• Contributor
  • Moore, Bill
  • Moore, Howard
  • Hannah, John
  • Carver, Aden
  • Brown, Bill, Mrs.
  • Mathis, Grady
  • Styles, Docia
  • Crisp, Bert
• Format
  • Transcripts
  • Interviews
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1939
• Extent
  • Dimension: 11' x 8.5"
  • Pages: 36 pages
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • GSMNP_Cata-Hall_Tape_04_1939

Tapes '· GUIDE to TAPE No. 4: .. It appears that in making the •copies from which these tapes were taken, the original recordings were mixed up. There are places where the recording of a person is interrupted by unrelated recordings. In this transcript, all ·.· of a person's statements are written consecutively without following the order in which they are on the tape. The marginal Index Counter Numbers indicate where the statements are on the tape. There follows a listing of the recordings in the order in which they occur on the tape: ICN Page SIDE 1: BILL and H~lARD MOORE, Saunook, Haywood County, North Carolina - singing "Can the Circle Be Unbroken" "Sowing on the Mountain" "You Got to Walk That Lonesome Valley ooo--048 052-12 6 129-161 JOHN HANNAH, Little Cataloochee, North Carolina - singing 11Worried Nan Blues" 164-180 105-106 107-109 110-112 116-117 BILL and HOWARD MOORE, Saunook, Haywood County, North carolina - singing "You Got to Walk That Lonesome Va 11ey" ADEN CARVER, Bradley Fork, Srnokernont, North Carolina Panther Story Persona 1 Building a church 181-209 212-301 BILL MOORE, Saunook, Haywood County, North CaroHna - singing "Can the Circle Be Unbroken" . 303-325 Hrs. BILL BROwN, Tow String Creek, North Carolina, interviewed by Bill Moore Eddie Conner and his casket Personal 328-360 LIBRARY GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS N 1\TIONl~ L PARK 113-115 118 118-119 120-121 122-123 124 124-125 Bradley Fork,Smok~mont, North Singing Primitive Baptist songs (2) GRADY MATHIS, Smokemont, North Carolina Ground hog story CCC camp ADEN CARVER, Bradley Fork, Smokemont, North Carolina Singing song he sang at his wife's death bed GRADY MATHIS, Smokemont, North Carolina Continuation of CCC camp story ' 000-168 171•192 1~4-228 231-267 270-294 Mrs. DOCIA STYLES, Indian Creek, Swain County, North Carolina, interviewed by Bill Moore 297-317 Personal How Mrs. \..Jiggins got lost BERT CRISP, Tow String, North Carolina, interviewed by Bill Moore CCC camp on Hingus Creek Hingus mill Tow String, name Eddie Conner and his casket 319-357 126 127 128-129 12b 129-130 131 132 133 134 134 135 SIDE No. 1 BILL and HGlARD MOORE, Saunook, "can the Circle Be Unbroken" "Sowing on the Mountain" "You Got to Walk That Lonesome Valley" Begin 000 Break 053 Begin 057 Break 064. Begin .068. Break 080 Begin 084 Break 115 Begin· 123 Break 143 Begin 145 Break 184 - singing JOHN HANNAH, Little Calaloochee, North Carolina - singing "Takes a Worried Man to Sing a Worried Song" "You Got to Walk That Lonesome Valley" Begin 188 Break 207 Begin 208 Break 243 ADEN CARVER, Bradley Fork, Smokemont, · North Carolina BILL MOORE, Saunook, North Carolina "Can the Circle Be Unbroken" Begin 245 Break 265 Begin 270 Break 292 Begin 292 Break 330 Begin 332 Break 354 - singing Begin 357 Break 384 Mi:s. BILL BRGlN, Tow String Creek, North Ca.rolina Tape runs out at Begin 388 Break 400 Begin 405 Break 428 439 TAPE No •. , 4, SIDE No. 2 ADEN CARVER, Bradley Fork, Smokemont, North Carolina - s ... ,~ ... ,6 Primitive Baptist Song Another Begin 000 Break 103 Begin 109 Break 189 GRADY MATHIS, Smokemont, North carolina ADEN CARVER -·contd - singing GRADY MATHIS • contd Begin 192 Break 217 Begin 219 Break 260 Begin 264 Break 308 Begin 312 Break 341 Mrs. DOCIA STYlES, Indian Creek, North