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�The Barter Theatre Story
L o v e Made Visible
b y Mark Dawidziak
���The Appalachian Consortium was a non-profit educational organization
composed of institutions and agencies located in Southern Appalachia. From
1973 to 2004, its members published pioneering works in Appalachian studies
documenting the history and cultural heritage of the region. The Appalachian
Consortium Press was the first publisher devoted solely to the region and many of
the works it published remain seminal in the field to this day.
With funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National
Endowment for the Humanities through the Humanities Open Book Program,
Appalachian State University has published new paperback and open access
digital editions of works from the Appalachian Consortium Press.
www.collections.library.appstate.edu/appconsortiumbooks
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license. To view a
copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses.
Original copyright © 1982 by the Appalachian Consortium Press.
ISBN (pbk.: alk. Paper): 978-1-4696-3813-3
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-4696-3815-7
Distributed by the University of North Carolina Press
www.uncpress.org
�Dedication
For Sara,
For always, forever
�This page intentionally left blank
�FOREWORD
It is with pleasure that I commend this book to you.
It is fitting that THIS book is being published at THIS time. A history of Barter
Theatre at a time when Barter Theatre has just completed its 50th —its Golden
Anniversary—season
of service, a time when Barter Theatre is at a peak period
in the artistic quality of its productions and a time when Barter Theatre has ex
panded
into a year round operation,
serving not only the
Virginia
Highlands /East Tennessee region of Appalachia in the spring, summer and fall,
but now also serving Northern Virginia with a winter season in Fairfax and other
parts of Virginia and surrounding states with an early spring touring season.
It is fitting also that THIS book is primarily about THE MAN, Robert Porterfield, and his association with Barter Theatre, for Barter Theatre was Robert
Porterfield in its conception and during its developing years. For forty of its fifty
years, Bob - "Mr. P." - put it all together. He produced, directed,
designed,
acted, promoted Barter Theatre. He gathered together 'Friends of Barter," a
strong Board of Directors, a Board of Visitors. He attracted financial support and
political support. Barter was named "The State Theatre of Virginia."
And,
before his death, the continuity of Barter Theatre was assured by the creation of
Barter Foundation, Inc. to set policy, hold the assets, employ management
and
assist in financing the theatre. Barter Theatre was and still is Bob Porterfield's
creation.
Neither Bob Porterfield nor Barter Theatre achieved preeminence easily. For
Barter Theatre, in a town of 5,000 persons, to survive for 50 years — longer than
any other professional, regional repertory theatre in the United States; for it to
compete for actors, directors, and designers with more than forty other regional
professional theatres, all from metropolitan areas of over 300,000
population,
has required monumental
effort. It has required and has received financial,
moral and physical help from hundreds of supporters from throughout
the
United States.
Barter still faces problems. There is never enough money. Gasoline prices
and shortages, tight county, state and federal budgets for the arts, business
recession, adverse weather, all present problems which must be overcome but
Barter has survived and with careful planning and care will survive to fulfill
Barter Theatre's pledge "to combat the evils that would destroy the culture and
enlightenment of the world by giving the best of its strength and devotion to the
cause of truth, beauty and spiritual nourishment of the human soul."
Fifty years is a good plateau from which to review the
past—beginnings,
struggles, successes, problems and progress —and to resolve the
future—new
challenges, new dreams, new effort. This book gives us this 50 year look at
Barter Theatre. You will enjoy reading it and Barter Theatre will benefit from
your knowing it more intimately.
For the Board of Directors,
The Barter Foundation, Inc.
December, 1982
Fillmore McPherson, J r . , President
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�Table of Contents
Selected Q u o t e s
Introduction
C h a p t e r O n e : Setting a n d S c e n e
Chapter T w o : Curtain U p
C h a p t e r T h r e e : T d Rather Entertain S o u l s "
Chapter Four: H a m For Hamlet
Chapter Five: M r . P
C h a p t e r S i x : T h e Stars of Barter
C h a p t e r S e v e n : C h a n g e s at Barter
C h a p t e r Eight: T a l k i n g W i t h O w e n
C h a p t e r N i n e : T h e G h o s t s of Barter
C h a p t e r T e n : A D a y in October
C h a p t e r E l e v e n : T h e Partington Y e a r s
C h a p t e r T w e l v e : T h e Importance of B e i n g Barter
A p p e n d i x A : A C o d e of Ethics for P e o p l e in the Theatre
A p p e n d i x B : T h e A i m s a n d Purposes of the Barter Theatre
A p p e n d i x C : T h e Barter Theatre A w a r d
Appendix D : Awards and Honors
Bibliography a n d Resources
xi
xiii
3
8
16
21
29
47
71
89
93
99
103
113
117
118
119
120
121
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�xi
Selected
Quotes
W o r k is love m a d e visible. A n d if y o u cannot w o r k with love but only with dis
taste, it is better that y o u s h o u l d leave your work, a n d sit at the gate of the
temple a n d take alms from those w h o work with j o y .
— K a h i l G i b r a n (quote used for
Robert Porterfield: A Memorial)
The m a n with a n e w idea is a crank, until the idea succeeds.
—Mark Twain
bar*ter (barter) verb. T o exchange goods or services without using m o n e y .
T o traffic or trade by exchanging o n e c o m m o d i t y for another.
Not only will actors benefit from a s u m m e r in Virginia but the towns nearby will
have B r o a d w a y brought to their very doors.
—Big Stone Gap Post editorial, 1 9 3 3 .
A d m i s s i o n Price: 3 0 cents or the equivalent in rations. B r i n g us h o n e y , fresh
eggs, fresh vegetables, hams a n d other edibles.
— 1 9 3 3 Advertisement for the Barter
Theatre's first s h o w .
The Barter Theatre was f o u n d e d by Robert Porterfield during the depression of
1932.
The original idea of the Barter Theatre was to bring together the hungry actor
and the farmer with a surplus of p r o d u c e .
The Barter Theatre of V i r g i n i a , Inc. serves as a non-profit, educational a n d
cultural experiment for the purpose of giving the people of Virginia a n d its
m a n y guest tourists a n opportunity to observe some of the works of the
world's most distinguished playwrights performed by competent artists.
The Barter Theatre pledges itself to combat the evils that w o u l d destroy culture
and enlightenment of the w o r l d by giving the best of its strength a n d devotion
to the cause of truth, beauty a n d spiritual nourishment of the h u m a n soul.
—Plaque in front of the
Barter Theatre.
There's something about this place that keeps drawing y o u back.
—director O w e n Phillips
I think Barter has c o n t i n u e d so extremely well because the spirit hasn't changed.
—set designer L y n n Pecktal
If y a ' like us, talk about us. If y a ' don't, jes keep y a ' m o u t h shut!
—Traditional e n d i n g to Robert
Porterfield's curtain speech.
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�xiii
Introduction
T h e arts have always been the realm of long shots, impossible dreams a n d
unrelenting innovators. F r o m the impoverished writer plugging away at a n o v e l
or a play to the persevering actor w h o p o u n d s the N e w Y o r k pavement waiting
for the " b i g " break, the artists, dancers, singers, composers, writers, musicians,
comedians a n d actors strive in professions w h i c h dictate the most improbable of
odds.
Just to exist day to day, these single-minded professionals must continue to
tap a n inexhaustable reservoir of belief: belief in the significance of their work, in
their o w n talent, a n d in the future. It is a w o r l d where a nicely w o r d e d rejection
becomes a comfort or a reason to h o p e .
In the small Southwest Virginia t o w n of A b i n g d o n there stands a shrine to this
u n c o m p r o m i s i n g belief in dreams a n d the importance of cultural enrichment. It's
called the Barter Theatre a n d its beginnings trace back to the bleakest of all eras
for A m e r i c a a n d the theatre as an institution—the Depression.
T h e Barter story encompasses m a n y stories. It deals with a training g r o u n d
that Fritz W e a v e r calls "the best possible for y o u n g actors." It tells h o w a state
government c a n give a n d receive m u c h by supporting the arts. It reflects
changes a n d developments in the A m e r i c a n theater. It is an integral part of the
growth of regional or "decentralized" theater. B u t , more than anything else, it is
the delightful success story of a m a n a n d an idea.
Barter's reputation h a d m o r e than quietly preceded itself to W a s h i n g t o n ,
D . C . , where I was w o r k i n g as a journalist in 1 9 7 8 . W h e n informed that I h a d ac
cepted the post of Arts Editor with the Bristol Herald-Courier,' several of m y
m o r e experienced colleagues wagged their heads k n o w i n g l y a n d said, "That
means you'll be covering the Barter Theatre."
C o n s e q u e n t l y , I arrived in Bristol—some 15 miles from A b i n g d o n a n d
located o n the Virginia-Tennessee border—determined to learn all I c o u l d about
the Barter Theatre. First step, the local library.
" L e t me have y o u r history of the Barter Theatre," I asked.
" D o y o u k n o w the title or author?"
" N o , but whatever it is shouldn't be too difficult to track d o w n , " I assured the
helpful librarian.
Several minutes later I was informed that they h a d n o such v o l u m e o n their
shelves. W e l l , I thought, mildly surprised, it's just a small local library. I should
have better luck at the W a s h i n g t o n C o u n t y Library in A b i n g d o n . After the above
scene was repeated, it all started to sink i n . N o one h a d yet published a history of
this unique theater.
Still, there was certainly n o desire to b e c o m e Barter's "biographer." That
came after a year of watching, listening a n d learning about Barter a n d its colorful
founder, Robert Porterfield, first with the Herald-Courier,
then as the critic a n d
entertainment writer for the Kingsport
Times-News.
�xiv
T h e Barter Theatre Story
First, it just s e e m e d like a great story to tell. T h e n a few intriguing questions
p o p p e d u p . Just about any V i r g i n i a tourism pamphlet will tell y o u that Barter is
the country's longest-running professional resident theater staging plays in
A m e r i c a ' s s e c o n d oldest theater structure (only the W a l n u t Street Theatre in
P h i l a d e l p h i a is older). Others m a y tell y o u that the likes of E d w i n B o o t h , J o s e p h
Jefferson a n d F a y T e m p l e t o n appeared o n that A b i n g d o n stage. A n d there are
plenty of references to tell y o u that Robert Porterfield c a m e u p with the idea of
trading foodstuff for tickets in order to feed hungry actors. Y e s , the w h o s ,
wheres a n d w h e n s were fairly well d o c u m e n t e d . It was the h o w s a n d w h y s that
interested m e .
H o w d i d this quaint little theater again a n d again turn out such famous names
as H u m e C r o n y n , F r a n k L o v e j o y , G r e g o r y P e c k , Patricia N e a l , Margaret
Phillips, L a r r y Gates, Margaret W y c h e r l y , Ernest B o r g n i n e , Herbert N e l s o n ,
Elizabeth W i l s o n , C l a u d e A k i n s , Fritz W e a v e r , D a v i d (Al) H e d i s o n , G r a n t
Williams, R o s e m a r y M u r p h y , D i a n e C i l e n t o , N e d Beatty, Robert Pastene,
G e r o m e R a g n i , G a r y C o l l i n s , M i t c h R y a n , Larry Linville, D a v i d B i r n e y , R i c h a r d
Sanders a n d D a v i d Selby? H o w d i d such a theater survive the Depression in a n
area with little cultural heritage to speak of to b e c o m e a heralded e x a m p l e of
decentralized theater at its best? W h y was the Barter chosen as the first state
theater in the country?
After collecting a n ungainly mass of notes, clippings, interviews a n d research,
it took quite s o m e time to get a firm grasp o n the story I wanted to tell. T h e
meticulous study of scrapbooks a n d microfilm gave me the skeleton of m y w o r k .
T h e interviews a n d countless pictures p r o v i d e d the flesh a n d b l o o d . Fortunately,
B o b Porterfield left b e h i n d m a n y friends a n d a wealth of write-ups that slowly
p i e c e d together answers to those perplexing questions.
T h r o u g h o u t the research, h o w e v e r , I w o r r i e d about m y perspective; a d i l e m
m a that I'm glad to report eventually brought m e full circle. W h i l e the months of
g r o u n d w o r k were g o i n g by, I was a w e d by the e n o r m o u s a n d seemingly endless
mine of Barter history. A s the research drew to a close, I realized anew what I had
felt at the very start—this is o n e terrific story. I h o p e I've d o n e it justice.
Fair w a r n i n g : the w o r k before y o u m a y often read like a fairy tale. That's as it
s h o u l d be, for Barter's record is not only a legacy of g o o d theater; it's the stuff
g o o d theater is m a d e of. T h e r e are n o pretensions of this being a scholarly ac
count of the Barter Theatre or the definitive biography of B o b Porterfield. In
stead, m y intention is to effect a style that w o u l d , I think, have pleased M r . P .
T h e spirit of Barter is not a dusty litany of names a n d dates. O h , there are
passages about the actual practice of Barter, a n d the social conditions that
s p a w n e d this distinctive theater, a n d its impact o n the Southwest V i r g i n i a - U p p e r
East Tennessee area, a n d B o b ' s contributions to the m o v e m e n t for "decentraliz
e d " theater, a n d n u m e r o u s other worthy aspects that I h o p e will p r o v e valuable
to the students of A m e r i c a n theater. Still, Barter is first a n d foremost what car
ing, literate theater is all about, a n d this story will be told as entertainingly as
possible.
�Introduction
xv
M o v i n g into its 50th year of p r o v i d i n g invaluable experience to aspiring per
formers, Barter is a living, growing m o n u m e n t to its founder, w h o started his
theater with little m o r e than a daring concept, a knack for p r o m o t i o n , a wealth of
S o u t h e r n c h a r m , a n d 2 2 starving actors.
T o k e e p these chapters from turning into a dry collection of data, I've tried to
sprinkle the narrative with representative Barter fables a n d legends. In addition
to being reflective of B o b a n d his theater, they give a true feeling for each. O n
the w h o l e , footnotes tend to be distracting while lending unnecessary weight to a
v o l u m e . D e t e r m i n e d to a v o i d this plague, a n extended list of acknowledgements
follows; a chronicle of the m a n y w h o willingly volunteered hours of time to
pause a n d reminisce, w a r m l y c o n v e y i n g thoughts, memories, ideas, anecdotes
a n d emotions. A m o r e technical c o m p e n d i u m of sources a n d a bibliography can
be f o u n d in the rear.
First a n d most affectionately, I acknowledge m y debt to O w e n Phillips, the
m a n w h o was a "brother" to B o b a n d a "godfather" to this w o r k . O w e n not only
gave this b o o k encouragement, he p r o v i d e d the contagious enthusiasm that
must have been effused by M r . P himself.
M y deep gratitude is also extended to M r s . M a r y D u d l e y Porterfield, a genial,
reassuring a n d gracious contributor. M y time at the family estate, T w i n O a k s ,
p r o v i d e d as m u c h a feeling for the m a n as his theater itself. H e r unaffected m a n
ner a n d personal accounts of B o b supplied a perfect c o m p l e m e n t to the time
spent in libraries a n d newspapers.
H e a d i n g the list of friends a n d advisors to this narrative are R e x Partington,
the current artistic d i r e c t o r / p r o d u c e r of the Barter Theatre, a n d Pearl Hayter,
business manager a n d guardian of the m a n y Barter scrapbooks. Frequently dur
ing a n interview, s o m e o n e w o u l d ask with a wistful smile, " Y o u didn't k n o w
B o b , d i d y o u ? " A d m i t t e d l y , this was m y greatest handicap. H o w e v e r , through
these f o u r — O w e n , M a r y D u d l e y , R e x a n d Pearl—I almost get the feeling I d i d
know him.
F o r their advice a n d friendship, m y thanks to Barter publicity director L o u
Flanigan, L y n n Pecktal a n d F r a n k L o w e .
A l t h o u g h n o b o o k has ever been published o n the Barter Theatre, m y w a y
was well blazoned by two exhaustive theses. T h e first A n n e St. Clair Williams'
painstakingly detailed 1 9 7 0 doctoral thesis, Robert Porterfield's Barter Theatre
of Abingdon,
Virginia, a n indispensable survey a n d analysis. Affectionately
k n o w n as "the R e d B o o k , " St. Clair's effort is "the" definitive chronicle of Barter
events up to B o b ' s death. It's a shame her thesis hasn't c o m e to popular light.
L u c k i l y for m e , w e d i d manage to c o n s u m e several cups of coffee while
brainstorming about Barter. F o r o n c e , I shut up a n d listened. A s Barter's
historian, m a n y of her c o m m e n t s are i n c l u d e d . T h e second thesis is A Survey of
the Attitudes of the Abingdon Community
Toward Barter Theatre by Teresa
Diane Keller, w h o also consented to be interviewed about her research a n d the
time she spent w o r k i n g in the Barter's publicity office.
It w o u l d be impossible to list all those w h o furnished bits of information a n d
�xvi
The Barter Theatre Story
vital pieces of Barter history, but special thanks are gratefully extended to H u m e
C r o n y n , Fritz W e a v e r , N e d Beatty, C l a u d e A k i n s , Mitch R y a n , D a v i d Selby,
B o b G a l l i c o , C l e o H o l l a d a y , M r s . O w e n (Ruth) Phillips, Jeff M e r e d i t h , Betsy
G r a h a m , W o o d y V a n c e , B e c k y R o s e , L i l y L o d g e , Russell G o l d , L e t a B o n y n g e ,
F . L e o n a r d Darby, D a v i d M . L o h o e f e r , A n n B u c k l e s , Peter C u l m a n a n d H a r r y
Ellerbe.
A l s o grateful thanks to the Kingsport
Times-News,
the Bristol
HeraldCourier, a n d the Washington
County News for the use of their files a n d
resources.
I h o p e they all liked talking to me about B o b a n d Barter a n d , together, I h o p e
we can get s o m e more people talking about it.
Mark Dawidziak
�The Barter Theatre Story
Love Made Visible
Perhaps the most famous picture of Robert
Porterfield,
this warm study shows Barter's founder sitting
among the seats from the Empire Theatre, each
bearing an ornate needlepoint '£'.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
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�3
Chapter One: Setting and Scene
A n y g o o d piece of theater s h o u l d adequately set the time a n d place.
T h e Great D e p r e s s i o n — 1 9 3 3 .
It was n o time to be a n aspiring actor in N e w Y o r k . T h e Depression h a d
reached its lowest ebb.
S i n c e the early part of the century, the A m e r i c a n theater h a d b e c o m e i n
creasingly centralized in a n area of M a n h a t t a n k n o w n as B r o a d w a y . Indeed,
" T h e Great W h i t e W a y " has established itself alongside B e r l i n , Paris a n d L o n
d o n as a n international cultural capital. T o m a n y , the A m e r i c a n theater a n d
B r o a d w a y were s y n o n y m o u s . S o , w h e n the country's e c o n o m i c collapse ravag
e d the city, the toll was dearly felt o n the A m e r i c a n theater as an institution.
W i t h fewer dollars to be spent, ticket sales p l u m m e t e d along with the number
of productions. B r o a d w a y producers a n d managers, natural speculators in the
stock market, h a d suffered e n o r m o u s losses a n d few chances were being taken
o n either n e w playwrights or performers. S o m e producers, such as S a m Harris
a n d the Schuberts, m a n a g e d to weather the storm. Others, notably A r t h u r H a m merstein a n d A . H . W o o d s , declared bankruptcy. F l o Zigfield, o n e of
B r o a d w a y ' s greatest names, was w i p e d out.
" N o w a d a y s , " went c o m e d i a n E d d i e Cantor's o m i n o u s observation after the
Stock Market crashed, " w h e n a m a n walks into a hotel a n d requests a r o o m o n
the 19th floor, the clerk asks h i m , ' F o r sleeping or jumping?' "
C a n t o r h a d little reason to laugh. H e was only o n e in a legion of B r o a d w a y
actors, playwrights, directors a n d producers w h o h a d literally lost entire fortunes
overnight. T h e walking w o u n d e d i n c l u d e d such prominent theatrical figures as
Harris, G e o r g e S. K a u f m a n , A l e x a n d e r Woollcott, Irving Berlin, G r o u c h o M a r x
a n d M a x G o r d o n . G r o u c h o w o u l d later recall with m o r e than just a t o u c h of bit
terness h o w he starred in the "Follies of 1 9 2 9 . "
M o v i e s — m o t i o n pictures, films, the flickers, talkies—were a cheaper a n d
m o r e productive form of entertainment, a n d B r o a d w a y , V a u d e v i l l e a n d the
legitimate theater felt the impact of this rising popularity.
Stars a n d "big n a m e s , " h o w e v e r , c o u l d easily l a u n c h into n e w projects a n d
recoup their losses. A s galling or demoralizing as the loss of personal fortunes
were to B r o a d w a y ' s elite, they h a d o n e financial advantage—their reputations. It
was the rank a n d file actor w h o was particularly hard hit. T h e words " B u d d y ,
C a n Y o u Spare a D i m e ? " s e e m e d to s u m up the stark city environment of
breadlines a n d corner applecarts run by former W a l l Street wizards.
A u t h o r a n d columnist H e y w o o d B r o u n , deeply disturbed by the growing
deprivation in the B r o a d w a y sector, h e l p e d p r o d u c e a revue to benefit out-of-
�4
T h e Barter Theatre Story
work troupers. Despite the affable writer's sincere intentions, Shoot the Works
h a d a short r u n a n d d i d little to help the u n e m p l o y e d actor.
O n a more practical level, the Stage Relief F u n d desperately tried to cope
with alarming u n e m p l o y m e n t . B y 1 9 3 3 , the Actor's D i n n e r C l u b h a d been set
up in the basement of N e w Y o r k ' s U n i o n Methodist C h u r c h to offer balanced
meals to less fortunate thespians. Y e a r s later, B o b Porterfield w o u l d recall taking
advantage of these cheap meals a n d the opportunity to trade shop-talk with his
fellow actors.
Still, in spite of all the grim developments, 1 9 3 3 brought the first real reason
for h o p e since the crash of '29—better k n o w n in theatrical circles by the Variety
headline, " W a l l St. L a y s A n E g g . " A l t h o u g h the country w o u l d never really pull
out of the Depression until W o r l d W a r II stimulated the e c o n o m y , the inaugura
tion of Franklin D e l a n o Roosevelt as 3 2 n d president m a d e m a n y feel that "hap
p y days" were i n d e e d here again.
Roosevelt declared a bank holiday o n e day after his M a r c h 4 inauguration
c e r e m o n y a n d set the N R A into action. C o m p a r e d to Herbert H o o v e r ' s quiet
brand of leadership, this whirlwind of activity gave the nation a sense of
recovery.
It was 1 9 3 3 a n d a still u n k n o w n novelist n a m e d J o h n Steinbeck h a d publish
e d a p o o r l y received w o r k titled, T o A God Unknown. G r o u c h o , H a r p o , C h i c o
a n d Z e p p o released their last film as " T h e F o u r M a r x Brothers," a wild satire o n
war c o n c o c t e d by Bert K a l m a r a n d H a r r y R u b y , Duck Soup. Perhaps their
greatest film, it too was trounced by the critics.
Tobacco Road, a shocking play of h u m a n degradation, became the talk of
B r o a d w a y , while t w o of N e w Y o r k ' s wickedest wits, Messrs. K a u f m a n a n d
Woollcott, t e a m e d up for the disappointing The Dark Tower.
R i c h a r d R o d g e r s a n d L o r e n z H a r t h a d temporarily left B r o a d w a y for s o m e
lucrative m o v i e offers. H o l l y w o o d h a d stepped up its efforts to p r o v i d e escapist
entertainment to a Depression-weary nation a n d in 1 9 3 3 . . . s k i n n y S t a n L a u r e l
a n d tubby Oliver H a r d y sneaked off to the Sons of the Desert c o n v e n t i o n , telling
their wives they were g o i n g to H a w a i i for their health. M e a n w h i l e , King Kong
carried the lovely F a y W r a y to the top of the E m p i r e State B u i l d i n g ; C l a u d e
Rains p u l l e d his disappearing act in The Invisible Man; W a l t Disney was
delighting audiences with an average of two M i c k e y M o u s e cartoons each
month; W a l l a c e B e e r y a n d Marie Dressier recaptured their wonderful Min and Bill
chemistry with Tugboat Annie; premiere B r o a d w a y dancer F r e d Astaire m a d e
his film debut opposite J o a n C r a w f o r d , C l a r k G a b l e , a n d the T h r e e Stooges in
Dancing Lady; F r a n k C a p r a , a former g a g m a n for M a c k Sennett, garnered
s o m e increased respect as a director with his Lady for a Day; J a m e s C a g n e y
s h o w e d he was more than just a tough-guy gangster type by tap d a n c i n g his w a y
through Footlight Parade; a n d sultry M a e West sang " A G u y W h a t T a k e s H i s
T i m e " in She Done Him Wrong, a spoof w h i c h co-starred a n u p - a n d - c o m i n g
Cary Grant.
F o r those w h o preferred to stay at h o m e for their entertainment, Kate S m i t h ,
�Setting and Scene
5
R u d y V a l l e e a n d P a u l W h i t e m a n m a d e u p the vanguard of radio's musical stars,
with A m o s n ' A n d y , E d W y n n a n d F r e d A l l e n offering h u m o r o u s interludes, a n d
C l e m M c C a r t h y a n d M e l A l l e n handling the sportscasting duties.
Golfing great B o b b y J o n e s was in A u g u s t a , G e o r g i a , laying the foundation
for a tournament that w o u l d eventually draw international attention. It w o u l d be
called simply, T h e Masters. A pathetic Italian giant n a m e d P r i m o C a m e r a , o w n
e d a n d manipulated by the m o b , sat o n the heavyweight b o x i n g throne. T h e
most inept of all c h a m p i o n s , he w o u l d be k n o c k e d to the canvas eleven times
the following year against an o p p o n e n t "the boys" c o u l d not buy off: M a x B a e r .
Baseball was still the national pastime a n d the N e w Y o r k Y a n k e e s its premiere
team, although the year before seemed to be the last truly great season for the
B r o n x B o m b e r s of R u t h , G e h r i g a n d D i c k e y .
A survey revealed that reading h a d b e c o m e A m e r i c a ' s favorite form of
recreation. R a d i o p l a c e d s e c o n d , while films ran third. A l t h o u g h entertainment
a n d sports thrived in a nation escaping the harsh realities of the Depression,
there were e n o u g h fads a n d headlines to capture the country's imagination.
Jigsaw puzzles became a fad in 1 9 3 3 , along with long fingernails popularized
by M a r l e n e Dietrich. C o l u m n i s t s ruled the newspaper w o r l d , with Walter W i n chell, Westbrook Pegler, B r o u n a n d Franklin Pierce A d a m s leading the pack.
A n d a n e w weekly news magazine, appropriately titled Newsweek,
hit the
stands with its breezy, s u m m a r y format.
Prohibition was repealed in 1 9 3 3 a n d the "great experiment" was relegated
to a select list of notorious historical failures.
T h e m a n behind the k i d n a p p i n g a n d murder of the L i n d b e r g h baby a year
earlier was still at large, as was J o h n Dillinger. In N e w Y o r k , mobster D u t c h
Schultz was recklessly continuing his ill-fated rise to p o w e r . S o m e w h a t more
calculating, C h a r l e s " L u c k y " L u c i a n o was figuring out a w a y to put the "organiz
e d " into "organized c r i m e . "
A m a n with a C h a r l i e C h a p l i n moustache h a d consolidated his p o w e r in G e r
m a n y to the point of total authority. W i t h G e r m a n y under his thumb, A d o l f
Hitler w o u l d s o o n l o o k to other countries to c o n q u e r . O n another continent,
J a p a n reached out to invade the area of C h i n a k n o w n as M a n c h u r i a , setting into
m o t i o n the series of events that w o u l d culminate in W o r l d W a r II.
A n d into this atmosphere of a w o r l d e x p l o d i n g with change in 1 9 3 3 , the
Barter Theatre o p e n e d its doors in A b i n g d o n , a t o w n rapid change h a d passed
by....
A b i n g d o n : one of the oldest communities in the Southwest region of
Virginia. It first appeared o n a m a p by surveyor T h o m a s L e w i s as " B u r k e s
G a r d e n . " T h e site was r e n a m e d by n o less than D a n i e l B o o n e , w h o c a m p e d
there during his first trip westward about 1 7 6 0 . A c c o r d i n g to legend, B o o n e a n d
his c o m p a n i o n , Nathaniel G i s t — w h o were forging the famed "Wilderness Trail"
to K e n t u c k y — m a d e c a m p at a spring near where the present county jail is
located, only to have their dogs attacked by a wolf pack from a nearby cave. T h e
wolves' d e n at the crest of a hill is n o w the location of the C a v e H o u s e , a well-
�6
T h e Barter Theatre Story
k n o w n local l a n d m a r k . A b i n g d o n ' s first official n a m e thus b e c a m e W o l f H i l l .
S i n c e W o l f H i l l naturally b e c a m e a "crossroads to the W e s t , " a n actual village
was quickly established, complete with a c h u r c h . B u t the very first building
erected was a p o w d e r magazine, later a courthouse leveled by N o r t h e r n troops
in 1 8 6 4 . W h e n a fort was constructed in 1 7 7 6 o n C a p t a i n J o s e p h B l a c k ' s farm,
W o l f H i l l b e c a m e B l a c k ' s F o r t — a distribution point for mail a n d supplies. A n d ,
that same year, the V i r g i n i a G e n e r a l A s s e m b l y n a m e d the settlement the seat of
the newly established W a s h i n g t o n C o u n t y , n a m e d after the general from
V i r g i n i a early in the struggle for independence a n d long before he was
a c k n o w l e d g e d as " T h e Father of his C o u n t r y . " T h e G e n e r a l A s s e m b l y also
c h a n g e d the n a m e of B l a c k ' s Fort to A b i n g d o n in October, 1 7 7 8 .
S o m e feel the n a m e c a m e from the D u k e of A b i n g d o n by w a y of friends in
the area. Still others c o n t e n d it was simply taken by pioneers from the t o w n of
A b i n g d o n i n E n g l a n d . M o s t , h o w e v e r , say "it was n a m e d after a parish in w h i c h
M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n w o r s h i p p e d as a girl."
Southwest Virginia's first post office was established in A b i n g d o n in 1 7 9 3 , the
only post office in W a s h i n g t o n C o u n t y as late as 1 8 3 3 .
" B y the late 1 8 3 0 s , " reads o n e widely distributed local history, " A b i n g d o n
h a d g r o w n to be a n established merchant t o w n with hotels a n d taverns for the
wagonmasters,
mercantile houses, tanyards,
grocers,
wheelwrights,
blacksmiths, shoemakers,
house carpenters, stone masons, bricklayers,
jewelers, a n d o n e millinery s h o p . It h a d everything the settlers further west
w o u l d want from the civilized east, plus all the things d e m a n d e d by the mer
chants a n d their families."
" C r e a t i n g the atmosphere of the t o w n , " the narrative continues, "are the
buildings from A b i n g d o n ' s past. T h e M c D o n a l d T a v e r n o n East M a i n Street is
the oldest building in A b i n g d o n , built in 1 7 7 9 . O n C o u r t Street is the first brick
dwelling, built for W i l l i a m K i n g in 1 8 0 3 . O t h e r beautiful h o m e s line M a i n Street,
one of the most famous being the G e n e r a l Francis Preston h o m e , built between
1 8 3 0 a n d 1 8 3 2 , w h i c h is n o w the center building of the M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n
Inn."
A c t u a l l y , the stately Preston h o m e was turned into the M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n
C o l l e g e for Girls in 1 8 5 3 . It was temporarily used as a hospital during the C i v i l
War. A n o t h e r s c h o o l , the S t o n e w a l l J a c k s o n Institute for W o m e n , eventually
set u p offices a n d classrooms o n a hillside several blocks from M a i n Street about
the turn of the century.
A n industry b o o m hit the surrounding towns in the 1880s, but A b i n g d o n re
m a i n e d a small, elegant c o m m u n i t y t u c k e d in the beautiful, rolling hills of
Southwest V i r g i n i a . L o c a t e d in a fertile valley between the B l u e R i d g e a n d A p
palachian M o u n t a i n s ; lying between t w o m a i n forks of the H o l s t o n R i v e r ; a n d in
the s h a d o w of M o u n t Rogers, Virginia's highest peak, A b i n g d o n existed through
farming—mainly dairy, tobacco, cattle a n d poultry—very light industry a n d its
two colleges.
In 1 9 3 0 , A b i n g d o n was near four "good-sized towns": Bristol, Tennessee-
�Setting and Scene
7
V i r g i n i a , a railroad center with a state line running d o w n its m a i n street a n d a
focal point for a five-state area; J o h n s o n C i t y , T e n n . , the largest with a p o p u l a
tion of 2 5 , 0 0 0 ; Kingsport, T e n n . , the h o m e of the g r o w i n g Tennessee Eastman
p h o t o c h e m i c a l plant; a n d Elizabethton, T e n n .
T h e area boasted little in the w a y of cultural heritage, with the exception of a n
already national reputation for country-western music. Indeed, w h e n the V i c t o r
T a l k i n g M a c h i n e C o m p a n y sent representative R a l p h Peer to "the mountains" in
1 9 2 7 to audition "hillbilly" talent, the moon-faced agent set up shop in Bristol.
T h e surrounding hills a n d hollows of A p p a l a c h i a e c h o e d with the s o u n d of
grassroots music m a d e by generations of families o n crude, handcrafted i n
struments. T h e nasal lyrics sprung from a n isolated existence spent w o r k i n g in
the c o a l mines of Southwest V i r g i n i a , laboring o n the railroad lines, scratching a
living from a sometime fertile, sometime r o c k y soil, a n d praising the L o r d from a
pine p e w . R e c o r d s , o n c e all the rage, were being threatened by the popularity of
radio, a n d the major recording labels were scrambling to find n e w a n d fresh ar
tists to boost d w i n d l i n g sales. Into Peer's makeshift studio strode J i m m i e
Rodgers a n d the Carter F a m i l y — A . P . , M a y b e l l e a n d S a r a . T h o s e 1927 recor
dings m a d e in Bristol started a national craze for country music. T h e event is
recognized as the birth of the country-western music industry.
Still, inhabitants of the region saw nothing special in either Rodgers or the
Carter F a m i l y . A n d it was hard to fathom all the fuss being m a d e by the rest of
the country. M u s i c was a w a y of life, but it was certainly n o w a y to m a k e a living.
O r , as one o l d saying went, " a m a n w h o p l a y e d the banjo wasn't worth the bullet
to shoot h i m . " A l t h o u g h Southwest Virginia a n d U p p e r East Tennessee were
the richest areas for musicians a n d country songs, it was all taken for granted
a n d the industry s o o n set up headquarters s o m e 3 0 0 miles away in Nashville.
M a i n l y descended from Scottish, Irish a n d English stock, the residents of this
area were extremely religious—Presbyterian, Baptists, Methodists. T o t h e m ,
music was for singing in c h u r c h , h u m m i n g in the fields, or playing during Satur
day night get-togethers in the kitchen. Ironically, it was their h y m n s a n d rich folk
music heritage that served as a cornerstone for so m u c h of the growing countrywestern music field.
A s for the stage, it was considered a w i c k e d place—the p l a y g r o u n d of the
devil, "the legs of S a t a n . " A n actor was a shiftless no-account w h o couldn't
m a k e a n honest living. Into A b i n g d o n , into this time, into this environment, ar
rived B o b Porterfield a n d his c o m p a n y of N e w Y o r k actors in 1 9 3 3 .
�8
Chapter Two: Curtain
Up
" W e ' r e going to church!"
Robert Porterfield's a n n o u n c e m e n t stunned the 2 2 N e w Y o r k actors w h o
had followed the charistmatic " M r . P " to a remote town in Southwest Virginia. T h e
idea of stage performers trekking all the w a y to s o m e u n h e a r d of place called
A b i n g d o n was crazy e n o u g h , but now—attending S u n d a y m o r n i n g services?
It was the spring of 1 9 3 3 . A b i n g d o n c o u l d not have been further r e m o v e d
from the bleak city these performers h a d just left. T h e y were a m i x e d bag of
theater veterans, n e w c o m e r s , leading m e n , ingenues, a n d character actors.
These creators a n d inhabitants of make-believe worlds all shared o n e soberingly
realistic experience: T h e y h a d all been t o u c h e d by the devastation of the N e w
Y o r k theater by the D e p r e s s i o n . N o a m o u n t of talent, experience or enthusiasm,
they f o u n d out, were safeguards against hunger a n d breadlines.
F o o d was hardly a p r o b l e m in A b i n g d o n , p o p u l a t i o n 2 , 0 0 0 . In fact, the fertile
hills of W a s h i n g t o n C o u n t y h a d yielded local farmers a n excess of crops that
they c o u l d not sell because of a depressed market. T h u s , Porterfield reasoned,
the residents of this rural area w o u l d gladly "barter" foodstuffs for theater. B u t
first, he h a d to sell the troupe to the t o w n . H e h a d to c o n v i n c e the c o m m u n i t y
that these decadent theater p e o p l e were in reality just plain folk.
A b i n g d o n was far r e m o v e d from the big city scene a n d sentiment by m o r e
than several h u n d r e d miles. T h e town's architecture retained m u c h of the O l d
S o u t h c h a r m , a n d its citizens held to the O l d S o u t h outlook. Natives still talked
with resentment of h o w the " Y a n k e e s " h a d sacked A b i n g d o n d u r i n g the " W a r
B e t w e e n the States." T h e term " C i v i l W a r " was e n o u g h to draw indignant stares
from the locals a n d label o n e an outsider.
T h e red brick O p r e y H o u s e dated back to the early 1830s, originally built as
the n e w S i n k i n g S p r i n g Presbyterian C h u r c h , later falling into the hands of the
S o n s of T e m p e r a n c e a n d b e c o m i n g widely k n o w n as the T e m p e r a n c e H a l l . T h e
first k n o w n theatrical p r o d u c t i o n in the structure was The Virginian o n J a n u a r y
14, 1 8 7 6 , a n d the likes of E d w i n B o o t h , F a y T e m p l e t o n a n d J o s e p h Jefferson
were said to have graced its stage. W i t h the d a w n of a n e w century, the two sur
viving trustees of the S o n s of T e m p e r a n c e turned over the T e m p e r a n c e H a l l to
the t o w n of A b i n g d o n . W h e n Porterfield arranged to use the hall for the debut of
his n e w c o m p a n y , the t o w n hall was upstairs while the jail o c c u p i e d the base
ment. A c r o s s the street stood a sprawling mansion—the defunct M a r t h a
W a s h i n g t o n C o l l e g e — w h e r e Porterfield's actors h a d taken u p residence. A
stately reminder, it epitomized the grandeur a n d grace of a revered but bygone
era a n d h o u s e d the out-of-town delegation.
�Curtain U p
9
A b i n g d o n , in short, was the last place 2 2 " Y a n k e e " actors w o u l d have
chosen to take their bows. Y e t Porterfield's vision, the Barter Theatre, was the
alternative to n o w o r k a n d n o f o o d . T h e idea of playing Shakespeare to farmers
was somewhat more attractive than starving, a n d if Porterfield said they were
going to c h u r c h , they w o u l d g o .
There was a m e t h o d to his madness. Porterfield, an ambitious 2 7 , was n o
Y a n k e e a n d he understood what the presence of actors meant in A b i n g d o n . T h e
tall, ruggedly h a n d s o m e founder of Barter, w h o grew u p in nearby Saltville,
wanted to show his skeptical neighbors that "the theater a n d the church were not
necessarily at the opposite ends of the street."
S o o n the S u n d a y before his Barter Theatre's o p e n i n g night, Porterfield mar
c h e d his actors from their residence at the o l d M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n C o l l e g e ,
d o w n M a i n Street to the Presbyterian C h u r c h .
Staid churchgoers raised dubious eyebrows as the performers quietly settled
into the back pews. T h e y r e m a i n e d stoically u n c o n v i n c e d until it c a m e time for
the h y m n s . B o o m i n g over the rest of the congregation was the beautiful baritone
of H . H . M c C o l l u m . N o t only d i d he bring m o v i n g expression to the words of
" R o c k of A g e s , " but he sang without a h y m n b o o k , as only a real Christian
could.
In that instant, A b i n g d o n took B o b Porterfield's Barter troupe to its heart.
After services, each actor was invited to someone's h o m e for l u n c h . T h e Barter
Theatre was a hit before the first play was presented. A n d n o a m o u n t of public
relations c o u l d ever match what that one trip to c h u r c h a c c o m p l i s h e d .
Later, w h e n Porterfield c o m p l i m e n t e d M c C o l l u m o n his powerful rendition,
the actor confided to his boss, " T h e reason I k n e w the verses is because I h a d to
k n o w them in a play last year. I haven't been to church in 2 5 years."
T h e first of m a n y colorful tales this unique c o m p a n y w o u l d p r o d u c e , this par
ticular story illustrates Porterfield's sensitivity to the t o w n a n d his legendary gift
for p r o m o t i o n — t w o of the principal reasons w h y the Barter survived.
A s another Barter legend goes, Porterfield was o n tour with Walter H a m p
den's famous c o m p a n y of Cyrano de Bergerac w h e n the inspiration to trade
" h a m for H a m l e t " o c c u r e d to h i m . After a West C o a s t engagement, the actors'
train was h e a d e d across the wheat fields of K a n s a s . T h e y o u n g actor gazed at
the passing farmlands a n d started thinking out l o u d about the abundance of
crops in his native Southwest V i r g i n i a . It was ironic, he told H a m p d e n , that so
m a n y actors went without f o o d while m a n y farmers h a d p r o d u c e rotting in their
fields because they couldn't sell it. A n d for the most part, he continued, these
farmers were starved for culture. W o u l d it be possible to operate a theater by
having those farmers exchange produce a n d foodstuffs for tickets to shows?
H a m p d e n didn't think m u c h of the idea. After all, he pointed out, most ac
tors thought of p r o d u c e as something thrown at t h e m by hostile audiences.
Still, the idea for the Barter Theatre was sparked. Bartering was not u n c o m
m o n in the hills of V i r g i n i a . O n e of the earliest k n o w n systems of exchange in
civilization, barter has generally enjoyed increased popularity during times of
�10
The Barter Theatre Story
e c o n o m i c instability. N o t suprisingly, m a n y turned to the practice during the
Depression out of necessity.
A n d there was certainly a n abundance of potatoes, apple butter a n d aged
hams at the Porterfield family farm, T w i n O a k s , near G l a d e S p r i n g . W h y not
work a trade?
H i s mother h a d kept B o b up to date o n the latest news from h o m e a n d his
idea for a "barter" theater was h e l p e d a l o n g w h e n he heard that both the M a r t h a
W a s h i n g t o n C o l l e g e a n d S t o n e w a l l J a c k s o n Institute in A b i n g d o n h a d c l o s e d .
A l l those r o o m s a n d facilities just going to waste. A n d there was the O p r e y
H o u s e in A b i n g d o n . A l l signs were pointing to A b i n g d o n as the site for " B o b ' s
idea."
B e t w e e n w o r k i n g such o d d jobs as elevator boy at the N e w Y o r k Athletic
C l u b a n d m o d e l i n g , B o b wrote the trustees of both colleges a n d the A b i n g d o n
T o w n C o u n c i l , explaining his idea a n d outlining what he n e e d e d to pull it all
off. T h e response was better than he dared h o p e . B o b got the M a r t h a
W a s h i n g t o n C o l l e g e building free of charge, with just utility bills a n d u p k e e p to
worry about. T h e S t o n e w a l l J a c k s o n facilities were offered for a n o m i n a l rent.
A b i n g t o n officials, receptive to n e w ideas that w o u l d stimulate a dismal
e c o n o m i c scene, k i c k e d in the o p e r a house free, p r o v i d i n g n o shows w o u l d be
given o n S u n d a y .
O t h e r "agreements" were m a d e in N e w Y o r k , where B o b h a d n o shortage of
"theater" friends. A c t o r ' s Equity agreed to allow performers to appear in the
V i r g i n i a H i g h l a n d s , endorsing B o b ' s plan fully since it c o u l d keep s o m e actors
from starving. T h e A c t o r ' s Relief F u n d also gave B o b its enthusiastic b a c k i n g a n d
he p r o m i s e d the beneficent organization a share of any profits. A n d the
Dramatics G u i l d , at playwright A u s t i n Strong's suggestion, a l l o w e d the n e w
Barter c o m p a n y to p r o d u c e a n y of its plays with only a V i r g i n i a h a m as p a y m e n t
for royalties. This u n i q u e theater tradition was followed by the like of N o e l
C o w a r d , T h o r n t o n W i l d e r , Robert E . S h e r w o o d , a n d M a x w e l l A n d e r s o n .
Despite all the encouragement a n d c o o p e r a t i o n , Barter was still a long shot.
Porterfield repeated his brainstorm to s o m e N e w Y o r k friends w h o received the
plan with g o o d - n a t u r e d disbelief.
" W e l l , " he retorted, " D o w n where I c o m e from i n Southwest V i r g i n i a ,
they've always been great p e o p l e for s w a p p i n g or bartering."
S h a k i n g her h e a d , the great B r o a d w a y actress J a n e C o w l h a n d e d h i m a
statuette. " B o b , " she e x p l a i n e d , "this is Saint Rita, patron saint of the impossi
ble. C a r r y it with y o u a n d if by chance y o u succeed, pass it a l o n g to s o m e o n e
else w h o is attempting the impossible."
U n d a u n t e d , Porterfield arrived in A b i n g d o n o n M a y 2 2 , 1 9 3 3 with St. Rita,
s o m e scenery he p i c k e d u p from a bankrupt r o a d c o m p a n y of Rose Marie a n d
his 2 2 performers in hot pursuit.
In that first c o m p a n y appeared such names as E l e a n o r P o w e r s , Robert
T h o m s e n , A g n e s Ives, C h a r l e s P o w e r s , M i l d r e d Q u i g l e y , N e l l H a r r i s o n , B o b
Fogle, E m i l y W o o d r u f f , M u n s e y Slack, Marjorie L u t z , H u g h M i l l a r d , R u t h Guit-
�Curtain U p
11
terman a n d Storrs H a y n e s .
B o b certainly hit with four indispensible members of the c o m p a n y . H e l e n
R h o n e Fritch, a faculty m e m b e r of the M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n College w h o m close
friends called "Fritchie," became something of a business manager for Porter
field. S h e supervised the actors' lodgings, meals, a n d the box office. In a short
time she'd also b e c o m e M r s . Robert Porterfield. Y e a r s later, people w o u l d
remember "Fritchie" as the "one w h o watched the pennies." If y o u absolutely
n e e d e d something, y o u got it, but y o u h a d to justify the use of funds or material.
" Y o u c o u l d s p e n d a d i m e wisely a n d she was enthusiastic," director O w e n
Phillips e x p l a i n e d , "but she was furious if y o u spent a nickel foolishly."
T h e s e c o n d person B o b d e p e n d e d o n during that first year for day to d a y sur
vival was non-stop publicity machine, R i c k y A u s t i n . H a v i n g w o r k e d in
newspapers a n d publicity in both N e w Y o r k a n d California, A u s t i n was also a n
aspiring performer in plays a n d films. T h o u g h o u t 1 9 3 3 , Barter's publicity direc
tor saturated the area newspapers with an impressive string of features, profiles,
announcements a n d news releases. In addition to concentrating o n the m e d i a in
the 15-to- 100-mile touring radius, A u s t i n capitalized o n Barter's colorful a n d
unique operation by garnering international attention through features in the
New York Times, Variety, the Baltimore Sun, Richmond
Times-Dispatch,
Washington Post a n d e v e n the London Times. A mere glance at the public rela
tions generated by A u s t i n demonstrates quite convincingly h o w fortunate
Porterfield was to have a person o n staff w h o recognized Barter's natural p r o m o
tional w o r t h .
A l s o of great help were actor-director Prentice A b b o t a n d stage manager
Robert Fogle, both of w h o m brought years of stock, touring a n d N e w Y o r k ex
perience with t h e m .
B u t it was B o b ' s personality that kept everything going, even at the most
discouraging m o m e n t s . There c o u l d be n o stars in the p a m p e r e d sense a n d
everyone was expected to help build sets, gather props, construct costumes, a n d
d o whatever they c o u l d just to m a k e sure there w o u l d be a t o m o r r o w for the
Barter Theatre. A n d s o m e h o w , e v e n with u n k n o w n audiences a n d a torturous
touring schedule facing t h e m , B o b c o n v i n c e d t h e m it w o u l d all w o r k .
Before the curtain went up o n Barter's first p r o d u c t i o n , Porterfield was m o v
ing at a n incredibly industrious pace, setting the example for his c o m p a n y . After
drawing up a tentative touring schedule, he set out to m a k e sure his Barter
Theatre w o u l d have an audience.
" H e personally built interest in Barter by visiting the civic leaders, newspaper
editors, groups a n d organizations," stated Barter scholar A n n e St. Clair
Williams. " H e c h e c k e d out the various halls, theaters a n d auditoriums in the
area; although in s o m e cases, they were appearing in gymnasiums or libraries.
S o m e towns b o o k e d the w h o l e season of plays, while others just took one or
t w o . B o b was great in front of a n audience, but he was unbeatable o n e - o n - o n e .
That's what built this company—that a n d the cohesive nature of the c o m p a n y .
T h e y were all playing for the success of the theater. That feeling of ensemble was
�3
I
Robert Porterfield
and a direct descendant and her descendants of the original pig turned in as "barter" on
the Barter Theatre's opening night, June 10, 1933.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
I
ft
CO
I
�Curtain U p
13
what kept p e o p l e c o m i n g back."
"There's n o star c o m p l e x a r o u n d here," B o b w o u l d assure years after Barter
opened.
Posters were p l a c e d a r o u n d t o w n proclaiming: " W i t h vegetables y o u cannot
sell, y o u can b u y a g o o d l a u g h . " O n J u n e 10, 1 9 3 3 , the Barter Theatre o p e n e d
its doors with J o h n G o l d e n ' s After Tomorrow. F o r the rest of the s u m m e r , the
c o m p a n y traveled to nearby Kingsport a n d J o h n s o n City, T e n n . , as well as G a t e
C i t y , C h i l h o w i e , D a m a s c u s , G l a d e S p r i n g , E m o r y , Wytheville a n d Bristol. A d
mission was 3 0 cents or the equivalent in eggs, h o n e y , fruits, vegetables, hams
a n d other foodstuffs.
L e g e n d has it that the first item brought to the b o x office was the sow pig that
became Barter's mascot a n d whose descendants p r o v i d e d royalties for several
seasons of Barter productions.
"That one pig has done more for the drama than any individual or institution,"
B o b declared some time later. "If the theater gets so m u c h support from the
makers of h a m , we s h o u l d support the hams better."
" W e play six nights a w e e k , " Porterfield related during those early days,
" m o v i n g a r o u n d from one barn or schoolhouse to another, within a radius of 7 0
miles. B u t we always c o m e back to A b i n g d o n for the night, riding in an o l d bus
called Bessie, with the evening's b o x office returns in our laps."
W i t h the c o m p a n y scrambling to m o u n t each n e w s h o w , A u s t i n was pro
viding show-by-show material, including profiles o n featured performers a n d
feature articles o n productions. A total of seven plays were offered that first
season: After Tomorrow,
Salt Water by D a n Jarrett, Caught Wet by R a c h e l
Roberts, Three Wise Fools by A u s t i n S t r o n g , East Lynne by M r s . H e n r y W o o d ,
a n d the premier productions of The Bob-Tailed Nag by Frances Mallor a n d
Monkey Hat by T o m P o w e r s , w h i c h Porterfield himself appeared i n .
If the titles were less than memorable, B o b ' s audiences certainly didn't seem
to m i n d . " B r i n g us h o n e y , fresh eggs, fresh vegetables, hams a n d other edibles,"
Barter asked, a n d a culture-starved p o p u l a c e r e s p o n d e d .
A t h o m e , the reaction was overwhelmingly favorable. "That their engage
ment has been successful," wrote the Bristol News Bulletin at the e n d of the first
season, "is p r o v e n by the plans that are being made to return again next year
with bigger a n d better entertainments for their Virginia a u d i e n c e . . . . J u s t as
M a r t h a G r a h a m a n d her group of dancers are striving to bring to dance a n e w
m e a n i n g , so the Barter Theatre group hopes in time to present subtler, more
educational dramas for the public they have built up here in the S o u t h , away
from the sometimes decadent effect of the m o r e h a r d e n e d N e w Y o r k stage."
T h e view of "decadent" N e w Y o r k m a y have been somewhat harsh, but the
acknowledgement of Barter's success is well noted. O n a more restrained note,
the Big Stone Gap Post praised B o b , saying his idea "is well c o n c e i v e d . N o t only
will actors benefit from a s u m m e r in Virginia but the towns nearby will have
B r o a d w a y brought to their very d o o r s . "
U n d e r an editorial titled " S o m e t h i n g N e w F o r U s , " the Gate City Herald
�14
T h e Barter Theatre Story
c o m m e n t e d , " T h e taking over of the M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n Inn as s u m m e r head
quarters for actors a n d actresses is something n e w for this section (of the c o u n
try) . . . . In the giving of these plays to rural audiences, we see a great chance for
the education of the p e o p l e in what constitutes skilled acting."
A n d Barter was also news nationwide. A t a time w h e n most newspaper a n d
radio reports gave the country little reason for cheer, B o b ' s s p u n k a n d Barter's
novelty was not lost o n feature writers a n d news organizations. T h e Richmond
Times-Dispatch wrote that Barter h a d offered a "new d e a l " for the w o r d s " h a m "
a n d "actor." In its typically s h o w businessy w a y , Variety ran a front-page feature
carrying the headline: " D r a m m e r to Billies."
Barter was also featured in a P a r a m o u n t newsreel, a n d the Baltimore
Sun
published a page-one story from the letters of Robert T h o m s e n , a y o u n g
Baltimore resident w h o acted with the c o m p a n y during the first season. "I never
in all m y life h a d a better t i m e , " he wrote. " P e o p l e started appearing with 'barter'
about eleven o'clock a n d by the m i d d l e of the afternoon, the b o x office was filled
with the most a m a z i n g lot of stuff. T h e first ticket was bought with a very small
baby pig that c a n defeat a n y actor's voice. W e got e n o u g h o n i o n s to keep a cen
tury, lettuce, c o r n , a chocolate cake a n d the biggest black rooster I ever saw. It
was the strangest sight—these farmers c o m i n g u p to the b o x office a n d h a n d i n g
over livestock a n d vegetables for a ticket."
A n d so the stories a n d legends started to circulate that w o u l d l e n d Barter with
so singular a reputation a m o n g theaters. Y e a r s later, B o b w o u l d say that n o mat
ter where he traveled in the w o r l d , he always met s o m e b o d y w h o k n e w about
his Barter Theatre.
S i n c e m o n e y was hardly in excess during that first season, B o b put the accent
o n acting rather than props, costumes, scenery a n d lighting. H e h a d arrived in
A b i n g d o n with the Rose Marie scenery, w h i c h was r e w o r k e d for several shows.
" T h e y got by with the m i n i m u m , " A n n e St. Clair Williams p o i n t e d out. " A c
tors wore their o w n clothes o n stage whenever possible, a n d p e o p l e in A b i n g d o n
donated clothes a n d furniture regularly. Other pieces were b o r r o w e d for a par
ticular play a n d e v e n the furnishings of the M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n Inn were u s e d . "
" T h e first year we h a d only o n e set," Porterfield w o u l d later recall," a n d after
each Saturday night performance that set h a d to be reconstructed for the M o n
day night o p e n i n g of a n e w p l a y . "
Y e t , n o matter h o w h a r d the day-to-day toil was, n o b o d y was g o i n g hungry.
Porterfield h a d f o u n d the answer in barter.
"There has always been a great deal of bartering in V i r g i n i a , " he told the New
York Herald-Tribune.
" S o w h e n the Depression c a m e a l o n g , a n d I began to
think of starting a s u m m e r theatre, it was only natural that I s h o u l d try to incor
porate barter an an essential feature of the scheme.
" D e t e r m i n i n g a fair price for a ticket, w h e n one person brings in a h a m , the
next a sack of potatoes a n d a third a d o z e n eggs, isn't always easy. Mostly w e use
the market price of the c o m m u n i t y as a basis of r e c k o n i n g . W h e n the offering is
insufficient, the playgoer is told to bring s o m e m o r e next time—that is w h e n he
�Curtain U p
15
A typical Barter Theatre box office take during the first season
in 1933.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
c a n be trusted. L u c k i l y , I grew up in A b i n g d o n a n d I k n o w who's w h o . "
O n still another o c c a s i o n , B o b w o u l d say of 1 9 3 3 : "I distinctly remember the
first year in A b i n g d o n . A l l the banks in the country were closed, yet the people
gathered their garden truck a n d c a m e to the plays. T h e m a y o r a n d the president
of the bank both t h a n k e d me for bringing the Barter Theatre to A b i n g d o n . T h e y
said, 'until tonight, everyone in t o w n has been depressed about the banks clos
ing, but n o w their interest has perked-up.' "
That first year resulted in a grand profit of $ 4 . 3 0 — p r o m p t l y turned over to
the Actor's Relief F u n d — a n d a c o m p a n y of well-fed performers. Indeed, B o b
estimated that the troupe h a d gained a total of 3 0 0 p o u n d s in weight; an
average of ten p o u n d s a n actor. N o b o d y h a d really g r o w n rich, except area
residents in a cultural sense a n d the actors in unforgettable experience. T h e
Barter Theatre was a success a n d the country had begun to take notice.
B o b celebrated by marrying H e l e n Fritch in February of 1 9 3 4 in N e w Y o r k .
�16
Chapter Three: "I'd Rather Entertain Souls"
T h e earliest m e n t i o n of a Porterfield ancestor is in a charter dated 1 1 6 0 to
A l a n u s de Porter. A p p a r e n t l y , he was o n e of 2 0 Scots nobles used as hostages
by K i n g H e n r y II of E n g l a n d in seeing that the 1 1 7 4 Treaty of Falaise be observ
e d . Later, J o h n Porterfield, the son of Robert Porter, h a d the lands of Porterfield
confirmed to h i m o n February 3, 1 4 6 0 .
