A Winding and Steep Drive Into Melungeon Country: Newman's Ridge, Sneedville, Tennessee

A Winding and Steep Drive Into Melungeon Country: Newman's Ridge, Sneedville, Tennessee
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[@suburbanhillbilly2999]

I’m melungeon. I grew up in Hancock county Tennessee. Our school bus driver would stop at the little grocery store on the way home from school so the kids could pick up groceries for our families. Wills general store in Kyles Ford

[@alucardvfx9357]

Im from europe and these videos are very beautiful to me. These landscapes feel unexplainably nostalgic even though ive never been anywhere near them. Keep up the great work!

[@realappalachia]

Thanks so much, we appreciate you watching and commenting

[@bglharrison]

The original cabin was off of Prospect Road in Sneedville. Same ridge line but not the same road.

[@aliciaellison3178]

Semis actually do still try to go across it. The GPS routes them the wrong way and they get stuck in the curves and most of the time is a Walmart truck.

[@realappalachia]

That's scary

[@debbieepperly3821]

Oh lawsy, y'all! This ride was way worse than going into Stuart! Those curves were something else! It was a beautiful ride though! Thanks Melody for hanging in there with us! Can't wait to see the cabin! Y'all stay safe and God bless! 🤢

[@realappalachia]

Thank you, Debbie!

[@Jtrent25411]

My Uncle rolled a Ford pickup down one of those switchbacks. Truck landed on it's wheels on the lower road, and he drove home. Everyone in Sneedville is damn near cousins. All the families have been there so long we are all related if you go back far enough.

[@realappalachia]

man i can imagine rolling a car off a switchback, must be some kind of scene

[@seexychickadee9846]

My cousins used to flip old cars off the side of the ridge. My mom is buried on the top of newmans ridge. She's off of 33 though. On the dirt road that goes up the mountain in Tennessee and comes down in Virginia. Tate johnson rd. She's in the johnson family cemetery that's almost on the top. We had to take her casket up in a pick-up truck. You can't even go over it in a car and your truck better have 4 wheel drive. All of sneedville is family. Mom could go to the sneedville jail and pick-up her brother in for drinking for the weekend and take him back when her visit from south carolina was over. You'd never see something like that go on now a days. Mahalla was a distant cousin also. My best childhood days we're visiting family from sneedville Tennessee to blackwater Virginia.

[@Jtrent25411]

@@seexychickadee9846 I am a Trent, I know we have Rae, and Hatfield blood.

[@johnperdue2327]

Thank you guys for the shout out to school bus drivers!! I am a mercer county bus driver and absolutely LOVE your alls videos

[@realappalachia]

You guys are saints

[@tomcox2565]

One of my good buddies grew up at the top of Newmans Ridge. And some of his family are still up there. It’s a beautiful spot.

[@driveinfan1955]

Maybe you guys can make it back to the Vardy Church Museum and Mahala’s Cabin for our Spring Fling! It’s always the first Saturday in June, 10am-2pm.

[@stillsearching5780]

Morgan Wallen is from Sneedville, TN.

[@jamesemmett864]

Enjoyed the trip to Sneedville. Another possible trip would be to go the George L Carter Railroad Museum. After leaving there, you have to bring your bikes so you can ride the Tweetsie Trail (former railway) to Elizabethton and have lunch at J's Corner. After lunch, put your bikes on someone's truck and follow the Tweetsie Trail towards Hampton so that you can walk through the train tunnel. Eventually, the Tweetsie Trail will go all the way to Hampton and maybe beyond. Should be exciting to watch you guys do this one.

[@realappalachia]

thanks for the suggestion!

[@Julie-ms9ss]

I didn’t know it was possible to get Car Sick from my Couch. 🤢 Wow, what a curvy drive , and straight up …and up…and up. Thank you, Melody, for riding along in the car for this one. I know you get car sick, so you were probably turning green too. Beautiful views, though. Thanks, guys.

[@samanthab1923]

Be well 🙏🏻

[@Julie-ms9ss]

@@samanthab1923 Thank you. 💕

[@realappalachia]

Thanks so much for thinking of me! At least this one was shorter than Black Mtn. And the view from the valley below was so great. You’ll see that more on the next video of Mahala’s cabin! - Melody

[@mikea5424]

Only a 2 Dramamine road.

[@talldude5841]

Absolutely beautiful spring country. Give me a T for Tennessee. One of my favorite states. Good show you two.

[@realappalachia]

Thanks so much

[@jamese3169]

That is a beautiful place. Reminds me of the dive between Fort Chiswell and Hillsviille on 52. Thanks for taking us along.

[@realappalachia]

we made that drive a few months ago so I can see that relation

[@FixIt1975]

Jeeze! There's a road like this in New Hampshire called Kancamagus highway with switchbacks, hair pin turns. Beautiful drive but it's no wonder it's closed in the winter. Moose actually lie in the road in the winter and they end up snow covered. People get seriously hurt and killed from hitting moose

[@realappalachia]

i bet so, moose are nothing to play with

[@randykey5700]

Very interesting video, I love to see the old churches! Keep up the great work! Thanks for all you do

[@realappalachia]

Glad you like them!

