SEGMENT 1
Today’s episode will discuss hounds, more specifically, Plott Hounds and will feature guest Bob Plott. Joseph tells stories of hounds from his childhood. Reminiscing on these stories and his family, Joseph recites a poem that reminds him of his father. Bob introduces himself and the history of his family within the mountains. He discusses realizing the significance of his family after having a son, deciding that he would make sure to tell the stories of his family. Bob’s 3rd great grandfather traveled to America by boat, likely with nothing but his dogs.
SEGMENT 2
Bob’s great grandfather supposedly brought his dogs with him to bring to a German settlement, to be used for hunting. By 1750, the Plott’s were settled in North Carolina. Not long after, in 1803, Henry Plott migrated to Western North Carolina. In his first season in the Smokies, Henry nearly died of cold, crediting his dogs with saving his life. The Plott Hounds are set apart from other hounds not only by their story, but by their Germanic roots as well as traits such as their intelligence and loyalty. As a pup, they can be acclimated to many sorts of lifestyle. Bob and Joseph discuss the physical appearance of the hounds. In the mountains, the hounds hunted bears primarily, but would kill a wide variety of animals as their owners needed food. Living in the mountains dog food was sparsely found, so owners needed to make their own, making a special cornbread. The hounds were used for more than just hunting though, protecting their households and helping herd livestock. Joseph and Bob exchange stories of dogs protecting their owners. The Plott hounds are woven into the history not only of the Smoky Mountains, but the country, with many bringing their hounds with them as they migrated across the country.
SEGMENT 3
Bob discusses how the hounds have come full circle over the past 250 years as both the dogs and culture have evolved. While the dogs can serve a variety of purposes, they adapt to theirs while growing up and keep those habits throughout their lives. Bob delves further into his family history, describing how they brought these hounds to fame.
SEGMENT 4
Bob has written 5 books about the hounds and is currently in Maggie Valley, surrounded by his family’s history. Parts of the park now bear the plot name. While it may be named after the Plott family, Bob credits many other families with spreading the breed and making it more than a regional name. Bob discusses his new book, coming out March 15th, which he wrote with his son, Jacob. The book discusses the railroad, its creation, and its effect on the culture. Bob plans to continue to run programs such as PlottFest, educating people about these stories. Bob can be contacted through his website, BobPlott.com, as well as his social media channels.
TRANSCRIPT
00:00:38.010 –> 00:00:50.070 Joseph McElroy: Thanks for joining us on this week’s episode of gateway to the smokies this podcast is about america’s most visited National Park, the great smoky mountains national park and surrounding towns.
00:00:50.610 –> 00:01:03.330 Joseph McElroy: This area is filled with ancient natural beauty a deep storied history and a rich mountain culture that we will explore weekly with episodes that you can enjoy at your leisure.
00:01:04.230 –> 00:01:17.580 Joseph McElroy: I am Joseph Franklin McElroy a man of the world, but also with deep roots in these mountains my family’s lived in the great smoky mountains, for almost 200 years my businesses and travel, but my heart isn’t kosher.
00:01:19.290 –> 00:01:22.020 Joseph McElroy: Now today we’re gonna be talking about how.
00:01:23.220 –> 00:01:31.080 Joseph McElroy: Specifically, the state dog in North Carolina the plot out my guest is Bob Plott and he is a third.
00:01:31.590 –> 00:01:45.990 Joseph McElroy: The third great grandson of George Plott first brought the Plott bear hounds to America in the mid 18th century and he’s the great great nephew of Henry Clark who introduced the breed of the great smoky mountains in the 90s, and the early 1800s.
00:01:47.070 –> 00:02:00.360 Joseph McElroy: But first I want to tell you a little bit of what pound hounds mean commitment to me growing up in the smoky mountains now is associate pounds with my grandfather mcilroy he was.
00:02:01.590 –> 00:02:07.080 Joseph McElroy: an avid hunter he hunted raccoons and fox amongst other animals.
00:02:08.640 –> 00:02:17.310 Joseph McElroy: He he was so avid he built himself a cabin on wheels, and he would pull on his old model.
00:02:17.880 –> 00:02:30.930 Joseph McElroy: To even down roads to to go to different Hutton events, I remember the remember riding with him and he would he would drive up the mountain and his team team model forward with the guests and he turned the gas off to float down.
00:02:30.990 –> 00:02:31.500 man.
00:02:32.910 –> 00:02:49.350 Joseph McElroy: So uh but he always had dogs on this farm when I visited and I always wanted to go hunting, with him, but he he sort of to sort of got sick and then he then he had died before we could, but I remember.
00:02:50.490 –> 00:03:03.540 Joseph McElroy: I remember you know I don’t remember before you know, a period of time, because my family and I lived moved down to Texas for a short two or three years, and I was like in the first through third grade first grade second grade.
00:03:04.950 –> 00:03:18.060 Joseph McElroy: But when we came back with one of the first things they do this is good as introduced back to her relatives and they send us over to my grandparents for a couple days now, he came to pick us up and his truck that T model and.
00:03:19.170 –> 00:03:26.250 Joseph McElroy: He put me in the front seat and drove us we’re driving towards the farm, but he stopped by this stone building.
00:03:27.330 –> 00:03:37.890 Joseph McElroy: And he was jumped out ran in and he came out a few minutes later with a with a bloody bag that was bolden with stuff I didn’t know what it was.
00:03:39.780 –> 00:03:49.470 Joseph McElroy: And he got in the truck and he looked at me he looked at me and stern he always had this stern look, he was an old farmer and stone mountain man he looked at me go I got a.
00:03:50.040 –> 00:03:56.880 Joseph McElroy: pig and poke photo photo right opinion about her dog no idea what he was talking about.
00:03:57.810 –> 00:04:04.200 Joseph McElroy: All right, yeah I didn’t understand it, I just come from Texas, where there was a slow southern drawl right.
00:04:04.590 –> 00:04:16.770 Joseph McElroy: He was doing that found past mountain without the constants on the end and I just I didn’t get it, and I was petrified because here’s his bag and bloody moans and I didn’t know what he wanted me to do with it, what was for.
00:04:17.790 –> 00:04:27.060 Joseph McElroy: us, so I was drunk we were driving to another 15 minutes to the farm and when I was like what’s going to happen, why do I got this what am I supposed to do.
00:04:28.920 –> 00:04:34.380 Joseph McElroy: We get to the we get to the meat we get to the farm, it is, and then he stops and it looks amazing.
00:04:35.610 –> 00:04:38.490 Joseph McElroy: Go on then, what and he said well.
00:04:41.910 –> 00:04:54.900 Joseph McElroy: Not figured out he said something like pigs for the Pope if pigs in the Pope for the dog, which was bones in the in the book he’d gotten pig bones or something bones and put them in the bag and growing from the butcher and we’re going to feed the dogs.
