Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 5.08 History
Presentation #1 Title
Appalachian Town History
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Should Appalachian Town History be a sub-field? While there are fields of Urban and Rural History, no catagory exists for what falls in between the two and is much more common in Appalachia. This paper presents a synopsis of my research into the subject. I studied eight towns in Virginia's Blue Ridge between 1880 and 1920, mostly in Carroll and Grayson counties. They include two county seats, Hillsville and Independence, two towns associated with iron mining, Sylvatus and Ivanhoe, two associated with the timber industry, Damascus and Troutdale, and two manufaturing towns, Fries and Galax. I found three factors significantly influencing when and where towns were built and how long they remained viable: availability of 'modern' transportation, the complexity of economic activity, and the distance whence came the investment capital for the new industry and town. While the results seemed commonsensical to me, I had not seen them written down anywhere. It is my hope that this paper will help to provoke a larger conversation about town building and town persistence in Appalachia and, perhaps, elsewhere. Feedback garnered at the Conference could also help me shape my research into a future publishable, article.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Dr. Whittemore is an adjunct instructor in the Department of History, Anthropology, and Philosophy at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, also home of the Georgia Appalachian Studies Center. He teaches U.S. History surveys and the History of Appalachia as well as courses in the History of Religion and of Music in Appalachia.
Appalachian Town History
Harris Hall 130
Should Appalachian Town History be a sub-field? While there are fields of Urban and Rural History, no catagory exists for what falls in between the two and is much more common in Appalachia. This paper presents a synopsis of my research into the subject. I studied eight towns in Virginia's Blue Ridge between 1880 and 1920, mostly in Carroll and Grayson counties. They include two county seats, Hillsville and Independence, two towns associated with iron mining, Sylvatus and Ivanhoe, two associated with the timber industry, Damascus and Troutdale, and two manufaturing towns, Fries and Galax. I found three factors significantly influencing when and where towns were built and how long they remained viable: availability of 'modern' transportation, the complexity of economic activity, and the distance whence came the investment capital for the new industry and town. While the results seemed commonsensical to me, I had not seen them written down anywhere. It is my hope that this paper will help to provoke a larger conversation about town building and town persistence in Appalachia and, perhaps, elsewhere. Feedback garnered at the Conference could also help me shape my research into a future publishable, article.