[@Jtrent25411]

Sneedvill the home of the Tennessee branch of the Trent family since the early 1600's. AKA Home.

[@robinhaupt9119]

Very cool ride, thank you Shane and Melody! Can't wait to see the Mahala cabin.

[@realappalachia]

We’ll have it out soon! It is so cool to see! - Melody

[@robinhaupt9119]

@@realappalachia Thank you!

[@stillsearching5780]

Beautiful country drive!

[@realappalachia]

It really is!

[@maryjanelemon2531]

Wow, that was some ride. I had my hands clenched the whole ride. The landscape must be spectacular in the fall. To go up that mountain to get moonshine, I think I'll pass. Blessings always !

[@jerrysullivan8424]

{ My Great Grandmother was from Mulberry Gap, She may have been married in the Church that you start out with. } My Great Grandfather was Clint Williams, 69, who died at 4:25 o'clock, Saturday afternoon, July 16, 1938, at his home on Horton Heights, following an apparent stroke. He was born May 21, 1869, in Sneedville, Tenn., and came to Horton in 1908, where he has since made his home. He was a blacksmith in the Rock Island shops here from 1908 until June 1922. He was married to Miss Catherine Ayers at Mulberry Gap, Tenn., and to this union were born nine children; two dying in infancy. Mrs. Williams died on June 21, 1936.

[@debgholson8166]

LOL!!!!!!!! Y'all sound like me when I go over Newman's Ridge. Shew. 😉

[@realappalachia]

🤣🤣🤣

[@BeautyWithTiffy]

You two are so cute! Where's the guard rail? Heeheehee

[@dianap5159]

Holy cow! Looks almost as curvy as the Back of the Dragon in Tazewell. My daughter and I drove the Back of the Dragon about 4 years ago from Tazewell to Marion--not knowing what it was at the time. Scariest drive of my life!! Absolutely breathtaking scenery but very stressful drive. I don't think my steering wheel stayed straight the entire drive. When I looked it up online after getting back home to Cleveland, OH I almost passed out to think we drove it! Lol 🤣

[@realappalachia]

the Back of the Dragon is a rough one, I almost got car sick when I was the driver lol

[@alisonmarshall45]

Im from Scotland, that kind of road is normal where I live!

[@belle9438]

Well that must be why the Scots settled this area, it reminded them of home. There are so many people that are Scot and Scotch Irish decendents. NC, SE VA and TN. All which is mountainous terrain. My people settle in the 1600 and 17 00's and I still have 55% Scot heritage and 35% English and 7% Irish. And before you asked, No, we are not inbred, my family has lots of branches on my tree. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@dlmullins9054]

Very beautiful! Thanks for going there too.

[@realappalachia]

Thanks for watching!

[@ronbass8136]

Beautiful drive, thanks

[@moparedtn]

Ain't no hill for a stepper. :-) Thumbs up as always from beautiful downtown Striggersville, y'all! - Ed on the Ridge

[@realappalachia]

Blessings lol

[@debluetailfly]

Alex Stewart: Portrait of a Pioneer is a book by John Rice Irwin. I believe he lived on Newman's Ridge. He often walked many miles for jobs. Really a fascinating book; if you haven't read it, you definitely should! When he was living, you can be sure there was no paved highway. That book really explained how life was then. There was a story of a family whose fire went out in the winter. Two girls went with buckets to another house to get coals; snow was on the ground and they were barefoot, but skipped along like they were happy. The road you were on is similar to what I grew up being used to in the Ouachita/Ozark mountains region. The road up North Mountain at Hot Springs has, I think, 7 switchbacks. That was great fun in a bus - the front end was flying while the rear felt like it was sitting still. Some kids from flat country in OK were scared to death! One road had a bluff hanging out over the road. I got a picture of it. Later went back to see it again, and the road had been paved, and they dynamited the bluff, because they thought it might fall on a car. Might be safer, but really destroyed something beautiful! I learned to drive an 18 wheeler in the Ozark Mountains. During my driving career, there was one highway in Eastern OH with curves so tight, I had to use all of both lanes to keep the trailer out of the ditch. I was afraid someone was going to come flying the other direction and hit me head on. It was marked in my atlas as a truck route, but I drew Xs on it so I would never get on it again.

[@realappalachia]

i will have to check that book out, loved John Rice Irwin and very sorry to hear he passed away recently. I can't imagine driving an 18 wheeler much less in the Ozark Mountains, you might have been meant to be a NASCAR driver lol

[@bigred4335]

Another great video

[@realappalachia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@cindywolfe3535]

Very dangerous looking ride

[@realappalachia]

It definitely could be! - Melody

[@paulmacek6563]

Couldn't imagine driving in the snow and ice!!! No thanks 😮😎

[@realappalachia]

bet that would be rough

[@freedompop4284]

That Ridge looks a lot like 250 out of Moundsville W.V... TO Waynesburg Pa.

[@eemupitts9962]

just imagine driving those roads in the 50's and 60's......

