Shenandoah National Park Oral History Collection

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  (SNP026) Vallie Cave and Floyd Thomas interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith and Octavia Allis, transcribed by Victoria M. Edwards

  Vallie Cave and Floyd Thomas

  Records the reminiscences of Vallie Cave, (née Thomas), and her brother, Floyd Thomas, who were born and raised near Bootens Gap, Virginia, prior to the establishment of Shenandoah National Park in 1934. Describes home and family life, daily chores, schooling, holidays and community events. Among the topics discussed are the growing, harvesting and preserving of food, soap making, raising livestock and wild game hunting. Includes references to trapping, moonshining, courtship, the chestnut tree blight, Camp Hoover and meetings with President Hoover. This collection includes two copies of the typed transcript, which note that the transcript is unfinished, with approximately another 15 minutes of taped interview remaining. Also included is a handwritten transcript containing minor notes omitted from the typed copies.

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  (SNP027) Charles Chapman interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Sharon G. Marston

  Charles T. Chapman

  Records a brief interview with Charles Chapman, a life-long resident of Luray, Virginia, and a carillonneur of international renown. Mr. Chapman's father owned a grocery store in Luray that served many of the local mountain families from 1904 until the 1940s. Recalls his earliest memories of the mountain people and their transactions with his father. Includes references to the annual chestnut harvest and seasonal mountain wildfires. Mr. Chapman also reminisces about local entrepreneur, George Pollock, owner of nearby Skyland resort.

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  (SNP028) Mary Early and George A. Coyner, interviewed by Amanda Moody, transcribed by Allie Giroux and Victoria M. Edwards

  Mary Early and George A. Conyer

  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.

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  (SNP029) Wallace Ross and Martha Coffey: interviewed by Ed Elmwert, Eugene Wilhelm, Diane Wilhelm

  Wallace C. Coffey and Martha G. Coffey

  Consists of a fragmentary recording of Wallace Ross Coffey and his wife, Martha, (née Goode). The discussion focuses on Martha Coffey's upcoming birthday and the Coffey's 50th wedding anniversary coming up on September 12, 1964.

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  (SNP030) Lucille Blose Coffman and Benjamin Coffman interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  Lucille Blose Coffman and Benjamin P. Coffman

  Records the reminiscences of Lucille V. Coffman, (née Blose), and her husband, who is not named in the interview, but is believed to be Benjamin P. Coffman, both of whom grew up near the southern edge of Shenandoah National Park. Describes home and family life, daily chores, schooling, holidays and community events. Among the topics discussed are the growing, harvesting and preserving of food, raising livestock, wild game hunting and fishing. Includes references to the herbal remedies, moonshiners, the Influenza Epidemic of 1918 and the chestnut tree blight of the early part of the 20th century. Refers to the origins of the Blose family in Virginia and interactions between the mountain people and locals living in the Shenandoah Valley.

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  (SNP031) Rufus and Hazel Cline interviewed by Amanda Moody, transcribed by Allie Giroux and Victoria M. Edwards

  Rufus R. Cline and Hazel L. Cline

  Records the reminiscences of Rufus and Hazel Cline, (née Garber), 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. Mr. and Mrs. Cline recount their 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.

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  (SNP032) George Corbin interviewed by Edward Garvey, transcribed by Victoria M. Edwards

  George Corbin

  Records an interview conducted by Edward Garvey of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) with George Corbin, who lived in Nicholson Hollow, Virginia from 1888 to 1938. The Corbin homestead was located on part of the land turned over to the NPS by the state of Virginia in the 1930s. Corbin describes the circumstances at the time of the construction of the log cabin he built for his family in 1909. The logs for the cabin were harvested locally by Corbin, who then cut and shaped them using axes and other hand tools. Corbin recalls the day of the house raising when ten friends and neighbors joined him to assemble all of the walls and rafters within the course of a single day. The cabin was later turned over to the PATC for use as a trail shelter in 1954, and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Buildings as the George T. Corbin Cabin. Edward Garvey was part of the PATC crew that restored the cabin for public use. Corbin elaborates on local methods of raising and storing crops and vegetables, collecting tan bark, funerals and burial rituals, and gives a detailed account of his experiences distilling moonshine. Includes a discussion on the Corbin and Nicholson family cemetery, as well as the local schoolhouse and church. Mr. Corbin speaks at length of the genealogies of the Corbins and the Nicholsons, as well as many of the other local mountain families. Included are anecdotes regarding businessman and entrepreneur George Pollock, owner of Skyland resort, and several local residents.

