Oral History Commons^™

Oral History Interview: Frank Samuel Lucente, Frank Samuel Lucente

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

This interview is one of a series conducted concerning West Virginia communities, focusing on Ceredo. At the time of the interview, Mr. Frank Lucente was part owner/ operator of Rocco's Restaurant in Ceredo, West Virginia. He discusses: his history with the restaurant; his relationship with the other owner; economics at the time of the interview; organizations (such as Big Brother's, the Jaycees, and the Boys Club); his interest in politics and the Republican Party; government programs; his family; the Vietnam War; politics and government at the time; television and its influence on society; and differences between the time he grew …

Oral History Interview: John Sherman Cooper, John Sherman Cooper

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

In OH64-208, Senator John Sherman Cooper discusses his childhood, his education, community life, his political career, his legal career as a circuit judge, running for governor of Kentucky, his military career during World War II, the Marshall Plan, Congress, NATO, the United Nations, Communism, the Vietnam War, and serving as Ambassador to East Germany. He also discusses various political figures including Alban Barkley, Happy Chandler, chief Justice Frederick Vinson, Harry Truman, Joseph McCarthy, Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, John F. Kennedy (and his assassination), and Barry Goldwater.

In OH64-208A, Cooper discusses the Vietnam War in depth. The interview also includes sections …

Oral History Interview: James A. Harmon, James A. Harmon

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

James A. Harmon was born in 1890 on his grandfather’s farm outside of Red House, WV. Mr. Harmon reminiscences about his childhood growing up on a 350-acre farm. He earned a sixth grade education at a two-room schoolhouse. When he was 14 years old, Mr. Harmon started his career on the river on the Steamer Calvert. During his interview, Mr. Harmon focuses on his varied jobs on many steamboats. Although he performed well in all of his duties, his greatest passion was engineering. He received his engineer’s license when he was 21 years old. In the audio clip provided, …

Oral History Interview: Irene D. Broh, Irene D. Broh

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Irene D. Broh was born on November 20, 1880, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Through the influence of her mother, a suffragist who worked with Susan B. Anthony, Mrs. Broh joined the suffrage movement and helped women earn the right to vote. After marrying Ephraim Broh in 1909, she moved to Huntington, WV, where she organized a suffrage club in 1915. Mrs. Broh became the first woman to vote in Cabell County, WV, in 1920. In her interview, Mrs. Broh focuses on her work for women’s suffrage. She describes how she organized her club, the voting facilities in Huntington, and her experience …

Oral History Interview: James G. Matthews, James G. Matthews

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

James G. Matthews was a jack-of-all-trades. He worked as a coal miner for James C. Coal Company, worked for United Fuel Gas Company, the Nickel Plant, and as a mail courier. He also performed as part of a singing quartet. Mr. Matthews was born on May 30, 1902. He grew up on a farm near East Lynn, WV. After the death of his mother, Mr. Matthews attended elementary school on a part-time basis in order to work on the family farm. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Matthews discusses alcohol consumption and moonshine stills in East Lynn. During his interview, …

Oral History Interview: Burl Collins, Burl Collins

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Burl Collins was born on October 25, 1903. He was raised in McDowell County, West Virginia. When he was 15 years old, he started his first job in a coal mine. He worked in this mine for 33 years. Mr. Collins married and had 11 children, including eight girls and three boys. He discusses the social, economic, and technological changes during his lifetime. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Collins discusses his wedding and marriage.

Oral History Interview: Helena Venturino Howell, Helena Venturino Howell

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Helena Venturino Howell was born on September 19, 1913. She was the first child of her family to be born in the United States. Her father emigrated from Italy to Brooklyn, New York, at the age of 16. He first worked as a pin boy in a bowling alley and then took a job on the railroad. Her mother immigrated to Williamson, WV, with Mrs. Howell’s older sister in 1912. Mrs. Howell’s family lived in neighborhood in Williamson comprised primarily of Italians. Her family moved to New Boston, OH, when she was a young girl. During her interview, Mrs. Howell …

Oral History Interview: Helen Adams, Helen Adams

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Helen Adams was born on January 13, 1898, and was raised in Strange Creek, West Virginia. She lived on a farm with her family. She was one of seven children and her parents also raised two other boys who were orphaned. During her interview, Mrs. Adams discusses working on the farm, raising livestock, and preserving food. She discusses going to church and attending social events like box suppers and socials. She also focuses on folk medicine and the uses of alcohol for medicine and recreational purposes.