In his 1947 genealogy, The Porterfields, Frank B . Porterfield traces the fami
ly's origins a n d eventual emigration from S c o t l a n d to the U n i t e d States a n d
V i r g i n i a . H i s impressive w o r k details all the Porterfields of p r o m i n e n c e over the
centuries. H a r d l y the most conspicuous or exhaustive entry is the o n e for Robert
Huffard Porterfield o n page 1 5 9 . T h e passage notes that he is "the originator of
the Barter Theater (sic).. .the o n l y theater in the world to w h i c h p e o p l e trade vic
tuals for entertainment." T h e n , with scholarly understatement, F r a n k a d d e d that
"his theater has received m u c h favorable newspaper c o m m e n t . "
T h e o d d s against B o b Porterfield b e c o m i n g a n actor were about as great as
the chances his theater w o u l d survive 1 9 3 3 . H e was b o r n o n D e c e m b e r 2 1 ,
1 9 0 5 in W y t h e C o u n t y , V i r g i n i a , near the industrial c a m p of Austinville—the
location usually given for his birth. B o b was the third of six boys, o n e of w h o m
died in infancy. H i s father, W i l l i a m B . Porterfield S r . , eventually took a job
managing a 20,000-acre farm in Saltville, a n d m o v e d his wife a n d five children
"to the first h o m e B o b Porterfield really r e m e m b e r e d . "
It was in Saltville that B o b "grew u p a n d l o v e d a n d fought a n d went to s c h o o l
a n d acquired most of the ideals a n d ambition a n d c o m m o n sense that have
stood me in g o o d stead ever since." A l t h o u g h he w o u l d later admit to being a n
"aloof" youngster at times, B o b ' s c h i l d h o o d memories were typical of rural
Southwest Virginia in the early 20th century: milking cows, hogkilling, g r o o m i n g
horses, harvest times, pitching hay, s m o k i n g hams, curing b a c o n , Saturday
afternoon haircuts by D a d with oatmeal bowls over the h e a d , the o n e - r o o m
schoolhouse, c o o n hunting, the first p h o n o g r a p h in the parlor, a n d , perhaps
most important, amateur theatrics in the barn.
Bales of hay were his first p r o s c e n i u m arch. A horse blanket was his first cur
tain. H i s father's barn was his first theater. A n d his cousins were his first au
dience. T h a t was w h e n he was seven.
" W h e n I was ten-years-old," he once recalled, "I d r e a m e d o n e night I was
going to be an actor. T h e d r e a m was very real a n d s h o w e d me m a n y of the
things I must d o to achieve m y g o a l . W h e n I w o k e up I k n e w I w o u l d o n e day be
an actor. T h e d r e a m has c o m e true in great part a n d I h o p e the rest of it w h i c h
hasn't yet been fulfilled will be in t i m e . "
�"I'd Rather Entertain Souls"
17
B y the age of 12, y o u n g B o b h a d n o doubts about his profession a n d he stun
n e d his family by a n n o u n c i n g his intention to b e c o m e an actor while breakfast
was being served.
H i s father, w h o w a n t e d h i m to be a preacher, was emphatic.
" Y o u are not going into that wicked w o r l d of theater," he decreed.
H i s devoted mother, Miss Daisy, calmly said, " W e ' l l see what happens."
B o t h parents undoubtedly believed this was merely a romantic c h i l d h o o d
ambition that he w o u l d grow out of sooner or later. B o b ' s d r e a m d i d not die,
h o w e v e r , a n d he was fortunate e n o u g h to have teachers that instilled a love of
reading that r e m a i n e d with h i m for the rest of his life. A s a y o u n g student, he
couldn't seem to get e n o u g h books—history, almanacs, poetry, encyclopedias,
anything. Invariably, everyone from politicians to farmers were impressed with
B o b ' s ability to talk knowledgeably o n any topic. A n d any aversion to the classics
was lost through a teacher's Shakespeare quotation bees. H e also became i n
creasingly interested in oratory a n d o n M a y 3 1 , 1 9 2 4 , the gangly Saltville H i g h
S c h o o l senior w o n a N i n t h District oratorical contest in Bristol. H i s topic, "Jeffer
son a n d the C o n s t i t u t i o n , " p l a c e d second at the state finals in R i c h m o n d ,
although B o b thought "I s h o u l d have w o n . "
Before graduation, he h e l p e d p r o d u c e Julius Caesar a n d p l a y e d Brutus: a n
event that reaffirmed his love for the stage. B o b then spent t w o years at
H a m p d e n - S y d n e y C o l l e g e in supposed preparation for the ministry. T o his
father's dismay, it didn't w o r k out that w a y .
A p p a r e n t l y , the clincher o c c u r e d w h e n 19-year-old B o b traveled to R i c h
m o n d for a debate tournament. H e saw his first professional c o m p a n y at the o l d
L y r i c Theatre—the r o a d s h o w of Rose Marie—and
all thoughts of the ministry
vanished in the glare of reflected stage lights. H e m a d e up his m i n d . H e w o u l d
leave H a m p d e n - S y d n e y a n d pursue his d r e a m .
O n e of his professors tried to talk h i m out of it by describing at length the
beauty of saving souls.
" S i r , " B o b told h i m , "I'd rather entertain souls than save t h e m . "
T h e aspiring actor applied at N e w Y o r k ' s A c a d e m y of Dramatic Arts a n d
soda jerked in a Petersburg drugstore while waiting for an answer. A letter of ac
ceptance arrived at the same time as a note from his father d e m a n d i n g he return
h o m e or go back to s c h o o l . H e w o u l d go to N e w Y o r k , but first there w o u l d be a
trip h o m e under doctor's orders.
H i s father, well aware of B o b ' s fierce resolve, asked the diagnostician to
disuade h i m . After several long talks with his patient, the diagnostician told the
elder Porterfield, "I never e x a m i n e d a healthier patient that h a d ambition. W h y
don't y o u let the b o y d o what he wants to?"
Grudgingly, his father gave i n .
B o b ' s accent became a cause celebre a m o n g instructors at the A c a d e m y of
Dramatic Arts. T o help rid h i m of his S o u t h e r n inflections, they strictly forbade
any contact with Southerners. It w o r k e d to their satisfaction a n d B o b made his
B r o a d w a y debut in a w a l k - o n part the night after graduation. Still, the voice h a d
�18
T h e Barter Theatre Story
Portrait of Barter's founder as a young
actor—nattily
dressed and on the lookout for good roles.
(Photo courtesy of Mrs. Mary Dudley Porterfield)
been untested. A little later he l a n d e d a part in Atlantic City in a play about
B e n v e n u t o C e l l i n i . H i s first s p o k e n line as a professional actor w o u l d be, " H a v e
y o u seen C e l l i n i ? "
H e heard his cue, strode o n stage a n d said in his thickest S o u t h e r n drawl,
" H a v e y'all seen C e l l i n i ? " T h e audience roared a n d B o b h a d a story to repeat to
four decades of actors.
"After acting as usher, reading to blind p e o p l e , a n d d o i n g m a n y other varied
chores," he o n c e c o m m e n t e d , "I m a n a g e d to finance m y theatrical education
a n d lose m y S o u t h e r n accent. S i n c e that time, I have n e e d e d m y accent in every
part I have played!"
Porterfield n o w thrust himself into the erratic lifestyle of a y o u n g struggling
actor in N e w Y o r k . In addition to s o m e m o d e l i n g a n d radio w o r k , he l a n d e d a
job at the N e w Y o r k Athletic C l u b collecting tips as the front elevator boy.
A m o n g the p e o p l e to d r o p coins in his h a n d were J o h n D . Rockefeller, M a y o r
�19
"I'd Rather Entertain Souls"
J i m m y W a l k e r a n d Charles L i n d b e r g h . G r a d u a l l y , he w o r k e d his w a y u p to
desk clerk, then to dining r o o m supervisor. Parts in shows c a m e off a n d o n bet
w e e n 1 9 2 7 a n d 1 9 3 2 . T h e r e was a role in The Ivory Door w h i c h o p e n e d at the
Charles H o p k i n s Theatre o n October 18, 1 9 2 7 , a n d bit parts in Mima (1928) at
the Belasco Theatre, The Dagger and the Rose (1929), The Blue Ghost (1930)
at the Forrest Theatre, a n d Blind Windows (1931).
L i k e so m a n y others before a n d after h i m , B o b was paying his dues. A t one
point, everything of value was stolen from his N e w Y o r k apartment a n d he h a d
to stay with t w o friends for a while.
B u t , also like most p e o p l e w h o w a n d e r into the acting profession, B o b believ
e d a n d , in 1 9 3 2 , Walter H a m p d e n selected h i m to play a cadet for the Cyrano
de Bergerac tour w h i c h resulted in the "barter" inspiration.
In a fascinating autobiographical sketch requested for the J a n u a r y , 1 9 3 8
Record of the Hampden-Sydney
Alumni Association,
B o b jotted d o w n some
early memories of his c h i l d h o o d , college days a n d starting years as an actor:
I was born in Wythe County (Va.) on the other side of New River. M y first conscious
moment was Pop in a rowboat paddlin' me and M a across the river—the river was up
and the creek was rising and they were taking me to my baptizing. T h e n we moved up
to the Salt works, Virginia, where I was reared and fed. I was always under the belief
that Saltville was the end of the world because the train turned around there on a turn
table and went back to Glade Springs.
My first ventures out of the "holler" were on a number of football trips in which I
suffered a knee and head injuries and haven't been right since; consequently, I turned
to oratory and won the ninth district oratorical contest on "The Constitution." This
prompted a trip to Richmond under the sponsorship of a Richmond newspaper. I
recall I slept with my britches on because I couldn't stand to take them off.
O n this trip I remember passing through Farmville and making a rear platform ap
pearance (not to make a speech). I heard these words, " Y o u have done it before, you
can do it some more, Hampden-Sydney." T h e tune kindered my imagination and I in
quired about Hampden-Sydney, as I was finishing high school that year and realized
that I should seek a bit of higher education. Recalling that tune and being somewhat of
a fatalist, I matriculated and my abode was "Stagger Inn." Due to weak knees, I turned
to the Jangleurs and, thanks to Dr. Bell, I got my first dramatic start as William
Sylvanius Baxter, E s q . in Booth Tarkington's Seventeen.
Dr. Bell and some of my
Kappa A l p h a brothers encouraged me in my thespian aspirations and the combination
of that encouragement and my parental objections to the theater decided me to try my
luck on the stage.
U p o n my arrival in New Y o r k , I was rather lucky, having done shows with David
Belasco, a national tour with Walter H a m p d e n in Cyrano
other Broadway shows and radio.
de Bergerac,
a number of
Just before B o b h a d gone to N e w Y o r k , his father took the family to the
Porterfield farm near G l a d e S p r i n g , T w i n O a k s . Settled before the Revolution
about 15 miles north of A b i n g d o n , the land, as B o b was fond of saying, h a d
been o w n e d by only Indians a n d Porterfields. T h e stately T w i n O a k s family
house, like the O p r e y H o u s e that h o u s e d Barter a n d the Martha Washington Inn
that h o u s e d his first c o m p a n y , was also built in the early 1830s.
�20
T h e Barter Theatre Story
O f all the converts B o b m a d e to theater during his lifetime, o n e h e l d a special
significance. D u r i n g a n illness just before his death, B o b ' s father rejected the pre
judices ingrained by his upbringing. " A c t o r s are about the nicest p e o p l e I k n o w , "
he told his s o n .
�21
Chapter Four: Ham for Hamlet ..Cabbage for Cash
F o r whatever reason—fate,
c h a n c e , luck, genius, industry, timing,
perseverance, inspiration, or, most likely, a combination of all these—the Barter
Theatre survived 1 9 3 3 . T h e c o m p a n y grew to 2 8 a n d the season was e x p a n d e d
from seven to ten plays in 1 9 3 4 . O n l y three members of the original crew rejoin
e d B o b a n d Fritchie for a s e c o n d s u m m e r in A b i n g d o n : publicity director A u s t i n ,
A g n e s Ives a n d E m i l y W o o d r u f f .
T o help insure Barter's future, B o b brought in y o u n g H u m e C r o n y n as a pro
duction director for that s e c o n d year.
"I was his partner during the s e c o n d season of the enterprise," C r o n y n recall
e d . "It was still singularly his o w n d r e a m a n d vision. I recruited two or three peo
ple w h o c a m e to the c o m p a n y that season, a n d between us we m a n a g e d to raise
a little m o n e y for Barter. That was hard to c o m e by back then, but a very little
went a l o n g w a y . I h a d met B o b in N e w Y o r k a n d was immediately struck by his
e n o r m o u s personal c h a r m a n d enthusiasm. H e was a natural political figure w h o
k n e w h o w to persuade. H e was better at that than almost anything."
"It was still 3 5 cents or the equivalent in barter at that time. W e got mostly
vegetables...occasionally a p i g . W e ate most of it. A n d we didn't sleep a w h o l e
lot. W e really w o r k e d our asses off. A n d sometimes it wasn't easy to deliver o n
the promises he m a d e . W e used to call h i m ' M a s s a h . ' B o b was unbeatable at en
couraging p e o p l e — a very hale, easygoing, big m a n . T o m e , in 1 9 3 4 , it was a
job. After leaving Barter I became i n v o l v e d rather quickly with productions in
N e w Y o r k . O n e of the members of the c o m p a n y that year was E m i l y Woodruff,
w h o later became M r s . H u m e C r o n y n . " ( C r o n y n , of course, is n o w married to
actress Jessica T a n d y , with w h o m he has often starred o n B r o a d w a y . )
C r o n y n , like most a n y o n e w h o has w o r k e d at Barter, has stories to tell.
E v e r y o n e seems to have their favorite Barter story. A n d n o one was better at
spinning a tale than M r . P .
There was the farmer w h o led a c o w to the front of the theater.
" H o w m u c h milk must I p a y to get i n ? " he asked.
" A b o u t two quarts," the ticket seller replied.
Lifting his pail, the farmer went to w o r k until he h a d the necessary a m o u n t .
H e was about to enter the theater w h e n the b o x office attendant noticed his wife
standing by the c o w .
" A r e n ' t y o u taking y o u r wife with y o u ? "
" L e t 'er milk her o w n ticket," replied the farmer indignantly.
T h e n there was the mountaineer w h o offered to p a y "with something I m a k e ,
only I don't think you'll want it."
�T h e Barter Theatre Story
22
The "barter" is already piled high for this matinee
that was probably during the 1937 season. The
building pictured is one of the Stonewall
Jackson
Institute structures and now houses the company's
rehearsal hall.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
�H a m for Hamlet...Cabbage for Cash
23
"Sure we d o , " cajoled the affable ticket seller.
"I m a k e coffins," he said.
T h e ticket seller was stumped until the o l d m a n a d d e d that he also made
canes. T h e coffin maker c a m e back again a n d again, until every m e m b e r of the
Barter c o m p a n y h a d a finely carved walking stick. B o b passed out m a n y of these
canes to his friends o n B r o a d w a y , later boasting they h a d supported m a n y of the
theater's best k n o w n actors.
A pig, admission for eight p e o p l e , got loose one night a n d ran through the
streets of A b i n g d o n with actors in hot pursuit. T h e y never caught it.
O n e small boy brought a jar of apple butter to the box office. T h e tasty look
ing delicacy turned out to be m u d . A lamb used as admission was bleating so
l o u d that it h a d to be quieted with milk turned in that same night as barter.
Turtles bartered for tickets got loose in the lobby a n d scared s o m e elderly ladies.
In addition to f o o d , early items of barter included w i n e , toothpaste, snakes,
livestock, a n d even underwear.
A n o t h e r time there was a farmer w h o p u l l e d up to the theater with a truck
l o a d e d with children. M a r c h i n g up to the box office with a calf o n a rope, he said
h e ' d like to trade the a n i m a l for season tickets for his family. W h e n told the calf
w o u l d be e n o u g h , he asked, " Y o u don't n e e d nothin' else?"
A s s o o n as the answer came back negative, he untied the calf saying, " T h e n
y o u don't need the r o p e . " S u r e e n o u g h , the calf bolted, but this time a m e m b e r
of the c o m p a n y was fast e n o u g h to catch it before a chase delayed curtain time.
D u r i n g the very early years, the city jail was in the basement of the theater.
Inmates often got r o w d y , interrupting performances.
B o b l o v e d these stories a n d he repeated, embellished a n d enriched t h e m for
reporters a n d audiences year in a n d year out.
" Y o u can almost tell just w h o is in the house any night by looking over the
box office," he once said only half-jokingly.
B y 1 9 3 9 , Porterfield a n d his performers h a d been featured o n both the F r e d
A l l e n a n d R u d y V a l l e e radio shows. T h e wry A l l e n asked his listeners h o w the
Barter b o x office m a d e change. W h e n a m a n p l u n k e d d o w n a turkey, did he get
a rabbit a n d a b u n c h of carrots in change? "In tomato season," he q u i p p e d , "the
w h o l e c o m p a n y h a d acidosis."
"If Porterfield wants to k n o w if he's h a d a success," the nasal-voiced c o m
edian c o n t i n u e d , " l o n g about L a b o r D a y he just weighs the actors."
W h e n the c o m e d y team of O l s e n a n d J o h n s o n accepted a live chicken as a d
mission for their long-running B r o a d w a y c o m e d y , Hellzapoppin',
one columnist
jokingly wrote that Porterfield was considering suing for infringement of
c o p y wright.
E v e n Barter's custom of using a h a m as royalties was g o o d for an often
repeated story. A l t h o u g h such diverse playwrights as N o e l C o w a r d , Philip
Barry, G e o r g e K e l l y , M a x w e l l A n d e r s o n a n d T h o r n t o n W i l d e r h a d gone along
with this novelty, G e o r g e B e r n a r d S h a w d e m u r r e d .
W h e n the Barter staged Candide
in 1 9 3 6 , the r e n o w n e d British playwright
�ft
DO
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ft
Porterfield
as he appeared
in a '30s production
of T h e Hill B e t w e e n .
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
ft
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i
�Ham
for Hamlet...Cabbage for Cash
25
sent back his h a m with the short explanation:"I'm a vegetarian." Three years
later w h e n the Barter w i s h e d to produce Pygmalion, S h a w was ready for t h e m :
" S p i n a c h w o u l d be acceptable," he wrote.
A favorite Porterfield story was the time he c o m p a r e d techniques for curing
h a m s with J o h n B a r r y m o r e . Impressed with the Great Profile's expertise, Porter
field c o m p l i m e n t e d his t h o r o u g h k n o w l e d g e of hams.
"I s h o u l d k n o w , " B a r r y m o r e cracked. "I'm the greatest."
B o b never d i d totally a b a n d o n his acting career a n d for several years after
Barter's first season he appeared o n B r o a d w a y during the winter months. W h i l e
Fritchie was often taking care of things in A b i n g d o n , her husband m a n a g e d to
rack up a string of impressive a n d most prestigious credits, the most outstanding
of w h i c h was the c o w b o y , H e r b , in Robert E . S h e r w o o d ' s The Petrified Forest.
H e m a y have never gotten the part if it wasn't for the celebrated Porterfield
c h a r m . A t first rejected for the role, he p r o m i s e d producer A r t h u r H o p k i n s one
of the hams turned in at the Barter b o x office. O n the w a y over to H o p k i n s '
apartment with the h a m , o n e of N e w Y o r k ' s finest stopped Porterfield a n d m a d e
him u n w r a p his rather suspicious looking package. H o p k i n s was so tickled by the
story that he cast Porterfield opposite Leslie H o w a r d a n d H u m p h r e y Bogart.
T h e following year, 1 9 3 6 , f o u n d B o b at the A m b a s s a d o r Theatre in
something called Stark Mad by L y n n R o o t a n d F r a n k F e n t o n . A l s o in the cast
were T o m E w e l l a n d P e r c y Kilbride, so loved for his portrayal of P a Kettle in
several films with Marjorie M a i n . Stark Mad closed quickly due to bad reviews
and Kilbride sent B o b the following note: "Let's pray that y o u r next role will be
more worthy of y o u r steel." It was.
In N o v e m b e r of the same year he was in the cast of E . P . C o n k l e ' s Two Hun
dred Were Chosen, described by New York Times critic B r o o k s A t k i n s o n as a
superlative "saga of life a n d death." A n a d d e d measure of fame was bestowed
w h e n Porterfield a n d fellow cast member W i l l G e e r were paired for a cartoon in
the Herald-Tribune.
T h e delightful sketch by H . H . Knight was also used o n
leaflets advertising the p r o d u c t i o n .
A n o t h e r of B r o a d w a y ' s leading critics, famed humorist Robert B e n c h l e y ,
wrote of T w o Hundred Were Chosen: " T h e actors accomplish one of the m i n o r
miracles of the theater. It turns out to be o n e of the most interesting plays in t o w n
and one of the best acted."
B o b c o u l d also be spotted i n a variety of roles in such plays as Let Freedom
Ring, The Hill Between, Bury the Dead, Everywhere I Roam, They Shall Not
Die a n d John Brown. Before turning all his attentions to Barter, B o b h a d ap
peared in some fourteen B r o a d w a y shows.
In later years, B o b preferred to tell stories about Barter m o r e than B r o a d w a y ,
but w h e n a fellow n a m e d C l a r k G a b l e became the " k i n g " of H o l l y w o o d , he
couldn't resist recalling 1 9 3 1 for a K n o x v i l l e n e w s p a p e r m a n — " G a b l e certainly
has c h a n g e d a lot since we p l a y e d together in Blind Windows. He has a n e w set
of teeth a n d his ears have been c l i p p e d . "
These regular forays to N e w Y o r k kept B o b ' s perspective o n an ever-
�26
The Barter Theatre Story
changing theater w o r l d fresh a n d continued to m a k e h i m countless invaluable
friends. O n a m o r e practical level, they kept B o b ' s " h a n d i n . " Barter, although
successful, was hardly a sure thing. There were n o guarantees that his c o m p a n y
w o u l d be back next year during the '30s.
T h e adventuresome M r . P also tried his h a n d in H o l l y w o o d , m a k i n g his film
debut in the n o w rarely seen The Deep South in 1 9 3 7 . A c t u a l l y , B o b ' s screen
credits are also impressive, e v e n if the roles were little m o r e than cameos.
Ultimately, m a n y of B o b ' s friends a n d former employees e n d e d up in California,
so visits to the West C o a s t sometimes were c o u p l e d with experience before the
c a m e r a . T h e r e was a n appearance in M e r v y n L e R o y ' s excellent 1 9 3 7 d r a m a
starring C l a u d e R a i n s , T h e y Won't Forget; a memorable performance as G a r y
C o o p e r ' s rival in r o m a n c e , Z e b A n d r e w s , in Sergeant York (1941); Army
Chaplain
(1942); a bit part in The Yearling (1946), w h i c h starred Barter
graduate G r e g o r y P e c k ; a n d another small character part in Robert M i t c h u m ' s
g r a n d d a d d y of car-chase pictures, Thunder Road (1958), w h i c h was partly film
ed o n location in Southwest Virginia a n d N o r t h C a r o l i n a .
H o l l y w o o d didn't change B o b ' s h o m e s p u n nature, of course. W h e n he
s h o w e d u p in the office of a studio executive to sign for The Yearling, he was
asked w h o his agent was.
" P e c k , " Porterfield replied plainly.
"Peck?!" the M G M executive roared. " P e c k ' s the star."
"I k n o w , I k n o w . B u t he's m y agent." A n d so he was. B o b c o u l d always
count o n his friends.
B a c k in A b i n g d o n , Barter's situation was constantly c h a n g i n g . A n apprentice
p r o g r a m was inaugurated for the third season, a n d a six-day D r a m a Festival ad
d e d to each season, with several plays offered in repertory. B u t perhaps the
most important change o c c u r e d in 1 9 3 5 w h e n a m o t i o n picture distribution
chain leased the M a i n Street O p e r a H o u s e . Barter h a d been designated unfair
competition, a n d B o b l o o k e d into the still vacant S t o n e w a l l J a c k s o n c a m p u s as
a n alternate site. A l t h o u g h not centrally located, these facilities—including a
500-seat auditorium—were available for a modest rent, so B o b a n d c o m p a n y
said a temporary g o o d b y e to the O p r e y H o u s e a n d M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n Inn.
After the war, Barter Theatre once again called M a i n Street h o m e , this time for
g o o d , but the c o m p a n y residence—the o l d S t o n e w a l l J a c k s o n dormitory
rechristened the Barter Inn—the scene s h o p r e m a i n e d " u p o n the hill" at the
former S t o n e w a l l J a c k s o n Institute.
A n d Barter c o n t i n u e d to m a k e news. In 1 9 3 6 , Porterfield took a double bill
of 16th century plays—Everyman a n d H e n r y Porter's T w o Angry Women of
Abingdon—to
N e w Y o r k a n d staged t h e m at Barter prices. R e s p o n s e to the ap
pearance at the N e w S c h o o l of S o c i a l Science auditorium was excellent from
reviewers a n d audiences, a n d "big city" theatergoers h a d their chance to p a y 3 5
cents or the equivalent in barter. B o b continued such a n n u a l N e w Y o r k
showcase performances until the war broke out, offering three plays in three
days during the 1 9 4 0 trip.
�H a m for Hamlet...Cabbage for Cash
27
Several newspapers a n d the wire services took notice of a bureaucratic ruling
that became a Barter cause celebre. W h e n a Barter sow h a d eight piglets, the
A A A decreed that was o n e over the limit a n d ordered o n e killed. W e l l , that's a
potential royalty the agency was so callously playing with, so the battle was join
e d . T h e debate over the "litter of eight" e n d e d o n a delightful note w h e n n o less
than Chief Justice Charles E v a n s H u g h e s ruled the eighth piglet c o u l d survive.
H a m s of both varieties a p p l a u d e d the decision.
In the J u l y 3 1 , 1 9 3 9 issue of Life magazine, B o b a n d Barter received one of
their single most famous pieces of publicity. A full-page photograph titled " H o w
to M a k e L o v e " s h o w e d a serious-minded Porterfield demonstrating the proper
romantic embrace to 12 couples in earnest clinches. T h e hill-side p a n o r a m a was
repeated in "Best of Life" spreads a n d was recreated for It's A Date, a Universal
film starring D e a n n a D u r b i n .
Barter was even the subject of a front page feature in The London
Times
(Sept. 8, 1936). Still, few honors c o u l d be counted as high as the front of the J u
ly 2 3 , 1 9 3 9 New York Times d r a m a section. T h e r e , in that n o w legendary style,
was a Hirschfeld interpretation of B o b a n d the Barter Theatre lobby.
�28
T h e Barter Theatre Story
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�29
Chapter Five: Mr. P
In today's w o r l d of million-dollar a d campaigns, slick network packaging, a n d
cheap wrestling matches, the w o r d promoter carries something of a n ugly c o n
notation. B u t let's assume that a promoter pushes something either worthwhile
or fraudulent; his methods are either admirable or despicable. A l l o w i n g for that
a n d the basic necessity for public relations in the arts, B o b Porterfield was a pro
moter in the very best sense of the w o r d .
Barter survived four decades of change very simply because again a n d again,
Porterfield displayed u n c a n n y ingenuity in p r o m o t i n g his theater.
"Porterfield was a m a n of m a n y talents," explained the m a n w h o succeeded
h i m , R e x Partington. " H e acted, directed, p r o d u c e d , but I think his forte was
promotion."
Partington's vantage point is not to be taken lightly. H e has steered the A b
i n g d o n theater through another decade of growth after B o b ' s death, a n d has
kept Barter a vital, vibrant c o m p a n y .
" H e was a promoter a n d a very decent one; with the spirit a n d guts to keep it
g o i n g , " H u m e C r o n y n stated.
O n e w a y Porterfield kept the theater in the national eye year after year was
through the Barter A w a r d . W i t h the exception of the N e w Y o r k D r a m a Critics
Circle A w a r d , w h i c h started in 1 9 3 6 , there was nothing close to a gala evening
that brought together the A m e r i c a n theater's luminaries. T h e Pulitzer Prize, after
all, was a n n o u n c e d very dryly a n d the T o n y A w a r d s were not initiated until
1 9 4 7 . A n d there was that legion of carefully cultivated N e w Y o r k friends w h o
w o u l d willingly help out the Barter if Porterfield asked.
S o , each year Porterfield assembled o l d a n d n e w friends to present the Barter
Theatre A w a r d . A l t h o u g h his stated purpose was to recognize A m e r i c a ' s leading
performers, the much-publicized N e w Y o r k banquet quickly became a highlight
of the theatrical social season.
" T h e Barter Theatre has d e c i d e d to present an award to the A m e r i c a n w h o
has given the most outstanding performance o n the stage in the current year,"
wrote First L a d y E l e a n o r Roosevelt in her syndicated c o l u m n , M y D a y . " T h e first
recipient of this a w a r d is Miss Laurette Taylor, a n d they a c c o r d e d m e the h o n o r
of presenting her with it."
M r s . Roosevelt was already o n record as a friend of Barter. A s far back as
1 9 3 6 she h a d expressed interest in B o b Porterfield's experiment, possibly
because her father h a d lived in A b i n g d o n for a number of years. T h e New York
Journal recorded the following W h i t e H o u s e conversation between the First
L a d y a n d a W a s h i n g t o n C o u n t y resident:
�T h e Barter Theatre Story
30
Ethel Barrymore, considered the "First Lady" of the
American theater, won the third Barter Award in 1941,
and received the traditional ham and an acre of land
from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Present at the award
ceremonies were, left to right, Porterfield, Mrs.
Roosevelt, Barrymore, Laurette Taylor (first Barter
Award winner), and Dorothy Stickney (1940 winner).
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
�Mr. P
31
" D o y o u k n o w about the Barter Theatre?" M r s Roosevelt inquired.
" Y e s , I surely d o , " the A b i n g d o n w o m a n replied.
" D o , y o u k n o w about the y o u n g m a n w h o has charge of the theater?"
" Y e s , I k n o w h i m . H e is Robert Porterfield, a native of Washington C o u n t y
a n d we are very p r o u d of h i m . "
It w o u l d be the first of m a n y times the popular First L a d y w o u l d vocally lend
her support to B o b ' s theater.
T h e first Barter A w a r d was bestowed at a N e w Y o r k l u n c h e o n , with Porter
field acting as master of ceremonies. Laurette T a y l o r , already a B r o a d w a y
legend, but an actress with m a n y great performances a h e a d , was chosen for her
portrayal of the c h a r w o m a n in Outward Bound. W i t h the exception of the guests
of h o n o r , everyone p a i d for their o w n meals—and those in attendance included
H e l e n H a y e s , Tallulah B a n k h e a d , S o p h i e Tucker, Robert M o r e l y a n d M a r c
Connelly.
O f course, there remained a distinct Southwest Virginia flavor to the pro
ceedings: the a w a r d consisted of a Virginia h a m a n d an acre of l a n d in Barter
territory. O h yes, a n d a special platter bearing the Barter e m b l e m by the C u m b o w C h i n a Decorating C o m p a n y of A b i n g d o n to eat that h a m off of. In addition,
each year's winner selected two promising performers to spend a s u m m e r in A b
i n g d o n . T a y l o r chose L a r r y Gates a n d E d i t h S o m m e r .
T h e next year, D o r o t h y Stickney p i c k e d G r e g o r y P e c k a n d E v e l y n Wells
F a r go. F r o m 1 9 3 9 until 1 9 6 9 , w h e n the presentations stopped, Virginia hams
were bestowed o n such stars as Ethel B a r r y m o r e , M i l d r e d Natwick, H e l e n
H a y e s , H e n r y F o n d a , Tallulah B a n k h e a d , Shirley B o o t h , Frederic M a r c h ,
R o s a l i n d Russell, D a v i d W a y n e , M a r y Martin, Julie Harris, Ethel M e r m a n ,
G e o r g e Abbott, A b e B u r r o w s , D a v i d Merrick, Robert Preston a n d Pearl Bailey.
F e w awards can boast such a n impressive selection of recipients. A n d ,
predictably, it was g o o d for more than its share of stories. Perhaps the most
publicized m o m e n t came in 1 9 5 4 w h e n D a v i d W a y n e w o n the Barter A w a r d .
A ban by the Stage H a n d s U n i o n — p r o b a b l y incurred because Porterfield didn't
use u n i o n stage hands at the Barter—forced 137 hopeful actors into the alley
beside the Martin B e c k Theatre. U n d a u n t e d , W a y n e , with the help of former
Barter actor L a r r y Gates, c o n d u c t e d auditions under the fire escape. A picture of
these unique tryouts was widely circulated.
Ethel B a r r y m o r e , the grande d a m e of the A m e r i c a n theater, a l l o w e d each
performer only one minute for the 1941 auditions. There were about 4 0 0 that
year, a n d w h e n asked to explain her m e t h o d , she c o m m e n t e d wryly, "If they
have talent, you'll k n o w it. If they don't, you'll think your watch has s t o p p e d . "
W h e n not busy in A b i n g d o n , N e w Y o r k or H o l l y w o o d , Porterfield was a
popular lecturer at luncheons, civic functions, club meetings, seminars a n d
workshops. A natural platform performer, B o b w o u l d loosen up his audience
with a few Barter stories before completely winning them over with his c h a r m ,
wit a n d genuine concern for the survival of live theater in A m e r i c a . T o state a n d
local officials he constantly stressed Barter's capacity to attract tourists a n d out-
�32
The Barter Theatre Story
The 1954 Barter Award went to David Wayne who chose
Paul Lukather, left, and Phyllis Wynn to spend a season in Abingdon.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
of-state revenue. T o students a n d educators he was unflinching in his dedication
to quality theater.
" H e e n c o u r a g e d schools a n d other theaters all the t i m e , " p o i n t e d out O w e n
Phillips, B o b ' s close friend a n d frequent Barter director. " H e always said g o o d
theater helps us all. B a d theater hurts e v e r y b o d y . "
"I s p e n d a great deal of time discouraging y o u n g p e o p l e from g o i n g into
theater," Porterfield once said. "It's a d e m a n d i n g profession in w h i c h there's vir
tually n o h o m e life, a n abundance of long a n d often irregular hours, a n d plenty
of headaches a n d heartaches. A n y o n e w h o c a n be discouraged s h o u l d be a n d
will be d i s c o u r a g e d . "
B u t that didn't m e a n students shouldn't be e x p o s e d to the dramatic process.
A n d if it was g o i n g to be of a n y benefit at all, B o b argued, it s h o u l d be with
capable instructors a n d proper facilities.
" W h a t w e n e e d are m o r e stages a n d m o r e audiences to a c c o m o d a t e all of the
dedicated y o u n g actors a n d actresses o n their way u p . "
O n another occasion he r e m a r k e d , "Student dramatics never will be as g o o d
�CO
CO
Governor
O.
Tuck of Virginia joins Robert Porterfield
in honoring Barter Award winner Talullah
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
Bankhead.
�34
T h e Barter Theatre Story
as they s h o u l d until schools put t h e m o n purely for artistic purposes, not to raise
m o n e y for n e w g y m e q u i p m e n t . "
U n d e n i a b l y , B o b ' s vision was never restricted to his o w n theater. H e was
constantly p r o m o t i n g theater as a vital a n d necessary part of people's lives. H e
never stopped l o o k i n g into n e w ways he a n d his theater c o u l d enrich his t o w n ,
region, state a n d country.
A n outgrowth of that d e e p c o n c e r n a n d his brilliance for p r o m o t i o n naturally
led h i m towards a p r o p o s a l that was c o m i n g into focus about the same time as
the Barter A w a r d . B y 1 9 4 0 , Porterfield was writing a n d spending a lot of time
with V i r g i n i a legislators, c a m p a i g n i n g for his latest brainstorm: " M y d r e a m is to
have the first state theater in the C o m m o n w e a l t h of V i r g i n i a . W o u l d n ' t it be
grand if w e h a d 4 8 state theaters? T h e n w e would have a national theater."
H e h a d originally w o r k e d u p a p r o p o s a l for a federally subsidized p r o g r a m in
1 9 3 5 — a n early effort at strength through decentralization. If President
Roosevelt, Relief Administrator H a r r y H o p k i n s , a n d two Virginia senators were
not impressed, the p e o p l e w h o heard B o b p u s h his "state theaters" p l a n in per
sonal appearances were.
A n d several elected officials h a d their ears bent by a relentless Porterfield in
1 9 4 0 , w h o was in R i c h m o n d w o r k i n g for the state Department of E d u c a t i o n o n
a drama-in-schools project. B y September, he h a d the particulars of his plan
w o r k e d out. If the federal government wasn't going to take the initiative, well, he
h o p e d his n e w venture in R i c h m o n d " m a y s o m e day set a national precedent by
b e c o m i n g the first A m e r i c a n state theater."
" M y g o a l is to establish a professional festival-resident c o m p a n y that will tour
the state during the fall, winter a n d spring as a n 'Exhibit A ' for the colleges a n d
schools to observe. I expect eventually to pick, with the aid of a competent c o m
mittee of Virginians acquainted with the theater, three plays out of the 15 we will
experiment with during the s u m m e r season at A b i n g d o n . T h e n we'll m o v e our
base to o n e of the college towns a n d play each night for a five-week p e r i o d in a
radius of 6 0 miles."
" D u r i n g the daytime, a part of the professional actors will rehearse with the
college students towards a major p r o d u c t i o n at the e n d of the fifth week. T h e re
mainder, in the m e a n time, will direct productions in elementary a n d high
schools in that area. After five weeks in o n e location, w e will m o v e to another
college t o w n for the same length of time, permitting in all about five festival ses
sions over the state."
Porterfield was a h a r d m a n to resist a n d unexpected help c a m e once again
from M r s . Roosevelt, w h o wrote in M y D a y : "It is exciting to have a state govern
ment finally realize the importance of the theater in the life of the p e o p l e . "
T h e war, h o w e v e r , interfered with B o b ' s plans. T h e s e c o n d W o r l d W a r saw
135 former Barter players in the a r m e d forces. F o u r w o n the Distinguished Ser
vice C r o s s . T w o gave their lives.
T h e Barter was closed for the duration a n d its founder f o u n d himself in the
A i r F o r c e . Porterfield later j o k e d that the G I w h o interviewed h i m , "refused his
�Mr. P
35
Head sticking above the rest, stage-center, Bob Portei-field poses with
his cast for Two O n A n Island.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
request for liason w o r k , stating that the a r m y d i d not provide for illicit relation
ships."
B u t the laughter d i e d in 1 9 4 4 w h e n a tornado swept through A b i n g d o n . T h e
w o r d that reached B o b — s t a t i o n e d in Texas at the time—was i n d e e d dishearten
ing. E q u i p m e n t , scenery, costumes, scripts a n d props h a d been destroyed by
w i n d a n d flooding. Losses were estimated a $ 2 0 , 0 0 0 . Barter h a d been
devastated a n d even B o b h a d doubts about continuing.
After being discharged in 1 9 4 5 , B o b went to H o l l y w o o d . It was writer J a m e s
H i l t o n w h o p r o v i d e d the incentive for Porterfield's return to A b i n g d o n . T h e
author of Lost Horizon a n d Goodbye Mr. Chips was yet another k e e n observer
of Barter's growth. H e personally sent actors to Barter to gain experience, a n d it
was his wish to eventually retire to A b i n g d o n because the quaint t o w n r e m i n d e d
h i m so m u c h of a n English country t o w n . H i l t o n never d i d settle in Southwest
Virginia. H e d i e d in California after several successful novels a n d screenplays.
Hilton's wife A l i c e , h o w e v e r , became B o b ' s secretary in the late '40s, devoting
time a n d m o n e y to keep Barter going until her death in 1 9 6 2 . T o this day,
�36
The Barter Theatre Story
Hilton's Best S c r e e n p l a y Oscar for Mrs. Miniver sits o n the Barter Inn desk of
business manager P e a r l H a y t e r .
H i l t o n told B o b that i n H o l l y w o o d he w o u l d be just o n e a m o n g thousands
a n d thousands of actors. B u t in Virginia he c o u l d still m a k e a n important c o n
tribution to the A m e r i c a n theater.
Faith r e n e w e d , B o b got to w o r k . It turned out that the A b i n g d o n T o w n
C o u n c i l w a n t e d Barter back very badly. T h e O p e r a H o u s e was again reserved
for Barter's use, a n d with what B o b a n d friends were able to raise, repairs were
effected.
Porterfield o n c e again went before the Virginia Legislature a n d this time he
got what he w a n t e d . It didn't set a national precedent as B o b h o p e d , but w h e n
Barter r e o p e n e d its doors in 1 9 4 6 , it was boosted by $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 in state funding
a n d in title, " T h e State Theatre of V i r g i n i a . "
T o d a y , Barter's support from the state c o m e s in the form of a four-to-one
matching grant. F o r every $ 4 the Barter raises (1981 figures), the state kicks in
$1 up to a $ 5 0 , 0 0 0 a n n u a l limit.
A l t h o u g h a great tribute to B o b ' s idealism a n d far-sighted beliefs, the "State
Theatre" designation was also his greatest single piece of p r o m o t i o n . W i t h o u t it,
Barter m a y not have survived to celebrate a 50th anniversary.
T h e post-war p e r i o d saw other very necessary changes. A season ticket c a m
paign was initiated; actors were put o n salary; a n d a cash b o x office replaced the
beloved Barter system.
"That was the change that created the most trouble," Barter historian D r .
A n n e St. Clair Williams n o t e d . "There were a lot of people w h o were faithful
Barter patrons w h o h a d never used anything but vegetables to see a s h o w . O n e
of the most v o c a l was a black w o m a n w h o ran the fish market in A b i n g d o n .
T h e r e was another w o m a n w h o h a d planted a n extra r o w of beans to use as
barter w h e n she heard the theater was g o i n g to r e o p e n . H o w c o u l d y o u explain
the e c o n o m i c necessity of a cash b o x office to such loyal patrons? T h e reaction
was so strong that B o b let s o m e people still use barter—but o n l y in A b i n g d o n . "
B o b also investigated a n d experimented with ways to p r o m o t e A b i n g d o n as a
tourist attraction. O n e of his brainstorms was the V i r g i n i a H i g h l a n d s Festival,
w h i c h remains a leading showcase for arts a n d crafts. E a c h A u g u s t finds a huge
big-top tent set up o n the l a w n across from Barter a n d between the Barter
P l a y h o u s e a n d the M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n Inn. T h e fair's popularity has brought
valuable tourist revenue to A b i n g d o n a n d , not suprisingly, s o m e of Barter's best
houses.
Part of being a g o o d p r o m o t e r means keeping the customer satisfied, a n d
B o b was always acutely aware of the image his theater projected in A b i n g d o n .
F r o m the m o m e n t he w a l k e d his c o m p a n y to c h u r c h in 1 9 3 3 , M r . P m a d e it
abundantly clear that his actors c o u l d ill afford to alienate the c o m m u n i t y .
" A t first," Porterfield recalled, "the A b i n g d o n p e o p l e were suspicious of the
actors as a n evil influence, but they were s o o n w o n over. T h e Barter Theatre has
never h a d a s c a n d a l . "
�Mr. P
37
A post-war
Barter company
prepares to leave for another
engagement.
touring
(Photo courtesy of T h e Barter Theatre)
" T h e y were a little dubious at first," he r e m a r k e d o n another occasion.
" H o w e v e r , they n e e d not have any qualms. I h a d m a d e it clearly understood
n o b o d y was going to indulge in any m i d - s u m m e r orgies. H a r d work, rather than
dissipation, was to be the rule of the day. W e felt o u r w a y cautiously a n d gave
mostly simple little productions, going strong o n broad c o m e d y in that first
season. W e don't think that the type of patron w e were appealing to w o u l d care
for heavy d r a m a or sophistication. T o d a y , h o w e v e r , there has been a m a r k e d
expansion of taste a n d we n o w receive little criticism w h e n we offer plays that
w o u l d have been considered daring b e y o n d words back in 1 9 3 2 . "
L o u F l a n i g a n , a stage manager at Barter in the late '60s a n d n o w the theater's
public relations director, remembers walking with B o b Porterfield through A b
ingdon a n d being a m a z e d by his easy manner as he passed people o n the street.
" H e was very c o m m u n i t y conscious a n d he made sure the theater projected a
proper image. Part of that meant cultivating the c o m m u n i t y . "
A "free thinker, an individualist, an independent speaker, a 'spinner of
yarns,' 'the m a n o n the street,' a n d the m a n next d o o r all rolled into one
�38
T h e Barter Theatre Story
d y n a m i c p e r s o n . " That's h o w o n e local journalist described Robert Porterfield.
Barter's survival simply c a n not be e x p l a i n e d without understanding what for
midable gifts a n d characteristics its founder possessed.
"It wasn't p r o m o t i n g i n the w a y w e think of it," actress C l e o H o l l a d a y
declares today. "It was a natural c h a r m . H e c o u l d sell a n y t h i n g . " H o l l a d a y , w h o
is n o w married to Barter p r o d u c i n g director R e x Partington, was c h o s e n by M a r y
Martin in 1 9 5 5 as a Barter A w a r d winner. "Right a w a y B o b m a d e y o u feel like
y o u were part of the theater. H e h a d e n o r m o u s sensitivity for both his actors a n d
the t o w n of A b i n g d o n . "
C h a r m . F e w p e o p l e c a n recall B o b Porterfield without using that w o r d over
a n d over. Certainly B o b ' s distinct ability for p r o m o t i o n was a major factor in the
Barter's survival, but, h a n d in h a n d with that talent was the man's o v e r w h e l m i n g
charm.
"I'm sure there were s o m e p e o p l e w h o didn't find h i m c h a r m i n g . " c o m
m e n t e d F r a n k L o w e , a n actor in the Barter c o m p a n y for m u c h of the '50s.
" A n y o n e without enemies is suspect. B u t most f o u n d h i m h a r d to resist. Barter
was the least likely spot in the w o r l d for a professional theater. It's still isolated,
but w h e n he started it, Barter was extremely isolated. H e h a d the u n c a n n y ability
to encourage p e o p l e to c o m e to the theater. T h e y were difficult audiences in that
they w o u l d n ' t stand for anything b a d .
" B o b h a d a very intuitive nature. T h e r e were constant changes in the
A m e r i c a n theater, A b i n g d o n , the country a n d the w o r l d ; a n d Barter reflected
that. A n d Barter was a place where lifelong friendships were m a d e . It was a h a r d
existence, but very instructive. B o b wasn't a remote boss. H e was very helpful,
supportive a n d he dealt with y o u o n a n intensely personal level. I f o u n d h i m a n
u n c o m m o n l y trusting m a n if he h a d faith in y o u . B u t he liked to see p e o p l e get
out of their o w n problems. If he thought y o u were w r o n g , but y o u honestly
believed in what y o u were d o i n g , h e ' d let y o u d o it. If he thought y o u ' d learn
something, h e ' d let y o u fall flat o n y o u r face.
" O n c e w h e n I was in the hospital in N e w Y o r k , I was quite ill a n d very l o w .
W h o s h o u l d walk in but B o b Porterfield a n d he said, ' Y o u ' v e got to get out of
here a n d g o to w o r k d o w n in A b i n g d o n ' . "
" H e was not b o u n d by g r e e d . . . a singular producer. H e h a d a professional
c h a r m that he used as a n actor—he k n e w h o w to play an a u d i e n c e — a n d a
separate c h a r m that was his o w n personality. H e was rather a religious m a n , yet
very o p e n - m i n d e d . H e was interested in a lot of things."
T h e m e m o r i e s of friends a n d associates bear out Barter scholar Teresa
Keller's assertion that B o b "has been deified." C o n s i d e r just a few of these
cherished recollections:
A n n B u c k l e s was a n actress in the Barter c o m p a n y in 1 9 5 1 , returning to play
the lead in the 1 9 7 1 p r o d u c t i o n of 40 Carats just a few months before B o b ' s
death: " B o b Porterfield was certainly a guiding force for m e . H e saw a creative
spark a n d encouraged it. A n d w h e n I went to N e w Y o r k that fall ('51), B o b sent
a w h o l e folder of letters to influential p e o p l e for m e . Y e a r s later, w h e n e v e r I saw
�Mr. P
39
h i m i n N e w Y o r k , h e ' d say, ' W h e n y o u c o m i n g to A b i n g d o n to d o a s h o w ? ' "
" H e was a generous p e r s o n . H e truly l o v e d the theater, a n d the area. I
remember one night we were partying quite loudly at the Barter Inn. A l l of a
sudden there was a k n o c k o n the d o o r a n d there stood B o b . H e just l o o k e d at
m e with a steady stare a n d then said simply, ' B l o n d e s dissipate faster than
brunettes,' a n d w a l k e d a w a y , ' " leaving his blonde actress o p e n - m o u t h e d a n d
with n o g o o d c o m e b a c k .
C a t h y D e C a t e r i n a is the founder of Theatre Bristol, a respected c o m m u n i t y
theater nearby. B o b came to see a couple of her early children's productions, but
her favorite Porterfield m e m o r y harkens back to w h e n she was a student at
Juilliard in N e w Y o r k : " O n e day I ran into B o b Porterfield o n the street. It was so
wonderful to see this w a r m face from h o m e a n d I just smiled a n d said, ' H i , M r
Porterfield.' W e l l , his face just lit up a n d he treated me like I was a long-lost
relative. I was naive e n o u g h to think he actually r e m e m b e r e d m y n a m e a n d he
was just nice e n o u g h to let me think I was like a first c o u s i n . "
L y n n Pecktal was a Kingsport native attending E m o r y a n d H e n r y C o l l e g e just
a few miles a w a y from A b i n g d o n w h e n he was tapped by Porterfield to be the
c o m p a n y ' s set designer in 1 9 5 5 . W o r k i n g during the summers while finishing his
degree, Pecktal went o n to s p e n d nine consecutive seasons at Barter—returning
for a stint in 1 9 6 6 a n d a special assignment in 1981 a n d 1982—designing sets
for such varied shows as Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, The Waltz of the Toreadors
a n d Teahouse of the August Moon. L i k e m a n y others w h o w o r k e d at Barter,
Pecktal got more than just a promising career start in A b i n g d o n , since it was dur
ing his first season that he met G e o r g i a Bennett, the actress w h o five years later
became his wife a n d the mother of their two sons. H e is n o w recognized as a
leading authority o n set design a n d his 1 9 7 5 text b o o k , Designing for the
Theater, is considered the definitive w o r k o n the subject. S c e n i c design is a dif
ficult field to break into a n d the Barter gave Pecktal a chance to create m a n y
diverse types of sets before he established himself in N e w Y o r k . A n imposing oil
painting of his set for Tennessee Williams' Cat On a Hot Tin Roof— w h i c h
featured N e d Beatty as B i g Daddy—still hangs in the first floor hallway of the
Barter Inn.
"This was a p r o v i n g g r o u n d , " Pecktal stated. "It was a great place to learn.
Robert Porterfield was a great, driving force for y o u n g people a n d d e m a n d e d
the best. In those days, w e were d o i n g shows o n very tight budgets. Y o u h a d to
use y o u r imagination a n d be as resourceful as possible. I c a n remember closing a
s h o w o n a S u n d a y night a n d o p e n i n g o n a M o n d a y . . . o r building several sets at
once."
" B o b never let y o u d o w n , t h o u g h , w h e n y o u n e e d e d something. Y o u c o u l d
ask h i m for anything, a n d , as l o n g as y o u c o u l d justify the expense, y o u ' d get it.
H e h a d a marvelous intuitive sense about productions. W h e n he didn't want to
spend m o n e y o n a set, all I h a d to d o was say to M r . P , ' O k a y , if y o u want it to
look tacky."
"Eventually, the time c a m e to m o v e o n . B o b tried to get m e to stay but he
�40
T h e Barter Theatre Story
u n d e r s t o o d . T h e r e was never any clash between friendship a n d professionalism
with B o b . I thought the w o r l d of h i m as d i d m a n y p e o p l e . "
B o b G a l l i c o , w h o n o w makes his h o m e in Ireland, c a m e to Barter as a n aspir
ing actor in the early '50s. T h e s o n of writer P a u l G a l l i c o , his m e m o r i e s of Barter
are both wistful a n d v i v i d : " T h e o n e thing I must say is that there is something
very special about the Barter Theatre. A c t o r s w o r k in s u m m e r stock a n d reper
tory theaters all over, but they always r e m e m b e r the Barter Theatre. That's part
ly d u e to Robert Porterfield. H e was a helluva character in his o w n right. H e was
a charmer, a s h o w m a n , a promoter—but he d e m a n d e d the best."
" T h e Barter was the best training a n actor c o u l d h a v e . W e p l a y e d in a library
o n e night, a n airplane hangar the next. A n d all the classic things hap
pened—sets fell d o w n , d o o r handles fell off. It was probably less professional
than s o m e theaters, but it was a lot more exciting. Y o u k n o w , friendships, mar
riages a n d r o m a n c e s started at Barter because of the atmosphere. T h e r e was a
sense of identity a n d family; a n d B o b was very m u c h a father figure. H e c o u l d be
cruel a n d k i n d a n d gentle a n d wise a n d generous. B o b a n d Barter represent the
best of theater. A c t o r s are transitory beings, but the Barter is s o m e t h i n g that they
always r e m e m b e r . E v e n if I h a d never c o m e back to A b i n g d o n , I w o u l d never
forget it."
N a n c y Necessary P r i d e m o r e has been a speech a n d d r a m a teacher at
Kingsport's D o b y n s - B e n n e t t H i g h S c h o o l for s o m e 3 5 years: "I k n e w B o b
Porterfield really well a n d was able to get a lot of students apprenticeships at the
Barter. I r e m e m b e r g o i n g to see Barter productions o n 'Barter'—we all took
garden vegetables. A s children, we thought it was so exciting. W e didn't k n o w
what Barter was all about because there was n o live theater in this area up to that
point. B o b ' s influence in this area is t r e m e n d o u s . T h e y ' v e kept theater alive a n d
they've definitely inspired other theater groups. C o u n t l e s s children were i n
troduced to the magic of live theater through Barter. T h e y ' v e h e l p e d this area
grow culturally. There's n o w a y to fully appreciate what Barter has accomplished.
A n d B o b was so tall, a n d h a n d s o m e , a n d square-shouldered. H e h a d great
stage presence."
A n n e St. Clair Williams w o r k e d closely with Porterfield in d e v e l o p i n g her
1 9 6 7 thesis research. S h e said of h i m , " H e didn't n e e d a character to hide
b e h i n d , because he was a character."
In ill health for several years, B o b ' s b e l o v e d Fritchie d i e d in 1 9 4 9 . Before the
war, the first M r s . Porterfield was responsible in large part for Barter's financial
survival. B o b always n e e d e d that o n e p e r s o n to "watch the p e n n i e s . " A l i c e
H i l t o n filled that function for s o m e years, with P e a r l Price H a y t e r , a Barter
e m p l o y e e since the '50s, succeeding her. Fiercely loyal to B o b a n d R e x Par
tington, Barter's current business manager is a n integral part of the theater's
history a n d future.
" A m a z i n g c h a r m , " is the w a y Pearl sums u p M r . P . "That's h o w he got so
m u c h a c c o m p l i s h e d . H e has b e c o m e something of a saint since his death, but I
don't think that's the w a y h e ' d want to be r e m e m b e r e d . H e was very h u m a n a n d
�Mr. P
41
he was well aware of it. H e k n e w theater. H e k n e w talent. H e k n e w h o w to per
suade. H e wasn't a great businessman a n d he was a great o n e for promising
things without being sure he c o u l d deliver o n it or not. H e was extremely careful
about the actors socializing with the c o m m u n i t y . B o b ran a h a p p y ship but he
also believed in discipline."
P e a r l , of course, is quite accurate. A s with m a n y m e n of charisma, a m y t h
has g r o w n up a r o u n d B o b Porterfield. W h e n A b i n g d o n residents a n d former
Barter actors remember B o b , there is a reverence a n d affection in their tone.
G r a n t e d , this is m o r e than deserved, yet it keeps us from getting a complete per
sonal picture of B o b . W h a t was he like at h o m e ? W h a t k i n d of person impressed
him? W h a t were his politics? W h a t were his peculiar characteristics?
W h e n B o b talked to the press it was generally about Barter; rarely about
himself. O n c e or twice, s o m e intimate hints c a m e out.
"I like authentic folk music a n d the folk b a l l a d , " he said in 1 9 5 4 , "but I never
have been very m u c h o n this popular stuff."
W a s he a prude? W e l l , he certainly h a d a great deal of " O l d S o u t h " morality
to h i m . A m a n s h o u l d be a gentleman n o matter what his station in life a n d a
w o m a n s h o u l d be a L a d y with a capital ' L . ' H e didn't a p p r o v e of cursing, par
ticularly in front of a w o m a n . T h e virtues of the "Protestant W o r k Ethic" wasn't
lost o n h i m , either.
Still, B o b apparently was o p e n to n e w ideas.
" A t times there are plays presented w h i c h are called shady a n d dirty a n d i m
m o r a l , " he stated in 1 9 4 7 . " W e don't want to give such performances. W i t h the
p e o p l e in support of the theater, they can d e m a n d plays that are significant a n d
carry a worthy message a l o n g with their entertainment. T h e future is up to
them."
T h e person best able to fill in s o m e of these gray areas is M a r y D u d l e y Porter
field, the gracious L a d y (with a capital ' L ' ) w h o B o b married in 1 9 6 5 . S h e still
lives o n the T w i n O a k s farm in a h o m e filled with memories of B o b . It's about
time M a r y D u d l e y h a d center stage:
" H e always said, 'if you're not d o i n g something y o u like, y o u won't m a k e a
success of it.' H e h a d fun. I still think he was one of the greatest promoters in the
A m e r i c a n theater, a n d not just because he was m y husband. I h a d w o r k e d for
Barter once a n d he asked m e to c o m e back a n d organize the Friends of Barter
(an organization of c o m m u n i t y supporters). That's w h e n it all started. H e lived at
the Barter Inn at the time a n d we were married a n d he m o v e d back to T w i n
O a k s permanently. It's always been a G r a d e - A dairy. H e a d o r e d this p l a c e . "
"Let's see. H e hated s m o k i n g ; hated hairspray; hated drunkenness. L o v e d his
w o m e n to smell sweet. H e used to say, 'I married M a r y D u d l e y because she
smells like perfume a n d not linament.' H e hated p e o p l e w h o pretended. H e was
very considerate a n d thoughtful of p e o p l e . T h e only time I saw h i m get really
m a d was at Actors' E q u i t y . H e c o u l d get so m a d at t h e m . "
" B o b h a d the k i n d of personality that y o u felt w h e n he c a m e into a r o o m .