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  (SNP033) George Corbin, transcribed by Victoria M. Edwards

  George T. Corbin

  Records an interview with George Corbin, who leads a party of researchers from the National Park Service (NPS) and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) on a walking tour of the Corbin homestead in Nicholson Hollow. The primary interviewer does not identify himself on the tape, but does name Edward Garvey of the PATC as a member of the group, and another participant gives his name as Paul Lee. The Corbin homestead was located on part of the land turned over to the NPS by the state of Virginia in the 1930s. Corbin identifies the sites of a number of homesteads and the names of their former occupants, including a tour of the cabin he built in 1909, which was turned over to the PATC for use as a trail shelter and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Buildings as the George T. Corbin Cabin. The tour includes a visit to the Corbin and Nicholson family cemetery and the site of the local schoolhouse. Mr. Corbin speaks at length of the genealogies of the Corbins and the Nicholsons, as well as many of the other local mountain families. Included are numerous anecdotes regarding businessman and entrepreneur George Pollock, owner of Skyland resort, and a discussion of the activities of several area moonshiners, including Mr. Corbin. The last quarter of the interview features the comments of an unidentified woman presumably a relative of Mr. Corbin.

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  (SNP034) Robert Hilton Corbin interviewed by Allan Tanner and Paul Lee

  Robert Hilton Corbin

  Records an interview with Robert H. Corbin, who leads a party of researchers from the National Park Service (NPS), the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) and several family members on a walking tour of Nicholson Hollow. The primary interviewers are Allen Tanner of the PATC and Paul Lee of the NPS. Additional questions and commentary are provided by Mr. Corbin's son, Joe, and other family members. The Corbin homestead was located on part of the land turned over to the NPS by the state of Virginia in the 1930s. The primary focus of the tour was the identification of home sites and their owners along the length of Nicholson Hollow. Discusses home and family life in the mountains, including the tan bark industry, apple, chestnut and ginseng harvesting, food cultivation and preservation, and the moonshine business. Community gatherings, such as weddings, funerals, corn husking and apple butter boiling parties are also discussed, with passing mentions of Camp Hoover and local entrepreneur George Pollock, owner of nearby Skyland resort. Mr. Corbin, who was nearly 80 years old, gives an extensive account of many of the inhabitants of Nicholson and Corbin Hollows, as well as Corbin Mountain. The second eldest of 21 children, Corbin was related by blood or marriage to most of the surrounding families. Some of the more notable relatives mentioned include Corbin's cousin George T. Corbin, builder of the landmark Corbin Cabin, Aaron Nicholson and Phinnel Fennel Corbin, who were both featured in George Pollock's book Skyland: Heart of the Shenandoah Valley. Corbin describes two local murders, including that of his father, William J. Corbin, who was killed by a family member, John Nicholson, in 1922.

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  (SNP035) Clarence Somers interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith and Jim Cotter, transcribed by Jeanette Shapiro

  Clarence O. Somers

  Records an interview with Clarence Somers, who planted and maintained the Judd Gardens at Skyland Resort from 1922 to 1945. Judd Gardens were named for George and Marianna Judd of Washington, DC, who owned several lots and cabins at Skyland, including the land where the gardens were laid out in 1910. Mrs. Judd was allowed to remain at Skyland after the property was incorporated into Shenandoah National Park in 1936, until her death in 1958. The gardens were abandoned by order of the National Park Service in 1945. The interview consists chiefly of comparisons of plants and trees found at during a recent botanical survey of the site of the gardens, conducted by Jim Cotter of the National Park Service, with Mr. Somers' recollection of the garden plantings through 1945. Comments by a woman identified only as Mrs. Somers, (believed to be Beulah V. Somers, (née Sours)), occur throughout the interview, as do references to George F. Pollock, owner of Skyland Resort.

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  (SNP036) Virgil Corbin, interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Sharon G. Marston

  Virgil Corbin

  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.

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  (SNP037) Claud Cullers interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Sharon G. Marston

  Claud W. Cullers

  Records the reminiscences of Claud W. Cullers, a lifelong resident of Rileyville, Virginia, who raised cattle throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Mr. Cullers would move his cattle to mountain pastures each year, where they would graze into the fall. Describes his memories of the local mountain people, their modes of living and sources of income. Discusses the bark and lumber industries, chestnut, apple and berry harvests, and prominent local moonshiners. A woman with the surname Keyser, identified as Mrs. Cullers' niece, also contributes to the interview.

