Title:

Collection Number:

Physical Description:

Creator:

Repository:

Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee State University

Edith Arnold, Kingsport, TN

Note: Played at 7 1/2 ips because his dau. (Jane) plays several of the instruments during the course of the interview. (Mr. Mize can't play.)

c. moonshine business; population of Cosby

d. growth from small general store to motel

Side 1

f. relates how he got interested in wood working

j. has poor health; at Smithsonian
Folklife project (1976)

l. man (two types)--good boy (like his mother wanted) man's man (learned to swear; drink raw moonshine; hunt; demonstrated that he was a real man)

n. the idiot (feeble-mined one) - his presence resulted in many interesting situations (plots) in mountain fiction; why the idiot in mountain fiction? Mountain families large; inter-marriage; felt responsible for their own; "respected for oracles of wisdom"

o. another character - preacher Mary N. Murfree's Despot of Broomsedge Cove and James Still's River of Earth; wise man; use of dialect

q. few communities in the mountains; people too hard-headed

r. another character--handsome outsider; John Fox, Jr. introduces him; engineer; dressed in a becoming costume, might be a revenuer or working for the RR

r. A. Charles Egbert Craddock (Mary N. Murfree's) Despot of Broomsedge Cove; a novelette by John Fox, Jr. A Mountain Europa and either/or Trail of the Lonesome Pine or The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come; Du Bose Heyward - Angel; Grace Lumpkin's To Make My Bread; Sherwood Anderson's Kit Brandon; James Still's River of Earth (the most honest account in mountain fiction); Jesse Stuart's Tales of Plum Grove Hills; Harriette Arnow's Doll Maker, and other books, Hunter's Horn and Mountain Path and Wilma Dykeman's Tall Woman

s. identifies which were native (mountain) writers; comments about Thomas Wolfe - wasn't consciously trying to be a mountain writer

t. comments about the view of mountain communities toward dancing; individual dances (backstep, clog) permitted; the touching kinds of dancing often led to serious conflicts (murder, knifing, fights); mountain person lived by his emotions; couldn't think abstractly

u. History of the Scotch-Irish--who they were; where they came from; acculturation of the mountain people shaped by them; 50% of blood-stream; ugly names; located along the border of Scotland/England; hardy, daring, accepted the Calvinistic doctrine; followers of Oliver Cromwell & John Knox; moved to N. Ireland because they likely wouldn't compromise with Irish Catholics; had a school system closer to what existed later in U.S.; London merchants ask Parliament for a tax on the N. Ireland linen industry - ruined the industry; by 1730's many seeking passage to America; potato famine; sold themselves into indentureship; tutors; best teachers; made treaties with Indians; came into what became the lost State of Franklin; when Revolution began there were 600,000 on the border (one-fifth of the total population; didn't have to be brain-washed or trained to fight the British; brought books with them into the mountain area; several generation's of children lost the opportunity to attend schools; illiterate by 1880's

v. should be proud of heritage - missionary groups came during early 1900's to establish collegiate-like institutes; helped but shamed the people out of their background; attacked the speech; attempted to prepare the people to leave the mountains; nothing left in the mountains; since ca. 1960 a great effort has been made to preserve the mountain culture

w. stereotype of mountain man; also described by Horace Kephart; Cratis Williams can remember him while he was growing up

x. Q. where did it get started that we always went barefooted? A. we did in the summer; reporters saw us during this time and assumed that we did it year-round; made fictional "hay"

y. assumes the role of a mountain preacher and speaks in the mountain dialect and folk tale (fox and bumble bee)

Topic: "The Depression and It's Effect on Life of a School Teacher"

teachers experienced a depression before the great depression, average factory worker paid more; $50 per year - salary - paid in claims from the state; some merchants gave full value for the claims, others discounted the claims by 50% or more;

d. continued education at ETSU; $15 per qt.; shared books

g. how she planned nutritious meals for her family; raised much of their food; more fortunate than most other teachers

h. commodities were available in Carter County; teachers didn't qualify; wouldn't have accepted them had they been available

j. claims could be reimbursed by money from the state when it came to the county; salary scale varied--some received $5-$10 more than others

k. teachers lucky today in comparison with those times

(retired coal miner)

n. retirement and further work

learned from mother; practical

f. only midwife in area - as far as she knows

i. health department provides eye medicine/slips for birth certificates

m. has delivered two generations in same family

Side 1

b. construction of drawing horse

c. construction of drawing knife

f. making of maple syrup - letting sap run down after 1st warm spell (after winter)

