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We drove from Florida and spent this past Thanksgiving at Varty Farms. We drove past Mahala cabin several times per day. I was so excited when I ran across this video on your channel that I woke my wife up from her sleep to tell her. What a small world. Really enjoy your videos.
"Catchable but not fetchable" 🤣. Best lawman reply ever. My neighbors probably think I'm nuts. It's 5am, our windows are open & they can hear me cackling like a banshee. This started my day the absolute best! Thanks JD!
This story was fabulous! The spirit of this woman was amazing! I’m glad they moved her cabin so people can visit it! May she and her family Rest In Peace! Thanks JD
@@TheAppalachianStorytellerI respectfully ask Where did this story come from? I’m 60.5 and Dad was a close descendent of hers. He & Uncle Bob even ran her Moon in modified cars. But “Size” is not the stories I grew up with a / at the wise knees of elders. mulungeon & Seminole-Cherokee is what I heard too.
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller oh Brother I heard she was a Big Strong Momma … but the the way. I *always heard it from Close Kin (her recipe does live on but I don’t drink lol). The way I grew up hearing her Evasion of the Law were 1st Tipsters who sold out to the Pinkerton. Then no different between *State Feuds w/the McCoys against the Hatfields … Like I’ve stood Many a Time in 2 even 3 States at Once. Big Mays House STRADDLED Both NC & VA. So when the NC came after her Her Cornfed Boys PUSHED THE INDOOR STILL over the NC’s Side. When NC came her boys had slid it to VA. NO JURISDICTION & One Smart Momma/ Medicine Woman. Entrepreneur of the DEEP MTNS. My 💜 Daddy mentioned TN a lot too but he’s gone & so is his Truths. Her size?? Muscle ways more than fat so she, like I to a degree, was/am underestimated. Brilliant Rebels they were. PS: Yes Brother I watched the entirety closely - and befuddled at what I knew & was taught. And people are asking about her Heritage? I always heard Mulungeon, Seminole & Eastern Band if Cherokee Nation. Sir I’m simply & humbly relating how I was raised by true stories. The truth is stranger than fiction. 😁 the Sheriffs & Badges & Old School Papers probably Wouldn’t *Admit they were *Outsmarted lol. God Bless You & Yours. Any other questions please feel free. I do Love her. Same blood 😊🙏🏼👋🏼
I doubt it. The storyteller stated that she had a vile temper as did all of her children. Many of her children died in fights or were hanged for their crimes. No, she wasn't a "good woman".
Another great story and about a woman too. Warmed my heart for we have lots of brave women from our past. I'm always proud to say that my grandma was in WWII served as a nurse while her husband (Papa) was in the Navy serving our country. Thanks for sharing
GREAT STORY!!! I hope you have more. God bless Ms. Hailey she did what she knew how to take care of her family when you have hungry kids you'll sell your own soul to the devil to feed them
Back then we had what's called , AMERICAN PRIDE..... Today it's called Gay PRIDE , and really DOES NOT FIT the Christian Values that this country was founded on...
Thank you very much for featuring this story of Mrs. Ma-hal-lia Mullins. And the place where I was born and reared and still live to this very day. Good ole Hancock Co. Sneedville,Tn. (AKA): Sneedvegas or as local folk refer to it as “Over-home” it’s true that they moved her cabin down into Vardy Valley that’s because they really didn’t have a choice. Due to the fact that it was so far off the beaten path and so overtaken by dense forestation that it became almost inaccessible. I’m 51yrs old now and I remember going to see Big Haley’s cabin when I was 14yrs old with my family and my Mam-Maw served as our tour guide and Copperhead eliminator (ridge was infested with em) aided by a.38 special Sub-nose that locked and loaded and securely tucked in her Brazier! Thank the Good Lord that thing never mis-fired!!! Anyhoo, I remember the walls of the cabin wallpapered with very old newspapers and magazines as well as the huge hole on the left side of the cabin where the fireplace used to be. My brother and I were wanting to take a few scraps of newspaper or one of the stones from the fireplace but we quickly had a change of heart when Mam-Maw informed us that we were doing no sucha thang! Because that would be stealing not to mention very disrespectful so our pockets were just as empty going as they were coming! I also recall it taking us around an hour to locate Mahallia’s grave due to all the overgrowth and the fact that her headstone is just that! A plain and simple old mountain stone approx. 2’L x 3’H x 10’’T with no markings of any kind whatsoever. Nothing to identify a grave-site at all just a Blackened stone lying way back in the woods. If anyone is interested in learning more about this rare class of people you can contact Mr. Scotty Collins at Hancock Co. Court House. He’s without a doubt the foremost authority on the Mulungeons and their history as well as origins
I had no idea that she was buried out in the woods like that. I remember my Grandmother used to talk about Mahalia . She really had a interesting life.
Thank you for the reference to get more info. My father was raised in the holler around Gate City and said he was called Melungeon a couple of times and " didn't know what it meant but knew it wasn't supposed to be good"
Greetings from Ireland! Loved this Appalachian story of moonshine maker Mahala Mullins! She did what she had to do to keep her family alive. I live in Galway and know several Mullins families. Common name in other parts of Ireland too. Her husband must have been of Irish descent.
Thank you Anne! Greetings from the mountains of East Tennessee. Send me your address and I’ll send you a free Appalachian Storyteller sticker. Email me at theappalachianstoryteller@gmail.com
Thanks for doing a story about the Mulungeon people that came from the mountains of Tennessee. That my favorite story out of all the ones you have done! You did a wonderful job!
