I Just Found Out Why Appalachia Is Unlike Anywhere Else in America!

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My name is André, and as a European (Portuguese), I always strive to bring a unique perspective to the topics I tackle. All my reaction videos are crafted with a playful and entertaining twist!At least I try... 🌍
✔️ European Reacts - I Just Found Out Why Appalachia Is Unlike Anywhere Else in America! - Reaction For the First Time
Europeans Explore Appalachia in America - And Are Left Shocked!

[@wdking8833]

Appalachia is not only beautiful, it has some of the best people in America. These folks are super independent and self-reliant. After Hurricane Helene almost wiped much of it off the map, these people did the heavy lifting. They repaired or built roads and bridges. They rescued their trapped neighbors. It has been almost 5 months and they still are recovering. Many went days without water and food, it was difficult to get supplies in to them. I know this, if everything goes to hell in a handbasket, I am heading to Appalachia. They know how to survive.

[@bobbiedaily2335]

Totally agree!❤

[@protorhinocerator142]

At first glance, Appalachian people may simply seem poor. But they have strong family ties and community ties. They're close to the earth, meaning they're used to working outside with their hands. Not just farmers, but mechanics, factory workers, construction workers, etc.

[@wdking8833]

@@bobbiedaily2335 I'll save you a spot. If we do what they do, we'll be ok.

[@wdking8833]

@@protorhinocerator142 I do not see them as poor. Not prosperous financially perhaps, but rich in the things that really matter in life. I'd prefer the company of some Appalachian folks to that of the financially wealthiest people on the planet.

[@lucylulusuperguru3487]

Humblebees is built in the genes plain & simple. They're family and if a stranger is respectful of the ppl & their ways...they're soon adopted! Doesn't matter how different ppl may be. The most accepting ppl in America. They get the short lot all too often!

[@UriahandDad]

We the people of Appalachia welcome you all. We are completely a different breed!

[@larrym.johnson9219]

Absolutely 💯 Appalachian to my DNA WV.

[@UriahandDad]

@ western nc here

[@larrym.johnson9219]

@UriahandDad 🔥🤟

[@wdking8833]

I have felt welcomed every time I have visited. And personally, I like your "breed", lol. I am always treated like a long-absent relative.

[@jabreck1934]

In-breed.🤮

[@CelestialKitsune13]

Appalachia is like nowhere else. The people here and friendly but tough. We've weathered floods, tornadoes, wild fires, and more, each time getting back up and helping each other rebuild. We might be stubborn as mules but we're loyal. 😂

[@vagabondwastrel2361]

Sounds a lot like northern Wisconsin.

[@CelestialKitsune13]

@vagabondwastrel2361 Does Wisconsin get hurricanes? While having bears, bobcats, cougars, coyotes, rattle snake, copper heads, black widows, and brown recluse? And also have enough humidity in the summer and fall to make a sauna feel jealous. 😂

[@sandrataylor3723]

A lot of the early 1800's immigrants from Scotland and Ireland settled in this region, establishing Scot Irish communities and many still spoke with their dialect and learned the English language, which when combined gave us their unusual speech. Many put "er" on the ends of words and hollow (a small valley found in rural, mountainous areas) was called holler. The word yellow became yeller. Hill Billie has a Scottish origin: a combination of "hill folk" and "Billie" meaning a comrade or companion). Many other ethnic groups moved to that area such as the Germans and Dutch, also adding to the language of the Appalachian's, Hope this helps.

[@mlt6322]

Actually Scot-Irish came from New York Ellis Island. The civil servents back then were rather ignorant in their thinking and most people coming from the Northern British isles came over on Irish Ocean liners and they labeled them all Scot-Irish because they couldn't understand why other nationalities would be on Irish ships. They did it to my family a few centuries ago and then again 150 yrs ago when my mothers family immigrated here from Germany, they couldn't pronounce the name so they changed it to White, it took until 20 yrs ago when my uncle who researched genealogy found my great great great grandmothers original birth certificate in some old family bible from 125 yrs ago and matched the names, until then the original family name was lost to history. It's been about 8 yrs but I'm still waiting for my cousin living on top of a mountain in Williamsburg where MD, VA and W VA merge to send me a copy of her fathers papers.

[@LilBitOfSunshine]

*I would totally have picked the wrong explanation of “Billie” on a multiple choice test! I am glad you shared because I learned!* *I’m an elementary teacher in an Ohio city that draws hillbillies for factory work and am surprised to realize that not one student ever asked what the ‘ -billy’ part meant, or I’d have figured it out before now. I’d moved to teach there and was asked if I knew the joke about the blue collar workers in my area, which I didn’t, so he replied “This is as far as a tank of gas would take ‘em!” meaning folks from Appalachia. This was a segment of our population that suffered significant generational poverty. I worked so very hard to get a father to permit academic testing for his 4th grade daughter who struggled to learn, he finally agreed, she easily qualified, and with the accommodations was bLoOmInG! Dad then stabbed a man to ☠️ on his front lawn after leaving the bar one night, went to prison, and my sweetie was sent to Gramma in a KY holler-where they don’t acknowledge or abide by other state’s IEPs. 😢 That was almost 30 years ago…and my heart still hurts and hopes for her to this day! Once my kid, ALWAYS my kid! ❤*

[@reindeer7752]

My DNA is 30% Scottish, 10% Welsh and 10% Irish. The rest is most northern and western European countries. The Welshman came to Jamestown, Virginia in 1610. The rest of my ancestors, except one Dutch NY line, came directly to Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky no later than the mid 1700s.