Y o u just h a d a g o o d time w h e n y o u were a r o u n d B o b . Y o u never k n e w what he
�ft
I
Bob Porterfield
and his beloved mother, Miss Daisy, share a quiet moment
which the Porterfield homestead is named.
(Photo courtesy of Mrs. Mary Dudley Porterfield)
beneath the Twin Oaks for
ft
(0
in
I
�Mr. P
43
was going to say. T h e curtain speeches were never p l a n n e d . "
A h , the curtain speeches...so m u c h a part of Barter's lore. It is a tradition
maintained by Partington. B o b w o u l d use that folksy c h a r m before each s h o w .
F r o m 1947 o n , he gave away a pair of n y l o n stockings to the person attending a
Barter performance for the first time from the farthest distance away.
" A n y o n e here from A s i a , Africa, Isaiah," h e ' d start.
T o o often, h e ' d get rolling a n d just keep going, sending the actors into
agonizing fits b e h i n d the curtain. H e always e n d e d his curtain speech with the
same piece of advice: "If y a ' like us, talk about us. If y a ' don't, jes keep y a '
m o u t h shut!"
"That's w h e n he put t h e m in his pocket," Fritz W e a v e r maintained.
" T h e guy ate audiences," A n n e St. Clair Williams c o n c u r r e d .
" T h e actors used to tease h i m or pull his coat through the curtain w h e n he
went o n , " M a r y D u d l e y r e m e m b e r e d with a chuckle. " H i s m i n d was w o r k i n g all
the time. W h e n he f o u n d out that L a d y B i r d J o h n s o n was o n a beautification
tour, he got o n the p h o n e a n d invited her to a performance. A n d he got her. H e
was a perfectionist...always striving."
" Y o u couldn't take a b a d picture of B o b . H e was the most photogenic person
in the w o r l d . H e was perfectly h a p p y in o l d w o r k clothes or a t u x e d o . H e adored
dressing u p , but he l o o k e d g o o d in anything."
"There was n o place y o u c o u l d go where he didn't k n o w s o m e b o d y or he
wasn't recognized. W e took a year off a n d went to E u r o p e a n d there wasn't
anyplace we went where people didn't k n o w about Barter. W h e n we went to
any k i n d of function, w e never sat together. W e always sat at separate tables. M y
job was public relations. That w a y w e c o u l d reach twice as m a n y people. H e
never stopped p r o m o t i n g . H e kept a pencil a n d notebook by his b e d a n d h e ' d
w a k e up a n d write d o w n ideas."
" H e collected little animals a n d little pocket books, but his real hobby was the
theater a n d T w i n O a k s . H e liked fishing, but he wasn't a big sportsman. H e
couldn't stand to waste time. H e was a big reader, constantly reading anything
c o n c e r n e d with theater a n d plays. Variety was his Bible. B o b seemed to k n o w a
little about everything."
" H e was a Democrat, but he wasn't politically active. H e k n e w that both
Democrats a n d Republicans were c o m i n g to his theater."
" H e was a frugal m a n . H e k n e w what the Depression was a n d what
breadlines were. I remember our first Christmas here at T w i n O a k s , I h a d
prepared a turkey. W e l l , we used that d a m n turkey every w a y I c o u l d think
of—meals, leftovers, sandwiches, y o u n a m e it. W h e n there was nothing left but
the bones, I gathered t h e m up a n d took t h e m out back to throw in the field. A l l
of a sudden I was aware of this l o n g s h a d o w in front of m e . ' W h a t are y o u
d o i n g , ' B o b said. W h e n I told h i m I was throwing out the bones, he said, ' B o i l
t h e m a n d make s o u p . "
" H e was a regular movie-goer. H e l o v e d Gone With the Wind. We never
went anywhere that we didn't go to a theater. B o b also l o v e d television. H e
�T h e Barter Theatre Story
44
c o u l d watch anything, but he got real excited w h e n h e ' d see something with one
of his Barter p e o p l e in it."
" H e was a g o o d c o o k , a g o o d dancer, a n d a g o o d bridge player. H e also lov
ed hats. It didn't matter what k i n d . "
" H e h a d a S o u t h e r n d r a w l i n his voice, but it wasn't a strong accent. H e h a d a
little crack in his voice—it was so appealing. H e didn't realize he h a d it. It was a
very pleasing voice. It's h a r d to describe. It was intriguing."
" G r o u n d h o g D a y was his biggest d a y . H e gave a lot of attention to his
G r o u n d h o g D a y Letters. H e said, 'I only send G r o u n d h o g D a y Letters to p e o p l e
w h o sent m e Christmas cards.' O f course, he didn't s e n d Christmas C a r d s
himself."
L u c k y recipients cherished a n d saved B o b ' s G r o u n d h o g D a y letters. T h e y
w o u l d usually begin:
GROUNDHOG D A Y GREETINGS
I thought of y o u o n
L i n c o l n ' s Birthday
G o o d Friday
Washington's Birthday
Memorial Day
Independence D a y
Labor Day
Columbus Day
G e n e r a l Election D a y
Armistice D a y
Thanksgiving D a y
Christmas D a y
New Year's Day
but most especially I a m thinking of y o u o n this
GROUNDHOG DAY
" T h e letters were a s u m m a r y of the preceding year a n d usually contained
lighthearted greetings, witticisms, doses of p h i l o s o p h y ; a n d were sent to family,
friends a n d Barter patrons," Teresa Keller e x p l a i n e d .
At Stonehenge in England I really had a strange, goose-pimply feeling that I had
been there before in another incarnation and I said so to Mary Dudley. W h e n at the
ruins of the House of the Vestal Virgins, Mary Dudley said "I have been here before in
another incarnation." M y laugh echoed through the Forum and I'm sure Caesar, A n
thony and even Brutus must have smiled.
1966
I hope you realize you can't take it with y o u , even though they are now making cof
fins with pockets for those who wish to try.
1969
T h e r e was o n e other side to B o b ' s private life that must be n o t e d : that of lov
ing father. In 1 9 6 8 , B o b a n d M a r y D u d l e y were under the great twin oaks for
w h i c h the Porterfield spread was n a m e d .
�Mr. P
45
Bob, Mary Dudley,
Jay Bird, and their Irish
Wolfhound.
(Photo courtesy of Mrs. Mary Dudley Porterfield)
"I said to her," he recalled the following year, " ' D i d y o u k n o w there has not
been a child to play under these oaks since m y father was a b o y in 1 8 7 0 . That
was nigh o n to 100 years ago. Let's adopt a little boy to play a n d live under these
oaks.' W e d i d . T o think M a r y D u d l e y a n d I have been married only four years
a n d n o w we have a five-year o l d s o n . W e n a m e d h i m J a y B i r d P a y n e Porter
field. H e is keeping m e y o u n g . A n d he is aging his mother!"
T h e r e are n o terms to describe h o w strong the b o n d between father a n d son
became. O n e G r o u n d h o g D a y Letter from 1 9 6 9 noted: " W e a d o p t e d J a y B i r d .
O n c e while struggling with h i m during a bath, I asked h i m if they didn't have a
bath tub where he c a m e from. H e said he took a bath in a bucket. It's wonderful
to get h i m out of that bucket."
�46
T h e Barter Theatre Story
" T h e y a d o r e d e a c h other, J a y a n d B o b , " M a r y D u d l e y r e m a r k e d . " T h e y
were best friends."
A t o n e point, M a r y D u d l e y interrupted her narrative a n d a p o l o g i z e d if she
was rambling or getting overly a n i m a t e d . " H e ' s m y favorite subject," she ex
plained.
S h e' s not alone in that sentiment.
O n e of the best descriptions of B o b Porterfield c a m e from distant relative,
T o m m y C u r t i n , a professional performer himself a n d the o w n e r - m a n a g e r of
Bristol's H o l i d a y C i n e m a m o v i e theater.
"If y o u met h i m , " C u r t i n stated with a smile, " y o u k n e w he h a d to be the o n e
w h o started that theater...he was o n e of a k i n d . "
�47
Chapter Six: The Stars of Barter
T h e stocky y o u n g m a n a n d his friend were hungry, disheveled a n d ex
hausted. T h e y h a d hitchhiked from Connecticut to A b i n g d o n , V a . , where they
h a d heard, B o b Porterfield was auditioning performers for his Barter Theatre
company.
It was 1 9 4 6 a n d Ernest B o r g n i n e , just out of the N a v y , didn't k n o w what to
d o with his life. A s it turned out, his mother, A n n a Bosselli B o r g n i n e came u p
with the answer, " E r n i e , " she told h i m , " d i d y o u ever think of acting? Y o u
always enjoyed m a k i n g a d a m n e d fool of yourself."
S o , after a short stay at the Connecticut S c h o o l of Dramatic Arts, the
youngster took the r o a d to A b i n g t o n . Porterfield c a m e d o w n the hill from the
Barter Inn to interview the two hapless l o o k i n g prospects a n d assumed they
w a n t e d to build sets.
"I'm an actor," B o r g n i n e protested.
Porterfield smiled a n d threw his h a n d to his neck—"I'm up to here in actors."
S o o n , however, the aspiring thespian graduated from set-building a n d
costume construction to bit parts. N i n e years later, Ernie p i c k e d up the Best A c
tor Oscar for his m o v i n g portrayal of P a d d y Chayefsky's lonely butcher, Marty.
Porterfield's response was typical: "We're extremely p r o u d a n d h a p p y that
Ernest w o n the A c a d e m y A w a r d . B u t we're not surprised."
Later, B o r g n i n e w o u l d say, "I learned (to switch characters) thoroughly at
Barter Theatre. I can never be grateful e n o u g h to B o b Porterfield a n d Barter for
starting m e o n the w a y a n d for grounding m e in all the facets of acting. It's
because I was trained there in every possible sort of role that I'm able n o w to pick
scripts a n d get a variety of characters....There's at least one (Barter player) in
almost every picture I m a k e a n d we keep running into o l d friends all over t o w n . "
Still later, he w o u l d a d d , "That's where I really learned m y profession...by
d o i n g , by watching p e o p l e . "
H i s story is hardly unique. T h e h o n o r roll of Barter Theatre a l u m n i is an i m
pressive list of N e w Y o r k a n d H o l l y w o o d ' s leading film, television a n d theater
performers.
" Y o u can go right d o w n B r o a d w a y o n any given night a n d find a Barter
alumnus in s o m e s h o w , " Fritz W e a v e r c o m m e n t e d . C o n s i d e r that since its i n
ception in 1 9 3 3 , Barter has p r o d u c e d the likes of H u m e C r o n y n , Frank L o v e joy, Gregory P e c k , Patricia N e a l , Margaret Phillips, L a r r y Gates, B o r g n i n e ,
Herbert N e l s o n , Elizabeth W i l s o n , C l a u d e A k i n s , W e a v e r , D a v i d (Al) H e d i s o n ,
�ft
3
Ernest Borgnine, far left, in post-war Barter production o / M u c h A d o About Nothing. Just learning his trade,
Borgnine would walk off with Best Actor Oscar for Marty some ten years later. Other cast members are
John Vivyan, Karl Lucas, Larry Gates, Frederic Warriner and Hank Colman
(crouching).
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
3
I
�49
T h e Stars of Barter
Ernest Borgnine
accepts his Best Actor Oscar from
Grace Kelly.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
G r a n t Williams, R o s e m a r y M u r p h y , D i a n e Cilento, N e d Beatty, Robert Pastene,
G e r o m e R a g n i , G a r y Collins, M i t c h R y a n , Larry Linville, D a v i d B i r n e y , R i c h a r d
Sanders a n d D a v i d S e l b y .
C o n s i d e r , too, just s o m e of their accomplishments. A complete list w o u l d fill
a n entire other b o o k , but e v e n a brief r u n d o w n is i n d e e d staggering:
* H U M E C R O N Y N , at Barter for the second season in 1 9 3 4 as a director a n d
actor, returning in 1 9 3 8 to direct, he has b e c o m e one of B r o a d w a y ' s most
respected performers, often starring with his wife, Jessica T a n d y . A versatile ac
tor, C r o n y n p l a y e d P o l o n i u s to R i c h a r d Burton's Hamlet, a n d in Richard III,
�50
T h e Barter Theatre Story
Moliere's The Miser, G h e k h o v ' s The Three Sisters a n d The Cherry
Orchard,
comedies like Room Service a n d The Male Animal, a n d , m e m o r a b l y , with T a n
dy in The Fourposter, Noel Coward in Two Keys a n d The Gin Game. W e l l
k n o w n for their d e v o t i o n to the theater, the C r o n y n s will experiment with n e w
shows, appear with repertory c o m p a n i e s or tour with the same d e v o t i o n they
bring to B r o a d w a y . His forays into film include Shadow of Doubt (1943), Lifeboat
(1944), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), Brute Force (1947), Sunrise
at Campobello (1960), Gaily, Gaily (1969), There Was a Crooked Man (1970),
The Parallax View (1974) a n d Rollover (1981).
• F R A N K L O V E J O Y , w h o started at Barter in 1 9 3 5 , went o n to a successful
film, stage a n d television career before his tragically premature death at the age
of 4 8 of a heart attack in 1 9 6 2 . U n d e r contract for W a r n e r B r o s . , he appeared in
Home of the Brave (1949), Breakthrough
(1950), In A Lonely Place (1950),
Goodbye My Fancy (1951), House of Wax (1953), Strategic Air
Command
(1955) a n d Three Brave Men (1957) with fellow Barterite B o r g n i n e . L o v e j o y
also m a d e n u m e r o u s appearances in "live" television anthology programs, such
as Four Star Playhouse,
Stage 7, Ford Star Jubilee, Rheingold Theatre, Zane
Grey Theatre, Playhouse 90, a n d a memorable starring role in the Lux Video
Theatre p r o d u c t i o n of Double Indemnity. In 1 9 5 6 , he replaced R a l p h B e l l a m y
in Man Against Crime, the T V series about hard-boiled detective M i k e Barnett.
T h e following year, he l a n d e d another series, Meet McGraw (1957-59), again
starring as a t o u g h guy adventurer. O n B r o a d w a y , L o v e j o y a p p e a r e d in G o r e
V i d a l ' s The Best Man.
• J E F F R E Y L Y N N ( G E O F F R E Y L I N D ) was one of 15 youngsters c h o s e n for
Barter's first apprentice p r o g r a m in 1 9 3 5 . H e arrived at Barter as Geoffrey L i n d
a n d as u n s c h o o l e d as o n e c o u l d wish for. D u r i n g his stay, he stage m a n a g e d ,
acted a n d directed a one-act. W i t h i n a couple of years, Jeffrey L y n n was a rising
star in H o l l y w o o d , appearing with the likes of H u m p h r e y Bogart a n d J a m e s
C a g n e y in The Roaring Twenties (1939), It all Came True (1940), The Fighting
69th (1940), All This and Heaven Too (1940), Lost Lagoon (1958) a n d Tony
Rome (1967). L y n n also starred in the short-lived 1 9 5 3 T V sit-com, My Son
Jeep—remembered
today by only the most ardent trivia experts—and hosted
the dramatic anthology series, Star Stage, for o n e year.
• G R E G O R Y P E C K was selected for the c o m p a n y by Barter A w a r d winner
D o r o t h y S t i c k n e y in 1 9 4 0 . T r i u m p h s in H o l l y w o o d followed quickly with The
Keys of the Kingdom (1945), The Yearling (1946), Duel in the Sun (1947),
Gentleman's Agreement (1947), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), The
Gunfighter
(1950), Captain Horatio Hornblower
(1951), Pork Chop Hill (1959), O n the
Beach (1959) a n d The Guns ofNavarone
(1961). H e reached the height of his
powers with his quiet t r i u m p h as Atticus F i n c h in To Kill A Mockingbird (1962).
His Best A c t o r O s c a r was the s e c o n d A c a d e m y A w a r d for a Barter a l u m n u s .
• M A R G A R E T W Y C H E R L Y was actually already an established star w h e n
she a p p e a r e d with Barter in the early '40s. A n older character actress, her ver
satility a d d e d a considerable d i m e n s i o n to the basically younger Barter c o m -
�T h e Stars of Barter
51
p a n y . H e r m a n y screen appearances ranged from a refined English lady in the
Thirteenth Chair (1929) to G a r y C o o p e r ' s mother in Sergeant York (1941),
w h i c h also featured B o b Porterfield. S h e r e m a i n e d active in films until her death
in 1 9 5 6 , appearing in Random Harvest (1942), Keeper of the Flame (1942),
The Yearling (1946), as J i m m y C a g n e y ' s notorius mother ("Top of the w o r l d ,
Ma!") in White Heat (1949) a n d in Olivier's Richard III (1956). O n B r o a d w a y ,
W y c h e r l y gave notable performances in E l m e r Rice's The Adding
Machine
(1923), Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author, a n d Tobacco Road.
H e r television credits include Philco Playhouse, Kraft Theatre, Studio One a n d
G . E . Theatre. H e r o n l y venture into series television was, of course, a character
part—Mrs. B r o w n , the possessive mother in the ill-fated 1 9 5 2 dramatic pro
g r a m , Claudia, the Story of a Marriage.
• M A R G A R E T P H I L L I P S started at Barter in 1 9 3 9 before m a k i n g her B r o a d
way debut in Proof Through the Night (1942). S h e also appeared o n the Great
W h i t e W a y in The Late George Apley (1944), Summer and Smoke (1949) a n d
The Cocktail Party (1952). Perhaps her best r e m e m b e r e d role was i n the power
ful 1 9 4 6 p r o d u c t i o n of Another Part of the Forest, w h i c h was personally staged
by Lillian H e l l m a n . A l m o s t two powerful for the gleeful post-war m o o d ,
H e l l m a n ' s u n c o m p r o m i s i n g d r a m a ran for o n l y 182 performances. Still, Phillips'
characterization of Birdie was a p p l a u d e d by the critics. A n interesting footnote to
the p r o d u c t i o n is that Phillips co-starred with Patricia N e a l , w h o was also at
Barter in 1 9 4 2 , a n d M i l d r e d D u n n o c k , with w h o m B o b appeared o n B r o a d w a y
in the '30s. S h e also appeared in the films, A Life of Her Own (1950) a n d The
Nun's Story (1959).
• P A T R I C I A N E A L , as B o b later told it, c a m e to Barter as a n apprentice in
1 9 3 8 telling h i m she was 18. H e f o u n d out later she was only 16. T h e K n o x v i l l e
native was a m e m b e r of the c o m p a n y until the war closed Barter's doors a n d ,
afterwards, she became a star in H o l l y w o o d a n d o n B r o a d w a y . Before her
much-publicized a n d tragic stroke, she appeared in The Fountainhead
(1949),
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) a n d Hud (1963)—an O s c a r - w i n n i n g per
formance. After her heroic battle to regain speech a n d m o v e m e n t , she stunned
the film w o r l d by returning with a superlative characterization in The Subject
Was Roses (1968). N e a l also went o n to star in Earl H a m n e r ' s popular
Christmas special, The Homecoming,
w h i c h became the pilot for The Waltons
television series. H e r o w n inspiring story has been the subject of a b o o k by Barry
Farrell, Pat and Roald (Dahl, her writer husband) a n d a T V m o v i e based o n the
b o o k starring G l e n d a J a c k s o n . H e r daughter, Teresa, was a Barter apprentice in
1973.
• L A R R Y G A T E S was one of several y o u n g actors w h o formed the nucleus
of the post-war Barter c o m p a n y . A t one point, Gates, Ernest B o r g n i n e , H e r b
N e l s o n , W o o d y Romoff, Elizabeth W i l s o n a n d D i a n e C i l e n t o were all o n the
payroll together. Originally selected for the Barter by first A w a r d winner Laurette
T a y l o r in 1 9 3 9 , Gates frequently returned to A b i n g d o n , although in d e m a n d o n
B r o a d w a y a n d television.
�52
T h e Barter Theatre Story
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�T h e Stars of Barter
53
* E R N E S T B O R G N I N E briefly interrupted his four-and-a-half year stay at
Barter to appear o n B r o a d w a y in Harvey. He c o u l d have stayed, but he felt he
o w e d B o b Porterfield a debt of gratitude. B o r g n i n e also traveled to E u r o p e with
the Barter p r o d u c t i o n of Hamlet that p l a y e d at D e n m a r k ' s Elsinore Castle (see
C h a p t e r S e v e n ) . H i s first big film break c a m e w h e n he p l a y e d Fatso J u d s o n in
From Here To Eternity (1953). Other notable film credits include Vera Cruze
(1954) , Bad Day at Black Rock (1954), Marty (1955), The Best Things in Life
Are Free (1956), The Vikings (1958), Barabbas (1962), The Dirty Dozen
(1967), Ice Station Zebra (1968), The Wild Bunch (1969), Willard (1971), The
Poseidon Adventure
(1972) a n d The Emperor of the North Pole (1973). F o r
four seasons he was at the h e l m of the P . T . 7 3 as C o m m a n d e r Q u i n t o n M c H a l e
in the enormously successful A B C c o m e d y , McHale's Navy. W h e n B o r g n i n e
was the subject of a ' 5 6 episode of This Is Your Life, Porterfield was one of the
very special guests. T h e p r o g r a m a n n o u n c e d T h e Ernest B o r g n i n e T r o p h y — o r
" E r n i e " A w a r d — w h i c h w o u l d be presented to the Barter actor judged to have
given the best performance of the season. T h e a w a r d never really caught o n ,
a n d presentations stopped after a few years. B o r g n i n e d i d , however, like so
m a n y Barter graduates, stay i n touch with Barter's founder until B o b ' s death.
• E L I Z A B E T H W I L S O N started with Barter i n ' 4 2 , returning to the c o m p a n y
in the late '40s a n d early '50s. S h e has achieved her greatest successes o n the
B r o a d w a y stage where she has appeared in Sticks and Bones a n d Mornings at
Seven, w h i c h brought her a D r a m a Desk A w a r d a n d the Outer Circle Critics'
A w a r d . In addition to her stage w o r k W i l s o n has appeared in films—Picnic
(1955) , The Goddess (1958), Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963), The
Graduate (1967), The Day of the Dolphin (1973), The Prisoner of Second
Avenue
(1975), 9 to 5 (1980) a n d The Incredible
Shrinking
Woman
(1980)—and o n television, co-starring with G e o r g e C . Scott in the highly
realistic ' 6 3 series, East Side/West Side, a n d as B e r n a r d H u g h e s ' wife in D o c .
S h e c a m e back to Barter in 1 9 5 9 to star in Auntie Mame a n d Bell, Book and
Candle, a n d in ' 6 4 for Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and
I'm Feelin' So Sad.
• W O O D Y R O M O F F , in the Barter c o m p a n y from 1 9 4 6 to ' 5 2 , m a d e his
N e w Y o r k debut as G a d s h i l l in Henry IV, Part I. He s o o n established himself in
N e w Y o r k with such shows as She Loves Me a n d Cafe Crown, also appearing in
television dramas o n Studio One, Omnibus a n d Kraft Television
Theatre.
R o m o f f m a d e a special return visit to Barter during the '70s to star in Dracula.
• C L A U D E A K I N S appeared with the Barter touring c o m p a n y in 1 9 5 0 ,
garnering early experience in such plays as The Heiress a n d Comedy of Errors.
A l s o featured in that production of The Heiress were Elizabeth W i l s o n a n d cur
rent Barter p r o d u c i n g director R e x Partington. T h r e e years later A k i n s appeared
with another Barterite, Ernie B o r g n i n e , in From Here to Eternity. H i s other film
credits include The Caine Mutiny (1954), R e v . B r o w n in Inherit the Wind
(1959) a n d Comanche
Station (1960). A k i n s was active throughout the '50s
a n d '60s o n television, appearing in memorable episodes of The Loretta
Young
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Dorothy
Stickney
poses between the two promising newcomers she selected to join the Barter company
1940, Gregoy Peck and Evelyn Wells Fargo.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
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�T h e Stars of Barter
55
Show, Bonanza a n d The Twilight Zone. H i s greatest notoriety has been from
such television series as Movin' On, Nashville 99 a n d Sheriff Lobo. L o n g a
movie a n d T V " h e a v y , " he is n o w o n e of the most recognized a n d l o v e d per
formers o n the tube.
* F R I T Z W E A V E R has enjoyed a l o n g , rewarding career in theater, films a n d
television. H e was c h o s e n for the Barter c o m p a n y in 1 9 5 2 after placing second
to A l (David) H e d i s o n in Barter A w a r d auditions c o n d u c t e d by Frederic M a r c h
a n d Porterfield. It was so close that they called H e d i s o n a n d W e a v e r back for a
run-off audition. W e a v e r left the theater despondent, but Porterfield ran after
h i m a n d asked h i m to join the c o m p a n y . Since H e d i s o n was a leading m a n a n d
W e a v e r a character actor, it w o r k e d out fine. A Barter press release described
the actor this w a y : " W e a v e r boasts as basic equipment; a natural ease o n stage,
artistocratic g o o d l o o k s , a n d a resonant baritone w h i c h he attributes to a family
line that boasts a number of successful opera singers." H e w o n a T o n y A w a r d for
Child's Play in the late '60s a n d p l a y e d S h e r l o c k H o l m e s o n B r o a d w a y in Baker
Street. H i s film credits include Fail-Safe (1964), A Walk in the Spring Rain
(1970) a n d Creepshow (1982), while his television w o r k numbers appearances
o n Studio One, U.S. Steel Hour, The Twilight Zone, The Fugitive a n d
N.Y.P.D.
* A L ( D A V I D ) H E D I S O N was chosen for Barter because of his potential as a
leading m a n . After a brief m o v i e career—which included the m i n o r science fic
tion classic The Fly (1958)—he starred for four seasons as C a p t a i n L e e C r a n e in
the p o p u l a r sci-fi adventure series, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Still a
familiar face o n network television, H e d i s o n also was the star of Five Fingers, a
spy d r a m a that lasted only o n e season. Trivia buffs c a n tell y o u H e d i s o n p l a y e d
V i c t o r Sebastian, an A m e r i c a n counterspy whose c o d e n a m e was "five fingers."
• R O S E M A R Y M U R P H Y , the other y o u n g performer chosen by M a r c h for
the Barter c o m p a n y , m a d e her B r o a d w a y debut in Look Homeward Angel. H e r
other stage credits include the 1 9 6 0 production of Period of Adjustment, for
w h i c h she w o n a n O u t e r Circle Critics' A w a r d , a n d Any Wednesday. S h e also
appeared as high school principal Margaret B l u m e n t h a l in the 1 9 7 4 Lucas Tanner
T V series, a n d in the films Berlin Express (1948), The Young Doctors (1961),
To Kill A Mockingbird,
Any Wednesday (1966), Ben (1972), Walking Tall
(1973) a n d Forty Carats (1973). A n insightful observer of the A m e r i c a n theater,
M u r p h y contributed several experiences a n d views to Stuart W . Little a n d A r
thur Cantor's excellent study of B r o a d w a y , The Play makers.
• G R A N T W I L L I A M S w o n a spot at Barter in 1 9 5 3 . T h e actor gained his
greatest notoriety in the highly regarded science fiction film, The Incredible
Shrinking Man (1957). (Barter coincidences are legion in s h o w business a n d two
Barterites, N e d Beatty a n d Elizabeth W i l s o n , e n d e d up in Lily T o m l i n ' s p a r o d y ,
The Incredible Shrinking Woman s o m e 2 0 years later.) H i s other film credits i n
clude Written on the Wind (1956), Showdown
at Abilene (1956), Monolith
Monsters (1957) a n d The Leech Woman (1960). H e was also a regular o n the
Hawaiian Eye television series.
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Gary Collins,
Flora Elkins and Ned Beatty star in Barter 1963 production
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
of Period of Adjustment.
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�T h e Stars of Barter
57
' H E R B E R T N E L S O N returned to Barter over a span of s o m e 2 0 years. H e
went o n to B r o a d w a y , but f o u n d steady w o r k in television. H e was a regular o n
The Brighter D a y a n d The Guiding Light soap operas, a n d his m a n y television
credits include appearances o n Studio One a n d The Ed Sullivan
Show.
* D I A N E C I L E N T O started as a n apprentice at Barter for the 1 9 4 9 - 5 0
season. T h e Australian-born actress m a d e her B r o a d w a y debut playing H e l e n of
T r o y in Tiger at the Gates. H e r film w o r k includesThe Breaking Point (1950),
Wings of Danger (1952), The Admirable Crichton (1957), The Naked
Edge
(1961), Rattle of a Simple Man (1964), The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965),
Hombre (1967), The Wicker Man (1973), Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1974),
a n d her delightful contribution to Tom Jones (1963), for w h i c h she received a n
Oscar n o m i n a t i o n for Best S u p p o r t i n g Actress.
* N E D B E A T T Y started with Barter as a n apprentice in 1 9 5 8 , staying through
' 6 4 a n d appearing as B i g D a d d y in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, the title role in Uncle
Vanya a n d the boy's father in The Fantasticks. After a brief return in '67 a n d a
stint at Washington's A r e n a Stage, Beatty l a u n c h e d a highly successful film
career highlighted by his w o r k in Deliverance (1972), Nashville (1975), an Oscar
n o m i n a t i o n for Network
(1976), Superman
(1978), 1941
(1979) a n d
Hopscotch (1981). H e has also appeared in a series of well-recieved T V movies
that include Our Town, Guyana Tragedy, Friendly Fire a n d All the Way
Home.
• R O B E R T P A S T E N E , first at Barter in 1 9 4 6 , became yet another Barter
graduate to cut out a successful career in several m e d i u m s . H i s m a n y B r o a d w a y
shows number The First Cracus, St. Joan, M a u r i c e E v a n s ' Hamlet,
The
Children's Hour a n d Taming of the Shrew. He h a d a long r u n o n the soap
o p e r a , The Edge of Night, a n d for o n e season he was Buck Rogers (1950-51)
o n the A B C series. H i s film credits include Butterfield 8 (1960).
• G E R O M E R A G N I was chosen for a 1 9 6 2 trip to A b i n g d o n by Barter A w a r d
winner A b e B u r r o w s . D u r i n g his stay, he appeared with Beatty in the Barter pro
duction of The Fantasticks. He w o u l d go o n to write the trend-setting B r o a d w a y
play of the '60s, Hair.
• M I T C H ( M I T C H E L L ) R Y A N was another a w a r d winner, p i c k e d for the
c o m p a n y by n o less than Ethel M e r m a n in 1 9 5 7 . H e stayed until 1 9 6 0 , return
ing for the 1 9 6 3 - 6 4 season. H i s Barter roles include Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin
Roof, the lead in Bus Stop, a n d J o h n the W i t c h B o y in Dark of the Moon. T h e
ruggedly h a n d s o m e actor, w h o appeared o n B r o a d w a y in Wait Until Dark,
Brecht's Baal, Othello (as Iago opposite J a m e s Earl Jones), Moon for the
Misbegotten, the revival of A r t h u r Miller's The Price, a n d Medea, also tried out
three short-lived A B C series: Chase (1973-74), Executive Suite (1976-77), a n d
Having Babies (1978). H e fared better as S l i m in Robert Blake's much-praised
T V - m o v i e version of J o h n Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. He p l a y e d Ernest
H e m m i n g w a y in the P B S special, The Hemingway
Story, a n d his feature films
include Monte Walsh (1970), The Hunting Party (1971), Electro Glide in Blue
(1973), The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) a n d Magnum Force (1973). R y a n
m a d e o n e very big hit during his stay in A b i n g d o n , but not o n the Barter stage.
�8
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M r . P shows aspiring actress Diane Cilento the plaque in front of the Barter
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
Theatre.
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�T h e Stars of Barter
59
During a 1982 visit, Mitchell Ryan shows wife Lynn
around the theater where he often starred 20 years
earlier.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
H e was charged by local police with whistling at a girl from the passenger seat of
a car. T h e incident s o o n blew over (no p u n intended), but R y a n remembers it
clearly: " T h e actual charge was interfering with a female. T h e judge thought the
w h o l e thing was very silly. A n d the next day the headlines read, 'Mitch R y a n
found innocent of interfering with a female'."
* J E R R Y O D D O also cut out a successful television career, appearing o n
such shows as Wagon Train, Perry Mason a n d The Untouchables.
A n ac
c o m p l i s h e d playwright, several of his works were premiered at the Barter.
�The Barter Theatre Story
60
The 1940 Barter production of Lee of Virginia.
The heavily made-up actor at far right? Gregory Peck.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
* G A R Y C O L L I N S was at Barter in ' 6 3 a n d s o o n after l a n d e d the first of four
short-lived series: The Wackiest Ship in the Army in 1 9 6 5 . T h i s was followed by
The Iron Horse in ' 6 6 , The Sixth Sense in 7 2 , a n d Born Free in ' 7 4 . Collins was
also featured in A B C ' s adaptation of A l e x H a l e y ' s Roots, a n d was a n n o u n c e d as
the n e w master of ceremonies for the Miss A m e r i c a pageant in 1 9 8 2 .
* L A R R Y L I N V I L L E , Barter class of ' 6 4 , became nationally k n o w n as weakwilled Major F r a n k B u r n s o n M*A * S * H for several seasons.
• D A V I D B I R N E Y arrived at Barter in ' 6 5 . H e later starred with his wife,
Meredith B a x t e r - B i r n e y , in Bridget Loves Bernie ( C B S , 1972), a n d N B C ' s Serpico. O t h e r credits include the film, Trial By Combat
(1976) a n d J o h n
Carpenter's excellent T V m o v i e , Someone is Watching Me! (1978).
• D A V I D S E L B Y was both a director a n d actor at Barter in 1 9 6 6 . H e started
out as a n apprentice a n d went o n to appear in Twelth Night ("I carried a spear"),
The Crucible, You Never Can Tell, Marat/Sade,
a n d as T o n y Kirby in You
Can't Take It With You. He also directed one-acts, children's plays a n d perform
e d S a m u e l Beckett's o n e - m a n , one-act, Krapp's Last Tape. A l m o s t immediately
after leaving Barter, the actor l a n d e d a role in A B C ' s immensely successful
supernatural soap o p e r a , Dark Shadows. Cast as the silent ghost of Q u e n t i n
Collins, S e l b y s o o n f o u n d himself featured in teen a n d horror magazines alike.
H e has been seen o n B r o a d w a y in Sticks and Bones with Elizabeth W i l s o n a n d
Hedda Gabler with J a n e A l e x a n d e r , while his m o v i e credits include Night of
Dark Shadows (1971), Up the Sandbox (1972) with Barbara Streisand, The
�T h e Stars of Barter
61
When Ralph Edwards devoted a segment of This Is Y o u r Life
to Ernest Borgnine, one of the featured guests was Robert
Porterfield.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
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Supercops (1974) with R o n L i e b m a n , Raise the Titanic (1980) a n d Rich and
Famous (1981) with Jacqueline Bisset a n d C a n d i c e B e r g e n . Selby is again a
familiar face o n television due to his portrayal of the daring a n d smooth-talking
M i c h a e l T y r o n e o n N B C ' s Flamingo
Road.
• R I C H A R D S A N D E R S p l a y e d a variety of roles in 1 9 7 2 for Barter's n e w
p r o d u c i n g director, R e x Partington. Since 1 9 7 8 he has been featured as w i m p y
n e w s m a n L e s N e s s m a n o n the C B S - T V series, WKRP in Cincinnati.
A n d that's just 2 8 of Barter's more conspicuous graduates. If Barter were a
high-visibility theater located in a major metropolitan area, such a n h o n o r roll,
while still impressive, w o u l d be somewhat more understandable. Instead, the
Barter is a c o m p a n y where most actors are getting their first or near first taste of
theater. H o w then d i d this quaint little theater born in the Depression again a n d
again produce performers of such stature? O n e reason is quickly supplied by
Fritz W e a v e r :
"There is n o training like that theater—the trouping, the extension of y o u r
o w n resources. G r e g o r y P e c k once told m e that everything he learned about ac
ting he got at the Barter."
C l a u d e A k i n s agreed with that assessment. "It was m y first real theater job
a n d I was actually getting p a i d for it," he recalled. "I remember traveling from
t o w n to t o w n , setting up scenery a n d lights o n those gruelling tours. There's n o
experience like that."
A n d N e d Beatty nearly e c h o e d the sentiments of his fellow actors during a
1981 visit: "I can't say e n o u g h about this place. I almost became a minister a n d
that stage turned out to be m y seminary. Literally, there is nothing better for a
y o u n g actor to d o than be in a c o m p a n y like this. N o t h i n g e v e n close."
"It was through Barter that I became a n actress," Elizabeth W i l s o n said in a
1 9 6 3 interview, " a n d probably (I) w o u l d not have tried to make a career if I h a d
not been in A b i n g d o n . "
Barter not o n l y offered a y o u n g actor the r o m a n c e of an extremely colorful
theater but also a n opportunity to prove himself under the most testing c o n d i
tions. U n d e r such a challenging set-up, the g o o d a n d the very g o o d tend to rise
to the top. N o one was tested harsher than G r e g o r y P e c k . O n his arrival in A b
i n g d o n , he was given 102 pages to memorize in o n e day for a role in Button,
Button. H e also drove the truck a n d set up scenery while trying to master the
dialogue. T h e y o u n g actor h a d to ad-lib some of the dialogue, but he got
through it. W i n n i n g the Oscar was probably a cinch next to that little miracle.
B u t , clearly, another primary reason for Barter's proficiency in the star
department was Robert Porterfield's distinct ability to recognize talent. N o one
w o u l d dare claim that M r . P . was the greatest actor or director to hit the
A m e r i c a n stage. A n d , it is generally c o n c e d e d that his greatest gift was p r o m o
tion. True e n o u g h , through his undeniable c h a r m a n d genius for publicity,
Porterfield p r o m o t e d his theater to a n international reputation. Still, too often
o v e r l o o k e d was his k n a c k for spotting a n d nurturing raw acting ability.
" B o b c o u l d spot talent," W e a v e r pointed out. " H e c o u l d see it under layers
�T h e Barter Theatre Story
64
During the Abingdon run of Family Portrait, legendary actress Judith
Anderson sits at the dressing table salvaged from New York's
Empire
Theatre.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
�T h e Stars of Barter
65
Judith Anderson
poses with the cast of Family Portrait.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
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Broadway
producer
Brock Pemberton accepts his pay in "barter" from Bob Porterfield
the theater's production of Harvey.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
when starring in
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�T h e Stars of Barter
67
a n d layers of camouflage a n d go after it. L i k e with G r e g o r y P e c k , B o b forced
h i m to tell h i m stories to draw h i m out. W i t h m e , he o n c e told m e casually,
' Y o u ' r e a very passionate m a n . I'd like to see m o r e of that o n stage.' W e l l , I h a d
been talking about something i n a very animated w a y , but I h a d never thought of
myself that w a y . It was like a d o o r o p e n i n g . H e k n e w it was there."
" H e was always like a father-figure to m e , " Beatty c o m m e n t e d . " H e h a d a
w a y of encouraging y o u a n d k e e p i n g y o u going. H e truly liked actors."
A n d , these "stars" all have their favorite Barter memories a n d w a r m tributes
to B o b Porterfield.
W h e n Barter's founder d i e d in 1 9 7 1 , G r e g o r y P e c k admitted that "if it were
not for Robert Porterfield, I doubt very seriously if I w o u l d have e v e n h a d a n ac
ting career."
S o m e years later, he r e m e m b e r e d w h e n theatergoers actually brought
vegetables, hams, livestock a n d crafts to "barter" for admission—"I a m here as
one w h o ate the b o x office.. .he (Porterfield) was a w a r m , wonderful m a n . W h e n
I c o m p l a i n e d once about having to memorize 1 1 0 pages of dialogue in three
days, B o b told m e perhaps the best advice I've ever h a d : If y o u have to d o it, grit
y o u r teeth, h o l d o n a n d go with it."
" B o b k n e w what he was doing...it was a real baptism by fire...it was a close
friendship. B o b told m e to always serve it up with a little gravy w h e n y o u want to
entertain p e o p l e . I remember this tonight with s o m e feeling of discomfort
because e v e n today I a m not the storyteller that B o b Porterfield w a s . "
" H e was the courtliest of m e n , " W e a v e r reminisced. " H e h a d that smile that
was just out of this w o r l d . H e just laughed y o u out of any temper. H e was a
natural k i n d of c o n m a n , but in the best w a y . H e always told y o u he was d o i n g it.
If he said, ' G o in the street a n d let yourself get r u n o v e r , ' we w o u l d have d o n e
it."
D a v i d Selby is a n excellent e x a m p l e of h o w Barter gave y o u n g actor's the o p
portunity to grow rapidly: " G r o w i n g u p in West V i r g i n i a , I only thought of
theater. I h a d d o n e s o m e theater as a k i d , but just getting out of West Virginia
was a little difficult. Barter was m y first real job in theater a n d I want to tell y o u , I
w o r k e d like the devil. Peter C u l m a n was actually r u n n i n g things that year a n d I
started out as a n apprentice. I started building sets a n d carrying spears. T h e n I
went from a n E q u i t y j o u r n e y m a n to a full m e m b e r c o m p a n y to s o m e lead roles
a n d s o m e directing. I ran the gamut a n d h a d a marvelous t i m e . "
"I lived at the Barter Inn a n d by the time I left I was m a k i n g Equity scale,
w h i c h was about $ 7 0 or $ 8 0 a week. O f course, Barter also p r o v i d e d r o o m a n d
b o a r d . W e were so busy, but I wouldn't change a thing, y o u can't replace those
times."
Selby also has s o m e special memories of B o b Porterfield a n d A b i n g d o n .
"I remember each year they used to give away a n acre of l a n d to the Barter
A w a r d winner. W e used to tease B o b a n d say, ' W h a t are y o u going to d o if all
those people c o m e a n d claim their acres of l a n d . ' "
" O n e special m e m o r y I have of Barter is the night t w o kittens were left in a
�68
Delightful
T h e Barter Theatre Story
old character actor Eric Blore mugs for a shot in the Barter
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
offices.
�T h e Stars of Barter
69
box outside the stage d o o r . M y wife a n d another actor each took one a n d w h e n I
got h o m e from the play, there was this little calico kitten waiting for m e . W e l l , I
didn't want to k e e p it, but the m o r e I started playing with it, the m o r e I grew to
like it. T h a t cat has gone everywhere with us. I still have it."
" A l l m y feelings about Barter are very special."
A n d , n o matter h o w m a n y credits they amass, each Barter "star" remembers
A b i n g d o n with a nostalgic smile.
"I can't tell y o u what memories this brings back," M i t c h R y a n said while stan
ding stage-center during a visit s o m e 2 0 years after his Barter stint. " B o b used to
stand all the w a y in the back during rehearsals a n d yell, 'I can't hear y o u , honey!'
It's o n e of the greatest theaters i n the w o r l d for training. R o s e m a r y M u r p h y told
m e the same thing. If y o u ' v e got a n y talent at all, y o u get great parts here a n d
the chance to c h e w t h e m u p . "
"I got here i n 1 9 5 7 a n d was p a i d the h a n d s o m e salary of $ 5 0 a week. M y first
s h o w at Barter was Bus Stop. M y favorite s h o w was Cat On a Hot Tin Roof. I
p l a y e d Brick a n d N e d Beatty was B i g D a d d y . I liked that s h o w because B o b was
scared of it. H e thought it was too r o u g h for this area. I saw B o b in N e w Y o r k
a n d California from time to time. W e ' d have l u n c h at the A l g o n q u i n — t h a t ' s
where he stayed w h e n h e ' d c o m e to N e w Y o r k for a visit. I couldn't get to the
m e m o r i a l service they h a d at Sardi's. Elizabeth W i l s o n called m e in 1971 to tell
m e they were having it. Y o u k n o w , after I went to H o l l y w o o d , I became Mitchell
R y a n . B o b never liked that. H e always preferred M i t c h R y a n . "
A c t i n g hasn't been the only realm of theater to w h i c h Barter has m a d e c o n
tributions. T h r e e playwrights—William G i b s o n (Two for the Seesaw a n d The
Miracle Worker), Edith S o m m e r s (A Roomful of Roses), a n d S a m T a y l o r
{Sabrina Fair a n d The Pleasure of His Company)—spent
the s u m m e r of 1 9 3 9 in
A b i n g d o n . B o b h a d a great respect for writers a n d often thought of starting a n
actual artists' c o l o n y in A b i n g d o n , setting aside some l a n d for small lodgings
where playwrights, poets, artists a n d directors c o u l d s p e n d a s u m m e r in blissful
creation.
A n d , occasionally, a n established performer or playwright w o u l d use A b
i n g d o n as a showcase for their abilities. M a r y C h a s e {Harvey), another close
friend of B o b ' s , chose Barter to premiere her M r . Thing in 1 9 5 1 (later r e w o r k e d
as Mrs. McThing for a B r o a d w a y production with H e l e n H a y e s a n d Barter
graduate A n n Buckles). Tennessee Williams came to A b i n g d o n in 1 9 6 3 to
oversee the premiere of his revised The Milktrain Doesn't Stop Here
Anymore.
Colorful B r o a d w a y producer B r o c k P e m b e r t o n got a taste of the other side of
his business w h e n he starred at Barter as E l w o o d P . D o w d in Harvey. T h e legen
dary J u d i t h A n d e r s o n agreed to star in Family Portrait in the mid-'50s a n d , over
2 5 years later, D a m e J u d i t h f o u n d herself touring in Medea with Z o e C a l d w e l l
a n d t w o former Barterites—Rosemary M u r p h y a n d Mitchell R y a n . D e n n i s K i n g
h e a d e d the 1 9 5 9 cast of Separate Tables, while delightful o l d character actor
Eric Blore f o u n d his w a y to Barter, as d i d G u y Kibbee.
B u t , for the most part, the accent at Barter has been o n the promising n e w
�70
T h e Barter Theatre Story
performer.
"I think the p e o p l e of A b i n g d o n thought of us as B o b ' s big expensive h o b b y , "
W e a v e r said. " M o s t l y I r e m e m b e r h u s h e d streets a n d audiences that took us to
their hearts. I also remember I fell i n love regularly at Barter."
A k i n s got his first big break indirectly through Porterfield. Just a couple years
after his Barter stint, the y o u n g actor was interviewing with a N e w Y o r k casting
director. T o his surprise, the agent asked about B o b Porterfield w h e n he saw the
Barter credit, a n d A k i n s e n d e d up in From Here to Eternity.
Beatty r e m e m b e r e d that it was o n the o p e n i n g night of B e r n a r d S h a w ' s
Misalliance w h e n his first wife gave birth to fraternal twins. D u r i n g the r u n of
another p l a y , Beatty's wife was taken to the hospital maternity r o o m in between
a matinee a n d e v e n i n g performance.
" A typical actor, I was o n l y thinking of myself," he related with a grin. " A s
she was being w h e e l e d off to the maternity r o o m , I yelled, ' W i s h m e luck,
honey!' T h e s e are true stories. T h e y have to b e . "
H e also recalled touring in Southwest V i r g i n i a where, due to his l o n g hair a n d
bulk, little kids w o u l d ask if he was a wrestler. H e always pretended he was.
Before Beatty c o u l d m o v e o n to another story, he was rudely interrupted by
the fire siren o n Barter's roof. It's always been there, a n d the standing rule is that
the actors freeze if the whistle sounds during a performance. H a r d l y a n n o y e d by
the shrillness, the genial character actor c l a p p e d his hands together a n d exclaim
e d , "I love it!"
" O n e of m y warmest m e m o r i e s is B o b Porterfield's curtain s p e e c h , " he said.
" H e k n e w where his laughs were. I c a n still remember p u n c h i n g h i m through the
curtain saying, 'get off, get off.' I never w a n t e d the season to e n d . "
�71
Chapter Seven: Changes At Barter
For fifty years—forty with Porterfield a n d ten under R e x Partington—Barter
has been a theater that has stressed both tradition a n d i n n o v a t i o n . L i k e the t o w n
it calls h o m e , Barter holds o n to those traditions a n d ideals that audiences new
a n d o l d find so delightful. It's a theater with a lot of heritage a n d neither Porter
field nor Partington has ever tried to deny those things that make Barter so
unique.
That c a n be a hinderance, of course, especially w h e n local audiences react
negatively to n e w a n d challenging elements in "their" Barter Theatre. T h e
resistance B o b met, for instance, w h e n he instituted a cash box office was
typical. L o c a l audiences didn't stop to think that this change meant better, more
professional productions. It meant they c o u l d n o longer bring carrots in ex
change for a ticket. T h e e c o n o m i c realities of theater d i d not c o n c e r n t h e m . A l l
they k n e w was they wanted their Barter like it used to be.
Fortunately, Porterfield was a diplomat par excellent, while Partington has
been able to walk that tricky line of progress a n d preservation.
T h e city jail m a y n o longer be underneath the stage, but the fire whistle still
sits o n the Barter roof. M o s t patrons buy their tickets with cash, but the market
equivalent in "barter" will still get y o u through the d o o r . It's change a n d tradi
tion, holdovers a n d innovations existing side by side in a theater rich with
history.
O n e c a n still find in the basement of the Barter Inn a rickety sign r e m o v e d
from a dilapidated o l d pick-up that reads: " G r e g o r y P e c k drove this truck."
That's a reminder of Barter's past, but also a suggestion that the actors we
now see at Barter are the future G r e g o r y P e c k s a n d Patricia Neals.
That spirit a n d sentiment is evident before every performance w h e n Par
tington closes his front-of-curtain speech with B o b Porterfield's n o w famous
adage: "If y a ' like us, talk about us. If y a ' don't, jes keep y a m o u t h shut!"
Still, Porterfield a n d Partington both believed that vital theater meant pro
gress. S o , rather than settle into y o u r average s u m m e r stock theater or some
k i n d of quaint tourist attraction, Barter has seen its share of change since 1 9 4 6 .
Until Robert Porterfield's death in 1 9 7 1 , the biggest change was state funding
a n d , ultimately, a switch to Equity contracts. There were, of course, a lot of little
heartbreaks a n d victories along the w a y .
J u l y 10, 1947 l o o m s grimly a m o n g the disappointments. It was the first time
in Barter's history that a performance h a d to be cancelled. T h e y h a d been
scheduled to perform East Lynne
at the Dobyns-Bennett H i g h S c h o o l
auditorium in Kingsport w h e n a fire swept through the nearly deserted facility.
�The Barter Theatre Story
72
Howard Lindsay and wife Dorothy Stickney ham it up during a trip to
Abingdon that coincided with a production of A r s e n i c a n d O l d L a c e .
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
L u c k i l y , most of the c o m p a n y was at dinner. It took volunteer firemen over a n
h o u r to bring the blaze u n d e r control, but costumes, sets, props a n d equipment
v a l u e d at between $ 2 , 5 0 0 a n d $ 3 , 0 0 0 were lost.
Porterfield h a d stepped up Barter's touring after the war, frequently offering
three different c o m p a n i e s during winter m o n t h s . Barter m o v e d well b e y o n d the
limits of Southwest V i r g i n i a a n d U p p e r East Tennessee, a n d wherever they
went—major cities or the W e s t Coast—reaction was favorable.
" T h e first result at seeing the play {Much Ado About Nothing) at G e o r g e
W a s h i n g t o n H i g h S c h o o l in A l e x a n d r i a is to suggest that what this country needs
is 4 7 other state theaters," wrote Washington Evening Star critic J a y C a r m o d y in
1 9 4 6 . " T h e s e c o n d a n d correlative thought of the spectator is that the Virginia
C o n s e r v a t i o n C o m m i s s i o n never spent a wiser $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 . "
O f all the Barter tours, n o n e received m o r e b a l l y h o o than The Virginian in
the early '50s. It was staged by Margaret Perry a n d starred Porterfield in the title
role. A l s o o n that tour were C l e o H o l l a d a y , Frank L o w e , B o b G a l l i c o a n d O w e n
Phillips, all of w h o m immediately smile w h e n the p r o d u c t i o n is m e n t i o n e d .
�Changes At Barter
73
An informal backstage shot of Bob Porterfield during the early '50s tour of
T h e Virginian. They were touring Owen Wister's classic western, but the folks
flocked to see Bob in the title role.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
" T h e y came to see B o b Porterfield," Gallico c o m m e n t e d , " a n d that's really
what he gave t h e m . It wasn't until The Virginian tour that w e really got close; sit
ting u p nights talking o n the bus."
L o w e uses practically the same words: "Traveling with h i m o n The Virginian
tour was w h e n I really got to k n o w h i m . "
" H e h a d a great time with that part," H o l l a d a y recalled. " O f course, he got by
a lot o n his c h a r m . O w e n was O w e n Wister (the author of The Virginian) a n d
B o b was the V i r g i n i a n . B u t he was B o b . H e didn't o v e r c o m e his personality in
that part. B u t he d i d use it."
�T h e Barter Theatre Story
74
Robert Porterfield
administers western justice in this scene from
The Virginian.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
W h a t c o u l d have been a major t r i u m p h for Barter turned into a n experience
n o one m u c h likes to discuss in detail—The Elsinore Hamlet. S i n c e 1 9 3 7 , the
D a n i s h N a t i o n a l Theatre has invited national theaters from other countries to
perform W i l l i a m Shakespeare's Hamlet in the courtyard of K r o n b o r g Castle.
A m e r i c a d i d not have a national c o m p a n y , h o w e v e r . B u t Virginia d i d have a
State Theatre. S o , in 1 9 4 7 , Porterfield received an invitation for Barter to stage
Hamlet at the 1 9 4 9 two-week H a m l e t Festival.
�Changes At Barter
The Barter company
75
performing
Hamlet at Kronborg
Castle in
Denmark.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
T h e p r o b l e m was m o n e y . Barter c o u l d hardly subsidize the trip from its o w n
coffers, not e v e n with the state funding. Y e t , the prestige attached to such an
undertaking was just too tempting to pass u p . O n c e again B o b turned to a N e w
Y o r k friend for help.
In this case, it was Robert B r e e n , an actor h e ' d met while in Texas during his
hitch with the A i r F o r c e . B r e e n h a d been fascinated by Porterfield's plans for a
national theater, a n d from their brainstorming c a m e the realization of the
A m e r i c a n National Theatre a n d A c a d e m y ( A N T A ) in 1 9 4 5 . It all stemmed from
B o b ' s rather Utopian plans for elevating theaters o n a national basis through state
companies. A N T A h a d e v e n been chartered by Congress before the war, but
federal funds were never realized. After the war, largely inspired by Porterfield,
the tireless B r e e n slaved to m a k e A N T A a viable force.
B r e e n , executive secretary of A N T A in 1 9 4 7 , asked the State Department to
co-sponsor the trip with his organization. In the meantime, although financial
backing was hardly secured, B r e e n told his friend to accept the invitation. H e
also offered to direct a n d star in the production for B o b .
It was already slipping away from being a n actual Barter production w h e n
Blevins Davis, a n extremely affluent A N T A board member, put up the necessary
�76
T h e Barter Theatre Story
funds. T h e r e were stipulations w h i c h Porterfield was i n n o position to debate.
Davis w a n t e d to be able to select the show's designers.
Plans went a h e a d a n d Hamlet b e c a m e Barter's 2 0 0 t h p r o d u c t i o n , staged in
A b i n g d o n as the last s h o w of the 1 9 4 8 season.
In o n e sense, B o b got what he w a n t e d . T h e Elsinore Trip generated a great
deal of publicity in the A m e r i c a n a n d D a n i s h press. After all, Olivier a n d G i e l g u d
h a d performed the role i n D e m a r k , a n d n o w the A m e r i c a n s w o u l d s h o w what
they c o u l d d o . Time magazine described Barter as "far a n d a w a y the most active
professional repertory c o m p a n y touring the U . S . " T h e story also n o t e d that the
Elsinore "Barter" c o m p a n y w o u l d be "bolstered" by such B r o a d w a y veterans as
B r e e n , A l i n e M a c M a h o n as the Q u e e n , Walter A b e l as the K i n g , a n d C l a r e n c e
Derwent as P o l o n i u s .
C l e a r l y , the p r o d u c t i o n h a d ceased to be a genuine Barter offering. S e v e r a l
c o m p a n y members resented h a v i n g to " m a k e w a y " for imported talent after
creating these roles in A b i n g d o n , but they h a d n o choice. T h e generosity of
others c a m e with strings attached. A m o n g the Barter regulars w h o d i d m a k e the
trip was Ernest B o r g n i n e .
R e v i e w s of Hamlet were largely negative. A n d three of the performers criticiz
e d were B r e e n , A b e l a n d M a c M a h o n . R i c h a r d L . C o e of the Washington Post, a
Barter booster for several years, also f o u n d little g o o d to say about the stars in
the Elsinore p r o d u c t i o n . C o e said he liked Derwent's P o l o n i u s , a n d n o t e d the
overall reaction from D a n i s h audiences h a d "hardly been lavish in praise."
O n e telling sign a p p e a r e d w h e n the c o m p a n y m o v e d o n to G e r m a n y . There
the p r o d u c t i o n was billed as " B l e v i n s Davis presents H a m l e t . " E v e n the brilliant
critic B r o o k s A t k i n s o n failed to m e n t i o n Barter in his incisive
Broadway.
A l t h o u g h he describes A N T A at length a n d lists the Elsinore Hamlet a m o n g its
accomplishments, there is not a w o r d about Barter or B o b Porterfield.
Barter still holds the distinction of being the o n l y A m e r i c a n theater invited to
stage Hamlet at Elsinore. T h e h o n o r must be footnoted, h o w e v e r , with the fact
that the D a n e s didn't really see the Barter Theatre in action.
A story w h i c h h a d a m u c h m o r e satisfying e n d i n g followed s o o n after
Elsinore. N e v e r were Porterfield's enterprising ways more in evidence than in
1 9 5 3 w h e n he heard the majestic o l d E m p i r e Theatre in N e w Y o r k was slated
for destruction. Immediately he was o n the p h o n e .
"What's g o i n g to h a p p e n to that marvelous o l d curtain?" was his feverish
question. " A n d that marvelous carpet? A n d those marvelous seats? A n d those
marvelous g o l d e n lamps outside the front d o o r ? "
" J u n k , " the o w n e r replied to Porterfield's obvious delight. " Y o u want those,
M r . Porterfield?"
