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Interviewee
Garrison, Harold
Identifier
SNP054
Format
1 audio file (running time:3:08:32)
Interview Number
SNP-54
Date of Interview
10-9-1980
Description
Records the reminiscences of Harold Garrison, who lived near Browns Gap, in what would become the Southern Section of Shenandoah National Park. Describes daily life in the mountains, including local agriculture, livestock production and food preservation, courting rituals and folk music. Discusses the importance of seasonal harvests, including chestnuts, ginseng and tan bark, to the local economy. Includes comments on moonshining, local murders and a 1954 plane crash on nearby Calf Mountain. The second half of the interview takes place in a Park Service vehicle as the two interviewers drive Mr. Garrison through the Browns Gap and Browns Cove areas of the park as he identifies local landmarks and home sites. The primary interviewer identifies herself as Janice Erkel, however there is no written documentation on the exact spelling of her name. The other interviewer is identified only as Tim, and as the driver of the vehicle, is presumably affiliated with Shenandoah National Park.
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
Garrison, Harold, Interviews
Family Names
Garrison family; Dunn 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; Traditional medicine -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.); Rural poor – Virginia; Country life -- Appalachian Region, Southern; Food habits -- Appalachian Region, Southern; Folk music -- Virginia – History; Ginseng; Bark peeling -- Virginia -- Rockingham County – History; Chestnut blight; Distilling, Illicit – Virginia; Aircraft accidents – Virginia; Homicide -- Virginia – History.
Place Names
Browns Cove (Va.) – History; Browns Gap (Va.) – History; Albemarle County (Va.) – History; Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Manners and customs; Shenandoah National Park (Va.) -- History, Local.
Transcriber
Browne, Heather; Popp, Rebecca; Stevenson, Erin
Collection Title
Shenandoah National Park oral history collection
Collection Number
SdArch SNP
Recommended Citation
Harold Garrison interviewed by Janna Zirkle, October 9, 1980, SdArch SNP-54, Shenandoah National Park Oral History Collection, 1964-1999, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University
Streaming Media
