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  Oral History Interview: Bob Chapman

  Bob Chapman

  Bob Chapman was born in Louisa, KY. He grew up on Homemade Holler in the coal community of McVeigh, KY, located in Pike County. His father worked for the Eastern Coal Corporation as an explosions miner. Mr. Chapman attended a two-room school house for a short time in the 1940s, but continued his education through high school in the McVeigh school system. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Chapman discusses a typical day in a coal community and the class system within this community. In his interview, he also focuses on the integration of Belfry High School in 1957, and his church community and the role of religion in his life.

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  Oral History Interview: Lowell E. Long

  Lowell E. Long

  Lowell E. Long’s interview focuses on the region of Appalachia: its location, environments, people, and identity. Mr. Long was born in April 1941 in War, McDowell County, WV. His family moved to East Liverpool, OH, after World War II, and relocated to Huntington, WV, in January 1945. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Long discusses what it means to be Appalachian and focuses on family bonds and sense of belonging in the region. During his interview, he describes his family’s use of folk medicine. Mr. Long provides descriptions of the segregated neighborhoods and schools of Huntington, WV, during his childhood. He also discusses community life in Huntington, WV, including entertainment, YMCA programs, and religious organizations.

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  Oral History Interview: Dr. Pat Tuckwiller

  Pat Tuckwiller

  Dr. Pat Tuckwiller was born on April 13, 1905, in Morgantown, West Virginia. He received his medical degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois, in 1929 and began practicing internal medicine in Charleston, West Virginia, on April 1, 1932. Dr. Tuckwiller discusses making house calls in Kanawha County, West Virginia, and focuses on the most common illnesses he treated and the medicines and procedures he used. He also discusses the differences in medical practice from the 1930s to the 1980s. In the audio clip provided, Dr. Tuckwiller discusses the issue of venereal disease in West Virginia and focuses on the treatment for the most common diseases.

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  Oral History Interview: James A. Harmon

  James A. Harmon

  James A. Harmon was born in 1890 on his grandfather’s farm outside of Red House, WV. Mr. Harmon reminiscences about his childhood growing up on a 350-acre farm. He earned a sixth grade education at a two-room schoolhouse. When he was 14 years old, Mr. Harmon started his career on the river on the Steamer Calvert. During his interview, Mr. Harmon focuses on his varied jobs on many steamboats. Although he performed well in all of his duties, his greatest passion was engineering. He received his engineer’s license when he was 21 years old. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Harmon discusses life on the river, with an emphasis on the boats and jobs he held while employed.

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  Oral History Interview: Reverend Raymond Adkins

  Raymond Adkins

  Reverend Raymond Adkins was born on May 15, 1910, in Louisa, Kentucky. His family moved to West Virginia in 1911. Rev. Adkins had many vocations including working in coal mining, teaching, school administration as a principal, participating in politics, and being a member of the clergy. In his interview, Rev. Adkins discusses the characteristics of Appalachia and Appalachian people and culture. He focuses on one room school houses, Marshall College, Kermit, West Virginia, and Mingo County, West Virginia. In the audio clip provided, Rev. Adkins discusses classroom organization and education in a one room school.

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  Oral History Interview: William T. Arnold

  William T. Arnold

  William T. Arnold (Bill Arnold), a Native West Virginian, lived the majority of his life in Clay County. Mr. Arnold spent his early childhood on a farm on Galon Mountain. After the death of his father, Mr. Arnold moved with his family to various towns within Clay County. In 1911, when he was eleven years old, Mr. Arnold started his first job in coal mining, working thirteen hours a night as a water dipper. When he was eighteen years old, Mr. Arnold began working as a postman and delivered mail on a route near the New River, between the towns of Nutall and Devide. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Arnold describes delivering mail on his route during World War I. He discusses his wages and the weight of mail delivered to servicemen. In his interview, Mr. Arnold focuses on his life on the family farms, food preservation and preparation, the price of grocery items, and working with livestock.

