, known to all as Big Joe, the strongest man in Tennessee. In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins bring to life the legend of a man whose feats of strength and size became the benchmark for tales of might in the 19th century…

1
The Punch Jones Diamond, Appalachia's Hidden Gem 13:03

1M ago13:03

13:03

In this captivating episode of Stories of Appalachia, we delve into the lucky discovery that forever altered the lives of a father and son in Monroe County, West Virginia. Join Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins as they recount the day in 1928 when a simple game of horseshoes unearthed a treasure that would remain hidden in plain sight for 15 years. Hear …

1
The Hanging Judge's Executioner 15:07

1M ago15:07

15:07

Discover the fascinating tale of George Maledon, the legendary hangman for Arkansas' Hanging Judge Parker, and his peculiar path to Tennessee's Mountain Home veterans cemetery. Uncover a piece of Old West justice on our latest podcast episode. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast...we're on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or where…

1
The 1970 Hurricane Creek Mine Explosion 10:38

1M ago10:38

10:38

Today we tell the story of the deadliest mine disaster in Eastern Kentucky history, the explosion in shafts number 15 and 16 at Hurricane Creek near Hyden, Kentucky. The Stories podcast is on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Be sure to subscribe! Thanks for listening and for sharing our stories …

1
Frontier Justice: Russell Bean and Andrew Jackson 15:36

2M ago15:36

15:36

Russell Bean was the son of William Bean and his wife, Lydia, the first people to settle in what's now Tennessee and for whom Bean Station is named. Russell, considered the first child of European descent to be born in the future Tennessee, was a large, strong man with a temper who most folks avoided that temper came to a boil. Andrew Jackson was a…

1
The Greene-Jones War 22:22

2M ago22:22

22:22

In the 1880s and 1890s a bloody feud was happening across two Appalachian counties, with conflicts over hogs, shootings, ambushes, cabins set on fire and the threat of the governor to call in the state militia to stop it. This feud was NOT between the Hatfield and McCoy families in Kentucky and West Virginia. This one was about a hundred miles to t…

1
The Kingdom of the Happy Land 12:47

2M ago12:47

12:47

After the Civil War, as the South lay in ruins, a group of freedmen decided to depart the Mississippi plantation on which they had been held as slaves in search of a promised land. They found it...in the mountains of Appalachia. Come along with us as we tell the story of one of the first successful black communities in the south, the Kingdom of the…

1
Billy Dean Anderson: Appalachia's Most Wanted Outlaw 12:11

2M ago12:11

12:11

Billy Dean Anderson was born in Fentress County, Tennessee, and, by all accounts, lived a normal law-abiding life as he grew up, even becoming a volunteer preacher in his church. Then it all went horribly wrong. He and some other men held up a theater in Jamestown, beginning a life of crime in two states. He eventually made the FBI most wanted list…

1
Amos Owens: The Cherry Mountain Moonshiner 18:02

3M ago18:02

18:02

After the Civil War a young man bought Cherry Mountain in Rutherford County, North Carolina and used the wild cherries found there to add flavor to his distilled product, illegal of course, that became a runaway hit. Not only was his distinctive "Cherry Bounce" popular in his part of Appalachia, but it was also the favored beverage on riverboats fr…

1
Dr. John R. Brinkley: The Goat Gland Doctor from Appalachia 38:00

3M ago38:00

38:00

John Romulus Brinkley was born in Burnsville, North Carolina, to a former Confederate medic and his housekeeper. From those humble beginnings young Brinkley grew up to become a traveling "Quaker doctor," a medical huckster and conman in both Knoxville, Tennessee and Greenville, South Carolina, a student at several "eclectic medical schools," a succ…

1
The Tragic End of Outlaw Joe Brown 9:35

3M ago9:35

9:35

Joe Brown was a hell-raiser, thug and violent alcoholic who terrorized the town of Whitmer, West Virginia at the turn of the 20th century. He did, that is, until he went a step too far. That, folks, is our story today. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss any of our stories of Appalachia. Thanks…

1
The 1921 West Virginia Capitol Fire 13:16

3M ago13:16

13:16

On January 3, 1921, a massive fire broke out at the West Virginia state capitol in Charleston. Not a big deal, you might be thinking, fires happen all the time. This one, though, had a twist or three, as you'll find out. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast, at Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Audible or on your favorite pod…

