Agriculture
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The first settlers of Appalachia were farmers, and, until recent times, agriculture remained the primary means of livelihood in the region. The tie between the Appalachian and the land is thus enduring and deep. Materials on the various aspects of farming and farm life, as well as agriculture's impact on the region and the residents is available to researchers in the collections of the Archives of Appalachia.
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Manuscripts
Appalachian Farm Photographs
Sixty black and white photographs depict aspects of farming and rural life in the region.
Bowman Family Papers
Includes letters (c. 1860) from Benjamin Bowman in Texas to family members in Washington Co., Tenn., describing farming conditions and drought in Texas.
Brabson Family Papers
Includes day books and ledgers regarding agricultural activity and the operation of a rural general store (c. 1860s-70s), as well as land transactions in Washington Co., Tenn.
Broadside Television, Inc. Collection
Includes the videotape documentary "Hard Row to Hoe" about the changing farm situation in East Tennessee, as well as footage on tobacco growing and harvesting, food cooperatives, the effects of strip mining on farming, soil, nutrition and food preparation/preservation, hog killing, the Appalachian District Fair, and the Telford, Tenn. cannery.
Broylesville Flour Mill Records
Contains ledgers, receipt books, a day book, price lists, order forms, an advertisement documenting the operation of the Washington Co., Tenn., mill between 1912-52.
Burton-Manning Collection
Includes audio recordings of individuals relating anecdotes of farming and rural life such as herb gathering, planting by the signs, and harvesting crops, among others.
Congress for Appalachian Development/Gordon Ebersole Collection
Includes government reports on agriculture in Appalachia, as well as material related to the Farmers Home Administration, terraced farming, government farm programs, food programs, crops, and the environment.
David Diehl Collection
Contains an account book (1850-82) recording Diehl's activities as a farmer and cooper in the Pleasant Valley community of Washington Co., Tenn.
John Wesley Garland Papers
Includes directions on wool dyeing.
Charles Gunter, Jr. Collection
Includes recorded interviews of individuals discussing such topics as farm life in Hawkins Co., Tenn., the making of lye soap, farming techniques and equipment, food preparation and canning, horsetrading, making molasses and maple syrup, hog killing, milling, and the Knoxville, Tenn. farmer's market.
Frederick S. Heiskell Papers
Includes material on the pedigrees of farm animals, farm prices and clippings on agricultural topics in the mid-19th century, and a report on agricultural production in East Tennessee (c. 1857).
Human Economic Appalachian Development Corporation Collection
Papers include material on small farms in Appalachia.
Johnson City Press Newsclippings Collection
Includes newspaper clippings related to agriculture and farming (1980s).
John A. Jones Almanac Collection
Consists of 93 almanacs (1849-1920) published by a variety of American companies. Topics in almanacs include farming, planting by the signs, health, medicine, folklore, and the weather.
Mildred S. Kozsuch Photograph Collection
Includes photographs in Washington Co., Tenn. of farm animals and farm buildings, as well as the making of apple butter.
Lewis Family Papers
Includes an account book (1890-95) of the Lewis family store in the Stoney Creek community of Carter Co., Tenn., which contains a listing of accounts for members of the community's Farmers and Laborers Union.
Kenneth M. Murray Photographs
Includes contemporary photographs of agriculture and farm life in southern Appalachia, including such topics as farm animals, farmers markets, country stores, molasses making, mowing, plowing, tobacco growing, and other rural scenes.
William Henley Nelson Family Papers
Includes business correspondence documenting Nelson's activities as a farmer in Carter Co., Tenn. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as photographs of the Nelson family farm.
Robert Peplies Papers
Includes lectures, course work, soil surveys, and maps related to such topics as barn types, soil structures, topography, drainage, climate, and vegetation.
B. Carroll Reece Papers
Contains correspondence and newsclippings concerning the Agriculture Adjustment Agency (1946-48).
Robert M. Shank Collection
Includes Shank's farm account book (1899-c. 1949) documenting his activities as a farmer in Sullivan Co., Tenn., including the purchase and sale of agricultural products.
Sing Along With Appalachia Collection
Prints and negatives depict various aspects of life in what became the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, including scenes of food preparation, soap making, plowing, and leather tanning, and other aspects of farm life.
Appalachian Photographic Archive
The Appalchian Photographic Archives includes the following subjects: Agriculture; Domestic Animals; Farm Life; Field Crops; Food Preservation; Molasses Making.
Appalachian Vertical Files
Includes files on the following subjects: Agriculture-Tennessee; Barns; Washington County Agricultural & Mechanical Society; Washington County Fair Association.
Suggested Reading from Special Collections
The following is a list of selected titles relating to agriculture. For a complete listing, consult Sherrod Library Online Catalog.
Ager, John Curtis. We Plow Gods Fields: the life of James G. K. McClure. 1991.
Arcury, Thomas A. Greater Appalachian Regional Databank (GARD): agricultural change in the Mountain South at the turn of the century. 1989.
Ash, Stephen V. Meet Me at the Fair: a pictorial history of the Tennessee Valley Agricultural & Industrial Fair. 1985.
Berry, Wendell. The Gift of Good Land. 1981.
Brehm, Cloide E. Tennessee...facts about soil, climate, rainfall, agriculture, industry, education and other desirable living conditions. 1926.
Clark, Blanche Henry. The Tennessee Yeomen, 1840- 1860. 1942.
Clark, Thomas Dionysius. Agrarian Kentucky. c. 1977.
Killebrew, J. B. Introduction to the Resources of Tennessee. 1874.
Lovingood, Paul E. Emerging Patterns in the Southern Highlands: a reference atlas. c. 1985.
Wengert, Norman I. Valley of Tomorrow: the TVA and agriculture. 1952.
Winters, Donald L. Tennessee Farming, Tennessee Farmers: antebellum agriculture in the Upper South. 1994.
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