Shenandoah National Park Oral History Collection

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  (SNP051) Joseph Fray interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  Joseph Fray

  Records the reminiscences of Joseph Fray, who was a member of the Chamber of Commerce in Madison County, Virginia, in the 1920s, and witness to the events that led to the founding of Camp Hoover, Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park. Describes the work of local, state and federal officials in the planning and construction of Camp Hoover, also known as Rapidan Camp, which was a rustic retreat where President and Mrs. Hoover could escape the heat and congestion of Washington, DC. Fray reflects on the impact Camp Hoover had on Madison County, both as a works project and through the numerous benefits, such as roads, schools, and even air mail delivery, that came in the wake of its construction. Discusses the impetus Camp Hoover had on the founding of Skyline Drive and ultimately, Shenandoah National Park. Includes references to the lives of the mountain people and their sources of income, such as tan bark peeling and basket weaving, and local entrepreneur, George Pollock, owner of Skyland resort. A woman identified in the transcript as Mrs. Fray also contributes to the interview.

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  (SNP052) Homer Frazier interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Mary Anne McDonald

  Homer Newton Frazier

  Records the reminiscences of Homer and Virgie Frazier, (née Dwyer), who were born and raised near Sperryville, Virginia. Describes daily life in the mountains, including local agriculture, livestock production and food preservation, courting rituals and folk music. Discusses the annual cattle drives from the lowlands to the mountain pastures.

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  (SNP053) Miley Frazier interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Victoria M. Edwards

  Miley Jackson Frazier

  Records the reminiscences of Miley Frazier, who was born in 1900 near Patterson Ridge, 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 annual cattle drives from the lowlands to the mountain pastures. Discusses the importance of seasonal harvests, including chestnuts, huckleberries and tan bark, to the local economy.

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  (SNP054) Harold Garrison, transcribed by Rebecca Popp, Erin Stevenson, and Heather Browne

  Harold Garrison

  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.

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  (SNP055) Louis C. Grannis interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  Louis C. Grannis

  Records an interview with Louis Grannis, who operated a sawmill on Mt. Marshall, near Browntown, Virginia in the early 1920s. The mill produced railroad ties of various sizes, as well as telephone poles, until the commonwealth banned such activities in the proposed park area in 1924. Grannis discusses the economics and logistics of operating a mill in such an isolated location. A woman identified in the transcript as Mrs. Grannis also contributes to the interview.

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  (SNP056) Cecil C. Graves interviewed by Diane Zior Wilhelm

  Cecil C. Graves

  Records an interview with Cecil Graves, who taught in the Page County school system in the mid-1930s prior to becoming School Superintendent in 1944. Describes his impressions of the mountain people who had been relocated to Page County to make way for Shenandoah National Park. Discusses the difficulties many encountered in adjusting to their new lives in the Valley.

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  (SNP057) Matt Graves, Sr. interviewed by Deedee Deane, Vee Dove, Phil Hastings and John Dooms, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  Matt Graves Sr.

  Records an interview with Matt Graves, Sr., leads a small group on a driving tour of a section of Shenandoah National Park near Syria, Virginia. Mr. Graves lived in the region prior to the opening of the park and was able to identify the sites and former owners of numerous homesteads, mills and cemeteries in the vicinity of Milam Gap. Also participating in the interview are Phil Hastings and John Dooms, naturalists affiliated with Shenandoah National Park.

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  (SNP058) J. Maurice Grove and Frances Grove interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  J. Maurice Grove

  Records an interview with Frances Grove and her brother, J. Maurice Grove, whose father owned large tracts of land in the Rocky Branch area of what later became Shenandoah National Park. The Grove family raised beef cattle at the time and Mr. Grove would drive hundreds of head of cattle to mountain pastures each summer, and then on to the rail yards in New Market in the fall. Describes cattle raising, food production, and preservation. Includes references to local entrepreneur, George Freeman Pollock, owner of nearby Skyland resort.

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  (SNP059) Paul Harris interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Sharon G. Marston

  Paul Everett Harris

  Records an interview with Paul Harris, who grew up in the Brown's Gap area of what would become Shenandoah National Park. The Harris family owned a small farm and would supplement their income by tending herds of dairy cows brought up to the mountain pastures each summer. As partial payment, the family would keep the milk produced by the cows, selling it, homemade butter, eggs and other produce to the nearby Black Rock Springs Hotel. Discusses social life in the mountains, the raising of livestock and produce, as well as the moonshine business. Includes a photocopy of a leaf of sheet music and lyrics titled, The Blue Ridge Mountaineer, which was written by Mr. Harris' father, E. A. Harris, in the 1930s. Mr. Harris' brother, Roy Harris, is the subject of an additional interview in this series, SdArch no. SNP-60.

