This Rugged Land

By: Carolyn Davidson Hicks, John B Hicks

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

If you enjoy a story of the life of pioneers settling upon untamed land in the early 1800s in southeastern Kentucky, this story is for you! The families are fictitious but based on real people and hand-me-down stories in my family. This is folklore and is based on the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of Southeastern Kentucky passed through many generations by word of mouth. Some are based on research and study. Together they provide you the reader, with an idea of how they lived.

This is a story about a pioneer family arriving in Southeastern, Kentucky from Virginia in 1820. The land they settle upon is rugged and the trail to their new home is rough. They must carve out a home on a mountain untamed by man, Jacob Bowling and his wife, Elizabeth Collins each have their own struggles to not only survive but keep their family alive. They face many challenges during their first years but soon become the backbone of all who follow after them. When they discover a neighbor not far from them, things begin to get better for both families as they trade goods and services to survive.