The Ruins of Utopia: The Bristol Train Station Project

Creator: Simmons, Grant

: Simon, Peggy

: Slaughter, Arthur

In this project, Grant Simmons interviewed Peggy Simon and Arthur Slaughter to learn more information and to help preserve information their memories of the Bristol train station. This station was at one time very important to the town of Bristol but now has been allowed to fall into disrepair and is all but abandoned. This 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.