Carolina Begin 349 Break 351 Begin 353 Break 357 Begin ~ 359 Break 363 Begin 365 Break 369 BERT CRISP, Tow String Creek, North Carolina Tape runs out Begin 371 Break 389 Begin 390 Break 412 Begin 413 Break 420 437 ~PE No. 4 - SIDE l (From Index Counter Number 000 to 015, blank) BILL and no;..rARD MOORE, Saunook, Haywood County, North Carolina - singing CAN THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN tOO) I w's standin' by my window On one cold and cloudy day W'n I saw the.hearse come rolling For to carry my mother away. Can the circle be unbroken Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye. There's a beltf'r horne n waiting In the sky, Lord, in the sky. Undertaker, undertaker, Undertaker please drive slow For this body you are hauling J~rd, I ha te to see her go. Can the c ircle be unbroken Bye and bye , Lord, bye and bye. Thet:e 1 s a bet ter home a waiting In th; s ky > Lord , in th' sky. I will follow close behind her Tryin' to hold up an' be brave But I could not hide my sorrow When they laid her in th' grave. When I went back to my old home Lord, my mother she was gone. All my brothers sisters crying. What a home so sad and lone. Can the circle be unbroken Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye. There's a better horne a waiting In the sky, Lord, in th' sky. BREAK \ "-.--· . .. .-.... i2) i8 )2) 73) 75) (Higher pitch) ' ."\·· Sa-liNG ON THE MOUNI'AIN in th' mountain, reapin' in a valley Sowin' on a mountain, a reapin' in a valley Sowin' on a mountain, reapin' in a valley · You gonna reap just what you sow. BREAK Sowin' in th' mountain, reapin' in a valley Sowin' on a mountaim, reapin' in a valley Sowin' on a mountain, reapin' in a valley You gonna reap just what you sow. All you sinners better go to prayin' All you sinners better go to prayin' .All you sinners better go to praying You're gonna reap just what you BREAK Sowin' on a mountain, reapin' in a valley Sowin' on a mountain, reapin' in a valley Sowin' on a mountain, a reapin' in a valley You gonna reap just what you S0".-1. 0 . OJ) \____; All you sinners t' . praying All you sinners better go t '. praying All you sinners better go t' praying You gonna reap just what you sow. All you liars better quit your lying All you liars better quit your lying All you liars better quit your lying You gonna reap just what you sow. All you drunkards better quit your drinkin' All you drunkards better quit your drinkin' All you drunkards better quit your drinkin' You gonna reap just what you sow. Sowin' on a mountain, reapin' in a valley Sowin' on a mountain, a reapin' in a valley Sowin' on a mountain, reapin' in a valley You gonna reap just what you sow • BREAK lO) sinners better go to praying All you sinners better go to praying You gonna reap just what you sow. All you liars better quit your lyin' All you liars better quit your lying All you liars better quit your lying You gonn~ reap just what you sow. All you drunkards better quit your drinkin' All you drunkards better quit your drinkin 1 All you drunkards ~etter quit your drinking You gonna reap just what you sow. Sawin' on a mountain, reaping in a valley Sowin' on a mountain, reapin' in a valley So\-.Tin 1 on a mountain, reapin' in a valley , ..., You gona reap just what you sow • . '26) BREAK !9) ... . YOU'VE GOT TO \~ALK THAT LOt-."ESONE VALLEY You got to \<1alk You got t' walk That lonesome valley Lonesome valley You gotta go there by yourself There'll be no one to go there for you You got to go You got. to go There by yourself. Mother said Mother said \Then she was dying Just before Just before Her breath was gone Just put your trust As I l eave As I leave You here alone. alone in