[@Chronos341]

It makes sense. The Appalachian mountains used to stretch into Scotland back in the Mesozoic era. So it's only natural that Scots and Irish felt more at home in Appalachia

[@Any-o-who]

hillbilly refers to a male mountain goat called a billie.

[@CSharp-hk9oc]

What often happens is that when the children grow up, they leave the area to find work. When the older generation passes away, the children just don't do anything with the house. They can't come back because there is no work. They can't really sell it for the same reason. It just sits there and rots down. This happened to my grandmother's home in southeast Kentucky. My cousin inherited it but she lives Georgia with no plans to go home.

[@reginahay5211]

That explains why there are so many houses empty of people but sometimes with belongings. Old home places are just left to decay because if there are heirs they don’t want it. Then it loses value because as the man said, it would cost more to tear down and rebuild. Over here in Wythe, Virginia, both my great great grand parents home places still exist. I think so often about the work to clear off those mountains to raise their small farms. We had iron here, not coal.

[@randykillman6475]

Moonshine is a type of unaged whiskey that's usually made from corn, rye, or barley. It's a clear, high-proof liquor that's often called "white lightning". The main difference between moonshine and whiskey is that moonshine is made illegally, without taxes or regulations. Ingredients: Moonshine is usually made from corn, rye, and sugar, but it can be made from any fermentable substance. Moonshine is traditionally made in a homemade still and bottled in a mason jar. Moonshine can have a high alcohol content, sometimes reaching 190 proof. Moonshine is clear in color. It is similar in taste to white whiskey. Moonshine is unaged, while whiskey is aged in a wooden barrel, which gives it its color and flavor. A "holler" in the mountains, particularly in the Appalachian region, refers to a small, sheltered valley between mountains, essentially a "hollow" where people live, often situated along a creek or stream; it's a local term used to describe a narrow valley in the mountainous terrain. "Hillbilly" comes from the words "hill-folk" and "Billie", which were used to describe Scottish Covenanters who fled to the hills in the late 17th century, Historically, hillbilly has tended to be used especially to refer to people who dwell in mountain ranges such as the Ozarks and southern Appalachians

[@organictroll]

My great grandfather had a still hidden in the woods during prohibition, LOL.

[@EvoDevo2004]

With no regulation on moonshine, its also more dangerous to drink. You have to know what you're doing to make it.

[@mtnmagic1998]

​@EvoDevo2004 not only that but the stuff you buy in the stores nowadays is lower alcohol by volume than actual white liquor so the two are definitely not the same thing.

[@frankenz66]

​@@organictrollMy Dad hid the parts of his still in a retired outhouse. 😂😂

[@reindeer7752]

Andre, you could listen to Loretta Lynn's song, Coal Miner's Daughter. Its also a movie about her life.

[@kimberlygarwood-jl5om]

I love that movie❤

[@EvoDevo2004]

Great movie!

[@eôten-j5y]

Mountainman from North Carolina here. WV is known for coal mining, but not all parts of Appalachia are. In my part of the mountains, we're mostly known for furniture-making, forestry, chemical products, and agriculture. Not as many mines here. We also get a lot of tourism, especially around Asheville and Boone, mostly when the Blue Ridge Parkway is open (Spring - Fall). Lots of folk come to visit when the leaves are changing colours. Winter tourism is mostly for skiing. Also, there's a fast growing (legal) alcohol industry here, with a lot of breweries, vineyards, wineries, and distilleries popping up all over the place. I've even seen meaderies and cideries pop up in smaller cities like Marion or Hendersonville. There are also a good number of rivers that flow from here, like the Catawba and Yadkin. A lot of Appalachia has a variety of industries like this. You don't exactly move here to seek your fortune, but it's not always just the whiskey or the coal Mountainfolk tend to be more friendly than most, just don't expect everyone to be. Some folk want to be left alone and it's best not to push them on it. Also, there are a few areas with meth problems. I lived in one. They're mostly harmless, just leave them be and they'll leave you be. Lastly, there are some people who may not be so kind to people who look different, especially towards Muslims. It's not even close to as bad as some people make it out to be, but it is a thing. Some of my friends have been in dangerous situations because of it. All that said, the vast majority of folk here are incredibly nice. If you look or sound different, most folk will just be curious and ask a lot of questions. Especially the elders, they can be the sweetest, most talkative people you've ever met. The dangerous ones are a small minority A lot of parts are still recovering from the hurricane, but there are regions that weren't hit as bad as others. If you plan on visiting the mountains anytime soon, I'd recommend checking up on the recovery status of wherever you're going. For example, I know the area around Highlands (town in southern corner of NC) was not hit so badly and Marion area has recovered pretty quickly. Ashe County seemed better off as well. Can't speak for other states, though

[@reindeer7752]

I live in Brevard close to town. We lost cell phone and internet but not electricity. We did not even know about the devastation all around us because of the lack of communications. It was shocking to find out people only two miles away were flooded out of their homes. Hendersonville was badly hit. Footage of Chimney Rock was sickening. It will be a long recovery.

[@teresanorris5905]

Great job hyping NC mountains.

[@bobbiedaily2335]

This is one of the most beautiful areas in the USA. It also has some of the most genuine people in the world. I hope they give you the exact definition of a Red Neck or a Hillbilly. It goes back to the Irish migration and the Revolutionary War.❤

[@Patrick-nv5ug]

It is important to remember something intentionally forgotten by the rest of the South and not generally taught in history classes. . Appalachia and all of West Virginia, once part of Virginia until the Civil War, were anti-slavery. Mountain counties in Virginia, Kentucky and other States were part of the underground railroad, some took up arms for the North, some engaged in guerrilla war for the North, some hid slaves in basements and barns. They paid a terrible political price, hence the self-sufficiency.

