The Southern Appalachian Archives includes organizational records, personal papers,
oral histories, and photographs that document the history and culture of the Southern Appalachian region.
COLLECTIONS
- A -
Annville Institute Records, 1900-1980, SAA 43
Photographs and microfilmed records of the Reformed Church of America’s
Annville Institute (elementary and high school) at Annville in Jackson County,
Kentucky.
(21 rolls microfilm and 9 boxes photographs)
Appalachian Ballad and Folk Music Collection, 1911-1975, SAA 18
A collection of ballads, folksongs, spirituals, and commercial country songs collected at Berea College (1911-1927).
Hand or type written text and notation are included along with correspondence between Berea College staff and music
researchers (1907-1975).
(1 ms box)
Elder Walter L. Akers Old Regular Baptist Research Collection, SAA 161
Minutes from several Baptist demoninations, 1881-2006. (20 ms box)
Appalachian Center Old Regular Baptist Recordings, SAA 128
This is a recent addition to our processed collections; a description, finding aid and other access options are
forthcoming.
Appalachian Church Minutes Collection, SAA 52
Published minutes or other records of several Appalachian church denominations. Mainline and Old Baptists are most
numerous followed by Church of God, Lutherans and Methodists. The largest portion dates from the 1960s to 1980s but
there are some from the early to late 1800s as well. An in-house database is
available.
(10 ms boxes)
Appalachian Feuds Collection, 1898-1977, SAA 7
A collection of early 1900s correspondence between Berea College staff and researchers into Kentucky feuds. Also
included are manuscript accounts of several feuds, related photographs, and newspaper clippings 1903-1921.
(1 ms box)
Appalachian Mountain Family Photograph Collection, c1890-1930s, SAA 150
Images of families in the Appalachian Mountains surrounding Berea College, collected together from several area photographers (such as C. I. Ogg, E. W. Todd, and possibly E. Simms), taken between the 1890s to 1930s. Many of these images were used for public relations purposes during the Frost Administration era; therefore, the collection also includes some images of the Berea College campus. The collection was originally deposited with the Appalachian Museum and was transfered to SC&A in c1990-1993. (4 ms boxes)
Appalachian Notes Records, 1973-1980, SAA 27
Correspondence with writers and subscribers related to the journal, Appalachian Notes, during the editorship
(1973-1979) of Berea College History professor, Richard B. Drake.
(8 ms boxes)
Appalachian Oral History Collection, 1972-1973, SAA 59
Series of twenty-one (21) audio recordings and transcripts of interviews conducted by Berea College students under
direction of History professor, Richard B. Drake. Subjects include Pine Mountain Settlement School, John C. Campbell
Folk School, Christian Appalachian Project, the Civilian Conservation Corps in Pike County, Kentucky, and Berea
College’s Christmas Country Dance School. An in-house database is available.
Appalachian Photoarchives, SAA 70
Images documenting various aspects of Appalachian life and culture. Subjects depicted include handicrafts, logging,
farming, coal mining, transportation, architecture, schools, and music. Some images date to the turn of the twentieth
century but the provenance of most is unknown.
(3 ms boxes)
Appalachian Presbyterians Survey Records, SAA 16
Survey data on rural-urban differences among Appalachian Presbyterians from eighteen congregations in Kentucky,
Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia compiled in 1968 by Sociologist, Hart M. Nelson.
(13 ms boxes)
Appalachian Religion Survey Records, 1931-1933, SAA 34
Data gathered 1931-1933 from 1,000 churches and missions in seventeen counties within six southern Appalachian
states as part of a larger U.S. Department of Agriculture economic and social study.
(6 ms boxes)
Appalachian Studies Association Records, SAA 28
Official records of the Appalachian Studies Association (originally the Appalachian Studies Conference) from 1977 to
the present.
(35 ms boxes)
Appalachian Volunteers Records, 1963-1970, SAA 2
Records of the Appalachian Volunteers organization (1963-1970) including extensive correspondence, print, and
photographic material.
(145 ms boxes)
Appalachian Volunteers Oral History Collection, 1982, SAA 39
Sixteen audio recordings and transcripts of interviews recorded by Marie Tyler McGraw with former Appalachian
Volunteer workers who were assigned to West Virginia and then settled there after their service ended. An in-house
database is available.
(1 ms box)
Harriette Simpson Arnow Collection, 1936-1986, SAA 51
Clippings, correspondence, manuscript fragments, photographs, essays and reviews relating to the life and writings
of Kentucky writer, Harriette Simpson Arnow (1908-1986).
