Episode list

On November 16th the tales will began, with the premiere of Southern Oddities. Twice a week I will bring you stories from all around the South, of the interesting people, the unexplained places, and the mysterious artifacts that helped shape legends of the Deep South. Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast listening app to listen for Free. Grab your sweet tea, gather around, and lets spin a yarn.. Welcome, to Southern Oddities.

Throughout history, there has always been certain types of people, who are able to influence others with bizarre doctrines and unnatural religious teachings, claiming to be divine in nature or prophets of God, pulling many under their wicked spell. One of those self-proclaimed prophets was, John Samuel Barker. Barker might of looked like a sickly man, but he had the incredible abilities of public speaking. This self-proclaimed prophet of God influenced a number of people to depart from churches of Christ to follow his peculiar teachings, forming the cult known as the Barker Rites.

When I say the word Transylvania, what comes to mind? for most people it brings up the images of blood sucking vampires and castles. What if I told you there is another Transylvania, and this Transylvania was not located in Europe, but in Lexington, Kentucky, that has more scientific teaching instruments than any college in America except Harvard, would you believe me? Transylvania University, in the many years its been serving up academic achievements, has also turned out some very interesting history. One of those bits of history is the Transylvania Moosnick Museum or as its actually called The Monroe Moosnick Museum and it displays some very interesting oddities.

Every religion has a story of creation, of how man and woman became to inhabit and flourish life on Earth, of how a supernatural being, bigger than us, created a Terrestrial Paradise or simply a paradise, the biblical "Garden of God". We never forget certain aspects of this biblical story....Adam and Eve wondering around the garden in the nude due to their innocence, God forbidding Adam and Eve from eating fruit from the "Tree of Knowledge", or how Eve was tempted by a snake to eat an apple, causing a disruption, Adam and Eve's disobedience against God. While scholars and other archaeologists have never been able to find the Garden of Eden, one man , a preacher, thinks he found the "Garden of God", the earthly paradise, full of water and fruit, in the small town of Bristol, Florida. In the 1950s, Elvy Edison Callaway, a Baptist preacher, retired lawyer, and Republican candidate for governor, bought some land he believed to be the Earthly Paradise, and developed it into the "Garden of Eden" park setting off one of the most bizarre theories on the "Garden of Eden".

In the Appalachian Mountains, once lived a group of mysterious occupants. According to the native peoples accounts, who made contact with them, they were small, bearded men with pale skin, and blue eyes, that were said to be a nocturnal race that only emerged from their deep underground caves at night, as according to Cherokee Tradition and Folk tales, this was due to their skin and eyes being to sensitive to the sun, thus giving these mysterious people the name, "The Moon-Eyed People." Various tales have been told over time about the Moon Eyed People stretching from North Carolina all the way to Alabama, but could this lost civilization of blue-eyed people be true or false?

The Snake Oil Salesman, this phrase always conjures up images of seedy profiteers trying to exploit an unsuspecting public by selling it fake and unknown cures, through the art of deception. In 1932, Jim Humble, a future snake oil salesman, was born in Mobile, Alabama. Jim would later take many trips.. to many places, all around the world, be married and divorced several times, become a grifter of poison, and form his own church, or for the lack of a better term, a cult soaked in bleach. Giving Jim an audience to market and sale his his toxin, the Miracle Mineral Solution, also known as MMS.

Mountains and rock formations always carry many tales and legends within the South, while many have settings of wars and civilizations, they also house beauty and mystique, drawing captivation and history, enter Lookout Mountain. While Lookout Mountain does have its far share of history, the mountain does have many roadside attractions and state parks, and depending on which state you are in, depends on which attractions you will see, but one of these attractions is situated in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, and is by far the most famous of all the attractions in the area, going all the way back to the Great Depression, and its history as a geological marvel of nature, reaches back several thousands of years before that, on top of the mountain, through the fairyland caverns, lies the small world of "Rock City".

Everyone has heard stories of the Bigfoot or also known as Sasquatch by the Native Americans, the hairy ape like.. biped creature, that supposedly roams the woods, predominantly around the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada. Most cultures have accounts of human-like giants in their folk history, expressing a need for "some larger-than-life creature", each language even had its own name for the creature, and many of the names translated back to "wild man" or "hairy man". But while the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest and many others have added Bigfoot to their American Bestiary, one within the deep Alabama woods, is by far different from the others. Residents in Northern and Central Alabama have reported seeing a creature roaming the dense woods and neighborhoods, these reports stated it was a giant, hairy monster covered in white fur, which ultimately gave the beast its name .."The Alabama White Thang".