[@hamfox9714]

Some areas had nothing for either side, they just wanted to be left alone. They had settled, cleared and farmed these areas , raised families and built communities on their own. They never came across or even ever met any local officials much less any experience of any kind with the federal gov’t, therefore they had little allegiance to fight another man’s fight.

[@theoriginaledi]

This is why it annoys me when people call WV a southern state. WV wouldn't even EXIST if they had wanted to be associated with the south! (To be very clear, I love the [post-Confederacy] south! It's just that it's inaccurate to call WV that, and the inaccuracy bugs me.)

[@JeffFink-r6k]

@@theoriginaledi I would disagree with the statement you made that West Virginia is not part of the South. When West Virginia was part of Virginia, George Washington warned that they could lose the western part of the State unless better communications and roads were built. He proposed a canal to be built starting in Alexandria, Va. and today a small portion remains heading westward. The civil war gave western Virginia an opportunity to leave plus outside influences and the federal government helped. When WV was signed by Lincoln for it's creation, the legality is still questioned today. The State of Virginia never approved for western Virginia to leave Virginia. Remember, our Founding Fathers ensured that a State could leave the Union and that is why they left to create the Confederate States. The North tried 3 times to leave the Union prior to the civil war. The last time was in the War of 1812. They were going to align themselves with Canada. They backed off when Andrew Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans. Now West Virginia never joined the North, they joined the Union. The State never physically shifted across the Mason-Dixon Line. West Virginia's first Constitution included slavery, so that shows they didn't leave because of slavery. The war was a power grab by the federal government to destroy 'State Rights'. That is why President Trump was elected to hopefully give back to the States their rights. Plus, if West Virginia is not a Southern State, then I would argue Tennessee would not be one either. Eastern Tennessee during the civil war fought for the Union and I believe they sought to also leave Tennessee. Remember, eastern Tennessee was at one time a state called, Franklin in the 1700s. Thank you. I hope this helps.

[@stevenseul361]

@@theoriginaledi I consider WV a border state because I will never be able to call it a northern state. Remember it's south of the Mason Dixon Line.

[@stevenseul361]

@@JeffFink-r6k Thank you. You know your history... btw I consider WV a border state look at a map they are below Mason Dixon.. Which you already know.

[@dylanmeacham1043]

Holler = Hollow Those areas between the foothills of a mountain range.

[@Blend-25]

YES

[@leemer12]

a small valley with no exit

[@Jennifer-hj9nm]

Hi Andre! My family was from the "hollers" and I can say a few things- great, home-grown food, very down-to-earth people and the most beautiful silence you have ever heard.

[@SirTrollerDerby]

"The most beautiful silence you have ever heard." That's a lovely turn of phrase.

[@theoriginaledi]

One thing that makes it so lovely is that it's never true silence. When you get YOURSELF quiet enough, you can always hear the soft sounds of leaves blowing (or bare branches tapping) and woodpeckers pecking and squirrels chittering and scampering and often water flowing (or ice crackling) and so on. It's glorious.

[@seraphi3387]

​@@theoriginaledi That sounds like paradise. I used to go camping for a whole week with little.connection from the outside world. It makes me feel calm and relaxed. Being one with nature, letting go of all your worries and stresses of your daily life. It's just you, the forest, and the earth. No distractions. Just peace. I'm craving that peace for years now.

[@jamescross5094]

Born and raised WV. Still here now. Lewis county. Like your channel and appreciation for my home state. It is sad about how my state has declined but I love the solitude and the country views from my porch

[@yesiamanerd2040]

I am sorry that most people from West Virginia hate people that have gone to college and are specifically technologists. I have been to West Virginia to visit a friend who was a nurse. When the people understood I was not from WV, they were quite hostile. I was born a poor boy from south GA. why would they hate me?

[@sandrasmith7091]

I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad experience there.

[@ChristopherTennant-jd7ey]

Marion county here

[@elisawestvirginiamountainm1019]

@jamescross5094, Hey neighbor, Harrison Cty here. 😁

[@elisawestvirginiamountainm1019]

@yesiamanerd, West Virginians are not biased against those who are college educated or from outside WV. We accept anyone without bias unless they treat us rudely. I'm college educated, was born, raised and still living here, working on my second degree at the age of 66 and have never seen a West Virginian being rude to non West Virginians without provocation. I would venture to say you tried to talk down to them. West Virginians are not ignorant, quite the opposite. Accents that are slower and different does not mean they don't pick up rude or condescending.

[@jonellamoore960]

When my ancestors came to America in the 1600-1700’s, they settled in the Appalachian region of western Virginia/Eastern Kentucky. I still have family that lives there today. It is a financially poor area, mostly coal mining economy. But the people there are the most down to Earth and kind people you will ever meet. They might not be blessed with wealth, but they would give you the shirt off their back if you are in need. My grandfathers were both coal miners and died of black lung disease as a result of breathing coal dust all their working lives. I am proud to have that heritage!

[@Aprlmoore]

[@Musication717]

I have Moore's in my Stanley line. My great grandmother was Ruvila Moore from Virginia, I believe it was Wise/Lee

[@jeffrichards1537]

Born and raised in West Virginia. Its a beautiful state but not much to do unless you enjoy nature. But most people are nicest you'll ever meet. I don't consider hillbilly derogatory.

