History

Euphoria Falls, the county seat of Clarity County North Carolina, was once a thriving resort area. During the late 1800's on up to the mid 1930's its year round mild climate made it a popular destination for well-to-do visitors from across the country.

The visitors usually spent their vacations in luxurious Southern hospitality at the old Euphoria Falls Hotel located just outside of town along the Little Potatoe River midway up the falls.

The tranquillity and charm of the old hotel was not the only reason that hundreds of visitors made an annual trek to the sleepy mountain village. Many were drawn to the area by the miraculous curative and rejuvenating powers of Draper's Euphoric Spring Waters which was bottled and sold locally by the Draper family, Ed, Louise (Weezy) and their 13 offspring.

The secret location of the natural spring was known only to the Drapers, a curious mountain clan, and to this day remains a well guarded secret. Its whereabouts are locked in the mind of the only surviving sibling, the baby, 75 year old Extra Draper.

The town of Euphoria Falls with its healthy tourism economy remained a thriving, if somewhat isolated, community throughout the first three decades of the 20th century. Many outside visitors, once rejuvenated, never left. They married into local families and settled down in the surrounding hills and valleys. However, in 1938 tragedy struck the community in the form of a TVA water project upriver which reduced the thundering Euphoria Falls to a mere trickle. The visitors stopped coming, the old hotel was forced to close and the Drapers, stopped bottling the Euphoric Spring Waters.

Euphoria Falls - a new prosperity Euphoria Falls, NC became just another small mountain town with no real economic opportunity. The younger residents who went off to fight in WW II returned to find the town a mere shell of its former glory. Many of the homefolk migrated to the industrial cities of the North to gain employment and raise their families. It seemed that the fate of Euphoria Falls had been sealed.

The town did not give up hope, however. One of its leading citizens Selwyn Freckus III who owned and operated the local radio station, RadioYUR, "The clear voice of ClarityCounty" inaugurated a weekly live Country Music jamboree in the late 1940's. Sponsored by the region's most popular brand of hot dogs, King Pup Hot Dogs. The KingPup Radio Show was born.

Broadcast "live" each and every Saturday night from the Euphoria Falls Opry House the program became an instant hit. Hundreds of visitors from nearby communities would gather on the streets of downtown on Saturday afternoons eagerly anticipating the arrival of their favorite Country and Western music heroes.

One by one, artists like "Pee Wee" Schafer, "Cactus" Cal White & the Rhythm Rangers, the comedy team of "Cornbread & Sweetmilk" would arrive in their stretched out vehicles dressed in their finest sequins and fringe to delight their admiring fans. Signing autographs with good natured jocularity they would work their way through the throng to the stage door of the Opry House where they would disappear to prepare for the magic of the evening's performance.

It seemed to Selwyn Freckus III and the town fathers that the popularity of "The KingPup Radio Show" would never end and would only grow to greater heights. Prosperity for the town was just around the corner.

It was not to happen. Once again the hapless citizenry of Euphoria Falls was betrayed by technology -- Television!

Who cared about "Pee Wee" Schafer or "Cornbread & Sweetmilk" when one had Milton Berle, or the "Lone Ranger" visiting your home each week. The greatest entertainment from the most glamorous cities in the world came floating freely into the TV receiver sets of the country folk.

Compared to likes of Lawrence Welk "Cactus" Cal White and t he Rhythm Rangers were bush leaguers. TV became all the rage, "Look Ma, Uncle Miltie's wearin a dress!"

"Well, I'll swan."

Radio was left to wither away. The crowds stopped coming to the Opry House on Saturday nights. The cast of The KingPup Radio Show gave its farewell performance on October 10, 1953. The town of Euphoria Falls sank into a morass of disillusionment and remained there for 25 years.

A new era arrives The future of the town certainly looked bleak, but a new era was dawning. In 1978 the fresh country music stylings of a young husband and wife singing duo caught the ear of Mr. Freckus. Phil and Gaye Johnson were hosting an old time radio program at a small radio station in a nearby town. The show was named in honor of a legendary but sadly forgotten country music singing act.

Adopting the tried and true formula of old time country music radio programming "Cornbread & Sweetmilk Time" became a popular radio offering in the late 1970's and early '80s. For 30 minutes each Saturday night, listeners around the Carolinas were treated to Country music performed the old time way. Phil & Gaye even recorded an album called "Cornbread & Sweetmilk Time" However, Phil & Gaye moved on to bigger and better things and the weekly radio program "Cornbread & Sweetmilk Time" went the way of its predecessors.

Many years later, a chance meeting in 1993 at a music festival in Asheville brought Phil & Gaye Johnson and Selwyn Freckus III together. It was then that the genius of Mr. Freckus shone through. He offered to re-institute "The KingPup Radio Show" with the Johnson's as hosts. Phil & Gaye quickly accepted the offer and began broadcasting over RadioYUR from studios high atop the Freckus building in downtown Euphoria Falls.

Broadcasting with 5000 watts of clear power the sound of "live" country music is heard once again wafting through the town of Euphoria Falls and over most of Clarity County. All activity in town is stopped and its residents gather around the radio when the snappy melody of the theme song "Its a New Day Now" is heard and the announcer proudly proclaims "The KingPup Radio Show is on the air! "

Prosperity is surely just around the corner!

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The KingPup Radio Show can be heard any time day or night on Radio YUR.