g. construction of furnace and placement of pan; boiling of sap

h. skimming off the foam; help of neighbors

a. early life discussed; where she lives

Side 2

Harry Heaton
P. O. Box 7

a. length of time in business; how he got started

c. change in people--older/retired people now

g. pricing policy; number of employees; freight delivery

h. slowest/fastest months in terms of sales

i. his own boss - enjoys it

j. how credit is arranged

end of interview

Topic: "Snake Canes - Their Construction"

carpenter)

b. father made them; no market then; gave to old folks

c. sanding - hardest part; sassafras wood used

e. method of finishing them; handles put on some

Topic: "Profile of the Cutter Gap Community - Area Where Katherine Marshall gathered material for Christy"

a. introduction of speaker

c. attempts to convert the people by forcing them out of moonshine business

d. looking down on the people of the community

e. K. Marshall returns to area in 1958 to begin gathering material for book

g. medical practices; burial customs

i. Midwifery--chapel women like Christy not familiar with customs

j. tuition at mission school

k. "hogs getting drunk"

l. recognition of characters by people of community

m. use of '8-day' clocks

Topic: "Sulphur Springs Camp Meeting"

a. background - land donation; built by people of the community

c. why called a camp meeting?; each family brought their own food

d. when held--last week of August

e. type of meetings

g. services - their length; support by Methodists

h. clothing - dressed in 'Sunday best'

i. closing comments

a. physical condition - deaf and blind

b. methods of communication

c. former occupation; present activities--small crafts

d. workshop with band saw, drill press, etc.

g. once obtained materials after Unicoi County raids of moonshine stills; purchases other materials

h. income - from woodcrafting

i. hobbies - reading braille books/ magazines

j. has overcome handicap; never has bad day

Topic: "Knoxville's Farmers Market Sixty Years Ago"

a. small boy - remembers taking wagon load of produce to market; owned two farms

b. truck-farming from Florida ruined Knoxville's Market

c. regular market today on Western Avenue

e. sold molasses to Petros (state prison)

end of interview

Topic: "Dating Customs in 1929-30"

c. movies - all silent pictures

d. favorite homes to visit for parties

e. parents at home during dates (fire room - living room)

f. age to begin dating (boys and girls)

g. pie suppers, cake walk, dates at church

h. dates started late; how often one dated

i. clothing worn - special occasions

j. girl's family had to know the boy

k. few parents knew when children got married

l. gifts bought - Christmas

end of interview

Topic: "Coal Mining - Now and Then in Southwest Virginia"

a. brief history; where resided

b. age he went into mines; daily routine in mines

Interviewer:

c. paid according to the number of tons; wages - $5-6 daily

d. mining of coal - use of cutting machine, drilling

f. miners seriously hurt/killed almost every day

g. comparison of mining now and then (late 1930's)

h. safety inspectors tried to find things wrong

i. response to question - are miners dumb?

j. worked in 28" coal

k. salary today

l. United Mine Workers - good or bad?

Topic: "Medical Practice of His Father during the 1920's and 1930's"

a. coming to Lovedale (before Kingsport existed), 1905

c. learned to make fast diagnosis

d. settled in Kingsport (after returning from Petros); interest in prenatal care

g. rural community - with strong ties

h. future? - land too expensive to farm ($5,000-6,000/acre)

"Coal Mining in West Virginia"

a. started working in mines (6/2/1925) when 16 years old

(retired - coal miner - b. 1909)

c. "holy coal" - holes in shovel to permit slack to seep through (lump coal for steel industry)

Side 2 (Mr. Shrewsburg cont)

Interviewer: Sheila Ann Hurst

e. working pillows-loading of coal (highest amount of miners in his mine for last 4 years of operation)

12 Franwill Drive

g. relates two stories about accidents

Spartanburg, SC 29302

end of taped interview

Reminiscences about Scott Community (Greene County, TN)

b. milling - due bill (tokens) for various amounts of flour; owners of the mill

e. how mill was forced to close

d. Cane's Ford community; May "Fresh" of 1901 (flood)

e. farming in the community; schools--length of term; Scoot - today

f. historical events that occurred in area--Civil War days; George Sawyer (relative-once the oldest living resident of Greene Co.)