(1 ms box)
Sylvia Trent Auxier Papers, 1900-1968, SAA 83
Correspondence, diaries, and drafts of poetry, short stories, and articles by Pike County, Kentucky, writer,
Sylvia Auxier.
(8 ms boxes)
Perley F. Ayer Papers, 1952-1968, SAA 21
Correspondence, speeches, interviews, sound recordings, and photographs relating to Perley F. Ayer, Berea College
Sociology faculty (1947-1967) and Executive Director of the Council of the Southern Mountains (1951-1967).
(14 ms boxes)
Top of List
- B -
Berea Weaving Oral History Project, SAA 118
Seventeen audio cassette recordings of oral history interviews with weavers and other Berea, Kentucky residents
involved with household weaving, weaving as a Berea College student industry, or the commercial enterprise,
Churchill Weavers. The interviews were recorded by Lexington, Kentucky weaver, Philis Alvic, in 1993 and 1995.
Buckhorn Children’s Center Records, SAA 45
Photographs and microfilmed records of the Presbyterian Church sponsored institution and its predecessors,
Witherspoon College, and Presbyterian Child Welfare Agency, located at Buckhorn in Perry County, KY.
(8 rolls of microfilm and 25 boxes of photographs)
Buckhorn School Oral History Collection, SAA 94
Series of 16 audio recordings of interviews with former Buckhorn School students and staff from the early to
mid 1900s when the Perry County, Kentucky, school was known as Witherspoon College. Also included are recordings
of speeches and reminiscences at various Buckhorn Alumni Association meetings. The recordings were made during
the 1970s and 1980s by 1941 Buckhorn graduate, Mike Duff who gave them to Berea College in 1989. An in-house
database is available.
Top of List
- C -
John C. Campbell Folk School Records, 1923-1985, SAA 47
Photographs and microfilmed records documenting the founding, administration and activities of the school, located
at Brasstown in Clay County, North Carolina.
(7 rolls of microfilm and 6 boxes of photographs)
John C. Campbell Folk School Collection, 1909-1981, SAA 24
Correspondence and publications relating to the Brasstown, North Carolina school and its founders Olive Dame
Campbell and Marguerite Butler and later directors.
(1 ms box)
Nora Carpenter Traditional Music Collection, SAA 108
Song lyrics, poems, and sound recordings authored or collected by Nora E. Carpenter of Magoffin County, Kentucky,
mostly during the period 1920 - 1960. Also included are numerous clippings of published song lyrics, poetry, and
community history, along with a few song books published by regional country music radio performers during the 1940s
and 1950s. Seven self recorded reel-to-reel audio tapes document Nora Carpenter’s singing, banjo and harmonica
playing during the 1960s-1970s. The recordings have been digitized for preservation and CD copies are available for
listening. The recordings’ contents are searchable via an in-house database. A sampling of audio files may be heard online.
(3 ms boxes)
Ruth Carroll Illustrations, SAA 155
Original, handmade pen and pencil illustrations by Ruth Carroll used in the Tatum family series of children's books by Ruth and Latrobe Carroll, 1953-1964. (2 ms box, 1 oversize)
Cash Gospel Quartet, SAA 109
Radio program sound recordings, program play lists, published song books, photographs,
and personal appearance programs documenting the radio performing career of
the Cash Quartet from Rockcastle County, Kentucky. Members included Walter
Cash and his wife Reba; a sister, Joanne; and R.H. Hamm. They did not make
commercial recordings. However, during the late 1950s and much of the 1960s
they had their own weekly program on Renfro Valley radio station WRVK and occasionally
appeared on John Lair's Renfro Valley Gatherin' heard over Louisville's
WHAS and other stations. Their non-radio work included frequent local and regional
monthly sings and singing conventions, especially those in Kentucky's Pulaski
and Laurel Counties. The recordings have been digitized for preservation and
CD copies are available for listening. The recordings' contents are also searchable
via an in-house database. Several can be heard online.
(2 ms boxes)
Catawba Sanatorium Collection, SAA 97
The Catawba Tuberculosis Sanatorium was opened in Virginia in 1909. A 1929 history, a 1913 annual report, and
several pieces of ephemera constitute the collection.