[@lucylulusuperguru3487]

I think it depends entirely on the context. If its meant ugly then them's fighting words. Same for redneck.

[@causeyscritters3198]

Redneck refers to a man who works in the sun all day, usually a farmer whose neck above his collar turns red. Hillbilly is country folk from the mountains. You can be both. People use the terms as derogatory slang, meant as an insult, but those of us who wear it, wear it with pride.

[@jamescross5094]

As a WV guy I’m proud of those names. I feel if or when sh*t hits the fan Hank was right we will survive. I have money in the stock market and a good paying job but if it goes away I will survive fine

[@janine1986-r7c]

I think of either hillbillies or rednecks as being maybe less *formally* educated and not at all wealthy, but they have a whole lot of smarts. They can come up with ingenious ways of making do, where the rest of us would fail. I may laugh at something many people would think of as hillbilly-ish, but I'll readily admit that I am also jealous that I wouldn't have thought of it.

[@QwarkE1]

well said. glad i read the comments before responding basically the same way you did

[@MasterLink-w7e]

That's one possible origin for "redneck." The other is when a group of miners in the 1920s wore red bandanas around their necks during a fight for better wages. The bandanas were so they could tell friend from foe. A reporter who saw them called them "rednecks" in a newspaper.

[@bretwilliams249]

​@@MasterLink-w7e this is the correct origin

[@barryjamesbugarin5736]

My Friend! I lived in West Virginia for about seven years when I was a kid. I LOVE WEST VIRGINIA! The song "Country Roads" still makes my eyes all glassy! Some of my classmates were from coal mining families. My parents, physicians, treated people with black lung. It's still a hard life for many there, but it produces many beautiful, humble people. EDIT: I did, in fact, live in a little neighborhood carved into the side of a mountain. EDIT #2: I actually lived in the region of West Virginia that is famous for the legendary Hatfields & McCoy's feud. I currently live in amazing south Florida, another state with some pretty amazing nature and people. I feel truly blessed to have lived in both.

[@scottarmstrong2641]

The problem is not enough flat land to build industry and farms and it's not a northern state kind, it's next to VA and Kentucky

[@stevenseul361]

I consider it kind of a southern state or a border state...

[@dylanmeacham1043]

I live in a mining community (iron ore, northern Minnesota) and there are still houses here that were built from excess mining materials. For example, the floor support beams for my ground floor are railroad rails and the floorboards are trimmed down joists.

[@scorpiouk5914]

@dylanmeacham1043, that is great to hear! When they were talking about that old house, I thought " check out the bones of the house, they could be salvaged".

[@SarahBroad-kw7fj]

They are still mining some ores in Minnesota up near Lake Superior. Minnesota has a lot of iron ore snd taconite and copper etc. some of the rocks in Lake Superior glow in the dark is under black lights. My grandpa loved to collect rocks and arrowheads he’d find in the farm fields.

[@saucywench9122]

And they'll last forever.

[@delisamarchetti5926]

Hi Andre, the Appalachia is one of the most beautiful areas in America, especially before the terrible Hurricane Helene brought so much destruction and flooding to the North Carolina, Northern Georgia and Tennessee part of the mountain range. It was absolutely heartbreaking Andre, people are still struggling to recover. My favorite part of the Appalachias is the area from Ashville, North Carolina up the mountains through the Cherokee Indian Reservation up to Tennessee. We often in years past made this trip in the autumn time of year. We also enjoyed going to see Dollywood. There is a lot of poverty in some areas, but not every where. The people are very self reliant and proud but in the best of ways. Also very creative and artistic. They were so courageous and self sacrificing during the hurricane and floods, doing all they could to rescue and shelter their neighbors. It is one of my favorite places in the country and if I were able it would be my first choice where I would like to move to.

[@wishingb5859]

Okay, I would say that 95% of Americans don’t drink Moonshine. But many of us probably tasted it once because of its historical cultural story. I think I had one tiny sip in my younger years. That was enough.

[@diggernash1]

Several quart jars in my cabinets....allegedly.

[@sophiacromwell8017]

@@diggernash1😂Best response😎

[@Hughjanus454]

In the SE it's everywhere, even in the liquor store's although it's not tax free usually less than 130 proof as well.

[@wishingb5859]

@ LOL! I live in the Northeast and they do not sell it anywhere. But my father used to own a few race cars and NASCAR and stories of Al Capone are what I associate it with.

[@sophiacromwell8017]

@ Gotta love the reason for NASCAR!!! 😎🇺🇸❤️😎🇺🇸❤️

[@LillySmith09]

My dad died from coal mining in Tennessee. Died at age 47

[@elisawestvirginiamountainm1019]

My grandfather died in 1947 at the age of 42 in a mine in Carolina WV. I'm sorry for the loss of your dad LillySmith09. 😢

[@susanlundquest3968]

I live in a Hollow/ Holler in N.E. Tennessee, you see a lot of abandoned houses or shacks in Appalachia.

[@flapjackson6077]

Lol. Hell yeah! NE TN. My Hillbilly roots! Plant it up the holler down Copperhead Road. 🙏🏻✌️

[@KatyFaulkner-f6c]

Since you like our country music you should watch the movie Coal Minors Daughter and review it for us with your thoughts! It’s a classic film based on the life of country singer Loretta Lynn!!! She’s seriously a talented lady!! But she was raised in this area and you can see the life there and how it was! 😊

[@Hope2BHappy]

Yes 2 votes for Coal Miner's Daughter. I mentioned this once before. I don't know if he ever does movies but I think he would enjoy it. It is a great movie and I think he would like to see movies showing the different sides of America.