00:04:55.650 –> 00:04:56.010 yeah.
00:04:57.210 –> 00:05:04.500 Joseph McElroy: So that was that was a reintroduction to mountain language I quickly picked up you know, being a young kid.
00:05:05.670 –> 00:05:07.380 Joseph McElroy: But it was also about dogs.
00:05:07.410 –> 00:05:24.210 Joseph McElroy: It was about 10 pounds in the mountains, I remember, we used to have a have a one time he had he evidently Cox on fox pucks and put them in the barn and I guess he did that to train the dogs on the smell of fox right.
00:05:24.480 –> 00:05:24.870 Right.
00:05:26.040 –> 00:05:32.970 Joseph McElroy: I wanted to play within a smell the high heaven, I never I can still smell that, for as long.
00:05:33.990 –> 00:05:40.380 Joseph McElroy: As I, to this day, I can remember being just totally like I haven’t walked out there and just about throw up as I came out.
00:05:41.430 –> 00:05:46.650 Joseph McElroy: But you know he always, let us be involved, he taught me he used to talk a lot about hunting and I learned.
00:05:47.070 –> 00:05:59.400 Joseph McElroy: A lot of little things at the time and I always wanted to do, but I never got the chance, but as part of my culture, you know my dad was busy work and he never really got to go hunt and lunch after you know after he came back so.
00:06:00.960 –> 00:06:16.440 Joseph McElroy: it’s my it’s one of the intense memories of my grandfather and I found this poem that that made me really think of him, is it sort of as a thought memorable it’s called memories, just to come by by caleb spot Scott.
00:06:18.060 –> 00:06:31.170 Joseph McElroy: Many nights we chased through the woods Lazarus that in me through the hills and hollers river bottoms and mode, we talk quietly about all sorts of things life hounds and girls.
00:06:31.800 –> 00:06:45.930 Joseph McElroy: kinds of things a boy can’t say at home around mom and the girls chasing the matte black mask banded oh What a wonderful game sometimes he wins, sometimes we win the odds are about to say.
00:06:47.850 –> 00:06:56.040 Joseph McElroy: The silence is broken with allow dying ball that’s Lazarus struck, we know it won’t be long at all.
00:06:56.610 –> 00:07:03.600 Joseph McElroy: I know that is smiling as We walked slowly to the truck the odds are with us tonight and the coon was a look.
00:07:04.590 –> 00:07:25.920 Joseph McElroy: Now the hunters over as a snow begins to fall school will be out tomorrow it’s pretty heavy after all wishing grandpa could be here too, but we knew he watched it all and many nights here after through the forest and the creeks grandpa watching over us Lazarus dad and me.
00:07:28.290 –> 00:07:40.740 Joseph McElroy: As that’s that’s a pretty cool is, I think it encompasses that that sort of a time and the other family, the importance of the of the of the.
00:07:42.150 –> 00:08:02.910 Joseph McElroy: hound dogs in mountain culture and hunting to men growing up there, and the traditions pass on for in the family, you know and dogs as well you’re going to tell us Bob is pretty important into the you know into the end of the founding of the smoky mountains in the settlement of it.
00:08:04.410 –> 00:08:05.160 Joseph McElroy: So.
00:08:06.360 –> 00:08:11.550 Joseph McElroy: Why don’t you tell us a little bit about your background and your family history with the blah blah house.
00:08:12.750 –> 00:08:18.720 Bob Plott: Well, you know my background is a lot like yours, Joseph I grew up around it and my father would take me to see.
00:08:19.320 –> 00:08:25.290 Bob Plott: Are these old timers that were realities of our sometimes they were just friends, but more often than not they were relatives.
00:08:25.740 –> 00:08:31.380 Bob Plott: And I remember vividly spending time with me and like home lot of plot.
00:08:31.920 –> 00:08:43.050 Bob Plott: looks like that, and it was for me that time was a boy that was like going to a kid today going to see an nba star or nfl star or something you know you just treat these guys with such respect.
00:08:43.590 –> 00:08:46.230 Bob Plott: Of what they knew and what they had done and then, of course.
00:08:47.220 –> 00:08:54.660 Bob Plott: know that you’re even related to him in the head, you know that you might have something to do or could have something to do with perpetuating their legacy, I mean.
00:08:55.020 –> 00:09:08.940 Bob Plott: I don’t take any credit for any of it, I just tried to record it and pass it on but it’s a really remarkable to be around this type of folks and hear those type of stories because that’s I was always that weird key imagine does love to be around that sort of thing to.
00:09:09.900 –> 00:09:12.900 Joseph McElroy: yeah a little bit meteor weird tears around that time.
00:09:14.670 –> 00:09:28.380 Joseph McElroy: To hear those stories yeah so so you you found out about the history of your family history, I guess that was it was it something that was just talked about or did you find out when you were a little bit older.
00:09:29.460 –> 00:09:34.200 Joseph McElroy: And what kind of what kind of honoring of the traditions your family have.
00:09:35.040 –> 00:09:43.680 Bob Plott: Well, we knew about it from the star, but I think for me personally, it was something I kind of took for granted, initially, because when I was really young.
00:09:44.220 –> 00:09:49.200 Bob Plott: You know, everybody was still doing it, I mean there was bomb plot was still alive her plot was alive.
00:09:49.650 –> 00:09:56.340 Bob Plott: lot of the guys, who had been complete the dogs are registered back in 1946 for the first time, you know they were still around.
00:09:56.730 –> 00:10:07.470 Bob Plott: And they had sons and grandsons and healthy, just like myself and, and so there was never any doubt in my mind that was not going to be continued and perpetuated.
00:10:07.920 –> 00:10:16.830 Bob Plott: And then, when I had my own son my my first my son was born in 93 really made me realize that no one had really told these stories and.
00:10:17.490 –> 00:10:25.530 Bob Plott: Those guys were gone now and my father was call him uncle was gone volume was gone hub was gone and I really wanted to try to to honor them.
00:10:25.920 –> 00:10:32.820 Bob Plott: And let people know about what they send me misconceptions about in so many things that have been told him correctly.
00:10:33.450 –> 00:10:46.020 Bob Plott: I just really wanted to make sure the story with told correctly and to dispel some of the stereotypes, because so often you hear all these things about the mountain he’ll be liza don’t know anything, nothing could be further from the truth.
00:10:46.890 –> 00:10:59.520 Joseph McElroy: So um so the story, I read a little bit of it, George plot and his brother came started out on this journey now why did they decide decide, and how they do that and bring a bunch of dog.
00:11:00.540 –> 00:11:08.400 Bob Plott: Well there’s there’s it’s interesting there’s a couple different versions of it and I stuck with it, when I wrote my first book I stuck with the version that.