Jesus (1st Singer) (2nd Singer) (Both Singers) Joe Hall Some folks tell Some folks tell That John was a Baptist. Others said Others said He was Jew. But oh the Bible plainly tells us That he- was That he· was A preacher too. You got to walk You got to walk That lonesome valley Lonesome valley You got to go there by yourself. There' ll be no one to go the.re for you You got to go You got to go There by yourself. • You got to lie You got to lie • In a lonesome graveyard You got to lie You got to lie There by yourself. There'll be no one to lie there for you. You got to lie You got to lie There by yourself. You got to walk You got to wslk That lonesome valley Lonesome valley You got to go there by_ yourself There'll be no one to go there for you You got to go You got to go H) There by yourself. BREAK .... _ -.,. .,_ •• ":C \ ' - . > YOU'VE GOT TO h'Alli THAT LONESONE VALlEY H) You got to walk (1st Singer) You got to walk (2nd Singer) That lonesome valley That lonesome valley You got to go there by yourself. (Both Singer) There'll be no one to go there for you • . You got to go You got. to go There by yourself. Mother said Hother said When she was dy i ng Just be fore her breath was gone Just put your trust alone in Jesus As I leave As I leave You here alone . '' .· '-:. You got to walk You got to walk That lonesome valley That lonesome valley You got t' go there by yourself. There'll be no one to go there for you You got to go · You got to go There b~ yourself. Some folks said Some folks said TI1at John was a Baptist. Others said he was a Jew. But on the Bible plainly tells us That he was That he was A preacher too. .,y ~ )9) You got to lie You got to lie In lonesome graveyard You got to lie there by yourself. There '11 be no one to lie there for.you. You got to lie You got to lie There by yourself. You got to walk You got to walk That lonesome valley. You got to walk it by yourself. TI1ere 1 ll be no one to walk it for you. You got to walk it by yourself. BREAK 64) North Singing WORRIED MAN BLUES Went across th' river 'n' I lie down to sleep. I went across th' river 'n' ~ I lie down to sleep. When I woke shackles on my feet. Twenty-ni.ne links of chain around my legs Twenty-nine links of chain around my legs And on each link an initial of my name. Takes a worried man to sing worried song It takes a worried man to sing worried song. I'm worried now but I won't be worried long. Train I ride is fifteen coaches long. Th' train I ride is fifteen coaches - long. Too long thought th' train was gone. Takes a worried man to sing a worried song. _ It takes a worried man to sing worried song. 11m worried now won't be worried long. lO) Girl I love, she's , done an' gone. Th' girl I love, she done an' gone. And I would say it's gonna be long. Takes a worried man to sing a worried song. It takes a worried man to sing a worried song. I'm lvorried now but won't be worried long. BREAK ADEN CARVER, Bradley Fork, Smqkemont, North Carolina, 1939 12) Ready? Begin? (Softly) ~8) I w's a boy about, tent' * e'enin' to hunt the sheep. twelve year old. My father sent me out in the As I come in walkin' along a ridge, th' first * thing I knowed a panther jumped right ouwt in front of me he wasn't over * * ten foot from me. He braced hi.s feet, schlap his tayl, just like he w's goin' jump on me. I backed off, I guess twenty foot maybe farther, 1 n 1 got * me a rock, stet ted out with rock in my hand lookin 1 ri.ght at 'im expect in' 'im to get me at any time. An' I made a, kind of a move an' he started just as straight to me as he could. I throwed up my rock, an' he turned, * just like he's gwine cut me off, betwixt me An' the house. I't>'ent dc~n that mountain