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  Oral History Interview: Fay Ball

  Fay Ball

  Fay Ball was born on March 28, 1904, in Lincoln County, West Virginia. She was raised on a farm and shared most of the farming responsibilities with her family. Mrs. Ball discusses social interactions within the farming community of Lincoln County, including barn raisings and harvesting. She focuses on entertainment during her childhood and explains styles of popular music and games. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Ball discusses how to play games like “Blind Man,” “Aunt Me Over,” and “Nay Hide.”

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  Oral History Interview: Irene D. Broh

  Irene D. Broh

  Irene D. Broh was born on November 20, 1880, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Through the influence of her mother, a suffragist who worked with Susan B. Anthony, Mrs. Broh joined the suffrage movement and helped women earn the right to vote. After marrying Ephraim Broh in 1909, she moved to Huntington, WV, where she organized a suffrage club in 1915. Mrs. Broh became the first woman to vote in Cabell County, WV, in 1920. In her interview, Mrs. Broh focuses on her work for women’s suffrage. She describes how she organized her club, the voting facilities in Huntington, and her experience voting for the first time. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Broh discusses the suffrage question and being the first woman to vote in Cabell County. She describes the legitimacy of a woman’s vote. She focuses on her experience at Kessler’s Garage when she was ready to place her vote in the ballot box. In her interview, Mrs. Broh also mentions living during the Depression and the world wars, as well as, the flooding of the Ohio River and its tributaries in 1913 and 1937.

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  Oral History Interview: Burl Collins

  Burl Collins

  Burl Collins was born on October 25, 1903. He was raised in McDowell County, West Virginia. When he was 15 years old, he started his first job in a coal mine. He worked in this mine for 33 years. Mr. Collins married and had 11 children, including eight girls and three boys. He discusses the social, economic, and technological changes during his lifetime. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Collins discusses his wedding and marriage.

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  Oral History Interview: William Allen Cross

  William Allen Cross

  In his interview, William Allen Cross discusses Prohibition and bootlegging in Huntington, West Virginia. Mr. Cross was a theater manager for the Keith Albee Theater (referred to as the State Theater) in Huntington, WV. Although he did not make moonshine, he was a buyer during Prohibition. He discusses how bootleggers sold their whiskey and provides locations for stills. Mr. Cross also focuses on how to make moonshine, whiskey, and wine. He reminiscences about “the Strip” between 10^th and 11^th Streets in Huntington, WV, that served from 1925-1945 as a red-light, gambling, and bootlegging district. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Cross discusses using a “party system” to purchase moonshine. He also focuses on the social ramifications of buying and consuming moonshine.

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  Oral History Interview: Josephine R. Gorby

  Josephine R. Gorby

  Josephine Gorby was born on February 24, 1908. She began her teaching career in a one-room school in Wimmer, McDowell County, WV. In 1931 she began teaching in Lawrence County, OH. Mrs. Gorby’s interview focuses on growing up on a farm near Proctorville, OH, her experiences as an educator, her family’s experience during World War I, and the 1937 flood of the Ohio River and its tributaries. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Gorby discusses the impact of the 1937 flood on the school house in Athalia, OH. During her interview, she also focuses on the construction and use of the balcony of the Rome Methodist Church. According to Mrs. Gorby, the balcony served to segregate the African-American community from the white community of the church.

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  Oral History Interview: Alice Hall

  Alice Hall

  Alice Hall was born in December 1897 in Cabell County, WV. She lived with her grandfather on a farm in Putnam County, WV, after the death of her parents. During her interview, she discusses quilting and peddling food items in Huntington, WV, with her grandparents, the lack of supplies during World War I, and the rationing of sugar and coffee during World War II. She also focuses on folk medicine, with emphasis on the herbs and barks her uncle used to make medicines. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Hall discusses food preservation, specifically making apple butter and preserves.