00:11:09.000 –> 00:11:21.660 Bob Plott: old people who told me now there’s other versions that say that maybe they came with their parents, but I was always led to believe that my third great grandfather came here with his brother and they.
00:11:22.740 –> 00:11:33.420 Bob Plott: their father was a gamekeeper and didn’t have a whole lot of money that he gave them the Holy possessions of real value he had, which was the plot dogs and they brought five of them with them.
00:11:33.870 –> 00:11:40.410 Bob Plott: On the ship and one of the brothers died in route was buried at sea, so he was my third great grandfather.
00:11:41.910 –> 00:11:49.440 Bob Plott: You know blown probably couldn’t speak English and just with Ian the dogs and his brother David now you know.
00:11:50.040 –> 00:11:58.650 Bob Plott: that’s one version of the story it’s a story is that he came with his parents That may be true, too, but I stuck with what i’ve been told, and either way they brought the dogs with them.
00:11:59.130 –> 00:12:06.150 Bob Plott: And supposedly five dogs and those dogs kind of became the Foundation stock for the plot home that we know today.
00:12:06.870 –> 00:12:08.640 Joseph McElroy: They came into Philadelphia right.
00:12:08.970 –> 00:12:26.940 Bob Plott: They did, and you know the the conditions on that ship were so terrible you know people glamorize romanticize the migration of immigrants to America, but it was just terrible, I mean the food was rancid water, it was terrible people are dying in beta see dislike.
00:12:28.740 –> 00:12:41.640 Bob Plott: Right great grandfather’s uncle and supposedly the ship was so stunk so badly that when he came into the harbor they wouldn’t even let them Doc they’ve started, bringing the people in the stuff in there to.
00:12:42.270 –> 00:12:47.880 Bob Plott: to just a few at a time and they assign an allegiance to the King and and then go the other way.
00:12:49.650 –> 00:12:56.100 Joseph McElroy: And where they originally those dogs originally big game Bob dogs back in back in the homeowner.
00:12:56.970 –> 00:13:08.880 Bob Plott: In Germany, yes, there was not bear in Germany, but there was bore, and so they were you generally used for that and then of course the gatekeepers were used to to be kind of guards game wardens.
00:13:10.530 –> 00:13:16.050 Bob Plott: do a little bit of everything to delete the breeding programs for the barons that they work for.
00:13:16.800 –> 00:13:24.900 Joseph McElroy: Oh well, when we come back we’re going to find out how they did it in the smoky mountains and a little bit about what makes them special reads alright.
00:13:25.320 –> 00:13:26.940 Bob Plott: Alright sounds good.
00:16:26.610 –> 00:16:41.880 Joseph McElroy: howdy is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast with my guest Bob Plott so Bob you’re great you’re great great grandfather right the third great grandfather right.
00:16:42.900 –> 00:16:58.290 Joseph McElroy: came into Philadelphia, with five with five pounds after having adventures voyage, with a bit of tragedy, and he established himself there How did the migration occurred come get those smoky mountain.
00:16:59.430 –> 00:17:06.210 Bob Plott: Well that’s another interesting story Joseph a again there’s two versions, but dispersion I was always told as a boy was.
00:17:06.660 –> 00:17:14.640 Bob Plott: That they were another reason I brought the dogs with and worth was to be contract hunters for the German settlement in new Bern North Carolina.
00:17:15.330 –> 00:17:25.080 Bob Plott: And it was the largest German settlement on the east coast, but they didn’t really have a and all sorts of craftsmen, but they didn’t have any hunters to provide food for them.
00:17:25.530 –> 00:17:38.670 Bob Plott: So supposedly the that the arts were hired to come in and provide food for now another version is that they came down the old wagon road and ended up like a lot of.
00:17:39.150 –> 00:17:53.460 Bob Plott: The German pioneers did in round Salzburg concord area either way they definitely ended up there at some point whether it came with it from new Bern or from Pennsylvania, but either way by 1750.
00:17:54.510 –> 00:18:05.370 Bob Plott: Sometime around that time they were around concord North Carolina to farm established there and Henry plot, one of my grandfather great grandfather sons, who was my great great uncle.
00:18:06.030 –> 00:18:18.150 Bob Plott: He then decided to migrate to Western North Carolina to find more land and hunting there and farmland and so he and his brother in law came to haywood county in about.
00:18:18.870 –> 00:18:30.600 Bob Plott: Probably run 1803 guess some people say a little bit earlier than that some people say 1803 and four but 1805 he’s showing up on census records and he has a farm here and.
00:18:31.320 –> 00:18:48.150 Bob Plott: He had a very industrious man help with the Community love, is he had a great week we’ll worry instructed to make sure that his wife, he also had so Randy and that his wife was made sure she inherited steel, so I thought that was kind of interested to.
00:18:48.600 –> 00:19:00.000 Joseph McElroy: Oh that’s interesting, we had a we had a show Dave angel over the elevated that mountain distillery told us about the moonshine and have brandy from you know fruits and stuff was made essentially the same way.
00:19:02.130 –> 00:19:06.870 Joseph McElroy: That was a there was a higher ticket item people be out did that quite often.
00:19:07.110 –> 00:19:15.360 Bob Plott: Absolutely, he ended receipt book with all that there but, for the first year, the first season, he was here was rough he actually ended up over near canton.
00:19:15.810 –> 00:19:24.180 Bob Plott: And just about froze to death, that winner and accredited the dogs will save any cross over the page and gap and went down to the confluence of dicks creek.
00:19:24.750 –> 00:19:33.180 Bob Plott: In Richmond Greek and that’s where a plot creek is today, and where the plot blossoms and valleys and that’s kind of where the breed became famous.
00:19:33.990 –> 00:19:38.760 Joseph McElroy: So what sets the plot bound breed apart from other purebred dog.
00:19:39.870 –> 00:19:49.950 Bob Plott: Well, one thing if, from a bloodline standpoint is there Germanic groups in that most of your American purebred dogs were the scene from breeds and the British Isles.
00:19:50.430 –> 00:19:58.320 Bob Plott: But I would argue that it’s their intelligence, as far as physical characteristics, they have a beautiful brindle coat.
00:19:59.010 –> 00:20:08.100 Bob Plott: But it’s that intelligence that tenacity that loyalty and multi purpose capabilities and make them so special, but I would further argue that.
00:20:08.670 –> 00:20:12.900 Bob Plott: There are other dogs that have some of those same traits as well and they’re certainly great.
00:20:13.260 –> 00:20:22.260 Bob Plott: dogs and other breeds, but the plot hand story is so unique to Joseph it’s it’s it’s really classic Americana it goes along with the.
00:20:22.710 –> 00:20:31.110 Bob Plott: Constant migration and Western migration and pioneers and you know, in the 1700s 1900s this was the frontier, and from that point forward.
