Why Passed-Down Recipes Are So Important to Appalachians

 

Does food have a culture?  

Does culture have a food?

Have you ever thought about the foods that you eat?

In Appalachia, food is never just about what’s on the table. It’s about the people who prepared it, the land that provided it, and the traditions that gave it meaning. Passed-down recipes carry a special weight here in the mountains, where family and heritage are woven into daily life as tightly as a hand-stitched quilt.

A Connection to Ancestors

For many Appalachian families, a recipe is a living piece of family history. It might be written in faded ink on a yellowed index card, or it might exist only in memory, shared through countless retellings in kitchens warmed by cast-iron skillets and woodstoves. I have found many clippings of recipes from newspapers and handwritten note paper safely tucked inside an old cookbook of my Grandmother.  I've even done this myself.  Each recipe, each dish becomes a direct link to grandparents, great-grandparents, and even generations further back.   Think about your favorite meals that your Grandmother prepared and chances are that she learned it from her Grandmother.  All the while, keeping their presence alive through taste, smell, and ritual.  I can still smell my Grandmother's hot biscuits coming out of the oven.  A tradition I continue today.

Continue reading and explore more food traditions and let your appetite follow.

From One Mountain Home to Another: Trading West Virginia Roots for a Georgia Ridge

There’s a place in West Virginia that will always live in my heart, even if it no longer belongs to my family. My grandparents’ farmhouse stood sturdy against the wind for decades, its white paint peeling in places, its porch swing creaking like it was whispering old stories. The land around it rolled gently into the hills, with fields that blushed green in spring and burned gold in autumn. It wasn’t just property, it was memory, heritage, and the heartbeat of our family.

I discussed this farmhouse in my genealogical based presentation, Hillbilly Highway.  My mother, aunts, and uncles discussed the farm and how it was my grandfather's dream... And they lost it to foreclosure. An extremely low monthly payment, then, that now, the land gets over $250k in natural gas underground. They would have been "money rich"  if they could have kept the farm.  And, they probably would not have divorced. 

Genealogy and a 100 Year Home

 

Breathing New Life into a 105-Year-Old Bungalow in the Blue Ridge Mountains

By Sandy aka Appalachian Renovator | August 2025

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My husband and I recently took a leap of faith and purchased a 105-year-old bungalow tucked into the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia. This house, with its creaky floorboards, original stone chimney, and stories hidden in every corner, instantly stole our hearts. But let’s just say… it’s a project.  Actually, we made it a project.

We’re not just giving it a fresh coat of paint, we’re rolling up our sleeves for a full-on revival. Think modern comfort meets mountain soul. And because this journey is just too full of charm, surprises, and sawdust to keep to ourselves, we’ve decided to document every step along the way.

What’s On the To-Do List?

First up: adding a third bedroom. The original layout is cozy, but with family visits (and possibly a future studio space in mind), we knew we needed more room to breathe and grow. We’re being mindful of keeping the historic bones intact while also salvaging old doors and trim, and choosing finishes that reflect the bungalow’s original Craftsman style.

Next: a second bathroom. One bathroom just isn’t going to cut it, especially when the house starts filling up with muddy boots, weekend guests, and the occasional plumbing mystery (we’ve already had one). This new bathroom will bring not only convenience but a little vintage-meets-modern elegance with it.

And, of course, we can’t forget the Yorkies. Our furry family members need room to roam, so we’re installing a fence around the property. It’s a delicate balance—we want it safe and secure, but also something that blends into the rustic beauty of the landscape. Think wooden rails, native plant borders, and enough space for tiny zoomies.  Because we have a double lot, it's going to take a bit of time to dig over 40 fence posts.

Click to continue reading.

The Western Theater - Appalachia in the American Revolution

 

The Western Theater of the American Revolutionary War surrounded Appalachia.

Imagine a vast landscape, from the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River.

This area was called Trans-Appalachia. Trans-Appalachia was frequently used in the 17th and 18th century to refer to the "frontier land", an area separate from the Eastern parts of America. In today's world, it became the states of Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Western Virginia. But, it can also be divided into four sub regions which includes states much more West of the Appalachian Mountains and even into Canada.

 


This area became the backdrop for intense conflicts during the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783.

This is the story of the western theater, a deeply contested region influencing the future United States. In the years leading to the Revolutionary War, tensions simmered in the Ohio Valley. The British had gained control over the region after the French and Indian War. This set the stage for conflicts involving Native Americans and American settlers.

Mud in the Water

There is Mud in the Water 

and the Magic is Gone.