@@jamesnelson9918 They're almost exclusive to East, TN. Today we know the genetics show they're a tri-racial group - black, white, and native american. East, TN had been a maroon zone where people fled slavery and other things. The Melungeons despite some having dark skin managed to have themselves declared 'white' in a court case in TN. (IIRC, the Portuguese theory was introduced at one trial where the issue was a marriage). This meant that melungeons could serve on juries and vote and had all the rights of white citizens even during Jim Crow. Melungeon families married into other East, TN families. When Virginia wrote its Racial Integrity Act that forbade interracial marriage (among other things) they became deeply concerned about the melungeon people of East, TN because of the proximity to Virginia. They requested verification of the names of melungeon families which was denied to them by the state of Tennessee.
@@tendjinn thank you for this truthful information. Since she’s in my Lineage and I grew up in Cumberland Gap (TN, KY & VA - w/NC within Miles) I heard Mulungeons spoke of a lot. They’re in my blood too. But then the Word “Mulungeons” suddenly *Stopped. Now few know these colorful people and stories. All their babies looked different from each other. They stayed to themselves. Kind people tho. Very kind once trust was earned.
@@N2Mtns2 No problem. I have family in that area too. The melungeons have always been a fascinating part of the region's history. So much has been rewritten but the mountain folk of Appalachia were always a different breed - people have forgotten (including those that live here) that E. TN was the most fiercely pro-Union and anti-slavery spot in the entire US. Now people think they were the same as generic southerners but they weren't and still aren't. Appalachia has it's own unique culture with similarities and differences.
That's amazing! If I'm ever in TN again I'm totally visiting that cabin! I love that she was so large the law literally couldn't bring her in. "She's catchable, but she ain't fetchable!" That had me rolling!
Thank you so much for this story. I'm a Mullins whose family is from Sneedville, TN. Yes Mahala is my "several" great's Grandmother. Melungeon history is also something that I love hearing about. Thanks again, Angela Mullins Strasser
Great story and research. One of my husband's grandfathers was arrested for making moonshine in the 1940s. Was just trying to support his family. The judge knew him to be a law abiding citizen and told him how disappointed he was to have him in jail. Grandpa died in 1978, but if he ever made moonshine again no one talked about it.
My people did far worse in the depression, hell cooking illegal hooch would have been the least illegal thing they did, they shanghai'd folks to ships captains, ran protection rackets, anything they could to find a buck, times were awful hard back then, and coming home with no money to feed the baby or your wife wasn't an option, as a rule the women asked very little about how the money was made, and the men said no more. The majority of the illegal stuff stopped when work began on Bonneville Dam, and they were able to find gainful employment (mostly, they absolutely lied through their teeth about their qualifications to use dynamite lol) and could leave the shady stuff behind.
A SUPER Thanks for posting this story. There's been some real characters coming throughout the the Blue Ridge, Smoky, and Appalachian Mountains. Strong people.
I've been waiting to hear some Mulungeon history & I'm a sucker for a good shiner's tale. This was a great story! As always, your storytelling is intriguing & entertaining. Great song as well 😊
Don't ever mess with an Appalachian Woman who would fight a bear if they had to, I know this because I live in the wooded hills of Tn. Best story ever.
Grandmother once chased a bear off with her broom. He was getting into her apples that she had set out to dry. Just too much work to let a bear eat them! 😊
What a story!...and what a woman 💪🏾👩🏾! I have an aluminum cup that my Granny would take "water" to the chain gang working on the roads. Needless to say, the prison guards had to carry the prisoners back on the bus! 🤣😂🤣 I enjoy each and every single video 📹 you make! It makes me proud to be born and raised in Appalachia⛰️! Thank you for preserving history through the best storytelling! Amazing 👏 job!
What an amazing story. Bet that was some good tasting shine. Top quality. Even ole Popcorn would avoid that scrap. Catchable but not Fetchable. Great song.
Fascinating story! Us Americans love outlaws and anit government sentiments. It is our heritage and thanks for letting us know about this great woman!!
Good Saturday morning. JD. I've read of her peoples, always thought they looked Portuguese. You had to be strong to live there and 20 children, dear heavens. So much information but ive never heard of her. So glad JD you did. Love your stories, Thank you. Always truth behind legends.
There use to be a real big woman that lived where I live today , an old man told me he went to buy a gallon of liquor from her and as she was bent over washing mason jar her was looking up her dress , she looks back at him and says little feller if it don't kill you it will cure you and she wasn't talking about the moonshine
This was a great video! As a Canadian that recently purchased property in Sneedville I love this history and the people in this area! We are very much like minded and I feel very blessed to be a part of this community.
Them mean mountain women. Shew lord. One raised me. My nana. She was a storyteller. I was born in southern wv in 1990. She was born in a coal camp on 1924. She had the best stories! I love your channel because its carrying on the storytelling tradition!
Whereabouts in Southern WV? I was born in Fayette County, & all my family were in the mines. My daddy finally got out. My grandfather Frank Sumner, whose mother was a Mullins, was a Union organizer, & the company thugs tried to kill him.
Oh I sure enjoyed the narration of Miss Haley’s life. Her shine must have been the best if people made such an effort to purchase it. Loved the music vocal and banjo. Made me smile, life is good. Thank you so much for uploading.
We walked through the woods to see her place before they moved it. Couldn't have done better. Lived there for years. Family still there. Most beautiful land.
