Feud and Fury: The Dark Legacy of Bad Tom Smith

By request of one of our viewers, this week we tell the story of Bad Tom Smith, a notorious figure at the very heart of the French Eversole feud in Kentucky. As he grew up an orphan, he was regularly in trouble, until he crossed paths with two powerful rivals, Joseph C. Eversole and B. F. French, an encounter that would shape his life.

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#podcast #appalachia #history #outlaws #feuds #coal #bloodybreathitt #perrycountyky #appalachianstorytelling

[vwredsfan]

A great and interesting story. Thank you so much for sharing.

[PunchMage]

I'm a descendant of Belle Starr, "the Bandit Queen, " aka Myra Maybelle Shirley. Have/will you do a video on her? Love your show and thanks for taking time to share a wild tale.

[joeylowry]

Viper, ky here, south of Hazard in Perry co. I live in on a road (holler) between hwys 15 and 7 . Ive heard bits and pieces from the news and newspapers. There was a great monthly magazine named " Kentucky Explorer" that ended publication a few years ago. Its full of old time stories, pretty sure its all digitized online somewhere. Glad i found the channel, thx for the story. Edit after i watched....I live just across the hill "Big Branch Mtn." from Vicco.

[ronniewatkins]

Thanks for another great story, guys! God bless!

[randalphipps]

I loved this story!! Love listening to you two tell stories. You pair up very well. I am already wanting to hear your next story.
A VERY big fan
Randal Phipps💖🙏🎊🎈🎉

[cyclopsstaxx]

Bad Tom definitely lived up to his name. I’ve heard bits and pieces of his story. I appreciate you boys for filling in a lot of blanks. Great story!! Keep em coming ✌️

[stan]

Drive through liquor stores are pretty common in the part of Pennsylvania where I live.

[hensleyshobbies-doug]

Good deal fellars, I appreciate that, always good to hear y’all tell stuff. I think I said before I saw a program on KET ( PBS station in Ky), about Bad Tom, I can’t remember the Ol boys name who hosted and told about it, he told about the French-Eversol fued along with bad Tom, but for Tom’s bad deeds they already had him guilty in Breathitt county before his trial, and I think if they could’ve they would have found a tall tree at the time the sheriff got him but they wanted everything to look all legal like, the reason for the trial, I believe they already planned on hanging him.

[lynnsmith]

Bad Tom Smith was my grandfather's 1st cousin. Unfortunately I don't know much of my family. I would love to learn more about him and any other smith family members

[ScottJoseph-co]

I live in perry co. And i used to run around in Vicco wild little community, ive seen bad toms grave.

[donaldsmith]

Bad Tom was my 5 th great grandmother brother. Lots of information on Tom is in my genealogy. I will be glad to share it with you. Some of your information is definitely helpful but some is missing. He’s not buried in Vicco.

[Jet_Electro]

Joseph Castle Eversole is my great, great grandfather.

[RubrisLibra]

Please stop saying "You guessed it". 😊 I love your videos! Learned much about the times and events in which all of my ancestors on both sides lived through. Gunsmoke has nothing on those bad ol' days in the wild towns of Appalachia, esp in border state Kentucky!

[WillNorwood-gh]

Excuse me sir but can you do a story about the Erwin Tennessee expulsion in 1919 where a couple of hoodlums used a murder as an excuse to kick all the Black people out of town because they were fearful that they would take all the railroad jobs or something like that anyway I think the murderers of the girl that died may be murdered a witness blame the witness as the murderer and you stop the hype to get rid of anyway can you please do the story I’m sorry if you’re gonna name me on the podcast at least name he will Norwood moron or Ballard Fulton phony