The Meanest Moonshiner in Tennessee Part 2

In part one, we met Garrett Hedden and his brothers, Bill, Joe, and Riley. All of them were moonshiners who followed in the footsteps of their father, John. Garrett had killed multiple men, including his brother, Bill, in 1898, and in 1900, he fought a party of seven revenue agents to a standstill in a […]

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The Meanest Moonshiner in Tennessee

In 1900, Garrett Hedden was the most feared man in mountainous Polk County, Tennessee, a rural district in the southeast corner of the state. He was a well-known moonshiner who the local newspapers labeled a desperado and credited with killing eight men. One killing, in particular, made citizens, marshals, and revenue men reluctant to cross

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State of Rebellion: South Carolina’s Place in the American Revolution

I had been anxiously awaiting the 5th Annual American Revolution Symposium: State of Rebellion: South Carolina’s Place in the American Revolution, and it exceeded my expectations in every way. Two of the presentations on the agenda immediately caught my attention: Bioarchaeology of the Camden Battlefield Burials: Dr. Madeline Atwell and Dr. Bill Stevens, Richland County

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The Gang that Couldn’t Think Straight

Picture it like the movie Ocean’s Eleven went country: A down-to-earth, Southern-style heist. Instead of Danny Ocean and his crew of con men, explosive and electronics specialists, and an acrobat, we have David Ghantt, his married girlfriend, her petty criminal friend from high school, that guy’s cousin, one of his high school buddies, and a

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Conjuring Fear: The Forgotten South Carolina Witch Trials

In 1792, 100 years after the Salem witch trials in Colonial Massachusetts, a similar drama played out in Winnsboro, SC, a small community about 30 miles north of Columbia, SC. Cattle mysteriously became ill. There were reports of people being levitated or changed into animals. Some claimed to be cursed with peculiar maladies. There were

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SC Bigfoot Festival from Footprints to Foodtrucks

Every October, Westminster, SC, a small town along the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, becomes Sasquatch Central, Bigfoot Basecamp, Cryptid Corner—you get the idea. First and foremost, it’s a good time. There are sasquatch-themed activities, various vendors, many food options, and live music. And if you’d like to learn more about Bigfoot lore, well,

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The Fort Fisher Hermit’s Enigmatic Life and Mysterious Death

In 1955, Robert Harrill left the state mental institution at Morganton, NC. He hitchhiked 260 miles (420 km) to Fort Fisher, about 20 miles (32 km) south of Wilmington, presumably traveling with only the clothes on his back. According to one account, he made a key out of a kitchen spoon and escaped into the

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23 Astonishing Perry Mason Facts

On September 21, 1957, Perry Mason appeared for the first time on television. The crime-fighting attorney had already solved 51 cases in the pages of Erle Stanley Gardner’s novels and made his debut on movie screens and the radio. Portrayed by Raymond Burr, the legal swashbuckler used dramatic cross-examinations, legal strategies, and surprise witnesses to

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Iron Irene’s Bold Heists and Daring Escapes

Before Bonnie and Clyde, there was Irene and Glen. On Friday, December 27, 1929, Corporal Brady Paul and Patrolman Ernest Moore of the Pennsylvania Highway Patrol left New Castle, PA, heading east on Butler Road. Paul operated the SHP motorcycle, and Moore rode in the sidecar. Walter “Glenn” Dague, Irene Schroeder, her brother, Tom Crawford,

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Jack the Ripper’s 1st Murder

On August 31, 1888, Constable Jonas Mizen discovered the body of Mary Ann Nichols, the first canonical victim of Jack the Ripper, also known as the Whitechapel Murderer. The killer is believed to have murdered and mutilated at least five women in and around London’s Whitechapel district from August to November 1888. The name “Jack

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