Oral History Interview: Alice Hall, Alice Hall

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Alice Hall was born in December 1897 in Cabell County, WV. She lived with her grandfather on a farm in Putnam County, WV, after the death of her parents. During her interview, she discusses quilting and peddling food items in Huntington, WV, with her grandparents, the lack of supplies during World War I, and the rationing of sugar and coffee during World War II. She also focuses on folk medicine, with emphasis on the herbs and barks her uncle used to make medicines. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Hall discusses food preservation, specifically making apple butter and preserves.

Oral History Interview: Fay Ball, Fay Ball

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Fay Ball was born on March 28, 1904, in Lincoln County, West Virginia. She was raised on a farm and shared most of the farming responsibilities with her family. Mrs. Ball discusses social interactions within the farming community of Lincoln County, including barn raisings and harvesting. She focuses on entertainment during her childhood and explains styles of popular music and games. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Ball discusses how to play games like “Blind Man,” “Aunt Me Over,” and “Nay Hide.”

Oral History Interview: Josephine R. Gorby, Josephine R. Gorby

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Josephine Gorby was born on February 24, 1908. She began her teaching career in a one-room school in Wimmer, McDowell County, WV. In 1931 she began teaching in Lawrence County, OH. Mrs. Gorby’s interview focuses on growing up on a farm near Proctorville, OH, her experiences as an educator, her family’s experience during World War I, and the 1937 flood of the Ohio River and its tributaries. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Gorby discusses the impact of the 1937 flood on the school house in Athalia, OH. During her interview, she also focuses on the construction and use of …

Oral History Interview: Edward C. Jackson, Edward C. Jackson

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Edward C. Jackson was born on January 17, 1911, in Canfield, Braxton County, WV. In 1926, he moved to Fenwick, Nicholas County, WV, to pursue jobs in saw mills. In his interview, Mr. Jackson describes in great detail the design and structure of the log home he lived in as a child. He focuses on growing up on a farm and places emphasis on the type of work he did and food preparation and preservation. Mr. Jackson also discusses the tight-knit community in which he was raised. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Jackson discusses working in the lumber industry. …

Oral History Interview: William Allen Cross, William Allen Cross

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

In his interview, William Allen Cross discusses Prohibition and bootlegging in Huntington, West Virginia. Mr. Cross was a theater manager for the Keith Albee Theater (referred to as the State Theater) in Huntington, WV. Although he did not make moonshine, he was a buyer during Prohibition. He discusses how bootleggers sold their whiskey and provides locations for stills. Mr. Cross also focuses on how to make moonshine, whiskey, and wine. He reminiscences about “the Strip” between 10^th and 11^th Streets in Huntington, WV, that served from 1925-1945 as a red-light, gambling, and bootlegging district. In the audio clip …

Oral History Interview: Doris Copley Miller, Doris Copley Miller

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Doris Copley Miller resided in Wayne and Cabell Counties, West Virginia, for the majority of her life. She discusses the history of Marshall Academy and its progression to college and university status. She also focuses on education in West Virginia. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Miller discusses teaching in Wayne County, West Virginia. She focuses the decor of her classrooms, the number of students, and the typical school day schedule. She also discusses games and recreation played by her students.

Oral History Interview: Lucy Quarrier, Lucy Quarrier

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Lucy Quarrier was a renowned weaver and a member of the Southern Highlands Handicraft Guild. During the Depression, representatives from the state of West Virginia chose Mrs. Quarrier to teach rural women how to weave. She was also an accomplished gardener and used her green thumb to create vegetable dyes for her thread and weaving materials. Mrs. Quarrier taught weaving classes and her pupils became known as “The Lucy Quarrier Weavers.” She showcased her talents at arts and crafts festivals and often gave tutorials during the festivals. In her interview, Mrs. Quarrier discusses how she learned to weave. She focuses …

Oral History Interview: William T. Arnold, William T. Arnold

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

William T. Arnold (Bill Arnold), a Native West Virginian, lived the majority of his life in Clay County. Mr. Arnold spent his early childhood on a farm on Galon Mountain. After the death of his father, Mr. Arnold moved with his family to various towns within Clay County. In 1911, when he was eleven years old, Mr. Arnold started his first job in coal mining, working thirteen hours a night as a water dipper. When he was eighteen years old, Mr. Arnold began working as a postman and delivered mail on a route near the New River, between the towns …

Oral History Interview: Forrest Atkinson, Forrest C. Atkinson

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

During his interview, Forrest Atkinson reminisces about growing up on a farm in Cabell County, West Virginia. His father was a tobacco farmer and timber cutter. He focuses on food preservation processes and home entertainment, including music and books. He also focuses on changes in technology during his lifetime. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Atkinson discusses raising and selling tobacco.

