Black Appalachians Oral History Project (Ms1991-019)

Dublin Core

Title

Subject

African American history

Montgomery County (Va.)

Kentland Farm

Christiansburg Industrial Institute.

Coal mines and mining

Description

The Black Appalachians Oral History Project consists of a series of interviews conducted by Dr. Michael Cooke of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University concerning black life in Appalachia, especially in Montgomery County, Virginia. The narrators represent communities such as Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Elliston, Riner, Shawsville, and Wake Forest.

Creator

Special Collections, Virginia Tech

Rights

Permission to publish material from the Black Appalachians Oral History Project must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Rights Holder

Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Collection Items

Oral History with Kenneth B. Wright, March 19, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Reverend Kenneth B. Wright was born and raised in Elliston, Virginia. Wright attended Montgomery County Public Schools, Virginia Union University, and
graduated from Roanoke College before becoming a pastor. In this interview, Wright describes the…

Oral History with Roxie Ida Bryson, March 14, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Roxie I. Bryson was born and raised near Shawsville, Virginia in Kirk’s Hollow. Bryson spent her life working in a local restaurant in the post office. In her free time, Bryson was a member of the Independent Order of St. Luke. In this interview,…

Oral History with Sarah J. Wade, March 14, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Sarah J. Wade grew up in Accomack County Virginia, and she moved to Blacksburg, Virginia when she was fourteen years old in search of domestic work opportunities. She married Thomas C. Wade, and they raised their family in Blacksburg. Their son,…

Oral History with James C. Wade, March 12, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

James C. Wade was born and raised in Blacksburg, Virginia. Wade graduated from Christiansburg Institute in 1959, and served in the Army before moving back to the Montgomery County area. In this interview, Wade describes race relations in Blacksburg,…

Oral History with Ellison A. Smyth, March 5, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Reverend Dr. Ellison Adger Smyth was born and raised in Blacksburg, Virginia. He attended Blacksburg schools, and he graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1925 with a degree in electrical engineering before answering the call to ministry.…

Oral History with James E. Sherman, March 11, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

James E. Sherman--who also went by Steve Sherman--was born in Whitethorne, Virginia and grew up in the Wake Forest community. Sherman attended Christiansburg Institute and spent his life working in the coal mines. In this interview, Sherman describes…

Oral History with Homer C. Sherman, March 13, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Homer C. Sherman was born and raised in Wake Forest, Virginia. Sherman attended a local, one-room school until the eighth grade. After primary school, Homer Sherman went to work in the mines with his father. Lack of work opportunities in the…

Oral History with Valerie Scott, Mason Scott, and James E. Dow, March 16, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Valerie Dow Scott was born in 1904, and she grew up in Montgomery County, Virginia. Scott’s parents--the Dow family--sent Valerie to high school in Nottoway County, Virginia. After completing her education there, Scott worked as a teacher, briefly,…

Oral History with W. Waymon and Cora Pack, March 11, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

William Waymon Pack was born in Montgomery County on August 7, 1920, and he grew up in Riner, Virginia. Pack attended a local primary school before attending Christiansburg Industrial Institute. Due to financial difficulties, Pack had to drop out of…

Oral History with Christine P. Price, March 4, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Christine Paige Price was born in Giles County Virginia on July 21, 1915. Her family moved to the Blacksburg area when Price was young in search of better educational opportunities for Christine and her siblings. Price and her family--the Paige…

Oral History with J. Homer Pack, March 13, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Joseph Homer Pack was born in 1910, and he grew up in Riner, Virginia. Pack attended his local primary school, a two room schoolhouse, before briefly attending Christiansburg Institute. Later in life, Pack worked in a variety of job positions…

Oral History with Walter Lewis, March 14, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Walter Lewis was born in 1926, and he grew up in the Radford-Blacksburg area. After graduating from Christiansburg Institute, Lewis served in the Navy during WWII; later in life, he worked for Virginia Tech. In this interview, Lewis describes his…

Oral History with Thompson V. Lester, Sr., and Elizabeth Lester, February 27, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Thompson V. Lester, Sr. was born in Christiansburg, Virginia in 1915. Thompson Lester met and married his wife, Elizabeth, in New Jersey. After serving in the Navy, Lester returned to Christiansburg, where he worked for his family's dry cleaning…

Oral History with Charles A. Johnson, March 3, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Charles A. Johnson was born in Wake Forest, Virginia, where he grew up and received his primary education. Johnson graduated from Christiansburg Institute in 1953 before serving in the Army. When Johnson returned from the Army, he began cutting hair…

Oral History with William Burrell Morgan, February 25, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

William Burrell Morgan, who went by Burrell, was born in Iowa before he moved to the Christiansburg area. Morgan attended Hill School and graduated from Christiansburg Industrial Institute; later, he operated his family's taxi service, which had been…

Oral History with Rosa Thomas Holmes, March 13, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Rosa Thomas Holmes, originally born in Beckley, West Virginia, grew up in the Christiansburg area. Holmes attended Hill School in and Christiansburg Industrial Institute before attending Virginia State College. She worked as a teacher in Florida…

Oral History with Rice Dobbins, March 2, 1991

Rice Dobbins grew up in Riner, Virginia in an area called Piney Wood. Dobbins primarily worked as a farmer in the Montgomery County area, specifically on Heth Farm (present day Heathwood Apartments). He moved to Blacksburg in the late 1930s, where he…

Oral History with Leola Burns Alexander Burford, March 11, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Leola Burford, a resident of Christiansburg, worked as a teacher in the Richmond area before getting married, and, eventually returning to the Christiansburg area. In this interview, Burford recalls her experiences at CI and Hampton University and…

Oral History with Frank Bannister, February 26, 1991 (Ms1991-019)

Frank Bannister was born in Wake Forest, Virginia in 1913, and his family members were descendants of Kentland Plantation slaves, which is now Kentland Farm in Whitethorne, Virginia. Bannister describes growing up in Wake Forest, working in the…

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