We are also Appalachians, from West Virginia however, we are Mullins, which are Melungeon people, and we also have deep roots with bootlegging and moon shining. 💞🙏🏼
God blessed Big Hallie! What a fascinating woman! She a lady after my own heart ❤️ although I’m very skinny, I have a strong spirit and mind! Thank you so much for posting this! I watch you all the time on utube TV but had to comment today on my iPad! Love 💕 your channel! 🤗
You are doing a lot of research and storytelling and I love it. I have an interest in the mulungeon people. My son in laws last name is Goins and has always said he is part Indian but not sure about his origins. Where his family is from in Michigan was a destination for the underground railroad. Going to West Virginia and Tennessee in the Fall and I am going to look up some of the places you talk about. Thank you again for the history
Hancock and Hawkins county/sneedville seem to have the most...I live more upper east tn. but worked with 1 that was from that area years ago.....you can tell one when you see one!
@@chrishensley6745 I'm so interested in the Appalachian way of life and excited to stumble on Appalachian Storyteller. My brother is in Elizabethton, TN in the NE corner. He said that they have story telling there at events. Sounds like a great time to me.
Just FYI, don't know if this may be relevant to you a or not but there are some Goins among the Lumbee Indians and some (I think, not sure, been a long time ago) among the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Cherokee, N C.
My Dad’s family are Melungeons. And I’ve been to Kyles Ford East Tenn, along the Fisher Valley rd, seeing the old home place of Ezekiel, Hezekiah, and Zachariah, James Minor, my 5th to 2nd Great Grandfathers on my 1st Great Grandma’s side. Also J William, Lambert, George, and Tandy Gibson, my 4th to 1st Great Grandfathers. Add Hurd, Fisher, Sizemore, Collins, Lawson, Stamper, and Mullins. My Grandfather was an Absher, adopted by William Herron when he married my Great Gradma Cordelia Lawson after her baby daddy was killed in a shootout. He Melvin Absher. He was already married, who was a hired enforcer/killer for some coal company,
@@TheAppalachianStorytellerYeah, like the ones that shot thru into the house where my pregnant Grammaw had just stooped down to wring out her mop, & barely missed getting hit. Grampaw was a Union organizer.
I'm imagining the law thinking, "We'll cut open the wall to get her out!" but then realizing they still wouldn't be able to budge her! Another fascinating mountain tale JD!
Omg I loved this story!! "Catchable but not fetchable" is just the best!! This really hits home for me as I live in western nc in a small town known as Robbinsville where parts of the moonshine show was filmed where Jim Tom Hedrick and Mark Roger's make their shine 😊 I'm related to Jim Tom and my husband is related to Mark. If I'm ever in that part of Tennessee I'm definitely going to see the cabin!! 😁😁
Heard stories most of my adult life from a family friend who’s her (Mullins) relative. He has worked with the historical council to preserve Melungeon history- oh the theories we have tossed around the origins of these beautiful and strong mountain people.
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller I sent Kevin your documentary. I do believe he remembers going up there... It’s pretty special honoring her in this contemporary way, keeping this history alive. I will encourage him to reach out to you. ✌️
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller Awesome, can’t wait! I had my DNA done a few years back. It’s so interesting on how they can tell your ancestry by your saliva.
Hi JD! This story was very interesting. I’m surprised at all the newspapers that had articles on her, but I had no knowledge of her. I have been to Popcorn Sutton’s Moonshine Festival and that’s another story, lol. Have a blessed day!
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller I was shocked at the amount of information on her, but had never heard of her. Made me think of that movie What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, corny isn’t it, lol.
I wished I could of lived back then so I could of made that trip up those steep mountains just to taste her famous moonshine Thanks for sharing this fantastic story I feel like a little child waiting anxiously for your next story GOD BLESS YOU
My dad told me he used to deliver shine by horse and wagon when he was very young. The thinking was that law enforcement would ever think that a kid would be doing that. It worked.
My Mother only had one aunt and her husband was my Mother's only uncle. My Mother dearly loved Uncle Martin. He was a tall thin man. Aunt Florabelle was so big, that Uncle Martin had to walk next to the buggy, whenever they left the farm.
@@cowboykelly6590 well Kelly, I don't know. After Aunt Florabelle died, Uncle Martin never remarried. My Mom ask him once if he hadn't remarried because he loved Aunt Florabelle so much, or if he was afraid to try again. Because she had been so mean. He smiled amd in his slow country drawl he said, "Well Anna, you'll never know". He was loyal!
My grandpa Thompson (born in 1914) told me about a woman when he was growing up who kept the jars of moonshine in her bed and would cover up with a blanket when the revenuers showed up. Grandpa was born in Mulberry Gap TN which as you know is just across the mountain from Sneedville. I thought he said she lived between Mulberry Gap and Sneedville in a little place called Blackwater.
My granny was born and raised in Golden Pond KY (its been flooded since well bedore i was born) and this is the kind of music she played on guitar. Damn it sounded just like her!❤
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller yes she was. And she wasn't the only one. For show and tell when I was in 2nd grade, my Granny,great granny and great aunt came to my school in my class and played 2 songs. My granny had guitar,my great aunt a harmonica and my great granny has a harmonica and they all sang a Harmony together. I didn't understand what a gift that was for years
I'm so glad you did this story. My great grandpa used tell about his great grandma making moonshine in the mountains. He would always say and she never got caught. It makes me wonder now if this is the same woman. Wow how proud I would be if she was my family. Not for the moonshine but for her independence and strong will. I'm very independent and i been known to fight a man or 2. 😂
Man I absolutely love this channel I’m really interested in the mountain people they had a tough life that’s for sure …….appreciate you man these are brilliant videos please keep them coming ❤
I really appreciate that. I don't make any money off that, but several months ago, the producer of the entire project sent me that CD. that's where I first learned of Big Haleys story and began researching it. Every song on the CD is a historical event with the written story in the liner notes. Its really well done and I was honored they let me use Big Haley song in this video.