"The Wonderful World of OZ" by L. Frank Baum, America's greatest and best loved homegrown fairy-tale. The World of OZ is one of the best known stories in American literature, as it chronicles the adventures of a young farm girl named Dorothy in the Magical Land of OZ, after she and her pet dog, Toto, are swept away from their Kansas home by a Tornado. The Wizard of OZ film was a marvel for its time, characterized by its use of Technicolor, fantasy, storytelling, musical score, and memorable characters, making the film an American Pop Culture icon. This American musical fantasy, would go one to create many generations of loyal fans and lead two brothers, with their love for the Wizard of OZ, to began looking for a way to turn a ski resort into a year round attraction in 1965. Brothers Harry and Grover Robbins began looking for an area that reminded them of the 1939 film, "The Wizard of OZ", and by the end of 1965 their brother Spencer Robbins would join along with them in the search for the best spot for their entertainment complex and ski resort, and by June 15th, 1970 "The Land of OZ" would open to the public.

New Orleans. The big easy - is world-renowned for its distinct music, Creole cuisine, unique dialect, and its annual celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras. The music of New Orleans is especially known for its strong association with Jazz Music, as it is universally considered the birthplace of the genre. And the tradition of Jazz has taken on many various forms.. that have either branched out from its original form.. Dixieland or taken entirely different paths altogether. but it would just so happen, that the beloved music of Jazz, would also become an unusual motive for one mysterious serial killer, serving up his abnormal gratification for murder and Jazz music. From May 1918 to October 1919, the city of New Orleans was in a frenzied panic over a roaming serial killer dubbed by the press as "The Axeman", for his brutal killing methods with his particular weapon of choice...an ax, and to make matters worse.. the axes he used to bludgeon his victims, often belonged to the victims themselves.

As a kid in America, we always learned that the America's were discovered by Italian explorer and navigator, Christopher Columbus, by learning this specific rhyme from our teachers "In 1492 Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue". Columbus wasn't the first explorer to set foot on North American or Canadian soil. Nearly 500 years before his birth, a band of Vikings left their homeland behind in search of a new world. Their high powered Viking Longship sliced through the unfamiliar cobalt waters of the Atlantic Ocean, until these Norsemen spied a new land, dropped anchor, and went ashore. But what if the Norsemen, the Vikings...ventured even further into the wilderness of the Southern United States, reaching what we know today as the states of Oklahoma and Arkansas, well according to some interesting finds within both states, it might have been possible, with the Heavener Runestone and the Van Buren Mystery Grave.

One troubled and lonely Alabama country singer, storyteller, and legendary songwriter used his writing of emotional convictions, by giving the world a series of musical hits like "Cold, Cold, Heart" , "Your Cheatin Heart", and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" , garnering himself many nicknames like Mr. Lovesick Blues and The Hillbilly Shakespeare, country music legend. Hank Williams Sr. He recorded 35 singles that would reach the Top 10 of the Billboard Country and Western Best Sellers chart, including 11 that ranked number one, with a few of these songs releasing after his death. But one of these number one songs, that just so happened to be released a few days after his death, has an interesting tale of how it was written and conceived, within a small cabin, in the small lake town of Kowaliga, Alabama, just a few months before Hank would pass away in the back of his Cadillac in 1953, involving an old wooden Indian whose heart was made of knotty pine.

In Austin, Texas lies one of the oldest. Best known. Operating hotels in the whole state of Texas, The Driskill Hotel. A Romanesque style building remains one of the premiere hotels in Austin, featuring lavish bridal suites, two restaurants, and a grand ballroom. Constructed in 1886..the hotel is even listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Colonel Jesse Driskill, a successful cattle baron, moved to Texas from Missouri in 1849. Flushed with cash from his service to the Confederate Army, to who he supplied beef to all throughout the Civil War, decided to construct a the finest hotel south of St. Louis in Austin, Texas. But while this grand hotel might have elegant history, and many upscale renovations, bringing it into the third millennium, it has a dark past, riddled with death, and is considered one of the most haunted hotels in the United States, featuring a variety of alleged supernatural activity all throughout the building. Including the possible spirit of Colonel Driskell himself, as The hotel has become synonymous with hunting's, that it has even garnered its own Spotify playlist to the subject, and over the years, several resident ghosts have been spotted through out the hotel grand hallways and rooms, with many legends of the 130 year old hotel's macabre history.

In many religious and occult concepts, an apocalypse usually discloses something very important or hidden.. the belief is usually accompanied by the idea that civilization will soon come to a turbulent end, due to some sort of catastrophic global event. These views and movements often focus on cryptic revelations about a sudden, dramatic, and cataclysmic intervention of God in history; the judgment of all men; the salvation of the faithful elect; and the eventual rule with God.. in a renewed heaven and earth, and while many have their own theories of what the Book of Revelations actually means, one very religious couple from Alcoa, Tennessee, took the literal Biblicial Armageddon interpretation of Revelations Chapter 20 Verse 6, as a blueprint to survive the end of the world. The couple was so convinced it would happen in their lifetime, and that afterwards they would be one of the 144,000 righteous souls who would live on Earth with Jesus for another 1,000 years, prompting them to build an indestructible fortress to wait out this supposed incoming Armageddon, and From 1938 to 1946..the Nicholson's, both in their sixties, constructed what is known today as Millennium Manor.