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  (SNP038) Bennie Cupp, with Lula Roach and Hazel Marshall Roach interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Sharon G. Marston

  Bennie Cupp

  Records the reminiscences of Bennie Cupp, his grandmother, Lula Roach, and his aunt, Hazel Marshall Roach, who lived near Rocky Bar, Virginia, an area that became part of Shenandoah National Park. Much of the interview centers around the reminiscences of Lula Roach, who was 95 years old at the time and who recalled many details of everyday life in the Blue Ridge Mountains around the turn of the 20th century. Describes home and family life, school days, farm chores, livestock, wild game and folk remedies. Discusses family gatherings, such as holidays, apple butter boilings, hog butchering and funerals. Other topics include the various means of earning a living available to the local residents, such as bark peeling, cutting poles and ties for the railroads, the apple, chestnut and ginseng harvests and the production of moonshine.

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  (SNP039) Randal Dean interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Joy K. Stiles

  Randal R. Dean

  Records the reminiscences of Randal Dean, who was born and raised on Dean Mountain, near Elkton, Virginia, an area that became part of Shenandoah National Park. Describes home and family life, school days, farm chores, livestock and his work in his father's saw mill. Discusses family gatherings, such as holidays, apple butter boilings, hog butchering and funerals. Includes references to bark peeling and local moonshiners.

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  (SNP040) Lola Dean interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Sharon G. Marston

  Lola Dean

  Records the reminiscences of Lola Dean, who moved to the Pine Grove area, bordering Shenandoah National Park, in 1950. The interview deals chiefly with her memories and impressions of the mountain people who lived in the area at that time. Includes references to the gardens and livestock raised by the local people, their methods of food preservation, popular holiday traditions and the problems resulting from long-term intermarriage within small communities. Several references to the works of Episcopal missionary, Deaconess Mary Sandys Hutton, occur throughout the interview.

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  (SNP041) Mamie Jenkins Dearing interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Sharon G. Marston

  Mamie V. Dearing

  Records the reminiscences of Mamie Dearing, who grew up near Dark Hollow, Virginia, prior to the establishment of Shenandoah National Park. Describes her early home and family life, household chores, and school days. Discusses the growing, harvesting and preserving of food, hog butchering, apple butter boilings and herbal remedies. Includes references to holidays, weddings, funerals, and courting.

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  (SNP042) Estelle Nicholson Dodson interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Sharon G. Marston

  Estelle Dodson

  Records the reminiscences of Estelle Dodson, (née Nicholson), who grew up in a log house in Corbin Hollow, Virginia, prior to the establishment of Shenandoah National Park. Describes her early home and family life, household chores, and school days. Discusses the difficulties of making a living in the mountains during the Great Depression and her father's work as a basket maker. Other sources of income included harvesting chestnuts and ginseng, and selling flowers and berries at nearby Skyland Resort. Recalls numerous members of the Dodson, Nicholson and Corbin families, including her grandfather, David Nicholson and her first cousin, George Corbin, who built Corbin Cabin in 1910. Also includes anecdotes regarding George Pollock, local entrepreneur and owner of Skyland, and the importance of the resort to the local economy. Estelle Dodson's mother-in-law, who is only identified in the interview as Mrs. Dodson, contributes to the interview throughout. A note written on one of the transcripts identifies her as Mrs. Odie Dodson.

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  (SNP043) Hunter Dodson interviewed by Diane and Eugene Wilhelm, transcribed by Jeanette Shapiro

  Hunter C. Dodson

  Records a fragment of an interview with Hunter Dodson, who grew up near Corbin Hollow, Virginia, and is described as a ranger at Shenandoah National Park. Describes the lifestyles of the mountain people who lived in the area prior to the establishment of the park, and some of the various means of making a living that were available to them at that time. Also includes references to George Pollock, local entrepreneur and owner of Skyland, and the importance of the resort to the local economy. In June, 2009, Dr. Diane Zior Wilhelm donated photocopies of her field notes from this interview to JMU Special Collections.

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  (SNP044) Rev. John Dubosq interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  John G. Dubosq

  Records the reminiscences of Reverend John Dubosq, who came to the Naked Creek Mission in Jollett Hollow in 1932. Describes his early years as a minister among the mountain people and their acceptance of him into their tight-knit community. Recalls his pastoral duties delivering sermons and officiating at weddings and funerals. Describes the lifestyles of the mountain people, their means of growing and preserving food, as well as the fruit, chestnut and ginseng harvests. Also reflects on the importance of moonshine to the local economy.