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  (SNP060) Roy Harris interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  Roy Frank Harris

  Records an interview with Roy Harris, who grew up in the Brown's Gap area of what would become Shenandoah National Park. The Harris family owned a small farm and would supplement their income by tending herds of dairy cows brought up to the mountain pastures each summer. As partial payment, the family would keep the milk produced by the cows, selling it, homemade butter, eggs and other produce to the nearby Black Rock Springs Hotel. Discusses social life in the mountains, the raising of livestock and produce, as well as the moonshine business. Mr. Harris' brother, Paul Harris, is the subject of an additional interview in this series, SdArch no. SNP-59. A woman identified only as Mrs. Harris in the transcript adds several comments throughout the interview.

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  (SNP061) James E. Hickerson, Sr. interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Sharon G. Marston

  James Edwin Hickerson

  Records an interview with James Hickerson, who grew up in Hickerson Hollow, near Front Royal, Virginia, prior to the establishment of Shenandoah National Park. Discusses home and school life, livestock and vegetable production, herbal remedies and moonshining.

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  (SNP062) M.M. Hitt, Jr. interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  M. M. Hitt

  Records an interview with M.M. Hitt, Jr., whose father owned a general store in Luray, Virginia, at the turn of the 20th century. Mr. Hitt ran his own confectionery store in Luray, from 1911 to about 1930. Discusses the retail business at that time and his impressions of the mountain people who would patronize his store. Includes references to local entrepreneur, George Freeman Pollock, owner of nearby Skyland resort, and local Episcopal missionary, Mary Deaconess Hutton.

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  (SNP063) Rosie Hurt Hoffner interviewed by Nancy Smith

  Rosie L. Hoffner

  Records an interview with Rosie Hoffner, (née Hurt), who grew up in Madison County, Virginia, near the site of Herbert Hoover's country retreat, Camp Hoover. Discusses home and school life, livestock and vegetable production, herbal remedies and moonshining. Includes reminiscences of frequent visits with President and Mrs. Hoover at the retreat, as well as encounters with local entrepreneur, George Freeman Pollock, owner of nearby Skyland resort.

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  (SNP064) Dorothy H. Housh interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith and Dennis Carter, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  Dorothy H. Housh

  Records an interview with Dorothy Housh, whose late husband, Chester C. Housh, was a community manager in the Farm Security Administration that oversaw the forced relocation of hundreds of mountain families from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the 1930s. By the time the Houshes arrived in Elkton, Virginia, in 1936, most of the families had moved away or had relocated to one of the resettlement tracts provided for them in Flint Hill, Ida Valley, Little Washington or Wolftown. Describes the experiences of the mountain people as they adapted to their new lives and the administrative problems that occasionally arose in the resettlement tracts. Dennis Carter, a naturalist at Shenandoah National Park, contributes to the interview.

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  (SNP065) E.L. Huffman interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Sharon G. Marston

  Edgar L. Huffman

  Records an interview with E.L. Huffman, who grew up near Big Foltz Run, outside of Shenandoah, Virginia, prior to the establishment of Shenandoah National Park. Describes his impressions of the mountain people who lived nearby, their habits, customs and beliefs. Discusses the various economic opportunities available to the mountain people, such as the tan bark industry, ginseng harvest and moonshine. Of particular interest to Mr. Huffman is the Chestnut Blight that destroyed nearly all of the American Chestnut trees in the 1920s and his efforts to rebuild the chestnut population.

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  (SNP066) Deaconess Mary Sandys Hutton interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Barbara Maynes

  Mary Sandys Hutton

  Records an interview with Deaconess Mary Hutton, who ran the Pine Grove Episcopal mission in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the 1930s. Describes her work with the local mountain families, whom she describes as a noble people, before and after the establishment of Shenandoah National Park.

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  (SNP067) Mamie Johnson and Betsey Harrell interviewed by James R. Johnson, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  Mamie Clarice Johnson

  Records an interview with sisters Mamie Johnson and Betsey Harrell, who were born near Piney Branch in Rappahannock County, Virginia. Discusses the work of their father, Henry L. Johnson, who was a cabinetmaker who often made coffins for the local communities. Describes daily life in the mountains, including activities such as weaving and dying cloth, drying fruit, harvesting chestnuts and square dances. The interview is conducted by their nephew, James Bob Johnson, a ranger at Shenandoah National Park.