Part I of II

Read Part II

There is "Mud in the Water" with my genealogy journey.   There are times when you hit a dead end and just can not find any more documentation.  At other times, you find too much aggression from others that refuse to work together or see past the family stories.   And, then there are times that others infiltrate and destroy lifetimes of work and/or destroy one's character just for ignorance or control.   Genealogy can be tough.   Secrets.  Labels.  Shared Ancestors.  Family Stories.  All of these can be contentious but none worse than being cyberbullied.

During May 2025, I was cyberbullied to the point of major anguish.

Being an advocate for Appalachia was always going to make me a lightening rod.  I knew that going in.  I can handle the attacks on Appalachia and Appalachians because I present facts vs Hollywood stories and social media lies which usually shuts down any argument.   It's the personal attacks from keyboard warriors, the brutal lies, scary threats, and the disgusting attacks on my character that I will not allow.  No one should.

52 Weeks: Oldest Story, The Cherokee Creation Story

 

this week’s theme is “OLDEST STORY.”   

The cherokee indian story of the beginning of the appalachians.  

Sometimes our oldest story is about where we are from and not about a particular person.  folklore is an important part of our stories.

The Cherokee Creation Story...

The Cherokee creation story tells how the world began as a big ocean, and all the animals lived in a place above the sky called Galun'lati. It was getting crowded there, so the animals wanted more space.

One brave Water Beetle offered to dive down into the water to see what was below. It swam all around but couldn't find any land. Finally, it dove to the bottom and brought up some soft mud. This mud started to grow and spread out in every direction until it became the land we call Earth.

Click on Read More for the rest of the story and a link to the video....

52 Ancestors Week 14: Language

 

this week’s theme is “Language.”   

Not all language issues are with source documents.  

Sometimes language barriers occur with accents and spelling in your own language. 

The Appalachian Dialect...

Appalachian English is American English native to the Appalachian mountain region of the Eastern United States.

The Unique Language of Appalachia: A Living Time Capsule

The Appalachian region, stretching from southern New York to northern Alabama and Georgia, is home to one of the most distinctive dialects in North America. Rooted in the early English, Scots-Irish, and German settlers who arrived in the 18th century, Appalachian English has retained many archaic words and phrases that have disappeared elsewhere.

A Time Capsule of Old English

I, for one, do not subscribe to the theory that Appalachians speak "Old English". 

It's been said that Appalachian speech is its preservation of Elizabethan English. Words like afeared (afraid), reckon (suppose), and britches (pants) date back centuries (and yes, we do say those words). The grammatical structures also reflect older forms of English, such as double modals ("I might could do that") and the use of a- prefixing ("He was a-hunting")—a feature found in Middle English poetry.

But, extensive research has been conducted since the 1930's to determine the origin of the Appalachian dialect.  Most would agree that it's an amalgam of Old English from original settlers, colonial 18th century English from the descendants of the original settlers, and a lot of Ulster-Scot dialect.

Without a doubt, Appalachians have always been taunted for their speech to the point of the Appalachian Dialect inferring poorness, laziness, and lack of education.  All of which is completely false.

Click on Read More to see samples on how Appalachians speak and what common words we use in sentences....

Video Blog: Apalachin Meeting – The Mafia in Appalachia

 Apalachin Meeting – The Mafia in Appalachia

The Appalachin meeting was a secret gathering of American Mafia leaders in 1957 to discuss illegal operations. The meeting took place at the home of mobster Joseph “Joe the Barber” Barbara in Apalachin, New York.

Join us as we discuss how this meeting changed the Mafia in America forever.

Prefer the Podcast version?  Click here.

Are you related or connect to any of these mobsters? 

Find out by visiting the Appalachin Meeting page on WikiTree.

Ancestry Roads and WikiTree: 

 Where Appalachian Stories and Genealogy meet.

View more Appalachian Stories at Ancestry Roads YouTube .

Ancestry Roads: https://www.ancestryroads.com/

WikiTree: https://www.wikitree.com/ 

52 Ancestors Week 9: Family Secret

this week’s theme is “family secret.”   Tips on sharing the deep dark secret and setting it free.

Every family has its stories, the tales passed down through generations, embellished with each retelling. But what happens when a story isn't told? What happens when a secret, carefully guarded and whispered only in hushed tones, finally comes to light?

You already know mine by reading Surprise, DNA Edition, Letters, and bits from the Migration posts.  But, as a professional genealogist, over the years, I have had my fair share of secrets that I've discovered and discussed with clients.  This is never an easy conversation.  In all my years, when I say I have a secret to tell you about.... it's not that you are directly related to a famous cousin but rather your cousin might be closer than a cousin.