T h e E m p i r e Theatre was N e w Y o r k ' s oldest legitimate theater, built in 1 8 9 3
a n d opulently furnished in r e d a n d g o l d r o c c o c o . T h e r e were gilded fixtures,
crystal chandeliers, magnificent mirrors, a n d seats all a d o r n e d with a g o l d needle
point " E " . It h a d been sold to M . L o w e n s t e i n a n d S o n s , Inc. by the A s t o r family
a n d B o b quickly asked L a d y A s t o r for the interior furnishings. H e was t o l d he
�Changes A t Barter
77
c o u l d have anything he c o u l d carry away, but there was o n e hitch—it was Friday
a n d the theater w o u l d be torn d o w n o n M o n d a y .
Porterfield a n d his staff got o n the p h o n e s to friends a n d Barter a l u m n i in
N e w Y o r k . W i t h vans a n d trucks supplied by a Virginia firm, c o m p a n y members
were dispatched from A b i n g d o n , while B o b coordinated the massive salvage
maneuver at h o m e . W o r k i n g through the w e e k e n d , the assemblage r e m o v e d
$ 7 5 , 0 0 0 worth of properties a n d l o a d e d t h e m o n vans before the wreckers
could move in.
"I k n e w B o b Porterfield in N e w Y o r k a n d was invited to several of the Barter
A w a r d dinners," actor H a r r y Ellerbe reminisced. " T h e o l d E m p i r e Theatre in
N e w Y o r k was an extremely special theater for m e . I h a d d o n e Ibsen's Ghosts at
the E m p i r e with A l i a N a z i m o v a , w h o I think n o actress has ever t o u c h e d in sheer
brilliance. It was a brilliant success.
" F i v e years later, I was directing a play called Sailor's Delight a n d rehearsing
it in the Empire's office. T h e secretary c a m e in a n d said, ' W h y don't y o u go
d o w n a n d take a final l o o k ? This is the day they're dismantling the inside.' W e l l , I
k n e w it was slated to be torn d o w n , but I didn't realize it was so s o o n . It upset m e
so m u c h a n d here were these kids tearing everything u p .
" O n e tall, red-haired p i m p l y faced k i d shouted at m e , ' H e y , y o u can't go in
there. M r . Porterfield says to keep people out.' Finally, o n e y o u n g actor
recognized me a n d explained that everything in the theater h a d been given to
B o b Porterfield p r o v i d e d he c o u l d get t h e m out before it was torn d o w n . "
T h e y o u n g m a n asked Ellerbe if h e ' d like a souvenir from the E m
pire—perhaps o n e of the ornate gold " E ' s " from the back of a seat. A t first, the
idea seemed m o r b i d , but since Sardi's a n d the Players C l u b h a d both asked for
mementos, he reconsidered a n d still has the framed seat-covering.
Twenty-three years later, Ellerbe visited A b i n g d o n for his friend Will Geer's
o n e - m a n benefit for Barter. P r o d u c i n g director R e x Partington asked h i m to
c o m e back for a p r o d u c t i o n a n d , w h e n he stepped o n the stage of the Barter
Theatre to play G r a n d p a in You Can't Take It With You, there were the fur
nishings, lamps, chandeliers, trim a n d seats he saw being taken from his b e l o v e d
Empire.
"I was so thrilled a n d delighted by the w h o l e t h i n g , " he said. "There's nothing
quite like this theater. It's u n i q u e . "
F r a n k L o w e remembers the E m p i r e Theater c o n v o y from another vantage
point. H e was o n e of the actors dispatched to N e w Y o r k from A b i n g d o n : "There
were about six of us from the theater. W e were told to l o o k for everything a n d
w e did—seats, drapes, materials, electrical a n d technical equipment, light fix
tures... anything that c o u l d be used in A b i n g d o n . "
N o w the E m p i r e lives o n in A b i n g d o n . W h e n the curtain went up o n the
1 9 5 3 season, Barter patrons were dazzled by three ornate chandeliers a n d
several bronze candelabra requiring m o r e than 5 0 0 light bulbs, sumptuous r e d
seats emblazoned with the famous golden " E , " a n d a stirring portrait of
Katherine C o r n e l l .
�T h e Barter Theatre Story
78
Opening
night -
1950.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
T h e '50s saw other changes at Barter. E v e r thinking of n e w things to try, B o b
instituted after-theater parties a n d receptions in 1 9 5 3 . G e n e r a l l y set u p at the
M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n Inn or across the street at the C a v e H o u s e , a M a i n Street
craft shop near the theater, these get-togethers were h u m o r o u s l y d u b b e d " C h e z
Robert" (pronounced S h a y Row-bare).
" T h e townspeople used to call it the C h e e s e Robert," M a r y D u d l e y said with
a laugh.
Of course, a great deal of attention was bestowed o n Barter w h e n B o r g n i n e
w o n the Best A c t o r Oscar for Marty. T h e event p r o m p t e d the Bristol HeraldCourier to write; "Barter has w o n an inimitable spot in the theatrical w o r l d simp
ly by virtue of consistently superlative w o r k . . . . B u t we also p a y our respects to
Barter, realizing that its importance lies not in whether its ' a l u m n i ' w i n awards,
but in the continuing part w h i c h the theater of A b i n g d o n plays in the social,
e c o n o m i c , cultural a n d civic life in our area. A c a d e m y A w a r d s will c o m e a n d g o .
Barter will r e m a i n . "
�1
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The year was 1954 and the play was Lolita, the premiere of Mary Chase's new
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
comedy.
�T h e Barter Theatre Story
80
A Barter tradition until 1958: Bob welcomes Mary Balance
opening night.
on
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
Anniversaries also c a m e a n d went. M a r y B a l a n c e , a n elderly A b i n g d o n
native w h o h a d attended every Barter o p e n i n g night since 1 9 3 3 , was the guest
of h o n o r at the 25th anniversary. B o r n D e c . 1 5 , 1 8 6 4 , the night U n i o n troops
b u r n e d the A b i n g d o n courthouse, she was o n e of Barter's most colorful patrons.
E a c h J u n e , area newspapers were b o u n d to have a picture of Porterfield
w e l c o m i n g M a r y B a l a n c e to o p e n i n g night ceremonies. S h e d i e d at the age of
9 3 in October, 1 9 5 8 .
B o b r e m a r k e d o n the occasion of the 25th anniversary, "It doesn't s e e m 2 5
years since a dollar wasn't a n y w h e r e to be seen. T o d a y , they go so fast y o u
don't see t h e m a n y w a y . A lot has h a p p e n e d i n 2 5 years—lots of h a p p y things,
a n d a lot of u n h a p p y things; but, all in all, I've lived a n d , boy! have I h a d a g o o d
time."
F i v e years later, President J o h n F . K e n n e d y sent a note of congratulations for
the 30th anniversary: "This unique enterprise shows us all that the best theater,
both o l d a n d n e w , finds a lively response a m o n g the p e o p l e a n d meets a real
n e e d of the c o m m u n i t y . . . . T h i r t y years is a long time in the life of a m a n a n d
even in the life of an institution. Y e t thirty years of productive existence are n o w
�Changes At Barter
81
A devoted Barter supporter, Alice Hilton accepts "barter" at the
box office during the late '40s.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
m a r k e d by the Barter Theatre, a n d thirty years of effort a n d success by its
founder a n d guiding spirit, Robert Porterfield. I send m y sincere congratulations.
I a m confident the Barter Theatre in the years a h e a d will grow even further in
stature a n d influence."
F o r this anniversary Porterfield q u i p p e d , " T h e past thirty years has been full
of the magic of make-believe. That is, m a k i n g believe the Barter Theatre has all
the equipment a n d m o n e y that other professional theaters h a v e . "
T h e year 1 9 6 2 was tinged with sadness for Barter by the passing of Alice
H i l t o n , a w o m a n whose contributions to the theater can hardly be overstated.
Pearl Hayter, w h o w o r k e d closely with A l i c e for m a n y years a n d succeeded her
as business manager recalls that "while m a n y people have taken a n d received
m u c h from Barter, A l i c e H i l t o n gave completely of herself for so m a n y year. S h e
always kept a l o w profile a n d she didn't want the recognition, but she was here
from the late '40s to 1 9 6 2 in a volunteer capacity. S h e was completely devoted
to B o b a n d the Barter. S h e p a i d for the air conditioning in the theater a n d a n e w
marquee. S h e gave of herself financially a n d as a volunteer. S h e believed if y o u
were here for the benefit of the theater, y o u deserved a p l a c e . "
�00
S
P
I
ft
The Barter Theatre as it appeared
in 1965 welcoming
First Lady Lady Bird
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
Johnson.
!
ft
o
�Changes At Barter
83
Bob Ported
escorts First La , La<i Bird JoHnson
1965 visit to
Abingdon.
d
v
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
d u r i n g
Her
�T h e Barter Theatre Story
84
Lady Bird Johnson is greeted by a well-wisher while
awaiting the curtain to go up on the first act at the
Barter
Theatre.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
T h e years were also full of honors a n d awards. M o s t prominent was B o b ' s
1 9 4 8 Antoinette Perry A w a r d (Tony) for contributions to the A m e r i c a n theater.
That a w a r d was particularly touching for B o b since the later executive director of
the A m e r i c a n Theatre W i n g for w h o m the a w a r d was n a m e d was o n e of Barter's
earliest supporters. B o b was also h o n o r e d with a n H o n o r a r y D o c t o r of Literature
from H a m p d e n - S y d n e y C o l l e g e in 1 9 4 8 ; n a m e d First Citizen of A b i n g d o n by
the T o w n C o u n c i l in 1 9 5 7 ; given the T h o m a s Jefferson A w a r d for his public
relations w o r k o n behalf of Virginia in 1 9 6 3 ; a n d presented with the S u z a n n e
D a v i d M e m o r i a l A w a r d at the 1 9 6 7 Southeastern Theatre C o n f e r e n c e .
B o b a n d Barter were also featured in a n article by J o s e p h R . J u d g e , " T h e
Story of Barter Theatre," w h i c h was written for the magazine Amerika published
by the State Department for distribution in Russia. J u d g e dealt at length with the
E m p i r e Theatre adventure, noting the crew "received the thanks of M r . P . A n d
very often that's its o w n best r e w a r d , for there is a feeling, undiscouraged by
Porterfield, that w h e n y o u d o something for Barter y o u also d o something for
�Changes A t Barter
85
the w h o l e theater a n d the national culture as well. It is that k i n d of feeling that
has kept Barter y o u n g a n d growing all these years."
B u t in spite of the recognition, accomplishments a n d honors, B o b was wor
ried about Barter's future. H e recounted one sobering trip in 1 9 6 0 : "I came
through Dallas o n the w a y back a n d there is the M a r g o J o n e s Theater closed.
N o b o d y ever d i d m o r e for decentralized theater than M a r g o . B u t two years after
M a r g o d i e d , the theater folded u p . N o w I can't let that h a p p e n to Barter. I'm not
going to live forever, but the Barter s h o u l d go o n . It has b e c o m e important to the
theater w o r l d a n d important to V i r g i n i a . "
T o insure Barter's survival, B o b set up the Barter Theatre F o u n d a t i o n , w h i c h
still administers the theater's activities through an 11-member B o a r d of Direc
tors.
B o b also set up the Friends of Barter, a n organization m a d e up basically of
area residents that runs a n n u a l season ticket campaigns.
A n d there was a n expansion in actual theater activities. In 1 9 6 1 , B o b o p e n e d
the Barter P l a y h o u s e , located across the street from the theater. T h e oldest of all
the Barter buildings, it was constructed as a Protestant Methodist C h u r c h in
1 8 3 0 . Porterfield asked the owners, the Methodist Conference a n d E m o r y a n d
H e n r y C o l l e g e , if he c o u l d clean out the structure a n d use it as a theater. F o r the
most part, the P l a y h o u s e was used for children's shows, experimental d r a m a
a n d avant-garde theater.
" H e ' d let y o u d o just about anything over in the P l a y h o u s e , " N e d Beatty
p o i n t e d out. "That's where we d i d shows that might have been too risque for the
usual theater audiences. I remember I talked h i m into letting us d o Don Juan in
Hell over there. I was really enthusiastic about it a n d he let us d o it—even
t h o u g h n o b o d y really k n e w the s h o w a r o u n d here, it was w a y too difficult for,
a n d realizing h o w audiences w o u l d probably react to four characters sitting o n
stools for a n entire s h o w . B u t I wanted to d o D o n Juan in Hell."
Porterfield d i d try to ease his control of Barter a little after he married M a r y
D u d l e y . In 1 9 6 6 , he took a year-long leave-of-absence a n d toured E u r o p e ,
leaving 26-year-old Peter C u l m a n in charge.
C u l m a n h a d been at Barter in 1 9 6 0 a n d '61 as a production coordinator, a ti
tle he still doesn't understand.
"I asked what's the p r o d u c t i o n coordinator," C u l m a n r e m e m b e r e d . " A n d he
said, ' H o n e y , y o u m a k e things h a p p e n . ' "
T h e army interrupted his Barter career for three years, but he was back for
the ' 6 5 season as associate director a n d vice-president of the Barter foundation.
A g a i n he was asked to m a k e things h a p p e n .
It was C u l m a n ' s idea to turn the church into the Barter P l a y h o u s e .
" W e l l , " M r . P told h i m , " Y o u ' r e the twentieth person in twenty years to c o m e
up with that idea. If y o u think y o u can d o it, go a h e a d . "
"I hesitate to say w e were close friends personally, but we were close friends
professionally," C u l m a n e x p l a i n e d . W e were totally different in our approaches.
H e was by the seat of his pants. H e relished chances. H e almost lived by
�oo
CD
The Barter Theatre as it appeared in the mid-60's. The man looking on from
the extreme left is Robert
Porterfield.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
I
I
I
�Changes At Barter
87
disorganization. B u t it w o r k e d . T h e genius of the guy was that he h a d great
horse sense. W h i l e I couldn't dispute his success, we were totally different.
" B o b was a gambler. H e took a chance o n m e . H e ' d let y o u try something.
H e ' d say, ' G o a h e a d , h o n e y . S e e what happens.' W h e n he wanted to take off
for a year, I asked if I c o u l d take over. T h e r e was n o magical selection process. It
was a delightful year from all viewpoints. F r o m m y viewpoint, being 26-yearso l d a n d r u n n i n g a theater, it was great.
"It was a terrific interlude for m e . B u t it wasn't always rosey because B o b a n d
I were so different. I stood up to h i m a n d he ran all over everybody with his
c h a r m . H e slaughtered t h e m with it. It was an admirable k i n d of manipulation.
A n d it w o r k e d more often than it didn't."
B o b never threw anything out, a p h i l o s o p h y C u l m a n certainly didn't adhere
to.
" M y p h i l o s o p h y was, w h e n in doubt, throw it out," C u l m a n said. " H i s desk
was piled high with stacks of paper. H e ' d say he k n e w where everything was a n d
I'd say, " b u l l . " W e must have m a d e 5 0 trips to the d u m p during m y stay there,
but he never interfered with any decision I'd m a k e . H e d i d used to get m a d as
hell at m e . "
W h e n B o b returned to Barter, C u l m a n felt it was time to m o v e o n .
"I couldn't go back to being just a m e m b e r of the c o m p a n y , " he c o m m e n t e d .
"I h a d o u t g r o w n myself at Barter."
C u l m a n went directly from Barter to C e n t e r Stage in Baltimore where he
continues as managing director. S o m e felt B o b was g r o o m i n g C u l m a n as a
"potential successor," but C u l m a n is the first to admit that he didn't really fit the
spirit of Barter's founder.
Pearl H a y t e r remembers C u l m a n as a "dedicated a n d h a r d w o r k i n g " y o u n g
m a n , "but n o b o d y was ready for a n y b o d y to take Porterfield's p l a c e . "
W h i l e m a n y things c h a n g e d at Barter, B o b ' s o v e r w h e l m i n g personality re
m a i n e d the same. H e still called e v e r y o n e " h o n e y . " H e still l o o k e d for every
possible w a y to p r o m o t e his theater. A n d he continued looking a r o u n d for a
possible successor. O n e m a n he kept his eye o n was R e x Partington.
�88
The Barter Theatre Story
Owen Phillips as he appeared
as Owen Wister in The Virginian.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
�89
Chapter Eight: Talking With Owen
H e settles d o w n in the sitting r o o m of his quaint Barter Inn apartment after
m a k i n g sure his guest's coffee c u p is filled. Before w e fall to talking about Barter
in earnest, a rather animated d a c h s u n d makes his presence k n o w n , striving
mightily for attention.
H e doesn't get too far before his master waves a stern, a d m o n i s h i n g finger.
" W e ' r e w o r k i n g , " says O w e n Phillips, a n d S a m retreats to other, less preoc
c u p i e d quarters.
T h r o u g h m u c h of Barter's history, B o b Porterfield's closest friend was his fre
quent director a n d sometime actor, O w e n Phillips. Eyes sparkling, the wiry,
white-haired O w e n recalls the m a n he calls a brother.
" H e always h a d the farm, T w i n O a k s , " he says, fingertips together, his h e a d
at a slight forward incline. " W e h a d an agreement. W h e n he was at the farm, w e
wouldn't talk about the theater. H e was a fine producer a n d a marvelous public
relations m a n . B e c a u s e of h i m , this is one of the very few theaters in the country
with a heart. There's something about this place that keeps drawing y o u back."
O w e n s h o u l d k n o w . H e first arrived at Barter in 1 9 3 5 , after heading the
d r a m a department at the Cincinnati Conservatory of M u s i c a n d directing the
Cincinnati Actor's G u i l d . H e stayed for t w o seasons in A b i n g d o n , directing a n d
appearing in shows, a n d returning in 1 9 4 6 . This time he was with the Barter
c o m p a n y for ten years, leaving to direct at Florida's C o c o a n u t G r o v e , where he
o p e n e d t w o of Tennessee Williams' r e w o r k e d The Milktrain Doesn't Stop Here
Anymore,
rejoining Barter to stay i n 1 9 6 8 .
"I h a d never heard of Barter Theatre in 1 9 3 4 , but I was intrigued," O w e n
says in a soft, deliberate voice. " W e h a d o u r hands full. It was rugged. B u t right
from the start y o u c o u l d tell this theater was built o n love. I was immediately glad
I m a d e the decision to c o m e here."
O w e n is quick to stress that Barter was not started o n s o m e harebrained
whim:
" A p p a r e n t l y , B o b tested the waters in 1 9 3 1 . H e was h o m e for a little while
a n d wanted to try to put together a s h o w . H e gave a talk at E m o r y a n d H e n r y
C o l l e g e a n d he m a d e it s o u n d so exciting that everybody wanted to go to N e w
Y o r k a n d be a n actor. H i s idea was something like B o b Porterfield's Theater
G u i l d of Southwest V i r g i n i a . T h e y s o m e h o w m a n a g e d a p r o d u c t i o n of Hay
Fever, but B o b h a d p r o v e d to himself there was a n audience for live theater
here."
D u r i n g his m a n y years at Barter, O w e n practically d i d it all—directing, acting,
p r o d u c i n g , public relations, touring. H e also got to see m a n y sides of B o b
Porterfield both personally a n d professionally.
�T h e Barter Theatre Story
90
The 1952 production
of T h e C u r i o u s S a v a g e with Owen Phillips,
Holladay and Dorothy
LaVern.
Cleo
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
" W e were like brothers," he declares. " H e was filled with a radiance a n d per
sonality a n d terrific love of theater w h i c h gave h i m the drive he n e e d e d . B o b was
very progressive in his a p p r o a c h to theater. I don't think he d i d as m a n y n e w
things as R e x tries to d o but he l o v e d n e w things. A n d B o b l o v e d this area so
m u c h . H e got a stimulation w h i c h c a m e from being with his o w n . "
Journalists, scholars, actors n e w to Barter, apprentices, directors, faithful
patrons, Barter veterans—sooner or later they all are s u b d u e d by O w e n ' s softs p o k e n m a n n e r , listening intently to the memories a n d w i s d o m of over 5 0 years
in the theater. W h e n s o m e o n e wants to k n o w about B o b a n d Barter, they i n
variably e n d u p talking to O w e n .
" W h e n B o b directed," he continues, "he p i c k e d p e o p l e w h o almost fit the
parts personally. A n d he d i d plays he k n e w very well. It wasn't his first love. H e
l o v e d to see other p e o p l e d o i n g it."
" B o b was something of a g l a m o u r b o y , " O w e n says with a sly smile. "After
he gave his curtain s p e e c h , the audience was h o o d w i n k e d by his c h a r m . H e
k n e w his off-stage c h a r m c o u l d be used to advantage o n stage."
�Talking With O w e n
91
Owen Phillips again co-stars with Dorothy
production.
LaVern
in a '50s Barter
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
" W e once toured The Virginian with B o b in the featured role. W e l l , one night
he h a d trouble with his lines a n d he yelled to the wings, ' H e y , h o n e y , what's m y
lines here? What's m y line here?' T h e n he got u p , w a l k e d over, got his line a n d
said, ' T h a n k y o u . ' T h e audience l o v e d it a n d a p p l a u d e d h i m . H e was the only
one w h o c o u l d get a w a y with something like that." O w e n Phillips pauses, stares
for a m o m e n t then smiles. "I k n e w that was n o great tragedy in the A m e r i c a n
theater."
T w o actors Phillips felt a n d feels strongly about are Ernest B o r g n i n e a n d N e d
B e a t t y — a n d for similar reasons.
" H o n e s t y was his (Borgnine's) secret," he explains. " T h e m o m e n t he o p e n e d
his m o u t h , I c o u l d tell he was honest as the day is l o n g . H e said, 'I'll d o anything
y o u say to b e c o m e a g o o d actor. I want to learn. Y o u just teach me what to d o . '
That o p e n face of his has d o n e m o r e for h i m than anything else. N e d Beatty was
another natural, relaxed performer. Y o u never saw it c o m i n g with N e d . It just
came out the right w a y . "
O n a table in O w e n ' s sitting r o o m is a fairly n e w pictorial biography of T e n -
�92
T h e Barter Theatre Story
nessee W i l l i a m s . T h e inscription to O w e n refers to s o m e fabled dance of long
a g o . T h e director chuckles a n d explains:
" W h e n w e were d o i n g The Milktrain Doesn't Stop Here Anymore,
Bob in
vited Tennessee Williams a n d m e out to T w i n O a k s . W e l l , w e were drinking a n d
Williams a n d I d i d a satire o n a minuet. B o b l o v e d it. E v e r since that time, he
says something to m e like 'keep d a n c i n g . ' Williams h a d seen t w o A r t h u r Miller
plays I h a d directed d o w n in F l o r i d a , The View From the Bridge a n d The Cruci
ble. T h e next day I got a p h o n e call a n d the m a n said, 'This is Tennessee
W i l l i a m s . ' I said, ' O h , sure.' "
T o d a y , Phillips is Barter's b e l o v e d ambassador. H e c a n often be seen taking
tickets in the foyer of his Barter Theatre, greeting regulars a n d tourists w h o m a k e
u p the s u m m e r audiences. Occasionally, he appears i n shows. H e relishes work
ing the Barter apprentices o n children's shows or sharing ideas with y o u n g c o m
p a n y members.
" W e all o w e so m u c h to so m a n y p e o p l e in this business," he points out.
" R e p a y ? Y o u can't repay t h e m . Y o u c a n only try to help s o m e o n e else."
O w e n also takes time to lecture at area colleges about Barter a n d B o b .
" H i s death was s u c h a b l o w to m e . It's a v o i d that's never been filled. O n e
vivid m e m o r y I have of B o b is h i m saying, ' W h a t are y o u worrying about, St.
Rita will take care of us.' T h e r e were nights B o b a n d I got d o w n o n o u r knees
a n d asked for St. Rita's help. S o m e t i m e s w e ' d be watching a dress rehearsal a n d
h e ' d say, 'If w e ever n e e d e d that little l a d y , w e n e e d her n o w . ' "
�93
Chapter Nine: The Ghosts of Barter
" Y o u k n o w this place is haunted?"
T h o s e are the very first words s p o k e n by N e d Beatty before an actual inter
view even began. Sitting in the near-deserted theater where he got his start,
Beatty asks the question e v e n with the distance of film triumphs a n d a n
A c a d e m y A w a r d n o m i n a t i o n between he a n d A b i n g d o n .
H e c o u l d have been talking about the area, the t o w n or the theater. A b
i n g d o n holds o n devotedly to its myths, history, memories a n d traditions. It's
"spirit," if y o u will, emanates the past. S o , not suprisingly, A b i n g d o n is a t o w n
filled with ghosts.. .whether real or imaginary. E v e n a brochure put out o n U p p e r
East Tennessee a n d Southwest V i r g i n i a makes note of ghostly happenings in
Abingdon:
"There are m a n y ghosts in the m o u n t a i n s . . . o r some d o say. T h e r e are those
in A b i n g d o n w h o lay claim to h a v i n g heard the ghostly violinist from the C i v i l
W a r , a S o u t h e r n girl n a m e d ' M a r t h a ' b l o w i n g the plaintive tunes of the C o n
federacy to soothe the pains of a ' Y a n k e e B o y ' w h o h a d w o n her heart in his last
days. W a r h a d been raging the countryside, a n d the day came w h e n the
Y a n k e e s torched m u c h of the t o w n . T h e u n k n o w n a n d nameless y o u t h from the
N o r t h h a d been secreted into the lovely Preston h o m e , begun in 1 8 3 0 , a n d
delivered into Martha's care. O n e night as she p l a y e d for h i m , D e a t h c a m e . N o w
in the o l d Preston h o m e , m u c h heralded as the famous M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n Inn,
there are those w h o swear that o n certain midnights up o n the third floor of the
stately i n n , haunting violin strains still s o u n d for the lost a n d d o o m e d l o v e . . . . "
A fun piece of fluff to attract the tourists? V e r y possibly, but the effect is
m a d e nonetheless. Spirits, ghosts a n d supernatural happenings often occur
where people expect t h e m to: g l o o m y o l d houses, for instance, G o t h i c m a n
sions, countries where superstitions are stronger than technology. In other
words, either psychologically or actually, a n atmosphere is created in w h i c h the
supernatural thrives.
A n d what better place for ghosts than a theater. N o w there's atmosphere for
you—the very air charged with e m o t i o n p o u r e d out by decades of actors. In
d e e d , theaters have always been notorious for ghost sightings a n d the Barter is
n o exception. S e v e r a l actors p o o h - p o o h any such n o t i o n , but there have been
more than e n o u g h responsible individuals w h o have h a d "experiences" in or
c o n n e c t e d with Barter to merely chalk it all u p to imagination. A n d , invariably
since 1 9 7 1 , s o m e o n e will look y o u straight in the eye a n d say, "I've seen B o b
Porterfield."
�94
The Barter Theatre Story
M o s t d o not say this for effect or just to tell a " g o o d story." T h e y want y o u to
k n o w because they think y o u care. It's easy to be cynical about it until y o u ex
a m i n e the range of p e o p l e a n d sightings. W i t h o u t giving w a y to the sensational,
coincidence ends w h e n o n e hears not scattered but consistent reports of ghost
sightings at Barter.
In mass market a n d scientific studies of the supernatural, theaters are m e n
tioned prominently as p r i m e targets for supernatural s t o m p i n g grounds. P e r h a p s
the most famous of all theatrical ghosts is the " M a n in G r a y " of L o n d o n ' s
Theatre R o y a l , D r u r y L a n e . G e n e r a l l y spotted at the rear of the u p p e r circle, the
Drury L a n e ghost has b e e n spotted for t w o centuries a n d is described without fail
as a dignified gentleman i n a l o n g gray cloak. Tradition has it that he appears
during runs of shows b o u n d for success. T h e identity of the " M a n i n G r a y " has
never b e e n established, although d u r i n g the 1800s a secret r o o m was
discovered in back of the wall near the spot he most often appears. W o r k m e n ef
fecting repairs o n the theater f o u n d a skeleton with a knife stuck in its ribs.
E n g l a n d , with its g r a n d history of fog-bound streets, royal intrigue a n d
mysterious legends, is rife with h a u n t e d theaters. T h e H a y market Theatre is sup
posedly visited by o n e of its actor-managers; a " w o m a n in white" was often seen
at the o l d R o y a l t y before it was torn d o w n ; S i r C h a r l e s W y n h a m , w h o built the
N e w Theatre i n St. Martin's L a n e , was spotted backstage after his death; while
the spirit of actress S a r a h S i d d o n s is said to haunt the Theatre R o y a l in Bristol.
W h a t was it that J a m e s H i l t o n said about A b i n g d o n ? S o m e t h i n g about liking
it so m u c h because it r e m i n d e d h i m of E n g l a n d .
A l t h o u g h not relegated to Porterfield, most of the " p s y c h i c " p h e n o m e n a sur
r o u n d i n g Barter is related to M r . P .
H e has been seen in n u m e r o u s settings a n d attitudes throughout the
theater—the upstairs lobby, seated downstairs, backstage, a n d e v e n at the
Barter Inn. H e has been seen in various styles of dress by strangers a n d p e o p l e
w h o k n e w h i m , but always wearing something he was f o n d of—a white dinner
jacket, a comfortable sweater, a gray suit. T h e skeptic will say that such
"sightings" occur through the p o w e r of suggestion a n d imagination.
Y o u see, there is a stunning portrait of B o b by D u t c h painter J a n C l a u s i n g
that n o w graces the inside of the theater. T h e artist used a p h o t o g r a p h of h i m
smiling w a r m l y a n d seated a m o n g the familiar red Barter seats. W h e n the lights
go d o w n a n d they play just right with the colors, it actually l ooks as if the portrait
is c o m i n g to life. That's a rather c o m p e l l i n g piece of suggestion. N o w o n d e r
s o m e p e o p l e think for a m o m e n t that they m a y have seen B o b seated a m o n g
the audience.
B u t certain incidents can't be e x p l a i n e d so nearly. W h e n a Barter apprentice
serving as a n usher helps s o m e o n e to their seats a n d sees a m a n in a gray suit at
their destination, then lo o k s again to find he's v a n i s h e d , questions begin to f o r m .
H o w c o u l d a youngster w h o never k n e w B o b Porterfield describe just such a
gentleman? T h e painting, of course. B u t B o b is wearing a yellow sweater in the
painting d o n n e d especially for the o c c a s i o n . H o w w o u l d this apprentice k n o w
�The Ghosts of Barter
95
B o b was partial to gray?
D o e s Barter have its o w n " G h o s t in G r a y ? " N o t always. C l e o H o l l a d a y
remembers seeing something quite different during the run of Silent Night,
Lonely Night i n October of 1 9 7 4 .
"I h a d a l o n g , long scene where I h a d to lie in bed o n stage," she recalls " T h e
audience couldn't really see m y face, but I c o u l d look up from m y angle a n d see
the kids in the light b o o t h . O n e night I l o o k e d up at t h e m a n d in the last r o w was
a m a n in a white dinner jacket (which B o b always wore o n o p e n i n g nights). I'm
c o n v i n c e d it was B o b . I k n o w it was. That was the same night the pipes rattled
a n d we took it as a sign that B o b a p p r o v e d of the s h o w . "
" T h e G h o s t in G r e y appears w h e n a s h o w is b o u n d to be a success."
A gracious a n d practical w o m a n , C l e o H o l l a d a y is not given to theatrical off
stage posturing, nor does she have a history of psychic experience. S h e tells y o u
that story because she wants y o u to k n o w about it.
A director is the last person w h o wants to be k n o w n for any k i n d of irrational
behavior. Producers want trustworthy individuals in charge of their productions.
B u t director Jeff M e r e d i t h has n o qualms about telling y o u , "I've seen B o b
Porterfield."
"I was out in the alley by the stage d o o r with T o n y Partington (Rex a n d C l e o ' s
son) a n d I went inside to the backstage area. There's that dark little stairway that
leads to the scenery storage area a n d as I went u p , I saw a m a n sitting o n o n e of
the steps. W i t h o u t e v e n thinking, I n o d d e d a n d said, " H i , M r . Porterfield,' A s I
passed h i m I realized what I h a d said a n d turned a r o u n d , but n o b o d y was there. I
ran out in the alley—shaken a n d scared—and got T o n y . W e both came back,
creeping a r o u n d like two little kids. W e didn't find anything, but w h e n we reach
e d the top of the stairs we saw a strange light at the ceiling that disappeared. I've
never h a d any k i n d of supernatural experience before or since, but there's n o
doubt in m y m i n d that I saw B o b Porterfield."
" D i d y o u h a p p e n to notice what he was wearing?"
" H e was wearing a gray sweater."
N o t yellow. That's not just coincidence.
S o m e scientists w h o accept the possibility of ghosts believe they can be ex
plained as visions left b e h i n d at highly emotional times. In other words, w h e n
our nervous systems are generating a great deal of energy, it is possible that w e
m a y actually give off a n aura of s o m e k i n d . It is this aura that s o m e believe
became a halo in religious paintings. That energy m a y in turn leave an image
b e h i n d , especially in a place that means a great deal to a person.
This is only theory, remember, but it means that some people m a y leave ac
tual snapshots b e h i n d — a n d s o m e individuals have a greater perception for such
images...they see ghosts. It w o u l d also explain w h y theaters—atmospheres
super-charged with e m o t i o n a l energy—are so susceptible to sightings. This
theory, of course, has not f o u n d favor with believers in a "psychic w o r l d . " T h e y
believe that ghosts are the manifestations of a conscious intellect m a k i n g contact
for a specific reason. O f course, if a n y o n e h a d a c o n s u m i n g devotion to
�96
T h e Barter Theatre Story
something, it was B o b to his Barter Theatre.
D a v i d M . L o h o e f e r has perhaps the most chilling story to tell. A n d , o d d l y
e n o u g h , it h a p p e n e d during the run of Silent Night, Lonely Night (make of this
what y o u will: this play was staged during the m o n t h B o b h a d d i e d three years
earlier). L o h o e f e r was a n apprentice at Barter that year, a n d he a n d a friend
were taking a walk after leaving the M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n Inn. It was about 2 : 3 0 in
the m o r n i n g a n d the t w o h a d stopped to sit o n the concrete base of a gate than
runs in front of the Inn a n d faces the Barter. T h e i r casual conversation stopped
w h e n L o h o e f e r noticed a man's figure standing in the upstairs gallery. A h a n d
p u l l e d back o n e of the transparent white curtains a n d m o t i o n e d i n w a r d , b e c k o n
ing t h e m towards the theater.
T h e y assumed that s o m e o n e was p l a y i n g a joke o n them—possibly another
apprentice—and crossed the street to the front d o o r . It was l o c k e d , a n d after
k n o c k i n g several times, they went a r o u n d to try the stage d o o r w h i c h was also
l o c k e d . B a c k across the street they went a n d this time the figure was m o r e visi
ble.
"It was a m a n in a gray suit," L o h o e f e r said. " W e c o u l d m a k e h i m out by the
lights t h r o w n from the street lamps. H e was still motioning his h a n d i n w a r d w h e n
the d o o r of the Barter Theatre o p e n e d . It locks from the inside. W e c o u l d see i n
to the theater a n d the ghost light, w h i c h has always been white, was r e d . A t that
m o m e n t , before w e c o u l d decide what to d o , a truck p u l l e d in front of the
theater to deliver papers. W h e n it p u l l e d a w a y , the d o o r was closed. W e went
across, but f o u n d it l o c k e d again. I c o u l d see the ghost light was w h i t e . "
L o h o e f e r a n d his friend immediately h e a d e d over to the M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n
a n d called O w e n Phillips.
" O w e n , y o u ' d better get d o w n here," L o h o e f e r told h i m . "There's s o m e b o d y
fooling a r o u n d inside the theater."
" 'Just relax,' he told us. ' C a l m d o w n . It was probably just M r . P . I w o u l d n ' t
advise g o i n g into the theater. Just go h o m e . ' "
M a r y D u d l e y doesn't seem surprised by such sightings. D u r i n g his lifetime,
B o b h a d a few strange experiences himself. T h e r e was that prophetic d r e a m at
age ten. A n d B o b was f o n d of telling about the time he lost certain papers that
were very important to Barter's c o n t i n u e d state funding. In a d r e a m , A l i c e
H i l t o n , w h o d i e d years earlier, took h i m up to the Barter Inn r o o m where she
used to live a n d pointed at a particular spot. T h e next day, B o b went up to the
r o o m a n d in that spot he f o u n d the missing papers.
" H e h a d a seventh sense," M a r y D u d l e y n o t e d . " H e o n c e called h o m e from
w o r k a n d said, 'There's s o m e b o d y in the basement.' H e insisted I go l o o k , a n d
sure e n o u g h , there was s o m e o n e . "
It s h o u l d also be p o i n t e d out, h o w e v e r , that ghostly happenings at Barter
predate B o b ' s death. N e d Beatty's o w n experience, a scare in the dressing r o o m
where m a n y actors have gotten the willies, was back in the '60s. Indeed, m a n y
are of the o p i n i o n that there are actually t w o ghosts—one benevolent (perhaps
that of B o b Porterfield) a n d the other frightening. A n d most chilling experiences
�T h e Ghosts of Barter
97
at Barter h a p p e n backstage or in the dressing r o o m area.
T y p i c a l of these experiences is the story told by Barter publicity director L o u
Flanigan. It was 1 9 6 7 a n d Flanigan was working as a stage manager: "I h a d
been here only a w e e k a n d I was w o r k i n g o n the set for Hamlet. This was before
the apprentices arrived a n d I was w o r k i n g at night all alone. T h e theater was
almost completely dark, but dark buildings don't bother m e . I'm just not succeptible to a n y type of supernatural stuff.
"I was w o r k i n g stage-right a n d the only exit was stage-left. A l l of a s u d d e n , I
felt a presence. I felt that I h a d to get out of there. I just h a d this horrible feeling
that something was really g o i n g to get m e . I ran across the stage, threw o p e n the
d o o r , ran a r o u n d the scene d o c k , d o w n the stairs, into the dressing r o o m area
a n d to the stage d o o r that leads to the alley. If I h a d turned a r o u n d a n d seen it, it
probably w o u l d have been fatal. It was like it was following m e . T h e n I couldn't
get the d o o r o p e n . I started kicking it a n d finally it o p e n e d a n d I ran up the alley
to M a i n Street. O n e s e c o n d m o r e a n d I'm sure it w o u l d have grabbed m e . W h e n
I l o o k e d back, I saw that the stage d o o r was wide o p e n . I k n e w I h a d to go back
a n d close it, but it was a full 15 minutes before I c o u l d w o r k up m y nerve to d o it.
"I k n o w it didn't c o m e from the house. It came from the stage b e h i n d m e . It
was the single most terrifying thing that has ever h a p p e n e d to m e . Fifteen years
later it still shakes m e . I just won't go back there alone. A n d it's not only m e . "
In fact, to his absolute amazement, Flanigan heard N e d Beatty repeat his
story almost word-for-word during a 1 9 8 1 visit to A b i n g d o n . T h e only difference
is that Beatty was chased from the dressing r o o m .
Others will tell y o u it's not only the theater, but the fourth floor costume attic
of the Barter Inn a n d the Rehearsal H a l l are haunted as well.
O t h e r Barter "happenings" h a p p e n e d away from Barter. B o t h O w e n a n d
F r a n k L o w e remember a particularly frightening experience in B i r m i n g h a m ,
A l a b a m a . T h e y were d o i n g E u g e n e O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness!, with L o w e play
ing the juvenile role loosely patterned o n the playwright as a b o y . T h e theater
w i n d o w faced a courtyard a n d , in the middle of the first act, the actors heard a
horrible scream.
" W e all heard it," L o w e declared. " A l l of us in the c o m p a n y . It came from the
courtyard. I wasn't a p a r a g o n of concentration, but O w e n m o u t h e d some words
to m e a n d w e s o m e h o w finished."
That night, they heard o n the radio that E u g e n e O ' N e i l l h a d d i e d in N e w
York.
A s strange as m a n y of these stories are, it s h o u l d be noted that in the Barter
Theatre itself, nothing tragic or malicious has ever been attributed to super
natural occurences. B u t happenings d o persist.
In 1 9 7 4 , Barter housekeeper Ellen Pietsch, a student of Edgar C a y c e ' s
works, told a R o a n o k e newspaper that she f o u n d unaccountable spots of light in
the b a l c o n y . "It's a little like seeing auras," she said.
T h e C a v e H o u s e , bought by A l i c e H i l t o n a n d willed to Porterfield, is another
supernatural story c o n n e c t e d to Barter. Journalist K a r e n O l s e n c o n d u c t e d a
�98
The Barter Theatre Story
1979 study of the h o m e built o n top of a limestone c a v e — W o l f C a v e . H e r c o n
clusion after talking to a n e q u a l a m o u n t of skeptics a n d believers: " Y e s , the
house is h a u n t e d . A n d yes, there used to be a secret staircase from the cave to
the third floor of the M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n I n n . "
A s with most supernatural occurrences, s o m e p e o p l e will always believe the
Barter is h a u n t e d , while others will never believe it.
Still others, w h o have heard the stories but never see anything themselves,
are like L o u F l a n i g a n . H e m a y not actually see a n y ghosts, "but I w o n ' t be in the
theater a l o n e . "
�99
Chapter Ten: A Day in October
T h e r e h a d been warnings. A heart attack in the mid-'60s was the most sober
ing. B u t Barter without B o b was inconceivable. That vital energy a n d w a r m
smile—everybody just expected it w o u l d go o n a n d o n .
Robert Porterfield d i e d suddenly o n October 2 1 , 1971 at his beloved T w i n
O a k s . O w e n h a d d o n e the curtain speech that night.
T h e cause was a heart attack after a bout with p h e u m o n i a . H e was 6 5 .
A stunned theater w o r l d a n d government leaders sent words of sympathy to
Mary Dudley and young Jay Bird.
Julie Harris wrote: " B o b was so generous to y o u n g actors a n d helped so
m a n y o n their w a y . H i s w a r m t h a n d laughter a n d sunny ways a n d o v e r w h e l m
ing belief in live theater m a d e our w o r l d a better p l a c e . "
F r o m N e w Y o r k , G r e g o r y P e c k told of his " w a r m affection a n d respect for
the m e m o r y of B o b Porterfield, a dear friend w h o first encouraged m e to go o n
in the theater. I haven't to this day recovered from the shock of being put o n in
the Barter in 1 9 4 0 in the lead of Button Button o n t w o days notice a n d with 110
pages to be learned. It was a shattering experience but I survived as B o b k n e w I
w o u l d . In spite of that Porterfield-induced trauma, our friendship has been cons
tant. B o b gave delight to his friends, a n d careers to so m a n y y o u n g people. I'll
always think of h i m as a sunny smiling m a n with a weather eye out for a k i n d
ness to be d o n e . W i t h love to M a r y D u d l e y , J a y B i r d a n d all g o o d friends of
Bob's."
F r o m the W h i t e H o u s e , President R i c h a r d N i x o n sent this note to M a r y
D u d l e y : " M r s . N i x o n joins m e in expressing deepest sympathy to y o u a n d y o u r
family o n the death of y o u r distinguished husband. W e h o p e that y o u will be
comforted by the k n o w l e d g e that his pioneering efforts in the regional theater
m o v e m e n t , w h i c h earned h i m such wide respect, have not only a d d e d i m
measurably to the cultural life of our nation, but also p r o v i d e d inspiration for
generations to c o m e . H e will be deeply missed, a n d affectionately a n d gratefully
remembered by all whose lives he t o u c h e d . M a y memories of y o u r life together
a n d pride in y o u r husband's accomplishments strengthen y o u in the years
ahead."
T h e n Virginia G o v e r n o r L i n w o o d H o l t o n noted that " T h e Barter Theatre has
been a n institute in V i r g i n i a for thirty-nine years, a n d B o b Porterfield was the
Barter Theatre. H e not o n l y enriched the lives of countless Virginians, as well as
other A m e r i c a n s , but through the Theatre he established a n d the plays he pro
d u c e d , he m a d e the Barter into one of A m e r i c a ' s foremost training grounds for
aspiring actors a n d actresses. B y his death, the theater has lost one of its most
�8
TO
C
O
I
B o b Porterfield surrounded
by a '60s c o m p a n y in /ront o / the Barter
Theatre.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
ft
ft
ft
I
�A Day In October
101
dedicated servants."
Ernest Borgnine's message was simple a n d p r o f o u n d : " M r . Porterfield d i d
m o r e for m e than I d i d for M r . P o r t e r f i e l d . . . . N o other m a n contributed as m u c h
to the theater as Robert Porterfield."
Robert Pastene, then at the Guthrie Theatre, told of a m a n w h o l o v e d so
m a n y : "I a m blessed to be one of those a n d h o p e this message can stand for m y
presence o n this occasion of tribute to an urbane gentleman, a generous
teacher, a grave pioneer a n d an eternal friend."
L a r r y Gates supplied the following tribute: " A n d all of us k n o w , B o b w o u l d
not want us, n o w , to be sad or dreary. Rather he w o u l d tell us his funny stories.
H e w o u l d m a k e us laugh, a n d w e w o u l d look forward to m o r e h a p p y achieve
ment, a n d the m a n y wonderful things he always m a d e h a p p e n . W e will miss
h i m , but not one of us will ever forget h i m or his w o r k , the Barter."
F r o m Barter itself c a m e a heartfelt m e m o r y . "In m y 18 years as executive
secretary a n d business manager to Robert Porterfield a n d the Barter Theatre,"
Pearl Hayter wrote, "I a m keenly aware of M r . Porterfield's love for humanity.
W e are all aware of his love for the theater. H e s h o w e d his love for humanity in
so m a n y ways. H e reared a wonderful y o u n g m a n , sent h i m to college. Walter
M a h a l a is n o w in E n g l a n d serving his 10th year in the A i r F o r c e . . . . M r . P s h o w e d
his love by action in so m a n y w a y s . "
A quiet funeral was h e l d at T w i n O a k s , with his casket p l a c e d beneath the
two 6 0 0 - y e a r - o l d oaks.
" W e h a d this big Irish W o l f h o u n d , " M a r y D u d l e y said. " B o b l o v e d that d o g .
A l l during the funeral that d o g sat at the h e a d of the casket."
After the funeral, several e m p l o y e e s of the T w i n O a k s Dairy operation were
standing in the y a r d , waiting to ask M a r y D u d l e y what she intended to d o .
" W h a t d o y o u think? W e ' r e going to r u n this f a r m . "
A n d r u n it she d i d ; for three-and-a-half years.
"I grieved so terribly for B o b . T h e farm saved m y life. I kept going until I
w a n t e d to devote m o r e time to J a y . N o w it's leased."
In N e w Y o r k , friends of B o b a n d Barter gathered at Sardi's for a m e m o r i a l
service. There were those w h o h a d h e l p e d B o b or h a d been h e l p e d by h i m — a c
tors, directors, playwrights a n d producers.
A year after B o b ' s death, s o m e 4 0 0 friends c a m e together in A b i n g d o n for
another k i n d of m e m o r i a l service. T h e y "bartered" stories a n d memories of B o b .
T h e next year, B o b ' s friend W i l l G e e r performed a tribute s h o w at Barter c o m
prised of selections from M a r k T w a i n , W a l t W h i t m a n , Robert Frost, W o o d y
G u t h r i e , J o h n Steinbeck a n d W i l l i a m F a u l k n e r .
There were other kinds of memorials: the V i r g i n i a G e n e r a l A s s e m b l y passed
a joint resolution expressing "appreciation for a generous a n d noteworthy life
that has contributed so m u c h to the public g o o d , " a n d Virginia's H i g h w a y 19
was r e n a m e d the Robert Porterfield M e m o r i a l H i g h w a y .
In the meantime, the Barter F o u n d a t i o n h a d chosen a successor.
�T h e Barter Theatre Story
102
Bob and J a y Bird at Twin Oaks.
(Photo courtesy of Mary Dudley Porterfield)
�103
Chapter Eleven: The Partington Years
F o r 3 9 years B o b Porterfield was the Barter Theatre. After his death, a board
of directors h a d to select his successor. Twenty-five people were considered for
the position; R e x Partington got the job.
Less the s h o w m a n a n d more the efficient artistic director, Partington has c o m
mitted himself to keeping the Barter growing. U n d e r anyone's direction, the
Barter c o u l d continue to live off its e n o r m o u s popularity a n d considerable
reputation. Tourists a n d residents still w o u l d attend the theater simply because it
is the Barter.
Y e t , Partington quickly established a strong leadership position. T h e n e w
director let it be k n o w n that he w o u l d carry o n the rich Barter heritage by m a k i n g
sure the c o m p a n y c o n t i n u e d to grow artistically.
"I couldn't just be a caretaker," Partington explained. " T h e fortunate thing is
that Robert a n d I saw eye to eye o n about 9 0 percent of theater matters. A
wonderful board of directors has given m e a free h a n d to offer as m u c h as w e
can as often as we c a n . "
" B o b h a d s p o k e n to m e about R e x , " Frank L o w e recalled. " H e said, ' Y o u
don't k n o w a n y o n e w h o ' d want to take over this thing, h o n e y ? ' H e was l o o k i n g
for s o m e o n e w h o c o u l d handle all the aspects. I think the right m a n was c h o s e n .
I'm sure R e x has maintained Barter's high standards."
"It's not B o b Porterfield's theater a n y m o r e , " B o b Gallico noted during his
1 9 8 0 trip back to A b i n g d o n . "If it ever became the B o b Porterfield M e m o r i a l
Theater, it w o u l d die. H e w o u l d be the last person w h o ' d want it to become a
memorial."
R a i s e d in Q u e e n s , N e w Y o r k , Partington studied law at Syracuse University,
until the acting b u g took h o l d , a n d he was graduated with a major in d r a m a .
Right after graduation, he was c h o s e n by Shirley B o o t h for the Barter c o m p a n y
in 1 9 5 0 , a n d he spent t w o years there before returning to N e w Y o r k .
T h e y o u n g actor struggled in M a n h a t t a n , w o r k i n g as a clerk o n W a l l Street,
checking coats, a n d selling orange juice, a m o n g other jobs. After a season at the
A r e n a Theatre in M e m p h i s a n d some s u m m e r stock w o r k , Partington m a d e his
B r o a d w a y debut in Lunatics and Lovers. This was followed by such prestigious
engagements as stage manager for The Matchmaker a n d M y Fair Lady.
A l t h o u g h described by Fritz W e a v e r as " a powerful, ferocious y o u n g actor,"
he a i m e d more at off-stage aspects of the theater, serving as production
manager for five years at the Guthrie Theatre. Partington eventually formed his
o w n c o m p a n y , Heartland Productions, w h i c h toured the M i d w e s t for two years.
W h e n the c o m p a n y folded, he took a job as managing director of the C l e v e l a n d
�T h e Barter Theatre Story
104
A young Rex Partington co-stars with Rosemary Murphy in an
early '50s production of T w o O n A n I s l a n d .
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
�T h e Partington Years
105
P l a y h o u s e , staying for two-and-a-half years. T h e year 1 9 7 1 saw h i m back in A b
i n g d o n as p r o d u c t i o n stage manager. T h e B o a r d of Directors a n n o u n c e d their
choice in 1 9 7 2 .
W h e n he took over after B o b ' s death, R e x was well aware of the size shoes
he was stepping into. B o b h a d already achieved " l e g e n d " status a n d some have
only partially j o k e d that it was like taking over for L i n c o l n .
"There was a great deal of feeling after B o b ' s death that Barter w o u l d close,"
Partington pointed out. "I suppose the best thing that has h a p p e n e d is that
Barter is still g o i n g . P e o p l e c o m e back a n d their reaction is, ' M y heavens, it's still
g o i n g . ' M o s t everyone was extremely w a r m a n d receptive w h e n I started in
1 9 7 2 . B o b was one of the best friends I ever h a d , but I certainly wasn't g o i n g to
emulate the m a n . I h a d to be m y o w n m a n or nothing w o u l d have w o r k e d . F o r
tunately, I was given artistic carte blanche. I saw m y job as trying to continue
what h e ' d been doing—offering a balanced, diversified season—and i m p r o v i n g
o n what h a d already been established. There was s o m e u n s p o k e n resistance
from people w h o w a n t e d Barter to remain exactly the same. I suppose I've lived
in B o b ' s s h a d o w for s o m e time a n d , to s o m e degree, always will. H a d it h a p p e n
e d m a n y years earlier w h e n I was sporting a rather fat ego, I don't think I w o u l d
have been able to d o it."
E a c h J a n u a r y Partington goes to N e w Y o r k a n d holds o p e n Equity auditions.
A t the e n d of the m o n t h he holds auditions in A b i n g d o n . A c o m p a n y of about
2 0 is selected a n d rehearsals begin if the season is d o n e in repertory. If not, the
p r o d u c i n g director casts show-by-show, usually retaining several actors for m u c h
of the season.
"Historically, the Barter c o m p a n y is a y o u n g c o m p a n y , " the d e e p - v o i c e d
Partington c o m m e n t e d . " B u t it's nice to have a y o u n g c o m p a n y because they
have great drive. I think the caliber of actors at Barter has steadily i m p r o v e d a n d
the shows have gotten technically better. T h e most limiting factor is m o n e y . "
D u r i n g his tenure, Partington instituted a repertory p r o g r a m (1979-80), turn
ed the P l a y h o u s e into a n Equity stage, accepted one of the first V i r g i n i a G o v e r
nor's A w a r d s for the Arts o n behalf of Barter, a n d g u i d e d the theater in 1 9 8 1 to
winter quarters o n the c a m p u s of G e o r g e M a s o n University in Fairfax.
"I still feel that R e x was the o n l y person w h o c o u l d have taken over the reigns
of Barter," is the admittedly biased o p i n i o n of wife C l e o H o l l a d a y . "It was for
tunate that he h a d administrative training. A n d he loves the theater. Y o u see,
B o b didn't like to deal with all that administrative crap. R e x likes to be the boss
a n d likes to manage things. W h e n he gets up a n d says he's heading over to his
office for 'a few minutes,' I k n o w he's going to be p o u r i n g over books, figures
a n d scripts."
R e x ' s view of his theater a n d audience is o n e of optimism tempered with
realism.
" O u r audience, while being sophisticated, is a bit o n the conservative side,"
he stated. "That does not preclude m e from d o i n g plays of a provocative nature.
I o w e that to our audience. W e must continue to e x p a n d . T h e great works of the
�106
T h e Barter Theatre Story
Barter's producing
director Rex Partington
photographic
oversees a
session at the theater.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
�T h e Partington Years
107
Director Owen Phillips, playwright Mary Chase and producing
director
Rex Partington go over the script for Cocktails With M i m i in
preparation for its 1973 Barter
premiere.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
past must be d o n e with n e w plays. Theater must reflect a n d c o m m e n t o n the
times. If I h a d the m o n e y , I w o u l d d o Inherit the Wind right away. W e can't be
just a s u m m e r stock theater or offer dinner theater fare. T h e works of A r t h u r
Miller a n d Bertolt Brecht must be d o n e . "
E v e n t h o u g h acting has been p u s h e d into the b a c k g r o u n d for Barter's pro
ducing director, he still tries to appear at least once a year in such roles as J o h n
Tarleton in S h a w ' s Misalliance or his riveting portrayal of D r . S l o p e r in The
Heiress.
He also points with pride to Barter's membership in the L e a g u e of Resident
Theaters ( L O R T ) , a group of select theaters across the country that includes L i n
coln Center, P A F in N e w Y o r k , the Guthrie in M i n n e s o t a , A r e n a Stage in
W a s h i n g t o n , the A l l e y in H o u s t o n , A C T in S a n Francisco, a n d L o n g Warf in
New Haven.
"There have been so m a n y highlights from the last ten years," he said. " B e
ing able to d o a 15-week season in Fairfax is one of the most gratifying. W i t h the
�8
a
DO
a.
C/eo Holladay, center, greets the cast of the 1981 production of The Royal Family, which also featured, left
to right, Cynthia Parva, Rebecca Taylor, Russell Gold, Leta Bonynge, Richard Voights and Paul Merrill
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
5*
ft
I
ft
o
v2
�T h e Partington Years
109
Cleo Holladay and Rex Partington as they appeared in
the 1981 production of The Heiress.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
�o
ft
03
I
E d B o r d o , Dorothy
Chace,
Ann Buckles, David Darlow and Eda Zahl drink up in this scene from
1973 Barter production of Cocktails With Mimi.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
the
H
:r
ft
o
>
cr
ft
CO
I
�T h e Partington Years
111
season in A b i n g d o n a n d touring, it expands our activities as a true State
Theatre."
"I really liked the true repertory schedule we d i d for those t w o years. It's very
stimulating for a c o m p a n y to be playing more than one play at a time. It keeps
y o u o n y o u r toes. I'd like to get back to that."
" A n d I'd still like to d o n e w plays, a n d a i m at more quality actors so we can
d o C h e k h o v , or Brecht, or St. Joan, or Shakespeare's histories. I'd also like to
d o more experimental theater in the P l a y h o u s e , but w e don't have the younger,
cosmopolitan audience to support that. W e ' r e trying to maintain the tradition
a n d m o v e forward, without losing the sight of h o w it all started. W e still accept
barter at the b o x office, based o n current market value of p r o d u c e . "
" R e x has great insight," scenic designer L y n n Pecktal declared after returning
to Barter in 1 9 8 1 . "I think Barter has continued to go extremely well because the
spirit hasn't c h a n g e d . "
T h e t w o m e n that h a d the greatest influence o n Partington also h a p p e n to
l o o m prominently in the history of decentralized theater—Bob Porterfield a n d
Tyrone Guthrie.
" T h e y were friends a n d inspirations," he said. " B o b was m y first influence
right out of college a n d he instilled the ideas of getting the theater to the p e o p l e .
T o n y Guthrie stressed quality a n d excellence. I h a d the pleasure of d o i n g two
B r o a d w a y plays with h i m — o n e was a success, the other was a flop. H e behaved
the same in b o t h . "
Partington also has s o m e interesting opinions about the future of acting in this
country: "I w o u l d like to see more respect for the professional theater. F r o m a
social standpoint, it s h o u l d be in the same category as medicine, law a n d educa
tion. T h e day of the fly-by-night s h o w folk is passing. T h e actor should be a
stoic, responsible individual properly r e c o m p e n s e d for his efforts."