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  (SNP068) Louis Graves interviewed by Reed Engle, transcribed by Joy K. Stiles

  Louis W. Graves

  Records an interview with Louis Graves, who grew up in Madison County, Virginia, not far from the site where President Herbert Hoover would construct a rustic retreat known as Rapidan Camp, and later as Camp Hoover. Hoover paid for the project out of his own funds and the camp was constructed by a detachment of U.S. Marines as a military exercise by March, 1929. Louis Graves recalls speeches given by President Hoover and other dignitaries in Madison, Va., as part of a day-long Hoover Day celebration on August 9, 1929. Graves relates that more than 10,000 people attended the event, including Virginia governor Harry F. Byrd, who arrived at the celebration aboard an Army reconnaissance blimp. Includes a discussion of the economic situation in Madison County in 1929, during a time of prolonged drought and at the onset of the Great Depression.

  There is no audio recording for this interview; interview consists of transcript only.

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  (SNP069) Clark Jones and Flora Coonie Jones interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith and Jim Northrup, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  Clark Jones

  Records an interview with Clark Jones and his wife, Flora Coonie Jones, (née Keyser), who lived in Flint Hill, Virginia, just beyond the boundaries of Shenandoah National Park. They describe home and family life in the mountains, holidays, food production and preservation, and the various cash crops and other sources of income available to the mountain people.

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  (SNP070) Eli Dudley Jones interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Sharon G. Marston

  Eli T. Jones

  Records an interview with Eli Dudley Jones, who lived near Rileyville, in Page County, Virginia in the 1920s and 1930s. Describes home and family life in the mountains, holidays, food production and preservation, and the various cash crops and other sources of income available to the mountain people.

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  (SNP071) Erma Jones and Lucy Taylor interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  Erma Jones

  Records an interview with Erma Jones and her sister-in-law, Lucy Taylor, who lived in Kite Hollow, in Page County, Virginia in the 1920s and 1930s. Describes home and family life in the mountains, holidays, food production and preservation, and the various cash crops and other sources of income available to the mountain people.

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  (SNP072) Austin C. Judd interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  Austin C. Judd

  Records an interview with Austin C. Judd, whose father, W. Lee Judd, owned a general store near Luray, Virginia, from the turn of the 20th century until the advent of Shenandoah National Park in the mid 1930s. Discusses the retail business at that time and his impressions of the mountain people who would patronize the family store. Most of the store's interaction with the mountain people was based on a barter system, where chestnuts, ginseng and farm produce were exchanged for store credit. Also describes his time with the Civilian Conservation Corps, (CCC), during the 1930s. Includes references to local entrepreneur, George Freeman Pollock, owner of nearby Skyland resort, and George Corbin, who built Corbin Cabin, near what is now the Appalachian Trail. Mr. Judd's wife, who is identified only as Mrs. Judd in the transcript, but who is believed to be Gladys Judd, contributes throughout the interview.

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  (SNP073) Gladys Beahm Judd interviewed by Dorothy Noble Smith, transcribed by Peggy C. Bradley

  Gladys Judd

  Records an interview with Gladys Judd, (née Beahm), who lived near Thornton's Gap, in Page County, Virginia, prior to the advent of Shenandoah National Park. Describes home and family life in the mountains. Discusses the life of her grandfather, B.F. Beahm, a Confederate veteran, who ran a general store and post office in the area for more than thirty years. Mr. Beahm was also responsible for collecting the tolls on the private road that ran through the mountains. A second, unnamed interviewer contributes throughout the interview.

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  (SNP074) Loula Judd, interviewed by Nancy Smith

  Loula B. Judd

  Records the reminiscences of Loula Judd, who lived near the Big Meadows area of Shenandoah National Park until the mid 1930s. Describes daily life in the mountains, including local agriculture, livestock and food preservation, as well as important cash crops. Recalls the traditional remedies used for common ailments and injuries, as well as a brief discussion on the Influenza Epidemic of 1918. Includes comments on 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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  (SNP075) Loula Judd, interviewed by Nancy Smith

  Loula B. Judd

  Continues an earlier interview, (SdArch no. SNP-74), with Loula Judd, who lived near the Big Meadows area of Shenandoah National Park until the mid 1930s. Describes the wildlife found in the mountains, including venomous snakes, wolves and other predators. Discusses the slave trade in the region before the Civil War and includes anecdotes about Herbert Hoover, whom the local people often encountered during his frequent stays at the nearby presidential retreat, Camp Hoover.