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  (SNP045) Irene Eppard interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Sharon G. Marston

  Irene V. Eppard

  Records the reminiscences of Irene Eppard, (née Breeden), who was born and raised near Thorofare Mountain, in Rockingham County, Virgina, and lived there until the local families were evicted in 1936. Describes her early home and school life, popular community gatherings such as corn shucking and apple butter boiling parties, as well as courting, wedding and funeral rituals. Includes references to the gardens and livestock raised by the mountain people, their methods of food preservation and popular holiday traditions.

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  (SNP046) Charles H. Estes interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Victoria M. Edwards

  Charles H. Estes

  Records the reminiscences of Charles Estes, who owned a sawmill and several other businesses near Piney River, in Rappahannock County, Virgina, in the 1920s and 30s. Describes the everyday lives of the mountain people who lived around Piney River, popular community gatherings such as hog and beef butchering and apple butter boiling parties, as well as courting, wedding and funeral rituals. Includes references to the gardens and livestock raised by the mountain people, their methods of food preservation and popular holiday traditions. Discusses the various means available for earning money, such as bark peeling, barrel stave making, apple picking and moonshining. Includes anecdotes regarding Virginia governor Harry Byrd and local entrepreneur George Pollock, owner of Skyland resort. A woman identified only as Mrs. Estes provides an extensive description of many common herbal remedies employed by the mountain people, as well as additional commentary throughout.

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  (SNP047) Fisher F. Finks interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  Fisher F. Finks

  Records the reminiscences of Fisher Finks and his wife, Myrtle Hurt Finks, who lived near the Big Meadows area of Shenandoah National Park until the mid 1920s. Opens with Mr. Finks reading from family documents that establish the presence of the Finks family in Virginia dating back to 1736. Describes daily life in the mountains, including local agriculture, livestock production and food preservation, as well as the important tan bark industry. Discusses popular community events, such as weddings and funerals, corn husking, apple butter boilings and courting. Recalls the traditional remedies used for common ailments and injuries, as well as a brief discussion on deadly diphtheria outbreaks and the Influenza Epidemic of 1918. Includes discussions of race relations in the region, the prevalence of moonshine and its possible connection to numerous local murders. Also recalls local entrepreneur, George Pollock, owner of Skyland resort and the construction of Camp Hoover, the presidential retreat created by Herbert Hoover.

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  (SNP048) Vastine Fisher interviewed by Barbara Wright, transcribed by Victoria M. Edwards

  Vastine Fisher

  Records a walking tour led by Vastine Fisher, whose family lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains near McCormick Gap for generations, until the last access roads were closed to make way for Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park in the 1930s. Mr. Fisher's grandparents moved off the mountain to nearby property they owned, outside the boundaries of the park. The tour begins near the log cabin where Mr. Fisher's father was born and proceeds to various locations around Calf Mountain, Dean Mountain, Sugar Hollow, Cavalry's Hollow, and Buck's Elbow Mountain.

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  (SNP049) Annie Virginia Fox interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  Annie Virginia Fox

  Records the reminiscences of Annie Fox, who lived in Fox Hollow, near Front Royal, Virginia, briefly after her marriage in the 1930s. Describes daily life in the mountains, including local agriculture, livestock production and food preservation, courting rituals and folk music.

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  (SNP050) Butler-Brayne Franklin interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Victoria M. Edwards

  Butler-Brayne Franklin

  Records an interview with Butler Franklin, (née Butler-Brayne Thornton Robinson), a direct descendant of Francis Thornton, III, who built a plantation near Sperryville, Virginia, in the 1740s. Mrs. Franklin contends that several prominent geographic features now located in Shenandoah National Park, including Thornton Gap, the Thornton River and Mary's Rock, were named for Francis Thornton and his descendants. Includes a genealogical history of the Thornton family in Virginia, from William Thornton, III, who emigrated from England in the 1640s, through Col. John Thornton, who married Jane Washington, aunt of the future first president. Discusses several Thornton estates, including Montpelier, the plantation built on the Rappahannock River near Sperryville, and the Thornton ancestral home, Fall Hill, in Fredericksburg ,where Mrs. Franklin resided at the time of the interview.