1
The Tragedy at the Cowee Tunnel 11:47

4M ago11:47

11:47

On December 30, 1881, 30 convicts, along with their guards, were shackled and deposited on the banks of the Tuckaseegee River near Dillboro, North Carolina, with a job to do: cross the river in a boat and then start digging out the Cowee Tunnel for the Western North Carolina Railroad. 19 of the 30 didn't make it across alive. Today we tell that tra…

1
Bettie Simms, The Queen of the Moonshiners 13:49

4M ago13:49

13:49

In the early 1900's a young mother in Polk County, North Carolina, had a decision to make. She had separated from her abusive husband and had several young children to feed, house and clothe, with very few job prospects. So she started her own business...moonshining. Bettie Simms was good at that chosen profession but, as so often happens, she had …

1
Appalachian Christmas Traditions 11:13

4M ago11:13

11:13

With Christmas fast approaching, Rod and Steve talk about the history and the folklore behind Christmas in Appalachia... You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PlayerFM, Spreaker, Audible or on your favorite podcast app, whatever that might be. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, y'all!…

1
Tinker Dave Beaty, Union Guerrilla/Outlaw 17:22

4M ago17:22

17:22

David Crockett Beaty was a farmer in Fentress County, Tennessee...until the start of the Civil War. He became a guerrilla fighter in that war, on the side of the Union, with his most well-known rebel counterpart being Champ Ferguson, with whom he had a running war all its own. Today we tell the story of Tinker Dave Beaty, Union guerrilla/outlaw. Be…

1
The 1902 New River Coal Strike -The Battle of Stanaford 12:47

5M ago12:47

12:47

In 1902 coal miners struck the mines along the New River, seeking better wages and better working conditions. The strike continued until February 25, 1903, when a massive gun battle broke out between miners and coal company men, including detectives from the Baldwin-Felts agency and local law enforcement. The battle was fierce, with both sides exch…

1
The Fentress County Witch 10:27

5M ago10:27

10:27

In 1843 a prominent man in Jamestown, Tennessee, distributed a broadsheet, under an assumed name, accusing the wife of a tavern owner of being, among other sordid things, a "witch of the most extraordinary power." That, as you can imagine, led to legal action in the Fentress County courts. Today we tell the story of the Fentress County witch, anoth…

1
Orlean Hawks Puckett. Appalachian Granny Woman 14:03

5M ago14:03

14:03

Granny women were the healers and caretakers of folks in Appalachia, dispensing folk remedies, serving as midwives, and even dousing for water. These women were essential in rural Appalachia, where doctors and hospitals were scarce. Today we tell the story of one of these women, Orlean Hawk Puckett, from Carroll County, Virginia, known for being a …

1
The Gun Battle of Thorn Hill, TN 12:21

5M ago12:21

12:21

At the turn of the 20th century a wealthy and politically connected man from Grainger County, Tennessee, lost a lawsuit filed by a widow and was ordered to pay her a sum of money. Failing to do that, the court ordered a sale of some lumber this man owed, which was bought by a blacksmith in the community of Thorn Hill. Out of this came two murders, …

1
The Eccles Mine Disaster 15:31

5M ago15:31

15:31

In 1914 a series of massive explosions occurred in the Eccles Mine No. 5 near Eccles, West Virginia in Raleigh County, West Virginia, leaving over 180 men and boys dead, including an insurance salesman who had the bad luck of making a call on the miners that day. Today we tell the story of West Virginia's second-worst mine disaster. Be sure to subs…

1
Cora Wilson Stewart and the Moonlight Schools of Kentucky 9:52

6M ago9:52

9:52

At the turn of the 20th century a young woman named Cora Wilson Stewart was hired as an elementary school teacher, later becoming Rowan County school superintendent. Fifteen years later she began a program that has since spread across the country: the idea of adult education for those who needed it. Today we tell her story and the story of the scho…

1
John Forbes Nash, Jr.: Appalachia's Mathematical Genius 9:01

6M ago9:01

9:01

Today we tell the story of one of the 20th century's most brilliant mathematicians, born in Bluefield, West Virginia, and the subject of the movie "A Beautiful Mind," John Forbes Nash, Jr. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker, Audible, PlayerFM, Goodpods (where we're #34 on their Top 100 Indie Documentary…

1
Dark Deeds in the Mountains: The Twisted Tale of Thomas David Carr 12:57

6M ago12:57

12:57

Thomas David Carr was born in Wheeling, West Virginia in 1846. After a childhood marked by abuse, a prison term at age 8 and an attemped poisoning of one of his "acquaintances," Carr joined the Union Army at the start of the Civil War. As he traveled with his unit, and by his own admission, Carr left a string of murders in his wake, culminating wit…