00:20:31.710 –> 00:20:40.170 Bob Plott: books were hitting the Texas Arkansas Colorado Washington state later and they took the dogs with them, because they were such an integral part of their lives.
00:20:41.130 –> 00:20:50.250 Joseph McElroy: right they had they were pretty good at being protected right, how are they how they personality wise compared to the other hound dogs out there.
00:20:50.730 –> 00:20:54.240 Bob Plott: Well, you know I laugh because there’s truth to this.
00:20:55.260 –> 00:21:07.350 Bob Plott: they’re very fiercely loyal I mean once you have a puppet you raise that puppy will he or she will be just bad for you and you know I can tell you stories of myself and other people who.
00:21:09.240 –> 00:21:21.360 Bob Plott: Talks may love their parents or other people in the family, but at the end of the day, if I was going to be disciplined or if anybody in my family was going to be disciplined father or mother would have to put the dog.
00:21:23.280 –> 00:21:30.810 Bob Plott: The dog when you know the tack room or something said so yeah so it was always just fiercely loyal and so so smart.
00:21:31.230 –> 00:21:48.180 Bob Plott: And they’re just a joy to be around, but in the end the good thing about them is they they’re such have saved me skills they can be acclimated to any sort of lifestyle, if you know when they’re when they’re have that DNA to hunt and the trail into a lot need a lot of activity.
00:21:49.080 –> 00:21:53.490 Joseph McElroy: Well, what would you say, is the most common look for well it looked like.
00:21:54.300 –> 00:22:04.800 Bob Plott: Well they’re known primarily for this beautiful randall coke and brindle can come in two different variations, you can come with a dark base coat in a light kind of tiger stripe.
00:22:05.250 –> 00:22:13.620 Bob Plott: And can come with a light base coat and a darker tiger stripe that’s kind of the predominant color that 5% of your.
00:22:14.190 –> 00:22:24.870 Bob Plott: plans will be Maltese or what we call it blue merle or a book scan and then you’ll see an occasional saddleback black saddleback with a solid black back and.
00:22:25.380 –> 00:22:37.200 Bob Plott: Brenda legs and intellect do later braiding there you see some black plans now a lot more than you used to because some people took the books can out of the breeding pool and that result of map but.
00:22:37.830 –> 00:22:42.630 Bob Plott: i’m a big proponent for the book skin, because I think that’s important to maintain that rental code.
00:22:44.250 –> 00:22:47.490 Joseph McElroy: cool so they’re they’re pretty beautiful dog aren’t they.
00:22:47.970 –> 00:22:58.470 Bob Plott: they’re strikingly beautiful and, again, there are other dogs that have brindle coast, I think it’s that combination of the code they’re very athletic looking you know your traditional hound.
00:22:58.980 –> 00:23:16.770 Bob Plott: booking to think about a bloodhound with these groupie years, all the way at the ground, whereas a plot town has more of a pancake here a lot thicker chest more athletic looking dog, no, no, the loose skin hanging off of and generally just a lot more athletic looking dog.
00:23:17.970 –> 00:23:21.420 Joseph McElroy: And what would they what would they mostly hunting the mountains.
00:23:22.200 –> 00:23:32.010 Bob Plott: Well, you know bear primarily but also later when you know hawks and wild boar one introduced here really until later, but.
00:23:32.760 –> 00:23:44.070 Bob Plott: You know, hunting was survival as day, so you hear people today well I don’t want my dog to do anything that run bear or run Kuhn, or whatever, but back in those days they were looking for food so.
00:23:44.910 –> 00:24:01.620 Bob Plott: Written accounts multitudes of written accounts and i’ve covered in my books of guys talking about you know we went hunting and we went bear hunting, but we saw three turkeys with q3 turkeys we kill for deer WikiLeaks you know this and that and because they need food and.
00:24:01.920 –> 00:24:09.630 Bob Plott: It was interesting you said earlier about the dog food you’re talking about your grandfather because back in those days dog food was hard to find you either.
00:24:09.990 –> 00:24:18.750 Bob Plott: They had dogs table scraps or you may what they called dog breeds, which was a coarse grained cornbread that they just made big cakes and bricks and.
00:24:19.740 –> 00:24:23.460 Joseph McElroy: Right yeah yeah little corn was very prevalent in the mountains so.
00:24:23.700 –> 00:24:24.600 Joseph McElroy: far as.
00:24:24.660 –> 00:24:30.600 Joseph McElroy: Well, as the way to be I remember that my grandfather made that one bread, I remember that yeah yeah.
00:24:31.620 –> 00:24:34.290 Joseph McElroy: I tried tasting at one time, one that typically good.
00:24:35.790 –> 00:24:38.490 Bob Plott: it’s not your typical cornbread you know it sounds.
00:24:38.490 –> 00:24:49.170 Bob Plott: Great but and then you know volume what will tell the story of going hunting and can happen in the dark red he called it being frozen and having to break it up with his boots to feed the dogs.
00:24:49.530 –> 00:24:51.030 Oh yeah.
00:24:52.050 –> 00:24:55.950 Joseph McElroy: Those are those don’t you love those old frozen frozen hunting stories.
00:24:56.190 –> 00:24:59.640 Bob Plott: Oh man Okay, I could listen to them all day long.
00:25:00.120 –> 00:25:00.270 and
00:25:01.710 –> 00:25:04.500 Joseph McElroy: Talking about oh by the gun frozen my hand and.
00:25:07.680 –> 00:25:14.040 Joseph McElroy: frozen frozen hunting stories are a big big staple of tales around the porch when I was growing up.
00:25:14.310 –> 00:25:14.880 Bob Plott: Yes, sir.
00:25:16.740 –> 00:25:29.730 Joseph McElroy: So, so they were in the mountains, I came here and there’s black bears, of course, so they help they help deal with that they also did to help deal with the wolves and coyotes and Fox and things like that.
00:25:29.970 –> 00:25:39.570 Bob Plott: yeah and there’s again, you know statue amount of historical data of the dogs being protective of households, not just in in.
00:25:40.170 –> 00:25:55.860 Bob Plott: In in being providing food, but back in those days fences were used keep livestock out of garden, so these dogs to hurt to so they would actually go out and heard last in and then it was also during back in the Indian conflict.
00:25:56.550 –> 00:26:08.250 Bob Plott: In the civil war and just in general console or how laws and stuff around the talks and defended you know households and homesteads repeatedly to scores of stories and that type.
00:26:09.090 –> 00:26:24.030 Joseph McElroy: I remember yeah some people I can even remember So when I was going with sometimes people would that have to take their kids out to work in the field right, and they have a dog sit around with the kid even a little baby all right.
00:26:24.720 –> 00:26:34.140 Bob Plott: Mr crockett with tell a story or often of him and his brother being out in the yard, when you just still in diapers and his parents going to.