a steam car couldn ' t have caught me an' I never looked back. Fencin' wasn't in m~, way or nothin' 1 n 1 I jumped out into th 1 field, run out, halfway of th' fidd, 1 n 1 I looked back. I seed no panther. I don't * know where he went, but he 's a maain big un. PAUSE 12) I w's horned in, a half a mile of v1here I'm a ta lkin 1 this morn in'. It was Haywood County 'n' no\·1 it's, Swain County. An' just after the war a few year, I w's n~rried. I w's married at th' age of, twenty-two years, an' I * * went to th' state of Tennessee. An' I \-1as theyre quite a whyle s omethin 1 like, twenty-six or seven year. An 1 I v.;ent in that area trade. An 1 I went iu. th' millin' business , mill company. I lear ned my tra de . An'. I, removed my, mill on th ' v:aters of Flat Creek , Tennessee , Sevier Coun t y. An' ... ;;, . ~.,,-,~~::~-,f~~~~; ·fi.~:·~r~~~::;~tt~~~)~~,J~n~~~~~~;::''"-': :-.~~,,r~-: :';.\; . ··;·-· ' ,-,,~ ,-.. · ·Joseph_ Hall ;;Tapes -: ''.-: ··· ". '::.;: 'f. there I, stayed, a year, an' I n'ver was in sech a law breaking country in '· my life. It w's no count. I decided to leave. An' another thought struck my. mind an' I still stayed. An' I went to work cut tin' wood t' put up a church house ~50) (Double recording - indistinguishable) ,{ £: BREAK ~50) An' all th' men that /-----/ 'N' I left that country when I left it went back to my old home, an' a man of that country tried to persuade me back that they'd buy me a farm an' give it to me if I'd go back. But I never felt it 's my duty to go back. I come back t' North Carolina t' take care of my father. The old feller had got old he couldn't do nothin'. An' I stayed with him til he passed ouwt. I still stayed in th' state of North Carolina, worked. Finally I lost the old lady. Seven year ago, last January. An' I'm just alone. I've reached the age of, ninety-three, three months. Few days. An' yit able to go on 'n' git about. Gettin' along reasorthle you might say. \-lhile I was in the last year of our war, I never called out no pens ion, I went through by my v10rk. An' a man wi 11 try, they can get all get through by bein' honest an' tellin' th' truth an' doin' their work right. I've never been ouwt of a job. Til I've got so in age that I can't keep up with job, an' I've quit an' come in. That's all I'J~ tell about 1----~1 Whet Te l l a bo ut g o i n :~ to CC camp and stayed working on the Mingus mill. Joe * I went down to a mill down hyer the Mingus mill. The CC, they got me t' sign up. Eh it was a mill that I helped buildJ8enjamiu Early. An' th' boss man come in, get it in his head right that they got me to go there, an' I went there an' wcrked, a month or maybe little more. An' th' * gov'ment paid me for that. An' th' more money than I ever made in life I made it job. An' I'm proud that I helped set up th' job again, t' work for a man. that understand, that we have to live by our \vork. ~0) 1-----1 .BREAK S2) I-uh, first located, on the little east fork, in Sevier County five mile above Sevierville. I w's there few years undertook to build a mill, 'leven * mile above on th' head of Flat Cree~ in Bird Settlement. I went theyre. Went to work. An' Lhey w's, terrible work about, 'n' they devilled me t' death 'bout 'em. I wcrked on there, an' we got the mill; started. I decided I'd leave that place. Wasn't a suitable place to raise a family. I've saw as high, as ten to twenty drunk women th' same day. An' men in * proport i on. I studied over one nyte, got up next morn in' I says ''Marthey I don't \<J<lnt to scay here til I, have t' go out." I went to work. Hade applica&ion with th' Association, an' in, seven year I had a Baptist ~hurch bu1lt there. 