Butch Cottrell and a Life Full of Stories: Tales From the Mountains of West Virginia

Creator: Myers, Christy

: Cottrell, Kenneth Eugene

In this project Christy Myers interviewed her grandfather, Kenneth Eugene (Butch) Cottrell at his home in Naoma, West Virginia. Mr. Cottrell told many stories about his life including ones about working in coal mines, growing up in a coal mining community, various house he lived in over the years, hunting, and moonshine. This interview is among projects created by students enrolled in English 446 (initially English 452), “Appalachian Folklore,” 1981-2019, and in graduate level counterparts English 548 and 648 “Appalachian Folk Culture(s)” offered 17 fall semesters between 1987 and 2009. Minimally contain collector’s introduction and analysis, transcribed informant interviews, and excerpted and labeled examples of oral, customary, and/or material folklore/folklife collected primarily within the Appalachian region. Most include also tables of contents, informant information, indexes (outlines) of interviews, photographs, miscellaneous paper items, and indexes of informants, genres, and geographic locations. Accompanying audio recordings (several minutes to 2+ hours). Transferred to McConnell Library Archives & Special Collections from Appalachian Regional and Rural Studies Center, Fall 2013.