Oral History Interview: Frank Brooks, Frank Brooks

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Frank Brooks was born in Fayette County, WV, but grew up in Carter County, KY, in the early 1900s. He attended a one room school house through the third grade. Mr. Brooks began working in coal mines with his father in Borderland, WV, when he was 13 years old. In the audio clip provided, he discusses his first time in a coal mine. He focuses on how he tried to appear bigger than he was in order to be able to work. In his interview, Mr. Brooks compares and contrasts the labor conditions in the mines before and after unionization. …

Oral History Interview: Charles R. Knightstep, Charles R. Knightstep

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Charles Knightstep was born in Jackson County, WV, but resided in Mason County WV, for the majority of his life. Mr. Knightstep reminiscences about his life growing up on a farm. He describes the process of drying fruits and vegetables and burying apples and potatoes for use during the winter. He explains how his grandmother and mother made lye soap, cottage cheese, and apple butter. He also describes courting his wife and visiting her by horse and buggy. Mr. Knightstep worked for the Kanawha and Michigan railroad beginning in 1915, when he was 15 years old. He describes the changes …

Oral History Interview: Beulah Mckeand, Beulah Mckeand

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Beulah McKeand grew up in the Ceredo-Kenova area of West Virginia. During her interview, she focuses on her childhood experiences and family history. She discusses working at Abbotts, a store in Huntington, West Virginia. She also focuses on folk medicine, specifically uses for yellow root and ginseng. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. McKeand discusses growing ginseng and the market value for the plant.

Oral History Interview: Dr. Don V. Hatton And Jane Hatton, Don V. Hatton, Jane Hatton

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Dr. Don V. Hatton was a physician and public health specialist in both West Virginia and Kentucky beginning in the 1930s. During his interview, Dr. Hatton discusses Appalachia and focuses on the definition of the region and what it means to be Appalachian. He also discusses his transition from being a public health specialist focused on preventative medicine to a practicing internal medicine physician. In the audio clip provided, he compares and contrasts his public health work in West Virginia and Kentucky through a focus on physical environment, education, and socioeconomic status. Throughout this interview, Dr. Hatton’s wife, Jane Hatton, …

Oral History Interview: Ethel Barnes, Eva Ethel Barnes

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Eva Ethel Barnes, who is referred to as Ethel Barnes during her interview, was born on February 25, 1900, in Ivydale, Clay County, West Virginia. She attended a one room school house as a child. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Barnes discusses her education as a child in a one room school house. She focuses on the classroom schedule and her teachers at this school. During her interview she also discusses preserving and preparing food and soap with her mother.

Oral History Interview: Bertha May Asbury, Bertha May Asbury

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Bertha May Asbury was born in 1888 and began attending school in a one-room school house in 1894 at the age of six. She attended school through the ninth grade. She left school at the age of 17 when she began “courtin’” with young men. In her interview, Mrs. Asbury discusses living on Route 4 in Kanawha County, West Virginia. She focuses on food preservation and preparation, planting and harvesting crops, building a new home, going to square dances, and quilting. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Asbury discusses what it was like to attend a square dance. She focuses …

Oral History Interview: Anna Casto Hopkins, Anna Casto Hopkins

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Born in Jackson County, West Virginia, Mrs. Anna Hopkins spent most of her life on a farm near Beech Fork, West Virginia. After breaking her hip in 1971, she moved to Ripley, West Virginia, where she was still residing at the time of the interview. Mrs. Hopkins reminisces about her childhood experiences, farm chores, neighborhood gatherings, and holiday celebrations. She also discusses the Depression and the two world wars.

Oral History 2: Lawrence Purdy Somerville, Lawrence Purdy Somerville

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Mr. Somerville lived on a farm near Ravenswood, West Virginia, until age fourteen. He then enlisted in the army and served in the Spanish-American War as a member of the occupational troops in the Phillipines. Subjects he discusses include: life on the farm, medical and educational facilities and opportunities. Mr. Somerville also discusses the reasons for his enlistement into the army at such an early age. At the time of the interview, Mr. Somerville was residing in Vienna, West Virginia.

Oral History Interview: Mattie Spencer Price, Mattie Spencer Price

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Born at Henderson, West Virginia, Mrs. Price was a teacher for Kanawha County, West Virginia for forty-four years. As of 1972, Mrs. Price was retired and residing in Hernshaw, West Virginia. Mrs. Price relates the story of her reasons for entering the teaching profession and her career while teaching at one-room schoolhouses. She also discusses some of the situations and problems involving transportation and employment confronting the people of Hernshaw, West Virginia.