N o matter where the A m e r i c a n theater goes, R e x Partington has p r o v e d to
A b i n g d o n a n d the theater w o r l d that Barter will continue to meet a n d set certain
standards. B o b Porterfield lives because his theater is alive.
�T h e Barter Theatre Story
112
A fine view of Barter interior, including main
area, balcony and
chandeliers.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
seating
�113
Chapter Twelve: The Importance of Being Barter
W h e n the Barter Theatre o p e n e d its doors in 1 9 3 3 , it was b a d times for the
A m e r i c a n theater. B r o a d w a y was h a r d hit, so the theater was hard hit. Recent
years have seen a p e r i o d of steady decline for B r o a d w a y . Ticket prices have
skyrocketed. T h e n u m b e r of overall productions is w a y d o w n . T h e number of
revivals is w a y u p . A n d profits are w a y d o w n . B u t 5 0 years after the Depression,
the situation is not so desperate for the A m e r i c a n theater as a w h o l e . Several ex
cellent regional theaters have m a d e sure of that.
E v e n if one b e m o a n s the lack of quality o n B r o a d w a y , they c a n be heartened
by the overall picture of health. Indeed, the A m e r i c a n theater m a y be healthier
n o w than ever before. Barter, B o b Porterfield a n d R e x Partington all have a
h a n d in that d e v e l o p m e n t .
F o r years a n d years, the rest of the country "fed" off B r o a d w a y . After a s h o w
left the Great W h i t e W a y , s o m e areas of the country m a y have seen it through a
touring, regional or c o m m u n i t y p r o d u c t i o n . E v e r y b o d y was d o i n g what B r o a d
w a y h a d d o n e . N o w that's reversed a n d B r o a d w a y finds itself turning to other
artistic centers for challenging, innovative shows. R e g i o n a l theaters are n o w
feeding B r o a d w a y . That's been one of the outgrowths a n d benefits of decen
tralized theater.
M o r e importantly a n d specifically, Barter has brought quality theater to an
area where it's most n e e d e d . Despite its problems, N e w Y o r k , has theater r u n n
ing out of its ear. B u t Soutwest Virginia a n d U p p e r East T e n n e s s e e — w e l l ,
e n o u g h said. T h r o u g h 5 0 years of changes, improvements, setbacks, lean
years, innovations, heartbreaks a n d triumphs, Barter has p r o c l a i m e d that
cultural enrichment is as necessary as the f o o d bartered for tickets in 1 9 3 3 .
In mere statistics, it's easy to say where Barter is today: T h e Barter players
stage about a d o z e n plays from spring through October in A b i n g d o n , n o w m o v
ing o n to 15 weeks i n Fairfax, a n d a major tour. It remains the country's longestrunning professional theater a n d the second-oldest theater structure. A c r o s s the
street, the Barter P l a y h o u s e is the site of mainly musical revues. D u r i n g the s u m
mer, people from A b i n d g o n , neighboring communities a n d tourists fill the
380-seats of the o l d O p r e y H o u s e , with m a n y of the out-of-town theatergoers
staying at the M a r t h a W a s h i n g t o n Inn.
B u t in influence a n d stature, it's not so easy to assess Barter's current status.
Partington carries o n Porterfield's tradition of giving a w a y a gift to the person
attending for the first time from the farthest distance. O n any given night, par
ticularly during the V i r g i n i a H i g h l a n d s Festival, it goes to s o m e o n e from "outside
the continental limits of the U n i t e d States." It bears out the title of " w o r l d famous
�114
T h e Barter Theatre Story
Barter Theatre
as it appears
today.
(Photo courtesy of the Barter Theatre)
Barter Theatre" a n d is o n e indication of where Barter is today.
Betsy G r a h a m of Bristol remembers trading 12 ears of c o r n in the late '30s to
see He Who Gets Slapped. N o w she buys a ticket like e v e r y o n e else. H o w has
Barter changed? " A t the beginning it was a folksy, h o m e t o w n c o m m u n i t y
theater. N o w it is a place to see a n d be seen. It is a tourist attraction a n d that's
where most of the houses c o m e f r o m . "
G o o d or b a d , that's also where Barter is today.
"Barter deserves a n d needs recognition," declares C l e o H o l l a d a y . "Especial
ly locally. T h e r e are p e o p l e in L o n d o n w h o k n o w the Barter Theatre a n d o n
M a i n Street there are p e o p l e w h o have lived here all their lives a n d never
stepped foot inside the theater."
Barter's influence m a y be m o r e p r o f o u n d than e v e n B o b w o u l d have guess
e d . In addition to its integral role in the regional theater m o v e m e n t , Barter has
also contributed to growth of theater in Southwest Virginia a n d U p p e r East T e n
nessee. W h e n Barter was f o u n d e d in 1 9 3 2 , there was o n l y o n e c o m m u n i t y
theater in existence, the J o h n s o n C i t y C o m m u n i t y Theatre. T o d a y that area is
k n o w n as the Tri-Cities, centering a r o u n d Bristol, Kingsport a n d J o h n s o n C i t y ,
�T h e Importance of Being Barter
115
a n d including such towns as A b i n g d o n , B i g S t o n e G a p , W i s e , P e n n i n g t o n G a p ,
Hiltons, G a t e C i t y a n d G l a d e S p r i n g , V i r g i n i a , a n d Bluff C i t y , Blountville, P i n e y
Flats, Elizabethton, J o n e s b o r o , E r w i n , Rogersville, a n d Greeneville, Tennessee.
In 1 9 8 2 , this area was supporting a professional dinner theater, a professional
r o a d c o m p a n y , eight c o m m u n i t y theaters, t w o annual outdoor dramas, a n d
seven college or university theater programs. A l t h o u g h Barter can hardly be
credited exclusively for such growth, its inspiration a n d influence is undeniable.
A s for the individual actor:
"There are very few theaters like this that provide the environment to learn,"
says Frank L o w e .
"It's a n overview of theater training that has lasted from the Depression until
n o w , " adds L y n n P e c k t a l .
"There is a tremendous feeling of ensemble," contributes actress Lily L o d g e ,
w h o appeared at Barter in 1 9 8 0 . "It's idyllic."
W i t h all the tradition a n d d e v o t i o n to progress, these are all places Barter is
today.
After 5 0 years, Barter is still a n expression of love—for the theater, a t o w n , a
region, state a n d country. It w o u l d be impossible to even begin an evaluation of
worth or calculation of the m a n y this one small theater in Southwest Virginia has
t o u c h e d . T h e r e are m a n y eloquent ways to summarize these accomplishments,
but it w o u l d be inappropriate to not let B o b Porterfield have his inevitable curtain
line:
"If y a ' like us, talk about us. If y a ' don't, jes keep y a ' m o u t h shut!"
�This page intentionally left blank
�117
Appendix A
APPENDIX A
A Code of Ethics for People in the Theatre
Dramatic art is the most human of all the arts. W e are servants of humanity—the producer, direc
tor, dramatist and actor—pledge unanimity in giving the audience the best theatre possible.
W e pledge complete loyalty to the theatre, our great and noble profession.
W e pledge ourselves not to let our position or our name be used in any way which will bring
discredit to the theatre.
W e will not speak derogatorily to the layman about our fellow actors, producers, dramatists. It is
bad business to talk bad business in show business.
In theatre, where illusion is the first of all pleasures, we pledge our God-given talent for the reflec
tion of life in all its respects, through comedy and tragedy, magic and glamour, and the world of
make-believe.
W e pledge ourselves to do everything possible to enhance our art and artistry and the theatre as
an institution.
W e recognize the producer as the autocratic head.
W e pledge our talent to the dramatist in portraying his story of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
W e pledge our acquiescence to the interpretation of the director.
W e pledge ourselves to respect, cherish, and nourish the artistry of the actor.
It is our duty to appeal to the gregariousness of m a n , and to him we pledge the propagation of the
eternal verities.
In humility we recognize the pleasure of our audience as the final criterion because without an au
dience we cannot have theatre.
(Note: This code was prepared by Robert Porterfield in 1957 with the help of theater friends in New
Y o r k . It uses the old style English spelling of "theatre" throughout.)
�Appendix B
118
APPENDIX B
The Aims and Purposes of the Barter Theatre
It is to serve as non-profit educational and cultural expression for the purpose of giving the people
of Virginia, and its many guest-tourists, an opportunity to observe some of the works of the world's
most distinguished playwrights, performed by competent actors.
It is to bring good entertainment to the people of Virginia.
It makes it possible for the young actors, young writers, and young technicians of the theatre to
get practical experience in the Arts of the Theatre, working in cooperation with experienced profes
sional actors, writers and technicians.
T o make it possible for tourists traveling through Virginia to see "after-dark" entertainment after
they have seen Virginia's day-light scenery—the drives, the gardens, the historical shrines.
T h e primary purpose is that Virginia have its own standard of appreciation of the theatre, dif
ferentiated from the tradition of the theatre.
It is to be a living example of Democracy at work, carrying out the fundamental principles of
Virginia's Bill of Rights.
T h e lobby of the legitimate theatre is the only institution that serves as an example of pure
democracy, because the legitimate theatre is the only institution still left where all creeds, classes and
political faiths can gather under one roof and have a mingling of social graces, manners, and
customs.
W e must erect a defense against the evils that would destroy the culture and enlightenment of the
world, and this is not to be done by the mechanism of munitions and men and steel alone, but by giv
ing the best of our strength and devotion to the cause of a deeper faith of truth and beauty, and the
wisdom of the human soul.
"We hope to avail the State of those talents which nature has sown so liberally among the poor as
the rich, but which perish without use, if not sought for and cultivated."
-Thomas Jefferson
(Note: T h e "Aims and Purposes" was prepared and printed in summer programs of 1941 when it
looked as if Barter would become the State Theatre.)
�119
Appendix C
APPENDIX C
The Barter Theatre
Award
Winners and audition selections
1939
Laurette Taylor
Larry Gates, Edith Sommers
1941
Ethel Barrymore
Robert Pastene, Charlotte Wilson
Tallulah Bankhead
no audition, theater closed for war.
1940
1942
1943
1944
1945
Dorothy Stickney
Mildred Natwick
Gregory Peck, Evelyn Wells Fargo
Paul Wasserman, Margaret Phillips
NO AWARD PRESENTED
NO AWARD PRESENTED
1946
Louis Calhern
Martin Waldron, Joan DeWeese
1948
Henry F o n d a
James Andrews, Virginia Baker
Shirley Booth
Jerry Rifkin, G a b y Rodgers
1947
Helen Hayes
1949
Tallulah Bankhead
1951
Frederic March
1950
1952
Cornelia Otis Skinner
Ray Boyle, Marion Wilson
Robert Blackburn, Patricia Larson
A . Hedison, Rosemary Murphy
Charles Quinlivan, Sylvia Short
1953
Rosalind Russell
Charles McCawley, Grant Williams, Jane Moncure
1955
Mary Martin
Jerry Hardin, C l e o Holladay
1957
Ethel Merman
1954
1956
David Wayne
Julie Harris
1958
Ralph Bellamy
1960
George Abbott
Paul Lukather, Phyllis W y n n
Arne Sundergaard, Marcie Hubert
Mitch R y a n , V i e n n a C o b b Anderson
Alex Murray, Elizabeth St. Clair
Robert Whitehead
William C o m e , Virginia James
1961
1962
Hume Cronyn
A b e Burrows
G e n e R. C o l e m a n , Joan Lancaster
Gerome Ragni, Tojan Matchins
1964
Robert Preston
Robert Jundeland, Daryle A n n Corr
1959
1963
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
David Merrick
Roger L . Stevens
T o m Prideaux
Pearl Bailey
Donald L i n a h a m , Diane Hill
Michael Bierne, Melinda Dotson
Russ Murphy
NO AWARD PRESENTED
NO AWARD PRESENTED
N O AUDITION
N O AUDITION
(Note: T h e Barter Theatre A w a r d was originally intended to honor what was judged the best per
formance of the theatrical season. Later, Porterfield loosened the eligibility to recognize the
contributions of playwrights, producers and directors.)
�Appendix D
120
APPENDIX D
Awards and Honors Presented to Robert
and the Barter Theatre
Porterfield
February 17, 1939: Life appointment as an Honorary Colonel in the Virginia Militia for contributions
to the state's cultural life. Presented by the First Families of Virginia Association.
March 28, 1949: Antoinette Perry (Tony) A w a r d for contributions to the American theater.
June 1, 1948: Honorary Doctor of Literature from Hampden-Sydney College.
June 10, 1957: N a m e d First Citizen of Abingdon by T o w n Council.
September 24, 1957: Actors' F u n d A w a r d of Merit
September 27, 1963: T h o m a s Jefferson A w a r d for public relations on behalf of Virginia. Presented
by the O l d Dominion Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
March 4, 1967: Suzanne Davis Memorial A w a r d for contributions to the theater in the South. Pre
sented at the Southeastern Theatre Conference.
May 1, 1967: Special Service A w a r d presented by the Virginia State Chamber of C o m m e r c e in
Arlington.
March 6, 1972: General Assembly of Virginia House Joint Resolution N o . 105 O n the death of
u
Robert Huffard Porterfield" as "evidence of the abiding regard which he earned in the hearts of all
Virginians."
November 16, 1979: Special A w a r d presented to the Barter Theatre at the First Governor's Awards
for the Arts in Virginia. Accepted by producing director Rex Partington in Richmond.
�Bibliography and References
121
B I B L I O G R A P H Y and R E F E R E N C E S
Although much of the information in this volume is the result of interviews, several publications
were invaluable in researching Barter and the many aspects of theater it encompassed. Perhaps the
greatest resource for the Barter student is the scrapbooks stored in the Barter Inn. These volumes are
kept year to year, and, as one would expect, some are more complete than others. For the most
part, however, the scrapbooks contain
most reviews, programs, posters, newspaper articles,
magazine features and any other clippings pertinent to that season.
Keller, Theresa Diane. A Survey
Theatre
of Abindgon,
Virginia.
THESES
of the Attitudes
of the Abingdon
Community
Towards
Barter
(Greensboro, North Carolina, 1977) A thesis submitted to the
faculty of the graduate school at the University of North Carolina in partial fulfillment of the re
quirements for the degree of Master of Arts.
Williams, A n n e St. Clair. Robert
Theatre
Porterfield's
Barter
Theatre
of Abingdon,
Virginia;
The
State
(Urbana, Illinois, 1970) Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the re
of Virginia.
quirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Speech in the Graduate College of the
University of Illinois.
BOOKS
Archer, Fred. Exploring
the Psychic
Atkinson, Brooks. Broadway.
New York: William Morrow and C o . , Inc.,
World.
New York: McMillan Publishing C o . , Inc.,
Barbour, A l a n G . Humphrey
Bogart.
1973.
Arts: The Economic
Twentieth Century F u n d , 1966.
Pictorial
History
York: G . P . Putnam's Sons,
Complete
New York: Ballantine Books,
Farrell, Barry. Pat and Roald.
Freedland, Michael. Gregory
Directory
to Prime
1979.
New York: R a n d o m House,
Peck.
Network
New York: William Morrow and C o . , Inc.,
TV
Shows:
Theatre
1980.
in America:
Appraisal
and
1968.
Green, Abel, and Laurie, Joe, Jr. Show
Biz: From
1951.
Houghton, Norris. Advance
from
Broadway:
York: Books for Libraries Press,
1971.
Hughes, G l e n n . A History of the American
Hyams, Joe. Bogie: The Biography
Inc.
Time
Madison, Wisconsin: Dembar Educational Research Services, Inc., and New Y o r k ,
Theatre Arts Books,
Company,
New York:
1969.
G a r d , Robert E . ; Blach, Marston; and Temkin, Pauline.
Challenge.
Dilemma.
(revised and enlarged by J o h n Kobal). New
of the Talkies
1973.
Brooks, T i m , and Marsh, Earle. The
1946-Present.
1974.
New York: Pyramid Publications, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,
Baumol, William J . , and Bowen, William G . Performing
Blum, Daniel. A New
1968.
1966.
Langley, Stephen. Theatre
19,000
Theatre,
of Humphrey
Langer, Lawrence. The Magic Curtain.
Management
Vaude
to Video.
New York: Henry Holt and
Miles of American
1700-1950.
Bogart.
Theatre.
Freeport, New
New York: Samuel French, 1951.
New York: T h e New American Library,
New York: E . P . Dutton and C o m p a n y , Inc.,
in America.
1951.
New York: Drama Book Specialists,
1974.
�Bibliography and References
122
Lewis, A l a n . American
Plays
Publishers, Inc.,
and Playwrights
1965.
of the Contemporary
Little, Stuart W . , and Canton, Arthur. The Playmakers.
New Y o r k : W . W . Norton and C o . , Inc.,
1970.
Maltin,
Leonard
(ed.).
TV
American Library, Inc.,
Marx, G r o u c h o . Groucho
Novick, Julius. Beyond
Movies:
Revised
O ' C o n n o r , Richard. Hey wood
New
Edition.
and Me. New Y o r k : Manor Books,
Broadway:
1968.
1981-82
1980.
The Quest for Permanent
Skinner, Corneilia Otis. Life With Lindsay
& Crouse.
York:
The
New Y o r k : Hill and W a n g ,
Theatres.
1975.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin C o m p a n y ,
Teichmann, H o w a r d . George
S. Kaufman:
Thomas, T o n y . Gregory
New Y o r k : Pyramid Publications, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,
Peck.
Williams, Tennessee. Memoirs.
New Y o r k : Atheneum,
Portrait.
Theatre:
1973.
The Revolutionary
1976.
1972.
Garden City, New Y o r k : Doubleday and C o m p a n y , Inc.,
Ziegler, Joseph Wesley. Regional
Minnesota Press,
An Intimate
New
1974.
New Y o r k : G . P . Putnam's Sons,
Broun.
New Y o r k : C r o w n
Theatre.
1977.
1975.
Minneapolis: University of
Stage.
NEWSPAPERS
Several regional newspapers have covered Barter activities quite extensively throughout the
years. A m o n g those most helpful in the preceeding research were the Bristol Herald-Courier,
Virginia-Tennessean,
Washington
Gap
Post,
Southwest
mond
County
Bristol News-Bulletin,
News,
Elizabethton
Virginia
News Leader
Abingdon
Star,
Virginian,
Stage
Enterprise,
Kingsport
Post
Roanoke
and the Richmond
Sullivan
Times-News,
(of Southwest
World
News,
County
News,
Virginia
Roanoke
Times-Dispatch.
Johnson
City Press
Gate City Herald,
and
Upper
Times,
Knoxville
East
Bristol
Chronicle,
Big
Stone
Tennessee),
Journal,
Rich
Other newspapers to have run stories on Barter helpful in the preparation of this book include the
Baltimore
New
Sun,
Charlotte
York Evening
ta Constitution,
Post,
Observer,
Washington
Los Angeles
New
Post,
Times,
York
Variety
Times,
Washington
New
York Sun,
Evening
and the London
New
York
Herald-Tribune,
Star (earlier the Star-News),
Times.
Atlan
MAGAZINES
"Actors and Hams." Time,
X X X I V , N o . 14 (October 2, 1936), p. 38.
"The Actors A r e C o m e Hither." Time,
LIU, N o . 24 (June 13, 1949), p p . 76-77.
Ardinger, J o h n . "Barter Theatre's Exciting Season." The Commonwealth,
1953), p p . 25-27.
"Baa B a a M r . Porterfield." Forum,
June 24, 1936, p. 2.
"Barn to Broadway." Theatre
X X , N o . 11 (November,
X X X V I I , N o . 10 (October, 1953).
"Barter." Cue Magazine,
Arts,
July 18, 1936, p. 20.
"Barter is Twenty-Five." Theatre
Arts,
X L I (October, 1957), pp. 59-62.
"Barter Theatre Trades Drama for H a m and Eggs." Life, VII, N o . 5 (July 31, 1939), pp. 54-55.
�Bibliography and References
123
Breen, Robert, and Porterfield, Robert. "Toward a National Theatre," Theatre
Clark, Margy. "Two Years after Porterfield: where does Barter Theatre Stand?"
(Kingsport
Times-News
Magazine, V o l .
48, N o . 3 (March, 1981) p p . 56-63.
Dawidziak, Mark. "Barter Theatre: T h e History and the Heritage." Saturday
Herald-Courier),
Magazine
June 9, 1979, p. 3.
Dawidziak, Mark. "The Stars at Barter." Weekender
(Kingsport
24, 1981, p. 2-4.
August 2, 1964, p p . 12-14.
(The
Magazine
Friddel, G u y , "Old Dominion Foundation Grants A i d Abingdon." The Commonwealth,
1967, p p . 35-40.
Kent, Arthur T . S . "Bring Y o u r Beans and See the Show." The Commonwealth,
p p . 2-3.
(Kingsport
pp. 48-53.
December,
magazine), April 21, 1979,
Times-News
Millstein, Gilbert. "The Importance of Being Marty." Colliers,
C S S S V I , N o . 2 (July 22, 1955),
Moustakis, C . C . "Giving the Theatre Back to the People." Readers
(June, 1936), p p . 97-98.
"New Horizons for the Summer Theatre." New York Times Magazina,
X X I X , N o . 170
Digest,
August 2, 1936, p p . 24-26.
Olson, Karen. "Where Mystery Meets History: T h e Haunting of the C a v e House." The Plow,
13, 1979, p p . 24-26.
Plawin, Paul. "Professional Theatre has Thrived for 35 Years in Tiny Abingdon, Virginia."
Living,
April, 1967, p p . 30-31.
Porterfield, Robert. "How Living Theatre W o n State Legislators." Theatre
(October, 1956), p p . 512-513.
Porterfield, Robert. "Trouping Shakespeare." Theatre
90-92.
Arts,
Baltimore
II, N o . 8 (August,
1935), p p . 9-10.
Kiss, T o n y . "Inside Barter Theater." Weekender
(Bristol
magazine), July
Times-News
Dorsey, J o h n . "Barter Theatre: Still Swapping Tickets for F o o d . " Sunday
Sun),
Weekender
magazine), July 27, 1974, p p . 2-3.
Dawidziak, Mark. "Barter Theatre: B o b Porterfield's Brainstorm." Commonwealth
XXXIX
Arts,
(October, 1945), p p . 599-601.
Arts,
August
Southern
X L , N o . 10
X X V , N o . 4 (April, 1951), p p . 55,
Sale, Marian Marsh. "Porterfield: Virginia's M a n of the Stage." The Commonwealth,
p p . 62-65.
"Southern Farmers Swap Country Produce for City Plays." Newsweek,
June, 1967,
June 20, 1936, p p . 24-25.
"Theatre Arts Spotlights: Robert Porterfield." Theatre
Arts, X X X V I , N o . 6 (June, 1952), p. 23.
V e r n o n , Grenville. "The Play." The Commonwealth,
January 25, 1935, p. 23.
Williams, D r . A n n e St. Clair. "The Barter Theatre: A History." Southern
(March, 1972), p p . 5-19.
Williams, Alton. "State Theatre in Action." Theatre
Theatre,
X V , No. 3
Arts, X X X L , N o . 7 (July, 1947), p. 62.
�Bibliography and References
124
UNPUBLISHED S O U R C E S
S o m e of the most informative materials in preparing this text are publications from the Barter
Theatre, the Abingdon Chamber of C o m m e r c e , and the State of Virginia.
Abingdon, Virginia: 200 Years. A pamphlet put out by the Washington County Chamber of
C o m m e r c e that includes " A History of Abingdon, Virginia" by Walter H . Hendricks.
Historic Abindgon. A pamphlet overview of Abingdon, Damascus and Glade Spring published by
the Washington County Chamber of C o m m e r c e .
L a n d of the Mountains: Upper East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. A full color pamphlet-sized
tourism fold-out giving overview of the Tri-Cities area.
Upper East Tennessee & Southwest Virginia: A Quiet Retreat Y o u C a n Still Afford. A booklet on the
Tri-Cities prepared by Edwards and Associates Advertising.
Virginia Highlands Festival. A pamphlet outlining the festival.
Washington County Virginia: Business Directory and Community Guide. A booklet printed by the
Washington County Chamber of Commerce.
Barter Theatre publications:
T h e Barter Story: 1933 to the Present. A N o v . 1, 1975 four-page history of Barter.
Barter Theatre Buildings. A one-page overview by L u c y H . Bushore.
Barter Theatre, Abingdon, Virginia. A fold-out brochure including a reprint of Joseph R. Judge's
Amerika
story on Barter.
Barter Theatre:
Flanigan.
1980
Newsletter. Four-page publication
prepared by publicity director L o u
Barter Theatre: Fall, 1981 Newsletter.
Barter Theatre: 1979 Repertory Program. Booklet-form program that includes brief articles on
Abingdon and Barter.
Barter Theatre: 1980 Repertory Program.
Barter Theatre: T h e 1981 Season. Booklet program for ten-play season prepared by L o u Flanigan.
A Brief History of Barter. O n e page summary.
T h e Famous Barter Theatre. A n over-sized booklet reprinting articles on Barter and serving as the
program for The
Virginian.
Barter Theatre. Over-sized booklet with numerous articles and pictures from Barter's past printed
for 1960 season.
Robert Porterfield: A Memorial. Booklet in honor of Barter's founder that includes a text by J i m
East, historical photographs, and a list of Barter A w a r d winners.
Robert Porterfield Announces the Opening of the Barter Theatre's 17th Season. A 1949 pamphletsize brochure.
Robert Porterfield presents the Barter Theatre. A 1960's brochure.
Visit the World Famous Barter Theatre. A 1970s brochure.
Minor's Printing, Boone, NC
�ABOUT T H E AUTHOR
has been a theater, film, and television critic for
more than thirty-five years. H e has been the T V critic at the Cleveland
Plain Dealer since 1999. H i s many books include the horror novel Grave
Secrets and such nonfiction works as The Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair
Companion to Dracula and two acclaimed histories of landmark T V
series: The Columbo Phile and The Night Stalker Companion. Five of his
books are about M a r k Twain.
MARK
DAWIDZIAK
�
Dublin Core
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Title
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Appalachian Consortium Press Publications
Description
An account of the resource
This collection contains digitized monographs and collections from the Appalachian Consortium Press.
Creator
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Appalachian Consortium Press
Publisher
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Appalachian Consortium Press
Date Issued
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June 1, 2017
Contributor
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<a title="Digital Scholarship and Initiatives" href="http://library.appstate.edu/services/digital-scholarship-and-initiatives" target="_blank">Digital Scholarship and Initiatives</a>
Publication
Digital Publisher
Digital Republication
Appalachian State University
Dublin Core
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Title
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The Barter Theater Story: Love Made Visible
Description
An account of the resource
<span>Published in 1982, </span><em>The Barter Theatre Story: Love Made Visible</em><span> tells the colorful history of a remarkable American cultural institution. Opened by Robert Porterfield, a native Virginian, in 1933, the Barter Theatre offered the people of Abingdon, Virginia, and the surrounding area entertainment and a much-needed escape from their Depression-era working lives. It became the State Theatre of Virginia in 1946 and it is where the likes of Gregory Peck, Ernest Borgnine, Patricia Neal, Ned Beatty, and Hume Cronyn got their starts. Mark Dawidziak, a journalist from New York who spent much of his twenties in Appalachia and grew to admire the theater, tells the improbable story of the Barter Theatre, which remains one of the last year-round professional resident repertory theaters in the country.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cnKhV9b_pPkA7ssChN4dSDZnPvHVy68n" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download EPub<br /><br /></a><a title="UNC Press Link" href="https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469638133/the-barter-theatre-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNC Press Print on Demand</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Barter Theatre (Abingdon, Va.)
Porterfield, Robert, 1905-1971
Creator
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Dawidziak, Mark
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1982
Publisher
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Appalachian Consortium Press
Language
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English
Coverage
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||||osm
Abingdon (Va.)
Format
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PDF
E-books
Type
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Text
Rights
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<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed</a>
Spatial Coverage
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https://www.geonames.org/4743815/abingdon.html
Source
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<a title="UA 76 Appalachian Consortium records" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> UA 76 Appalachian Consortium records </a>
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<a title="Appalachian Consortium Press Publications" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/82" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Appalachian Consortium Press Publications</a>
Barter Theater
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Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force, Volume VI, Virginia Final Report
Description
An account of the resource
These three files contain the final report on land ownership for the twelve Appalachian counties in the state of Virginia which were part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey conducted in 1979. There are profiles for each county and four case studies—on Grayson, Scott, Wise, and Wythe Counties—in the report.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Virginia
Bland County (Va.)
Buchanan County (Va.)
Dickenson County (Va.)
Grayson County (Va.)
Lee County (Va.)
Russell County (Va.)
Scott County (Va.)
Smyth County (Va.)
Tazewell County (Va.)
Washington County (Va.)
Wise County (Va.)
Wythe County (Va.)
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1980-11
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bland County Va.
Buchanan County Va.
Dickenson County Va.
Grayson County Va.
Lee County Va.
Russell County Va.
Scott County Va.
Smyth County Va.
Tazewell County Va.
Virginia
Washington County Va.
Wise County Va.
Wythe County Va.
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Appalachia
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force, Volume I, <em>Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities</em> Final Report and an Addendum
Description
An account of the resource
<p>These files contain the report (divided into four files) and an addendum (the fifth file) on land ownership patterns and their impacts based on the results from the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey conducted in 1979. This report and addendum were submitted to the Appalachian Regional Commission by the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force in February 1981. <br /><br />The study was conducted in these six states and counties: <br /><br /><strong>Alabama: </strong>Blount, Cherokee, Cleburne, Cullman, Dekalb, Etowah, Fayette, Jackson, Lamar, Marion, Marshall, Shelby, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and Winston<br /><br /><strong>Kentucky:</strong> Bell, Breadthitt, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Letcher, Martin, Perry, and Pike Counties<br /><br /><strong>North Carolina:</strong> Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Burke, Clay, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, Mitchell, Swain, and Watauga<br /><br /><strong>Tennessee: </strong>Anderson, Bledsoe, Campbell, Cumberland, Fentress, Hamilton, Marion, Morgan, Rhea, Roane, Scott, Sequatchie, Van Buren, and White<br /><br /><strong>Virgina: </strong>Bland, Buchanan, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe<br /><br /><strong>West Virginia: </strong>Braxton, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Marion, Marshall, Mineral, Mingo, Ohio, Raleigh, Randolph, Summers, and Wayne</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Alabama
Kentucky
North Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1981-02
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Alabama
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Kentucky
North Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Appalachia
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Key, 1978-1979
Description
An account of the resource
This document is the key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey conducted between 1978 -1979. The study covered counties in six states within Appalachia: Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. To view the digital collection of the survey for each county, see the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/78" target="_blank">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Mountains--Alabama
Mountains--Kentucky
Mountains--North Carolina
Mountains--Tennessee
Mountains--Virginia
Mountains--West Virginia
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1978-1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Alabama
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Kentucky
North Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/76c7d07ff38a1c1520c26d474b345215.pdf
7575e89dda41274c9a5917e642b203da
PDF Text
Text
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https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/b03ffbefea533c50a697719944f68ace.pdf
1b4856107099115f94d803ae044635f2
PDF Text
Text
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia, Bland County
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Virginia: Bland County - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
Description
An account of the resource
These two files contain data from the land ownership survey of Bland County, Virginia conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ef19961e0205d0cb732c0608b547c18f.pdf" target="_blank">Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Bland County (Va.)
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bland County Va.
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/87d6002db3e7f99984dc87166f5c91bc.pdf
621107c9ddc2b6c4c14c85999812f7a9
PDF Text
Text
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PDF Text
Text
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PDF Text
Text
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia, Buchanan County
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Virginia: Buchanan County - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
Description
An account of the resource
These three files contain data from the land ownership survey of Buchanan County, Virginia conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ef19961e0205d0cb732c0608b547c18f.pdf" target="_blank">Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Buchanan County (Va.)
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Buchanan County Va.
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/9b6cdbc551559b04dd9d66b768390286.pdf
5a92fef8debfcfb69dadd284b5eafb0d
PDF Text
Text
�
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/6d5210ce7dcea1095894675255e54725.pdf
75717b2f85d84c43984bad39a64faa39
PDF Text
Text
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia
North Carolina
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Virginia: Bland, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe Counties - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
North Carolina: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Burke, Clay, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, Mitchell, Swain, Watauga Counties - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
Description
An account of the resource
These two files correspond to land ownership surveys of multiple counties in Virginia and North Carolina which was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ef19961e0205d0cb732c0608b547c18f.pdf" target="_blank">Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey</a>.<br /><br /><span><br /></span>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Bland County (Va.)
Dickenson County (Va.)
Grayson County (Va.)
Lee County (Va.)
Scott County (Va.)
Smyth County (Va.)
Tazewell County (Va.)
Washington County (Va.)
Wise County (Va.)
Wythe County (Va.)
Alleghany County (N.C.)
Ashe County (N.C.)
Avery County (N.C.)
Burke County (N.C.)
Clay County (N.C.)
Haywood County (N.C.)
Henderson County (N.C.)
Jackson County (N.C.)
Madison County (N.C.)
Mitchell County (N.C.)
Swain County (N.C.)
Watauga County (N.C.)
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Alleghany County N.C.
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Ashe County N.C.
Avery County N.C.
Bland County Va.
Burke County N.C.
Clay County N.C.
Dickenson County Va.
Grayson County Va.
Haywood County N.C.
Henderson County N.C.
Jackson County N.C.
Lee County Va.
Madison County N.C.
Mitchell County N.C.
North Carolina
Scott County Va.
Smyth County Va.
Swain County N.C.
Tazewell County Va.
Virginia
Washington County Va.
Watauga County N.C.
Wise County Va.
Wythe County Va.
-
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PDF Text
Text
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia, Dickenson County
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Virginia: Dickenson County - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
Description
An account of the resource
These three files contain data from the land ownership survey of Dickenson County, Virginia conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ef19961e0205d0cb732c0608b547c18f.pdf" target="_blank">Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Dickenson County (Va.)
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Dickenson County Va.
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/c60b033a088f585f5dfc70374d1df080.pdf
5d11a71768c682e3d260ceb15c34bd1d
PDF Text
Text
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia, Grayson County
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Virginia: Grayson County - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
Description
An account of the resource
This land ownership survey of Grayson County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ef19961e0205d0cb732c0608b547c18f.pdf" target="_blank">Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Grayson County (Va.)
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Grayson County Va.
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/9bc44f93ac437e3ac2ab2972ebe90360.pdf
2b763d2954aef26d8e26f4ab8f26e449
PDF Text
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia, Washington County
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Virginia: Washington County - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
Description
An account of the resource
These two files contain the land ownership survey of Washington County, Virginia, including the Washington County section of Jefferson National Forest, was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ef19961e0205d0cb732c0608b547c18f.pdf" target="_blank">Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey</a>.<br /><br /><em>Note: This county survey includes Jefferson National Forest mineral lands.</em>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Washington County (Va.)
Jefferson National Forest
National parks and reserves--Virginia
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Jefferson National Forest
Virginia
Washington County Va.
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/18450eb080b2752ec5410d1b26c3b210.pdf
dffb9179ea34341d48eefce58f33b1bf
PDF Text
Text
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia, Lee County
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Virginia: Lee County - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
Description
An account of the resource
This land ownership survey of Lee County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ef19961e0205d0cb732c0608b547c18f.pdf" target="_blank">Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey</a>.<br /><br />Please note: The document is missing pages 51 and 80.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Lee County (Va.)
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Lee County Va.
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/18667194ce71a277ea34c9cda9ab4d8e.pdf
221335a8045f36e0591ac82d27bfee47
PDF Text
Text
����
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Virginia: Tazewell, Lee, Russell, and Scott Counties - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
Description
An account of the resource
This document corresponds to and contains additional data for Tazewell, Lee, Russell, and Scott Counties in Virginia for land ownership surveys which were conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ef19961e0205d0cb732c0608b547c18f.pdf" target="_blank">Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey</a>.<br /><br />
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Tazewell County (Va.)
Scott County (Va.)
Russell County (Va.)
Lee County (Va.)
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Lee County Va.
Russell County Va.
Scott County Va.
Tazewell County Va.
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/abadb1edf8a43ef70f8267ca02836ea7.pdf
71eb186f2d63cd2a077f25969eba607f
PDF Text
Text
������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia, Russell County
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Virginia: Russell County - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
Description
An account of the resource
This land ownership survey of Russell County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ef19961e0205d0cb732c0608b547c18f.pdf" target="_blank">Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Russell County (Va.)
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Russell County Va.
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/5b8fc23428262273e05c614536fc4935.pdf
c643977a4a91faf347a772e93cba1bfb
PDF Text
Text
���������������������������������
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia, Scott County
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Virginia: Scott County - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
Description
An account of the resource
This land ownership survey of Scott County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ef19961e0205d0cb732c0608b547c18f.pdf" target="_blank">Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Scott County (Va.)
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Scott County Va.
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/99db7576f67b6a8353ab2504bd2624df.pdf
12df851496a0e6eac08d5d675d12fdd5
PDF Text
Text
������������������������������������������������������
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia, Smyth County
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Virginia: Smyth County - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
Description
An account of the resource
This land ownership survey of Smyth County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ef19961e0205d0cb732c0608b547c18f.pdf" target="_blank">Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey</a>.<br /><br />Please note: This document is missing pages 11,14,24, and 29.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Smyth County (Va.)
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Smyth County Va.
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/1ac0c8e23acc115ef44c23d4b0dc76e7.pdf
591b9e26e0af8fdc40882bd71d157bc0
PDF Text
Text
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia, Tazewell County
Number of pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Virginia: Tazewell County - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
Description
An account of the resource
This land ownership survey of Tazewell County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ef19961e0205d0cb732c0608b547c18f.pdf" target="_blank">Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey</a>.<br /><br />Please note: This document is missing pages 15,32,35, and110.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Tazewell County (Va.)
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Tazewell County Va.
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/256403d367866ee28771c9d894d35bd7.pdf
b939a0c762db399668d80da490da9cde
PDF Text
Text
������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia, Wise County
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Virginia: Wise County - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
Description
An account of the resource
This land ownership survey of Wise County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ef19961e0205d0cb732c0608b547c18f.pdf" target="_blank">Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey</a>.<br /><br />Please note: This document is missing pages 49 and 76.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Wise County (Va.)
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Virginia
Wise County Va.
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/49c6b6aa4e34bf8d7dadda5637f3aa14.pdf
e7254e776be1d3962487783f4b4446fe
PDF Text
Text
����������������������������
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Task Force created working groups for each of the six states and selected counties for particular concentration. Within these counties, researchers examined land deeds of plots with 250 acres or more. Nineteen counties were used as detailed case studies.</p>
<p>Researchers noted the amount of land, mineral tax rates, agricultural or industrial usage, and absentee, corporate, federal, and local ownership. They also identified over 100 socio-economic indicators to correlate to the various ownership patterns.</p>
<p>The results of the Survey were used in the development of two publications: the seven-volume, 1,800-page study, Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities (Appalachian Regional Commission, 1981) and Who Owns Appalachia? Landownership and Its Impact (University of Kentucky Press, 1983).</p>
<p>The Survey was funded in part by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Needmor Fund. The Highlander Research and Education Center organized the project, and Appalachian State University was a primary sponsoring institution and handled administrative and fiscal details.</p>
This digital collection is only a portion of the Survey-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Beginning in the fall of 1978, the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force – a coalition of community groups, scholars, and members of the Appalachian Alliance – conducted the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey to examine land ownership patterns within the Appalachian region. The Survey was particularly interested in absentee and corporate ownership and their effects on regional development. The Survey looked at 80 counties within the Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189">Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985, (AC.104)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey collection are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Collection AC104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with specific questions or with requests for further information.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Geographic Location
Virginia, Wythe County
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Virginia: Wythe County - Land Ownership Survey, 1979
Description
An account of the resource
This land ownership survey of Wythe County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ef19961e0205d0cb732c0608b547c18f.pdf" target="_blank">Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The files contained in the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial, and educational use with the proper citation (i.e., Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records collection AC.104, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials without the written permission of Appalachian State University is strictly prohibited. Contact the Appalachian State University W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection with questions or requests for further information.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/189" target="_blank"> Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Land tenure--Appalachian Region
Land tenure--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use--Appalachian Region
Land use--Appalachian Region, Southern
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region
Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern
Wythe County (Va.)
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Appalachian Region
Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachian Mountains
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1979
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Appalachian Land Ownership Survey
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Virginia
Wythe County Va.
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/54f49ddb7e5ecd45c18a3e2dc4ba0070.pdf
f3b4041f802c42f0c93a95331d1353bc
PDF Text
Text
This is an interview with Mr . Hal Eaton , February 19 , 1976 .
is Jane Effird with Mike Evans through the Appalachian Oral
History Project .
This
Q.
We want to talk to you about the Virginia part in the New River
fight , and what you ' ve had to do with it .
A.
Yes . Uh , well , I ' ve been a resident here for four and a half
years . And when I came here I knew nothing about pump storage
and had never heard of the Blue Ridge Project . And when I came
they said there was a possibility that dams were going to be
built and uh , my first reaction was uh , as pastor of the church ,
it wasn ' t a moral issue , not something you talk about right or
wrong, but then I gradually came to realize that , of our church
membership uh all but one family would have to be relocated by·
the Appalachian Power Company if the dams became a reality . Uh ,
the few families who would be living in areas that would be uneffected by the dam would be separated from the church by miles
of water . So uh I got more and more . involved and learned more
and more about what the proposals were . Uh , I found that uh the
state of Virginia, at least at the higher levels of government
had proved and worked with the APC in the task of uh , making preparations to build the dams and then uh I found out that North
Carolina was gradually going the other way until finally uh there
was very strong feelings in North Carolina against the building
of the Blue Ridge Project. Uh , I have
corresponded
with the governor uh and gotten one letter in which he uh, uh said
in effect that there were alot of people in Virginia in favor of
the Blue Ridge Project . I presume he ' s talking about the people
that he goes to cocktail parties with . Uh, APC and other politicians . The uh , in the state the thirteen congressional representatives uh, theoretically at first were all in favor of the
Blue Ridge Project , but those who began to look into it , who asked
for information about it , who request attitudes from the local
people about it, uh are apt to switch their allegiance . Congressman Whitehurst has gone all the way the other way. He ' s from down
the other end of the state , but he has written to the Secy of the
Interior and urged him to accept the New River into the Scenic
River System . Uh , Bob Daniel , another congressman , is asking for
information and a letter has just come back toady . I uh - it
wasn ' t addressed to me , it was addressed to Peter Crow from Farum
College, who ' s on the Virginia Committee and uh I hope that he's
going to come out in favor of Scenic River status for the New
River . Uh , Our own 9th District representative is Congressman
Wompler , uh, his original stand was that he would do what he
could for the people of this area and he went off to Washington,
lobbied actively in favor of the Blue Ridge Project and hasn't
been back in this part of the country since . There have been no
public meetings , uh, our representatives act as if everybody down
here is in favor of the dam but they have not had any public
meetings . They have not sought the opinion of the people. Uh,
Congressman Wompler put out a newsletter to all his constituents
�-2Hal Eaton
Tape 1, Side A
I think he got 20,000 replies, uh asking our advice about what
out attitude ought to be about China, and what it ought to be
toward this and that and the other thing, but he did not ask
what our attitude was about Scenic River status for the New River .
Q.
Why do you think that is?
A.
Uh, I think he has an opinion about it and he ' s not willing to be
swayed . And since the governor of the state has agreed with him
on it, and the attorney general has gone along with the idea, uh
I think their attitude is "Don ' t rock the boat" .
Q.
Well,
is Mouth of Wilson the only place ,
or Grayson County the only place that will be effected by the River.
By the Project, I mean .
A.
Uh, the Blue Ridge Project would uh innundate 40 , 000 acres of
land and take about another 12 , 000 for other purposes . Uh, most
of that acreage is in Grayson County . None of it is in any other
Virginia county. The rest of the Project is in Ashe County and
Allegheny County in North Carolina . So Grayson County is the only
county that will have acres and acres of water .
Q.
Well, has the governor changed his mind , sort of , or is the state
as a whole still for the Project?
A.
Uh, as far as, uh, the state as a whole doesn't know much about
it . Uh, there are dams all over the state of Virginia , uh Virginia
Electric Power Company, VEPCO plans to build an even larger pump
storage project than the Blue Ridge Project up in Bath County .
And uh, there ' s been very little opposition to that . There ' s a
plan now to build four more dams on the Roanoke River above Roanoke .
All of these will be , theoretically , recreation areas . There are, the
reservoir is not too far from
us , the ,
of course the Holsten Reservoir, down toward Bristol, Virginia .
The Smith Mountain Lake, Flater Lake . We have huge lakes all
around us that are supposed to be great recreational places but
they have not made uh , uh, real great economic impact on the
counties in which they are located . APC wants this project , they
have given us newspaper articles , and expensive advertising . You
know of course about the double page ads in the New York Times ,
the Washington Post , Time Magazine , The Wallstreet Journal . Uh ,
the advertising alone has cost them about $150,000 . 00 . And all of
the talk they have done , they talk about what a great thing they
are doing for the country . They never once said we are going to
make a buck out of this project , if we can get it built . And they
talk about the truth , but they never talk about the financial uh
boon that it would be to APC . Of course , one of the big problems
is that in the area that will be covered up by water annually ,
there is produced 13! million dollars in agricultural products .
APCO , the one figure that I heard is that they plan to sell the
electricity for about $39 million a year and that will be profit
to APCO , no profit to the local situation . The next alternative ,
the next uh possible alternative to building the Blue Ridge Project
would be to build another highly effecient coal fired electrical
generation station . And that would cost APCO $3 million a yea~ .
more than it would cost them in the long run to produce electricity
�-3-
Hal Eaton
Tape 1, Side A
by the Blue Ridge Project. So, for the sake of saving APCO
$3 million on their already $39 million profit, but to save them
$3 million, we sacrifice $13t million in agricultural products
off this land. One of the things that they offer as an inducement to Grayson County is that they will pay $1 million in taxes
annually, which sounds good, but its very similar to the deal
the United States made with Cuba, when we rented, on a 99 year
lease, Guantanamo Bay as a naval base. We said we'd give them,
I forget the exact amount, but it looked like alot of money to
the Cubans. Well, at the time we made the agreement, uh, back
at the turn of the century, a few hundred thousand dollars was
great to them, and now of course, Castro doesn't even cash the
checks we give him because he says the land is far more valuable
than that. Uh, the Isthmus of Panama, when we built the Panama
Canal, we made a deal to give so many million dollars annually
to the country of Panama, and they were glad to get it. But that's
been 70 years ago and now they are crying that what we are giving
them is a mere drop in the bucket compared to what that land is
actually worth. Uh, APC, and I read the papers on this just
today, uh, the deal is that once you assess the value of the land
and put it under water, the value does not change and so fifty
years from now, they could, Grayson County could be receiving
a million dollars from the land - a year, from the land that's
covered up. But fifty years from now, with a six or eight or ten
percent annual inflation rate, that million dollars is not going
to pay the salary of the mayor of the town. Now that's just one
of the things that they make it sound like "We're going to give
you a million dollars a year'' Well, that's not even tied to the
inflation rate. It's not tied to the increased value of the land.
Q.
One of the questions that alot of people are asking the committee
at school is what are the people at the Mouth of Wilson going to
do, I mean, not just
where are they going to move,
but uh is the APC making some kind of arrangements for the people
that are going to be moved?
A.
In the advertisement that the APCO or that American Electric Power
Company, which is the parent company of Appalachian Power Company,
in the advertisement that they put in all the newspapers, they
stated that they would, and there's quite a little list of things
they would do for the people who would be displaced. They would
give them the fair price for their land . . They would help them
locate a new place to live with an advisory service. If there was
an increase in interest cost on mortgages, they would supply that.
There was a list of seven or eight things that they woul~ do. And
it sounded great until you realized that the law requires them to
do every
one of those, if they run people off their land.
This is not something that APC is giving to anybody, out of the
goodness of their hearts. Its a requirement of the law. Now, one
of the requirements was that if tenants on the land here were to
be relocated, that APC were to be responsible for the cost of relocating tenants, not landowners, but just people who rented homes
on the land that's going to be inundated. The law further stipulated
�- 4-
Hal Eaton
Tape 1 , Side A
4
that that maximum in moving costs could go as high as $5 , 000 . 00
because they had to put some ceiling on it , but it had to be some
ceiling that would cover all the possibilities and potential of
costs of a move . And so , when Appala chian heard this , they immediately quit renting houses . And up and down this valley , for
three years , houses were left vacant and let go to ruin because
they did not want to anticipate having to pay the cost of moving
renters from one house to another . And now that they have rather
recently started renting these houses out again , many of them are
in a sad state of repair and that ' s another problem that the whole
county faces , because they bought the land , allowed the houses
to go down without renting them and now they ' re - uh they ' ve begun
to rent them again just recently . Uh , one other point in their ad
they said that all of the people who would be moved off the i r
land would be cared for by APC . And I have yet to find any red
blooded American who wants to be cared for by a power company
(laughing) . The wording of this thing is just atrocious .
Q.
Why , besides making so much money , the power company , is there
some other reason that they particularly want this project to go
through, that ' s been going on for so many years?
A.
Yes .
Q.
And they have spent sornuch money on advertising •..
A.
Yes . Uh , I I think there may well be a feeling on the part of APCO
and American Electric Power Company - American Electric is a conglomerate of seven large power companies that control most of the
electricity in about a six or seven state area . I ' m not sure about
the details on this , but they know that if in their desire for
power , if they are blocked in their desire to get a dam built on
a river to make power , then it ' s going to be a whole lot easier
for them to be blocked again in the fut ure if they want to dam a
river . And so this is a uh , in a sense , maybe a uh test case . Uh
darns have been blocked before , but never with as much publicity
and as much uh uh involvement of politicians , as is the case here .
And if this uh becomes a reality , that the people , that the voice
of the people is heard before the voice of a uh a private pow ~r
company , then that will certainly will be a boost to any , any group
of private citizens who desire to hold out against the onslaught
of a a power company who wants to come in and condemn their land
and take it away from them .
Q.
Well , how do you feel , r ight now at this point as to how i t ' s
going to go?
A.
Uh •..
Q.
I ' ll tell you why I ask this because last night another student
that works with us interviewed a lawyer in Sparta , I believe Mr .
Adams ••. ?
A.
Yes , uh huh .
�5
-5-
Hal Eaton
Tape 1, Side A
Q.
And he said he wasn't worried at all.
would win this.
A.
Yes. Uh, one of the principles of any battle like this is that
you've always got to be optimistic. Uh, every campaign manager
for every presidential candidate says that's their group is going
to win. Any time he begins to poor mouth himself and say we don't
stand a chance, he's going to lose votes. And I think it's good
to be optimistic. I know that APC is optimistic. Uh, the man
named Kirkland, who is head of the Pulaski division of APC, has
been hosting dinners all over this area in the past two weeks,
inviting all interested citizens to a free meal and then a speech
in which he says that we are going to build this dam. We need
it and we'll take it clear to the Supreme Court. Well he doesn't
dare say we may lose. Because it's part of the psychology of
battle that you uh, well, as an old Spanish proverb puts it, we
are running out of ammunition and the food is getting low and
everybody is wounded, run up more flags.
(laughing) And both
sides of course, have a tendency to do this and I'm not as optimistic as some because I know that APC is not going to give up
easily. I do know that is the New River is accepted into the
Scenic River System by the Department of the Interior that APC
will go to court in an attempt to overthrow that decision. But
I do maintain that uh it's better for APCO to go to court to get
a profitable power situation out of this valley than for the
people who live here to have to go to court in order merely to
hold onto what's already theirs. But that's the way it is now.
These people are contributing money, in the cause of court cases
in order to fight off the power company and if they win, they've
lost their money because they've spent it only to hold onto what
they've got. If they lose, they've lost their land and their contribution to the battle. That's just not fair. And I'd rather
see APCO have to go to court than for these people to go to court.
Q.
Well, do you think there's any one thing that we haven't tried
yet or that hasn't been tried yet, that maybe could stop the
power company?
A.
Uh, there are three things going on right now, you know, to stop
them. Uh, uh, when you said trying things, it reminded me that
uh APCO has often said that, and the Roanoke Times has echoed it,
the Roanoke Times I think is the only newspaper I've seen that has
shown support for the Blue Ridge Project. But the Roanoke Times
has said that the state of North Carolina has dipped down into
their bag of tricks to find some method to block the building of
the dam. Well, bless their hearts, the whole purpose of the Scenic
River System is to block dams. That's the primary purpose of it to retain the beauty and the natural setting of rivers. And it's
to block dams. That's what it's for. And to say they reached
into a bag of tricks to block the Blue Ridge Project, they simply
took one of the avenues that the voice of the people established
for the purpose of blocking dams. And so it's no trick, it's
simply a uh a way to block dams. And that's what it's for. Uh,
And he thought that we
�-6-
Hal Eaton
Tape 1, Side A
if the Scenic River - uh acceptance of the New River into the
national Scenic River System works , that ' s fine . Now, if it ' s
accepted into the system and APCO goes to court , their claim is
that they got their license first , you know . It was granted by
the Federal Power Commission , with an effective of January , 1975 .
And so they say if the River goes into the Scenic River System
in 1976 , they got there first , that they have a right to it . Uh,
one of the things that the lawyers for APC said that was really
hilarious - he said that since APCO owns already some of the land
that they want to put under water , that he just thinks it would
be terrible if the federal government should designate it as a
scenic river and keep them from developing that private property
that is their ' s . And I about fell out of my chair when I heard
that (laughing) . It ' s private property that they claim to have
acquired by condemnation proceedings . And that ' s just , just an
insult (laughing) . But the , the one item there is that , to say
that , that the license has been granted and therefore it is inviolate is rather stupid . To say that simply because a license
has been granted you can't fight it is silly . And I think it is
only inviolate if it has been subjected to every possible attempt
to overthrow it and when all attempts clear the Sup reme Court have been brushed aside and the license has been upheld, then
they have got an effective date . But they can ' t argue that they
got there first . If that ' s the argument , we ' ll give it back to
the Indians . Uh , but the logic that you see in this thing is
just - it gets to be hilarious . Now the second thing , to block
the construction of the dam is the court case that North Carolina
took to the Court of Appeals , uh , suggesting that when the Federal
Power Commission gave the license to APCO , that APCO had not provided all of the information to the Federal Power Commission
which the law required . Specifically with regard to archeological
sites and findings . And that is exactly what happened . Uh , they
are required to do it , when somebody brought it up and said you
didn ' t do it , they said we did too . And this was uh uh direct
quotes. The man in charge , Paul Johnson , said "We did give them
that information ." And they pressed him further and asked him
when did you give it to them and he said "Well , we had it and they
had access to it ." And then when pressed further he said "Well ,
it ' s in our files but it was never sent to them ." And that ' s the
way it rested . Uh , so that the second thing is that uh , the
Court of Appeals has heard the case andthere are three judges and
from all appearances , it looks like they are going to say the
license is invalid because you disobeyed the law when you granted
it , you must go through the whole process with re - hearings again .
Now , that will throw it back to the Federal Power Commission .
That ' s the second which may halt the building of the Blue Ridge
Project . The third thing is that if both of those previous steps
fail , the third thing that can be tried is that there are at
least a half a dozen if not more , bills already prepared and just
waiting to be put through the uh , through Congress . Uh , all of
them uh , stating various things, but all of it coming down to one
thing - to block the building of the Blue Ridge Dams . Some of
them - one of the bills is simply to - by Congressional action
to put the whole :tk±Jl1g New River in the Scenic River system .
�-7-
Hal Eaton
Tape 1 , Sice A
Or various sections of it . One is simply , just says no dams will
be built on the New River in the Blue Ridge area . Uh , I have
forgotten how they have worded the other bills but there are half
a dozen just waiting , so nobody can say uh well you ' ve reached
into your bag of tricks and found another one . This is not
reaching into a bag of tricks . This is foresight on the part of
Representative Stephen Neal , who followed the lead of , of Wilbur
Mizel , whom he replaced . Mizel started it and Neal took right up
where Mizel left off and uh followed the voice of the people in
North Carolina . And will push the bill through Congress if that ' s
the next step . Uh , one of the things that APC is fond of saying
is that the attempt to block , or to study the New River on a two
year basis for inclusion in the National Scenic River System uh
that was voted down in Congress and of course it was . Of course ,
it got a tremendous majority vote for the study in the Senate .
When it got to the House of Representatives , it got bottled up
in a committee by an eighty- some year old senator who said that
since some other people didn ' t do what he wanted with the Indiana
sand dunes , he wasn ' t going to do what they wanted with the bill
for the New River . And he blocked it and bottled it up until our
Congressman Wompler went before them with a , uh a resolution
from the Virginia State Farm Bureau which said that they thought
we needed the electric power more than the uh agricultural products
of the valley down here . Well you know , getting a resolution
passed in a state meeting like that is uh - if you have ever been
to a state convention , all you have to do is submit one and it ' ll
get passed . Uh , there was tremendous disruption in the local county
farm bureau meetings when this came out . In fact , there were
statements printed in the newspaper that uh , uh , by the local
state farm bureau representative saying we will have no part of
that . We want it understood we had no part in that . But Wampler
used that to get the bill to study the New River for inclusion in
the Scenic River System uh , voted down in the committee . So then
it was placed directly on the floor for a vote by the congressmen
in the House of Representatives . If it ' s been bottled up in a
committee and does not go through the committee for passage of a
bill like that , it takes a two - thirds majority . That ' s one of the
technicalities of running the business . The bill, as I say, passed
by an outstanding majority of the Senate . When it got to the
House of Representatives , it passed by a simple majority . But
not by a two thirds majority . So by actual vote of Congress , the
voice of the people , demo - democracy in action . they said " Let ' s
study the New River for inclusion in the uh the Scenic River
System ." But their own technicalities let it fail , ev ~ n though it
pass ed by an outstanding majority in the Senate and by a simple
majority in the House of Representatives . So when APC blindly
says it was voted down in Congress, that ' s not the whole truth .
So that ' s the , that ' s the third channel in Congress where this
thing could be blocked . So there are three - if we win one battle
we ' ve won the war . But if we lose a battle , we haven ' t lost the
war . There are still other ways to go about it . And I ' ve often
said that that the last~is to arm some of our old widow ladies
on these farms with a shotgun and let them sit on their front porches .
