The Appalachian Trail is America’s most beloved trek, with millions of hikers setting foot on it every year. Yet few are aware of the fascinating backstory of the dreamers and builders who explored it, defined it, and captured national attention by hiking it. This [...]
Before the Civil War, the Underground Railroad was a network of hundreds of safe houses, churches, and farms throughout the North and South that served as way stations on the road to freedom for tens of thousands of runaway slaves. Fugitive slaves risked their [...]
Lots of folks have been sick this winter. If you have a friend or loved one recovering from illness or surgery, Jesse Stuart’s “The Year of My Rebirth” would be a helpful gift. Stuart’s message in this well-known book is that no person can [...]
Jesse Stuart’s Bluetick Pig is now available as an eBook on Amazon Kindle. The JSF first released Bluetick Pig, the ninth book in Jesse Stuart’s junior book series, in 2019. The book is edited by JSF Board member Cathy Roberts and features delightful illustrations [...]
Loretta Lynn’s death on October 4, 2022, was a painful loss for eastern Kentuckians and country music fans nationwide. Known as “The Coal Miner’s Daughter,” she was born April 14, 1935, at Butcher Holler, Johnson County, Kentucky, to Melvin and Clara Butcher Webb. Named [...]
#1 A Penny’s Worth of Character, Jesse Stuart #2 The Frontiersmen, Allan W. Eckert #3 Wilderness Empire, Allan W. Eckert #4 New Harvest, Jesse Stuart #5 The Beatinest Boy, Jesse Stuart #6 The Conquerors, Allan W. Eckert #7 Blue Jacket: War Chief of the [...]
One winter day as I was sitting on the river bank, I heard a group of boys coming through the willows. Christmas was only a few days off. At the church, the boys said, sacks of hard candy would be given to all the [...]
In 2019, the Jesse Stuart Foundation published “True Christmas Stories From the Heart of Appalachia,” a book that captures the spirit of Christmas in 43 stories by 39 authors. Thirty-five of the stories are from Kentucky and the others are from neighboring states. This [...]
At left, Jim Gifford accepts the gift from Ron Cartee. The JSF has received a $10,000 grant from Marathon Petroleum’s Community Investment Program which is committed to collaborating with stakeholders to invest in organizations and initiatives that make a positive, meaningful impact on communities [...]
#1 The Frontiersmen, Allan W. Eckert #2 (tie) Blue Jacket: War Chief of the Shawnees, Allan W. Eckert #2 (tie) The Conquerors, Allan W. Eckert #3 Appalachian Values, Loyal Jones #4 (tie) The Devil’s Dream, Lee Smith #4 (tie) White Squaw: The True Story of [...]
