Life and Business Remembered by James and Hilda Harmon

Creator: Koutsogiannis, Elizabeth

: Harmon, Hilda

: Harmon James

In this project Elizabeth Koutsogiannis interviewed Hilda and James Harmon about their experiences owning a general store in Floyd County, Virginia. During the interview, the Harmons talked about various products they carried, “loafers” spending time at the store, dynamite, getting in trouble for selling too much sugar to someone who was making moonshine, and working with and buying from local farmers. 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.