(1 ms box)
Harry M. Caudill Papers, 1956-1990, SAA 74
Correspondence, clippings, writings, speeches, and photographs relating to Caudhill’s career as
eastern Kentucky author and lawyer.
(2 ms boxes)
Blanch Coldiron Collection, SAA 133
This is a recent addition to our processed collections; a description, finding aid and other access options are
forthcoming.
Curley Collins, SAA 119
News clippings, radio station program listings; photographs; articles and book excerpts; correspondence; and writings
that document the career of Kentucky born country musician Curley Collins. Also included are a family produced disc
recording of banjo tunes by Curley's father Neal; an audio cassette of 1946 era radio programs on WRVA in Richmond,
Virginia on which Collins performed; and a 1980s era commercial CD of the singing and playing of Curley Collins and
Benny Kessinger. The material dates 1928-1956, 1964-1969, and 1975-2002. In addition to information about Collins,
this collection is particularly useful for its provision of details regarding the commercialization of traditional
music in the Ashland, Kentucky - Huntington, West Virginia area during the early to mid 1900s.
G.R. Combs Ballad Collection, 1907-1930, SAA 105
Several hundred ballads and religious songs collected by Berea student and Owsley
County, Kentucky native Gilbert Reynolds Combs. Much of his collecting occurred
during his turn of the century student days at Berea and his work as a Methodist
pastor in Kentucky and North Carolina during the first half of the 1900s. The
secular ballad and song material come mainly from Kentucky. The religious songs
are from both Anglo and African American traditions found in Mississippi, Virginia,
Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Also included are biographical
material recounting Comb’s career, his notes recalling memories of early
childhood, and description of the kind of social settings in which various traditional
songs might be heard.
(1 ms box)
Josiah Combs Collection, 1910-1960, SAA 71
Typescript of writings and collected folklore by Knott County, Kentucky, native and noted folklore scholar, Josiah
Combs. Topics include ballads and songs, Appalachian linguistics, and scatology.
(3 ms boxes)
Robert Connor Collection, SAA 134
This collection contains the work of photographer Robert Connor, housed in two boxes of slides and one box of oversize
matted prints.
(2 ms box and 1 oversize)
Council of the Southern Mountains Records, 1912-1970, SAA 1
Correspondence and other records (1910-1970) documenting the Council’s work of promoting cooperation among
Appalachian private, government, and religious organizations.
(288 ms boxes)
Council of the Southern Mountains Records, 1970-1989, SAA 101
Administrative records, correspondence, organizational papers, photographs, news clippings, and sound recordings
1970-1989) documenting the Council’s work in mine health and safety, community unions, welfare rights, and
legal services in the Appalachian region. The Council disbanded in 1989.
(268 ms boxes)
Council of the Southern Mountains Oral History Project Collection, SAA 110
Twenty-one tape recorded interviews (with transcripts) relating to the social reform efforts of the Council of the
Southern Mountains (CSM ) during the period 1970 - 1989. Interviewees include the former CSM executive director, other
staff, board members, and elected officers.
The interviews provide documentation of the complete turn over in CSM leadership that occurred beginning in 1970, and
the resultant initiatives over the next several years, in the areas of community organization, rural economic
development, coal mine safety and health legislation, and mine disaster relief.
(1 ms box)
Country Music Souvenir Song Book and Photo Album Collection, 1930-1950, SAA 117
Printed country music photo albums and souvenir song books published by performers, radio stations or program
sponsors. They contain photographs and biographical information as well as song lyrics. Song styles represented
include comedy, country, western, and gospel. Well known artists documented include the Carter Family and Roy Acuff.
Also represented are several of the able but lesser known performers who made few, if any commercial recordings but
achieved substantial regional popularity through radio and in-person performing at theaters, schools, churches, and
county fairs.
Alan J. Crain, SAA 113
Fifty-six audio recorded interviews and worship services made 1975-1982 by sociologist Alan J. Crain documenting the
lives of coal miners and Pentecostal congregations in Knox County, Kentucky.
Top of List
- D -
Helen Dingman Papers, 1917-1945, SAA 25
Diaries, correspondence, reports, and notes of Dingman, an eastern Kentucky social worker, Berea College teacher,
and executive secretary of the Council of Southern Mountians.
(1 ms box)
Disputanta Oral History Collection, 1978-1979, SAA 30
Series of twenty-eight (28) audio recordings, transcripts, and published material resulting from an oral history
project documenting the Disputanta community in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, that was conducted 1978-1979 by Berea
College student, Terry Allebaugh. An in-house database is available.