'N' that country "''s all sobered dcvm 'n' seemed like a diffe1·enc: country an 1 I left, come r:o my nat:1ve land. when I \vent back over th' per j_od, they offered t' buy me a place an' give it to me if I'd come back. I asked 'em "Hha t heve I done fur this C-:>untry?" They said "You've Tapes Pflge 121 * done more than ever man that's ever lived hyer. We've got a good civilized country an' a good church.'' BREAK ' ADDITIONAL GLOSSARY for Aden Carver v e'enin' - evening ouwt out schlap - slap tayl - tail stet ted - started gwine - going maain 1 theyre - there whyle -while hyer - here gov'ment - government nyte - night BILL MOORE, Saunook, Haywood County, North Carolina - CAN THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN I was standin' by my window On one cold and cloudy day When I saw th' hearse a rollin' For to carry my mother away• Can the circle be unbroken Bye and bye, Lord, bye an' bye. There's a better home a waitin' In th' sky, Lord, in th' sky. I will follow close behind her Tryin' to hold up and be brave But I could not hide my sorrow Vlhen they laid her in th' grave. Can the circle be unbroken Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye There's a better home a waitin' In th' sky, Lord, in th' sky. Hhen I went back to my old home Lord, my mother she was gone All my brothers sisters cryin' For the home so sad an' lone. Can the circle be unbroken Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye. There's a better home a waitin' In the sky, Lord, in the sky. Bllli.AK --o- ·~ -~ . Tow String Creek, North Carolina, interviewed by Bill Moore Now did you hold t' say I knowed Mr. Conner so long (PAUSE) I've been 'quainted wi' Mr. Conner fer, thirty-nine years, thirty-nine years th' tenth of last April. An' he planted a walnut tree must I play it thataway? And it grew an' he made his casket out of it. He made it hisself. (PAUSE) Tell how he 1-----1 Oh he, an-uh after he had the casket made why he got in it, 'n' set in there 'n' had his picture made. In the casket. Right whur he professed religion when he 's a young man. BREAK 1-----1 Mrs. Bro•Nn you born 'n' raised in Swain County? (MOORE) No sir I wasn't born in ::'wain County I wasn't about t' tell ye I'll just tell ye where I 's born 1-----1 Just answer th' questions Hother. (UNIDEN) How long have you lived in this part of the country? S\-1ain County. Fifty, fifty.;five years fifty-tlwee, fifty-four I mean. Guess I've been fifty-four. How many do you have in yo' £ami ly Hrs. BJ:o~"n '! Ten. children, Talk a little louder Mrs. Brown. Ten children. Tell us about that big rain that come way back yonder. (PAUSE) (Chuckling) 1-----1 {UNIDEN) No it wasn't (PAUSE) One day we they w's a, a~ful rain come up 'n' the waters got up 'n' my daughter got skeered 'n', an'. Well what must I tell? He 1-----1 Oh hush Clara I don't know nothin' 'bout this. 1-----1 You c'n tell it. You c'n do good, c'm on. Cut it off an' let her tell it. Come on Frank down here 'n' tell it. l1arnma I couldn 1 t do it. ) Yes you c'd. You c'n do better 'n me I'm too old. END of Side 1 LIBRARY eREAT S~OK TAPE No. 4 - Side 2 (From Index Counter Number 000 to ADEN CARVER, Bradley Fork, Smokemont, North Carolina - singing ) Singing a Primitive Baptist song. Cannot understand the ·words. He just stops singing. ) First song I want t' sing ye is an old Primitive Baptist. ) Singing - cannot understand the words BREAK Goin' t' sing a song, that I sung when the old lady was on her death bed. I wouldn't do took a thousand 'n' six worlds for 'er but she's g?ne. She me called/t' sing ;her a song, 'n' I moved up to 'er head 'n' I sung 'er this song, an' th' song is this. .