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Blue Ridge Parkway Overlook at Groundhog Mountain, Meadows of Dan, VA
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Howdy, and welcome to the January 2025 Blue Ridge Tales newsletter edition. This edition features a secret code of the Underground Railroad, two dangerous Appalachian jobs, and a bit of mining folklore. I hope you enjoy my selections for the month.
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Imagine a quilt hanging on a clothesline, fluttering gently in the breeze. To a casual observer, it's just a piece of fabric, a practical household item airing out in the sun. But for some, it might have been a covert message—a guide to freedom for those enslaved in the 19th century. Could quilts have been used as secret codes in …
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The wind tore through the brakeman's jacket as he inched along the top of a freight car, his boots skidding slightly on the frosted steel. Below him, the Blue Ridge Mountains stretched out in waves, shrouded in a foggy mist. The train groaned and shuddered as it hugged a curve, and he gripped the brake wheel tighter, bracing himself against …
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The breaker boys’ story is one of stark contrasts: the innocence of childhood stolen by the grit and grime of industrial labor. Imagine being eight years old, bent over a conveyor belt, fingers raw and aching from hours of picking slate out of coal. The air is thick with black dust that coats your lungs and clogs your throat. This …
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In the heart of Appalachia’s coal country, where few see daylight, a chilling folk tale persists: Tommyknockers. In the dark, cramped tunnels, miners whisper about these mysterious beings who knock on walls and steal tools. Their knocks sometimes serve as warnings—a signal to flee before disaster strikes. Whether guardian angels or tricksters, Tommyknockers, aka Knockers, are an enduring part of …
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Well, that's it for this edition. I hope you enjoyed it. If you would like me to cover a particular topic, drop me a line at the address below. And don't forget to "like" our Facebook page.
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Copyright Wayne Jordan 2025 All rights reserved
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