<p>Fire in the Hole uses oral tradition and interviews to tell the story of moonshining and crime in rural appalachia, specifically in Cumberland County, Kentucky, during the first half of the 20th century. Many of the stories included in this book have never been put to paper before and have either been passed down by generation or personally experienced by the storytellers. While various areas of Cumberland County are mentioned throughout the text, the focus lies with the now defunct Coe Ridge Colony of settlers that started as a community of freed slaves immediately after the Civil War. Using personal interviews conducted two decades ago, the book offers a never before seen glimpse of the moonshine maker's life in the rural hills and hollows of Kentucky.</p>

Fire in the Hole: An Oral History of Moonshine and Murder in Cumberland County, Kentucky

History

Americas

Xerxes Publishing

Samuel Coe was born in the Coe Ridge Colony of freed slaves in the hills of Cumberland County, Kentucky in 1879. In this book he describes the Colony and its beginnings after the Civil War. The earliest days of the community are explored, as are its citizens; along with the fatal feud with a local white family, early logging of the Cumberland River, and the recurring problem of violence with those that lived around them. Chronicles of the Coe Colony had been out of print for almost 80 years before this reprint was issued. The book brings to life a period in this infamous community of freedmen, with their mixed heritage of African American, Native American and Caucasian blood, that has rarely been seen. Told in the words of one who grew up on the ridge and experienced many of the stories firsthand, it is sure to delight those that have an interest in former slave communities that emerged after the Civil War.

Chronicles of the Coe Colony

Biographies & Memoirs

Coe, Samuel S.

Adams, R. A.

Community & Culture

<b>The History of Cumberland County</b> was written in 1947 and has long been one of the most popular, and extensive, histories of Cumberland County, Kentucky. Along with the history of the area, there is much genealogical information on specific families, as well as lists of veterans, etc.

History of Cumberland County

Wells, J. W.

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Xerxes Publishing publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Xerxes Publishing