�- 8-
Hal Eaton
Tape 1 , Side A
And uh , it ' s been done before , but you need national attention
for a situation like this where uh so much is to be dest r oyed
for actually so little . It ' s not l i ttle when you think about
the money that APC might make off of it . But it ' s ver y l i ttle
compared to the life of the Blue Ridge Project . It ' s got a
fifty year license and they anticipated fifteen years that the
thing they ' re talking about - the need being peak power pr oduc tion , will have diminished . Far below half of what the requirement is when it ' s first in operation . So even the reason they
are pushing it is a reason that ' s going to be out of existence
in ten to fifteen years .
Q.
Uh , can this be compared to the Tennessee Valley Authority , to
what happened there?
A.
Uh , yeah . The Tennessee Valley Authority , I think most of those
are not pump storage projects . They are just dams which provide
power directly .
Q.
But I mean , that ' s what happened to the people?
A.
That ' s right . Very similar , yes . Uh , the land is condemned,
the people are moved off . Uh , as always happenes , the people
who a r e uh uh the first ones to knuckle under , if you please ,
to sell , take a beating because within three or four year s , the
people who sell are making - getting twi ce as much money as the
people were earlier in the game . And that causes bitterness .
And then with all of the promises that APC has made about how
valuable the land is going to be around here , alot of people have
gone into speculation . And therefore land prices have jumped
around here . Just - you can ' t buy a farm and farm it profitably
because it costs too much for the land now to farm it properly .
Because of the speculation about how valuable the land is going
to be if the dam comes . But uh we have alot of feelings that all
the pr omises that Appalachian makes are not going to be fulfilled .
I said
to somebody today I almost wish we ' d let them go
ahead and build the dam so we could say " I told you so " when
things don ' t work out nea rly as gloriously as they seem to think
they will .
Q.
Have alot of people around here sold out already?
A.
Uh , Appalachian has figu r es on this . I think they ' ve bought a
third of the land they will require, but I ' m not sure of the
figures on that . They have bought some of the land that they
will ultimately require . Now they are not pursueing it right
now . They haven ' t bought any land for three to four years e 2~ cept
when somebody has gone to them . But they are not going around
making offers as they did up until about four years ago .
Q.
Why is that?
A.
Well , I think they have uh considerable doubts about whether or
not this thing is really going to be built . Uh , another item
The same thing .
�-9-
Hal Eaton
Tape 1, Side A-B
of course, is the rebuilding of Highway 58 between Independence
and Galax. That's a tortuous route that goes along the river and
uh, for years now, they've not rebuilt that highway because uh, if
the dams come it's going to be flooded and they'll have to rebuild it somewhere else. They have two routes - a high one and a
low one. And so, just last week, the uh, all of the Grayson County
Board of Supervisors and the school boards and some other people
went before the State Highway Commission and they said "What are
you going to do?" And after all these years they said "We've
waited long enough, we're going to start building that highway.
If Appalachian will pay us," I've forgotten the figures but it
was something like, it will cost them, uh several million dollars
more to go the high route away from the water. So the State Highway Department said "We'll build the low route unless Appalachian
provides us the money now to build on the high route, uh, out of
the water. And Appalachian said no. So they are going to build
it on the low route and then when the water comes and floods it,
Appalachian will be stuck for the bill for rebuilding the whole
thing on the high route, at a much greater expense. Now these
are signals that we have that make us think that Appalachian is
not nearly sure as they -
Q.
Their two page ad -
A.
As their ads signify and as their speeches indicate. What m~ybe
ought not be on the tape is that we are now looking into the fact
that when APCO constructs a new facility, they can r±gkt write off
the cost of that into the, the cost of electricity. So they don't
to uh uh cut corners on construction or watch their eApenses. They
know they are going to get 10% back on whatever, you know. Because that's the nature of a control monopoly. VEPCO in one
place, in order to facilitate uh some of their building, was paying higher than union scale for some of their workmen. Now that
makes VEPCO look like real nice guys but the consumers are paying
for it, because that goes right to what they call the rate base,
uh, and they got caught doing that. Uh, we think and we are looking into the fact that most of APCO's construction is done by the
Solid Construction Company, based in Indiana, a state that does
not require an organization to publish its · Board of Directors or
its stockholders. So we don't know who the major stockholders
are. But most of APCO's construction is done by the Solid Construction Company without competitive bidding. Now what does that
sound like? Well, it sounds like the major stockholders of APC
could well be the major stockholders of their own, their own private construction company, just as they had the Franklin Real
Estate Company to, to hold all their land. It was chartered in
Pennsylvania, which does not require them to reveal who their
Board of Directors are. Well, it turned out it was the same batch
of guys running APCO. And they were - uh, theoretically in this
uh, uh controlled monopoly thing, they had a real estate company
working to their advantage and, and the State Securities Commission
told them to get rid of all the real estate they were holding for
profit, because it wasn't fair to be a controlled monopoly and
still have uh, burgeoning real estate values, uh, supporting their
�- 10-
Hal Eaton
Tape 1 , Side B
real estate company and making a pile of money on it . Uh ,
especially when again some of the land they got was, uh , was
acquired by condemnation proceedings . So the whole thing , you
know , I , I don ' t go around saying the r e ' s a big conspiracy , and
big business is out to get us , but there are some big businesses
who will utilize any method to make money off consumers . And
APC has proven itself not to be above doing just that .
Q.
A.
Uh , by decisions, you mean Interior or Congressmen or •..
Q.
Welll , right now I know it ' s up to Kleppe •••
A.
Yes - no, I don ' t think anybody ' s being bought off . I ' ve never
wanted to feel that way about anybody . I know the principles I know that the people who make those decisions don ' t come down
here and sit around uh somebody ' s fireplace and talk about the
problems . They go to cocktail parties where representatives of
APCO talk to them . Uh , obviously the newspaper's been full of
the fact that the various bureaucrats in Washington are invited
to hunting lodges and seashore resorts and all that sort of thing
by big business companies , who support those resorts and those
hunting lodges out of the profits of the company . Uh , APCO had
a , uh , uh , fishing lodge up on Smith Mountain Lake - I think it
was Smith Mountain Lake and it was uh , a real estate . And they
always say, well that was supported out of profits , not out of
the consumers . Where do the profits come from? Absolutely from
the consumers . They ' ve been saying that all this advertising
they ' ve been doing comes out of profits . (laughing) Profits
don ' t come from no place but the pockets of the people who pay
for electricity . So when they use that thing to say that it ' s
not costing the consumers , it ' s just not true . It takes a pretty
sharp pencil to come to that conclusion . But the money all comes
from the comsumers .
Q.
'· .
Do you think some of the people that are going to make the decision about the Project
do you think they are being bought off
too?
Well, you ' ve told us now what the power company does to talk
people into their point of view, what exactly has your committee
in Virginia , what kind of things do they do to get publicity ,
raise support ••• ?
A.
Yes . Uh , we put together a petition and asked Virginians of
voting age to sign petitions and only Virginians of voting age .
And we ' ve put together enough that there are 5 , 000 Virginians
who have signed that . Uh , we sent copies to uh all the Congressmen
to the Department of Interior and to the governor . And after
'
our copies went to the governor , I wrote to Governor Godwin and I
said , " Now , you ' ve got an honest , open expression from 5 , 000
voting Virginians who say , in effect , that you ' re speaking , uh,
when you speak in a court case about being , supporting the Blue
Ridge Project, you are obviously not speaking for an awful lot
of Virginians . And one of our goals is simply to get publicity .
�-11Hal Eaton
Tape 1, Side B
Because we feel that anybody whose studies the situation and
learns about the New River and its background, about the methods
that been utilized in the attempt to make it a pump storage
project and the wild promises that have been made to some local
people about how great it's going to be, the more you know about
this, the more you are going to be for the side of preserving
the New River. Uh, I wrote to the governor and said, "Here are
5,000 Virginians who say you are not speaking for us. Who are
you speaking for?" Well, he signed a letter - I, uh I said in
my letter that uh I hoped that he read mail like that, that it
didn't get answered by the same people who made up his policy
statements. So he did sign the letter that came back to me, but
it said that there were three thousand members of the Grayson
County Business Development Association that he had to deal with.
Now, I asked around here, what's the Grayson County Business
Development Association. Most people had never heard of them.
One man said, oh, that was a group of land speculators who put
together a petition some years ago in support of the Blue Ridge
Project. And the president of the Grayson Business Development
Association was, guess who, Fred Bennington - a full time employee
of APC. So I wrote to the governor and I said you made a little
mistake here. There aren't 3,000 members of that committee.
That's ridiculous! There were that many names on that petition
that was put together by some land speculators and real estate
people who hoped to make a dollar out of the plight of their
fellow Grayson countians. And I said even then the president
of the organization was a full time employee of APC. I said,
this is ridiculous. And the letter I got back was not signed
by the governor but by one of his third assistants or something
or other and he said uh, well they's accepted those, uh that
list of membership in good faith and maybe I knew more about it
than they did, but they didn't say that they were going to look
into it. Oh, in my letter I also said that the governor should
take a chance and have a public hearing down here on the subject.
This fella, in his answer, said he'd only been in the state government for a couple of years and he didn't know if there'd been any
public hearings or not. Well, I told him there hadn't been but
he as much as said he wouldn't take my word for it. And the
final thing he said was uh, I don't think you are going to change
the governor's mind. (laughing) So, uh, this is what we're
caught with, uh, uh, a state government that pays no attention.
Now I've said before that when we went down to Raleigh, and this
state Scenic River bill came before the state legislature, uh,
one of the legislators came to me and said "Hey, tell me in five
minutes what this is all about." He said, "I don't know anything
about it." So I told him and he said "Well, I understand." And
I said, well I apologize for all of us in Virginia, because we
can't get any action going like this. And he said, "We couldn't
do it either if it was the Duke Power Company." So he was saying
that he understood why Virginia legislators didn't dare speak
out against people like APC. And I can understand it too. But
I sure wish they would look into the matter pertaining to, uh,
their constituents in Virginia. And especially in the areas that
are going to be most vitally effected by the Blue Ridge Project.
�- 12Hal Eaton
Tape 1, Side B
f(
Q.
Why won ' t the people speak out against the power companies?
- the state government ?
A.
Well , the - now they know what kind of r estrictions they must
operate under and if a state legislator in North Carolina tells
me he couldn ' t speak out against Duke Power Company , I can understand that because Duke Power Company carries alot of weight in
the state of North Carolina . And I can understand why a state
legislator in Virginia wouldn ' t speak out against APC . I say
again , these are the people they go the cocktail parties with .
You know, I spent ~O years in the Navy going to cocktail parties
and I know how the bureaucrats work having been one . Un ,
Q.
You committee here - do you work with the committee in North
Carolina?
A.
Oh , we about have to because uh uh , I don ' t know where the committee gets its horsepower but they ' ve got alot of people - they
have an office to work with , uh I ' m the - they ' ve got Joe Mathews
and the Northwest Conservation Economic Development Council or
something . They ' ve got an office , they ' ve got office workers ,
we ' ve got me and that stack over there and a 1·i1e cabinet down
in the basement . And uh , if I want to write a letter , it means
I ' ve got to get my daughter ' s typewriter and uh , you know , uh,
working at a different level . We ' ve got a secretary- treasurer
who is 13 miles that way and uh , I haven ' t seen her in 3 months
I guess . Uh , our organization is not uh , doesn ' t have the , the
equipment , the office nor the headquarters that the North Carolina
committee does . We organized after they organized . And we did
it in response to say " Hey there ' s some of us up here who are with
you ." And uh , uh , the response , of course , all of this is put
out by the North Carolina committee . But uh , the people who are
in favor of the dam in this locality don ' t speak up . And I
wrote a letter for the first time , I saw a post office box for
the Grayson Business Development Association , this week . So I
wrote them a letter and said " Hey ~' and I did it on our letterhead
that lists all our officers, I said , " Please tell me uh where
your office is , who your leaders are , uh , tell me how many members
you've got " and I said in the letter , '' I have a letter from Gov .
Godwin and he thinks you have got 3 , 900 members ." I said "I would
just like to know a little more about you since nobody knows ."
Almost a secret organization . And I have never met anybody who
said to me I am a member of the Grayson Business Development Assoc .
I believe Robert Williams is a member ( laughing) . This is the
fella we ' ve just talked to today about clearing our land and
digging a foundation - he ' s got bulldozers . And he wants to make
money off using his bulldozers if the dam comes through . I ' ll
go along with that . To make a buck is a worthwhile motive as
long as you admit to it . And if APCO wants to make a dollar I
wish they'd say that and knock off all this fallderall about how
good they are going to be to the population of the world . And
the p eople who favor the dam, if they simply say to me I ' m in
favor because I think I ' ll be richer , that ' s the finest motive
in the world , that ' s good old American capitalism and I don ' t
�- 13-
Hal Eaton
Tape 1 , Side B
;)
object to that . But if they tell me I ' m going to be richer too ,
or that I ' m going to benefit by it , I want a little more proof
than has been offered .
Q.
Uh , we were talking about one of the ways to get the dam stopped
is perhaps the archeological studies that have been done but haven ' t
been all that publicized or whatever?
A.
They were not included in the report to the Federal Power Commission .
Q.
Well , I know one of them was done by Dr . Ayers at the school ,
at Appalachian , and uh , I don ' t know exactly what all is involved
in that . But I was wondering if someone like the Smithsonian
Institution has been contacted about it ? Or National Geographic
Magazine ? By the committee to see if they could do something
like fund a big project?
A.
Yeah , I don ' t know .
Q.
I mean , it looks like if anybody could do anything , they maybe
could .
A.
Uh huh . That phase of it is controversial , for several reasons .
One is uh , this doctor came down and made an archeological survey
which was required . APC had to fund it and they did a couple of
them at different times and they had to pay the money for it and
yet they were very cursory . You know , a couple of weeks was the
most that was spent on it . And yet they uncovered so many sites
and so many things were found and uh , one of the problems was
that Appalachian has used is that uh , this Dr . Ayers , is that his
name? He requested that those sites be kept secret - that they
not be published so that people wouldn ' t get in there and start
tearing them up looking for things . Uh , APC said the reason they
didn ' t put these in the report was that , because he had asked
for secrecy . Well , now the wholE: thing has been .
. braadcast
and everybody knows about it , but nobody knows where they are
yet . Appalachian ' s arguement doesn ' t hold water . They could
have talked about the archeological findings without revealing
the sites because those sites haven ' t been revealed yet . Nobody
knows where they are .
except that fella and whoever • s got the
report at APCO . So they certainly could have made those things ,
made the knowledge about them available without giving up any
secrets , as I say . So that ' s a little bit of a controversial
things . Some people say well if you look hard enough along almost
any river in the country you ' ll find things like this . Well ,
that may or may not be true . We know we found them here , we
don ' t know they can be found along the Adkin or
along the ,
what is up at Charleston , the Canawa .
Q.
I was thinking about , uh , a professor came to talk to us at
school from Winston-Salem or somewhere . He was telling us about
the Nile River . or course , that this is the second oldest river
in the world , well you know about the pyramids and everything
�;J
- 14-
Hal Eaton
Tape 1, Side B
Q.
along the Nile .
A.
Yes . The Aswan Dam was built on the Nile and it flooded many
ancient archeological sites and they were - they collected money
all over the world from interested people to move some of those
things . But what they covered up that hadn ' t been dug up yet ,
no telling how much . So , uh , uh , this is an important item because people do pay attention to holding onto our history and
our culture and our heritage .
Q.
Well , do you have any more questions (to Mike)? We were just
mostly interested in what you were doing here in Virginia ...
Well if you don ' t have anything more to add - I know you could
talk probably along time about the River -
A.
Well , these things go on . The best deal is to get in a canoe
and go down the River . We had at school here yesterday - I got
hold of a film entitled " A Man and the River " and it ' s done by
the Environmental Protection Agency , you know Thomas Hart Benton
is an old Missouri artist and I ' m a Missouri boy and used to see
all his paintings - he ' s great on murals and Thomas Hart Benton
died just a couple of years ago , yesterday we got the Reader ' s
Digest and there ' s a big long article about Thomas Hart Benton
in Reader ' s Digest . It ' s a pretty good article . But this film
uh , was done by the EPA uh and I don ' t know what their purpose
was but it showed alot of his works , his paintings and his
drawings but interspersed with him floating in a canoe down the
Buffalo River in the Ozarks of Missouri which is one of the
rivers that has been protected against dams by being included
in the National Scenic River System and it looks just like the
New River . Just exactly like it . And uh , uh , I was never on the
Buffalo but I ' ve been on the Current River and the White River
and alot of rivers down in southern Missouri years ago and uh ,
I was really tickled toget this film that depicts - in fact , if
our daughter didn ' t take it to high school to show it , it ' s in
there on the table now . But it ' s just a , a good emotional impact
when you see , here is this old fella up in his eighties , paddling
down the river and making drawings of the things on it because
he ' s got a real interest in keeping some rivers like they were .
The Federal Power Commission has one job and that ' s to find power.
And yet they give them , theoretically , the total say so on where
they ' ll slap dams around the country without every considering
the heritage of the people or the land or the agriculture or anything else and the ~whole history of the Federal Power Commission
they ' ve turned down ~ two applications for dams and approved every
other one . Now that ' s stupid because - and then uh uh , several
people have said , well the Federal Power Commission ought
to have the authority to say this because they were created by
Congress to do that job and Congress ought not to step in and say
no when they make a decision . Why absolutely Congress ought to .
Anytime I ' ve got a guy working for me and he botches a job I
either fire him or straighten him out , you know . You don ' t just
say I gave him a job and if he does it wrong why I don ' t have
any right to correct it . Congress established the FPC to do a
job but that job is only recently were there any requirement for
About how .•.
�- 15-
Hal Eaton
Tape 1 , Side B
I
environmental impact statement . That ' s a new emphasis we ' ve got .
Uh , did you hear that story about Moses led the people of Israel
out of Egypt right up to the Red Sea and the army of Phar oh
�
Dublin Core
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Title
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Appalachian Oral History Project Interviews
Description
An account of the resource
In 1973, representatives from Appalachian State University (ASU) began the process of collecting interviews from Watauga, Avery, Ashe, and Caldwell county citizens to learn about their respective lives and gather stories. From the outset of the project, the interviewers knew that they were reaching out to the “last generation of Appalachian residents to reach maturity before the advent of radio, the last generation to maintain an oral tradition.” The goal was to create a wealth of data for historians, folklorists, musicians, sociologists, and anthropologists interested in the Appalachian Region.
The project was known as the “Appalachian Oral History Project” (AOHP), and developed in a consortium with Alice Lloyd College and Lees Junior College (now Hazard County Community College) both in Kentucky, Emory and Henry College in Virginia, and ASU. Predominately funded through the National Endowment for the Humanities, the four schools by 1977 had amassed approximately 3,000 interviews. Each institution had its own director and staff. Most of the interviewers were students.
Outgrowths of the project included the Mountain Memories newsletter that shared the stories collected, an advisory council, a Union Catalog, photographs collected, transcripts on microfilm, and the book Our Appalachia. Out of the 3,000 interviews between the three schools, only 663 transcripts were selected to be microfilmed. In 1978, two reels of microfilm were made available with 96 transcripts contributed by ASU.
An annotated index referred to as The Appalachian Oral History Project Union Catalog was created to accompany the microfilm. The catalog is broken down into five sections starting with a subject topic index such as Civilian Conservation Corps, Coal Camps, Churches, etc. The next four sections introduced the interviewees by respective school. There was an attempt to include basic biographic information such as date of birth, location, interviewer name, length of interview, and subjects discussed. However, this information was not always consistent per school.
This online project features clips from the interviews, complete transcripts, and photographs. The quality and consistency of the interviews vary due to the fact that they were done largely by students. Most of the photos are missing dates and identifying information.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Collection 111. Appalachian Oral History Project Records, 1965-1989
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1965-1989
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview.
Efird, Jane
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed.
Eaton, Hal
Interview Date
2/19/1976
Number of pages
15 pages
Date digitized
9/22/2014
File size
14.1MB
Checksum
alphanumeric code
d44665da49f6e6f0e7949daa692731d1
Scanned by
Tony Grady
Equipment
Epson Expression 10000 XL
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Copyright for the interviews on the Appalachian State University Oral History Collection site is held by Appalachian State University. The interviews are available for free personal; non-commercial; and educational use; provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian State Collection 111. Appalachian Oral History Project Records; 1965-1989; W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection; Special Collections; Appalachian State University; Boone; NC). Any commercial use of the materials; without the written permission of the Appalachian State University; is strictly prohibited.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
AC.111 Appalachian Oral History Project Records; 1965 - 1989
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111_tape339_HalEaton_transcript_M
Title
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Interview with Hal Eaton [Feburuary 19, 1976]
Language
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English
English
Type
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Document
Creator
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Efird, Jane
Eaton, Hal
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Oral History Project Interviews, 1965-1989" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/195" target="_blank">Appalachian Oral History Project Interviews, 1965-1989</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Appalachian Power Company
Blue Ridge Project
Water resources development--New River Valley (N.C.-W. Va.)
Environmentalism
Eaton, Hal--Interviews
Description
An account of the resource
Interview about Appalachian Power Company's attempt to create a dam on the New River, near Grayson County, Virginia and the community's battle to keep them out.
American Electric Power Company
APC
Appalachian Power Company
Bath County
Blue Ridge Project
dams
Duke Power Company
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Power Commission
Flater Lake
Grayson Business Development Association
Grayson County Va.
Hal Eaton
Holsten Reservoir
House of Representatives
Mouth of Wilson
New River
New River fight
North Carolina
Northwest Conservation Economic Development Council
Raleigh
Roanoke River
Roanoke Times
Scenic River bill
Scenic River System
Smith Mountain Lake
State Highway Department
Stephen Neal
Tennessee Valley Authority
Virginia
Virginia Electric Power Company
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/2ecee374740f1c5b14cbd6c822f5d9f4.pdf
95873778cc95a03390e4552e34503883
PDF Text
Text
ALBERT HASH OUTLINE
SIDE A & B
I.
How he got started in fiddle making business.
Grev from need for a fiddle
1. Dreamed how to make the fiddle.
2. Got horse hair for bow. (story)
B. Man tuned fiddle for him
1. Stayed with it until he could play
c. Dad bought fiddle if he vent to school (in the '20 1 s)
D. Played "graphaphone."
E. Two brothers played guitars and one brotl"ler was dancer for Ringling
Brothers Circus.
F. Could play guitar a 1 it tle bit, but decided to master the fiddle.
A.
U. Other crafts
A.
Kept on with fiddle while working on others.
1. Made guitar that he could work with left foot to accompany him.
(sixteen years old)
2. Liked to carve animals or anything.
a. Made skull with workable jaws.
3. Farmed at same time.
a. Wun 1 t too strong, so stayed home a lot.
ALL THROUGH0t7r TH INTERV!nl 1 WE WERE SOOWN VARIOIB PIECES OF MR. HASH'S WORK.
E
4.
Desaiption of Mr. Hash's daughter's work.
III • Making music
A. Recording for radio station in Maryland.
IV.
Back to instruments
Description
1. Leaves guitar making to David Sturgill and Wayne Henderson.
2. Talks of German town of violin makers.
A.
V.
History
Borns fifty-eight years ago, 1918.
B. Lived around White Top, VA, most of the time.
c. Married.
D. Tried to farm a while.
1. Made instruments and repairs for neighbors duripg winters
E. Various machine shops
1. Could sometimes use machines to make things for hi:mself.
F. Took correspondence course in Mechanical Engineering and decided to
build clocks.
1. Built works for clocks.
2. Built machinery to take place of five or six people.
G. Experience in machine shops.
1. Learn basic steps and then you can make clocks.
2. Was model maker at Brunswick.
A.
�J. Lots of
interesti~g things.
Blessed.
B. Advice for 'l.D'lhappy people.
1. Look on other side of hill and find out what one can do.
2. Money is beside the point.
c. Some people cut out for certain things.
1. Life will be short if you work your life doing wta t you don't
want.
4.
X.
Outstanding things in life.
More in line of machinist work.
1. Story of tube making machine. (Long)
a. All engineers paid thou8ands and machine wouldn't wcrk.
b. Machine wouldn{. work after.putting more money out for.
t
c. Mr. Hash dtsigns machine and even got a patent on it. (made
it in one afternoon)
2. Sometimes one head better than many, because too many people
look from too many angles.
J. Some people study too much and don't see the simple things.
A.
XI.
Ribbons and Prizes
Descriptions of festivals and conventions
1. Went through a flood once.
2. Once played against one hundred and si.xty-f our fiddlers, won
second place.
J. Judged some Fiddlers Conventions
A.
XII.
Life Nov
Stay around home
1. Give people advice.
2. Help students with making instrtlllents.
3. Names instruments.
4. Give people wood.
5. Make tapes for people to learn to play fiddle.
B. Only play old time mountain music.
c. Recorded for the Library of Congress.
D. Recording
A.
SIDE E
Live Performance (JO minutes)
�3. Description of gun.
H.
4. "Scotch" tricks.
Family craftsmen
1. Grandfather could carve but wouldn't.
I. Why did you learn to do all you do?
1. Necessity, isolation.
2. Didn't want to hunt or fish, so did more creative things.
VI.
Craftsman
A. How do you make things?
1. See it in my mind. No drawings.
2. Everything I make works.
B: Favorites
1. Clock (description)
2. Describes other clocks (famous ones).
3. Takes maybe three weeks work.
c. Book on American clocks.
D. First clock made in old bus.
E. How do you build a clock?
1. Can make case or works either one first.
2. !_ Lo~g description.
F. Materials.
G. How did you becane famous?
1. Not famous, he says.
a.Fiddlers Conventions.
b. Smithsonian Institution.
c. Fairs (last five or six years)
2. People learn you through fairs and festivals.
3. Made fiddle for back-up van in movies Harold Hensley.
White Top)
(boy from
SIDE C & D
VII.
VIII.
Cornshucks and aances and beanstringings
A. Descriptions
1. Played tor thousands of dances
2. Wife danced.
3. Molasses boilings.
B. Good social gatherings. No trouble.
c. Dancing. Mrs. Hash's grandfather.
D. People left for workj changes so these kinds of things stopped.
Keeping talent in fmi.ily.
A. Daughter Audrey makes instr1.1nents
1. Twenty six years old.
B. Other daughter works in church and with scouts, etc.
PICTURES OF CHILDREN
tx.
Craftsman, machinist, artist.
A. Jack-of-all-trades.
1. Love of work.
2. Chance to do type of work suited for.
�----·- -
'
I
ALBE ~'T'
r!AS H
TAPE //1
SIDE A
A:
Did you read the book, l et's see , it was from Ashe Central, the one with
the little magazine that the students fixed up over t here?
Qi
What's t t e name of it?
Ai
Timberline.
Qt
I've some, but I don't, you know, I haven't read it.
At
I told one of them the story of how I got started in the fiddle ma.king.
It was upon the need of a fiddle which I couldn't afford and my folks couldn't
afford, so I decided that I, studied on that and studied and studied how in
the world I could ever get me a fiddle, you know, and I studied so hard on
that, that I began to dream about it, you know.
that fiddle.
And I dreamed how to make
I just took a t hick piece of plank and cut away the inside of
it as near as I could figure in t h e shape of the fiddle and then cut t he outside down to look like t he inside,making a little t hin rim all the way around.
Then I got some little thin boards and tacked t hem onto it to make the top
and the back.
There was a fellar plow i ng for m dad over in the fields and
y
he got out of tobacco and he'd give me a quarter if I'd go to White Top Gap
out there.
It would have been about t hree miles.
Well, I walked out and got
his tobacco and brought it back and I bought me a set of fiddle strings.
I
put them on my home-made fiddle and the bow, I didn't know how to make a bow
much, so I got me a hollow
stick and made me two ends for it and I
�- - -- - - - - -- -
------ - - -
/ ,
2
thought that the hair must be white hair, all the fiddles, I'd never seen,
but two fiddles before that you lalow, and I was about ten years old.
So,I
thought that hair had to be white hair or it wouldn 1 t play and the mail carrier had an old horse over in the field close to where we lived and I got,
I talked my brother into helping me hem him up in a corner of the fence.
He got him a couple of big corn stalks and drove that old horse into the
corner to the fence and I sndaked around through
I got in behind him and
~ached
the weeds and crawled 'til
through the fen ce and got ahold of his tail
and I yelled at him and tha horse took off dawn thehill arrl liked to pull me
through the crack in the fence.
But I had that horse tail wound araund my
fingers enough 'til I could pull me out a fiddle bow out of there.
So, I
brought it back and I put it in the two ends of my fiddle bow you know.
It
was".a crude looking thing and I pulled it acorss that fiddle and it wouldn't
play a lick and I figured, "My goodness, there is someting wrong somewhere
or another."
Then I looked the whole thing over fau top to bottom, I couldn't
figure out what was the matter an:l one of the neighbors passed by and said,
"Well, I know wha.t is the matter with it, 11 he said, 11 you need some resin on
that bow."
I said, "Resin?"
we've got sa11e r-esin at home • 11
He said,"Yeah, I'll bring a piece from home,
And people used it, you know, back then when
they grafted apple trees to make up their grafting wax.
So, he brought me
a chunk of resin down there and he could play a little bit on a fiddle and
he was lazy as he c aild be, just a big old boy you lalow.
And he lay down
in the chip: yard, where we chopped the wood, and put his head on the chop
block and tuned that fiddle and began to play on it there and that liked to
nm me crazy that it would play, you lalow.
Q:
With your horsehair?
At
Uh, huh, with
And he could play tunes on it.
my
homemade bow and all.
It would squeal out about:·like
�3
the average J/4 size fiddle will do, you know, and I don't guess anybody was
ever so tickled with anything as I was that.
As soon as he'd turn it loose
and give it to me I headed for the house with it as hard as I coUld go and
we had a little stove about like tip.a one here and over in the corner and I
got in behind that stove with that fiddle scratching and squeaking on it.
(Laughter)
I about run all the cats out.
I could play one of the tunes
t~at
But I .stayed with that thing until
he 1 d played trere, you know, and that got
me started fnom, in the build, making of fiddles and in the playing too and
then my dad, he found out.
He worked away, you know, all the time.
I stayed
with my granddad lived on his place and that little fiddle hanging right
there next to the mandolin, he bought that for me if I'd go to school
1
t11
Christmas, so I had to leave haue to go to school, you know, I was ten years
old and had never gone to shoool, only just a few days because it was, I couldn't
walk the distance to the school house, you know.
Qa
What year
As
Ah, that was back in the '20 1 s and so •••
Qt
You said your daddy :worked away?
A1
Uh, huh.
Qt
Where did he work?
A1
He worked for the Virginia Supply Company on, he worked, it was kind of
w~
that?
Do
you remember?
a railroad thing, he stayed in a railroad car, you know, and theymoved him
from place to place.
He was a kind of bookkeeper or sanething of that kind,
He'd been there, he'd been a teacher, you now, taught school and so he bought
me that fiddle there and I went to school, I went to my mother and went to
school from there, you know, and at C
hristmas time they brought me that
fiddle and I thought that that was the most wonderful thing in the world,
you know, and I've kept it all these years cause it wasn't a good one to play
�4
on and I pla.fed it for a long ti.me and th en I began t o make good ones, you
know.
And I made them that was so much batter than it that I just kept on
making them over the years.
Q: What ever happened to the first one, the one you made to begin with?
As
I don't know, I wish I could
~ind
out or had kept, but it was so
c rud~,
I guess that when I got to making others that I just, I don't remember what
went with it.
It has been so long ago.
It was, you see, I didn't have
glue, I took the, what pins I could steal out of the pin cushion and what
tacks I could find around about and tacked my top and back place on. You
can, you can begin to get a picture of what it looked like, yet it would
play•••
Qa
And all this came to you in a dream, I mean you dreamed it?
At
Yeah, I studied so hard that I began to dream about it.
Qs
H old wer e you?
ow
At
About ten years old, but •••
Qa
But you had been thinking •••
•
A!
Yeah, it had worked on for a year or two, the first time I ever heard
a fiddle played, I could remember of, I was scared to death of it, I was
just a little kid, you know.
And the next time we was, had a corn field on
the fellar 1s place and it come up a terrible thunder storm and we run into
his house and stayed on the porch and he went in the house and brought out
a fiddle and played for us while we waited, you know.
And then I had begun
. to understand what a tune was and what it sounded like and so on and I
thought that was music, I don't know what it, how to explain what it did
for me, you know, to hear that.
To hear the tunes played on that that I'd
heard my brothers sing, you know, and so on.
And of course, they wasn't any
radios back then and we finally got a hold of an old phonograph.
They
�5
called it a graphophone then, you know.
It played little round records,
cylindrical reocrds about so long, jsut a wee tiny thing, you know, and
it had some fiddle tunes on it and so on.
So that got me started into
muaic business and then my brothers, two of them played guitars and one was
a dancer.
One used to dance with
~ingling
Brothers Circus, you know •••
Qt
Wowl
Aa
••• he was a real dancer, he, ah, tap dancer and so on and he's dead now.
He, ah •••
Qt
What was hie name?
A:
Dennis and I had one named Rudy.
Qa
He played the guitar?
Aa
Uh, huh.
Qa
Why did you not take up guitar, I mean you just didn't want to do the
And one, Ernest that played the guitar.
same thingl.
As
I did at
~ne
time, played, played several years on the guitar, you know,
but the fiddle, I liked ao much better that I decided, "Well, you can't
master one in a lifetime."
So, I gave up the guitar altogether.
And tren
I tried to learn some on a five string bango and that thing, I could have
learned electricity easier than I could have learned that.
Qa
(Laughter)
Aa
And I never could learn anything about electricity.
I have to see some-
thing.moving before I can work on it, like the clock wheels up there.
Q.a
Well, you can go on-.and tell us how you started making other stuff, too.
Aa
Well, this I kept up working on the instruments and tren as long as
I had time 1 I wruld carve wood, you know, and make all kinds of things and
all kinda of little mechanical things.
And I decided one time tha,t my bro-
thers went off to work that I needed a guitar player to play with me and I
�6
took a guitar and got to looking at that thing, knowing the chords and how
it should be played and so on, I built me up a device, a rack to put that
guitar in and I had some levers that would go over and pegs sticking out
of them that would touch the strings at the right place and I had a pick
that I worked with my left foot, here on a shaft that run up and down and
I could play a guitar am a fiddle at the same time, you know.
After I
learned and I'd either play the guitar and forget the fiddle or play the
fiddle and couldn't play the guitar, after I got them both to going at once,
I could keep time with myself there you know, and I could play that thing
right along.
It'd play good, you know.
Q1
How old were you then, ten or eleven?
As
I was still, I was around sixteen or seventeen, I guess, s<11lewhere around
there.
(laughter).
And I kept carving this, that and the other.
I like to carve lit-
tle animals and so on and I'd carve frogs and mice and birds and just anything that come along, skulls,
time, of white wood.
I carved out a skull out of buckeye one
It was a pretty weird looking thing and I decided, it
looked so good and all that, I'd, ah, it's jaws needed to .work all the time
and I fixed that thing up with a set of old clock works.
A little wire
running out of them so that it would keep that thing's jaws a biting all the
time. (laughter)
Just anything to be a doing something, you know.
Qt
Well, were you farming at the same time, I mean •••
Aa
Yes, uh, huh.
Qi
••• were
Aa
We farmed all the time, but I was, I wasn't too strong so they'd leave
you farming and just doing it as a hobby?
me at the house lots of times, my mother was sick alot, too.
They'd leav.e
me at the house to do the house work arrl after I'd get my house work done,
I'd hit out under an apple tree or something, you kn01-1, some wood carving of
�7
some kind.
I carved everything.
Everything you could think of.
Qs
Did yau give those things away or just •••
As
Yeah, uh, huh.
of things.
I liked to carve things like that, I carved all kinds
Everything I could think of.
Q:
Do you still carve alot?
Ai
Uh, huh, along.
I don't do alot of it anymore, only jut when I have to,
like the horse head up there on the dulcimer neck and stuff like that.
I'll
pull it down here where you can see it.
Q1
Oh, wow, that is beautiful!
AJ
I carved one aide of it, and Audrey carved the other side, I wanted her
to learn to carve •••
Qs
At
Why don't we get a picture of that?
••• and she's, I wanted her to learn to build her instrmnents ela-
borate and she is doing a mighty fine job on all of them, I think.
Q:
What is that right in there?
As
That's a pearl.
shell.
So, here's the horse head that'll go on
one end of her dulcimer.
Qs
Now, did she do this or did you this?
At
She did one side of it and me, the other so that she'd have something as
a pattern, you know.
But
t~ is
is entirely her carving there, the dragon
which will hold the strings and the, fran the back end of the dulcimer and
this should be a very elaborate instrument that she is building up.
~e
is
building this for a gentleman that's a collector and also ah, does alot of
playing the music away from two radio stations that he owns, ah •••
Qs
Where are they from?
As
Up in Havre-De-Grace, Maryland.
we record for him •••
Qz
Your band recorded?
Ee has an FM and AM station there and
�A:
Well, part of my bmd has been in it.
Audrey helps me with her guitar
playing and he brings down a young lady with him when he comes down and we'll
make our programs for him to take back and play on his staitons there.
He
says the people like them, Idon't know what they sound like too, never
heard too much of them, you know, after we have put them on the tapes.
He'll play them back a little, once in a while, but I'm sure that I can't
contribute a whole lot ot them (laughter) I put out a whole lot of
loud noise.
As
big,
She is getting started in the instrument building now, I won't
have leave it all undone will
Mrs. Hash:
good~
!1
Huh, huh.
So, I've made alot of different kinds.
I've made some dulcimers and
I only made one guitar and it was a good guitar and a pretty thing.
I
made it out of curly map:te and it was pretty elaborate, but that was the
meanest thing I ever worked on.
I didn't have the prope~ jigs for holding
and so on and I'd get it in my lap and start working on it and it would begin to start turning around with me, (laughter) you know.
So, I decided
that I'd leave the guitar making to our friend David Sturgill down here and
Wayne Henderson.
They're good guitar makers, both of them are and this part
of the world up in here, we're getting several instrument builders around
about.
I call it "Little M
ittenwall'' now.
Q:
Oh, yes.
At
That is a place in Germany, I understand this violin school ah • • •
Qs
It is very famous for its violins.
At
Uh, huh.
Q:
Yes.
At
••• kindly started that out over there and from that day on
What is that?
made some fine violins in a place they call Mittenwall (?)
they have
I reckon it's
�- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - --"
9
just a little community like place w.l th •••
Qi
Yes, a very small canmunity.
At
Uh, huh.
Qt
~t
A1
Right, uh, huh.
Qt
Why don't you tell us a little bit a.bout your history before we go on.
everybody in that canrnunity makes violins.
I'd like to visit them sometime.
Like where your family is f ran real brief.
As
Well, that won't be hard, that wouldn't take me long to get down to
where that I was born, right down at the foot of this hill, here.
A good
many years ago, about fifty-eight of them and I've lived right around this
White Top Mcnmtain vicinity here.
Most of the time.
I lived up, that's
where I began to learn the machinist trade, when !roved up toAlexandria, Virginia, there after I found that little girl over there and :married her along,
so maJl1 years ago.
And we lived up there for, well, I was up there alto-
gether around four o r fiv e years, around Washington and Alexandria and I
worked, learned the machinist trade over in the naval torpedo station there.
It was war time and they took me in there as a helper trainee and this torpedo station and I worked there till the war was over and then !cane back here
and decided I was a fa.mer and I bought me a · rhoe .. and a bag of fertilizer,
had a little place back up on the head of this creek that rtms over here and
I went up there and pretentied to raise a crop of corn (laughter)
more blackberries than anything.
t~ese
I picked
But I decided then I moved over across
hills over here a little ways and tired farming there for a, I don't
know, I must, how long do you reckon, I farmed Ethel?
Too long however
long it was, for I never did like farming.
Qa
Did you make instruments and things all the time you were doing that?
A1
Of the winter time I would and I'd make gun stocks for people and what-
�---- - - - - - - - - - -
---
-
-
-- --
-
- - -·
10
ever else they needed repaired and so on, you know.
I would do it for thEl!l 1
anything they needed, a piece to a, go to a piece of antique furniture or
anything they needed that way, I would try and come up with it and then I
•, j
I
•.
went to work for Spraig Electric C
ompany and I worked with them for fifteen
years and I worked •••
Q1
When was that?
As
••• that
was, let's see I've been out of there five years.
It's been
fifteen, it's been twenty years ago, I began to work for them, I'd say,
yeah.
Q1
Where is the electric company located?
A1
That's located over here at Lansing, just over the line, over inAshe
County and they was a good canpany to work for and treated me good and I had
a big machine shop and it was well equipped to, and alot of ambition and I
was alot younger than I am now, so I didn't take any breaks.
I'd get there
early of the morning and leave late sanetimes and sanetimes·, I'd go in on
a Saturday and they'd allow me to make sanething for myself, you lmow.
And
they was awf'U.l good that way and I began to make alot of guns, made all
kinds of hand guns, you know.
won the West, you know.
And I copied one Frontier Colt, the one that
Look, made it, copied one and made the parts in-
terchangeable into the one that I made and mine would go into the other e11e
and they'd .function, you know, and just for the sake of being,. a building,
making sanething, you know.
~
And then I decided that I had, I'd take me
course in mechancial engineering and I got up the books and began to study
that and I was having to read half the night or more you know and then work
nine hours a day and •••
Q1
Thia was a course through the mail?
Al
Yeah,
1.c.s.,
good thing and I got along way over in it and I come across
�11
this gear. cutting and so on , that is ratio of one gear to another
and all that stuff and I mastered all that and I decided, " Now,
I ' ve got enough of them books , I'm going to build me a clock ."
Arid I pitched my books aside and I started making clocks (laughter) .
I built several clocks and I never did try to study anything else ,
I just built machinery for them , you know, and I've built some very
complex machinery , I ' ve built machinery that would take the place
of five or six people, you know .
Q:
Gosh!
A:
And get it out on the lines to working and go on and build some-
thing else .
There ' s a machine I built to cut the gears in these
pretty clocks now, you know , and that ban saw I built there and the
sanders back there and I can look around out here and find alot 01'
things .
Q:
it?
A:
This kind of stuff that you made .
·How did you learn how to do
1 mean you just .. . tinker around ...
Well, actually the experience you have in a machine shop once
you learn the basic machines , you know , and how to go on your own
and if ,they give you a blue print of something they want made .
You learn to do the steps of turning it out and the milling and the
shaping and the grinding and so on .
Then this other , say making
this block up here , that now is not what I call craft or anything
, it just goes along , any good machinist ought a be able to turn out
the parts of a block , if he is a macninist , you know .
Q:
They couldn ' t carve all that stuff on there could they .
A:
I mean the movement of it .
So, all the, really all the skill
involved in the clock making is in the case, unlesr you want to de-
�- - - - - - - -- -.... :
•
..l ~
12 ·
sign one and put, say a bunch of dancing figures or a ship in the
top like mine upstairs. (Laughter) Make it a little different.
Then I worked for
.
,.
5~""'"-"\U~
~F~g
Electric for fifteen years and I decided
that I wanted to go out somewhere else and work.
So, I went to
Brunswick and worked for them for, I was there about four years,
I believe, you know.
And the job was compl eted , finished.
Q:
What is Brunswick, exactly?
A:
They, it is a company that is involved in making about every-
thing from pool tables up to cabin cruisers, anything you can .
think of Brunswick has made it at one time or another, even records.
They made records.
And they had me as a model.
I was
salaried, and my job was to make the first of everything that they
made.
If they wanted a certain kind of a rocket, really a model
maker is one who makes out of wood or plastics or something a model of something, but their need ... They had a machine shop, maintenance shop,a big machine shop, but there was no one that did alot
of design work on these new things.
So, if they wanted to make
rockets I designed the hardware and built the first hardware, then
it was out of my hands, you see.
all that thing, you know.
I'd get to go see them fired and
I built machine guns for them.
design the machine guns and things of that nature.
do much in the line of explosives.
You'd
But they don't
Theirs is more sporting goods
· and tnings of that nature, motors, they build, well, all kinds of
motors and so on.
Anything else you can think of they have at some
time or another built it.
paid me real good.
A good company to work for and they
I hated for the job to close down in a way.
I didn't want to make things to destroy people with and 1'ortunately
�13
nothing was ever used ·for that purpose that I made, so I felt alot
better about .
I just like to work at something like that .
I like
to make it and see it work and then maybe tear it up if it works
to ·good .
I
Q:
Where is this factory located?
A:
lt was over here at Sugar Grove , Virginia, about twenty-nine
miles from here , I guess .
Q:
Did it just totally close up?
A:
Philco Ford, a company out in California was building the gun
for this caseless ammunition
which was supposed to have been
used on one of those supersonic jets .
And this Gatling gun had
five barrels and fired, seems to me like it fired a thousand rounds
a minute, wasn .' t it , Ethel?
Ethel :
A:
Did I ever tell you or not?
I don't know.
I can ' t remember now .
Anyhow, when I , they'd show us movies
on how it was working and so on .
I said to myself it will never go .
The first movie I ever watched,
There ' s no way that it can .
They was pouring this ammuntion into these big boxes, just pour it
out and
then the stoker fed it into these barrels to that gun and
a blaze of fire looked like it would go about fifteen feet out and
just hold out there in that continous firing you
thousand rounds a minute it fired, Ithink it was .
kno~.
It was a
I know the bar-
rel s was set spiral and when it would start firing it would
straighten themselves, you know.
They'd fire away there ' til the
heat would get so intense and the breach of these guns that it
would begin to burn these cases that was made out of nitre- cellulose
and burn them up right there, you see .
There was no explosion,
just a big roaring fire out of it, you know .
�14
Q:
I wanted to go back and ask you something about when you
took that course in the mail.
Did you take that with the inten-
tion of making clocks when you finished?
A:'
'l'hat was mainly my interest in it and I wanted to see if there
was anything in there that would help me in my work.
I didn't
want to become a mechanical engineer ana have to leave the shop or
a.nything, I wanted to always work the machines myself, you know.
I found in taking this course that the re was so much of it that I'd
already covered that it was simply, wasn't worth my while to bother with it and work out all of the math that had to be worked and
all that junk that went along with it, which nine times out of
ten, I had a little Scotch trick or a nearer way or a different
way of doing it that worked much faster and better.
So, you see,
we have what is called a machinist's "bible" that always is in the
shop and I.have one over here now, because you'd never, no one
would ever turn out to be a first class machinist there's just too
much to it.
Look at the difrerent metals that comes up every day
different materials to work with in different types of machines
from computerized on down to the most rugged old equipment, some
of it antique like my lathe here, . and so on.
I had learned all
the Scotch tricks, that I like to call them, a Scotchman was •.•
SIDE B
Q:
Your parents did they do any kind of wood work or anything
like your father or
A:
~randf ather?
No, my grandfather, the only one that I could remember, he
could carve if he wanted tc but he, it was of little worth to him
to do that, because he was of the older generations that didn't
�15
believe in any foolishness of any, he called it foolishness, you
know, but he could carve.
carving out was a duck.
.~
The only thing that I remember him
He carved out a duck.
out anything that he wanted to, though.
And he could carve
I was the only one that
did any carving, but it is a strange thing, I had these three
brothers and each one had worked in machine shops at different
places and my three brothers and myself all could build any kind
of a house we took a notion or about anything else like that.
So,
I don't know, I guess, if we needed something we would make, it.
I guess, necessity is one of the greatest teachers of anything.
We could do hlacksmith work.
We could work on anything that we
took a notion to, you know, and make it work, do it 'til it would
work, you know.
Any of us could cut anyone else's hair, you name
it we'd try to do it, because it was the way we lived.
isolated .and we depended on each
and we depended on ourselves
Q:
Bu~
otgne~
We was
for the things that we neede
for the things that we needed.
it seems like other people that were isolated, you know,
they didn't start making all tho s e ....•
A:
No, they was families that was interested in different things.
Some like to go out with their dogs and gun and hunt all day.
never wanted anything like that.
I never wanted to kill the ani-
mals, you know. Never did want to do anything like that.
never hunted or fished.
I
So, I
My interest was in more creative work.
I'd rather of built the bird house than to kill the bird.
bird in my life I killed and I killed it by mistake.
One
I was
trying to kill a hawk that had been catching the chickens.
It
was in a tree, and I never could see out any distance like any-
�16
body else.
So, I shot and this dove fell out or that tree, and I
could of cried over it.
hunted for anything.
I didn't want to do that.
I never
I've tried to kill crows that was eating my
I
corn up when I farmed, but that was altogether a different.
So,
I guess that was one reason they had me working on the instruments
and so on, I didn't like to hunt and I didn't want to freeze myself to death out in the woods, so why not cut a pile of shavings
on the hearth and sweep them into the fire and come up with a
fiddle.
Something that would be worthwhile.
(Laughter) Or a
dough roller or anything else I took a notion for, if nothing
else an ax handle for the ax.
Q:
I was forever breaking them out.
When you carve anything, an instrument or whatever, do you
plan it before you make it, or does it sometimes take shape.
A:
No, everything I do, I always told the boys in shop said I was
training, I .always built it upstairs first.
before I even start to work on it.
I can see it working.
always worked a different method from
that I have worked with.
I can see that thing
mos~
every other machinist
They would want to make sketches and
drawings and compare this to this and so on.
them like that.
I have
I never would make
wnen plant manager would come and ask me, lots
of times, he'd come over the top of my foreman and ask me if I
could make a machine to do a certain job.
answer ready for him.
Yes sir.
And I always had the
And I would wonder off some-
where and sit down maybe drink a cup of coffee in the time of it.
I would begin to say, now this will work this way, but why won't
it work this way.
I would pick out the reasons why it will work
and why it won't work.
And when I got the reasons why it will
�17
work all in one-and
I would start
~
had no reasons why it won't work, then
machine1~g
out pieces and piling them up in a pile
and it would run my boss crazy.
He'd try to figure out, "Wnat
is he a doing now," and I've caught him several timec trying to
assemble parts to get- to see what it was a going to do you know.
I didn't want his ten cents worth in with it , you know because
everyone has a different idea about things you know.
He might have
had lots better ones at times than I did but I would get around
to the ah making it work after all you know and when I would get
it all machined out, I would assemble the machine and put it ,
on the truck and take it out into the line and put it to work
right there.
Q:
Did you ever made anything that didn't work right?
A:
Ah very few times that I've ever made any-no pieces of big
machinery of any kind have I ever made that was what you'd call
a flop you .know.
Ah it all worked out because I wouldn't start
it till I had figured it out that it would work.
I had weighed
my- why it will against why it won't, all the questions and
come up with the conclusion tnat it will work before I even made
any of it you know.
Q:
What about instruments?
A:
I have before now changed my mind in the middle of making one
that I had decided I would make ah ah design it one
way or
leave it a certain tnickness and then I would change my mind
due to the density of the wood or change design on it maybe
somewhere or another, I·d -c.hink maybe, "Well I'll do this to it
and then that- no I don 't believe
I·l~
do that, I'll go this
way and carve it some other way you know but not-I
wouldn~'t
�·~
I
get it far enough along but what 1
cou~d
change it without ah
it ever being noticed in any way after it was made you know.
It was made to look exactly like ah that I had planned it that
w~y.
Q:
Do you have a favorite piece of anything you've ever made, like
a
A:
c~ock,
c~ock
is that your favorite
Ah it is.
over there?
That clock, I'd rather see the stove and the refrig-
erator and everytning go out of here than that.
I take it out
once in a while to arts ana crafts ah festivals and so on and
I•ll leave it in the car, maybe going back the next day and that
corner, it worries me to death nearly till that clock is not there
you knew.
Q:
And now long ago did you make
A:
This ah I··ve had that made about fifteeen years I'd say now and
that~
it's ticked away-it ' s run ah I very seldom fcrget to wind it.
Now I could have made it an eight day clock by adding two more
wheels but I wanted to wind that clock .
I wanted tnat to be one
of my chores, daily cnores, as I started to go to bed to wind that
clock and it's just as natural for me now when I start to go
to bed, that's the last thing I do, I'll wind that clock up.
Q:
Is tnat one of your first efforts at clock making?
A:
That's one of my first metal movements .
I·d made them from
wood oerore that, but that ' s one 01· my first brass
c~ocks
to
make and ah the brass in that clocK is an e1gnth of an incn
thick, the
whee~s
ana tne main
whee~s
are over four and a half
inches in diameter and the leaves in the pinions are ah around
eighty thousanths thick.
clock with clocks
th~t
So comparing the thickness of that
was made beck pre-Civil War out of one
�·19
thirty second of an inch brice and have run for a hundred years and
that should tell you a story of approximately how long my clocks
would run , for they ' re made along the line of what was known as the
.
'"
O. G: clocks made by Terry and Waterbury, and all of
Conneticut clocks .
t~e old makers
After, you see the Grandfather clock the tall
clock like that, they used little clocks, Connecticutt clocks they
come out and it is no longer practical to make Grandfather clocks .
And wouldn ' t be to this day without you got an enormous price for
one of them, unless you just, you know , like I am, work if you want
to and don ' t if you don ' t .
Not but what I can use all the money
I can get out of anything, that ' s easy to do .
But the thing of it
is how long it would take to make one cf them .
You couldn ' t, I
wouldn ' t want to take it up as something to make a living with making these clocks like that .
For two
~easons,
one is it would take
a long to make them . There ' s every piece of that, you ' d be surprised how many pieces goes into that
~here
you make all of it.
You
see I even made the hinges for th8 case and the knobs for the door
and everything but the nails that went into that clock case I made .
The little ship up there is rigged up out of tin sails and screen
wire ropes and painted the scene back of it of the sea and so on,
and the dials and the hands , carved the spiral rungs that comes
down the side here and
up there .
And you ' d be surprised
at how long it would take to do that , it'll take
~ou ,
I'd say
that it ' d take approximately three weeks to built one of them ,
wouldn't it?
About like that .
So , you ' d get maybe five hundred
dollars out of it, for your three weeks work , which wouldn't be
too bad nor too good .
�20
Q:
Could you give us a general idea of the process or kind of the
evolution of one of these clocks?
A:
a
Where do you start?
Oh , I would say I have a book on American
r~al
rascinating book, you know .
alities of people that made clocks .
clocks here .
It ' s
We had all kinds , all nationAnd we had one woman that I
remember reading about in this book that was a clock maker , but most
of them were German or Dutch .
they
ca~led
And they called them , alot of times
them the Pennsylvania clocks, you know, the tall clock .
This pendulum, as I understand, was adapted to the clock in about
1630 , before that they had what was known a.s the balance bar , this
piece swung around ana back and around and back, just a balanced
up there held by a piece of string .
And that was one of the early
clocks , that was thirteenth century clocks beginning in the thirteenth century in China, 1 believe it was the origin
01
that clock .
Well , before that was the water clock, which was a container filled
with water with a tiny hole c.t the bottom and another container which
caught the water as it leaked out of that and raise this float
which read the hour of the day as it raised up , you know, as this
container filled up and then somebody had to be there to watch
that clock and pour it back in the other one again .
Of course,that
I guess they had the sun dial and the hour glass and what have you ,
or a mark on the porch to see when the sun got down to· a certain
time and it ' s time to E
.tart doing the work up .
some fantastic clocks .
appreciated .
'l'hese people made
Their ingenuity was something to really be
Now there was this one fellow who fastened himself up
and stayed for I forgot how many years and he come up with this
clock that has the Christ ana the disciple s and they march around
,
..
�at the time tnis clock is to strike, you know , and then he has
Satan and all kinds of figures of that kind that will come out
at difrerent times and so on .
T~ings
like that people have really
gone· into the clock making in a big way .
One fella made clocks
that I have a picture of one of his clocks which is I think the
most beautiful clock that I have ever seen any picture of or anything .
His clock back in the time that he maae it sold ror about
nine hundred dollars which then ir you could buy one now like that
it would probably be worth ninety or a hundred thousand dollars , you
see .
Q:
How many clocks have you made?
A:
I ' ve kind of lost count of them like I have my fiddles .
try to keep up with anything like that .
I never
But I hold some around
here and I took some way down into North
a couple to one man down there, aidn't 1?
C~rolina
dovm to Clairmont ,
Then I would a furnish
a set of works if somebody would make me a case for , give them a
set of works ana they would make two cases and put their works in ,
and give me a case to put another set of work s in.
deal for a while , you know , not having room .
I workea that
For I built my first
clock in the body of a school bus that I used as a shop .
I aian't
have room to turn tnat lULmber around and c.round in there when I
went to work .
bus .
Made a good shop, you know, but it wasn ' t big enougn for
anything .
Q:
So, my first clock building happened in that school
Plenty or light.
How ao you go about builaing one or the clocks?
Start with
the worksor do you . ...
A:
You could go either way .
I built the case fil·st ana one of my
�--- -- I
.22 '
neighbors come in and talking over the clocK he said, "What are
you building?"
I said ,
"J
'm building me a Grandfather clock."
And
he looked at the work , I had. it laying dovm , you know , in the floor.
11
'
It looks like it's going to be alright .
get your works? "
better
~ uild
Where are you going to
I said, "I'm going to buil cl them. "
the works first, then build the case .''
He said , "You
(Laughter)
I told him, I said , "If I can build the case, I know I can build
the works."
What really, the way you get started out you know a-
bout how many gears you want in ycur chain of gears up each side ,
providing this clock is going to be a one day movement, a eight
day movement, or a thirty day mo ve ment.
You'll have to work out
your ratio of gears then, but somewhere along the line you've got
to reach out into thin &ir and say I want a gear that 'll be, wel l
my main gears are, I use eighty and seventy eight teeth on them.
1 use the eighty teeth next to the
in that line.
firs~
gear up.
1
think of it
The one when the pa ir, you see , these are weight-
driven clocks, and the one that has the drum on it that the cable
winds onto has eighty teeth to begin with and it runs again one
which I believe has twenty teeth on the center shalt ana on towards
the escapement it runs again one with with seventy eight teeth ,
which runs against one with six teeth and always tha piniort gear
the
lit~le
up there.
gear has six teeth in all the way around in all my clocks
So, when you've worked. out the ratio then the size of
the movement depends on how you want to blow this up.
Say, well ,
I know that I need eighty teeth so you take , you say , I want to
make a clock, a big clock.
ment.