• "There is a land of beauty lyin' Lord" (Cannot uncles tand any rnore '-lOrds) BREAK . ·--- GRADY MATHIS, Smokemont, North (17l)So I set in up there one way to get ahead of 'em. He said, "How many ground hogs you git. '' Little louder. Said "how many ground hogs you get'' oh I says uh, "sometimes I get one 1n 1 two 'n' sometimes three •. " I says "Th 1 pretty apart about it,_ Bishop told me to go ahead an' kill, th' ground hogs eatin' up th 1 country up there an' I went ahead 1 n 1 killed it, but I had t 1 get twelve before I got there." An'. So. He-uh; jumped on an 1 asked me about it I said 11\Jhy that's just a curve I 's shootin' at th' boys 'round here." He said "Hell. I'll let ya," it w's call Mr. Needham. I said well I meant Mr. Bishop it wasn't Mr. Needham it w1s Mr. Bishop. Somethin 1 like that th' way I told it. Tell about me comin' up there with you? 'Bout uh, you? Yeah. (UNIDEN) An' so one day Hr. Allman 'n' Hr. Bishop they come up there an' I 1s up an' tellin' Mr., Allman \Jhat ltind of a curve I 's shootin' 'bout th' ground hog you knm.;. 1N1 Nr. Bishop, he went ahead 'n' sai.d "\·:ell. I'll just, have t' get you an' ~.;c' 11 go over here an' make a record of this. 11 He told over th 1 radio you know? 'N' I Hent ahead 1 n 1 told 'im 1n'. lie promised then to come 92) get me but he never did. Told 'im I'd go but, he never did come. BREAK 94) Along in 1933 I went into a, a, southern camp. An' then I went from there a company of, fifteen. That 's northern camp. 'N' they had a feller there he was a rated man 'n' th' northern boys had done away with 'im y' know. 'N' he said to me there one day th' superintendent did he says "Grady, I've got a vacance here fer a leader, 'n' I'll let you have a bunch of those northern boys 'n' if you c'n handle 'em why I'll give y' th' ratin'." I said "a 11 right I' 11 try it if I can't git it out of them why, I can fetch 'em in or they can fetch me in." An' he says "All right that's th' kind of man I 's lookin' for somebody can work 'em." "Well" I says "I know what th' work is an' I know how t' learn th' boys t' work or I'll try it as hard as anybody . " Well I went ahead down there 'n', started out with th' boys 'n', they 'Hent ahead there 'n' went t' runnin' backards 'n' forar.ds bumm!n' cigrettes, from one company there to another. 'N' I hopped up on a stump 'n' told 'em cut tha t out, I happened t 1 be th' boss there, an' I wanted work. I wasn't wantin' 'em runnin' around there bummin' cigrettes. So's-uh, one said "\·lhy Christ a mighty" he says , 11\-.'hat are you slave driver" an' I said "Don't you open yore mouth t' me another time boy." 'N' "or I'll show you whether I'm a slave driver or not." An'. So-uh, day or two later he s a id- uh, " ilhat did t hey do 't>Jith you \vhenevcr you killed that man, some t\-lO Ol." three years a t;o" an' I said ''\·Jho want knoTt~ , you?" He says "\-lhy yes. I'd like to knO\•. '' "Ve ll now" I says " if you just name that to me again you ' ll ,knmv ,you'll go j ust th' s ame route th' ot her man ,.:ent." So-ul1. I went ahead there 'n', I .,.:cnt work:!.n' ' em 'n', then t hey gotta call me th' lie ut e nant. I to ld ' em tha t w' s my name you kn ow. Lie u t enant an'. I fell in th' work t ht"!re 'n' shO\v in' th' boy :; how 'n'. Sa the first thing I knowed I'd ge t s tarted it of f , out o f th' way from ' em, whirlin' aroun' lookin' at me 'n' I'd say "here whatta you do~n' there boys, you think I'm Sandy Claus? Now I don't want t' see that happen no mo'." An' they got t' talkin' back 'n' forards one 'nother say "why Christ a mighty he's a slave driver." An' I said just whirled around I says-uh "I don't want t' hear that nairy 'nother time boys. I'm showin' you how t' 28) work an' I mean for you t' know