Appalachian Goliath: The Tale of Tennessee's Strongest Man
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มี.ค. 2024
- Step into the world of Appalachian giants with the incredible tale of Joseph Jefferson Copeland, known to all as Big Joe, the strongest man in Tennessee. In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, Steve Gilly and Rod Mullins bring to life the legend of a man whose feats of strength and size became the benchmark for tales of might in the 19th century.
Join us as we explore the life of Big Joe. We'll share anecdotes that are as heartwarming as they are jaw-dropping, including a Kentucky challenger who learned the true meaning of strength-not through combat, but over a meal and a barrel of whiskey.
Don't miss this extraordinary episode that proves, once again, they grow them big in Appalachia. Subscribe to our TH-cam channel and to the Stories podcast on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, or your favorite podcast platform.
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My great grandmother and my grandmother, along with three of their sisters lived to one hundred plus. Both my grandfathers lived over 90 years, my mom and two sisters, one brother all lived to mid nineties.
What a way to learn some family history!
-Brice Copeland
Thanks for this great bit of history! It’s so interesting to hear it on podcast. I’ve read of my family history but this one is the best! Big Joe Copeland was my 3rd. Great Grandfather on my dad’s side. Dewey R. Copeland, Willy Copeland, Emlett Copeland, Col. Stephen Copeland, Big Joe Copeland.
Virgil Copeland
We're glad you liked the story, Big Joe was a fascinating part of Tennessee history.
Thanks for sharing this story! Brian Copeland
Our pleasure!
That's actually a bit of a misconception that people then didn't live as long as they do now. I personally think it is a lie that is sold by the medical comunity. I have my family tree back to 1604. There are eleven just in my genealogy that live to be over a hundred years old, and I know several other people who show the same thing in their's. Growing up in the Smoky Mountains, there probably wasn't a family there that didn't have at least one relative over a hundred. My grandfather was a hundred and one when he died of a heart attack while squirrel hunting. One of his daughters was 103 when she died. I knew both of them, so this wasn't just stories that were passed down. The oldest two in my line were two of my great great great Grandad's brothers. According to an old family bible, one of them was 108 and the other one was 112. In my family tree, anybody that didn't live to be atleast eighty probably died from an accident or some kind of disease.
This guy sounds like someone like a Brian Shaw--but maybe even stronger! Superhero level strength, even!
Google Maximinius Thrax, who was said by the Romans who encountered him to be 8 Feet six inches tall, and was a Pituitary Giant, and a fully healthy enormously strong man. The Romans, who were part of an entire Army on Campaign near Bulgaria or in Bulgaria (Then called Thrace) had 24 of the strongest and most proficient wrestlers challenge Thrax one after the other and he defeated all handily, and afterwards raced a horse on foot. Thrax performed many feats of strength and his hands were so large that his thumbs alone were the diameter of his wife's wrist and he wore her wrist bracelet as a ring. Thrax could crush rocks in his hands. He was trained by the Roman Army in the ways of Roman fighting as a Legionaire, and although he began his Life as a Shepherd, he adapted well to the fighting and was a skilled and terrifying opponent. Next Google a man who more closely was like the Man in this Video Joseph Copeland- and there are photo's of him and he lived during the same time period as this man - and I am referring to Angus McAskill, who was Seven Feet 9 Inches tall and weighed just over 500 lbs. Angus was NOT a Pituitary Giant - just a Large man born of average Parents in Scotland and who emigrated to America where he resided in Maine as I recall. Angus, in his late 30's lifted a 2,700 plus LB Ship Anchor to his shoulder and walked down a Warf with it. Angus however was not a "fighter" so it is possible that Joseph Copeland would have bested him in a physical fight. I doubt that either however would have overcome Maximinius Thrax. There are no living Men who would have bested Thrax, Angus McAskill, nor likely Joseph Copeland in terms of raw strength.
I will not dispute that this man was a very strong man but one thing he DID NOT do is pick up a 30 gallon keg plumb full of whiskey and drink out of it! A 30 gallon keg plumb full would weigh approximately 300 pounds!
He might have been really thirsty.
As a young fella the most i ever lifted was 450 pounds but then i was only 6 foot tall. I did load a 55 gallon barrel or motor oil into the back seat of my 1966 Ford station wagon just cause it was free! great story. Texas.
I wouldn't think a man could lift 3/4 of a ton either, but they have.
@@htepple No duh Sherlock! I watch the Olympics! It is a simple task for body builders or weight lifters to dead lift 300 pounds of weights attached to a bar but to lift 300 pounds of weight in a big cylinder shaped object with no convenient handles and to casually drink out of it is something that no one will convince me of ever happening!