1
The Sanctified Hill Mudslide 8:27

6M ago8:27

8:27

Sanctified Hill was a section of Cumberland, Kentucky, where many retired African American miners and their families resided in homes many had built themselves. In 1972 heavy rains fell across Appalachia, resulting in flooding and, in the case of Sanctified Hill, a terrible disaster. Today we tell that story. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories pod…

1
The Curious Case of L. K. Garber 9:13

7M ago9:13

9:13

Around the turn of the 20th century a man charged with murder escaped from the Scott County, Virginia, jail and headed to Texas. He likely would have spent the rest of his life there but for an accident. A real accident, involving a train. Today we tell the story of a man whose demand for justice from the railroad company led to his own reckoning b…

1
The Battle of Point Pleasant 11:18

7M ago11:18

11:18

Rising tensions along the Appalachian frontier culminated with what's called "Lord Dunmore's War," named after the royal governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore. That conflict came to a head with a battle in 1774 at Point Pleasant in what's now West Virginia, in which Dunmore's forces battled the Shawnee warriors under Chief Cornstalk. Today we tell tha…

1
The West Virginia Mine Wars: Matewan 12:14

7M ago12:14

12:14

Our story of the West Virginia Mine Wars continues at Matewan, West Virginia, where a famous gun battle left several mine company hired guards dead, along with the town mayor, among others. The fighting was so fierce, many townsfolk fled across the Tug Fork into Kentucky, seeking safety. This battle also set the stage for the climax of the mine war…

1
The Hanging of Cal Logston: An Eerie Prophecy From The Gallows 10:57

7M ago10:57

10:57

On April 5, 1872, the last man to be hanged in Fentress County, Tennessee, was said to have made three eerie predictions, all of which came true. Today we tell the story of Cal Logston, a convicted murderer who is said to have foretold events up to a hundred years in the future. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast. We're at Spreaker.com or …

1
The West Virginia Mine Wars: Paint Creek and Cabin Creek 12:10

8M ago12:10

12:10

For a century and a half the king of central Appalachia has been coal. That mineral powered the industrial revolution in America, made some men and corporations very wealthy and provided jobs for the Appalachian men and women who dug it out of the ground. Those jobs, though, didn't pay nearly well enough to justify the human costs of the work, so i…

1
The Savant of Rhea County, Tennessee 11:27

8M ago11:27

11:27

Alvin Goins was a hard worker who, like many Appalachian men of his time, never finished school and was unable to read or write. That never stopped him from getting work as a laborer in and around his home of Rhea County, Tennessee. But Mr. Goins was a little bit different. He was a mathematical genius, able to look at a pile of block, bricks and l…

1
The Dark Mystery of Booger Hole 10:57

8M ago10:57

10:57

Starting in the latter part of the 19th century and continuing up into the 20th century a valley in Clay County, West Virginia, became the site of a series of mysterious disappearances and deaths. It only stopped with the aid of an organized mob (yeah, we know, an oxymoron, but also true). Today we tell the story of the mysterious Booger Hole. If y…

1
The Great Glen Alum Payroll Robbery 10:30

8M ago10:30

10:30

On Friday, August 14, 1914, three Glen Alum Coal Company employees were returning to the mine office with that week's payroll. They didn't make it with the money to the mine alive. Today we tell the story of the great Glen Alum payroll robbery. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast wherever you download your podcasts. Thanks for listening and…

1
From Darkness to Hope: The Appalachian Journey of Bob Childress 10:07

9M ago10:07

10:07

In 1912 a young man's life was transformed by his witnessing a historic tragedy: the infamous Carroll County courthouse shootout, which left several prominent lawyers, police officers and a judge dead. Bob Childress left a life of violence, ignorance and alcohol abuse for a life of faith and service, establishing several churches in his part of App…

1
The Laurel Mine Disaster of 1884 9:42

9M ago9:42

9:42

The Pocahontas coal field, located in southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia, was one of the most productive coal areas in the United States. The town of Pocahontas, in Tazewell County, Virginia, and for which the field was named, was granted a town charter by Virginia on January 31, 1884. Less than two months later tragedy struck when the L…