Christmas is that time of the year for sharing the spirit of giving, festive traditions with family or friends, Christmas Cards, magical lights, holiday music, like Holly jolly Christmas, Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Jingle Bells, and Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. But as children, we grow up under the magical umbrella of Christmas, with all the stories of Santa Claus, his reindeer, and those little elves working all through the night, making toys for all the good little boys and girls.. around the world, filling Jolly old Saint Nick's red sack, full of presents.. to be delivered on Christmas Eve, but what if I told you, that there is a small town in Georgia. Named after the big man in the red suit. Its hard to believe, but its true. And it may be the most festive town in all of the state of Georgia.. especially come Christmastime....as people drive, from hundreds of miles away..to the charming little town of Santa Claus, Georgia. Just to drop a letter in Santa's bright red mailbox.

Leland, is a city, located in Washington County, Mississippi. With a population of just over 4,000 people. For a long time, it was the center of cotton culture, which is still a very important commodity crop in this rural area. Leland is located in the Mississippi Delta. On the banks of Deer Creek, and since before the Civil War, farming has always been the basis of the local economy...with the town also being known for its fishing of catfish and hunting of white tail deer. but Mississippi has also spawned many famous folks. Especially from the town of Leland. A number of national and regionally noted blues musicians are from this small town, and there are five Mississippi Blues Trail Markers in Leland. Celebrating this towns significant contributions to blues history. But while Leland has created many famous Blues Musicians..it also helped to create one well-known amphibian, Kermit the Frog. And the best part is, there is an entire museum dedicated to the beloved frog and his creator, Jim Henson, and with Deer Creek running directly behind the museum, it is easy to imagine Kermit sitting on the bank playing his banjo.

Religion ...is the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power. Especially a personal God or Gods. A particular system of faith and worship...or a pursuit of interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance. Religion is a way of devotion, and its the first act of the virtue of religion and is defined as the promptness or readiness of will.. in the service of God. Concretely, this means the perfect offering of the will itself to God, for readiness of the will in the service of God is the will offered to God in worship. and while many have devotion in their religion..one man in Prattville, Alabama, took his devotion to God and faith to the next step. On top of a hill and across the road, are thousands of crosses. Symbols pointing the way from earth to heaven, warning against the evils of sin and offering the message of redemption..at the Rice Cross Garden.

Haddix, Kentucky.. is an unincorporated community and coal town in Breathitt County, Kentucky. Named after an early settler. Samuel Haddix, a native of Virginia. Haddix is located near the confluence of Troublesome Creek. A small settlement with no roads or railways to connect it to the nearby towns until 1910 - and this creek is located in Breathitt, Perry, and Knott counties in Kentucky. With the surrounding watershed named after it but why all this talk about troublesome creek? - its because a strange medical condition was discovered in troublesome creek. And this condition was so peculiar that some didn't really believe the story. And for over one hundred and fifty years, locals in the area of Hazard Kentucky were stumped by this group of people...whose skin was the color blue. The descendants of the Fugate family of Troublesome Creek, and a related family in nearby Ball Creek...The Blue Fugates, sometimes known as the Huntsville subgroup, were well known in the area, and their genetic disorder went unidentified until the mid twentieth century, when the amount of affected people...from this extremely rare genetic trait.. had greatly decreased...ultimately finding a cure for this indigo trait.

Baked beans..is a dish traditionally containing white beans which are boiled and then baked at a low temperature for a lengthy period of time in some sort of sauce.. and this is the usual preparation of the dish in the United States when not using canned beans..as Canned baked beans are not baked, but are cooked through a steam process. Today, baked beans are commonly served all throughout the United States alongside barbecue food of various kinds and at picnics - with the beans in a brown sugar, sugar, or corn syrup sauce. Sometimes with or with out a tomato base...But one company, located in Tennessee, would become the king of baked beans in the United States....selling more beans than anyone else - by producing 80% of the canned baked beans consumed in the United States. - Bush Brothers and Company...the most well known baked bean company...with its labeled Bush's Best....and not only does the company know their beans, they also expanded the old Bush General store into a museum and visitor center. And most might assume this place exist because of the talking dog Duke. But in fact...the museum is an outgrowth of AJ Bush's 1891 general store, and the cannery across the road that was built by AJ. And despite the the museum being out in the middle of no-where. The museum churns through more than a thousand bean crazed visitors a day during the summer.. and according to its visitors. Its like visiting the Emerald City from the Wizard of OZ.

Have you heard of the small town of Marceline, Missouri? with a population of just over 2000 people. Many people haven't heard of this small country town that was laid out in 1887, and named after the wife of a railroad man. If you have heard of Marceline then you probably know the most famous resident to come out of this town, Walt Disney, as Marceline was his boyhood home and the original Main Street USA ....at Disneyland....was inspired by Walt's recollection of his hometown....and while the town of Marceline has the dreaming tree, barn, and other little locations connected to Walt and the Disney family. There is a museum, housed in the restored 1913 Santa Fe Railroad Depot, with a unique collection of Disney Family artifacts for hardcore Disney fans and casual admirers alike....the Walt Disney Hometown Museum.