Top of List
- E -
Eastern Kentucky Folk Dancing Oral History Project, SAA 116
Thirty-one audio cassette recordings and transcripts of interviews that document the development of traditional square
and related dance activity in southeastern Kentucky. The interviews were with mostly elderly residents of Harlan,
Letcher, and Leslie Counties and were recorded by Peter Rogers in 1975.
Top of List
- F -
Federal Music Project - Eastern Kentucky Folk Song Project, SAA
121
One hundred thirty-one song lyrics and tune transcriptions of songs, ballads, hymns, and fiddle tunes collected in
about 1936 by Federal Music Project workers in Boyd, Floyd, and Rowan Counties in eastern Kentucky. In a few instances
there are either lyrics without musical transcriptions or transcriptions without lyrics. The material is in photocopied
form and was compiled by Berea College Library staff from a lyric collection at the Louisville, Kentucky Free Public
Library and a related set of transcriptions found in the Southern Folklife Collection at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
John Fetterman Papers, 1940-1973, SAA 26
Correspondence, research materials, writings, and photographs documenting Fetterman’s Pulitzer Prize winning
work as reporter and editor for the Courier Journal and Louisville Times. He wrote extensively in the
1960s and 1970s about the effects of strip mining, poverty and the Vietnam war on eastern Kentuckians. He also
authored the book, Stinking Creek and a National Geographic article on the people of Cumberland Gap.
(30 ms boxes)
Katherine Jackson French Ballad Collection, SAA 4
Several dozen ballads and songs collected by French (1909-1910) from eastern Kentuckians including Berea College
students and resdidents of Berea.
(1 ms box)
Frontier Nursing Service Collection, 1911-1976, SAA 14
Correspondence, printed material, and photographs (1923-1951) relating to Mary Breckinridge’s establishment
of nurse-midwifery clinics in Kentucky’s Leslie and Clay Counties. Most of the correspondence is between
Breckenridge and Berea College Presidents, William J. and Francis Hutchins who at varioustimes served on the FNS
Board of Directors.
(1 ms box)
Top of List
- G -
I. W. Gabbard Papers, 1936-1955, SAA 17
Notebook-diaries (1936-1955) of I. W. Gabbard, Owsley County, Kentucky farmer and justice of the peace. He recorded
details about local and national events, farming conditions, crop sales, weather, and family genealogical data.
(1 ms box)
Ancil Gatliff Collection, 1887-1988, SAA 80
Biographical material and correspondence documenting the life and career of Dr. Ancil Gatcliff, Whitley County,
Kentucky, physician, banker, and coal operator.
(8 ms boxes)
Glenmary Religion Survey Records, 1965-1970, SAA 68
Survey data, interpretative articles, and 125 audio taped interviews with transcripts that document the religious
attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of selected residents of Scott County, Virginia, and McDowell County, West Virginia.
(15 ms boxes)
Graney-Windle Papers, 1902-1906, SAA 69
Personal letters (1902-1906) of Catherine Graney of Flemington & Rowlesburg, West Virginia, and Goyne Windle, who worked
as a clerk for the Blaine and Potomac Coal Mining Company.
(2 ms boxes)
Bruce Greene Kentucky Fiddle Music Collection, SAA 90
One hundred seventy-four (174) audio field recordings (1970s-1990s) of interviews and performances that document the
repertoire and playing styles of several dozen Kentucky fiddlers, mainly from the state’s southern and
southeastern regions. Tune titles, performer names, and locations are searchable via an in-house database.
Top of List
- H -
Harlan County Struggle Collection, SAA 60
Clippings, print materials, and correspondence documenting the 1931-1932 Harlan County, Kentucky, coal miners’
strike. Included are letters by Theodore Drieser, John Dos Passos, and Berea College President, Willian J. Hutchins.
(1 ms box)
John Harrod Kentucky Fiddle Music Collection, SAA 89
One-hundred ninety-nine (199) audio field recordings (1970s-1990s) of interviews
and performances that document the repertoire and playing styles of several
dozen Kentucky fiddlers, mainly from the state’s southcentral and northeast
regions. Tune titles, performer names,
and locations are searchable via an in-house database.
Hazel Green Academy Records, 1886-1982, SAA 46
Photographs and microfilmed records documenting the history of the Disciples of Christ sponsored school,
located at Hazel Green in Wolfe County, Kentucky.