00:26:35.460 –> 00:26:43.950 Bob Plott: In the field and work, it was another family nearby there were full i’d gotten loose and was one right straight toward the kid to.
00:26:45.090 –> 00:26:53.850 Bob Plott: kill one over the very least, in the in the plot on the intervened and feared the bull away from the child.
00:26:54.600 –> 00:26:59.970 Joseph McElroy: was doing I was growing up, I had, I had a dog I didn’t have a house, I had a dog and.
00:27:01.110 –> 00:27:02.640 Joseph McElroy: Help sorts of dogs are important.
00:27:02.880 –> 00:27:13.740 Joseph McElroy: I really have we lived up in fox run pretty high up there right it’s not too far from the appalachian trail really and we had a lot of black bears come through there and one got up my dad and building deck outside of my.
00:27:14.340 –> 00:27:27.150 Joseph McElroy: Out of my my room and I woke up one day, and there was a BlackBerry up on there, and the windows open I was like oh no but the dog lunch from my bedroom he slept with me and scared of the dog the bear off.
00:27:31.410 –> 00:27:49.080 Bob Plott: The plot the plot live here in in waynesville mag you Alan he told a great story of that I am healed a man a guy come back and said he was he had been disabled during the war and everybody expect you know kind of back that he was he wasn’t.
00:27:50.220 –> 00:28:07.590 Bob Plott: Totally truthful about it and but they call it a name anyway, the bear Dr Jason the bear and the bear ran into the man’s housewives going to Steve and the guy jumped out the window and ran down the street or road hollering and screaming and they were laughing to the plot.
00:28:08.790 –> 00:28:10.590 Bob Plott: Driven at the may have maybe walk again.
00:28:13.980 –> 00:28:22.290 Joseph McElroy: You go that’s a good story so so you you’ve mentioned that the breed is unique what what makes their story so.
00:28:23.910 –> 00:28:29.280 Bob Plott: Well, again I think it’s the he not many people have a dog named after the family of.
00:28:29.280 –> 00:28:30.060 Joseph McElroy: course yeah.
00:28:30.270 –> 00:28:39.120 Bob Plott: And so that’s kind of unique and then of course black that is such a part of every chapter in history, I mean you can go back and look at some of these cattle drives.
00:28:39.510 –> 00:28:49.050 Bob Plott: out in Texas, where people had moved out there from here in East Tennessee and had taken dogs with them, they look, just like plans I can’t prove that they were but.
00:28:49.320 –> 00:28:53.100 Bob Plott: there’s actual photographs of them, and if they’re not plot hands, they should look like them.
00:28:53.610 –> 00:29:05.400 Bob Plott: And it fits you know, and I know for a fact that, for example, you know relatives and friends took dogs out to Washington state in the you know late 1800s early 1900s two.
00:29:06.390 –> 00:29:10.500 Bob Plott: Jobs as bloggers out there, oh I think it’s just that part of that.
00:29:11.220 –> 00:29:25.320 Bob Plott: You know, constant expansion of migration of people heading West and looking for a better life and the dogs always been with them Stanley hicks told me a story one time, where I cruises a very nice area outside of North Carolina.
00:29:26.700 –> 00:29:33.300 Bob Plott: or Greg man father, so that whole valley for all going awry phone and sheepskin and thought he got the best the end of the deal.
00:29:35.190 –> 00:29:48.210 Joseph McElroy: yeah that’s that’s the those horse trading days are some people make deals they both are great and where we weren’t the don’t in our tire times now, like those those those acres or $100,000 eat.
00:29:48.660 –> 00:29:48.810 Oh.
00:29:50.940 –> 00:30:01.590 Joseph McElroy: Well we’re gonna take a break down, you know we’re gonna come back we’re talking more about the full circle this breeds come, you know and how their special you.
00:32:54.570 –> 00:33:05.610 Joseph McElroy: How y’all doing it’s just a Franklin mcilroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast with my guest bar plot the plot hound family fame.
00:33:06.180 –> 00:33:21.420 Joseph McElroy: Oh, Bob how are you doing so I right, so you know, I was reading I was reading a little bit about that and I thought was interesting that the plot hound was the only only coon hunting dog it wasn’t descended from fox house.
00:33:21.840 –> 00:33:22.440 Joseph McElroy: Is that true.
00:33:23.100 –> 00:33:29.640 Bob Plott: It is and that goes back to what I mentioned earlier about the the most of your foxhounds came from England or sheils.
00:33:30.360 –> 00:33:40.920 Bob Plott: The plot hand has a dramatic roots which totally fits and partners another whole great story about caleb to had dogs back then, and the Celts like the closed mouth dog was quiet.
00:33:41.400 –> 00:33:52.050 Bob Plott: And the English hey that because they wanted thought towns that they’d made a lot of noise but yeah the plot how has that romantic groups that makes it different yeah cool.
00:33:52.350 –> 00:33:54.090 Joseph McElroy: And what kind of what kind of sound of them a.
00:33:55.140 –> 00:33:55.710 Bob Plott: lot hell.
00:33:55.860 –> 00:34:06.150 Bob Plott: yeah well there’s two types of barks primarily are known was a plot chop mouth and a big mouth and the chop is kind of a real staccato George is.
00:34:07.290 –> 00:34:15.330 Bob Plott: That when it gets close on the trail, then you had that ball mouth, which is more of alone whoo whoo whoo long how like that.
00:34:16.230 –> 00:34:18.810 Joseph McElroy: cool so it’s a sort of a low sound or.
00:34:19.380 –> 00:34:29.160 Bob Plott: can be and and and and it’s like I say it just intensifies as they get closer towards what they’re treating are trying to container bay.
00:34:30.630 –> 00:34:34.320 Joseph McElroy: So how is the breed come full circle over the past 250 years.
00:34:34.830 –> 00:34:47.160 Bob Plott: Well it’s good question, I think the Multi purpose capabilities, is what always hit the plot dog park even early home, in that they were hunters they were herders and protectors, and they were friends.
00:34:47.880 –> 00:34:56.580 Bob Plott: But and skills, all those things are true today is things changed over the generations, obviously, you know Maggie valley now is a.
00:34:57.180 –> 00:35:05.130 Bob Plott: premier resorted here is the beautiful tourist area, we have a plot that has two years festivals and music and all sorts of great things going on.
00:35:05.490 –> 00:35:09.810 Bob Plott: The back in those days, which is frontier though now as things have evolved.
00:35:10.470 –> 00:35:20.280 Bob Plott: dog has had to evolve with that you can you still have hunted going on, but now you the dogs are show dogs, which was recognized as a Casey champion Joe dog.
00:35:20.850 –> 00:35:28.230 Bob Plott: recognize it, but all the major kindle clubs been using search and rescue dogs with wildlife operations tag animals.