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  Oral History Interview: Helena Venturino Howell

  Helena Venturino Howell

  Helena Venturino Howell was born on September 19, 1913. She was the first child of her family to be born in the United States. Her father emigrated from Italy to Brooklyn, New York, at the age of 16. He first worked as a pin boy in a bowling alley and then took a job on the railroad. Her mother immigrated to Williamson, WV, with Mrs. Howell’s older sister in 1912. Mrs. Howell’s family lived in neighborhood in Williamson comprised primarily of Italians. Her family moved to New Boston, OH, when she was a young girl. During her interview, Mrs. Howell discusses being an Italian immigrant in the United States. She focuses on the tight-knit Italian communities in which she grew up, as well as, the prejudices, racism, and discrimination she and her family faced. She also discusses her love of school as a child, arranged marriages, and food preparation. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Howell discusses her mother’s arrival to Williamson, WV, and the Italian community in Williamson.

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  Oral History Interview: Edward C. Jackson

  Edward C. Jackson

  Edward C. Jackson was born on January 17, 1911, in Canfield, Braxton County, WV. In 1926, he moved to Fenwick, Nicholas County, WV, to pursue jobs in saw mills. In his interview, Mr. Jackson describes in great detail the design and structure of the log home he lived in as a child. He focuses on growing up on a farm and places emphasis on the type of work he did and food preparation and preservation. Mr. Jackson also discusses the tight-knit community in which he was raised. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Jackson discusses working in the lumber industry. He compares and contrasts manual and mechanical timber work. During his interview, Mr. Jackson also discusses the Ku Klux Klan organization on Birch Creek in the 1920s. He also provides commentary on the differences of life when he grew up and life in the 1970s.

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  Oral History Interview: James G. Matthews

  James G. Matthews

  James G. Matthews was a jack-of-all-trades. He worked as a coal miner for James C. Coal Company, worked for United Fuel Gas Company, the Nickel Plant, and as a mail courier. He also performed as part of a singing quartet. Mr. Matthews was born on May 30, 1902. He grew up on a farm near East Lynn, WV. After the death of his mother, Mr. Matthews attended elementary school on a part-time basis in order to work on the family farm. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Matthews discusses alcohol consumption and moonshine stills in East Lynn. During his interview, Mr. Matthews focuses on farming and hunting through providing details of planting and processing crops, the descriptions of his hunting weapons, and his tactics while hunting.

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  Oral History Interview: Doris Copley Miller

  Doris Copley Miller

  Doris Copley Miller resided in Wayne and Cabell Counties, West Virginia, for the majority of her life. She discusses the history of Marshall Academy and its progression to college and university status. She also focuses on education in West Virginia. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Miller discusses teaching in Wayne County, West Virginia. She focuses the decor of her classrooms, the number of students, and the typical school day schedule. She also discusses games and recreation played by her students.

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  Oral History Interview: Lucy Quarrier

  Lucy Quarrier

  Lucy Quarrier was a renowned weaver and a member of the Southern Highlands Handicraft Guild. During the Depression, representatives from the state of West Virginia chose Mrs. Quarrier to teach rural women how to weave. She was also an accomplished gardener and used her green thumb to create vegetable dyes for her thread and weaving materials. Mrs. Quarrier taught weaving classes and her pupils became known as “The Lucy Quarrier Weavers.” She showcased her talents at arts and crafts festivals and often gave tutorials during the festivals. In her interview, Mrs. Quarrier discusses how she learned to weave. She focuses on different techniques to making thread and weaving. She also discusses the process of vegetable dying. In the audio clip provided, she discusses her technique for working up a loom using a warp board.

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  Oral History Interview: Bertha May Asbury

  Bertha May Asbury

  Bertha May Asbury was born in 1888 and began attending school in a one-room school house in 1894 at the age of six. She attended school through the ninth grade. She left school at the age of 17 when she began “courtin’” with young men. In her interview, Mrs. Asbury discusses living on Route 4 in Kanawha County, West Virginia. She focuses on food preservation and preparation, planting and harvesting crops, building a new home, going to square dances, and quilting. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Asbury discusses what it was like to attend a square dance. She focuses on how she had to sneak out of the house with her neighbors to attend the dances.

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  Oral History Interview: Forrest Atkinson

  Forrest C. Atkinson

  During his interview, Forrest Atkinson reminisces about growing up on a farm in Cabell County, West Virginia. His father was a tobacco farmer and timber cutter. He focuses on food preservation processes and home entertainment, including music and books. He also focuses on changes in technology during his lifetime. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Atkinson discusses raising and selling tobacco.