(54 rolls microfilm, 25 boxes of photographs)
Ben Heiman Folklore Collection, SAA 62
Collected folklore materials of Alabama storyteller, Ben Heiman. Except for
some correspondence, and Hieman’s reworking of folk tales, the collection
consists mainly of photocopied items from a wide variety of printed sources.
(13 ms boxes)
Henderson Settlement School Records, 1925-1984, SAA 49
Photographs and microfilmed records documenting the history of United Methodist
Church related Henderson Settlement School and child care program in Bell County, Kentucky.
(6 rolls microfilm and 8 boxes photographs)
John W. Hevener Collection, SAA 72
Research materials, notes, manuscripts, articles, clippings, and photographs
compiled by Hevener (1933-1989) author of Which Side Are You On: Harlan County Coal Miners 1931-1939.
Other subjects include Widen, West Virginia and Appalachians in Akron Ohio.
(20 ms boxes)
Hindman Settlement School Papers, 1899-1977, SAA 9
Correspondence, diaries, newsletters, ballad texts, and photographs relating
to Hindman founders, Katherine Pettit, May Stone and other key figures in the
school’s early history such as Ann Cobb, Josiah Combs, Lucy Furman, and Elizabeth Watts.
(3 ms boxes)
Hindman Settlement
School Records, 1899-1979, SAA 41
Photographs and microfilmed records documenting the founding, administration
and activities of the Hindman Settlement School in Knott County, Kentucky.
13 rolls microfilm
Hinton Rural Life Center Records
, SAA 50
Photographs and microfilmed records (1958-1985) documenting the work of this
Methodist Church related project at Hayesville in Clay County, North Carolina,
which focuses on strengthening small-membership churches. 7 rolls microfilm
and
1 box of photographs
Mary Holloway Nursing Records, 1925-1941,SAA 107
Correspondence and medical treatment notes of Mary Finley Holloway relating to her work as a nurse in twenty four
eastern and central Kentucky counties for the Kentucky Commission on Crippled Children. Included is contact
information for key persons and agencies in each county, along with names, diagnoses and recommended treatment for
the children seen at clinics held in Louisville, Lexington, and smaller towns such as Harlan and Corbin. (1 ms box)
Roger Howell Memory Collection, SAA 123
Thirteen compact discs containing over 350 tunes documenting the repertoire
and performance style of North Carolina fiddler, Roger Howell. The tunes
were recorded in 2007. Howell provides narratives about where and from whom
he learned the tunes, the keys in which he learned them, and the dates of
the recordings. Title and performer access options are forthcoming.
Top of List
- J -
Willard Rouse Jillson Papers, 1898-1978, SAA 19
Correspondence, photographs, and maps relating to Jillson’s active involvement
in promoting the
exploitation of Kentucky’s coal, oil, and gas resources while serving
as Kentucky State Geologist (1919-1932).
66 ms boxes
Loyal Jones Rural/Country Comedy Reference Collection, SAA 135
This is a recent addition to our processed collections; a description, finding aid and other access options are
forthcoming.
Jostes Sisters Renfro Valley Photographic Collection, SAA 88
Thirty 8 x 10 prints and ninety snapshots documenting Renfro Valley Barn Dance
personalities, events,
grounds, and structures during the 1940s. 1 ms box
Top of List
- K -
Buell Kazee Collection, 1946-1979, SAA 54
Correspondence, articles, photographs, and sound recordings documenting the career, repertoire, and musical talent of
Buell Kazee, Kentucky folk singer, banjo player, and Baptist minister. Performance and interview recordings are
particularly notable for their extensive documentation of Kazee’s distinctive banjo fingering techniques and
tunings. (3 ms boxes)
Kentucky River Oral History Project, SAA 125
One hundred fifty-one audio recorded interviews and detailed content summaries
(not verbatim transcripts) that document the economic and social conditions
of people who have lived or worked on the Kentucky River. The interviews
were recorded by Berea College students in 1989 and 1990 as part of an oral
history project administered by the Kentucky Folklife Program. The memory
time span of these interviews in some instances goes back as far as the late
1800s. Narrators talk about industries and occupations associated with the
river, various types of boats, floods, and accidents. Also discussed are
river pollution, area geological history, social life, and recreation.