00:35:28.830 –> 00:35:42.360 Bob Plott: being used as cadaver dogs and then, of course, all the same things they’ve done over the year so multi purpose capabilities remain the same, even though some of those skills have changed and there’s needs have changed yields remain the same.
00:35:43.230 –> 00:35:52.110 Joseph McElroy: So then, make a really good they’re really highly intelligent dog that could probably be in a lot of any kind of scenario, or you need intelligence right.
00:35:52.740 –> 00:35:57.030 Bob Plott: yeah I tell the story all the time, you know it’s it’s.
00:35:58.200 –> 00:36:11.580 Bob Plott: Oh, what happens in particular, you get one is a pub you can acclimate them to pretty much anything i’ve got a friend of mine who raised his plot around on chicken farm and host his dog hurt Chickens will yeah yeah.
00:36:12.780 –> 00:36:20.400 Bob Plott: we’ll buy them now you do anything else now my dogs, on the other hand, if they saw a chicken, they would think it was suffering i’ve never been around.
00:36:20.700 –> 00:36:22.650 Joseph McElroy: The record I can I can get a pup for.
00:36:22.650 –> 00:36:24.630 Joseph McElroy: My hurt my two year old twins are.
00:36:26.040 –> 00:36:32.460 Bob Plott: You good you take some work with him, but yeah it just a matter of building a lot of people make the mistake, though sometimes of.
00:36:32.850 –> 00:36:40.110 Bob Plott: point in trying to get a dog is you know already got to have those tablets and didn’t want to turn them into a house dog or or.
00:36:40.710 –> 00:36:53.280 Bob Plott: Something else they make great pants i’ve got a friend of mine so retired special forces carnally and dog sleep with him every night and i’ve got a video on my website where the dog salute the flag before he raises a flag and more than me.
00:36:54.600 –> 00:36:55.140 Bob Plott: yeah.
00:36:56.100 –> 00:37:01.560 Joseph McElroy: Well that’s it that’s a good segue you know bouncer famous for colorful characters right.
00:37:01.620 –> 00:37:09.630 Joseph McElroy: Yes, Sir Oh, can you give me some stories about some colorful characters that helped make the breed famous and by southern culture.
00:37:10.140 –> 00:37:19.230 Bob Plott: yeah on plot the guy I talked to you about earlier used to laugh when I was a kid that long can cuss for an hour and never use the same curse words twice.
00:37:20.100 –> 00:37:29.100 Bob Plott: And, but he was just this really intense who really wanted to do nothing but on and run dogs and three great dogs and.
00:37:29.610 –> 00:37:37.470 Bob Plott: These wonderful dogs and there’s a great story about where he was in a hunting trip and went to sleep by the fire and.
00:37:38.160 –> 00:37:44.970 Bob Plott: His buddies thought would be hilarious if they put a fire around email have to exit for him to run away from him they figured if they stoke the fire.
00:37:45.330 –> 00:37:57.450 Bob Plott: You would get hot enough that he would jump up and run hysterically way, but he didn’t really underestimate him like keep stoking the fire, the fire got higher and higher like Johnny cash song or something.
00:37:58.830 –> 00:38:16.140 Bob Plott: And he goes in so nothing’s happening, he just sleeping snoring away and, finally, he didn’t concern and that he raises up from the waist doesn’t jump up and run books to his left and looks to his right it says it’s, just as I expected I gotta go to hell.
00:38:19.200 –> 00:38:20.850 Bob Plott: plays back down and goes back to sleep.
00:38:22.470 –> 00:38:27.660 Bob Plott: And he’s the next first guy out in the morning, you know, to get those guys up to it, you know just.
00:38:28.260 –> 00:38:33.720 Bob Plott: All these stories like This just goes, you know looking Parker who live everyone caning for.
00:38:34.350 –> 00:38:39.150 Bob Plott: He was a great hundred he didn’t like bear meet that much, but he would give better meet to these neighbors.
00:38:39.660 –> 00:38:47.880 Bob Plott: And by asking wow you must must know a great recipe for bear me he didn’t like me at all, but he gave it away.
00:38:48.600 –> 00:39:06.990 Bob Plott: And yeah what’s the recipe, so what you get a big cattle in boiling water in and you meet in the salt and pepper you put some rocks in the bottom it’s the key, but the rocks and the bottom and you get to a bull bull up for about two hours and you throw the meetup need the rocks.
00:39:09.960 –> 00:39:10.800 Joseph McElroy: Oh.
00:39:12.390 –> 00:39:12.840 Joseph McElroy: Because even.
00:39:12.870 –> 00:39:20.640 Bob Plott: Like the very day didn’t they didn’t but the the dogs there’s just another great stories, and this is trying to make this as brief as possible but.
00:39:21.120 –> 00:39:35.580 Bob Plott: A plot and live here Maggie valley Herbert was his full name but in goa Ferguson, were great friends and they had hunted together and they were over goal is House you know recuperating from a hunt talking about their dogs and.
00:39:36.660 –> 00:39:48.030 Bob Plott: Scott came up and insulted her dogs and he said I bet you $5 that I can you can set me up in a bear hide that can go out there and pop those dogs and head and they will do thing.
00:39:48.780 –> 00:39:58.470 Bob Plott: Well, this was in the 1940s, probably $5 is a lot of money, and I said sure and, of course, you know the insult their dogs that was used to do so, I took the BAT.
00:39:59.190 –> 00:40:08.190 Bob Plott: So Charlie Chris was a guy’s name and sodium up in a bear hide and he got down on all fours and he snorted and puffed and puffed like a barrel do at times.
00:40:08.760 –> 00:40:19.020 Bob Plott: folks didn’t even lift their heads they’re up there under apple trees news and and he gets closer and he gets braver and he gets closer and he is braver he reaches up and it’s one of the dogs in the head.
00:40:19.650 –> 00:40:28.110 Bob Plott: Well then, go and upset that the dogs just jumped on this one and into that bear hi there wasn’t a dog latched on to.
00:40:28.980 –> 00:40:34.590 Bob Plott: And they thought that was just the most hilarious thing i’ve ever seen, because I knew he really could get hurt the bear hide was thick.
00:40:34.980 –> 00:40:40.710 Bob Plott: But all of a sudden, they heard it’s just piercing screams of agony, I thought what’s wrong, how can you be hurt.
00:40:41.370 –> 00:40:51.630 Bob Plott: turns out that one of these pups who had never even been honey before, but which is there with the other dogs had gotten up under the bear hide and it latched on to charlie’s crotch.
00:40:52.710 –> 00:40:57.180 Joseph McElroy: Just about castrated oh yeah there’s no.
00:40:57.330 –> 00:41:08.580 Bob Plott: And so they got the dogs off haven’t got the put the puppy that became a one goal ferguson’s best all time dogs, the goal in hopes that that was the most expensive bantered ever made because.
