History UsefulNotes / Appalachia

* "The Crooked Man" story within the {{Hellboy}} series takes place in rural western Virginia in the late 1950's and deals with common ghost stories and folklore of the area.

* ''Film/WeAreMarshall'' deals with the aftermath of the (real-life) 1970 plane crash that killed virtually all of Marshall University's [[UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball football]] team.

* "A Walk In The Woods" by [[{{Creator/Bill Bryson}} Bill Bryson]] deals with an attempt to hike the trail.

* "A Walk In The Woods" by Creator/Bill Bryson deals with an attempt to hike the trail.

* Appalachia is stereotypically characterized by rural isolation, poverty, and coal mining. Inbreeding was a major problem [[NeverLiveItDown historically]]; the [[http://abcnews.go.com/Health/blue-skinned-people-kentucky-reveal-todays-genetic-lesson/story?id=15759819 "blue people" of Kentucky]] are a famous case of a recessive gene showing up due to this. Nowadays, inbreeding isn't much of a problem anymore, but various other health issues arise due to mining hazards, abysmal poverty, diabetes, and rampant drug abuse in rural areas. The coming of TV and radio in the mid-20th century helped to break the isolation somewhat (though the hilly terrain makes reception a problem without a lot of repeaters), and the construction of Interstates 64, 77, and 79 (the former only completed in 1988) opened up the barely-touched interior of West Virginia to the masses.

* Appalachia is stereotypically characterized by rural isolation, poverty, and coal mining. Inbreeding was a major problem [[NeverLiveItDown historically]]; the [[http://abcnews.go.com/Health/blue-skinned-people-kentucky-reveal-todays-genetic-lesson/story?id=15759819 "blue people" of Kentucky]] are a famous case of a recessive gene showing up due to this. Nowadays, inbreeding isn't much of a problem anymore, but various other health issues arise due to mining hazards, abysmal poverty, diabetes, and rampant drug abuse in rural areas. The coming of TV and radio in the mid-20th century helped to break the isolation somewhat (though WV's terrain makes reception a problem without a lot of repeaters), and the construction of Interstates 64, 77, and 79 (the former only completed in 1988) opened up the barely-touched interior of West Virginia to the masses.

Appalachia is a cultural region in the United States that stretches from western New York down to central Alabama. It is named for the Appalachian Mountains, which technically includes most of New England and a tiny bit of eastern Canada, but "Appalachia" commonly refers to the central and southern portions of the mountain range. The region is stereotyped as the DeepSouth's snowier cousin and they share many defining traits, especially where the two overlap. As always, the truth is more complex than the media's representation.

* UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}} is the largest city in Appalachia proper, with a metro area of over 2 million. Other major cities border the region, such as UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC, UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}}, Columbus, and Louisville. Many Appalachians seeking the urban life will relocate to one of these cities. Important smaller cities in the region include Huntington, Wheeling, and Charleston (all West Virginia); Knoxville and Johnson City (both Tennessee); and the Roanoke-Blacksburg-Christiansburg area in Virginia.

* Creator/WhiteWolf's ''Rage Across Appalachia'', a supplemental sourcebook for both ''WerewolfTheApocalypse'' and ''ChangelingTheDreaming''.

* Creator/AaronCopland's ballet ''Appalachian Spring'', about the folk celebrating after building a barn, takes a more idealized view of the region.

Appalachia is a cultural region in the United States that stretches from western New York down to central Alabama. It is named for the Appalachian Mountains, which technically includes most of New England and a tiny bit of eastern Canada, but "Appalachia" commonly refers to the central and southern portions of the mountain range. The region is stereotyped as the Deep South's snowier cousin, especially where the two overlap. As always, the truth is more complex than the media's representation.

* Appalachia is stereotypically characterized by rural isolation, poverty, and coal mining. Inbreeding was a major problem [[NeverLiveItDown historically]]; the [[http://abcnews.go.com/Health/blue-skinned-people-kentucky-reveal-todays-genetic-lesson/story?id=15759819 "blue people" of Kentucky]] are a famous case of a recessive gene showing up due to this. Nowadays, inbreeding isn't much of a problem anymore, but various other health problems arise due to mining hazards, abysmal poverty, diabetes, and rampant drug abuse in rural areas. The coming of TV and radio in the mid-20th century helped to break the isolation somewhat (though WV's terrain makes reception a problem without a lot of repeaters), and the construction of Interstates 64, 77, and 79 (the former only completed in 1988) opened up the barely-touched interior of West Virginia to the masses.

The region of the United States known as Appalachia is commonly under or misrepresented in media, and UnfortunateImplications often result.

* It covers all of West Virginia, a good chunk of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Eastern Kentucky, as well as parts of Virginia, South-eastern Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and Western Maryland.
* Pittsburgh is the biggest metro area inside Appalachia proper, but WashingtonDC and Atlanta abut it, and Columbus, OH and Louisville, KY are an easy drive from WV. Charleston, Huntington and Wheeling (all in WV), Knoxville and Johnson City (all in TN), and the Roanoke-Blacksburg-Christiansburg area (technically just outside the poverty area) in Virginia are important smaller cities. Quite a few people from WV ended up in either Columbus or WashingtonDC.
* Characterized by isolation, poverty, and coal mining. Historically, inbreeding was as big of a problem there as it was in several European royal families. The "blue people" of Kentucky are a famous case of a recessive gene showing up due to this. In Hollywood Appalachia, inbreeding is still a major thing; see UnfortunateImplications. Various health problems due to both the coal dust, the abysmal poverty and rampant drug abuse abound in rural areas; one thing you'll notice about the area is how many hospitals they have relative to the population. The coming of TV and radio in the mid-20th century helped to break the isolation somewhat (though WV's terrain makes reception a problem without a lot of repeaters), and the construction of Interstates 64, 77, and 79 (the former only completed in 1988) opened up the barely-touched interior of West Virginia to the masses.