[@PeggySmithSC]

@@KatyFaulkner-f6c add my vote for Coal Miners Daughter.

[@organictroll]

My Grandfathers worked in the Van Lear Coal Mines with Loretta’s Dad.

[@sherylkeib4993]

@@Hope2BHappy Also Loretta's beautiful and once popular song.

[@mikelaney3026]

I was born and raised in West Virginia Huntington West Virginia to be exact. Matthew McConaughey made a movie called we are Marshall which is about a football team on the way back from the game had a plane crash we lost the entire team except 3 or 4 you should check out the movie wonderful. Thank you for your reaction

[@debbiecooper1677]

I was in born and raised in Ashland Ky

[@monarch-black]

Go Herd!

[@gypsygirl3255]

My daddy's people are from Spencer in Roane County

[@ronnietaylor6217]

I'm in Hurricane wv

[@soggychicken5952]

​@@gypsygirl3255, My family is originally from Spencer, as well. I spent almost every summer there with my grandparents.

[@krisqo]

I love Josh and Jase has shown a light on our little neck of the woods we love our beautiful state

[@birdsiview6845]

Believe me, they grow corn in West Virginia . And it is beautiful everywhere in WV. Even in the winter. Just make sure you have 4 wheel drive.

[@mr.bill.8236]

Load 16 ton, what do ya get? Another day older and deeper in debt. Saint Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go. I owe my soul to the company store.

[@giselab68]

Is it bad that I just sang that in my head instead of reading it? 😅

[@Yvette-b4p]

The Rust Belt refers to the steel mills that have closed down. You find a lot in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. Steel mills were located close to rivers. The Pittsburgh Steelers football team’ stadium used to be called Three River’s Stadium.

[@protorhinocerator142]

And the areas look very similar. Lots of hills and small "mountains". Pretty much everyone you know lives on a hill. In the Autumn the trees are ablaze in different colors. Very picturesque. In the summer is gets hot and humid during the day but usually cools off at night so you need to wear a jacket. Rivers and creeks everywhere. Roads are often cut into the sides of hills because there's no other good place to put a road.

[@TheRagratus]

And all through Northern Indiana and into Chicago.

[@Lowang_Productions]

Chef Andre , old man from Alabama here , my dad grew up in Bankhead National Forrest in Alabama . They had a little cabin there , no electricity , water , or plumbing . They grew what they ate and hunted game . To make money , they made moonshine . If you were to hike the hollers and streams , there are still remnants of old stills that were busted up by the Sheriff .

[@taunadavis4972]

Just a “For Your Information” - WV is only cold in the winter. The spring and autumn are quite moderate and the summers quite hot.

[@johnskelton5683]

Living in some areas of West Virginia is akin to living in Siberia. Harsh conditions in small villages without this, without that, could be medical care not being close, same with a supermarket and... Winters could mean snowed-in for... Not much for children other than ride their bike and a friend or two. Areas like this in West Virginia offer little in convincing someone to live there or stay! 😮

[@miamidolphinsfan]

It's a different kind of beauty there, as Colorado is just so breathtaking beauty, but's more os a down to Earth, rustic kind of beauty - it's just so simple and heartwarming.

[@revgurley]

Moonshine is unlicensed alcohol made in stills "in the moonlight." Things are loosening about the laws though. That's how NASCAR started - taking moonshine from stills in the woods to town, while avoiding the police. It's strong. High alcohol content. Basically tastes like paint thinner.

[@frankenz66]

Glorified paint thinner yeah. 😂

[@jansmith3613]

Trust me...there is plenty of corn and other cash crops grown in Appalachia. Some of those crops even become food or feed for animals. The Appalachian mountains run up the the east of the USA from Georgia to Maine. Many of the first european people to settle there were the Scots, the Irish, and the Welsh who were displaced by England. They remain independent to this day and can have a complicated relationship with government agencies. I live in Tennessee and I love it.

[@jennessabeckett3949]

I come from a long line of Appalachians. I was always taught that a Holler is a narrow valley between two mountians/peaks. Hollers are tight knit communities who have a history of being there to help each others out. A good example of what life in a holler is like, listen to Ryan Upchurch - Hollerboys. Some of the nicest and most misunderstood people come from Hollers.

[@CarlMiller-hb4oj]

Without coal most of America wouldn't have electricity. I worked in a coal mine. I am from Appalachia but in PA.

[@sunnihunny]

Moonshine is a homemade whiskey

[@MrsHornesgdnm]

No matter what part of the world you live in..... HOME is always where your heart is!!!

[@veronica978]

You need to come to the Appalachian mountains in eastern Tennessee.

[@stevenseul361]

Also called the Smokey Mountains

[@mbh2743]

Coal mines back in the day were horrible. If you listen to Tennessee Ernie Ford's 16 tons you'll have an idea of what the old coal mines did to the miners. Nowadays the conditions are better.

[@organictroll]

Paid in script that could only be used in the company store.

[@summersands8105]

The best moonshine I've ever had came from Tennessee. We used to have big parties out at our barn and these guys would bring their guitars and other instruments, and Mason jars full of moonshine. That stuff was so smooth. It burned a beautiful blue flame.

[@SherriLyle80s]

If he had moonshine in a bar it was legal moonshine most of us have had illegal moonshine which is probably twice as strong if not more

[@chuckmoseley3771]

Drugs have wreaked havoc on some of these small communities

[@nancyminton3064]

Amen, they have indeed.