1
Woodrow Derenberger And The Man From Lanulos 12:19

9M ago12:19

12:19

In November 1966 a man on his way home from work literally drove into Appalachian history when he encountered a UFO blocking his way on I-77 outside Parkersburg, West Virginia. Not only that, he actually "spoke" to the occupant of said UFO! Today we tell the fascinating story of Woodrow Derenberger and his encounter with....something. You can subsc…

1
Appalachia's Petticoat Government 8:27

9M ago8:27

8:27

In 1948 Clintwood, Virginia, held an election for the town's offices. After the campaigning, the voting, and the vote counting, something unique for it's time had happened: All of Clintwood's elected officials were women! Today we tell the story of the first all-female elected government in Appalachia. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast so…

1
The Goat Man 15:16

10M ago15:16

15:16

From the 1930s to the 1980s an itinerant preacher from Georgia traveled throughout Appalachia and beyond in a ramshackle wagon pulled by a herd of goats. It was his way of spreading the gospel and of seeing the world beyond his home. Over those years Ches McCartney became world-renowned as the Goat Man. Today we tell his story. Be sure to subscribe…

1
The Blue People of Kentucky 13:50

10M ago13:50

13:50

In 1820 French orphan Martin Fugate and his wife Elizabeth arrived as new settlers in eastern Kentucky. Unknown to them, they carried genetic traits that would pass on to their descendants, causing many of them to have skin that was a purplish-blue color. Today we tell the story of the blue people of Kentucky. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories po…

1
The Mysterious Christmas Eve Fire: The Missing Sodder Children and their Haunting Legacy 16:57

10M ago16:57

16:57

On Christmas Eve, 1945, a mysterious fire broke out at the Fayetteville, West Virginia home of George and Jennie Sodder. Try as they might, George and his oldest son were unable to put out the fire, nor were they or their neighbors able to call for help, as all the phone lines in the area had stopped working. Five of the Sodder children were trappe…

1
The Dark Mystery of the Sensabaugh Tunnel 11:42

10M ago11:42

11:42

Theft. Infanticide. Insanity. Murder. Ghosts. The stories that surround a notorious tunnel in Tennessee contain all those elements and more. Today we tell some of those stories and tell you a little bit of the history of the infamous Sensabaugh Tunnel, near Kingsport, Tennessee, in Hawkins County. Come along with us, if you dare... Be sure to subsc…

1
Haunted Waters: The Tragic Tale of the Siren's Song in the French Broad River 10:28

10M ago10:28

10:28

A tale was told by the Cherokee of a siren that inhabited the deep whirlpools of the French Broad River in western North Carolina. These sirens were said to be demons that would lure men to their deaths in the river. Today we tell the folktale of a young man from Asheville who encountered that siren. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories of Appalachi…

1
Sam's Magnificent Beard 19:05

11M ago19:05

19:05

A mountain farmer and schoolteacher from the North Carolina town of Magnetic City (now Buladean) got so tired of shaving that he tossed his straight razor in the garbage and just let that facial hair grow. Unbeknownst to him, that decision launched him on a path to fame and fortune throughout North America as the “Man With The Longest Beard In The …

1
The Appalachian Insurrection of 1917 16:08

11M ago16:08

16:08

As the United States entered World War I, it was found to be necessary to start drafting men to serve in the military. That decision was met with widespread resistance across the country, with protests and riots springing up. In one part of America, though, that resistance came close to turning into something akin to the Bolshevik Revolution in Rus…

1
The Kentucky Cannibal: Boone Helm 15:36

11M ago15:36

15:36

Right before and during the Civil War an outlaw roamed the West who was unlike any of the other outlaws you might have heard of. This man, born and raised in eastern Kentucky, gained a reputation for not only robbery and murder, but for his practice of cannibalizing both his victims and a few of his fellow outlaws. Today we tell the story of Boone …

1
An Appalachian Frontier Legend: Simon Kenton, Part Two 18:07

11M ago18:07

18:07

Today we wrap up our story about legendary Appalachian explorer, longhunter and guide Simon Kenton, who went from explorer and longhunter to owning hundreds of thousands of acres of frontier land, businesses, and a small fortune...only to have it all ripped away from him by the end of his life. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your fa…

1
An Appalachian Frontier Legend: Simon Kenton, Part One 18:39

12M ago18:39

18:39

Today we have a story so big we had to split it into two parts! Simon Kenton was an Appalachian explorer, longhunter and guide. His life was so filled with adventure that it became the stuff of legend, second only to Daniel Boone, Kenton's close friend. Numerous buildings, schools, and other places bear Kenton's name in those states that border the…

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