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Interviewee
Sampson, Zenith
Identifier
SNP106
Format
1 audio file (running time: 1:02:01)
Interview Number
SNP-106
Location of Interview
Mrs. Sampson's home in Ruckersville, Virginia
Date of Interview
3-11-1993
Description
Records an interview with Zenith Sampson, (née Shifflett), who lived on Lewis Mountain, in Greene County, Virginia, within the future boundaries of Shenandoah National Park. Describes daily life in the mountains, touching on the work of growing and preserving food, the apple and chestnut harvests, bark peeling, and other local economic activities. Recalls popular community events, such as apple butter boilings, quilting and bean stringing parties, church gatherings and barn dances. Mrs. Sampson also recollects the earliest days of Skyline Drive and the impact it had on various mountain communities. At the time of the interview, Chris Brasted was an editor for the Greene County Record newspaper. His interview with Zenith Sampson was the basis for his Life in the Mountains article published in the newspaper on April 1, 1993. A photocopy facsimile of the article is included with the transcript.
Rights
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Personal Names
Sampson, Zenith, 1922-1994, Interviews
Family Names
Sampson family; Shifflett family
Subjects
Mountain people -- Blue Ridge Mountains -- Social life and customs; Mountain life -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) – History; Mountain people -- Virginia -- Shenandoah National Park -- Social life and customs; Rural poor – Virginia; Country life -- Appalachian Region, Southern; Bark peeling – Virginia; Food habits -- Appalachian Region, Southern; Holidays -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) – History; Funeral rites -- Appalachian Region, Southern; Land use -- Government policy -- United States.
Place Names
Greene County (Va.) – History; Lewis Mountain (Va.) – History; Skyline Drive (Va.) – History; Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Manners and customs; Shenandoah National Park (Va.) -- History, Local.
Interviewer
Brasted, Chris
Transcriber
Cole, Tiffany
Collection Title
Shenandoah National Park oral history collection
Collection Number
SdArch SNP
Recommended Citation
Zenith Sampson interviewed by Chris Brasted, March 11, 1993, SdArch SNP-106, Shenandoah National Park Oral History Collection, 1964-1999, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University
Streaming Media