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  Oral History Interview: Ethel Barnes

  Eva Ethel Barnes

  Eva Ethel Barnes, who is referred to as Ethel Barnes during her interview, was born on February 25, 1900, in Ivydale, Clay County, West Virginia. She attended a one room school house as a child. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Barnes discusses her education as a child in a one room school house. She focuses on the classroom schedule and her teachers at this school. During her interview she also discusses preserving and preparing food and soap with her mother.

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  Oral History Interview: Frank Brooks

  Frank Brooks

  Frank Brooks was born in Fayette County, WV, but grew up in Carter County, KY, in the early 1900s. He attended a one room school house through the third grade. Mr. Brooks began working in coal mines with his father in Borderland, WV, when he was 13 years old. In the audio clip provided, he discusses his first time in a coal mine. He focuses on how he tried to appear bigger than he was in order to be able to work. In his interview, Mr. Brooks compares and contrasts the labor conditions in the mines before and after unionization. He discusses the mental and physical demands of being a coal miner. He describes using script in the company store and focuses on receiving a ‘red card’ that barred him from buying groceries. Mr. Brooks also focuses on his wages while working in the mines and discusses mine strikes in the 1940s.

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  Oral History Interview: Mildred Brown Gallion

  Mildred Brown Gallion

  Mildred Brown Gallion was born in Charleston, WV, in the early 1900s. During the 1930s and 1940s, Mrs. Gallion served as a nurse for the African-American schools in Kanawha County. Much of her work with children at this time occurred outside of the schools. She investigated and reported overlooked medical issues of school-aged children throughout rural Kanawha County. Mrs. Gallion advocated for equal medical treatment, equipment, and facilities for African-Americans. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Gallion explains how she vocalized her dissent of inadequate medical equipment to serve all of the children of Kanawha County. Mrs. Gallion continued to serve the Kanawha County African-American community as a public health nurse for St. Francis and Charleston General Hospital.

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  Oral History Interview: Dr. Don V. Hatton and Jane Hatton

  Don V. Hatton and Jane Hatton

  Dr. Don V. Hatton was a physician and public health specialist in both West Virginia and Kentucky beginning in the 1930s. During his interview, Dr. Hatton discusses Appalachia and focuses on the definition of the region and what it means to be Appalachian. He also discusses his transition from being a public health specialist focused on preventative medicine to a practicing internal medicine physician. In the audio clip provided, he compares and contrasts his public health work in West Virginia and Kentucky through a focus on physical environment, education, and socioeconomic status. Throughout this interview, Dr. Hatton’s wife, Jane Hatton, provides additional information and clarification on specific events and relatives of the Hatton family.

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  Oral History Interview: Charles R. Knightstep

  Charles R. Knightstep

  Charles Knightstep was born in Jackson County, WV, but resided in Mason County WV, for the majority of his life. Mr. Knightstep reminiscences about his life growing up on a farm. He describes the process of drying fruits and vegetables and burying apples and potatoes for use during the winter. He explains how his grandmother and mother made lye soap, cottage cheese, and apple butter. He also describes courting his wife and visiting her by horse and buggy. Mr. Knightstep worked for the Kanawha and Michigan railroad beginning in 1915, when he was 15 years old. He describes the changes in the railroad industry from 1915 – 1965. During his interview, Mr. Knightstep also focuses on entertainment, games, and childhood pranks. In the audio clip provided, he describes toys he made as a child. He explains how he made whistles out of paw-paw tree limbs and how to find water using tree limbs.

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  Oral History Interview: Beulah McKeand

  Beulah McKeand

  Beulah McKeand grew up in the Ceredo-Kenova area of West Virginia. During her interview, she focuses on her childhood experiences and family history. She discusses working at Abbotts, a store in Huntington, West Virginia. She also focuses on folk medicine, specifically uses for yellow root and ginseng. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. McKeand discusses growing ginseng and the market value for the plant.