hmv t' work." So he just, tightened up. BREAK 70) So few days, uh, later, why one of th' northern boys come out there t' me 'n' says-uh "hay Lieutenant." Says-uh "far breaks out here you take us out on these mountains," 'n' I says "why yes whatta think I'm here for." "Well'' he says"I didn't knmv,' 1 'n' he said "ain't you 'fraid you'll get us lost out here" an' I says, "no sir you can't lose me on these mountains I 1 s born an' raised here." We 11 he says "would you want us to fight far like we work." I says "yes but I still want ya to fight it still harder fer a tar is hard t' protect when it catches out an' I don't want t' see no stymyin' whatever. When far is out I want ye t' put it out.:' l~ell he said, "what if th' far was to, break over.'' ¥:e 11 I says "when far breaks over r usually break over, but I break over t' get th' boys, straightened out at it.'' 11Well v;hat if we wouldn't do it." "'-lell if you didn't I'd break y' back with somethin' I'm there to doth' work a.n' I Mean t' have it done." 'N'. Th' northern boy says "why Christ a mighty Lieutenant we's likin' you just fine but, ~e don't think you'd do us thataway we goin' to doth' work for ye just like you tell us." "Hell if you do that we gonna get along." "All right" he says "Lieutenant" he says "now if a far breaks out all you shore nuf 1 Cause we don 1 t like t' get you bothered, Lieutenant, you t 1 help us boys out, but we . understand yore ill way of talkin'." says 'n' "that's all right I don't only talk ill if you boys wants t 1 be ill with me why, I'm small but I'm hard t' handle." "Well Christ a mighty" he says "we had a little boy up north 'bout your size 'n'. He got stuck in there an' he killed several men 'fore he got stopped that's why we want t' take care of you. We don't want t' git y' rnad. 11 11Well that's all right" I says. "I ain't a wantin' t' bother nobody but"I says "you boys here gonna do th' work now they got me here fer ~xperienced local rna~ see after this. An' I told th' man I thought I could an' that's exactly what I mean to do. Is to see after it." He said "that's OK." \~ell that's, all I have t' say 94) this ti~e I reckon. BREAK Creek, 97) Mrs. Styles w's you born in, in Swain County? (MOORE) No sir I 's born in Jackson County. How long d.id you live in Jackson County? I 1s 'bout seven years old. How long have you been In- livin' on Indian Creek Mrs. Styles? Fifty-one year. How many families lived on this creek one time? 01) Three two. BREAK 03) You born 'n' raised in Swain County? No sir I 's born in Jackson County, on Richard Creek. Lived there til I 's 'bout seven year old 'n' moved t', Swain County, at Smokemont 'n' stayed til I 's, til eight year we stayed there, 'n' been on Indian Creek th' rest 07) of th' time. Fifty-one year. BREAK ) About how old are you Hrs. Styles? I'm sixt y-six year old today. How many families lived on this creek? . There's two lived here, at one time, since I've lived here. •· How many children do you 12) Nine. Eight a livin' an' one dead. BREAK 13) Mrs. Higgins left here one evenin' she's liv- her mother . lived here wl::•y,_· live now, ' n' she left here one evenin' startin' t' Deep Creek, t' Bry Place 'n' got lost on th' mountain, 'n'. 'N' lay out all night. 'N' t . 's some mules come by with bells on an' she said they 's company fer ' r Thundered 'n' lightned all night 'n' when it begin t' break daylight tl 17) she c'd see t' walk she took her two little kids 'n' went on in home. BRFAK BERT CRISP / .. by Bi 11 Moore Mr. Crisp te 11 ' CC camp on Minguses Creek. (MOORE) Well-uh, we went t' work there about, 1934 I b'l:f.eve it was. Worked there about two years. What kind of work did you do? They-uh, cut timber. Chopped old dead timber 'n'. Cleaned up. Filled up old, main public highways. An'. Dressed off, banks on new highways. 