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Interviewee
Early, Mary; Conyer, George A.
Identifier
SNP028
Format
1 audio file (running time: 0:31:54)
Interview Number
SNP-28
Date of Interview
1978
Description
Records the reminiscences of Mary Early, (née Leonard), who lived in New Hope, not far from the Black Rock Springs Hotel, in Black Rock Gap, Virginia. The Black Rock Springs Hotel was a popular tourist destination in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, both for its scenic views and for the natural mineral springs for which it was named. Mrs. Early recounts her memories of the grounds and buildings and the popularity of the site in the years following the hotel's destruction by fire in 1909. Includes references to people associated with the hotel and springs, as well as many of the families and local people who lived near the hotel in its heyday. The site where the hotel stood was incorporated into Shenandoah National Park in the 1930s. Joining Mrs. Early in the interview is her son-in-law, George Coyner.
Rights
The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).
Personal Names
Early, Mary, 1883-1983; Coyner, George A., (George Archibald) 1906-1979
Family Names
Early family; Coiner family
Subjects
Black Rock Springs Hotel (Va.) – History; Hotels -- Virginia – History; Health resorts -- Virginia – History; Mineral springs -- Virginia – History; Mountain life -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) – History; Mountain people -- Virginia -- Shenandoah National Park -- Social life and customs; Distilling, Illicit -- Virginia – Anecdotes.
Place Names
Black Rock Springs Gap (Va.) – History; Black Rock Springs Gap (Va.) -- Social life and customs; Jarman Gap (Va.) – History; Jarman Gap (Va.) -- Social life and customs; Shenandoah National Park (Va.) -- History, Local; Augusta County (Va.) – History; Albemarle County (Va.) – History; Skyline Drive (Va.) – History; Blue Ridge Mountains -- Economic conditions; Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) – History.
Interviewer
Moody, Amanda
Transcriber
Giroux, Allie; Edwards Victoria M.
Collection Title
Shenandoah National Park oral history collection
Collection Number
SdArch SNP
Recommended Citation
Mary Early and George A. Conyer interviewed by Amanda moody, January 1, 1978, SdArch SNP-28, Shenandoah National Park Oral History Collection, 1964-1999, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University
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