Appalachia: Family and Gender in the Coal Community Oral History Project

Project Summary

This project concerns the social and cultural history of coal communities in eastern Kentucky, with emphasis on Auxier and Van Lear. Family issues and gender roles are explored, as well as modernization, consumerism, religion, farm life, class distinctions, poverty, the Great Depression, company stores, birth control, divorce, company doctors, immigrants, home brew, homosexuality, blacks, the Ku Klux Klan, and the roles of women in the community. Also discussed are the North East Coal Company, the South East Coal Company, the Henry Clay Coal Mine, the Consolidated Coal Company, the Pittsburg Coal Company, mine safety, the 1922 strike, black lung, Jenny Wiley State Park, Alice Lloyd College, and the Kentucky towns of Ligon, Wheelwright, and McRoberts. Narrators talk about Dr. B. F. Wright, Harry LaViers, Sr., John C. C. Mayo, John L. Lewis, George Titler, and others associated with the coal industry.

Project Code

appfam

Project LC Subject

African American coal miners African Americans--Kentucky--Auxier African Americans--Kentucky--Van Lear Agricultural laborers Alice Lloyd College Appalachian Region Auxier (Ky.) Birth control--Kentucky--Auxier Coal miners--Kentucky--Auxier Coal miners--Kentucky--Van Lear Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Auxier Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Van Lear Region--History Consolidated Coal Company Consumers--Kentucky--Auxier Consumers--Kentucky--Van Lear Depressions, 1929--Kentucky--Auxier Depressions, 1929--Kentucky--Van Lear Domestic relations--Kentucky--Auxier Domestic relations--Kentucky--Van Lear Domestic relations. Farm life--Kentucky--Auxier Farm life--Kentucky--Van Lear Henry Clay (Pa. : Township) Homosexuality--Kentucky--Auxier Homosexuality--Kentucky--Van Lear Immigrants--Kentucky--Van Lear Industrial relations--Kentucky--Auxier Industrial relations--Kentucky--Van Lear Kentucky--Religion Ku Klux Klan (1915- )--Kentucky--Auxier Ku Klux Klan (1915- )--Kentucky--Van Lear Lewis, John L. (John Llewellyn), 1880-1969. Ligon (Ky.) Lungs--Dust diseases--Kentucky McRoberts (Ky.) Pittsburgh Coal Company Sex role Sex role--Kentucky--Auxier Sex role--Kentucky--Van Lear Social classes Social classes--Kentucky--Auxier Social classes--Kentucky--Van Lear Strikes and lockouts--Coal mining Titler, George J., 1895-1976 Van Lear (Ky.) Wheelwright (Ky.) Women--Kentucky

Appalachia: Family and Gender in the Coal Community Oral History Project

Project Summary

Project Code

Project LC Subject

Interviews in this Project (64 Total):

Appalachia: Family and Gender in the Coal Community Oral History Project

Gallery (64 Interviews Total):