I want to make say a tower clock move-
You would say OK, it has to have eighty teeth on that first
�-----
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23
wheel, and I will make this, how big
~ou
do l
want this fir s t whee.L .
can say , Ok, I'l.L make it twelve inches .
figure,you know.
teeth.
Just picking a
OK, you have twelve inch diameter with eighty
Now how big do I want the tone that it's going to run a-
gainst, because if it only has six teeth, then, if I get the diameter too big the gear whell
not mesh with the pinion .
~i.Ll
That's
where your ratio and proportion comes in on that, you work that out.
So, it i-:orks out perrect.Ly that way .
ure your clock out as you go
tether the length
~hat
And. you just go right on, fig-
way .
And. when you get it all to-
your penau.Lum tnen, that pendulum rod. that
01
swings back and forth determines the speed that that clock will gu
at, the length of that.
If you get it t.oo long the clock will run
too slow, if you get it too short it will go too fast, so you have
to have, keep slipping up on it.
Make it plenty long to start with
and then keep moving it up and cut t ing it - off, until you get it
established to what you need .
Then you can make right by
tha~
on
and on and on and they 'll work out right.
Q:
What metals did you use?
A:
.L use steel , coal roll steel and brass in the clocks that I
make.
I make
th~
always have brass.
plate, the housing that holas the wheels they
And l make the verge out of steel and the es-
cape wheel, the one that travels the fastest and does the most work,
it's made out of brass and there ' s one for you to figure out
I 've never been able to figure .
rou take all of your
go through your brass
~ hrough
wneel ~
and
~hat
~pinales
thav
tne1r steel and they go
through the brass fr a mes on the side of it and they will wear tne
ora s s frame, but the escape wheel at the top , the teeth come to a
�- - -- - -- - - - -- - ·- - - - - - - - - - -
24
razor snarp edge anu tna-c runs agairn:.t a p1 ece of steel tna.t I wou1d
say RocK\v·elJ_ haraened. to 6:> 0 ancl it v.:ill actually wear holec. in
that hardened piece of tool steel
whi~h
~ith
razor sharp edges .of brass
don ' t wear out and I can ' t figure that out .
(Laughter)
That ' s one tnat I don't figure out .
Q:
Maybe you can work on that .
A:
I believe I ' ll leave that for somebody else .
Q:
How , do you have trouble getting the materials you want or ao
you just take what you can get?
,
A:
The biggest thing is the expense of it .
Brass is high to buy
anymore , you know .
Q:
What about the wood?
A:
The walnut wcod that I make the cases out of , that ' s just about
out of the question anymore .
I happened. to ho.ve quite a bit of it
on hand., if that was gone I have no idea . where I'd get anymore cf
it .
Q:
Well, do you make you instruments from the same kind of wood .
A:
No ,
..L
make tnem , m2ke the instruments mcst of the time from
curly maple, a.nd spruce .
And it's native wood of th-'-s area .
My
fidale tops come from the highest mountain that I can get them
off of , White Top up here .
And that according to the old makers ,
I have alot of books on violin ma.king , I have one the Vio..t.in
En~
p1opedia and 1 have one on the German and Austrian violin maKers ,
the work of Antonia
Str~divariu s
and otners .
And they all se-
lected their wood from th e higl: mountF..ins, du.e to the slow growth
of the tree and that produced close sap rings around the spruce
that grew up on the high mountains and the wind would rock it
�;
25
year after year and it wpuld be more 1lex1b1e and you woulu get
Detter tonal quality and
bet~er
the maple ' s the same way .
wood from around here .
a cou s tics that way .
And I ' m sure
But this is a good area to get fiddle
Some of the be s t I ' ve ever had come from
the White Top Mountain over here .
Q:
A:
I~ '
s equal or bei::.ter to the Alpine Spruce .
iv1artin guitars ,
Martin is one of the leading gui ta1· makers they make the finest
guitars of any , made in this country you knew.
If they can on
their most expensive guitars , if they can po s sibly get it they use
Appalachian Spruce for the tops .
they can get
They can get Alpine
~pruce
ana
Spruce and other wooas , they can get any kind
of wood that can be had, but tney use Appalachian Spruce on the
tops of them .
Q:
Now , I want to ask you, I wa nt you to tell us how you became
famous .
I didn ' t
knov~
A:
WHAT!
Q:
uh , I re a d about you all the time .
A:
What .
Q:
We read about you .
A:
Oh , I gu e s s I ' m just different fr om oth8r people that ' s all .
I ' m not famous .
.Q:
I was .
(.laughter)
No .
Well , now if they take your music up to Maryland , I mean
that ..•.
A:
Oh, I ' ve liv e d up here a long
the best e:: planation I can hc.ve .
Q:
How did th ey find you?
ti n e, young ' uns , that ' s about
Mayb e a lot of people know me.
�. ' ., ..
.
~-
~
26
A:
I just happened to be at the wrong place at the right time , or
something .
Oh , I used to go out and play at the Fiddler ' s Conven-
tions that ' s the one good way th?t they learn you .
wouldn ' t have any idea hov1 many Fiddler '
c.:
I played , I
Conventions , you knov1 .
Too , I like to go to fairs and festivals and so on , especially I 'v e
been to the Richmond Fair dovm here , and stayed there for a week
to demonstrate riddle making there , you know .
me at the Smithsonian
Institutio~
And I , they wanted
and I kinda promised them that
I would go this sumr:ier , but I don ' t kno1 .
·.-
Q:
Well , now , how did tney know about you?
A:
Through some college down in North Carolina somewher e here .
A young fellow come up here and talked to me a whil e over there .
They wanted the fiadles and the clocks both there , but they wanted
to take enough machinery, you know, 'til I could be a show them
how both went .
I told him that I would go and that if t hey wanted
to haul my junky machinery up there why it would be alright with
me .
Q:
If they could find you.
A:
Yeah .
( laughter)
They kinda have to start a day ahead of
time to find me in here .
Q:
It ' s true .
Q:
Well , what will they do , set up a booth or something that ....
A:
Uh , huh .
That ' s what they had in mind .
mend Fair down there .
I went
Henderson the guitar maker .
a~ong
with thi s
1 enjoyed that Rich~ood
Ana we had alot of fun .
right together , had us some tables right close by .
of fun .
The wood carver ,
tie·
carver and Wayne
s quitE' a character .
We worked
We · had a world
�. .....
.
27
Q:
When did you start going to all this stu f1?
A:
Rigt1t within the laf'.t five or six years, I ' d say the arts and
crafts thing s I ' ve gotten interested in that .
And to the one at
always over to the one at Marion there I ' d take things
over there .
People learn you through that and it ' s a good place .
I never can keep any instruments to be ll , because my instrument s
leave here, I just turn loose of them when I get them done , that ' s
about it .
Hensley .
Now the last fiddle I made went to California to Harold
He ' s if'_ movie work out there.
for movies and all that stuff .
maae .
He plays back up music.
And I made him the last one I
It , out on , ordinarily where you see the scroll the curled
up thing out thert .
I had the Indian head carved on there that I
put on there on account of a very fine tune that he played called
the "Wild Indian , " you kne w.
One of his compositions no doubt .
the back I had in mother of pea rl and abalone shell
~orked
On
out a
I
hummingbird flying tov;ard a white flov.·er and it was a beautiful
thing .
the
Then I had a row of pearl around the top and it was one of
fini s hes like I like to put on rny in st rument s .
And
he was really thrilled with it .
When he got it , he T.ook it ana. haa
it, compared to one that cost
UOO , 1 believe it was .
$2L1
.,
him it ought to be a shame to compare my
of junk like that .
he sees me again .
( LEtu g,f1.l, e1 ·)
in ~t ruments
I told
to a piece
Sc, I 6ues[; he' 11 Ehoot me when
�· ---
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~
...
Albert Hash
Tape 2 , Side C
A.
Q.
A.
Q.
A.
We used to have a dance at somebody ' s house nearly every week ,
did~ ' t we darling (to his wife)?
There was not anything much
for entertainment other than things [like] dances and the music
and we made good use of that . And we ' d go to a house, say like
this ' un , with no more room that I have here , maybe 12 by 20
feet and there wouldn ' t be a whole big crowd like there would
be at a dance hall . There ' d be alot of people there , but not
too many would dance anyhow , just come to hear the music and
so on . They ' d just pick up the furniture and move it out of the
way and set here over in the corner and there it went . Girls on
one side of the house and the boys on the other and get that
dance started you know .
Would you play for them?
Yeah - played for thousands of them .
What did you do? (asking Mrs . Hash)
She was a dancer . I never did get to dance with her . That ' s
why I can ' t dance to this day .
But he had more fun trying (his wife) .
But I always did manage to take her home. I had to fiddle till
I was ready to fall out of the chair while she had a good time adancing . But I enjoyed every minute of it . Sbmetimes they'd
have corn shuckings . They would have a great pile of corn pulled
off with the husks all on it and they would tear into that and
shuck like mad, getting this all worked out so they could have
a dance after it was over . And beans, green beans you know ,
they ' d have to pull the strings off of them and break them up
~nd so on and they would bean s tringings, apple cuttings and
molasses boilings . That was the great thing , the molasses party .
You'd go out and there were these vat s . Did you ever see molasses
being made? There ' s be a vat about as long as that couch or a
little longer and it would take a horse and he pulled this mill
around and around and around . It had a little pole out there
and you tied it to his bridle and he d i dn ' t know but to follow
�----------
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Albert Hash
Tape 2 , Side C
A.
Q.
A.
Q.
A.
Q.
A.
Q.
that after they started him . It ' d lead that horse around and
around , leading himself around and around and around and it ' d
push that cane into these rollers and it would mash the juice
out of it and then it went into tte boiler and you ' d take skimmers , they look like a shovel or something with holes in the
bott om to keep all the green skimmings off of it and after a
while it would turn into a nice amber colored molasses . And then
when they all got taken up out of the boiler , we ' d get us a cane
stal k or a wooden paddle and sop that boiler with it . Get you
a bite out of it and it ' s good and sweet and then we ' d have
dances , maybe in a little meadow somewhere away from the cane
mills . For a couple of hours .
Would your parents come?
Oh yeah . Yeah , but they usually just sit back or paid no attention to you , you know . They ' d talk among themselves and it would
be just a good social gathering , no trouble . No nothing to
bother anybody . Everybody behaved and everybody had a good time .
What kind of dances did you dance?
It was mostly just old square dances , · wasn ' t it (to his wife ) ?
They used to have one called Virginia Reel and maybe now and
then we ' d have just a regular old flat foot dancer you know .
Now my wife ' s grandfather , he was a real good hand to dance the
old time flat foot dancing . He won one of the festiva l s up on
the white top here with his dancing . He was a tall man and wore
a big white handlebar moustache and wore leather boots made like
the old frontier boots you know . And he ' d stand up just as
st r aight as he could be and them boots would click out a tune
right there on that floor while you played " Arkansas Travelle r".
That ' s the tune that he liked to dance to .
Mrs . Hash : He wore suspenders , with his thumbs through them .
Mr . Hash : Yeah .
Can you flat foot? Is it like clogging?
It ' s a little bit different from clogging .
Mrs . Hash : It ' s more flat footing than anything .
Mr . Hash : Yeah , just more or less At the Galax Fiddler ' s Convention , they have flat footing?
�Albert Hash
Tape 2 , Side
A.
Uh huh .
Q.
A.
Well what ever happened to these dances?
Wel~ ,
as time went along , the younger folks, they had to get
out away from here to go to work , to places , because there wasn ' t
any work .
Things begin to change and it was years and years that
the you ng folks , as soon as they got old enough to work on the
job, they left here .
That ' s what has hurt so bad , if they could
have all stayed around and about .
was gone about forty years .
My brother , he left here .
He
He lived in New Jersey and he c ame
back t o the upper end of Virginia .
He wanted to get back into
Vi rginia where he had some land up there .
a y ear ago , up there in Virginia .
He died last summer
That ' s where my brothers are
now , my two brothers that [are] living , they live up there , aroun d
App omatox and Linchbur g .
Q.
You were telling us ea r lier about your daughter learning how to
make inst r uments and things .
about that?
Why don ' t you tell us a little more
[That] you keep it in the family and soon will pass
it on .
A.
Well , she is· making some nice instruments now and I am trying to
teach her .
I don ' t know much about anything , butI ' m teaching her
everything I know about the instruments .
Q.
How old is she?
A.
She ' s 26 I guess now .
I raised two daughters .
what 30?
JO .
Uh , 26 , yeah
The other ' uh is ,
She lives out in Creston .
mad e a dulcimer but one is all she wanted to make .
in other ways .
She als o
She ' s gifted
She could have learned it alright but she puts
most of her spare time into church work and the teaching o f c hi ld r en .
She likes children , she has her Brownie Scouts and this
and that and the other .
But Audrey , she ' s the instrument maker
and she has two little daughters .
So Audr ey is getting ready ,
I think she is advanced in it enough now to try to make a fiddle
so I am going to fix her up for making a fiddle [ as] the next
instrument she makes .
Q.
Who are these pictures of?
A.
Mrs . Hash :
Thi s is Audrey , her husband ...
�Albert Hash
Tape 2 , Side C
Q.
Oh, goodness, I thought they were all children .
A. Mrs. Hash: This is my other daughter and her family .
Q. What do you consider yourself? A craft s man, an artist ..• ?
A. Just an old hard working country boy, (laughing) that's been a
jack of all trades and not very good at anything I ' d say. I
guess the love of work, I think has really been what put me
through so many fields of it. I like to do things and I think
anybody that's blessed with a chance to do the things, the type
of work that he wants to do and is suited for is really wonderfully blessed that way. I never think of the work that I ' ve done
as being a job . It was a pleasure to me and was - it's more or
less like going to a fiddler's convention or something like that .
It ' s been just alot of interesting things . Never was boring. At
times you know, you'll have this and that and the other, little
frustrations of one kind and another, but my work as a whole has
been really interesting and something that I looked forward to
doing and felt like that I had really been blessed by being able
to follow up the things that I wanted to work at.
Q. So many people are unhappy with what they are doing, they are not
satisfied . Like today, do you have any suggesti ons for these
kind of people .
A. I would . We never know what's on the other side of the hill
till we go over there and look . I don't ever advise anybody to
do that kind of work which he is not qualified to do or which he
doesn't want to do, despi s es to do, for that would be a very
boresome life . To have to go out and do a job every day of your
working career that you didn't like to do. Say for instance, if
I had been a doctor, now that I wouldn't have liked at all.
Q. · Even if you made twice, three times ...
A. Three times the money - that's beside the point. If you do what
you want to do, for after all , I would say happiness in what you
are doing, being satisfied in what you are doing is well worth
more than that money. I could never have been a coal miner, I
could never have been a farmer and been satisfied . The only
things I liked about farming - I liked to raise little pigs and
l \
�--- - - - ------
Albert Hash
Tape 2 , Side C
A.
Q.
A.
Q.
A.
calves and things like that you know . And I like bees that I
could keep and have . But I didn ' t care anything about any other
crops , didn ' t care enough about it to even remember from one year
to the next how much fertili z er I should buy for an acre for oats
or corn or anything. I just wa s n ' t, had no, absolutely no interest in it at all .
Well , do you think people , when you were growing up, went ahead
and did the things more that they wanted to do than people are
doing today? I know a lot of people now that are just doing
things that they really don ' t want to do .
I ' m sure that that's been true all the way along but I think this
day age with so many fields open , that that person should not
bore himself long to work at something that he doesn ' t like or
doesn ' t feel that he ' s going to be satisfied or have a growing,
big interest in , because I think he should go over on the other
side of the hill and get him something else to do . Try, try again
till you find what you ar e well qualified for .
Well , what would you think if someone wanted to start making
instruments or do some kind of carving or something , do you think
it has to be something sort of in you, a talent , or can they just
learn it?
That would help immensely, but I think that, no , every person
would not be an instrument maker . We have certain people that
are qualified for one thing . Now maybe he could paint a nice
picture , but give him a bunch of tools and he ' d only cut his
fingers with them . It would be just as different for me, say
for instance, I tried to do something with electricity , which I
cannot - I can only put batteries in a flashlight - all I know
·about electricity i s to leave it alone . My brother-in-law comes
and does everything for me like t hat , that I need . He wired this
till it works from all direction s , you know . And where ever I
have this light turned on at, I ca n turn it on from my switch
there . Now I can ' t see how he ev e r ca n learn that, so there ' s
no way that I coul d do that and I ha ve tri ed to learn it from
books and I can ' t catch onto a thing in the world . There ' s just
nothing for me to see th e r e . And as I said, I can feel it but I
�Albert Hash
Tape 2 , Side C
can ' t
see
that .
If I get into it I ' ll find out that I shouldn ' t
have been messing with it in the first place.
So let the artist
paint a picture and the craftsma n , he can do whatever type of
thing he likes to do .
another .
Some maybe would like one thing and some
But if a man likes to build houses then he wouldn ' t be
satisfied down in the coal mine somewhere .
there building a nice home for somebody .
He wants to be up
I think that a person
should keep looking till they find something that is interesting
to them and that they can be interested in all the way through
their working career .
Then it won ' t hurt you to work .
If your
work doesn ' t make you tired, it won ' t hurt you, but if you go
out to something that you have to do and it makes you tired and
you go out there with a bad outlo ok on life then I think if you
follow it up, that life is going to be short if you keep it up .
I don't think anybody should ever , at any time , should ever knuckle
down and work on something they don ' t like to do .
Our country
has too many things to offer , too many fields are open for them .
Maybe one would like to be a doctor or a dentist, another a mini ster , another a black s mith or a machinist or what have you .
they can ' t swap places .
And
You might find one once in a while that
can do these other things , but he has his own thing in the long
run that he would rather do than something else .
So I think he ' ll
live longer and be much happier .
Q.
Mr. Ha sh , are you going to play us a song?
A.
Oh, I'll make a big noise .
Q.
Well, let me ask you one more thing before you do it .
I don ' t do much playing music .
Can you
tell us any outstanding things that have happened to you that you
can r emember right off hand .
~usician
A.
Like as an instrument maker or
- particular things you remember .
I've had lots more happen in th e line of my machinist ' s work
than anything else .
Q.
A.
Machinist?
Uh huh . I ' ll tell you one story on that line .
When I worked
for Brunswick , they needed a tube ma king machine that would weld
mylore and they gave their engineers about $5 , 000 or $6,000 t o
�------
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Albert Hash
Tape 2, Side C
that thing, welding as it went, you know . It was a little piece
of inch and a quarter wide mylore and when that piece went through
there I sent it dovm to the foot of the hill, down where these
boys were working with that other and asked them if that looked
like about anything they could use (laughing). So one of the
engineers came up there in my shop you know , and my shop was only
a two-man shop . I had an apprentice boy that worked under me and
he never opened his mouth and there it was covered up with a
piece of tarp there and he wanted to borrow something . I can't
remember what it was now, but that was his excuse to get into the
shop. He thought he was going to get to see that thing. I didn't
have it, whatever it is and he went off and in a little while he
was back and he wanted to borrow something else and he paced
around here and he looked this way and he looked that way and I
could tell all the time that something was wrong you know. But
he wasn't a-going to tell me anything . And I told him I didn't
have whatever it was that he wanted that time you know, and I
didn't. It was probably something I never heard tell of, but anyhow when he made his third trip back, he said , " Would you mind
demonstrating to me how you made that piece of tubing? " I said,
"Well, I'll be glad to." And I just went and pitched that old
cover off that machine and it was a little compact rig about
that long, and I plugged it in and had to wait just a few minutes
for the heat to come on you know, so it was welding with a simple
little soldering iron that I had turned a little wheel and put
out on the hot end of it out here to roll over that mylore and
it just welded it together as pretty as you please. I had a
variak on it which regulated the amount of heat that would come
in · on it. And he got down on the floor and looked at that thing.
And he looked at it and looked at it and he said , "According to
science , this thing is not supposed to work ." I said , "According
to science a bumble bee is not supposed to fly, but it does."
And I ran him off several pieces of it. I could run it the length
of my shop which is about 60 feet and if I opened the door, I
could put . it to the end of the hill to the m dovm there , you know.
�-----Albert Hash
Tape 2, Side C
And they forgot their machine.
They never did anything more to
it, but they made me get a patent on t hat.
I didn't want a patent
on ·it, I didn't want any publicity on it or - I didn't ask any
favors.
All I wanted to do was my day's work you know.
all I ever cared about.
I didn't want any credits for anything.
"Oh, you must have a patent," they s aid.
want any patent.
That's
I said, "No, I don't
I don't ever intend to manufacture those things."
"Yeah, but you need a patent on it," they said.
I said, "No, I
wouldn't fill out a bunch of papers to get a patent on that.
I
know it's going to run into a bunch of paperwork and that I can't
stand - to hear papers rattle."
So they brought the papers up,
"Now fill these out, we want to get you a patent on that.
ought to have a patent."
And I wouldn't fill them out.
You
And they
come gathered the papers up and went and filled them out.
come back and said would you sign thi s .
And
I signed my name on it.
They gave me a dollar for my patent on it.
It belongs to Bruns-
sick but they can't ever ma nufa ctur e without my signing for it
you know,
i~
they should ever wa nt to manufacture a machine like
that, which they won't, no doub t .
But that was one - just one.
There's been many many of them.
He begins to tune his fiddle ...
Sometimes one head is as good as a do z en in something like that
and sometimes I think it is better because one man can work out,
he can work the details out on anything so much better than a
dozen can because they are all looking from a different angle at
what you are doing.
And one will see this thing and another will
see that thing and they finally agree to disagree on everything and
that's what slowed our works down a whole lot.
involved in something, it begins to drag.
If too many people
I think if you put it,
anything like that in the hand s of a f e w, y ou'll come out much
better in the long run.
And too, I believe, now I'm not downing
education in any way, you know, I think it's a wonderful thing, I
wish I could've got a lot more of it than wha t I did, but I think
people have studied too much, the y t hink t oo much, they run out
yonder and they don't see the s impler way s o f doing things.
They
go way out yonder and they come b a ck with an elaborate piece of
machinery which as I said, you could take the near cuts and do
�- ..-:·' - ... - - - - - - ..
'·
.'
Albert Hash
Tape 2, Side C
A.
just like I did.
Their machine was an impressive looking thing
but it didn't work, that was the worst part of it.
Q.
That's really something.
~.
You get too complex with things sometimes.
I think alot of our
things that we have in this day and age are that way.
that they don't work.
So much
Q.
What can be done about it?
A.
Simplify everything.
Q.
How do you get people to go along with it?
A.
It's hard to do.
Q.
Just show them like you did.
A.
That's the only way and then what are they going to take from a
Q.
man that never - I don't have any diplomas to hang up anywhere.
But you have originality.
A.
Yeah.
Q.
Alot of those people that have diplomas - they have the education
but they don't have the originality.
A.
That's what I think hurt in that case there.
They couldn't
actually see that thing working there .
Q.
You've got alot of ribbon s too .
A.
Those are the ones I got away from the judges.
fast.
Why don't you tell us about them.
I can run pretty
(laughing)
Q.
Why don't you tell us about some of those.
A.
Well, alot of hard fiddling went into those.
And alot of fun.
Got to meet alot of fiddlers, both blue grass and the old timey.
Lost many of an hour's sleep over those things.
Q.
What?
A.
No, just being there.
Worrying?
We'd go and stay all night.
·wouldn't get back until daylight, you know.
Sometimes I
And one time I got
my car off the road over back of this mountain here in the fog
and didn't make it home till about nine o'clock the next day.
I went through [a] flood to get to one of them .
Oh, I'd go fur-
ther to a fiddler's convention when I was a younger man than most
people would to elections.
Q.
What happened with that flood?
�Albert Hash
Tape 2 , Side C
A.
Oh , I got started out , [and] decided to stop over there at Sugar
Grove . I came down from the plant and was going to eat my supper,
you know , and then go on out to the fiddler ' s convention , which
was out in a place they called Adwolf over there . And I looked
back out that way and it was so dark you know and raining - Boy
it was ever more than a- storming out in there . I decided , well ,
I ' ll go on and I had my supper and I started on out through
there and I finally got to seeing water in the road and I kept
venturing along and finally at last there was nothing but water .
And the car - I didn ' t know what to do . I came to a bridge and
I didn ' t know whether the bridg e was there or not - I could see
part of the railing sticking up, you know ...
( Part of the conversation lost as the tape ran out on one side .)
..• let him pass me right here and I stopped my car and he waited
a while for me to go on but I wouldn ' t go on and he finally tried
to go on and I followed him out that road and there was water in
the fields. There was water in the road . And sometimes it was
way up towards the floor of the car and .I decided that if I ever
'
got to a place where the ground was high enough , you know that ' s
low level country out there , I will stay in that thing till this ·
water goes down and I ' ll turn it around and go back home . But
after I got to the high ground , I saw I was getting up above the
flood and I went on to the fiddler ' s convention . On that very
next morning , coming out of there , that ' s when it rained and got
so foggy I couldn ' t see . The highway wasn ' t marked , you know , and
there ' s no way in the world - I drove with my head sticking out
the window till I was drowned nearly and thought , well if I could
, get to the top of this hill , the fog will be lighter , or something
or other , and I felt my car bumping over the rocks and I ' d got
off the road on the lower side . I sat there till daylight . But
I ' d say the one fiddler ' s convention that has meant most to me
and the one little ribbon that I got from that which is about the
least , scrawniest I ' ve got - wa s the one from Galax . I ' d always
wanted to win something down t here . I got down there and I
�Albert Hash
Tape 2 , Side D
believe there was 164 fiddlers to fiddle again .
I decided well,
it looks like a slim chance of getting anything here but when I
went out there I went out for the kill you know .
stage .
Right on the
Now that was a fiddler's convention like they are supposed
to be had .
You went out and played just the one instrument , you
weren ' t backed up by a guitar or a banjo or something like that .
You went out there all by yourself and you played .
~I
really gave
it everything I had but there ' s one other fella - he had it won
befo r e he played .
Joe Greene - he ' s in television .
Has had
a lot of records with the major companies , you know , and so on .
But Joe , he went out with a flashy green suit with alot of fanc y
trimmings on it and all that stuff and they began to scream before he played you know , and naturally he got first place .
I was satisfied to get anything .
But
Now that was on about a Friday
and then I didn ' t have to play till Saturday I don't believe .
Yeah , I had to play Thursday and Saturday .
Then on Sunday morning ,
getting away towards daylight I had decided to go .
I didn ' t look
to win anything myself you kno w, but I just couldn ' t leave that
place .
Everytime I ' d start to leave , somebody would play some-
thing pretty on the fiddle up there on that stage and I ' d just
have to go back .
I started about three times to my car , you know
to leave , I ' d decide well , it can ' t hurt nothing to stay a little
longer and it ' ll be daylight a-driving home .
It had rained and
the mud was about four inche s deep there and Wayne Henderson ,
he and I had just kind of gotten out towards the side of the
stage and hunkered down in that mud resting , and we were pretty
well r eady to rest , and they began to call out the winners and
when they called my name there I couldn ' t hardly remember whether
, it was me or somebody else .
But I went up and got my r ibbon and
that I think was what helped me you know .
be as good a loser as I was winner .
But I always tried to
I never have played at any
of them and ever thought that I really deserved anything .
I
always thought the other fella' s mu s ic sounded lots better than
mine and I never - I always jus t t o ok the judges ' decision about
anything like that, but ...
�Albert Hash
Tape 2 , Side D
. ;
Q.
How do they decide?
A.
Well, they usually have three judges and they judge them on point s .
Your tuning, your performance and showmanship .
different things .
'
to judge them .
There ' s several
I ' ve judged a couple myself, you know , helped
And it is one headache .
You get about 25 up
there that all play so near alike that you couldn ' t tell any difference in them you know .
And maybe - if one doesn ' t stick out
better than the rest like a sore thumb - you just don't hardly
know who to give that to .
You can just do your utmost to be as
honest and fair and square as you can and there wouldn't be any
way that you would know exactly who should win that .
It ' ll give
you a headache .
Q.
Why don't you play a little for us now?
A.
Okay.
(Begins to tune fiddle)
Is that all you do now? Working with wood and stuff ... You don't
Q.
work at a job now .
A.
I don ' t go out to a job anymore .
October a year ago .
Q.
I haven't worked since last
I ' ve just piddled around here and so on .
Get in Ethel's way while she ' s working .
Well, do peep.le come i.;_ pretty often to get you to show them
p
how to make something?
A.
Oh yeah , I give alot of advice .
age , David Sturgill?
If you remember a fella about my
David has a_,guitar factory down here in
Allegheny County and it ' s quite a factory too .
hundreds of guitars a year there .
He can manufacture
He had two boys , Johnny and
Danny, twin boys, that helped him and he takes ih apprentices ,
which are students that want to learn the makircg of instruments
and they work in there .
He starts them out in the rougher works
and then wo rks them up tc where they can handle the finished product s you kno w.
Alot of these young folks come up from his fac-
tory there, boys and girls .
He dcesn 't fool much with violins
you know and they like to learn something about violins , about
violin making, and so on and I tell them how it ' s all done and
show them and I always hav e them in all stages of completion and
give them a good start on hew to make one .
I made one for one of
the boys down there - a real good instrument.
It turned out real
�:·
Albert Hash
Tape 2, Side D
good and he really treasures it . I always have names for my
instruments you know . I name them after my grandchildren and
this and that and the ether . This one particular one I felt kind
of, I had tried it out , I try them out before I put the varnish
on and this was a good instrument and I said what am I going to
narr,e this one? And then he came to me " vlhy don ' t you name it
something appropriate? " I said okay I ' 11 just ca l l it the Screaming.
Witch . (laughing) And so I named it the Screaming Witch and when
I finished it , I finished it in blood red . Oh , it was red , that
fiddle .
Q.
A.
Q.
A.
You named it after your wife? (laughter)
She claimed I did . But I didn ' t think of her just then . I
thought she was pretty clever to think about it . ( laughter ) But
I had named mandolins and banjos and this and that and the other
after my grandchildren . He really likes his instrument and he ' s
doing good on playing it . I get to teach him a wh6le lot about
the making of the instrt..ment~; and so on . And too , I will hunt
him up and give him the wood .
Well , would you take on somebody as an apprentice?
Uh , I couldn ' t hardly , if I intended to do that on any big scale ,
I wouldn ' t mir.d doing that . But since I don ' t have any more
stock or any more room than I do , why I ' ll tell them anything that
I can to help them out but I wouldn ' t have enough work at all to
get it to that big a thing . Because I like to keep it to where
it would just be , more or less , a hobby and a pleasur e . But if
I went into it as a way to make money out of it then I could do
it , but I don ' t care if I make any money out of it or not . So I
just make them you know . I like to teach them . I always figured
that the best thing s c f life were t he free things c>.nd if I can
pass on anything that I have happened to stagger on and learn to
somebody else that will help them , I ' ve done nothing other than
my duty .
Mrs . Hash : He make s alot of tapes for these people that come from
all around that make tapes of him a-playing the old time tunes
you know . So they can learn from ttat , don ' t you Albert?
�- - -·- - - -
Albert Ha s h
Tape 2 , Side D
A.
Q.
A.
Yeah . To help t hem to l e a rn to play the fiddle . Because they
like the old traditi onal way of pla ying . I had a gr eat uncle that
was a fiddler and one of the be st . He could play the best of
anybody I have ever heard and he ~a s a l ong , tall , straight fella ,
wore a vest and he ' d but ton tha t v est up t c th e last button and
then he ' d pull it back and stick that fiddle back there . That ' s
the way he held it and he ' d just miss hi s face with that bow just
by a very littl e , you know a nd how h e could play one of them .
.. i inaudible s ection of tape} .. He could heat anybody I ' d ever heard
of . I ' d of liked to hear him when he wa s younger and r eally active
in playing .
Well , do you like classical music with the violins?
I like violin music of any kind but the only music that I understand , now I don ' t know a note in music, not one note do I know .
It ' s just the music of the mountains here , the music that I was
brovght up with a s I came along and heard these old fiddlers
playing . I learned that and then the blue grass came along , I
decided to learn that and then I decided I didn ' t want to learn
it , that I wanted to keep my old traditional kind of music as pure
and as unadulturated as I possibly could . I don ' t try to learn
blue grass , I don't try to learn any of t he new stuff that comes
out . I just keep back and I ' ve got records , I ' ve got hundreds of
records you know . Several hundred of them of fiddlers from all
over this country and even some from out of it . But unless it ' s
my kind , I don ' t pay any attention to it much . I like to hear it
now , just for entertainment , but I don't try to learn it , any of
it because every locality had its bunch of tunes and I have several of the old original tunes from around here . I have one
from down here [in] Crumpler, North Carolina , that ' s just over the
line . You know , my grandfather had a cousin that was a lady
fiddler and she played a tune called "Nancy Blevins" and he
danced , he was two years old and still wearing a dress like little
boys wore back in the old days . And he danced with his dress on
to the tune of " Nancy Blevins" and he told me about it and I
heard a fella play it one time and I got him to teach me this s o
I could remember i t on account of t ha t and one about the
�Albert Hash
Tape 2 , Side D
.. ~ inaudible section of tape} .. I know that one too and then I was
acquainted with alot of the older musicians.
Henry Whittier was
a r ecording artist and I played with him after his buddy GB Grayson
was · killed .
He got killed in action , I [had] played with him
and Whittier , he (Whittier) was one of the early recording artists you know .
He recorded in , I believe it was Camden or Trenton ,
New Jersey and then someplace in Georgia then , Atlanta , Georgia
I believe it was .
We were going to record some records at that
time , I was only a lad , but Mr . Whittier ' s health got bad and he
finally wound up in the institution you know and died right away .
And I never have had any desire to make records or anything .
They are at me he r e lately and I recorded , well I recorded alot
for the Library of Congress , but I never wanted to go out and p l ay
musi c for a living or go on the road with it .
That would have
made a job out of it and I didn ' t want that and I didn ' t want to
make records .
I have had several bands together that could have
cut some good records you know .
But we didn ' t
care enough about
it to go ahead and do it because - well , [we] just didn ' t do it
fo r that reason you know .
It wasn ' t a money making thing .
never think of it as something to make money with .
I
Right lately
I have recorded two tunes that - You people may have run into him
somewhere or other ,
(name inaudible) who
recorded for the Library of Congress and he got at me to record
some .
There ' s about , (to his wife) what , about 16 or 18 different
ones?
that pla;ed tunes on this one album that he was trying to
gather up of the mountain music .
And I played two tunes on that
which will be on Rounder Records .
And t he paperwork [and] the
contracts - just signed [them] and didn ' t mess with them , y ou know .
A~d
then this mountain record , we have practiced to make an album
for mountain rec ords .
He wants the old tunes that hardly anybody
every plays any:no re . And I ' ve g ot about twelve or fourteen tunes
of that kind t ha t we ' l l put on that r e cord with the old five st r uments like they had back t hen , you know .
That should be a
p retty good ' un for them that want to learn the old time music
b e c ause it will be in its purity .
There won ' t be any half played
�- - - - ---- -- --
----
Al be rt Hash
Tape 2 , Side D
stuff in it or anything .
I don ' t mean that I ' m any great fiddler
o r anything , but it will be , the notes u sed in the right way ...
( tuning his fiddle )
'
So when we get that done , we should have had it already , but the
weather ' s been so bad up here and we ' d have to go down to Galax
to this fella ' s recording facilities . And he ' s getting old .
Q.
I don ' t understand about the Library of Congress .
are recording for it?
A.
Yeah , they have this big library of recorded music and folk
I mean , you
music , folk lore and what have you , you know , and that is just
like a book library in a way .
Q.
It ' s up here in Washington , D. C.
Ma r ion - I r emember they were here in Asheville and Columbia .
J ane - No , I didn ' t know that , I never heard a thing about it .
A.
And you can go there .
If you should go there and say I would
like to hear a tune by or some music by Albert Hash , they can
hunt that up right quick and play it for you .
And too , alot of
it is kept kind of as a record would be kept .
So much of i t
goes into cylinders and is deposited in certain safe keeping
vaults to be 'played , say if time should go on , in a thou sand
y ears from now , it ' ll still be ready to play .
They came over
here , to Wayne Hender s on ' s father , Walter Henderson , he was an
old time fiddler and they recorded quite a bit of him .
And Slim
Ball , you ' ve probably heard his gospel ...
Mrs . Hash :
Mr . Hash :
E . C. Ball I guess you might know him by .
Yeah .
Music from him and his wife .
They reco r ded
alot , years ago , for the Library of Congress . Now they are re co r ding alot on their own . They live just across the hills ther e .
Q.
How long ago did you do this for the Library of Congress?
A.
Six or seven years ago .
( tuning his fiddle)
Q.
The bow is not made out of horsehair , is it?
Oh , this last one was last summer .
(laughing )
Did you catch the horse?
A.
They have tried everything , even fiberglas s , nylon , rayon and
everything else to try to make bows , but nothing will work like
that ho r se hair .
'i
�•.
Albert Hash
Tape 2 , Side D
Q.
Well, I thought you just did that, that you didn ' t really know
it was horsehair .
~twas
A.
No ,
~
that I got acquainted with at the arts and crafts festival .
horsehair .
There ' s a lady who has a bunch of horses
In
grooming her horses , she cut out alot of their tails and she sent
me a r oll of horsehair - oh , that big around .
Mrs . Hash :
Mr . Hash :
Alot of it was too short wasn ' t it?
Uh huh .
To fill these bows is quite a little trick ,
to put the hair in them you know .
And keep it straight .
Q.
It doesn ' t need to be white horsehai r though?
A.
No , it can be black or it can be a sorrel or bay o r any kind ,
as long as it ' s horsehair it does the same .
Q.
You made that too ( referring to the bow)?
A.
No , I didn ' t make the bow . We don ' t have a native wood s u itable
fo r mak ing the bows . This bow stick must be a ve r y stro·ng wood
to stand the pressure of that hair and still hold its shape in
here .
Now , I ' ve made bows out of rosewood but we don ' t have a
native wood that is suitable for making a fiddle bow .
You either
get , some people pronounce it Perna'mbico and some Pernamb~k~ wood .
It ' s f r om , it ' s Brazil wood to make the bows out of and most of
the bows that are made are imported .
[There are] not any bow-
makers in this country I ' d say that amount to anything .
do have some first class violin makers around about .
But we
Two that I
know of , one that I was acquainted with was Scott Herman , he was
a German fel l a that had a violin shop in Washington , D.C.
When
I was up there he wanted me to work with him but I was tied up
there with that Navy .
with him up there .
I would have given anything to have worked
He ' d go and open that vault up where he had
his inst r uments and he had some out .
The wood was , I believe he
said the wood was five or six hundred years old . Some of the boys
had sent him some wood out the Abbey of Cocina , one the of the
spruce beams from the Second World War when they tore the mona stery down over there .
was .
This monastery in Italy , I believe it
They sent him some wood and he had made the top
(inaudible ) out of that wood and he was getting about $1400 . each
for the fiddles made out of that then , you know .
Work wasn ' t so
�Albert Hash
Tape 2 , Side D
high as it is now ...
(tuning his fiddle)
Now I may be stiffer than an old working mule for I ' ve not tried
to play any since I was over to the college ...
Continued on Tape 3 - playing his music .
�
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian Oral History Project Interviews
Description
An account of the resource
In 1973, representatives from Appalachian State University (ASU) began the process of collecting interviews from Watauga, Avery, Ashe, and Caldwell county citizens to learn about their respective lives and gather stories. From the outset of the project, the interviewers knew that they were reaching out to the “last generation of Appalachian residents to reach maturity before the advent of radio, the last generation to maintain an oral tradition.” The goal was to create a wealth of data for historians, folklorists, musicians, sociologists, and anthropologists interested in the Appalachian Region.
The project was known as the “Appalachian Oral History Project” (AOHP), and developed in a consortium with Alice Lloyd College and Lees Junior College (now Hazard County Community College) both in Kentucky, Emory and Henry College in Virginia, and ASU. Predominately funded through the National Endowment for the Humanities, the four schools by 1977 had amassed approximately 3,000 interviews. Each institution had its own director and staff. Most of the interviewers were students.
Outgrowths of the project included the Mountain Memories newsletter that shared the stories collected, an advisory council, a Union Catalog, photographs collected, transcripts on microfilm, and the book Our Appalachia. Out of the 3,000 interviews between the three schools, only 663 transcripts were selected to be microfilmed. In 1978, two reels of microfilm were made available with 96 transcripts contributed by ASU.
An annotated index referred to as The Appalachian Oral History Project Union Catalog was created to accompany the microfilm. The catalog is broken down into five sections starting with a subject topic index such as Civilian Conservation Corps, Coal Camps, Churches, etc. The next four sections introduced the interviewees by respective school. There was an attempt to include basic biographic information such as date of birth, location, interviewer name, length of interview, and subjects discussed. However, this information was not always consistent per school.
This online project features clips from the interviews, complete transcripts, and photographs. The quality and consistency of the interviews vary due to the fact that they were done largely by students. Most of the photos are missing dates and identifying information.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Collection 111. Appalachian Oral History Project Records, 1965-1989
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1965-1989
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed.
Hash, Albert
Interview Date
2/5/1976
Number of pages
48 pages
Date digitized
9/19/2014
File size
32.7MB
Checksum
alphanumeric code
f115dd3ecdebb91ef91196e20b9b7f4c
Scanned by
Tony Grady
Equipment
Epson Expression 10000 XL
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Copyright for the interviews on the Appalachian State University Oral History Collection site is held by Appalachian State University. The interviews are available for free personal; non-commercial; and educational use; provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian State Collection 111. Appalachian Oral History Project Records; 1965-1989; W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection; Special Collections; Appalachian State University; Boone; NC). Any commercial use of the materials; without the written permission of the Appalachian State University; is strictly prohibited.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
AC.111 Appalachian Oral History Project Records; 1965 - 1989
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
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111_tape337_AlbertHash_transcript_M
Title
A name given to the resource
Interview with Albert Hash [Feburary 5, 1976]
Language
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English
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Document
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Hash, Albert
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Oral History Project Interviews, 1965-1989" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/195" target="_blank">Appalachian Oral History Project Interviews, 1965-1989</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Appalachian Region, Southern--Social life and customs--20th century
Violin--Construction--Appalachian Region, Southern
Clock and watch making--Appalachian Region, Southern
Hash, Albert
Description
An account of the resource
Albert Hash began making things out of wood at a young age. He had a dream as a child about making a fiddle, and did the best he could with the tools he had and a plank of wood. He continued to perfect his wood-working and carving skills and began to make more instruments. He also worked in clock making, farmed for a short time, and went to school for mechanical engineering.
Albert Hash
Alexandria
Ashe County
banjos
Brunswick
childhood dances
clock making
clocks
corn shucking
curly maple
David Sturgill
farming
fiddle
fiddle making
Fiddler's Convention
flat footing
guitar making
Havre-De-Grace
Lansing
Library of Congress
machine shop
machinist
mandolins
mechanical engineering
Richmond Fair
Ringling Brothers Circus
Smithsonian Institute
Sprague Electric Company
spruce
square dancing
Sugar Grove
Timberline Magazine
Virginia
Virginia Reel
Virginia Supply Company
walnut wood
Wayne Henderson
White Top Mountain
wood carving
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/a9de651cc2dc310eed78d533fb4541cd.pdf
3425a522b8e1f54758666b061dfc7733
PDF Text
Text
AOHP #35^
<
Page 1
This is an interview with Mrs. Ollie Blackburn at
Todd by Joy Lamm for the Appalachian Oral History Project
on March 9, 1973.
Q:
I already introduced you, but you might tell us
how old you are and how long you've been living
here.
A:
Well I was reared in Watauga County.
Q:
Were you?
A:
Right up here.
What part of Watauga County?
Todd was our post office, but we
'uz back up where that girl's camp is.
Do you
know where it is up the creek there as you come
down here"?
I don't guess you do.
Q:
Interlaken?
A:
Yeah, we lived right on up the creek there.
where I grew up.
family.
JN
That's
there was twelve of us in the
One died when he was little.
Daddy raised eleven of us.
Momma 'n
Seven girls 'n three
boys.
Q:
When were you born?
A:
I was born in 1&92.
Q:
That sounds like a long time to some of us.
A:
Does sound like a long time to young folks, but it
�2.
don't seem so long to me.
Don't seem like it's been
near as long as it has been.
Q:
So did you always live in this part of the . . .?
A:
I grew up there 'n then after I got out a school,
I left 'n went down to Cherryville, Worth Carolina.
I'se engaged to Ed when the war come on.
to the war.
He volunteered 'n went on.
' /fe went
' 'Tlien I
went to Cherryville 'n worked till he came back.
Got married, 'n then we"' moved to Virginia.
lived in Virginia.
We
But when we were growing up,
we didn't have things like we have now in the mountain.
I've helped my Daddy roll logs, 'n if we'd saved
our timber till a few years back we'd a been a
millionaire.
But we just rolled our timber up 'n down
in the valley 'n set fire to it when it got dry 'n
just burnt it all away up the valley.
Q:
When you were clearing out the pasture - land?
A:,: When we were clearing our land up there, yes.
Just
had about an acre of clear land when my daddy built the
house on the land.
a man.
He had 57 acres.
I worked like
Daddy when he'd start to work, he'd say,
"Come on, boys.
Let's go to work."
We didn't have
no boys until all the seven girls was grown.
we had any boys.
Q:
And then they had the three boys?
Before
�3.
A:
Yes, had three boys.
I don't know anything in the
world to tell about how I grew up.
We just worked for
a livin.
Q:
One of the things I was interested in was whether
girls were treated differently than boys when you were
growing up.
A:
Well, not that I know of.
Q:
Did you go to school just like
A:
We went to school just like the boys, exactly. 'N
we all played together at school.
have any colored people.
Of course we didn't
There's never been any colored
people lived right around here.
My grand-daddies,
on both sides, I guess, had slaves, ya know.
stayed with 'em after they was freed.
But they
They stayed with
'em till they died.
Q:
They did have slaves.
Where did they get their
slaves?
A:
Well, I don't know.
I guess they bought 'em.
I don't
know.
Q:
Did you ever hear any stories about
A:
No, I never did hear any stories, but I used to go to
my great grand-daddies'.
them?
I mentioned my
�grand-daddy, but they lived with my great grand*-daddy
ya know.
An old colored man lived there"n an old
colored lady was there.
We used to love 'em just like
we loved the white people.
We never thought about
pushin 'em around or anything.
I mean their children did.
But they soon left.
There used to be a liauor
still just about a half a mile, I guess, from our house.
Maybe a mile from our house.
People went 'n bought
their liouor from the still.
It was government still
then, ya know.
Q:
How long did it stay in operation?
A:
Well
it went out 'a operation in a little while after-
I must have been about 12 years old when he cult.
don't know whether it 'uz outlawed then or not
ouit.
But he had the still.
I
why he
My daddy used to bring
liouor in a peck bucket f n they'd drink it with a dipper.
Q:
Did your daddy help make it then?
A:
No, he wouldn't make it at all, but he;d buy it.
bought it for a long time.
ouit buying it.
He got saved though 'n
We used to go to parties.
People
loved each other better then than they do now.
they were closer.
He
Neighbors were closer.
I mean
�Q:
Why do you think that was?
A:
Well. I don't know why.
There's just so much more
to be Interested in, I guess, than they was then.
But we'd maybe all the whole family'd go to a
neighbor's house.
We'd play games that night
till midnight and come home and go to bed.
Sometimes
we'd go to one of the homes 'n have a da,nce.
daddy played.
My granddaddy played the violin 'n
my daddy played the banjo.
nicked the banjo too.
Q:
My
One a my neighbors
We had plenty of music.
Would all the little children 'n everything join
in?
A:
Yeah, they'd go with us.
Well, everybody'd just
have a good time.
Q:
What kind of games did you play?
A:
Well- we just played dancing games.
partner, ya know.
a Dartner.
Steal your
We'd get in .the corners 'n get
And we wanted another partner we'd dance
over to this one 'n take it away from that one.
it 'uz really fun.
Oh
(laughter)
Q:
Did the girls steal partners from the . . . .?
A:
Yeah, the girls would steal the boy 'n the boys the
�6.
girls, ya see.
Q:
That could get pretty wild.
A:
Then we'd go back to our corner, but by the time we
got back somebody 'ud be stealin our partner again.
That's really a game that's fun.
of the time.
We had to work.
We worked most
Not many of the girls
in our community had to work like we did in our
family 'cause we didn't have no boys.
just like boys.
We had to work
But we got along good.
We all loved
each other 'n love each other right on.
One brother
died when he was thirty-some years old.
And he's
the only one of the family that's died.
Q:
Do the rest of them still live around here?
A:
No. I'm the only one that lives in this community.
They're scattered.
Some of 'em live in Gaston County
'n some in Avery County.
Q:
When you were going to school or when you were growin
up were you taught that women had a certain place in
life?
A:
No.
Never heard tell of such a thing.(laughter)
Q:
Really?
Did you have any kind of ambition of what
you wanted to do with your life?
�7
A:
Oh, I wanted to be a nurse.
be a nurse.
All my life I wanted to
But we didn't have money enough, and
we's back in the sticks
n I couldn't start out here
on a wagon or a. buggy to go to Winston or Charlotte
or somewhere to get a job.
I didn't go.
But
they got the college at Boone "n a lot of our people
went to school and got a good education.
I went
to a church school over at Valle Crucis.
Q:
Well
that was ouite a trip, wasn't it?
Did you
live over there?
A:
No,
We went in a steer wagon over there one time.
When we got over there, we had a good time.
But
my sister, (she went with me), she got homesick she
ran a.way 'n come home.
. years there.
I liked it.
I stayed three
It was an industrial school, ya know.
They taught us to do everything.
Taught us to make
walks around the houses, the school rooms, from
one dormitory to the other.
They just taught us how
to do lots of things that workin people had to do.
I learned a lot. didn't learn too much in books. I
don't guess.
Q:
How old were you when you went to school over there?
A:
I'se 16.
�Q:
And how long did you stay?
A:
I stayed 3 years.
Q:
And so that was really kind of like a college.
I
mean it was after your regular schools.
A:
Yes.
Q:
Where there boys and girls together?
A:
Yes, no, they just kept girls.
school.
It 'uz a girls
But they had day students that came in.
They had boys in the day school.
There wasn't no
boys that board there.
Q:
Did they teach you anything about nursing?
A:
They taught us first aid, 'n things like that.
About what they teach in the elementary school now
They taught us how to sew, how to embroider, how to
keep a clean house.
'N it don't look like I learned
much, does it?(laughter)
Q:
Well did you date fellows when you were in school
over there?
A:
Yeah.
Every/time a fellow 'ud come 'n wanna date us
we'd date 'em.
in a while.
We didn't get to date only just onc>e
We'd have from seven o'clock till nine
�9
of the evening to entertain our boy friends.
Our
boyfriends could come see us of the day and we'd go
take a walk.
a. buggy.
We didn't have nothing to ride in. but
We'd take a buggy ride once in a while.
Wadn't no cars then.
Just about the year I guess
that I left, why cars began to pass.
Q:
I wanted to ask you your opinion on some things and
then I'd like to talk to you some more about your
past.
Well, maybe I'll ask you this first.
How long
did you and Reverend Ed court before you were married?
A:
Eleven years.
Q:
Eleven?
A:
That's the reason he's all the time telling us we
My Lord.
got no business a being in a hurry.
Q:
Did y'all live in the same community?
A:
Yes.
Just about two and a half miles from here to
my house.
Q:
How old were you when you got married?
A:
Twenty-five.
Q:
Was there any special reason why you waited so long?
A:
Well
I didn't wanna get married 'n I don't guess
he did.
He must not because he went - a.fter we
�1Q
were engaged we were to be married.
Well, we hadn't
set any date when he volunteered for the army.
'N he changed his mind when he went - or he tells
that.
He stayed over in France 'n he got to be
an alcoholic.
He was a drunkard, he wasn't an
alcoholic, but he drank.
'N he liked it so good
over there - those girls, ya know, those pretty
French girls - he thought he wanted to live there
forever.
He tells that tale now.
When he got dis-
charged, he wanted to come home, ya know.
knew he wouldn't a gonna be happy.
But he
That he 'uz goin
back over there just as quick as - I don't know,
3 months I guess, leave they got - discharged 'n
then if they'd re-enlist before they came out that
they could have that long a time to go back.
aimed to go back he said.
He
But I was at Cherryville
when he came home 'n he wrote me a card from New
York - he knew I was at Cherryville - 'n told me to
be at home 'n what time he'd be at home, ya know.
I wrote 'n told him that I'd not be at home, I wasn't
gonna hunt him up.
wanted to come.
He could come after me if he
So I just stayed down there.
So
he did, quick as he got home - he spent one night
at home 'n here he come on down there.
married down there.
We got
�133.
Q:
Very shortly after that?
A:
The very next day after he come home.
Q:
The next day?
A:
The next day after he come out a the war.
Q:
And he never did get back to France?
A:
No.
He didn't go back."
He said after he seen me
he *uz contented to stay with me.
up in the pulpit.
He tells that
He preaches to these men, ya
know, about treatin their wives right, about lovin
their wiy.es.
'N he tells 'em if they love'em like
they ought to t.hat.
, «n then he tells that,
ya know, how when he saw me, he didn't wanna go
back to France.
But that 'uz just a tale he told.
So we moved from here then after we got married.
We moved to West Virginia, but he was sick with
T.B. when they discharged him from the army.
I
guess we lived in Virginia two years "n he had to
quit work there.
The doctors told him to go out
in the open 'n fish 'n hunt 'n rest.
Q:
Is that when he went in the Baptist Hospital?
A:
No.
He's sick.
in the Veteran's Hospital a year.
He stayed
A year and four
days, I think, that he'uz in the Veteran's Hospital
before they discharged him.
touch of it since.
But he's n^ver had a
�12.
Q:
When you all got married did you kinda divide up the
chores?
A:
Well, I helped him do everything that he had to do
'n he helped me.
wash dishes.
He helped me do everything except
He didn't wanna wash disheis 'n he
don't yet hardly.
He'll pile the dished up to the top
of the sink 'fore he'll wash 'em. (laughter)
Q:
What are some of the things that he helped ya do?
A:
.Things he helped me do?
Well, he'd make up our bed
every mornin when we got up 'n always made the fires
n 1 started the stove to cook.
He swept the livin
room 'n the kitchen 'n the dinin room nearly everytime.
He's always helped me.
field with him.
'N then I'd go to the
When we got our work done here I'd
go and help set out cabbage.
Q:
So he'd help you get everything done and then you all
would go together.
A:
Yes.
If we had to make a fence why I'd go with him
'n make a fence.
Q:
That must have been wonderful to be together like
that.
A:
It was wonderful.
We've had a wonderful life, 'n
we didn't either one kill ourself with work.
�13.
Q:
Were you raised to believe that you should share all
your tasks?
A:
Sure.
My mother always did it.
Q:
Your mother and father used to work together like that?
A:
Yes.
Well, my daddy, I don't guess he ever washed the
dishes even when Mama was in the bed.
help her do anything of her work.
He never did
But I was the
oldest child of the twelve 'n I had a lot 'a that to
do.
They were married in 1$90.
Maybe a year later.
I was born in 1$92.
Q:
Was your husband raised in a different kind of family
where the husband did help his wife in the home?
I
mean did his ma and daddy do like you all?
A:
I don't know.
Ed's mother never worked out anywhere,
done any 'a his work except milk the cows.
had four or five cows to milk.
They always
She always helped him
milk the cows.
Q:
Well don't you think that helps people stay close together when they work together like that?
A:
Sure.
This here woman a goin this way to work 'n man a
goin that way to work, comin in 'n the woman give tee
totally out when she comes in.
Why, my gosh.
see how people take it. (laughter)
I don't
�14.
Q:
Well, you're describing me.
I don't know how they
do either.
A:
No.
I don't see how they - I think they get farther
'n farther apart.
We have to counsel with people -
just everyday or two we have people comin.
The man
or the woman one- or the children a comin to us 'n
tellin us they just can't make it any longer the way
they do.
The husband will
come 'n the wife's come
in before him maybe 'n dressed again'n gone somewhere
with the children.
'N the man comes in - Well, I
went the other day, they called us to come to a
home 'n when we got there the man was sittin there
eatin some applesauce 'n bread, I reckon - no
cookie, it 'uz a Graham cracker.
he had for supper.
for supper.
Now that's what
He told me that 'uz what he had
They don't have any home life.
think the place for women is in the home.
I
I know -
in a few cases, I think, it'd be all right for the
woman to work - where the husband 'uz dead or an
invalid or somethin.
Maybe he wasn't quite an
invalid, but he 'uz able to take care of the
children while she worked, 'n they could get along
'n love each c.ther like they ought to.
ya, it's destroyin the world.
People tell me they
can't live without they all work.
enough.
But, I tell
Can't make
�.15,
(At this point on the tape, Mr. Blackburn comes
into the room and makes a comment about working in
the mines.)
Q:
Did you work in the mines?
A:
I used to.
Q:
Where did you work?
A:
Oh, Kentucky 'n Virginia, West Virginia.
Q:
Did you really?
A:
I did for years.
Q:
Where in Kentucky and Virginia?
A:
At Jenkins.
Q:
Well I've got to talk to you^.about that .sometime
because I've got<friends over in Pippa Passes,
which is in Knott County, pretty close to Jenkins.
A:
Yeah.
Jenkins is in Letcher County.
Q:
When were you workin in the mines?
A:
Oh, I've forgotten, honey.
It's been so long.
(Mrs. B.) He went to the mines when we got married
That's where we bought our home in Virginia.
Coeburn, Virginia.
�16,
Q:
Oh, you worked in Coeburn then?
A:
Yes, we bought our home there'n lived there till we
had 2 children.
Q:
I'd really like to talk to y'all about this.
point, a neighbor arrives.
(At this
Several minutes of the tape
is conversation between the Blackburns and their
neighbor.
Comment is made about A.S.U.)
(Mr.) I used to sell meal to the college at Boone.
Q:
Did you grind the meal?
A:
(Mre)' I did grind it.
Bought the corn-big trailer
loads-'n ground it 'n sold it to 'em.
I'd go up 'n
sell 'em meal 'n eat dinner with 'em.
Q:
Where was your mill?
A:
It was over at Todd.
Todd used to be a big place.
Railroads 'n banks 'n drug stores.
(Mrs.) Washed away.
(Mr.) Used to be a railroad in here, darlin.
