Skeenies Hotdogs And A Stump Story, Inside Appalachia

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A beloved West Virginia hotdog restaurant closed in 2018. An annual tribute sale gives people a chance to relive its glory days.

Also, a West Virginia town can trace its beginnings to the first place its founders lived — a giant stump.

And, a few people still farm the way folks did before tractors — with horses.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

Skeenies Hot Dogs

White woman with blonde hair wearing a t-shirt that says "Skeenies" with an image of a hot dog on the t-shirt. — Karen Skeen keeps her family’s famous “indescribably different” hotdog recipe alive with an annual tribute sale.
*Photo Credit: Zack Harold/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

For generations, Skeenies Hot Dogs in Sissonville, West Virginia, was known for serving some of the best slaw dogs around.

The restaurant closed in 2018 — but still comes alive for the annual Skeenies Tribute Sale. Giving devoted Skeenies fans a few days to make up for lost time.

Folkways Reporter Zack Harold has this story.

Workhorses On The Farm

White man walking behind two horses on a field. — A family photo of Danny Wingate using a team of horses to plow his sister's garden in Comers Rock, Virginia. Shortly after being interviewed for this story, Wingate passed away.
*Courtesy Photo from Clevie Wingate*

Before the tractor, farmers in Appalachia relied on workhorses to plow fields and pull their wagons. In southwestern Virginia, the practice has mostly disappeared, often along with the farms themselves. But some farmers? never let go of farming with a horse.

Folkways Reporter Connie Bailey Kitts has this story.

Terrestrials: The Stumpisode

Illustration of a tree stump surrounded by trees and red eyes. — The Stumpisode: The Wild World of Tree Stumps.
*Courtesy Photo from Tara Anand/Terrestrials*

Host Mason Adams and his family are big fans of a podcast called Terrestrials, on Radiolab for Kids. In an episode last year, Terrestrials featured a piece of Revolutionary war history that led to the founding of a city in West Virginia. The story was part of an episode about stumps.

We hear from Terrestrials creator and host, Lulu Miller.

Rosalie Haizlett's Book, Tiny Worlds Of The Appalachian Mountains, An Artist’s Journey

White woman outside in front of trees holding a book that reads, "Tiny Worlds" on the cover. — Rosalie Haizlett with her book, *Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains, an Artist’s journey.*
*Courtesy Photo*

In 2022, nature artist Rosalie Haizlett set out on a trip to illustrate parts of the Appalachian Mountains that often get overlooked — that is, the tiny birds, reptiles and other critters hiding beneath leaves or up in the trees.

Her illustrations came together as Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains, an Artist’s journey. The book is full of colorful images and thoughts Haizlett recorded as she spent hours exploring the mountains.

Last fall, Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Haizlett about the book.

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Chris Stapleton, Sierra Hull, Steve Earle, Dinosaur Burps, Hazel Dickens, Harvey & Copeland, Tyler Childers and Blue Dot Sessions.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.

You can send us an email: [email protected].

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and X @InAppalachia. Or here on Facebook.

Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

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