The ethnicity estimate, from the Ancestry.com DNA test, was interesting enough, confirming some family lore and debunking others. But it was the "DNA Relatives" section that truly caught my attention. There, listed alongside distant cousins I'd never heard of, was a name that didn't belong. A name with a significantly higher percentage of shared DNA than a distant relative should have. 

To help understand what to do with a surprise in your DNA Test, I've put together a few tips that worked for me.  There are still times that I get angry or sad or incredibly frustrated because one side of the story is not being told but I always remember:  Let the skelton out of the closet to dance.

Click on Read More to read the tips on sharing your family secret....

Appalachian Valentine's Traditions

Valentine’s Day traditions in Appalachia often blend heartfelt simplicity, creativity, and the strong sense of community and family that the region is known for. Every holiday is deeply rooted in the longstanding traditions and culture of Appalachians. While many customs align with broader, modern Valentine’s Day practices, there are unique Appalachian twists—practical in decades past and still cherished today.

As a culture, we tend to use what we have or craft something meaningful from what’s on hand. While modern Appalachians might occasionally hear “He went to Jared’s” or receive a special light blue jewelry box from that famous breakfast spot, Valentine’s Day has always been a more low-key affair in my family.

Click on Read More to read examples of how Appalachians celebrated Valentine's Day....

52 Ancestors Week 7: Letters

This week’s theme is “Letters & Diaries.”
When truth is put in one's own handwriting.

If you read the blog post from last week, Surprise, DNA Version, this is a carry over from that discussion.

Letters?  Oh, I have letters!   I have letters in my biological father's handwriting that he wrote me over a span of two years (after he found out that I was his biological daughter - well, after it was confirmed by DNA).

Oddly, I only have one photo of us together.  This photo was the weekend that we met as adults at his home in Buckhannon, West Virginia.

But, let's get back to the letters.  Do you want to read them???

Click on Read More to see the picture....

52 Ancestors Week 5: Challenge

 

This week’s theme is “Challenge.”   One of the most difficult challenges is confirming that an Appalachian Coal Miner died from Black Lung. 

Many doctors didn't write Black Lung as the cause of death on the death certificate because the Coal Company didn't want them to.  A lot, but not all, of the doctors were payed by the Coal Company.

The Challenges of Finding Black Lung Families in Genealogy

Genealogical research can be a fascinating journey, but tracing ancestors who suffered from black lung disease presents unique challenges. Black lung disease, or coal workers' pneumoconiosis, primarily affected coal miners and their families, leaving behind records that are often fragmented or difficult to access.

Changing shifts at the mine portal, Floyd County, Kentucky.  - Russell Lee (Nat Archives)

One of the most common forms is black lung disease, also known as miner's lung. It's caused by breathing in coal dust. Another is brown lung, which comes from working around dust or other fibers. Other types of dusts that can cause pneumoconiosis include silica and asbestos. John Hopkins Medicine.

Click on the Read More link for steps in Finding Black Lung Records.

52 Ancestors Week 4: Overlooked

 

This week’s theme is “Overlooked.”   An ancestor that was hiding in plain sight

Judge Charley aka Charles McClure Dodrill was not only overlooked in my research but his tombstone was hiding in plain sight.  It is unbelieveable the fight and battle I had to find him and get him straightened out on Find A Grave. 

The Cemetery where my grandmother is buried, Point Mountain Church Cemetery, is one that I know extremely well.  I'm related or closely connected to all of the 300+ souls buried there.  I survey it on a yearly basis and have for well over two decades now.

So, when I noticed a Find A Grave "hoarder" place Judge Charley in the Point Mountain Cemetery, I instantly went into research mode.   For decades, Judge Charley's grave location was unknown because it was on private property.  That property was owned by a legacy farmer/family.

52 Ancestors Week 3: Nicknames

This week’s theme is “Nicknames.”  

It's Appalachia.  Of course, I have many ancestors and family and friends with nicknames. 

My big brother has the nickname, Big City Hillbilly.  Born in Weston, West Virginia and traveled the Hillbilly Highway to Maryland.  Steve is a member of the Patriot Guard and takes the responsibility of seeing a soldier to his final resting place very seriously.



But everytime I tried to think of which ancestor to write about this week, I kept circling back to one of my favorite memories of my beloved grandfather, Ward King.   So, here it is......

At an extremely young age and one of my first memories is hanging outside with my grandfather and the other men while the wives cooked for a picnic later that day.   The men were all sharing stories about their farms and current events.  My grandfather was always known to tell a good joke and I guess it was time to lighten the mood.

He grabbed a stick and drew, in the dirt, a typical four way intersection.