Q:
Is that what brought in the drug
A:
That's what brought it in.
here.
stores and banks?
We had numbers of stores
It's what broke us up.
Come in 'n hauled
everything off we had 'n left us sittin high 'n dry.
Q:
What did they haul off?
�17,
A:
Lumber, all of our fine lumber.
(Mrs.) Tannin bark, stove wood . . . .
(Mr.) Yeah, everything we had. Left us sittin dry.
(Mrs.) Came in on us like the mining business,
Q:
Did ya not get fair prices?
A:
(Mr.) Yeah, I guess.
No, not fair.
dollar meant something then.
But you know a
Now we get eighteen,
twenty, twenty-two dollars a day for workin.
We
worked ten hours 'n got a dollar 'n a half.
150
an hour.
Q:
Did you have the great big old trees?
A:
(Mrs.) Oh mercy.
(Mr.) Four foot through, darlin.
around.
'N twelve foot
Oh, chestnuts, ya know, in piles. Big,
brown chestnuts.
Q:
Chestnuts would grow that big?
A:
(Mr.) Oh, yes ma'am.
Four foot across 'em.
I can
take ya up here on our land and show ya chestnut
stumps that's four feet across.
Couldn't saw 'em.
The saw 'uz so big they'd have to saw down this way 'n
turn 'em in.
Honey, ya can't understand.
(Mrs.)
Alec, his daddy, 'ud be a millionaire if he had that
timber to sell now, that he sold off 'a this place here.
�18.
Q:
Do you know the name of the company or companies?
A:
(Mr.) It was the J. Walter Wright Lumber Company in
Mountain City, Tennessee.
In Bristol, really.
they was other companies in here.
bought a lot of the lumber.
an individual.
any company.
'N
Mr. Charlie Steele
He's from Lenoir.
He's just
So far as I know he didn't go by
He just went by his own personal name,
but he bought lots 'a timber.
Q:
Well now, when was this?
A:
Oh, I don't know.
in
In '24 (Neighbor) Train come up here
1916.
Q:
And when did it go out?
A:
(Neighbor) Did it go out in '36?
(Mr.) I don't know.
(Neighbor) Wasn't it 20 years it 'uz supposed to run?
Q:
So it went through part of the Depression then, didn't
it?
It kept running?
A:
(Mrs.) Yes.
Q:
Well what did they use the wood for?
A:
(Mr.) No.
Do you know?
They'd extract, make tanning acid. Took
it over here to Damascus 'n ground it up 'n made acid out
of it. Make moccasins . . . .
�19.
(Mrs.) Take cowhides 'n all kind 'a hides 'n made
shoes.
We could 'a been rich in this country if
we hadn't loved our dirt so good we wouldn't sell
nobody an acre of it.
SIDE II
Q:
Would you have wanted the furniture factories here?
A:
(Mr.) Yeah, I guess I would have wanted 'em in them
days 'n would 'a still would, I guess.
Q:
Would you want to give up you land?
A:
(Mr.) No. I wouldn't give 'em a inch.
I guess.
the way it is.
(Mrs.) That's
That's the way everybody felt about
it.
Q:
I get so concerned.
I guess particularly since I
never had a place, and to be able to see this land
and to see it going.
A:
(Mr.) You love it, honey?
Q:
Oh, yes.
The fact that it's all being built on,
and bulldozed down.
A:
Once its gone, its gone.
(Mr.) It's gone forever, little girl.
Mama 'n me
'uz trying to keep our little piiot here for our
children.
We got five children.
We just got
27 acres, but we hope we can keep it.
�20.,
(Mrs.)
so what?
Q:
Are all your children still around here?
A:
(Mrs.) No.
One of 'em lives in Ashe County.
One
lives in Abingdon, Virginia; one in Virginia Beach,
Virginia; one in Moorestown, New Jersey; and one
in Cherryville.
Q:
Do they feel about land like you do?
A:
(Mr.) Feel worse than we do.
(Mrs.) Law, they're
worse than us about this mountain land.
(Mr.) I
told my little daughter, I said,"I can sell our land
now 'n divide upp the money 'n Ma 'n me go to the
rest home."
'N our little daughter 'said, "Not a
spoonful 'a mine ' 1 be sold."
1
Didn't wanna sell
a spoonful.
Q:
So they hope to come back here?
A:
They're plannin on comin back.
Our little boy-
lives in Virginia Beach- he'll soon be retirin.
He's a printer for the United States government.
'N we've got a little boy in Cherryville.
for Carolina Freight.
He drives
He hadn't got many more years
'n he wants to come back.
They wanna come back now.
'N our little daughter in New Jtersey -she's a librarian.
She's got a model librarian/ I don't know what
-" you'd call it' where teahcers come in.
She teaches
�21,
them.
'N our little daughter in Ashe Gounry -she
married a sanitarian -she teaches school.
Ma 'n
me's SO years old, 'n I'm a preacher 'n she's my helper.
Q:
Well that's what we were talkin about.
I thought
it was so wonderful the way she said you all did
things together here in the house then you would go
out 'n work together.
A:
She asked me what I thought - if back when we were young
'n able to work - what I thought about the people that
leave home goin off to work, women out 'a the home again
to work.
I told her it had ruined the country.
It has.
(Mr.) If they'd come home 'n stay at home I'd get me a
job.
(Mrs.) You've got a job. One that keeps ya busy 24
hours a day. That's the truth.
(Neighbor leaves)
Q:
Let me ask you something that you do know a lot about,
and that's raising children.
you're a good mother?
How do you know when
What do you think it takes to be
a good mother?
A:
(Mrs) Well, I couldn't tell you that.
I've never
been one. (laughter)
Q:
How do you know if you're raising your children right?
�22.
A:
(Mrs.) Well, ya don't.
(Mr.) That's easy.
'em.
Get the Book 'n read the Bible to
Ya don't know if they'll take it, but that's
the way we raised ours.
Niarly every night, read the
Bible 'n prayed with 'em, put 'em to bed. 'N God sent
'em all out to good jobs.
fine people.
All
All have good jobs 'n all
Christian people.
At home they'll
pray with us.
(Mrs.) I had to paddle some of 'em pretty much.
didn't never do Ben any good.
I had to use a good switbh
on him. He'd do anything in the world.
psychology on that fellow.
wife has to.
Spanking
You had to use
'N you have to now.
His
I'd give him a whippin, but I can see now
if 'a had time to have been reasonable, 'n reasoned
with him 'n let him understood what it meant to be a
doin that, why I think I could 'a done more with him.
But when I'd get through whippin him he'd say, "Now
go to the church 'n shout tonight!"
Lots of others
would 'a thought 'Law, I've plum ruined him now. I
know I've ruined him.'
'N I'd say, "Well honey, I'll
have to because I know that I've done my duty."
'N that'd settle him down.
Q:
Well do people raise children differently today?
A:
(Mrs.) Well, the children raise their parents now, the
way I see it.
�23,
Q:
What do you mean by that?
A:
(Mrs.) Well, they just do what the children say.
(Mr*) Ma 'n me 'uz the boss among our babies till
they's married.
Sweethearts 'ud come here 'n I'd
say, "You boys goin to church?
church.
We're goin to
You can go to church or sit here till we
get back.
My girls is a goin to church this mornin."
'N they'd usually go.
big jobs.
Now they're nice men with
One of 'ems worth a million dollars
'n come 'n hear me preach.
a fine job.
'N the other un's got
'N the other 'uns a aeronautical
engineer for the United Stated government.
Q:
Really?
One of your boys?
A:
No. One of my son-in-laws.
Honey, we raised 'em —
we's just Christians 'n we just worked with'em 'n
told 'em what they ought to do 'n we prayed with 'em
three times a day.
They got along good.
trouble with the law.
No
Married lovely girls.
Look's like God's made 'em rich.
Q:
Did you take them with you?
A:
I took 'em to.church.
I didn't send 'em.
Thank
God, I'd gather 'em up 'n take 'em.
Q:
I mean, did you take them with you when you were
working?
�24.
A:
(Mr.) Go on preaching tours?
Kept 'em 'n bedded era
down, honey, on the church bench.
(Mrs.) Gene says he's raised under a church bench.
(Laughter)
(Mr.) We took 'em, darlin.
Just -
(Mrs.) It 'uz a good place to raise 'em.
(Mr.) We took our babies to church, 'n they honor
us for it now.
Q:
Well were there certain things that you felt like were
your duty, and certain things that you felt like were
yours in raising the children?
A:
(Mr.) Yeah.
I felt like it was our duty to raise 'em
so they could
(Mrs.) Well, I never criticized Daddy if he corrected
'em and he never criticized me, either.
'N I never
did threaten 'em with their daddy, like a lot 'a people
did.
A lot 'a people did
in my time, when they's
rearin their children, they'd threaten 'em to tell their
daddy when he come home what they'd been a doin or
how they'd done.
I never did do that.
I never would.
Children have to have a boss, 'cause when you get out
in the world you're gonna have a boss or you're gonna
have your own business 'n ya have to control yourself
with that.
'N if you never learn to ."abide by rules,
it's hard to teach people when they get grown to abide
by certain regulations.
My daddy taught me that.
thought he's awful rough on us, but he 'uz a pretty
We
�25,
good daddy.
He didn't abuse us a tall or in any way,
but he laid the law down.
He meant what he said 'n
we just learned that he meant what he said.
I've
often said that that's how I learned to trust the
Lord 'n obey the Lord.
'Cause the Lord's supposed to
talk to you, ya know, lead you, and I had learned
obedience at home.
If you learn to obey when you're
young, it's not hard to do when you get old, when
you're grown.
Q:
That's right.
A:
(Mrs.) A lot 'a children now never learned obedience.
(Mr.) Ollie's brother-a little boy about 9 years
old - his daddy told him to do something
fn
upset 'n he went out 'n slammed the door.
said,"Jim, come back in.
door."
it kindly
'N his father
Now go out 'n shut the
Jim went out again 'n slammed the door again.
'N he made come back 'n open the door 'n close it 7
times, till he learned to close it nice 'n mild.
Seven times, closed it so nice 'n sensible.
God.
Thank
Made him come back 'n close it 7 times before he
ever got it settled down, (laughter)
(Mrs.) He hadn't forgotten it yet.
(Mr.) No. He'll all the time close the door nice.
(laughter)
I .heard somebody preachin that.
Didn't you
Ollie, the other night?
(Mrs.) Yeah, just somewhere.
(Mr.) Yeah, learnin how to close the door.
thought about that.
'N I
�26.
(Mrs.) Said it's your personality, ya know, by the
way you closed the door.
(Mr.) 'N that lady said- she visited homes, ya know,
that she wasn't wanted by the way they shut the
door.
Q:
A lot of these questions that I wanted to ask you I
almost know
the answers to from talking to ya'll.
One that I was kind of interested in was what was the
most important thing that you remember your mother
teaching you?
Is there anything that she taught you that
really helped you, you know, in your life?
A:
(Mrs.) Yes, it wouldn't mean nothin to anybody else,
but Mama believed in bein born again, of the Spirit.
'N she believed with all her heart that ya had to be
born again, 'n so when I started off to school- well,
when I was gettin ready to go - I hadn't never been
born again.
'N she says, "Children, I don't want 'cha
to go over there till ya get saved.
saved 'n know the Lord before ya go."
I want cha to be
'N she said,
"I'm afraid, if you's to go over there, they'd
get ya
in that church that don't believe in bein born again."
That 'uz the Episcopal church.
remembered that.
And, so I always
She never taught us much about
religion, but she was interested.
�27.
Q:
What did she mean by being born again?
A:
(Mrs.) That's committing yourself to the Saviour,
accepting his salvation , 'n knowing that you have
accepted it, because that's what we have to do.
Jesus come to redeem, so we have to accept that
salvation 'n I hadn't never accepted it, 'n didn't
know for myself that Jesus died for me, ya see.
'N when I realized that I'se lost because I hadn't
never accepted the salvation he made for us. 'N
that's what she was afraid of.
She was afraid that I'd
go on all my life, ya know, like a lot 'a people do,
'n think because they join the church they're
saved.
'N that's what I mean by bein born again.
Daddy
might could explain it better.
(Mr.) No, I couldn't.
Lord, honey.
know.
Becoming a new creature in the
That's it.
Dangerous drunkard.
mines.
I used to be a drunkard! ya
Carried liquor in the
It's a miracle of God I didn't blow
'em
square
Q: Did you really?
A:
(Mr.) Sure, in the place 'a takin water I'd take in
liquor.
The night boss didn't know it, ya know.
We all took water, ya know, in the bottom of our
buckets.
it.
Had to.
It 'uz the only place we could get
'N I'd take liquor in the place of water.
in there all day, three miles underground.
Worked
�ad.
I crimped 10 thousand dynamite caps.
Stick 'em on the end 'n fuse em.
'N if I'd a missed a thousandeth part of an inch I'd
a blown my head off.
(Mrs.) Ya ought 'a known better than that.
(Mr.) I'se careless.
Q:
I want to come back and talk to you about your
experiences in the mines.
I've got a whole lot 'a
questions I've been wanting to ask somebody.
A:
(Mr.) Bless ya, honey.
I'se young, ya know, 'n
God wouldn't bother me to preach I'd go back.I
love to work in the mines.
interesting things in there.
Oh, there's so many
Find anything on
earth you's looking for. Picture of anything you'd
want.
Oh trees 'n all kinds of plants, 'n just
anything.
Animals, 'n bears, find a lot of bears.
'N all kinds of little trees 'n beautiful ferns
in the top, ya know.
And oh just anything,
(Mrs.) 'N that coal.
(Mrs.) You come back
anytime ya wanna come back
little darlin, but let me tell ya somethin.
You can
find so many nice people that can tell ya so many
more things than Uncle Ed can, 'n you'd better
go'n see them.
I can just tell ya about how mean
I used to be, 'n how I game to the Lor$.
And instantly
�29.
he took all this drinkin 'n all this cursin away
from me, 'n I became a new creature.
'N from that
day till this its never come back on me.
a soldier of God ever since.
'n used to be a curser.
Used to be a drunkard
That's all I done.
do somethin nice for ya.
made
me a new creature.
I been
Thank God.
The bfoange
Old things
passed away, 'n behold, all things became newt
what little Ma means about bein born again.
(Mrs.) That's what Mama meant.
That's
I guess.
(Mr.) What we done now, little darlin - anybody
will do for a Christian 'n anybody can be a Christian
if they will be.
But we got to get started to be
a Christian. Tore God ' 1 ever take us to heaven.
1
You've got to meet the Lord for yourself, 'n when
you meet him you'll always be a different creature.
Bless ya.
You've done met him as far I know.
Q:
Yeah.
A:
(Mr.)'Bless ya.
Come back any time you want to.
(Prayer) Father in heaven, we're shocked to find
this\Little girl, Mrs. Lamm, a little darlin.
Itttle enough to be in high school.
Just
And little
Alec, our little boy, was here. And they said
they's interested in comin back 'n talkin to us.
Oh Father, if they
ever come back to our house again
�30.
may they feel just like coming home.
come to Uncle Ed
fn
When they
Aunt Ollie*s house, may it seem so
good and so restful that they just felt like God had
taken 'em in, 'n they had a home away from home.
Bless us all, 'n help us to be good 'n nice 'n quiet
'n sensible.
Always minding our own business.
Always
looking for some place to help somebody who needs
help.
Always kind, always gentle, always willin to
go the second mile, always willin to turn the other cheek
when men don't like us, not pick it up 'n turn it over
again, just leave 'em alone, 'n love 'em so good we'll
kill 'em on pure love.
Bless little Alec 'n his darlin
daddy 'n mamma, this little girl's husband 'n what she
does in life.
Make her great, God.
In Jesus' name
help her to see that her 'n God can do anything they
want, God.
Thank God.
Help 'em to see how big God
is 'n what He'll do for us if we'll just trust Him,
in all of our paths.
We send 'em away today with
the blessings of the Lord on 'em.
Amen 'n amen.
�
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Title
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Appalachian Oral History Project Interviews
Description
An account of the resource
In 1973, representatives from Appalachian State University (ASU) began the process of collecting interviews from Watauga, Avery, Ashe, and Caldwell county citizens to learn about their respective lives and gather stories. From the outset of the project, the interviewers knew that they were reaching out to the “last generation of Appalachian residents to reach maturity before the advent of radio, the last generation to maintain an oral tradition.” The goal was to create a wealth of data for historians, folklorists, musicians, sociologists, and anthropologists interested in the Appalachian Region.
The project was known as the “Appalachian Oral History Project” (AOHP), and developed in a consortium with Alice Lloyd College and Lees Junior College (now Hazard County Community College) both in Kentucky, Emory and Henry College in Virginia, and ASU. Predominately funded through the National Endowment for the Humanities, the four schools by 1977 had amassed approximately 3,000 interviews. Each institution had its own director and staff. Most of the interviewers were students.
Outgrowths of the project included the Mountain Memories newsletter that shared the stories collected, an advisory council, a Union Catalog, photographs collected, transcripts on microfilm, and the book Our Appalachia. Out of the 3,000 interviews between the three schools, only 663 transcripts were selected to be microfilmed. In 1978, two reels of microfilm were made available with 96 transcripts contributed by ASU.
An annotated index referred to as The Appalachian Oral History Project Union Catalog was created to accompany the microfilm. The catalog is broken down into five sections starting with a subject topic index such as Civilian Conservation Corps, Coal Camps, Churches, etc. The next four sections introduced the interviewees by respective school. There was an attempt to include basic biographic information such as date of birth, location, interviewer name, length of interview, and subjects discussed. However, this information was not always consistent per school.
This online project features clips from the interviews, complete transcripts, and photographs. The quality and consistency of the interviews vary due to the fact that they were done largely by students. Most of the photos are missing dates and identifying information.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Collection 111. Appalachian Oral History Project Records, 1965-1989
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1965-1989
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Scanned by
Wetmore, Dana
Equipment
Hp Scanjet 8200
Scan date
2014-02-19
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Title
A name given to the resource
Interview with Ollie Blackburn, March 9, 1973
Description
An account of the resource
Ollie Blackburn was born in Watauga County, North Carolina in 1892. She attended an all girls church school in Valle Crucis when she was 16, after she had a general education. She then lived in Cherryville, North Carolina and Coeburn, Virginia at one point.
Mrs. Blackburn explains doing chores around the house and the different activities her family would participate in as a child. She then describes her education and how she met her husband through courting. Mrs. Blackburn's husband is also in the interview, and they about how they got married and moved to different places. While talking about marriage, they explain their theories on raising a family. Mr. Blackburn ends the interview talking discussing his personal experience working in the mines in Kentucky and Virginia.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Lamm, Joy
Blackburn, Ollie
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="Appalachian Oral History Project Interviews, 1965-1989" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/195" target="_blank">Appalachian Oral History Project Interviews, 1965-1989</a>
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
3/9/1973
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Copyright for the interviews on the Appalachian State University Oral History Collection site is held by Appalachian State University. The interviews are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Appalachian State Collection 111. Appalachian Oral History Project Records, 1965-1989, W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Any commercial use of the materials, without the written permission of the Appalachian State University, is strictly prohibited.
Extent
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30 pages
Language
A language of the resource
English
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
document
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
111_tape35_OllieBlackburn_1973_03_09M001
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Todd, NC
Subject
The topic of the resource
Watauga County (N.C.)--Social life and customs--19th century
Watauga County (N.C.)--Social life and customs--20th century
Virginia--Social life and customs--20th century
Kentucky--Social life and customs--20th century
Cherryville
Kentucky
mining
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/28febbf87c098d7fec58c60254a347cb.pdf
6d6ba50222f3e802c80c59918f2b27d7
PDF Text
Text
�������
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Title
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I.G. Greer Folksong Collection
Description
An account of the resource
<p>The I. G. Greer Folksong Collection, presented here as part of the Documenting Appalachia digital initiative, consists of approximately 1,100 document pages that comprise more than 300 individual song titles, some with as many as ten distinct variants. The documents in this collection include manuscripts (some written as early as the mid-19th century), typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s secretarial staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs represented herein range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.</p>
<p>Biographical Note. Isaac Garfield Greer (4 December 1881 - 24 November 1967) was a history and government professor for Appalachian State Teacher's College from 1910 to 1932. A native of Watauga County, North Carolina, he was born to Philip and Mary Greer of Zionville and initially worked as a public school teacher and principal until he was hired at Appalachian State Teacher's College. From 1932 to 1948, he worked as superintendent of Mills Baptist Children's Home in Thomasville, North Carolina. From 1948 to 1954, Greer was the Executive Vice-President of the Business Foundation of North Carolina. Greer and his first wife Willie Spainhour had two sons I.G. Greer, Jr. and Joseph P. Greer. Greer's second wife was Hattie O'Briant. Dr. Greer was an avid collector and singer of folk songs. He was a nationally recognized authority of mountain folk music during his lifetime. A bass player, Greer and his wife, who played the dulcimer, performed at various regional school and civic functions. They were recorded singing several folk songs by Library of Congress from 1941 to 1946. Appalachian State Teacher's College dedicated the I.G. Greer Music Hall in 1966. Greer also had an active civic life. He was the president of the Southern Appalachian Historical Association and also served as a Boone City Alderman and in the North Carolina House of Representatives.</p>
<p>Note: University Libraries Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) believes in providing access to the historical record in support of the teaching, learning, and research endeavors of the communities it serves. Users should be advised that, due to the historical nature of some resources, users may encounter language or content that is harmful or difficult to view.</p>
Greer Document
Scholarly Classification
Laws, E 5
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Sidney Allen, Lyric Variant 01
Format
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JPEG
Language
A language of the resource
English
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" I. G. Greer Folksong Collection" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/15" target="_blank"> I. G. Greer Folksong Collection </a>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/197"> AC.113 Isaac Garfield (I.G.) Greer Papers and Recordings </a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright - Rights-holder(s) Unlocatable or Unidentifiable" href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0//" target="_blank"> In Copyright - Rights-holder(s) Unlocatable or Unidentifiable</a>
Contributor
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Greer, I. G. (Isaac Garfield), 1881-1967
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
The Allen Boys, Claud Allen, Song of the Allens
Subject
The topic of the resource
Murder--Songs and music
Trials--Songs and music
Hillsville (Va.)--Songs and music
Ballads
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Appalachian State University
Description
An account of the resource
This item is part of the I. G. Greer Folksong Collection which consists of more than 300 individual song titles and their variants as collected by Isaac Garfield Greer (1881-1967) from informants, primarily in Ashe, Wilkes and Watauga counties. The collection includes manuscripts, typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s clerical staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.
Claud Allen
folk songs
Hillville
Sidney Allen
Song of the Allens
songs and music
The Allen Boys
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/86ae14d2e777d7c08ab471dc3f73dd90.pdf
4e92edfab3f5281b0fe688e8cd821eea
PDF Text
Text
THE ALLEN CLAN
Come all ye rounders if you want to hear,
A story about a cruel mountaineer
Sydney Allen was the leaders name,
At the Hillsville Court House, he.
The caller called the jury at half past nine,
Floyd was the prisoner, he was in on time.
He raised up in the courthouse with his gun in his hand.
Judge Massey took a trip to the promised land.
Chorus:
The Allen
The Allen
The Allen
Trying to
Clan, they mounted to the Court House.
Clan they bore a great name,
Clan, they mounted to the Court House,
break the record of Frank and Jesse James.
Just another moment later and the house was in a roar,
The dead and the dying they numbered four.
'Twas a 38 special or a forty four ball,
That sent Sheriff Vlebb against the Court House wall.
Then Clerk Goad said 'tis a pretty hot place,
As the brave mountaineer stared him right in the face.
He mounted to the window and he said,
Just another moment later and v-re ' 11 all be dead.
Chorus:
Dexter Goad, he mounted to the window.
Dexter Goad he landed in the mud.
Dexter Goad, he mounted to the window,
'~#as a feeble form of manhood all covered with blood.
Sydney mounted to his pony and away he did ride,
With his nephew and friends riding by his side,
The Clan shook hands and swore they would hang,
Before they'd be arrested by the Baldwin gang.
Well, Sydney and Wesley, they rambled all around,
Till they w·ere both arrested in a western tmvn,
They were taken prisoner by Lukes and Payne,
And down at the station boarded an east bound train .
•
�THE ALLEN CLAN - Continued
Chorus:
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
He had
Allen, he mounted to his pony,
Allen, a mighty man was he,
Allen, he mounted to his pony;
done broke the record of Tracy H.E.
Mrs. Allen sitting on her bed one day,
Talking to her children and they heard her say,
That Sydney and Wesley were on their way home,
To answer their endictment for the deed they had done.
The train arrived in Galax at 11:41.
He met his wife, two daughters and one little son,
They met their Papa weeping and they all knelt down to
pray,
Oh, God, have mercy on us and don't take our Papa away.
Chorus:
Sydney Allen had just arrived in Galax,
Sydney Allen, he knelt down to pray,
Sydney Allen had just arrived in Galax,
Just arrived in Galax 'twas a sad, sad day.
They took Sydney down to the Roanoke jail.
His poor little wife so tired and pale.
She said, Oh, Sydney, howe can that be
She sank down and cried as the jailor turned the key.
Well, the peop~e gathered round both far and near.
To hear Sydney sentenced to the electrical chair.
They were really surprised when the clerk did say,
Only fifteen years at Richmond, Va.
Chorus:
The Allen Clan, they mounted to their ponies,
The Allen Clan, they rode away to stay.
The Allen Clan they mounted to their ponies,
Mounted to their ponies on a sad and fearful day.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
I.G. Greer Folksong Collection
Description
An account of the resource
<p>The I. G. Greer Folksong Collection, presented here as part of the Documenting Appalachia digital initiative, consists of approximately 1,100 document pages that comprise more than 300 individual song titles, some with as many as ten distinct variants. The documents in this collection include manuscripts (some written as early as the mid-19th century), typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s secretarial staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs represented herein range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.</p>
<p>Biographical Note. Isaac Garfield Greer (4 December 1881 - 24 November 1967) was a history and government professor for Appalachian State Teacher's College from 1910 to 1932. A native of Watauga County, North Carolina, he was born to Philip and Mary Greer of Zionville and initially worked as a public school teacher and principal until he was hired at Appalachian State Teacher's College. From 1932 to 1948, he worked as superintendent of Mills Baptist Children's Home in Thomasville, North Carolina. From 1948 to 1954, Greer was the Executive Vice-President of the Business Foundation of North Carolina. Greer and his first wife Willie Spainhour had two sons I.G. Greer, Jr. and Joseph P. Greer. Greer's second wife was Hattie O'Briant. Dr. Greer was an avid collector and singer of folk songs. He was a nationally recognized authority of mountain folk music during his lifetime. A bass player, Greer and his wife, who played the dulcimer, performed at various regional school and civic functions. They were recorded singing several folk songs by Library of Congress from 1941 to 1946. Appalachian State Teacher's College dedicated the I.G. Greer Music Hall in 1966. Greer also had an active civic life. He was the president of the Southern Appalachian Historical Association and also served as a Boone City Alderman and in the North Carolina House of Representatives.</p>
<p>Note: University Libraries Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) believes in providing access to the historical record in support of the teaching, learning, and research endeavors of the communities it serves. Users should be advised that, due to the historical nature of some resources, users may encounter language or content that is harmful or difficult to view.</p>
Greer Document
Scholarly Classification
Laws, E 5
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Sidney Allen, Lyric Variant 03, Copy
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
JPEG
Language
A language of the resource
English
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" I. G. Greer Folksong Collection" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/15" target="_blank"> I. G. Greer Folksong Collection </a>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/197"> AC.113 Isaac Garfield (I.G.) Greer Papers and Recordings </a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright - Rights-holder(s) Unlocatable or Unidentifiable" href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0//" target="_blank"> In Copyright - Rights-holder(s) Unlocatable or Unidentifiable</a>
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Greer, I. G. (Isaac Garfield), 1881-1967
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
The Allen Boys, Claud Allen, Song of the Allens
Subject
The topic of the resource
Trials--Songs and music
Hillsville (Va.)--Songs and music
Ballads Murder--Songs and music
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Appalachian State University
Description
An account of the resource
This item is part of the I. G. Greer Folksong Collection which consists of more than 300 individual song titles and their variants as collected by Isaac Garfield Greer (1881-1967) from informants, primarily in Ashe, Wilkes and Watauga counties. The collection includes manuscripts, typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s clerical staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.
Claud Allen
folk songs
Hillville
Roanoke Jail
Sidney Allen
Song of the Allens
songs and music
songs and music court
The Allen Boys
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/b90232e194fec571794f9ddebc73dc95.pdf
d23d9ba7188b398419a6589ca324ec21
PDF Text
Text
The ..A.llen Clan.
Come all ye rounclers if ynu want to hear,
. A. story about a cruel wountaineer
? Jr..~
Sydney .Allen was the leaders name,.At the HillsTille Court house,he .a-
li-\.Q~
The
aller called the jury at half l'last nine,
Floyd was the prisoner ,he was in on time.
He raised. up in the courthouse with his z;un in his hand.
Judt;e ' assey took a trip to the pro:nised. land.
Chorus
The ..lllen Clan, they mountecl to the Courthouse.
The .Allen Clan they bore a great name,
The ..lllen Clan,they mounted to the Court house,
Trying to brealr the reaord of Frank ancl Jesse Janes.
Just another mo!:tent later and the house was in a roar,
The clead and t r1e dying they: numbereel four.
Twas a 3S s,ecial or a forty four
That sent Sheriff
~ebb
all,
against the Court house wall.
Then Clerk Goad said 'tis a pretty hot place,
~s
the braTe mountaineer stared him right in the
~ace.
He mounted to t he windo .• and he said,
·
Just another nto:·1ent later and we' 11 all l;,e dead.
Chorus.
Dexter Goad,he mounted to the window.
Dexter Goad he manded in tle mud.
Dexter Goad. , he mounted to the wimlow,
'Twas a feeble form of
Sydney mounted. to his pony and
~ anhood
a~ay
all cov red with blood.
he did ricle,
With his nellhew and :friencls rid ing by his side,
The Clan shook t1ands and strore they \fOUl
hanr,,
Be:for they'd be arrested by the Baldwin !!;ang.
Trell Sydney and 'lfesley,they ranbled all around,
Till tey were 8oth arrested in a ffestern town.
They were taken
prisoner by Lukes and Payne,
.A.ncl down at the station boardecl an east bound train.
�Chorus,
Sydney Allen,he Mounted to his pony,
Syd.ney Allen,a · n i ghty
S y~ney
an was he,
4llen,he mounted to his pony; he had d one broke the
record of Tracy
H.~ .
rs.Allen sitting on •er bed one day,
Talldn~
to her child ren ancl they heard her say,
That Sydney and 1Testley were on t heir way home,
To answer their enclie tment .ror t he d.eetl t hay had done.
The train arriTed in Galax at 11.41.
He met his wif'e,two ft.au r,hters and one little son.
They net their Papa we ep ing and t l1ey all lmel t d own to pray.
Oh , God.
haTe mercy on us and tlon' t take our . Papa a,·my.
Chorus,
Sydney Allen had just arriTe l in Galax,
Sydney .Allen , he knelt do1m to pray.
Sydney Allen had just arriTed in Galax,
Just arriTed in Galax 'twas a sad sad day.
They tool:: Syaney down to t he Roanolce Jail.
His poor little wife so tirecl and pale.
&
he said.
9h , ~ yc.iney
,how can t 11at
be
She sank d own ancl cried as the jailot• turned. the key.
Well the people gathered round both far and near.
To hear
~ ydney
sentenced to t he electric a l chair.
They were really surprised when t he clerk
~ i4
say,
Only firteen years at Richmond,Va.
Chorus.
The ..&.llen Clan, they mounted to t heir p onies,
The J.llen 0 1an,they rode away to stay.
The ..&.llen Clan they mounted to t heir ponies •
:W:ounted to their p onies on a satl and !'e arf ul d a,.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
I.G. Greer Folksong Collection
Description
An account of the resource
<p>The I. G. Greer Folksong Collection, presented here as part of the Documenting Appalachia digital initiative, consists of approximately 1,100 document pages that comprise more than 300 individual song titles, some with as many as ten distinct variants. The documents in this collection include manuscripts (some written as early as the mid-19th century), typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s secretarial staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs represented herein range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.</p>
<p>Biographical Note. Isaac Garfield Greer (4 December 1881 - 24 November 1967) was a history and government professor for Appalachian State Teacher's College from 1910 to 1932. A native of Watauga County, North Carolina, he was born to Philip and Mary Greer of Zionville and initially worked as a public school teacher and principal until he was hired at Appalachian State Teacher's College. From 1932 to 1948, he worked as superintendent of Mills Baptist Children's Home in Thomasville, North Carolina. From 1948 to 1954, Greer was the Executive Vice-President of the Business Foundation of North Carolina. Greer and his first wife Willie Spainhour had two sons I.G. Greer, Jr. and Joseph P. Greer. Greer's second wife was Hattie O'Briant. Dr. Greer was an avid collector and singer of folk songs. He was a nationally recognized authority of mountain folk music during his lifetime. A bass player, Greer and his wife, who played the dulcimer, performed at various regional school and civic functions. They were recorded singing several folk songs by Library of Congress from 1941 to 1946. Appalachian State Teacher's College dedicated the I.G. Greer Music Hall in 1966. Greer also had an active civic life. He was the president of the Southern Appalachian Historical Association and also served as a Boone City Alderman and in the North Carolina House of Representatives.</p>
<p>Note: University Libraries Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) believes in providing access to the historical record in support of the teaching, learning, and research endeavors of the communities it serves. Users should be advised that, due to the historical nature of some resources, users may encounter language or content that is harmful or difficult to view.</p>
Greer Document
Scholarly Classification
Laws, E 5
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Sidney Allen, Lyric Variant 03
Format
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JPEG
Language
A language of the resource
English
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" I. G. Greer Folksong Collection" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/15" target="_blank"> I. G. Greer Folksong Collection </a>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/197"> AC.113 Isaac Garfield (I.G.) Greer Papers and Recordings </a>
Rights
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<a title="In Copyright - Rights-holder(s) Unlocatable or Unidentifiable" href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0//" target="_blank"> In Copyright - Rights-holder(s) Unlocatable or Unidentifiable</a>
Contributor
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Greer, I. G. (Isaac Garfield), 1881-1967
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Alternative Title
An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.
The Allen Boys, Claud Allen, Song of the Allens
Subject
The topic of the resource
Murder--Songs and music
Trials--Songs and music
Hillsville (Va.)--Songs and music
Ballads
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Appalachian State University
Description
An account of the resource
This item is part of the I. G. Greer Folksong Collection which consists of more than 300 individual song titles and their variants as collected by Isaac Garfield Greer (1881-1967) from informants, primarily in Ashe, Wilkes and Watauga counties. The collection includes manuscripts, typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s clerical staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.
Claud Allen
Hillville
Roanoke Jail
Sidney Allen
Song of the Allens
songs and music court
songs and music trial
The Allen Boys
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/98688e5dbe3b8542dc919b7029f05105.pdf
e43182b19cafe6a442ccff664aacce7a
PDF Text
Text
��
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/77de130b428043110a12a05661148059.pdf
ccca200beef07e286d1a8be1e789b606
PDF Text
Text
Addressed to:
Mrs. Nannie M. Kirby
Meadow Creek
Grayson Co. Va
Salt Sul Springs Oct 27th
Dear Father
I Drop you a few lines this morning I have not been to Command I do not know where
Our Company (____??) exactly they are some where in Fayett County about Seventy miles
North West of here to the C.H. and think you had better wait a few days I will here from Sam in
a few days and can tell Something of the best way for you to do and you will be in danger of
their pressing your team they take teams any space where they find them perhaps you had better
Send Our things by Some Other Wagon Coming down and if you Come to See us Come on
horseback I will leave here in a few days I Suppose I have made arrangement with the post
master to forward Our letters to us you had better Still Send them to this place mark on them
Forward to Floyds Head quarters Direct them to Care Capt Bramblitt Col Jenkins Reg’t of
Cavalry Floyds Brigade you shall here from me again soon
My Love to you all.
Yours Until Death
Emery Kirby
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Emery Kirby to His Parents, October 27
Subject
The topic of the resource
Monroe County (W. Va.)
Letter writing
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1855-1865
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_nd_31.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This is a letter from Emery Kirby to his parents. Emery writes about moving soon to a new location and tells how to address any mail sent to him. Note: the letter was mailed from Salt Sulphur Springs, Virginia which was before the Civil War. Salt Sulphur Springs became part of the new state of West Virginia in 1863. The letter was sent to a community in Grayson County, Virginia.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
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<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
||||osm
Monroe County (W. Va.)
||||osm
Grayson County (Va.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4815213/monroe-county.html
https://www.geonames.org/4761913/grayson-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Emory Taylor Kirby
family letters
Grayson County Va.
Joel Kirby
letter
Nannie Kirby
Salt Sulfur Springs Va.
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/bb2999baed93b8240308a356e9697a59.pdf
36e2d2420b092168e462f3f7e7b92c94
PDF Text
Text
��
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/84708998ba551af87aa96ecb5c5ccb34.pdf
1b1a276f3f1fde1ccdde32dcc949ad3c
PDF Text
Text
Rural Retreat Va
June
My Dear Cousin Bettie
I hasten to answer your very kind and interesting letter which I have just received Bettie
you wrote to me you had herd that Brother John was killed weherd it too we allso herd that Frank
was killed Bettie you have not any of idea of the troubles I saw before we got a letter from him
he and Frank are both prisoners oh Bettie I cant tell you how bad I want them to get home Bettie
I stayed at Mr Mallory’s last Tuesday night was a week bet you had better guys Julia and I had
some nice times Julia and john stayed here last Saturday night we went and got Emma (____??)
to come out and we had a nice time sertin they were all well at Mr Mallorys when they left.
Bet you wrote to me that you have been home some this summer Bettie I have had conflict I cant
hardly stand a lone Bettie do you have meeting up at your house every Sunday we had meeting
last sunday and we have two next sunday we have a very good Sunday School here Bettie
against I go to sunday School to kings school house and then to preaching at meadow creek and
then back to kings school house dont you think I will be tired enough to die Bettie I must bring
my bad written composed and sealed letter to close.
give my love to Aunt Franky and all the rest so no more
your affectionate cousin
Fannie
Miss Bettie Kirby
At Home
Virginia
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
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<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Fannie to Bettie Kirby
Subject
The topic of the resource
Imprisonment
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_nd_30.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This letter from Fannie was written in June in reply to a letter she received from her cousin Bettie Kirby. This letter refers to the imprisonment and death of two men, Brother John and Frank. Fannie also tells Bettie about her church activities.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
||||osm
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Bettie Kirby
family letters
Fannie
letter
Rural Retreat Va.
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/79a070c769e13aa190c2e6e06e685c3e.pdf
5f0c7dfff05f3312cb15023802290f44
PDF Text
Text
��
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/4c9d9dd0af9116976faba93ad00e70f0.pdf
2f739f2b9a5d24874b82b0fccff3bbb1
PDF Text
Text
Rose Cottage Va
August the 19th
Dear Daniel
After a long delay I again attempt the dificult task of writing you a wold
be letter I have been laboring under a spirit of neglectfulness not forgetfulness Forget Thee no
never I often think of you and seem for a moment to be with you But alas it is all imagind after
the reality is we are parted from each other perhaps never to meet again when all maters is
(____??) in the silent shades of the night tis then (____??) form appears to me and we mingle
again in eachothers society. But its only a pleasant nights dream I had hoped that (____??) this
time you would have been a resident of (____??) but have as yet been disappointed I am inclined
to think after all an old Bacholar is (___??) in a hand (cost____??) the Drunkards big meeting
comes off the third Saturday and Sunday in September come down then and let us see what we
can do with him if he fails you shall have another beau I am fixing to go to Franklin in a few
days to see my Aunt I expect to be gone about three weeks the boys say I am going to catch a
beau but I am not my beau is gone to Texas if he lives to get back I expect to be off he is called
pretty by even (____??) he has black eyes and you know I am a great lover of black eyes But
enough of my nonsence tell (____??) (___??) I wish to know what surprising news I was to hear
from Grayson that Judy has come and gone and I havent heard any news from them save Sally
has another girl and that dident suprise me in the least I do not like to always be kept in suspense
(____??) I want you and (___??) and Fannie (_____??) to be shure and come down in September
and as many more as wish too do come you will please excuse this badly written letter we are
fixing to thrash with the machine to day and expect company besides so I have writen in haste
tell cousin (______??) are looking for them every day give my love to kath your Mother Fannie
and all who may inquire after me and you (_____??) will even be loved by me I hope to see you
write soon (____??) long good by I am (____??) as (____??)
A Ba__??
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter to Daniel, August 19th
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_nd_29.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This letter was written at Rose Cottage in Virginia to Daniel by an old friend, A. Ba[illegible], who is missing his company. The writer discusses visiting her Aunt in Franklin, as well as mentioning friends such as Grayson, Judy, Sally, and Fannie.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
family letter
letter
Rose Cottage Va.
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/66a465f97125f82d17a6b90c41bb2c30.pdf
8c528becd8465ff2be3a5c4230a29945
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Ada Kirby to Elizabeth Eller, March 11
Subject
The topic of the resource
Kirby, Ada B., 1859-1887
Eller, Elizabeth "Bettie" Kirby, 1851-1925
Eller family-- Correspondence
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_03_11_nd.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This letter talks about work done on Ada’s house, domestic life, and the lives of close family friends. There is mention of raising horses, marriages, and rules for growing tomatoes.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
||||osm
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Ada Kirby
Bettie Eller
Cora Matthews
Elizabeth Eller
Elk Creek Va.
Emory Taylor Kirby
family letter
Independence Va.
letter
Spring Valley Va.
tomatoes
Virginia
Willie Kirby
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/500241ec4df3e9ccdab0cce57f98dd56.pdf
54526c7c3fba917bb3c13a7d6c2e8af7
PDF Text
Text
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Rosa Kirby to aunt, 16 February 1885
Subject
The topic of the resource
Kirby, Rosa
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1885-02-16
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
1 page
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_02_16_1885.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This letter is written by Rosa to her aunt. In it she talks about how she hasn’t been to school in a while, and her grammar is poor. The letter mainly involves catching her aunt up on the events of the winter.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
16 February 1885
family letters
Heath Kirby
letter
Point Look Out Va.
Rosa Kirby
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/5f70fb423e147e127fe37713d1be5291.pdf
b68d21c3e9a8ef25a5af0973f77acb57
PDF Text
Text
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Robert Kirby to Ada Kirby, January 16th
Subject
The topic of the resource
Kirby, Robert
Kirby, Ada B., 1859-1887
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
1 page
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_01_16_nd.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This letter from Robert Kirby to Ada Kirby talks about how he is recovering from illness and a leg condition, and will be returning to school. There is also mention of photographs Robert will have taken to send to his aunt.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
||||osm
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Ada Kirby
family letters
letter
Mountain Side Va.
Robert Kirby
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/34b96bab51f1e09788f0da8f27281d16.pdf
16349aa5a15fb4e223fd10794bc9d5c6
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from R.L. Kirby to Joseph Eller, 22 June 1899
Subject
The topic of the resource
Eller, Joseph L., 1851-1911
Kirby, R.L.
Eller family-- Correspondence
Newspapers
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1899-06-22
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_06_22_1899.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This letter from R.L. Kirby to his uncle, Joseph Eller, discusses how R.L. Kirby has taken over the local newspaper, and mentions a scheme to boost subscriptions by giving some of the profits to people who bring in customers.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Grayson County
Independence
J.W. Hackler
Joseph Eller
Law Office
letter
newspaper
R.L. Kirby
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/d7e341140e5076e7e3eb5e59a3a226a3.pdf
6ca579b20d22cd3d5d92e2b063b68cb6
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Lillie, 1 May 1892
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1892-05-01
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_05_01_1892.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This letter from Lillie to her aunt talks about a dress pattern that Lillie has sent her aunt. Lillie also talks about the trip they made to get back home to Edgewater, Virginia, and how they will be house sitting for her Uncle Zeke.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Edgewater (Va.)
Dressmaking--Pattern design
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Edgewater Virginia
Eller family
family letters
John Tyler Young
letter
Lillian Young
Lynchburg Virginia
Staley Young
Virginia
Washington DC
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/e03bd7430c7d814a13712e9fd1c8eea8.pdf
eee53351031ce83b49e8737a859e1cc0
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Lillian to Elizabeth Eller, 9 December 1889
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1889-12-09
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_12_09_1889.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This letter from Lillie Young to her aunt, Elizabeth Eller, talks about the death of Irena Phipps Young, Lillie's grandmother, and mentions some of her relatives, including Lucy Ann Young. Lillie also refers to her father, John Tyler Young. The letter covers family matters.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Creed Young
Elizabeth Eller
Eller family
family letters
Irena Phipps Young
John Tyler Young
letter
Lillie Young
Lucy Ann Young
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/09c4ac217895d649b79f978dc5da80c4.pdf
a631064fe9caa6dac289a2ef17f01bf2
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Lillie to Elizabeth Eller, 24 September 1889
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1889-09-24
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_09_24_1889.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This letter from Lillie Young to her aunt, Elizabeth Eller, talks about peaches, a new school teacher, and her mother's health.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Barbara Frances Kirby
Canning
Elizabeth Eller
Eller family
family letters
Joseph Eller
letter
Lillian Young
school
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/ececf96b07d9eab9801aa05fbfe12e12.pdf
27f867fb0ed2061b8c7412cd0a7ecd9a
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Description
An account of the resource
This is a letter from Mary Kirby, wife of Emory Kirby, to Frances Kirby, her mother-in-law. She talks about how her mother is sick and dying, and how several people in the family have measles. She tells Frances that she will visit once her mother has died, and hopes to hear from Ada Kirby soon.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
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Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Mary Kirby to Frances Kirby, 9 June 1887
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1887-06-09
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_06_9_1887.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This is a letter from Mary Kirby, wife of Emory Kirby, to Frances Kirby, her mother-in-law. She talks about how her mother is sick and dying, and how several people in the family have measles. She tells Frances that she will visit once her mother has died, and hopes to hear from Ada Kirby soon.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Ada Kirby
family letters
Frances Kirby
Kirby family
letter
Mary Ann Hale
Mary Kirby
measles
Mountain Side
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/dcc2fbae311bb944dcbc4862cee963e2.pdf
7f770871fe91b3eae61ac6cff29a83fd
PDF Text
Text
��Miss Ada Kirby,
My dear aunt, I will write you a short letter this evening. We are all tolerably well now, Mattie Lou has been sick but is better. I want you to send me some good piece of poetry, such as you think will do for me to say the last day of our school and please send them as soon as possible. We have been looking for you down for some time. Hope you will come before long or write and tell us how grandma is.
I will close for this time,
Write or come soon,
Devotedly Yours,
Lillie
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
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Source
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<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Lillie Young to Ada Kirby, 14 January 1887
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1887-01-14
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_01_14_1887.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This letter from Lillie to her aunt, Ada, asks for her aunt to come and visit her soon and to send some "good pieces" of poetry for Lillie to recite on the last day of school.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Ada Kirby
Edgewater
Kirby family
letter
Lillie Young
poetry
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/098bc8c824a96779af4c91b360fe2fbd.pdf
08c3c0f2420be2b516d7aa06fdf41885
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Envelope to Elizabeth Eller, 26 September 1889
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1889-09-26
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
envelope_09_26_1889.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This is an envelope addressed to Elizabeth “Bettie” Eller, dated 26 September 1889
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Ashe County
Clifton
Edgewater
Elizabeth Eller
Eller family
envelope
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/746d78f47e5988c41ecac891a72b9431.pdf
c250dd4a189072fd622d5252d7bcf4a2
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Envelope from Robert Lee Kirby to Frances Kirby, 10 June 1887
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1887-06-10
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
envelope_06_10_1887.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This is an envelope from Robert Lee Kirby addressed to Frances “Nan” Kirby, and dated 10 June 1887.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Ashe County
envelope
Frances Kirby
Independence
North Carolina
Robert Kirby
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/a9b79d4ab0769b44ff3d7f9320bc128e.pdf
2f1ab40ea6d2118122ef80c6fe83fd28
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Robert Kirby to Ada Kirby, 4 September 1886
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1886-09-04
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_09_04_1886.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This letter from Robert Kirby to his aunt, Ada Kirby, discusses a horse that Robert has bought. Robert says that he and his father intend to start teaching again. Robert mentions that Lilly and Bruce (last name unknown) said they would meet him in town, but did not show up.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Ada Kirby
horses
Kirby family
letter
Mountain House
Robert Kirby
teaching
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/e9b49a2414aa142ae7f628621fceda03.pdf
b3a2e5da721b37a006c9b8851c39d16c
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Robert Kirby to Ada Kirby, 15 May 1885
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1885-05-15
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_05_15_1885.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This is a letter from Robert Kirby to Ada Kirby, written on May 15th, 1885. This letter is faint and difficult to read.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Ada Kirby
Independence
Kirby family
letter
Robert Kirby
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/9b49b7648f2dad935a5b6e2fd21627be.pdf
0b8fee8a6f8f6993a6800e716cdb23a3
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Robert Kirby, 19 March 1885
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1885-03-19
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
letter_03_19_1885.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This is a letter from Robert Kirby to an aunt of his. In this letter, Robert discusses the upcoming end to the school year and some of his plans for what to do after he finished teaching. Robert mentions his grandpa being ill, and that he wants Millard Fillmore Kirby to know he is planning on coming to visit. Robert says one of his aunts, Lindy Roberts, has died, and that another, Phebe, is very feeble.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
furniture
Kirby family
letter
Lindy Roberts
Meadow Creek
Millard Fillmore Kirby
Phebe Bryan
Robert Kirby
teaching
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/e911f4dbd8c85f6940bf53af4cee5438.pdf
b75bc2cc03ed26e7b98331d715f34855
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Robert Kirby to Ada Kirby, 8 January 1885
Subject
The topic of the resource
Kirby, Ada B., 1859-1887
Christmas
Murderers
Fugitives
African Americans
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1885-01-08
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_00_08_1885.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This letter from Robert Kirby to his aunt Ada talks about what has happened to Robert over the Christmas holiday season. Robert talks about teaching and how he only got two days of break for Christmas. The letter also includes mention of the murder of a black man by Rich Reeves, whom Robert says fled the country, abandoning his wife and mother. Robert says that he is homesick and plans on taking a trip to see his family soon.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Ada Kirby
Kirby family
letter
Meadow Creek
murder
Rich Reeves
Robert Kirby
teaching
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/3a6d8a305ed388e3417ed3bc539f7180.pdf
88e0f535e2b3ef076c7cd27fec0b5bb5
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Emory Kirby to Nan, 27 October
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1869-10-27
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
letter_10_27_1869.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This is a letter from Emory Kirby to his sister Nan. Emory talks about how his recent bout of measles has prevented him from rejoining the cavalry he is a part of, and he details several positions and occurrences in his area during the Civil War.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Personal narratives, Confederate
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Health aspects
Measles
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Civil War
Emory Kirby
Fayette County
General Floyd
Kirby family
letter
measles
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/14187b4b9ebdb7f725874fe3718b12e4.pdf
78e119fbd8b0b215693ce337d4d7af4d
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Anabella Baker to Fannie Kirby, 22 February 1860
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1860-02-22
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
2 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Letter_02_22_1860.pdf
Description
An account of the resource
This is a letter from Anabella Baker to Fannie Kirby. She uses metaphors built from nature to describe her friendship. The letter ends with Anabella saying she has met a man she finds attractive.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Anabella Baker
Fannie Kirby
Kirby family
letter
Rose Cottage
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/90541511e35283087a4673f9f5881421.pdf
ccf7bb86544240c156eb2f8ae93caf8a
PDF Text
Text
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kirby and Eller Family Letters
Description
An account of the resource
The Kirby and Eller Family Letters contain correspondence between the Kirby and Eller families of Ashe County, North Carolina. The letters focus mainly on day-to-day events such as planting and harvesting crops, health and illness, and household tasks, but also include references to the Civil War. The original letters of Collection 495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters, 1826-1938 are in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
<div class="subnote ">
<p><span class="less">Elizabeth “Bettie” Kirby (1851-1925) was born on February 15th, 1851 in Meadow Creek, Virginia, to parents Joel Kirby and Frances Roberts. Millard F. Kirby, Samuel J. Kirby, Emory T. Kirby, and Ada B. Kirby were her siblings. She married Joseph Lafayette Eller on September 22, 1875 in Ashe County, NC, where she lived until her death on December 9, 1925.<br /><br />Luke Eller (1806-1883) was born on June 8, 1806 in Ashe Co., NC. He was married to Sarah King<span class="elipses"></span></span><span class="more"> on March 27, 1829 in Ashe Co. He is the father of Joseph Lafayette Eller (Elizabeth’s husband), Hansford Eller, and Aswell Eller. Luke Eller lived in Ashe Co. until his death on December 6, 1883.</span></p>
<span class="note-content readmore expanded"><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165#" class="expander">See less</a></span></div>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Emma Baker Martin to Betty Kirby Eller, 25 November 1883
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1883-11-25
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
4 pages
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2012_045_1883_1125
Description
An account of the resource
This is a letter from Emma Baker Martin to her aunt Betty Kirby Eller. Emma writes this letter while sick with the mumps. She is attending a girls college, and discusses her lessons and reading. She says she is no longer homesick, but likes being alone sometimes. The letter references the recent election of many Democrats, which was praised by Emma and the town she is in, and how she is possibly going to be travelling for Christmas.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<p><a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/165">AC.495 Kirby and Eller Family Letters</a></p>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Mumps
Women's colleges
Elections
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Ashe County (N.C.)
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title=" Kirby and Eller Family Letters" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/17" target="_blank"> Kirby and Eller Family Letters </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4453028/ashe-county.html
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Letters (Correspondence)
Betty Kirby Eller
College
election
Eller family
Emma Baker Martin
family letters
homesickness
letter
Martin family
Mumps
Sickness
Virginia
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/cd85afe054a8e06f9df5dd20b16042ea.jpg
1351bdd99b8fa06fe3eaf2cb07030128
Omeka Image File
The metadata element set that was included in the `files_images` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all image files.
Bit Depth
8
Channels
3
Height
3358
Width
2656
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/81fbb248da4c8b19f64a4d81261bab41.jpg
4775f167361d05bc1bc62181ffb080be
Omeka Image File
The metadata element set that was included in the `files_images` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all image files.
Bit Depth
8
Channels
3
Height
3358
Width
2656
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
W. Amos Abrams Folksong Collection
Description
An account of the resource
William Amos “Doc” Abrams (1905-1991), originally from Pinetops in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, was chairman of the English Department at Appalachian State Teacher’s College (ASTC) from 1932 to 1946. Dr. Abrams possessed both B. A. and M. A. degrees from Duke University, in addition to a Ph.D. from Cornell University. From 1946 until his retirement in 1970, he served as editor of the North Carolina Education Association publications. He was married to Lillian Crow.
Starting in the 1930s, Dr. Abrams built a reputation as an enthusiastic collector, scholar and promoter of North Carolina folklore. He served multiple terms as president of the North Carolina Folklore Society and contributed a number of articles to the society’s journal. A significant number of the folksong variants in his collection (some collected in association with Dr. Frank C. Brown and later with Dr. Cratis D. Williams) appear in the seven volume The Frank C. Brown Collection of North Carolina Folklore, published in 1962. Dr. Abrams received the Society’s Brown-Hudson Award in 1974.
Manuscripts and Typescripts
The W. Amos Abrams Folksong Collection, presented here as part of the Documenting Appalachia digital initiative, consists of approximately 1,100 document pages that comprise some 400 individual song titles, most of which have multiple variants. The documents in this collection consist of both manuscripts and typescripts. Dr. Abrams collected titles from such acclaimed regional folk performers as Watagua County’s Frank Proffitt and Yadkin County’s Uncle Pat Fry. Dr. Abrams’ students during his time at ASTC also contributed many of the ballad variants herein, thereby expanding the geographical scope of his collection beyond the uplands of western North Carolina. Like the I. G. Greer Collection, the titles contained in Abrams’ collection range from traditional Child Ballads to 19th century popular music to compositions of local origin.
Field Recordings
As part of the Abrams Folksong Collection, the Documenting Appalachia digital initiative presents the Field Recordings collection of Dr. Abrams. Recorded from 1938 to 1946, these songs were transcribed by Dr. Abrams in 1973. To introduce this collection, listen to Dr. Abrams himself.
Speech Collection
Presented here is the Dr. W. Amos Abrams Speech Collection. These speeches were given by Dr. Abrams at various functions, conferences, and banquets throughout North Carolina in the 1960s and 1970s. The Documenting Appalachia digital initiative is proud to present you the opportunity to listen to these speeches.
The "So Mote It Ever Be" project was funded in part by a grant from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area.
Folksong
Classification Title
German Watchman's Song
Informant
Lucy Stevens
Other Name(s)
Ms. Garber
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Belfry Bell
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Appalachian State University
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
JPEG
Song texts
Manuscripts (Documents)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Subject
The topic of the resource
Virginia--Songs and music
Christianity--Songs and music
Courting--Songs and music
Church bells--Songs and music
Gospel music
Folk music--Appalachian Region
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright - Rights-holder(s) Unlocatable or Unidentifiable" href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0/" target="_blank"> In Copyright - Rights-holder(s) Unlocatable or Unidentifiable</a>
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="AC.114 W. Amos Abrams Papers" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/198" target="_blank">AC.114 W. Amos Abrams Papers</a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
<a title= "Campbell County (Va.)" href=" https://www.geonames.org/4750738/campbell-county.htmll" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Campbell County (Va.)</a>
Contributor
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Abrams, W. Amos (William Amos), 1904-1991
Type
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Text
Is Part Of
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<a title=" W. Amos Abrams Folksong Collection" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/16" target="_blank"> W. Amos Abrams Folksong Collection</a>
Description
An account of the resource
This item is part of the W. Amos Abrams Folksong Collection, which includes some 400 individual song titles, most of which have multiple variants. Dr. Abrams recorded songs primarily from the Appalachian region of North Carolina from 1938 to 1946 and transcribed them in 1973. Like the I. G. Greer Collection, the titles contained in Abrams’ collection range from traditional Child Ballads to 19th century popular music to compositions of local origin.
songs and music christianity
songs and music church bells
The Belfry Bell
Virginia