[@Estenberg]

A "Hill-Billy" began as a reference to the isolated & uneducated people (Called "Billy's" during the 18th & 19th centuries). But a further insult was for those who fled to the further isolated mountain ranges in what is now West Virginia, seeking absolute freedom from any law or government. They raised their own, educated their own, and defended their own, in what became essentially an independent society of large family units, often with blood-feuds against one another. These "types" of people became known as "Hillbillies".

[@Rex_Reaper]

Moon shine is whiskey that hasn't been aged. It tastes like heaven just if you make some, don't drink the heads, or you'll go blind. My grandfather used to make it on the down low back in the day...

[@boroblueyes]

I'm not sure that broadband Internet has made it to the hollers yet. If they have internet it will be through Dish Network, one of the other satellite internet providers or Starlink.

[@ChristaFree]

Spectacularly beautiful and great people. One of my daughters was born in the Smoky mountains in Asheville, NC.

[@janine1986-r7c]

All of this talk of Appalachia and coal mines brought Centralia, PA to mind. The coal mine there has been on fire since 1962.

[@causeyscritters3198]

Moonshine. Corn liquor made in a still. Usually homemade and illegal. 😂

[@BorgKat]

This type of rural neighborhoods are common across the country. Nice houses and beaten down vacant houses next door. Major industrialization stripped away everything useful at the cost of the local people. The cost of living doesn’t match the income. People leave because of lack of decent paying jobs. Stores close because lack of enough people to sell too. Many people are on government benefits, benefits get cut. Don’t have money to fix house but also can’t afford to move. No health care, no groceries, it becomes a total lose situation. In many of the areas shown, you’re not going to have mobile phone signal. The chances of affordable internet is also unlikely in many parts. This is the raw underbelly of the states. Corporations have killed rural areas. It may be beautiful land but the hidden history is full of racism and corruption.

[@revgurley]

This is crazy deep into US culture, but what you are describing - rebuilding a dilapidated area with a new industry - is called "gentrification" (also refers to white people moving into black areas). People with money move in, build some nice houses for the people in this new industry, and the cost of housing goes up. You pay tax on the value of your home. So folks on a fixed income (retired) used to paying $500/yr for homeowners tax are now paying $1500/year, and they're being priced out of their own homes. So while it is a great idea to rebuild areas to better their lives, make sure you're bettering THEIR lives and not necessarily your own.

[@danatate8803]

Grotesque, isn't it?

[@chemislife]

My first time driving was going down a WV holler. Trial by fire is an UNDER statement. On one side is a straight vertical side of the mountain and the other is a creek with no shoulder and the road is about 1 1/2 lanes wide with occasional 1 lane bridges that suddenly pop up around a tight bend around the mountain. As you saw in the video winter weather driving is also a must and in those tight back roads getting cocky will coast you big.

[@nancyminton3064]

We live in a part of Appalachia that doesn't have coal (western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee), so thank God for skiers in the winter and tourists in the summer. The Appalachian Mountains are some of the oldest in the world.

[@SupremeWin777-7]

West Virginia is one of the poorest states in the United States. The poorest states are West Virginia and Alabama and Kentucky

[@chuckmoseley3771]

The original Appalachian people came from England Scotland Ireland in the 1700's

[@PeggySmithSC]

Coal mines were/ are mostly West Virginia and Eastern Tennessee.

[@brettbuck7362]

Eastern Kentucky, too.

[@Canthus13]

SW Pennsylvania.

[@RebelCowboysRVs]

In those mountains all the way to Alabama.

[@leemer12]

my great grandfather owned a small coal company in sw VA , i heard the mine was unsafe finally had to shut down after several died you can still see where some of the houses once stood of miners and of course he ran a coal company store , i collected some of the coal from where the entrance once was on the land we have in the family

[@sarco64]

I grew up in the hollows of southern New York State, which most people don't realize is actually a part of Appalachia. There wasn't any mining there, just small subsistence farms where people had a few cows, chickens, and pigs, grew most of their own food, and made lots of maple syrup each spring. Now many of the farms in the hollows where I grew up are owned by Amish. In addition to their small farms they also sell hand-made furniture, quilts and other crafts, and baked goods. I love driving through that area. It's like going back in time 150 years.

[@jasonrhodes9726]

A holler or hollow is a deep, wide steep sided valley with little or no bottom land suited for farming.

[@johnskelton5683]

The drinking water may be contaminated from past production of this or that and mining operations. 😮

[@grammydhicks3566]

I’m West Virginian born and raised. Proud of my state and our distinct culture and traditions. We are tough and proud. You have your cities and rural communities but we’re probably one of the friendliest states in the United States.

[@am74343]

A hollow (or "holler", as they pronounce it), is a small, deep valley in between two mountains, where there's only enough room for a few houses and one road to go through. The people there usually all know one another because the houses are so close together, and many of the same families have lived there for decades.

[@metalmonk3775]

The problem of abandoned and dilapidated homes and businesses is the same issue that we in detroit face. For investors, despite the extremely low prices, it's not worth the money or the time for the return to knock down a ruined structure and rebuild again. For 25,000 you'd have spent the most money that neighborhood has seen in at least a few years.

[@richardmartin9565]

The reason there are so many abandoned houses is that a lot of people don't want to live there. Supply exceeds demand. Theyre in the mountains with limited access.