The Story Goes Like This…

Traffic was heavy in town today. Cars crowded the streets, and one main intersection was especially chaotic. Since this is a no-stoplight town, a policeman was called in to direct traffic when things got too busy.

As each car passed by the officer, the drivers tipped their heads and called out, “Scout!” This went on for two hours.

My grandfather, sitting among a group of men—farmers to the core—weaved this story to them. Finally, he asked them, “Why does everyone shout ‘Scout’ at the policeman?”

The men mulled it over.

One of them guessed, “Maybe it’s because he was the first officer to arrive at the intersection.”

“No,” my grandfather replied.

Another chimed in confidently, “He’s probably the leader of a Boy Scout troop.”

“Nope.”

Ward King, Braxton County, WV

The group sat in silence for a moment, pondering. Then, another man offered, “Maybe it’s because he’s a good hunting ‘scout’ and has some Native American bloodlines?”

“No,no” my grandfather said again, shaking his head.

The men, now determined to uncover the truth, continued speculating but came up empty-handed.

At four years old, I sat there, completely confused by what I was witnessing. Why was this such a mystery?

Finally, my grandfather leaned forward and asked, “Do you give up?”

The men, defeated, begrudgingly admitted, “Yes.”

But not me.

“Wait!” I exclaimed, my small voice cutting through the summer air. Shocked that I had spoken up—after being as quiet as a church mouse—the men turned to me, their eyes wide.

My grandfather looked at me with a mischievous grin and said, “All right, Sandy, why do they shout ‘Scout’?”

I simply declared, “Because it’s his name.”

Dead silence amongst the men.

I glanced at my grandfather, and I’ll never forget the spark of pride in his eyes.

Then, with a hearty laugh, he exclaimed, “Gosh darn it, Sandy! You are correct!”

Scout was the policeman's nickname.

My GrandDad, oh how I miss that man so much.  I could not have asked for a better grandfather than him. 💞

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#52Ancestors was started by another WikiTreer, blogger, and professional genealogist, Amy Johnson Crow. Check out her Generations Cafe Facebook group

Bibles and Inaugurations

 The Significance of Bibles in U.S. Presidential Inaugurations

As the United States inaugurates its 47th President and 50th Vice President, two common questions often arise: Which Bible will be used to take the oath of office?  And, is a Bible required to take the oath of office?

Is a Bible Required to Take the Oath of Office?

Interestingly, no, a Bible is not required to take the oath of office in the United States. While the U.S. Constitution mandates that the President-elect recite a specific oath to assume office, it does not specify that a Bible or any other religious text must be involved.

This misconception was highlighted during President Trump's inauguration when some questioned the legitimacy of the oath because he did not place his hand on a Bible. However, as long as the prescribed words are recited, the oath is constitutionally valid.

Appalachian New Years Traditions

 As a kid, we never celebrated NYE much. My Mom always found it depressing and would encourage us to "just go to bed early".  As an adult, I've been to parties for NYE but have come to realize that I prefer something subdued, at home. 

Talking with several of my Appalachian family and friends, I am finding out that a subdued NYE is extremely cultural. 

Community focus

Appalachians tend to focus more on family and religion on NYE than the big and impersonal celebratory parties.  Although joining others for a NYE "event" is common for the younger generation. 

Religion

Some Appalachian communities have strong religious backgrounds, which could lead to a more conservative approach to celebrating holidays like New Year's Eve.  This reminds me of "Watch Night" at Church (aka Watch Service).  Our Church started at 7pm and lasted until after Midnight. There would be food, church service/ministry, communion, testimonials, singing, and more. 

Rural

Many parts of Appalachia are still rural and NYE usually has winter weather making travel a challenge.  Nesting at home vs venturing out to a large city celebration is often preferred. 

Food

An Appalachian New Year's Day meal almost always consists of pork (more modern is fish replacing pork), collard greens (with a dime inside the  bowl of greens for prosperity) or cabbage/sauerkraut, and black-eyed peas.

This is a popular Appalachian tradition believed to bring good luck, good health and prosperity in the new year.

It has never worked for me so I tend to have champagne, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, and start binge watching something new for the new year.

Quirky Celebrations

* The John Campbell School shoots a pair of old boxer shorts out of a cannon.

*North Georgia has the Possum Drop 

* West Virginia has the Great Pepperoni Roll Drop

* Asheville has a board game party

Music

Enjoy Auld Lang Syne by Philip Bowen playing the fiddle. It doesn't get more Appalachian than this. 

What are your NYE Traditions?  

Drop a comment and share. I would love to see what others do around Appalachia and beyond. 

Happy New Year!

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