Support this channel with a SUPER THANKS or Become a MEMBER for Exclusive Member Only Benefits including Free Tshirts and Stickers, Early Access to New Videos, and Exclusive Member Only Videos. Your support is what keeps this channel going! Thanks so much! JOIN here ruclips.net/channel/UCKtXhMoOqoFAyz-jpTduWyAjoin
Very awesome video! New sub here. Super thanks sent!
you are the man!@@JamesFAFOCreel
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller I’m just a man…
Awesome I love history
Mahala is my 4th great grandma. I have been to her old cabin and on the ridge where the homestead was. Thanks for covering this!
Thank you Thunderstone!
Oh my, really? i suppose she didn't pass down the recipe for that shine, or did she?
@@trudycooper2168 I do believe some distant cousins in the area are still making shine.
@Thunderstone Wilderness Ventures oh yeah? that's great, I hope it's the original recipe that Mahala made.
Amazing woman!! Wish I had been near and had gotten to know her!!
"She was catchable but not fetchable so the law left her alone" That is really catchy. Great story Loved it!
Thank you!
I can walk so I was fetchable hahaha
She was a melungeon woman?
We drove from Florida and spent this past Thanksgiving at Varty Farms. We drove past Mahala cabin several times per day. I was so excited when I ran across this video on your channel that I woke my wife up from her sleep to tell her. What a small world. Really enjoy your videos.
❤️
My grandpa ran shine back in the 1920’s in forge ridge. I loved hearing all his stories and I miss him dearly. RIP papaw.
RIP to a great man
You ought to share the stories.
"Catchable but not fetchable" 🤣. Best lawman reply ever. My neighbors probably think I'm nuts. It's 5am, our windows are open & they can hear me cackling like a banshee. This started my day the absolute best! Thanks JD!
Love it !
Catchable but not fetchable should be wrote on her grave stone 😂
@@vanillagorrilla ❤
Wish you were my neighbor!
Maybe its time to put the beer down and go to bed...
This story was fabulous! The spirit of this woman was amazing! I’m glad they moved her cabin so people can visit it! May she and her family Rest In Peace! Thanks JD
Thank you Karen!
@@TheAppalachianStorytellerI respectfully ask Where did this story come from? I’m 60.5 and Dad was a close descendent of hers. He & Uncle Bob even ran her Moon in modified cars. But “Size” is not the stories I grew up with a / at the wise knees of elders. mulungeon & Seminole-Cherokee is what I heard too.
And I heard all about her Still & Evasion from the Law. Dang Smart Woman - who wasn’t Bed Bound Big. ♥️
@@N2Mtns2 you could pause the video when Im showing newspapers from back then and read all about her size.
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller oh Brother I heard she was a Big Strong Momma … but the the way. I *always heard it from Close Kin (her recipe does live on but I don’t drink lol).
The way I grew up hearing her Evasion of the Law were 1st Tipsters who sold out to the Pinkerton. Then no different between *State Feuds w/the McCoys against the Hatfields … Like I’ve stood Many a Time in 2 even 3 States at Once. Big Mays House STRADDLED Both NC & VA. So when the NC came after her Her Cornfed Boys PUSHED THE INDOOR STILL over the NC’s Side. When NC came her boys had slid it to VA. NO JURISDICTION & One Smart Momma/ Medicine Woman. Entrepreneur of the DEEP MTNS. My 💜 Daddy mentioned TN a lot too but he’s gone & so is his Truths.
Her size?? Muscle ways more than fat so she, like I to a degree, was/am underestimated. Brilliant Rebels they were.
PS: Yes Brother I watched the entirety closely - and befuddled at what I knew & was taught. And people are asking about her Heritage? I always heard Mulungeon, Seminole & Eastern Band if Cherokee Nation. Sir I’m simply & humbly relating how I was raised by true stories.
The truth is stranger than fiction. 😁 the Sheriffs & Badges & Old School Papers probably Wouldn’t *Admit they were *Outsmarted lol. God Bless You & Yours. Any other questions please feel free. I do Love her. Same blood 😊🙏🏼👋🏼
this woman took care of family and friends a good woman . and when making shine she made everyone smile.
Exactly
And they felt good all over. Not just in spots. 😄
I doubt it. The storyteller stated that she had a vile temper as did all of her children. Many of her children died in fights or were hanged for their crimes. No, she wasn't a "good woman".
@@harrymarsee2782Well...NOBODY'S PERFECT! 😊
Er yeah maybe shouldn't have poisoned her entire family with akahawl
19 kids, 20 years pregnant! She did very well to live into her 70s.
Yup!
Preach it yes she did & when her husband couldn't work for his bad health she solved the problem💯
A pioneer version of Michelle Duggar!
Damm, just fu-kin and drinking, I should be so lucky!
@@alicesimpson8973just curious but how did poor folk get so fat back then ?
What a story! So glad she lived to an old age,and to be her size! Thanks JD! She made a living giving the people what they wanted.Fascinating!
Thank you Suzanne
When you get my age 74 won't seem so "ripe".
I truly loved this story. This woman lived a hard life. You always tell stories in a way that gives them honor.
I appreciate that, I hold no judgement on what folks did back in the day to survive. I try to honor their legacies
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller Your storytelling is wonderful!