[@slowlane7822]

WV Hillbilly here. I've lived up the holler my whole life. I've traveled all over the country, cross-country trips 4 times( hopefully 5th trip this summer). WV undoubtedly has some of the best people in the world, I'm always glad to get back home after a trip. I love our beautiful state. "Take me home, country roads"!

[@gwynnmccallan8856]

Moonshine...illegal, homemade, extremely strong. When I was growing up we had teachers in school warning us never to drink it or we'd risk blindness and death. I don't know how accurate that is, but the warning always stuck with me.

[@tmtrikosko9060]

You were given that warning because the illegal distillers commonly used car radiators for condensation coils to collect the alcohol fraction.

[@gypsygirl3255]

My uncle was blinded by drinking moonshine with airplane de-icer in it.

[@claranielsen3382]

For The most part moonshine is legal You have to have a special permit and I think some other things to be able to sell or distribute it. Now there are illegal sellers of moonshine I know for the ones you have to really watch out for..

[@doctormemory]

It's not like that everywhere.

[@awitness4jehovah]

I live along the outskirts of Buckhannon, WV. My husband passed in 2019 and in 2020, his kids bought me a home so they could sell our place. It cost them around $150,000. 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, detached 2 car garage with a workshop, a full basement with its own access outside (the home was built on a hillside). I love it here and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. We just did get high speed internet last year though. A lot of places are run down and too many people are struggling with addiction. I don't know what the answer is. My trust (left by my hubby) runs out in 5 years. I'll be 55 years old. I struggle to pay the property taxes and insurances. My SIL and 3 of my adult kids live at home and SIL has made all the repairs I've needed (hole in the roof and collapsed ceiling after a powerful windstorm; leaky water pipe). He abandoned his own home. His was built in the late 1800's and is falling down. He can't afford everything that needs done to it but property is a security blanket most of us can't sell. He keeps up with his property taxes and just wishes for the money he needs to turn things around. Everyone scrapes by and does the best they can. We struggle but learn a lot in the process. We tend to be accepting and forgiving because we know how much life can suck and that little kindnesses can go a very long way.

[@kimberlygarwood-jl5om]

Hello my friend. My family is from the Appalachian mountains. My Dad is from Southwestern Virginia. We haven't been back there for several years. My grandfather and uncle worked in the coal mines several years ago. I was born in Kansas.

[@sahewins]

I moved to North Carolina from CA about 10 years ago. We came because housing was so affordable. Here there are many areas that are derelict because the industry that provided work for the people went broke. Towns near me used to be famous for building furniture and producing textiles. Most of those jobs have been moved overseas. Downtown areas are full of abandoned buildings and homes. It's sad to see. We love it here. Our little town is growing fast now, but it's mostly new houses being built with many abandoned buildings being left to decay.

[@TheRagratus]

In West Virginia there is a place called Fisher's Holler". My family ( The Fishers ) lived there until my Great Great Great Grandfather took his land grant payment for fighting in the Revolutionary War and built a General Store/Trading Post in what would become Columbus Ohio. My 2 time Great Aunt was the first white person born in what would become Ohio. No Joke. I about crapped myself on the DNA/Ancestry revelation. My family arrived in "The New World" in 1709 on my Fathers side and on my Mother's? MAYFLOWER!!!! Billington.

[@JeanStAubin-l9z]

That is so cool!

[@ttcostadc]

With the humidity in the area, if the windows are busted and the house is always open to the elements, there is likely to be some mold in the building, especially near the openings. Some mold eats wood, which is what the buildings are framed with. The houses would have to be looked at on a case-by-case basis, to see what can be re-used.

[@kevinking9850]

In 1980-81 while studying for electrical engineering I did an internship with the US Bureau of MInes (Which no longer exists). We were studying the effects of blasting on homes and causing damage. There were a lot of coal mines in the Virginia's and Kentucky so we went there for work. We went way back in the "Hollar's". Some of the alcohol laws were really strange. But one time we went down an old road where we saw trucks hauling coal and were stopped by a guy pointing a shotgun at us. It was an illegal mine they operated for a short time and then moved on. It didn't help that the van we drove had a big decal for US Bureau o Mines.

[@cynthiaschade3889]

The people of West Virginia are very down to Earth, very charitable, very community & family oriented bible loving people. I am originally from southern Maryland where the environment is totally different! I would never go back! I love it here! These people have all grown up together, they are all one big family and you see it in the way they interact with one another. My car broke down in Maryland and I sat for hours and no one pulled over to help. In West Virginia my truck broke down and in less than 10 minutes someone had pulled over asked to help me. There's a reason they call West Virginia "almost heaven".

[@ITKurly]

I lived in Appalachia for a few years. The biggest problem for my wife and I was that all the local stores were closed or closing so you had to drive for an hour to get to a grocery store.

[@mmg8823]

Josh and Jase are a lot of fun. I've been following them for a while. Glad you are reacting to them.

[@gregvergara7596]

This is West Virginia in winter, and yes, it's beautiful. But in the summer, when those trees are green, it's majestic.

[@broken4096]

West Virginia goes a bit north, but is an extension of the southern ethos due to the line of the Appalachian Mountains. Unique in it's own way, but certainly not "city-folk"

[@larrym.johnson9219]

Hey Andre, West Virginia is always home, no matter where I am. I live in Florida 🔥🤟🇺🇸 mountaineers are always free!

[@JackFrost-Lvl6]

It's hard to live here. But there's no where else I'd rather be. We are a resilient people who can take care of ourselves.