* Major industries of this area included timber production, as well as oil and petroleum drilling, iron production, and the big one, coal mining. The coal town is a major part of Appalachian lore and it still provides a significant income and proportion of jobs to people living in the area. Small ghost towns left behind after coal seams or oil wells have dried up dot the landscape around much of the region. The northern part of Appalachia is also located within the Rust Belt and is suffering from similar problems in loss of steel industries that once drove communities.
** The primacy of Coal as an industry has also sparked many controversies over environmentalist issues, most prominently the spread of mountain-top mining. Proponents argue it brings in much-needed jobs to impoverished areas, but in increasing movement argues that it is not worth the cost to the destruction of the surrounding natural landscape. Environmentalist controversies have also recently extended into natural gas industries throughout West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
* The region is also notorious for its production of Moonshine; alcoholic beverages made by locals without any kind of regulation. Came to prominence during prohibition, and still continues to this day. The remote, isolated geography of the region makes it ideal because moonshiners can easily conceal their operations from authorities.

* Major industries of this area included timber production, as well as oil and petroleum drilling, iron production, and the big one, coal mining. The coal town is a major part of Appalachian lore and it still provides a significant income and proportion of jobs to people living in the area. Small ghost towns left behind after coal seams or oil wells have dried up have left numerous ghost towns dotting the landscape. The northern part of the region is also located within the Rust Belt and is suffering from similar problems in loss of the industries that once drove communities.

* ''Film/TheMothmanProphecies'', as well as the book it was based off of, takes place in and around Point Pleasant, West Virginia and [[VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory dramatizes actual events that occurred in the area during the 1960's.]]

* Characterized by isolation, poverty, and coal mining. Historically, inbreeding was as big of a problem there as it was in several European royal families. The "blue people" of Kentucky are a famous case of a recessive gene showing up due to this. In Hollywood Appalachia, inbreeding is still a major thing; see UnfortunateImplications. Various health problems due to both the coal dust, the abysmal poverty and the genetic weirdnesses are common; one thing you'll notice about the area is how many hospitals they have relative to the population. The coming of TV and radio in the mid-20th century helped to break the isolation somewhat (though WV's terrain makes reception a problem without a lot of repeaters), and the construction of Interstates 64, 77, and 79 (the former only completed in 1988) opened up the barely-touched interior of West Virginia to the masses.

* The region is also notorious for its' production of Moonshine; alcoholic beverages made by locals without any kind of regulation. Came to prominence during prohibition, and still continues to this day. The remote, isolated geography of the region makes it ideal because moonshiners can easily conceal their operations from authorities.
* Aside from all that, the area is popular for tourism because of the tall mountains and deep ridges, boasting prime opportunities for hiking, biking, rafting and kayaking, fishing, and skiing and snowboarding in the winter.

*** Despite the current form of the Appalachians being a relatively recent creation, geologically speaking, the former heart of the original mountains can still be seen in the Blue Ridge Mountains and other folds and formations throughout the uplifted peaks and valleys.

* One very popular reason for visiting is to hike the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, usually simply referred to as the Appalachian Trail. The Trail is a 2,200 mile hiking and camping route.

* The northern edges of Appalachia (especially Pittsburgh, but also the WV cities) are part of the RustBelt, and share those issues as well.
* Quite a few of the little towns in the hills are "coal camps", company towns built especially to serve a mine in the immediate vicinity. As the mines closed in the 1970s and 1980s, the towns died out, and many of them are {{Ghost Town}}s now.

* Aside from all that, the area is popular for tourism because of the tall mountains and deep ridges; the Appalachians are quite literally an older, shorter version of the Rockies, and comparisons have been made to Switzerland, if on a smaller scale.

* One very popular reason for visiting is to hike the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, usually simply referred to as the Appalachian Trail. The Trail is a 2,200 mile hiking and camping route. However, mountaintop-removal mining has been spoiling the view in several places, despite efforts to combat it.

* Aside from all that, the area is popular for tourism because of the tall mountains and deep ridges; the Appalachians are quite literally an older, shorter version of the Rockies, and comparisons have been made to Switzerland (though I always thought of the greener parts of California, myself). One very popular reason for visiting is to hike the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, usually simply referred to as the Appalachian Trail. The Trail is a 2,200 mile hiking and camping route. However, mountaintop-removal mining has been spoiling the view in several places, despite efforts to combat it.

* It covers all of West Virginia, a good chunk of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Eastern Kentucky, as well as parts of Virginia, Tennessee , Georgia, North Carolina and Western Maryland.

* ''Film/WeAreMarshall'' deals with the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed virtually all of Marshall University's [[UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball football]] team.

* ''Film/OctoberSky'' is about some boys from a West Virgina coal town seeking to win a science scholarship for rocketry.

* CompanyTown:In many areas of Appalachia, coal mining is the only significant economic activity, and coal companies created a lot of these throughout the area.

* Sharyn McCrumb's ''Literature/BalladNovels'' are a series of mysteries that take place in and around a small Appalachian community.

!Tropes relating to/ in works about Appalachia