Another great story and about a woman too. Warmed my heart for we have lots of brave women from our past. I'm always proud to say that my grandma was in WWII served as a nurse while her husband (Papa) was in the Navy serving our country. Thanks for sharing
❤️
I’d love to hear that story I’m a sucker for wartime love stories ❤
GREAT STORY!!! I hope you have more. God bless Ms. Hailey she did what she knew how to take care of her family when you have hungry kids you'll sell your own soul to the devil to feed them
Back then we had what's called , AMERICAN PRIDE.....
Today it's called Gay PRIDE , and really DOES NOT FIT the Christian Values that this country was founded on...
I just recently found this channel. I've been binge watching these videos every since. Great work 👏 👏 👏
Welcome aboard! glad to have you here my friend
WOW what a Woman ❤ the story of the Queen Haley and family
👍🏼
Thank you very much for featuring this story of Mrs. Ma-hal-lia Mullins. And the place where I was born and reared and still live to this very day. Good ole Hancock Co. Sneedville,Tn. (AKA): Sneedvegas or as local folk refer to it as “Over-home” it’s true that they moved her cabin down into Vardy Valley that’s because they really didn’t have a choice. Due to the fact that it was so far off the beaten path and so overtaken by dense forestation that it became almost inaccessible. I’m 51yrs old now and I remember going to see Big Haley’s cabin when I was 14yrs old with my family and my Mam-Maw served as our tour guide and Copperhead eliminator (ridge was infested with em) aided by a.38 special Sub-nose that locked and loaded and securely tucked in her Brazier! Thank the Good Lord that thing never mis-fired!!! Anyhoo, I remember the walls of the cabin wallpapered with very old newspapers and magazines as well as the huge hole on the left side of the cabin where the fireplace used to be. My brother and I were wanting to take a few scraps of newspaper or one of the stones from the fireplace but we quickly had a change of heart when Mam-Maw informed us that we were doing no sucha thang! Because that would be stealing not to mention very disrespectful so our pockets were just as empty going as they were coming! I also recall it taking us around an hour to locate Mahallia’s grave due to all the overgrowth and the fact that her headstone is just that! A plain and simple old mountain stone approx. 2’L x 3’H x 10’’T with no markings of any kind whatsoever. Nothing to identify a grave-site at all just a Blackened stone lying way back in the woods. If anyone is interested in learning more about this rare class of people you can contact Mr. Scotty Collins at Hancock Co. Court House. He’s without a doubt the foremost authority on the Mulungeons and their history as well as origins
Thanks for sharing all those cool memories
I had no idea that she was buried out in the woods like that. I remember my Grandmother used to talk about Mahalia . She really had a interesting life.
Thank you for the reference to get more info. My father was raised in the holler around Gate City and said he was called Melungeon a couple of times and " didn't know what it meant but knew it wasn't supposed to be good"
Aw man! I wish her grave was findable now.
Greetings from Ireland! Loved this Appalachian story of moonshine maker Mahala Mullins! She did what she had to do to keep her family alive. I live in Galway and know several Mullins families. Common name in other parts of Ireland too. Her husband must have been of Irish descent.
Thank you Anne! Greetings from the mountains of East Tennessee. Send me your address and I’ll send you a free Appalachian Storyteller sticker. Email me at theappalachianstoryteller@gmail.com
What a woman. I'm from the UK and love listening to these stories.
Thank you Mrs Mercury! Greetings from East Tennessee USA
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller thank you very much 😊
Thanks for doing a story about the Mulungeon people that came from the mountains of Tennessee. That my favorite story out of all the ones you have done! You did a wonderful job!
Thank you Sir!
I had never heard of the Mulungeon People. Thank You
@@jamesnelson9918 They're almost exclusive to East, TN. Today we know the genetics show they're a tri-racial group - black, white, and native american. East, TN had been a maroon zone where people fled slavery and other things. The Melungeons despite some having dark skin managed to have themselves declared 'white' in a court case in TN. (IIRC, the Portuguese theory was introduced at one trial where the issue was a marriage). This meant that melungeons could serve on juries and vote and had all the rights of white citizens even during Jim Crow. Melungeon families married into other East, TN families. When Virginia wrote its Racial Integrity Act that forbade interracial marriage (among other things) they became deeply concerned about the melungeon people of East, TN because of the proximity to Virginia. They requested verification of the names of melungeon families which was denied to them by the state of Tennessee.
@@tendjinn thank you for this truthful information. Since she’s in my Lineage and I grew up in Cumberland Gap (TN, KY & VA - w/NC within Miles) I heard Mulungeons spoke of a lot. They’re in my blood too.
But then the Word “Mulungeons” suddenly *Stopped. Now few know these colorful people and stories. All their babies looked different from each other. They stayed to themselves. Kind people tho. Very kind once trust was earned.
@@N2Mtns2 No problem. I have family in that area too. The melungeons have always been a fascinating part of the region's history. So much has been rewritten but the mountain folk of Appalachia were always a different breed - people have forgotten (including those that live here) that E. TN was the most fiercely pro-Union and anti-slavery spot in the entire US. Now people think they were the same as generic southerners but they weren't and still aren't. Appalachia has it's own unique culture with similarities and differences.
That's amazing! If I'm ever in TN again I'm totally visiting that cabin! I love that she was so large the law literally couldn't bring her in. "She's catchable, but she ain't fetchable!" That had me rolling!
Thank you so much my friend!
Thank you so much for this story. I'm a Mullins whose family is from Sneedville, TN. Yes Mahala is my "several" great's Grandmother. Melungeon history is also something that I love hearing about. Thanks again, Angela Mullins Strasser
Thank you so much 😊
My momma used to talk about her, she admired big Hailey. 👍 That was some good story telling.
