Appalachian Values
The Story of Hopkins Gap
Ask an Author with Dr. Peggy Shifflett
The Values That Shaped a Mountain Community
What does it mean to grow up in Appalachia? How did mountain traditions influence the families who settled in Rockingham County?
Join author Dr. Peggy Ann Shifflett as she shares research from her newest book, Mountain Men of Hopkins Gap: Migration, Survival, Violence. Drawing on both historical research and personal experience growing up in the Hopkins Gap community, Dr. Shifflett explores the values that defined Appalachian life—including strong family ties, self-reliance, a deep connection to the land, faith, storytelling, and a powerful culture of honor.
The program traces the migration of the Morris, Shifflett, Crawford, and Conley families from Greene County to Rockingham County between 1880 and 1900 while examining how these shared values shaped everyday life. Dr. Shifflett also addresses the more difficult chapters of the community’s history, including family feuds and the rise of illegal moonshine production during Prohibition, when changing economic conditions turned some neighbors into competitors and enemies.
Raised in Rockingham County, Dr. Shifflett earned her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University and retired as Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Radford University. She is the author of Red Flannel Rag: Memories of an Appalachian Childhood and several books exploring Appalachian history and culture.
As author Pat Turner Ritchie writes, Dr. Shifflett shows how these families “embodied Appalachian Mountain values” that strengthened their community while sometimes leading to unexpected consequences. Whether your interest is local history, genealogy, or Appalachian culture, this Ask an Author program offers a thoughtful and deeply personal look at our region’s heritage.