Files
Interviewee
Corbin, Virgil F.
Identifier
SNP036
Format
1 audio file (running time: 0:52:53)
Interview Number
SNP-36
Date of Interview
1-3-1979
Description
Records the reminiscences of Virgil Corbin, who was born and raised in Corbin Cabin, in Nicholson Hollow, Virginia prior to the establishment of Shenandoah National Park in 1934. Describes his home and family life, holidays and community events. Among the topics discussed are farming, raising of livestock, hunting, fishing and food preservation techniques. Includes references to weddings, wakes and funerals, herbal remedies, moonshining, and ginseng. Mr. Corbin also speaks of relatives from both the Corbin and Nicholson sides of his family, including his father, George T. Corbin, his grandfather and two great-uncles who served in the Confederate army. Includes a two page manuscript, written by Mr. Corbin, titled From a Primitive Life to Modern Living. Corbin Cabin was the homestead built by George Corbin in 1910 and is one of the few intact cabins remaining in Shenandoah National Park. It was turned over to the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club in the 1950s, restored and currently serves as a popular trail shelter. The building is listed on the National Registry of Historic Buildings as the George T. Corbin Cabin. See SdArch no. SNP-33 for an interview with George Corbin.
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
Corbin, Virgil F., 1916-1996; Corbin, George T., 1888-1978
Family Names
Corbin family; Nicholson family
Subjects
George T. Corbin Cabin (Madison County, Va.); 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; Farm life -- Appalachian Region, Southern; Country life -- Appalachian Region, Southern; Agriculture -- Appalachian Region, Southern; Food habits -- Appalachian Region, Southern; Folklore -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) – History; Holidays -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) – History; Traditional medicine -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.); Funeral rites and ceremonies -- Appalachian Region, Southern; Distilling, Illicit – Virginia; Ginseng; Land use -- Government policy -- United States.
Place Names
Nicholson Hollow (Va.) – History; Corbin Hollow (Va.) – History; Madison County (Va.) – History; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 – Anecdotes; Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Manners and customs; Shenandoah National Park (Va.) -- History, Local
Interviewer
Smith, Dorothy Noble, 1915-1999
Transcriber
Marston, Sharon G.
Collection Title
Shenandoah National Park oral history collection
Collection Number
SdArch SNP
Recommended Citation
Virgil F. Corbin interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, January 3, 1979, SdArch SNP-36, Shenandoah National Park Oral History Collection, 1964-1999, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University
Streaming Media
