The Legend of Willie Jack: Oral Traditions of Camp Alta Mons

Creator: Trear, Kelley

: Giesy, Robert

: Dulaney, Angie

: Lenoir, Barry

: Hill, Jenny

: Hill, Jeff

: Craig, Laura

: Houchins, John

In this project, Kelley Trear reflects on her many years of attending and participating at Camp Alta Mons in Shawsville, Virginia. While reflecting on the camp she decided to focus her project on a ghost story associated with it and chose that as the topic of this project- Willie Jack. Ms. Trear interviewed several people and conducted research to learn more about Willie Jack and found that he was a real person and that his story had been altered over the years by each who told it in the way ghost stories often are. 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.