Bradley Kincaid Papers, 1923-1988,
SAA 13
Correspondence, photographs, interview transcripts, clippings, songbooks, sheet
music, and other printed material documenting the career of Kentucky country
music radio pioneer, Bradley Kincaid. 14 ms boxes
Lee Knight Collection, SAA 132
This is a recent addition to our processed collections; a description, finding aid and other access options are forthcoming.
Barbara Kunkle Kentucky Traditional Music Collection
, SAA 92
Fifty-six audio field recordings (1970s) of interviews and performances that
document the repertoire and styles of several Kentucky fiddlers, banjo players,
and ballad singers mainly from the state’s northeastern region. Tune titles,
performer names, and locations are searchable via an in-house database.
Top of List
- L -
John Lair Papers, 1930-1984, SAA 66
Correspondence, photographs, radio scripts, sound recordings, interview transcripts, and other printed material
documenting the life and work of Rockcastle County, Kentucky native, John Lair, founder of the Renfro Valley Barn Dance.
(79 ms boxes)
John Lair - Renfro Valley Barn Dance Oral History Collection 1994-1999, SAA 95
Series of thirty audio recorded interviews with performers and others who were
associated with the Renfro Valley Barn Dance and other radio programs produced
by John Lair, first in Cincinnati, Ohio and later in Renfro Valley, Kentucky,
1937 through much of the 1950s. Most of the interviews were conducted during
the period 1994-1999, by Hutchins Library Sound Archivist, Harry Rice. Additional
interviews in the collection were conducted at various earlier times by Loyal
Jones, Wayne Daniels, and Reuben Powell.
Homer Ledford Radio Program Collection, SAA 124
Two hundred thirteen non-commercial audio cassettes and seven open reel tape
recordings of Ledford’s radio program, Kentucky Traditions which was
broadcast on station WSKV, Stanton, Kentucky from 1988 to 1997. Also included
are interviews with Ledford and the four other band members of his group,
The Cabin Creek Band, recorded by Harry Rice in 1997. Song or tune titles,
performer names, and locations are searchable via the Sound Archives Collections
Content database.
Lily May Ledford Collection, 1936-1985, SAA 79
Autobiographical writings, articles, clippings, and photographs documenting the
career of Kentucky country music performer, Lily May Ledford. 1 ms box
Nora Morgan Lewis Folktale Collection, SAA 96
This collection consists of copies of manuscripts from the narrative traditions
of the Farmer-Muncy-Lewis family of Leslie County, Kentucky. These 38 folktales
are mainly from the repertoire of Sidney Farmer Muncy and were written down by
her daughter, Nora Morgan Lewis in the 1950s. Sidney Farmer Muncy was the source
for the tales told by her granddaughter, Jane Muncy, documented on sound recordings
made by folklorist, Leonard Roberts in 1948 which are now part of the Leonard
Roberts Collection, SAA 57. 1 ms box.
Bascom Lamar Lunsford Collection, 1874-1973,
SAA 29
Correspondence, photographs, diary photocopies, folk song lyrics, interviews,
sound and video recordings documenting the career of NorthCarolina folk music
scholar and festival organizer, Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Tune titles and performer
names are searchable via an in-house database and printed index. (10 ms boxes)
Top of List
- M -
Asa Martin Collection, SAA 115
Reel-to-reel audio recordings, photographs, print articles, clippings, and discography documenting the career of
Kentucky old-time singer and guitar player, Asa Martin. Audio material includes taped copies of his commercial
recordings from the 20s and 30s and original recordings of 1970's era radio programs featuring Martin and his band,
the Cumberland Rangers. Also included are several audio recorded interviews with Martin documenting various aspects
of his career, especially his association with other rural Kentucky musicians including Madison County fiddler Doc
Roberts, comedian-banjoist David "Stringbean" Akeman, the Amburgey Sisters, and Roy "Shorty" Hobbs. Song or tune
titles, performer names, and locations are searchable via the Sound Archives Collections Content database.
Talitha Ethel Powell McClure Ballad Collection, 1915-1980, SAA 32
Handwritten lyrics to fifty-three ballads collected by Berea College student,
McClure from her mother, Talitha Powell, during the 1915-16 school year. The
Elder Powell later sung several of these songs for ballad scholar, Cecil Sharp
on his 1917 Berea visit. 1 ms box
McLain Family Band Records,
SAA 86
Correspondence, concert / bluegrass festival programs, advertising material,
photographs, sound and video recordings that document the Mclain Family Band’s
performing activity between 1968 and 1989. (52 ms boxes)
Walter McNew Collection, SAA 136
This is a recent addition to our processed collections; a description, finding aid and other access options are forthcoming.