00:41:09.870 –> 00:41:14.730 Bob Plott: Charlie paid the band, but he had to stay there, and be nursed back to health goals house for about two weeks.
00:41:14.940 –> 00:41:15.630 wow.
00:41:18.570 –> 00:41:26.340 Joseph McElroy: Well, I kind of rough that kind of rough the behavior is emblematic of the mountain characters right.
00:41:26.730 –> 00:41:33.960 Bob Plott: It really was it truly was and but there were such good people I mean hub, and God, I mean I remember, I was a boy going to see have a lot and.
00:41:34.440 –> 00:41:45.840 Bob Plott: It was just such such kind people and so talented be up here and Maggie Valley, he built a waterwheel that generate electricity for his house and one of the first houses electricity.
00:41:46.290 –> 00:41:58.440 Bob Plott: And I can remember visiting with him and the lights would get brighter with the water pressure increased and with them a little bit when the water pressure decreased, and they were just immensely talented people.
00:41:59.310 –> 00:42:11.160 Joseph McElroy: So you know we’re talking about you know this, you know Scott divers European settlers new traditions applaud elms was there any traditions with housing the cherokee or there was even West Africans that lives in the mountains.
00:42:12.870 –> 00:42:14.940 Bob Plott: yeah um that’s a.
00:42:16.410 –> 00:42:24.630 Bob Plott: Good words grew up i’m on plot creek and was adopted son of john plot, and he he’s still alive and he’s he’s almost 100 years old man.
00:42:25.050 –> 00:42:34.080 Bob Plott: And he told me stories of going over on so code by up above here who we are today okay gap and meeting a bunch of the cherokees over the air and and obviously some milk was.
00:42:35.400 –> 00:42:46.230 Bob Plott: Chief at that time it was a marine war hero in professional wrestling and he had hair dogs and plot dogs and the plot family and he would hunt together and they.
00:42:46.980 –> 00:42:53.040 Bob Plott: Act city could remember the barium potatoes and in the in the fire and cook potatoes and eat them and camping together and.
00:42:53.340 –> 00:43:03.150 Bob Plott: And hung together for days at a time and they were pretty renowned for great dogs, but some of the cherokee didn’t believe in bear hunting, because a or there’s a.
00:43:03.870 –> 00:43:12.660 Bob Plott: owner was worn for bear in the head sacred qualities to him, they didn’t believe you should kill obey or unless you just had to come up with me.
00:43:12.930 –> 00:43:22.110 Joseph McElroy: yeah that makes sense, well, when we come back we’ll talk about how people can learn more about it here now, and things are going on in the mountains, that they can be.
00:45:43.410 –> 00:45:51.930 Joseph McElroy: howdy Oh, this is Joseph Franklin mcilroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast and my guest Bob Bob.
00:45:53.010 –> 00:45:59.940 Joseph McElroy: So Bob where are some great places to learn more about the block plot hounds and experience their history.
00:46:01.500 –> 00:46:12.660 Bob Plott: Well i’ve written five books about southern culture and apply hand plan tales colorful characters include all these history and all these interesting stories I think i’m.
00:46:13.290 –> 00:46:27.150 Bob Plott: right here and Maggie Valley, where I am today at your hotel there’s literally the plot boston’s are right around this water rock not famous plot balsam we have a State historical marker there’s a whole story, I can take a whole hour and tell you about that.
00:46:27.210 –> 00:46:37.020 Joseph McElroy: So that’s that’s part of the boasts a mountain range you’ve got like three peaks named after the plot, you know and then there’s like a marker up in the mountains and whole story up there right.
00:46:37.200 –> 00:46:45.450 Bob Plott: Yes, our there’s there’s a marker on the parkway overlooking the plot blossoms was a State historical marker and hazelwood elementary school.
00:46:45.750 –> 00:46:51.450 Bob Plott: There was erected in 2009 it’s only the second market for a dog and a 75 year history of those.
00:46:51.900 –> 00:46:59.970 Bob Plott: And then there’s a statue for the playground in downtown hazelwood it was just put up a few years ago and then there’s just all sorts of stuff.
00:47:00.750 –> 00:47:13.860 Bob Plott: built home places and houses and different things, you can see we’re hoping to do tours here at your place and seminars here and the future and i’ve been i’ve been doing programs for years about this in.
00:47:14.430 –> 00:47:20.670 Joseph McElroy: You know all over is there a farm or a kennel it has a plot hounds in the mountains anywhere.
00:47:21.090 –> 00:47:22.140 Joseph McElroy: Oh famous for him.
00:47:22.800 –> 00:47:39.390 Bob Plott: yeah I mean there’s just one thing I think is so interesting and one thing I love to promote is you know if the plot, have had to been just left to the plot family, it would have been probably relegated to sort of a regional phenomenon, as opposed to.
00:47:41.280 –> 00:47:55.650 Bob Plott: National worldwide notoriety and Joe enjoys the day and that’s because so many people being here from other places and bought dogs are head dog ship tool and then the people here in the Community who were friends family relatives.
00:47:56.880 –> 00:48:09.420 Bob Plott: Eight continue that legacy as well, I mean I did a program of school program for kids and this went down a list of names about hundred names from A to Z and asked the kids if you relay it to anyone by this name.
00:48:09.990 –> 00:48:14.160 Bob Plott: Or, if this is your last name, which is stand up and by the time we were done.
00:48:14.550 –> 00:48:25.800 Bob Plott: Everybody in the room will stand up and they said why don’t we do this that’s it, because this is your story, too, because all of your family had something to do with perpetuating the legacy of these dogs so.
00:48:26.250 –> 00:48:34.680 Bob Plott: answer your question yeah there’s there’s stoking up here Maggie valley there’s the mahaffey gay has over in.
00:48:36.420 –> 00:48:50.970 Bob Plott: Jackson county you’ve got my styles over and Graham county or clark’s right across the mountain here in East Tennessee our Jones is over and swaying county I mean, I still raise the dogs today myself list just goes on and on.
00:48:51.750 –> 00:48:55.680 Joseph McElroy: But it’s kind of Nice to come and get the authentic experience of buying or the.
00:48:57.090 –> 00:49:04.860 Joseph McElroy: binary interacting with them and by maybe bind yourself one in the in the in the mountains are they became famous right.
00:49:06.360 –> 00:49:17.460 Bob Plott: It really is, and I think too it’s pretty neat we take a lot of pride in the fact that you know the dogs, we have can be really traced back to the dogs first registered in 1946 and before that too.
00:49:17.970 –> 00:49:28.590 Bob Plott: But uh yeah it’s just i’m just so proud that that yeah i’m trying to make clear that you know we take no credit for we just want to promote that legacy and promote the history and.
00:49:28.950 –> 00:49:35.280 Bob Plott: And you know get people to look read these books and go to the programs and and understand what a great story, it is.