Thanks so much Toothless!
I love these mountain stories ❤
Thank you so much!
What a FANTASTIC story, sad, but that's how folks lived back in those times!
Thank you so much. This is one of my favorite stories.
I don't know why I love this story and I love the way you tell it even more listen to it at least five times
Awesome thank you 😊
Great story and research. One of my husband's grandfathers was arrested for making moonshine in the 1940s. Was just trying to support his family. The judge knew him to be a law abiding citizen and told him how disappointed he was to have him in jail. Grandpa died in 1978, but if he ever made moonshine again no one talked about it.
folks had to do what they had to do, and I dont blame em one bit
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller Exactly..he did what he needed to provide.. Especially in that time
My people did far worse in the depression, hell cooking illegal hooch would have been the least illegal thing they did, they shanghai'd folks to ships captains, ran protection rackets, anything they could to find a buck, times were awful hard back then, and coming home with no money to feed the baby or your wife wasn't an option, as a rule the women asked very little about how the money was made, and the men said no more. The majority of the illegal stuff stopped when work began on Bonneville Dam, and they were able to find gainful employment (mostly, they absolutely lied through their teeth about their qualifications to use dynamite lol) and could leave the shady stuff behind.
@@johnhildenbrand2642 Thats great! I love this comment
Govt taxes is nothing but a slush fund for them to pillage
What a great story. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
A SUPER Thanks for posting this story. There's been some real characters coming throughout the the Blue Ridge, Smoky, and Appalachian Mountains. Strong people.
Thanks so much my friend
You're very welcome friend. We enjoy your accounts.
I've been waiting to hear some Mulungeon history & I'm a sucker for a good shiner's tale. This was a great story! As always, your storytelling is intriguing & entertaining. Great song as well 😊
Thank you Hannah
Don't ever mess with an Appalachian Woman who would fight a bear if they had to, I know this because I live in the wooded hills of Tn. Best story ever.
Thank ye kindly
Yes indeed
And that still stands to this day
Sure you do
Grandmother once chased a bear off with her broom. He was getting into her apples that she had set out to dry. Just too much work to let a bear eat them! 😊
What a story!...and what a woman 💪🏾👩🏾! I have an aluminum cup that my Granny would take "water" to the chain gang working on the roads. Needless to say, the prison guards had to carry the prisoners back on the bus! 🤣😂🤣 I enjoy each and every single video 📹 you make! It makes me proud to be born and raised in Appalachia⛰️! Thank you for preserving history through the best storytelling! Amazing 👏 job!
Thank you so much my friend, that's a cool story about your Granny taking "water" to chain gang workers. I know they loved her!
God bless your granny, from london❤
What an amazing story. Bet that was some good tasting shine. Top quality. Even ole Popcorn would avoid that scrap. Catchable but not Fetchable. Great song.
You got that right
And who said the hills were boring. Wonderful storys really enjoy them thanks
Thank you Sir for telling this story. A well know one that’s always makes me smile.
Thanks 🙏
Thank you so much 🐾
Thank you for watching and commenting!
"Over 300lbs of solid muscle" gave me a good chuckle
Fascinating story! Us Americans love outlaws and anit government sentiments. It is our heritage and thanks for letting us know about this great woman!!
Well said
Good Saturday morning. JD. I've read of her peoples, always thought they looked Portuguese. You had to be strong to live there and 20 children, dear heavens. So much information but ive never heard of her. So glad JD you did. Love your stories, Thank you. Always truth behind legends.
Thank you Melissa!
Thank you for telling this amazing story about an awesome women!
Thank you Foggy
Very interesting and I loved the song. Thanks, J.D.
Thank you Sir!
There use to be a real big woman that lived where I live today , an old man told me he went to buy a gallon of liquor from her and as she was bent over washing mason jar her was looking up her dress , she looks back at him and says little feller if it don't kill you it will cure you and she wasn't talking about the moonshine
Damn it man
😂😂
This was a great video! As a Canadian that recently purchased property in Sneedville I love this history and the people in this area! We are very much like minded and I feel very blessed to be a part of this community.
❤️
She lived to 74, at that weight! That’s crazy. And awesome story! It does need to be a movie!
Sure does!
Them mean mountain women. Shew lord. One raised me. My nana. She was a storyteller. I was born in southern wv in 1990. She was born in a coal camp on 1924. She had the best stories! I love your channel because its carrying on the storytelling tradition!
Thank you so much!
Whereabouts in Southern WV? I was born in Fayette County, & all my family were in the mines. My daddy finally got out. My grandfather Frank Sumner, whose mother was a Mullins, was a Union organizer, & the company thugs tried to kill him.
@@hrhqueene right outside of Bluefield.
amazing video and story thanks for sharing it have a nice day
Thank you, you too my friend
I enjoyed this story very much. This one is a tragic comedy on every level. Love it. Thank you!
Thank you!
Amazing woman, even mom was wowing!
She couldn't be stopped, literally!
Oh I sure enjoyed the narration of Miss Haley’s life. Her shine must have been the best if people made such an effort to purchase it. Loved the music vocal and banjo. Made me smile, life is good. Thank you so much for uploading.
Thank you Karen!
One of the best story i ever heard. What a movie this would make
Thank you ma’am
‘Too big to arrest’ Yesss Go Big Hailey .
Throughly enjoyed this story listening from New Zealand 🇳🇿 👍🏻
Thank you Jade! Greetings from East Tennessee USA
LUV these stories!!!! And that was sum great pickin! I luv a slide! My grandmother was a Melugeon from Sneedville, so I'm part Melugeon.