[@VanBaker-h1k]

As I've been told by relatives from that region, the terms 'Red Neck' and 'Hill Billie' can be traced back to the Scottish Revolution between William and Mary and English king Charles of the 1680s. The Jacobite clans supported King Charles and the rights of Kings. Thier color was a red design. When they lost to William and Mary, they were shipped to the wilderness of southwestern Virginia where they were sold into indentureship to the plantation owners there to pay for their passage to the colony. Since they continued to wear red handkerchiefs around their necks to display their clan colors, they were beginning to be referred by the locals as 'Red Necks'. The group of plantation owners of the same region supported William and Mary. Since many are thought to have referred to William as King Billie by the Virginia Colony and these plantation owners lived in the hills of the Appalachian Mountains, they were referred to as 'Hill Billies'. The 2 terms became linked together as referring to the southwestern territory of Virginia which was populated by country people who stayed away from the towns of eastern Virginia. Both terms referred to uneducated people and then spread from there.

[@tomrenfro387]

Not true about wearing red handkerchiefs for their "clan colors" They wore red bandanas for coal mining. Please don't spread bullshit. Your woke history lesson is false!

[@tomrenfro387]

You can't even spell Hillbilly right

[@VanBaker-h1k]

@@tomrenfro387 Do you work at being an ass or is it something that comes naturally to you

[@johnliller]

The problem with the old dilapidated houses are that they are can't be renovated because they are not structurally sound. That first abandoned house ad the floor collapsed and the exterior wall caving in. They need to be completely razed and started over. It cost more to demolish then rebuild as opposed to building new.

[@jasonbell4226]

I live in Pennsylvania and have been to West Virginia many times. It’s one of my favorite places. The people are great, the state is beautiful and everything is very cheap. West Virginia is very underrated.

[@stephanieblackburn2778]

Its not so easy andre because prices for supplies to renovate have become so expensive and you have to get permits and all kinds of stuff its pretty much cheaper to just build new

[@jamanga59]

If you'd like to see Minnesota in the winter without having to suffer the cold as well as get a few laughs, you need to check out "Southerner In The Snow". I know you have done reactions to the A 'Capella band Home Free. Tim Foust the bass from Home Free Is the southerner in this video. He was raised in Southern Texas. Some of their band members as well as their producer live in Minnesota. Tim decided to visit them in the dead of winter. Tim has a good sense of humor even though you can tell he is very uncomfortable with the temperatures. You might want to to have a conversion chart handy for Temps. God bless you and yours.

[@pyrotect3305]

Okay so real talk, part of the reason why it's "run down is the government and part is the lack of resources. Coal removal is now less but still destructive (land removal, cutting timber, used chemicals). The other portion is that alot of the holla was owned and still owned by the coal companies.

[@sherrilyon2096]

I was born and raised in WV until I was 16 years old. I didn't live in a holler, but my grammy did. These people are hard-working, independent, and the most friendly people you will ever meet. Unfortunately, the opioid crisis hit hard in WV, and it is riddled with drugs.

[@jimmyb.6272]

Fun fact: John Denver never visited West Virginia, until years after the song was written and recorded.

[@sassyslsgrl]

😂 I never knew that!

[@honee1985]

I'm from the Appalachians in PA. My hometown looks a lot like this 😂😂 but its super beautiful with natural waterfalls and swimming holes that look like it's out of a movie. Houses are very cheap but they need work. Definitely worth it. I love my hometown and one day I want to move back and retire there. Mountains are the best place with many animals in your back yard!

[@mr.bill.8236]

Look up Centralia

[@marmeedoll]

I traveled south into the Great Smokies found a girl on top of her mountain. Fantastic person, beautiful, inside and out. Keep me on the straight and narrow for 60 years. The culture was exactly like her, straight and honest. Lord, I do miss her, please let me see her again.

[@JeanStAubin-l9z]

I'm sorry for your loss. 🙏

[@TinFoilCat90]

West Virginia isnt always cold. We have all the seasons here. Fall is gorgeous when all the leaves are different colors. You should check out bridge day videos from the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. That will blow your mind.

[@paulharris8364]

A Hillbilly is a person who lives in the mountains. It’s usually applied to people from Appalachian mountains or sometimes the Ozarks. It is considered derogatory as the people are thought to be uneducated. The coal mines in WV have lost much of their business because the coal from that region is high sulfur coal. Burning this lead to acid rain.

[@dflowers1477]

In the US, our rulers, politicians, regulations make everything so hard that it just isn’t worth doing. Someone with money might repair a home, but the rules to disturb the old building materials plus the new building requirements and renter protections make it too risky for very little reward. The same applies to new businesses. In the old days even a poor person could start a business, but today you need lawyers, accountants and licences before even offering a product or service. Our government has grown so big that it must squeeze everything from everyone to stay alive itself.

[@earlymorningtwilight9119]

I live in northern Appalachia and would not want to live anywhere else. The hills are beautiful and quiet, they feed the soul.

[@diverdiva78]

I was born and raised in West Virginia. Some of the best people. I'm very proud to be a mountaineer!

[@VanBaker-h1k]

Tobacco and Sargam Cane 'Molasses' are the main crops grown in the area.

[@valerieholmes9211]

You can tell where there are houses on the mountains when it is cold out, you see smoke in the mountains. The Walmart sets way at the bottom of the mountain. Awesome.

[@DinahRichards]

Sometimes it is cheaper to tear down a house than to remodel them. Plus getting a legal title to the house and land is sometimes nearly impossible. As long as the taxes are paid it can sit empty.