g. story - stout man who lifted 1000 lb.on his back; logging incident--steam engine rolling on a man's leg; picnic incident - got drunk, locked in 'out house'

h. story - man who could eat so much

"Roots--Her Family History traced from Grandparents who were slaves"

a. born in 1898; grandparents were slaves in Mississippi

b. grandmother(s) were good cooks because of experience in 'big house'

d. father's father (son of slave owner, who was of French, Spanish, Indian, and Negro blood)

e. grandfather stayed on 'master's' plantation after end of war for awhile; worked for Ill. Central RR; farmed

f. Her mother died at early age; raised by mother's sister; German music teacher taught her mother music; family sold eggs/butter to pay for lessons; Lane College

g. grandfather raised her; schooling at Holly Springs, Miss.

h. married; moved to Birmingham; B.S. (1940) from Ala. State College

i. later moved to J.C.; began teaching; M.A. degree from Tenn. State

Mrs. Dwight Willett
801 Vanosdale Drive Knoxville, TN

a. restrictions of a female teacher--less salary than males

d. restrictions - studying in rooms

e. changes she witnessed in dress, habits, behavior

f. how often girls could date

g. applied for position as a house mother--became teacher

d. 1st piece is original ; uses a pattern for additional pieces

e. since retirement 4 years ago - works everyday in summer; for love rather

g. other items he makes; miniature furniture - scale 2 inches to the foot; good finish

h. displayed at Kingsport bank; feature article in Kingsport Times; appeared on Katherine Willis show; no advertizing otherwise - except 'hand to mouth'

end of interview

Side 2

Mrs. Nettie Farthing Younce Johnson City, TN

Reminiscences about Old Butler, Tennessee

a. introduction of speaker

b. uncle went to Holly Springs College

c. describes town of Butler; father owned Beech Mt.; customers at retail store taken to top for camping

d. Watauga Academy (Baptist) lasted until depression

e. 800-900 inhabitants when flooded; RR coming; occupations of residents; farming activities; compared with Jonesboro

f. famous residents of Old Butler

g. effect of having to move (on residents)

h. future of Butler; her teaching career at Old Butler

end of interview

Topic: "Music (Older Styles) from Scott and Grayson Counties, VA"

"Old Joe Clark" - Whitetop Mt. Band

"Did You Ever See the Devil, Uncle Joe?" - Albert Hash, fiddle; Flurry Dowe, banjo; Thornton Spencer, Guitar

"Sugar in the Gourd" (fragment) - Whitetop Mt. Band

"Cumberland Gap" - Albert Hash and above

"Maiden's Prayer" - Whitetop Mt. Band

"Bill Cheathem" - Whitetop Mt. Band

"East Virginia Blues" - same as previous number

"Shortenin' Bread" - same as above

"You Are My Flowe"r - Kenneth Blevins, guitar and Emily Paxton (Spencer), rhythm guitar

"Liberty" - Whitetop Mt. Band

"Mississippi Sawye"r - same as above

"Old Molly Hare" - same as above

"Skip to My Lou" - same as above

"Little Darlin' Pal of Mine" - same as above

"I Never Will Marry" - same as above

"Cacklin' Hen" - Albert Hash

(end of side 1)

Side 2 (Whitetop Mountain Band continued)

"Single Girl, Married Girl" - Whitetop Mountain Band

"Western Country" - Stewart Carico, banjo, Thornton Spencer, fiddle, Emily P. Spencer, Guitar

"Sally Ann" - Stewart Carico and the above

"Big Liza Jane" - Stewart Carico

"What You Gonna Do with the Baby-o?" - Stewart Carico, banjo/vocal

"Step Back Cindy" - Stewart Carico, banjo and dance calling

"Cluck Old Hen" - John Blevins

"Groundhog" - John Blevins

"Shortenin' Bread" - same as above

"John Hardy" - same as above

"Old Molly Hare" - same as above, with Thornton Spencer, fiddle

"Soldier's Joy" (fragment) - same as above

"Black-eyed Susie" - same as above

"Waltz of the Goldenrod" - Thornton Spencer (fiddle ); E. Spencer (guitar)

"Dance All Night With a Bottle in Your Hand" - T. Spencer (fiddle), Flurry Dowe, banjo

"Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie" - T. B. Frazier (guitar/vocal)

"You've Got to Walk that Lonesome Valley" - T. B. Frazier (guitar/vocal)

4. Life on a Hawkins County Farm, Ester Lambert, Rogersville, TN

5. Making and use of lye soap - Mary V. Ensor, Piney Flats, TN

6. Taking up serpents-religious beliefs vs. legal system, Alfred Ball, Newport, TN

7. Difference in old times and modern times - Mrs. D. H. McCracken