00:49:35.970 –> 00:49:38.850 Joseph McElroy: So you got a new book coming out march tell us a little bit about that.
00:49:40.170 –> 00:49:47.790 Bob Plott: yeah march 15 my son Jacob and i’ve put together a book as soon as his train expert and he.
00:49:48.960 –> 00:49:52.290 Bob Plott: didn’t know that much about it, and he convinced me to get involved with this.
00:49:53.220 –> 00:50:02.280 Bob Plott: smoky mountain railways project, which was about the building of the western North Carolina railroad which is really fascinating because it was done almost entirely.
00:50:02.700 –> 00:50:14.790 Bob Plott: With convict Labor it was a terrible I were treated terribly and it took took longer to build the railroad for vote for North Carolina Murphy North Carolina they did to build this whole transcontinental railroad.
00:50:15.480 –> 00:50:24.390 Bob Plott: And if you look at the population of people in our percentage of people that died more people died building this railroad and they did the transcontinental railroad.
00:50:24.900 –> 00:50:40.980 Bob Plott: wow but it had a tremendous impact on the region asheville, for example, that time was just literally a countdown I mean there was nothing there, and you see it today that in western North Carolina was just kind of cut off because it was no really way to take.
00:50:42.060 –> 00:50:50.070 Bob Plott: products to market or get things anywhere get things in here, so the railroad just literally was life changing and, of course.
00:50:50.340 –> 00:50:59.010 Bob Plott: that’s another reason to come to their you now you got the great smoky mountains row row way over in bryson city that’s a big tour straw and then.
00:50:59.760 –> 00:51:17.940 Bob Plott: I do work for children farms and in in Libya North Carolina that is not a great story to in terms of their tie in the area and when all this continuously operating farms in western North Carolina so it’s just so nice Everywhere you turn there’s a great story here cool.
00:51:18.390 –> 00:51:23.340 Joseph McElroy: So you mentioned some of the things we’re thinking about doing you got any specific plans for the future.
00:51:26.310 –> 00:51:39.330 Bob Plott: me yeah I mean i’m hoping to do programs with you guys i’ve done programs, we did plot fast here Maggie Valley, for four years, raised 120 $5,000 for Jackson county and haywood county hit start programs.
00:51:40.350 –> 00:51:57.030 Bob Plott: wanted to do a lot more stuff like that festivals that sort of thing and just really educate people you know, in the fall into two opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to these sort of things are either very knowledgeable or they’re very clueless and they tend to.
00:51:58.260 –> 00:52:07.380 Bob Plott: Be almost hostile sometimes if they don’t understand it, I think the key thing is just communication and tell me stories and when people make their own decisions.
00:52:07.470 –> 00:52:09.690 Joseph McElroy: Right, so how can people contact you.
00:52:10.650 –> 00:52:21.600 Bob Plott: I have a website Bob plot COM got all those usual social media pages Facebook that sort of thing have to book pages for Facebook and instagram and all that sort of thing.
00:52:22.080 –> 00:52:36.570 Bob Plott: i’m easily reach their e bike and email me there w w w dot bomb plot calm and of course I hope to be doing some work with you folks here in promoting some things here and throughout the area once we get things back to normal again.
00:52:37.320 –> 00:52:43.350 Joseph McElroy: Alright, well, thank you Baba for showing up and being on this program has been really fun, I really appreciate it.
00:52:45.150 –> 00:52:51.120 Joseph McElroy: And you know I think we’ll have some further conversations I think we’ll do a whole railroad show some I get you on that too.
00:52:53.400 –> 00:52:55.170 Joseph McElroy: So you know help promote the book.
00:52:56.370 –> 00:52:57.780 Joseph McElroy: Let me tell people out there.
00:52:58.830 –> 00:53:00.330 Joseph McElroy: You can buy bob’s book.
00:53:01.440 –> 00:53:15.090 Joseph McElroy: On Amazon, you can find the links to those books on gateways to the smokies that fun all right, and we have my the front page of borders books, you can click on each any one of them it’ll take you right to the Amazon page by the book.
00:53:16.470 –> 00:53:21.840 Joseph McElroy: That that site also has to all the previous episodes, it also has.
00:53:23.280 –> 00:53:31.770 Joseph McElroy: Some links to resources it has links to oral or social media as it is subscribe button, you can subscribe to our our newsletter that’s coming out.
00:53:32.100 –> 00:53:42.660 Joseph McElroy: So it’s the resource to go to to find out all about the show, I want to mention, of course, that I own the metal art motel and Maggie value with Caroline mouthy.
00:53:43.590 –> 00:53:52.080 Joseph McElroy: Traditional mountain road roadside motel that we’ve made sorted into sort of into an appalachian chic resort I mean it’s still got an authentic.
00:53:52.470 –> 00:54:02.610 Joseph McElroy: You know roadside motel feel, but we have programs, we have things go on there, your APP has been in my family for over 45 years and it’s around 70 years old and a lot of.
00:54:03.030 –> 00:54:13.470 Joseph McElroy: A lot of music going on there to my my goal trees and artists in residence and he’s there he’s a former journalist in the minds of these exploring the Scottish roots of mountain music.
00:54:14.940 –> 00:54:28.380 Joseph McElroy: I also own a site called smokies invention calm is dedicated to you know trail maps and specific information about the doing outdoor adventures and other kinds of things in the mountains and.
00:54:29.940 –> 00:54:45.060 Joseph McElroy: And and and resources that you can go to to help you planning a trip to the mountains and then I have built with were traveling magazines a great resource for where travel.com great dash dash maps.
00:54:45.510 –> 00:54:52.890 Joseph McElroy: which were traveler has been around for 30 years and you see it probably motel rooms around the world and we’re going to where it is a great.
00:54:53.790 –> 00:55:03.990 Joseph McElroy: resource for in depth stories about the great smokies but also about all the cities and towns around the smoky mountains it’s it’s a big cultural area.
00:55:04.350 –> 00:55:13.890 Joseph McElroy: You know they’re there, you can see the great smoky mountains is about the size of institutions and it has a lot of people live here we get about 20 million people visit every year, so.
00:55:14.370 –> 00:55:21.780 Joseph McElroy: Where travelers and take notes or global reach, and very interesting stories and encompasses not only the smokies but the areas around.
00:55:23.250 –> 00:55:28.290 Joseph McElroy: I really appreciate everybody here coming in a week coming to listen to us every week we’re going to have.
00:55:28.620 –> 00:55:40.710 Joseph McElroy: A rafting expert out here next week, talking about whitewater in the mountains and we’re going to be soon having hiking we have all sorts of interesting things so again, this is, this is the gateway to the smokies dot fun.
00:55:41.190 –> 00:55:53.190 Joseph McElroy: You can reach me at explore at smokies adventure calm and smokies plural adventure singular.com and it good to see you and we’ll see you next week and bye.