Wow!
Great story, i loved it. One tough lady ❤
❤️
We walked through the woods to see her place before they moved it. Couldn't have done better. Lived there for years. Family still there. Most beautiful land.
id love to get out there one day
What a amazing story ❤
This really is a great story. I’m so glad you watched it.
We are also Appalachians, from West Virginia however, we are Mullins, which are Melungeon people, and we also have deep roots with bootlegging and moon shining. 💞🙏🏼
❤️
Keep up the wonderful, wholesome work you guys do!! 🙏🏼💞
Nunya my papaw had a still made moonshine for over 40 yrs w Virginia my Mama's people generations of them
My grandpa’s mother was Louise Mullins. We’re all from WV also, coal country. Maybe we’re related! 🤗
God blessed Big Hallie! What a fascinating woman! She a lady after my own heart ❤️ although I’m very skinny, I have a strong spirit and mind! Thank you so much for posting this! I watch you all the time on utube TV but had to comment today on my iPad! Love 💕 your channel! 🤗
Thank you Lily!
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller idk why I misspelled her name 😂. Duh 🙄 😂
🫶
This won RUclips today. I'm in love with a woman I just found out about right now. She's an angel. God bless her big heart. 💯💯❤️❤️❤️
Thank you sir!
Im glad i found you on youtube very entertaining programs
Glad to have you here Jack! Greetings from the hills of East TN USA
She did what she had to, to survive & provide for her family.
RIP Ms. Haley🕊
Still Queen of your mountain ❤
❤️
Bless your heart Mahala Mullins
❤️
Great story im from Lebanon Tennessee love to hear great Southern storys like this proud to be from Tennessee gods country GO VOLS
Go vols
Wow, what a story of Mahala Mullins! She definitely defied the meaning of a moonshiner.
Thank you JD!
absolute legend
You are doing a lot of research and storytelling and I love it. I have an interest in the mulungeon people. My son in laws last name is Goins and has always said he is part Indian but not sure about his origins. Where his family is from in Michigan was a destination for the underground railroad. Going to West Virginia and Tennessee in the Fall and I am going to look up some of the places you talk about. Thank you again for the history
Thank you Janet!
Hancock and Hawkins county/sneedville seem to have the most...I live more upper east tn. but worked with 1 that was from that area years ago.....you can tell one when you see one!
@@chrishensley6745 I'm so interested in the Appalachian way of life and excited to stumble on Appalachian Storyteller. My brother is in Elizabethton, TN in the NE corner. He said that they have story telling there at events. Sounds like a great time to me.
DNA research reveals mulungeons are white, native Indian and sun Sahara Africas.
Just FYI, don't know if this may be relevant to you a or not but there are some Goins among the Lumbee Indians and some (I think, not sure, been a long time ago) among the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Cherokee, N C.
I’m a direct descendant of Mahala Mullins. We have a family reunion twice a year at Vardy.
❤️
Just asking do you have the bump on the back of your skull and dark hair and skin and blue eyes. Thanks just asking with respect to your family.
@@gregallen4272 I’m related to the Mullins. I’m melungeon. My eyes however are hazel with blue rings in them
Are yall related to Tim Mullins of Hawkins County?
My Dad’s family are Melungeons. And I’ve been to Kyles Ford East Tenn, along the Fisher Valley rd, seeing the old home place of Ezekiel, Hezekiah, and Zachariah, James Minor, my 5th to 2nd Great Grandfathers on my 1st Great Grandma’s side. Also J William, Lambert, George, and Tandy Gibson, my 4th to 1st Great Grandfathers. Add Hurd, Fisher, Sizemore, Collins, Lawson, Stamper, and Mullins.
My Grandfather was an Absher, adopted by William Herron when he married my Great Gradma Cordelia Lawson after her baby daddy was killed in a shootout. He Melvin Absher. He was already married, who was a hired enforcer/killer for some coal company,
Hired killer by the coal company- now there’s a story!
@@TheAppalachianStorytellerYeah, like the ones that shot thru into the house where my pregnant Grammaw had just stooped down to wring out her mop, & barely missed getting hit. Grampaw was a Union organizer.
EXCELLENT story. Well done.
Thank you kindly!
I'm imagining the law thinking, "We'll cut open the wall to get her out!" but then realizing they still wouldn't be able to budge her! Another fascinating mountain tale JD!
Thank you Nancy!
Omg I loved this story!! "Catchable but not fetchable" is just the best!!
This really hits home for me as I live in western nc in a small town known as Robbinsville where parts of the moonshine show was filmed where Jim Tom Hedrick and Mark Roger's make their shine 😊 I'm related to Jim Tom and my husband is related to Mark. If I'm ever in that part of Tennessee I'm definitely going to see the cabin!! 😁😁
Is that the town that has the Ronnie Milano mural painted on a building, seems I filmed there last year
Heard stories most of my adult life from a family friend who’s her (Mullins) relative. He has worked with the historical council to preserve Melungeon history- oh the theories we have tossed around the origins of these beautiful and strong mountain people.
I’d have love to heard some of those conversations
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller I sent Kevin your documentary. I do believe he remembers going up there... It’s pretty special honoring her in this contemporary way, keeping this history alive. I will encourage him to reach out to you. ✌️
You would think by having DNA done on these nice folks you’d come up with the answer to that question.
@@donnaboisen6003 Recent research has revealed their true identity. I have a documentary in the works that covers every aspect of their history
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller Awesome, can’t wait! I had my DNA done a few years back. It’s so interesting on how they can tell your ancestry by your saliva.