[@realappalachia]

i bet that was rough

[@MillerMeteor74]

My kind of road. Awesome.

[@AnnC....]

We have a back road in Black Mountain N.C. scarier then the road you were on.😲

[@realappalachia]

I just watched a video about Black Mountain today, how odd to see it referred to here

[@exterminator1]

we visit all the coal companies like yall. Yall even gave me ideas. Question is , are you going to visit the larger populated cities in these mountains? We are going to charleston WV in a week. So would love to see yalls vid in the larger places. knoxville even.

[@realappalachia]

We were talking about that last week, very hard to tackle a bigger city in a video so might have to do a series of them from a city. ,

[@exterminator1]

@@realappalachia I hope so. I am not as knowledgeable as you but we travel to all the Appalachian towns and sites. Knoxville forts are cool as I am sure you know. Just like to hear someone that is more versed in local history. We are going to stop at point pleasant as well.like you guys did. Then Huntington. History is rich here.thanks for your vids

[@realappalachia]

@@exterminator1 glad you enjoy them, we appreciate it. Point Pleasant was one of our favorite places, just something about that area so I have you have a grear trip there.

[@OnkelPHMagee]

Shane, I'll never figure out how you got her between Lake Shawnee and Princeton since she doesn't do well on interesting roads. LOL.

[@realappalachia]

Valid point lol

[@bkwoodadventures7061]

Yall was on Newman's Ridge. I have read a book about ALex Stewart. He lived on Newman's ridge. DId you see any roads named after Alex Stewart? There was a museum made with his things in it. He spoke of the moonshine lady in this book. He is buried at Panther Creek MIssionary Baptist church. This church must not be in operation anymore.

[@J.RO.]

Alright here we go again, bird's eye veiw from dashboard!!! 🐦🐦🐦

[@J.RO.]

Look up a fish in the sky 🌥️🌥️🌥️

[@ivanhamlyn]

It would be cool to hike up to the original location of big hailys cabin

[@noahingram8052]

Legend says they's a bunch of people that live in those woods now as for anything else eh idk

[@GruntProof]

Man this looks just like where I am in Germany

[@nancyyonce2906]

I GOT DIZZY !!!!!

[@belle9438]

Little late to the party here. I've always been told Snake Hollow is not a place you want to explore. I'd say it used to be shine but now it's probably meth. But it is a beautiful area, I had family who moved there around 25 yrs ago.

[@SharonStevens-d3s]

Anyone know if Moore's were there? John Moore

[@ma-mo]

Almost made me car sick, just watching! At 0:47 you mention some common Melungeon names; what was the name you say right after Gibson & Collins? Thanks for another fun drive!

[@carolyns5596]

Mullens........................?

[@ma-mo]

@@carolyns5596 pretty sure there was a name just before that, which sounded like Wallen. It's one I hadn't heard associated with Melungeons before, and I wondered if I heard right.

[@realappalachia]

it was indeed Wallen - it was slightly out of context, not heard of them necessarily being affiliated with the Melungeons, just that we'd been talking about common surnames and she said Collins and Gibson so I assumed she was referring to the common Melungeon names then she slipped that one in

[@ma-mo]

@@realappalachia thanks! Interesting subject matter, for sure!

[@Fancyfan1000]

The main stream Wallens are absolutely not Melungeon. However, the Wallens did settle in what is now Kyles Ford, TN on the Clinch River before 1777. They had a blockhouse where they defended their selves from Dragging Canoe Indians in 1777. The Wallens had another blockhouse in what is now somewhat near Harrogate, TN as early as 1761 for long annual hunts. From spoken history pasted down in my family: The Melungeons arrived in what is now Hancock County sometime after 1787 after being run out of the Holston River lands where they were squatters. They didn't know how to get title to the land with surveys and land grants from North Carolina. They settled on Newman's Ridge because nobody else wanted it. They all had English names, spoke only English, and some even had very old, brittle, faded English Prayer books dated 15xx something. At that time they claimed to be from the women survivors of an English Colony (Raleigh's Colony?) and sailors. They had taken no names from the sailors.

[@pritchettdunphy5727]

Eunice and Charlie Johns livjng from 1937 to 1997 as Couple in this Town

[@garymcelhaney1560]

Have y’all done any videos of Amish places that would be interesting

[@realappalachia]

not yet but we would love to

[@ogamhunter]

WOW! Shane that made me car sick watching the video, curviest road I've ever seen. I have a place you might like to visit called, "Turkey Creek." It sits in between Baileysville and Pineville Wyoming County WV. route 97. I do not know how it got its name. If you enter near the Baileysville side, at Marianna you will come out near Pineville. Caution drive slow! I've been sick, sorry I missed other video's! God Bless, (Glen).

[@realappalachia]

hope you're feeling better, Glen, God bless you too.

[@edwardgilmore5595]

I don't think I could drive that

[@realappalachia]

It is pretty rough, for sure

[@insertnamehere8121]

" *A lot of the rough stuff I saw was on the school bus* " Interestingly enough, citizenry polling shows that a large percentage of the populations first encounter with significant personal violence occurs somewhere within the American public schooling system.