About this episode

The episode explores the life and strange afterlife of William Hewitt, a hermit who lived in the Appalachian wilderness for nearly fifty years.

In the late 1780s a man from Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, William Hewitt, crossed the Ohio River seeking to find solitude in the Appalachian wilderness after heartbreak changed his life forever. Living alone in caves and rough dugouts for nearly fifty years, Hewitt lived in peace alongside the Shawnee, served as a scout during the War of 1812, and became a legend across southeastern Ohio. But the strangest chapter of his story began after his death. Join us as we tell the haunting true story of the Hermit of Hewitt’s Fork. Be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening!

People in this episode

Hosts: Steve Gilly, Rod Mullins

Topics covered

• history
• solitude
• Appalachian culture
• legend
• afterlife
• war history

Keywords

• William Hewitt
• hermit
• Appalachian wilderness
• Shawnee
• War of 1812
• legend
• solitude
• history

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Virginia, Shenandoah Valley, Ohio River, Appalachian wilderness, southeastern Ohio

More episodes of Stories of Appalachia

• The Untamable Monster Well of 1894: Big Moses · July 10, 2026 · 15 min
• The Devil in the Mountains- The Story of Vincent "Clawhammer" Witcher · July 3, 2026 · 32 min
• A Witness to History: The Frontier Life of Captain William Asher · June 26, 2026 · 14 min
• Appalachia's Forgotten Uprising: Claypool's Rebellion · June 19, 2026 · 16 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Stories of Appalachia podcast page.