Articles
The following essays explore the history, nature, and culture of the Southern Appalachian region. If you are interested in submitting an essay for publication consideration, see submission guidelines.
Creating the South Mountains S.P.
The creation of the South Mountains State Park in 1975 was made possible by an unprecedented wave of public opinion that favored environmental protection. By E.G. Palmer
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
In telling the stories of the abandoned settlements of Proctor and Cataloochee, this article explores what it means to study the environmental history of a place. By Luke Manget.
Gendered Ethnographies
This study of two of the most influential observers of Appalachian people in the early 20th century reveals the contrasting ways that gender shaped the perspectives and fortunes of Emma Bell Miles and Horace Kephart. By Sheila Myers.
On the Fence
The Buncombe County Stock Law Revolt of 1885-87 reflected clashing values and conflicting ideas on how land should be used. It also helped reshaped the political landscape of post-Reconstruction North Carolina. By Luke Manget.
The Border War that Wasn’t
In the 1914 case, North Carolina v. Tennessee, U.S. Supreme Court decided a long-running border dispute that nearly came to blows between the two states. By Luke Manget.
Appalachia and the Quest for a ‘Viable Alternative’
In 1937, a Columbia University professor named Morris Mitchell established the Macedonia Cooperative Community in north Georgia as an experiment in reorganizing rural life. By Luke Manget.
Do Panthers Scream?
In the summer of 2003, I came face to face with the eastern cougar phenomenon, launching me on a years’ long effort to answer the question: are there panthers in the Appalachian mountains? And do they scream? By Luke Manget.
Do Mandrakes Scream?
Why did some Appalachian root diggers believe that ginseng roots screamed when they were pulled from the ground? This essay explores how plant mythology surrounding mandrakes in medieval Europe was transplanted in the New World. By Luke Manget.
The Wild Man of the Woods
Before there was Bigfoot, there was “Wild Man.” Although western obsessions with wild men date back centuries, the 19th century witnessed something of a new cultural phenomenon in North America, one that spoke to the anxieties of a changing society. By Luke Manget.
“Galackin’ in WNC
Since the 1880s, the harvesting and marketing of galax has provided countless mountain families with spending money. And it all began in Linville, NC, with a man named Harlan P. Kelsey. By Luke Manget.
Tapping into History With Maps
These maps can tell a fascinating story: the rise and fall of the maple sugar industry in central Appalachia. But how do we interpret them? By Luke Manget.
The Shaker Connection
Calvin J. Cowles’s fateful 1850 journey from Wilkesboro, NC, to the Shaker village of New Lebanon, NY, helped establish the botanical drug trade in southern Appalachia. By Luke Manget