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It's early 1919 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. 24-year-old journalist George D. Hay walks down a muddy road toward a log cabin.

He watches the sun's last rays dip below the horizon and sees coal oil lamps start

to flicker in the distance. George isn't used to being out in nature, but he's enjoying the fresh air

and sounds of the countryside. George came to the Ozark on a assignment from his Memphis, Tennessee

newspaper. He covered the story of a local World War I hero who died in battle.

While working on the article, George got to know some of the people in Mammoth Spring,

and tonight they've invited him to a hodown. George doesn't know what to expect at a hodown,

but hears the sounds of a party getting louder as he slogs his way through the mud.

Finally, he reaches the log cabin. A man on the porch welcomes him as if they've known each other for years

and leads George inside. From the moment George steps into the cabin, he's swept up by the obvious

atmosphere of joy around him. Twenty people have gathered inside to dance the night away,

and they're eager for the music to begin. Soon, an old fiddle player and an older guitarist

make a grand entrance into the room, and the partygoers show their excitement. George can't help but

smile. He can't remember the last time he saw people this excited about anything,

much less music, and he has to admit the feeling is contagious. So from a dark corner of the room,

George watches with delight as the fiddle player brings his bow up to the strings. The room falls

silent with anticipation. George leans forward, fully caught up in the moment.

Then the old fiddler begins tapping his foot to indicate the tempo.

...