Impact of Appalachian Life: The Journey Begins in Austinville, Virginia

Creator: Atwood, Caleb S.

: Atwood, James William

In this project Caleb S. Atwood interviewed his father, James William Atwood of Austinville, Virginia. Mr. Atwood was a coal miner and talked about growing up in a lead mining community, using company money to buy items in a company store in the 1960s, about the history of the town of Austinville, what the lead was used for, how unions impacted the workforce, and the dangers of mining. 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.