'Bout how many boys w's they in that c:amp? 1 Bout t\.JO hundred. \!ere they northen1 boys 7 Yes. \~bcre did that camp go to from Minguses Creek'! ~ent f'm Minguses Creek to Deep Creek. You know how long it stayed at Deep Creek? 'Bout six months I b'licve it was. Go ahead an' tell us 'bout your ratin 1 you got there, Mr. Crisp. Well I, been there 'bout a couple of months 'n' got, ratin 1 , thirty-six • . 33) Next month or so I got BREAK 3) Mr. Crisp were you born 'n' raised in Graham County? No sir. Just go ahead an 1 t.:: l l uH '"here a ll, ;;am," whe re you 's born 'n' raised. I ·1 s bqrn in He owned, my father left there, , come to Mingus. Tell us about that old mi 11 over on Mingus Creek Mr. Crisp. Well that old mill was there far back as I can remember. ~o built that old mill, do you know? Uh. They told me Sion Early. 1N1 , Steven Ijarns one built it. Lon Floyd had it, had 'em t 1 build it. 1 Bout how old are you, now Mr. Crisp? Forty-seven year old. You have pretty good sized family? Just four of us. How long you been livin 1 on Tow String Mr. Crisp? I've been livin 1 on Tow String couple of year. Well I've owned this place about ten year. You have any big crop around here don't you? Yes pretty fair crop. How did this creek get its name up here? Well this creek used t 1 be, called, Davidson Branch. An old man moved in here back years ago putt one of these tow factory. And. From that on it went by th' name of TOI'l String. How many families 1i ve on this creek now d 1 y 1 know? Nineteen families I b 1 lieve PAUSE 50) Twen- twenty-three families? BREAK Why this, walnut in th' Big Cove. An'. be a tree. He cut it 'n' had it sawed. Made his coffin out of it. An'. ,_ He'd git in his coffin. Had his picture made when when when he 's in his ' . :>7) coffin. He was buried in that coffin. END

This 431-page manuscript is titled “Joe Hall tapes” and covers a series of interviews made by Joseph Sargent Hall (1906-1992) from 1939 to 1941. The history was collected as part of the Cataloochee History Project that collected photographs, stories, and oral histories about families who lived in the Cataloochee Valley. Today’s Cataloochee Valley is within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. While, in general, the Great Smoky Mountains region was sparsely populated, the Cataloochee Valley remained an exception. By 1900, the population of Cataloochee had grown to 1,000 residents living in hundreds of log and frame homes.

• Creator
  • Hall, Joseph S. (Joseph Sargent), 1906-1992
• Contributor
  • Clark, Medfor
  • Cathey, Mark, 1871-1944
  • Case, Frank
  • Carver, Aden
  • Caldwell, Mack
  • Bumgarner, Willis
  • Bumgarner, Dexter
  • Brown, Bill, Mrs.
  • Boulder, William
  • Bell, Ray
  • Bell, Gleason
  • Barnes, Bill
  • Anderson, Ted
  • Anderson, Ken
  • Allen, Melvin
  • Allen, Emery
• Format
  • Transcripts
  • Interviews
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1939; 1940; 1941
  • Date digitized: 2015-09-22
• Extent
  • Dimension: 11' x 8.5"
  • Pages: 431 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • Appalachian Region, Southern -- Social life and customs
  • Appalachians (People)
  • Cataloochee (N.C.) -- History
  • Families -- North Carolina -- Haywood County
  • Mountain life -- Great Smoky Mountains (N.C. and Tenn.)
  • Musicians
  • Storytelling
• Location
  • Haywood County (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • Cataloochee History Project
• Identifier
  • GSMNP_Cata-Hall_1939
• Repository
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park