Hi JD! This story was very interesting. I’m surprised at all the newspapers that had articles on her, but I had no knowledge of her.
I have been to Popcorn Sutton’s Moonshine Festival and that’s another story, lol.
Have a blessed day!
Isn’t it something, I started digging and was blown away at her lost legacy that was documented in newspapers from 130 years ago
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller I was shocked at the amount of information on her, but had never heard of her. Made me think of that movie What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, corny isn’t it, lol.
I wished I could of lived back then so I could of made that trip up those steep mountains just to taste her famous moonshine Thanks for sharing this fantastic story I feel like a little child waiting anxiously for your next story GOD BLESS YOU
Thank you!
Dunno why but, this story gave me chills at the end... That there's no roads up there and she still rests there.
She’s still there
What a wonderful, wonderful story! I needed all that the 16 minutes offered this morning, lol. Glad I found it. Thank you.
Thank you Alex!
I am so glad I found this channel.
I’m glad you are here!
Really enjoyed this story. I'm Appalachian by birth and saved by the Cross of Christ. Never heard this one. God Bless...
Thank you Ma'am
WOW! Fascinating story about a really fascinating woman! Thanks JD 😎👍
Thank you Kathy
My dad told me he used to deliver shine by horse and wagon when he was very young. The thinking was that law enforcement would ever think that a kid would be doing that. It worked.
Genius
Another amazing story. Thank you so much.
Thank you!
My Mother only had one aunt and her husband was my Mother's only uncle. My Mother dearly loved Uncle Martin. He was a tall thin man. Aunt Florabelle was so big, that Uncle Martin had to walk next to the buggy, whenever they left the farm.
opposites attract sometimes
Good man, he loved his beautiful lady. 🤠🖖 ♨️
@@cowboykelly6590 well Kelly, I don't know. After Aunt Florabelle died, Uncle Martin never remarried. My Mom ask him once if he hadn't remarried because he loved Aunt Florabelle so much, or if he was afraid to try again. Because she had been so mean. He smiled amd in his slow country drawl he said, "Well Anna, you'll never know". He was loyal!
I love her she was so brave ..thank you so much
Thank you!
My grandpa Thompson (born in 1914) told me about a woman when he was growing up who kept the jars of moonshine in her bed and would cover up with a blanket when the revenuers showed up. Grandpa was born in Mulberry Gap TN which as you know is just across the mountain from Sneedville. I thought he said she lived between Mulberry Gap and Sneedville in a little place called Blackwater.
Interesting
Soooo well done ! thank you
Thank you!
Awesome story! I love it when you have my family in your stories. The graves of the Sands and Fernando De Soto!! My mom is a De Soto. From Fernando.
How bout that! Wow!
Enjoyed this so much. Thank you for what you do to bring these stories to us.
Thank you Deborah!
Yet another amazin one my awesome mountain brother!! Can't wait to see more. Have a good'n JD!
Preciate you Jared, have a good weekend brother
Wow, thanks for this story!!
Thanks Jeff!
My granny was born and raised in Golden Pond KY (its been flooded since well bedore i was born) and this is the kind of music she played on guitar. Damn it sounded just like her!❤
dang it man, she was talented!
@@TheAppalachianStoryteller yes she was. And she wasn't the only one. For show and tell when I was in 2nd grade, my Granny,great granny and great aunt came to my school in my class and played 2 songs. My granny had guitar,my great aunt a harmonica and my great granny has a harmonica and they all sang a Harmony together. I didn't understand what a gift that was for years
Very much enjoyed this story. Thank you for sharing
Thank you!
Enjoyed, another great story.
Enjoyed the song too.
Thank you kindly
Love this story !!!
Thanks Rodney!
Great Saturday morning story J.D....👍
R.I.P. BIG HALEY
R.I.P. Mr. POPCORN SUTTON
Mornin' Big Iron!
I'm so glad you did this story. My great grandpa used tell about his great grandma making moonshine in the mountains. He would always say and she never got caught.
It makes me wonder now if this is the same woman.
Wow how proud I would be if she was my family. Not for the moonshine but for her independence and strong will.
I'm very independent and i been known to fight a man or 2. 😂
😂
Man I absolutely love this channel I’m really interested in the mountain people they had a tough life that’s for sure …….appreciate you man these are brilliant videos please keep them coming ❤
Thank you so much for this kind comment! Preciate your support!
Once again, an amazing story of heritage & pride! Cheers ❤
Thank you my friend, have a good en!
thank you, JD, for another fine story!
Thank you so much!
Been busy past few days to watch RUclips I am glad I checked an found this before going to bed. Great story
Thank you Bessie
I love living here! Wonderful story. I live in Franklin County Virginia, the “wettest county in the world “ good stories and good white likker too.
“The wettest county” I love it
She was my great great grandma
amazing!
I bought the Just Off the Wilderness Road digital album. Thanks for letting us know about them.
I really appreciate that. I don't make any money off that, but several months ago, the producer of the entire project sent me that CD. that's where I first learned of Big Haleys story and began researching it. Every song on the CD is a historical event with the written story in the liner notes. Its really well done and I was honored they let me use Big Haley song in this video.
That was a very good story. I really enjoyed it.
Thank you so much
Your welcome keep bringing the good stuff.
you got it@@littlebit820
This deserves to be a movie
its a heck of a story for sure
Wow... Whatta Great Show.... Well Done .... 👏 Love 💚 It ... Southeast Cleveland Tenn Waivin a 👋
Howdy from Anderson county TN