John Miles Gospel Music Radio Program, SAA 126
Sound recordings documenting radio performances of the Prichard Quartet and
the Melody Five gospel singing groups from Whitley County, Kentucky during
the late 1950s and early 1960s. These groups were jointly organized by Chester
Prichard and John Miles who both worked as barbers in Barbourville, Knox
County, Kentucky. Title and performer access options are forthcoming. A sampling
of audio files may be heard online.
Missionary Baptist Study, SAA 85
Printed church association minutes and transcripts of audio recorded sermons
and interviews documenting Missionary Baptist faith and practice in Allen, Barren,
and Monroe, counties, Kentucky, compiled during the summer of 2000, by Berea
College student, Andrew L. Hogue. 1 ms box
Mountain Maternal Health League Records, 1936-1986, SAA 53
Correspondence, minute books, subject files, scrapbooks, publications, and photographs
documenting the League’s work. 6 ms boxes
Top of List
- N -
National Advisory Commission on Rural Poverty Collection, 1966-67, SAA 15
The Commission’s fact finding efforts are documented in correspondence, reports and transcripts of hearings
including one at Berea College on January 21, 1967. (8 ms boxes)
Norfolk and Western Railroad Records, 1881-1979, SAA 63
Company published historical, legal, and administrative documents relating to
the history and operation of the Norfolk & Western railroad.
10 ms boxes
Top of List
- O -
Ohio and Kentucky Railway Company Records, 1899-1900, SAA 31
Right-of-way deeds and construction contracts for the Ohio and Kentucky railroad which ran from Jackson, Kentucky,
in Breathitt County to Cannel City, Kentucky, in Morgan County and ceased operation in 1933. (1 ms box)
Oneida Baptist Institute Records, 1906-1983, SAA 48
Photographs and microfilmed records documenting the founding and operation of this Baptist Church related school at
Oneida in Clay County, Kentucky. (44 rolls of microfilm and 5 boxes of photographs)
Over Home Radio Programs, SAA 112
Thirteen non-commercial sound cassette recordings, Dec. 1998 - June 1990 of Over Home, a radio program series
documenting Western North Carolina traditional musicians and storytellers airing on WNCW in Spindale, North Carolina.
Title and performer access options are forthcoming. (13 cassette tapes )
Top of List
- P -
Earl Palmer Photographic Collection, 1950s-1960s, SAA 73
Photographs by Bell County, Kentucky native and noted Appalachian photographer, Earl Palmer. Subject areas include
coal mining, handicrafts, landscapes, churches, farming, and people. (1 ms box)
Bill Parker Collection, SAA 114
Photographs and digital copies of nine reel-to-reel audio tape recordings of singers, fiddlers, banjo players, and other
traditional musicians, some of whom are otherwise undocumented. The recordings were made in Kentucky, North Carolina,
and Alabama during the mid-1960s by Bill Parker of Paducah, Kentucky. Song or tune titles, performer names, and
locations are searchable via the Sound Archives Collections Content database. A sampling of audio files may
be heard online.
Kevin Parks Early Country Music Research Collection, SAA 129
Songbooks, photo albums, calendars, program histories, autograph books, photographs, periodicals, advertising posters
and a radio listener's scrapbook that document several early country music radio performers, their sponsors and radio
stations, mainly during the 1930s and 1940s. Among the performers documented are those associated with the National
Barn Dance, Renfro Valley Barn Dance, and the Grand Ole Opry. Especially important among the
periodical publications are Rural Radio, Mountain Broadcast and Prairie Recorder, and the WLS
weekly program magazine, Stand By! (12 ms boxes)
Katherine Pettit Papers, 1899-1937, SAA 11
Correspondence, narrative reports, and published accounts documenting Pettit’s efforts during the summers of
1899-1901, that led to the 1902 founding of Hindman Settlement School in Knott County, Kentucky. (2 ms boxes)
John S. Phillips Papers, 1944-1966, SAA 58
Clippings, scrapbooks, short stories, poetry, and photographs that document Phillips’ work
as a West Virginia newspaper columnist, radio personality, and station manager.
10 ms boxes
Pine Mountain (Kentucky) Community Study Records, 1948-1965, SAA 22
Records of a socio-economic study of the Pine Mountain (Kentucky) Community conducted
by Berea College Sociologist, Roscoe Giffin in the early 1950s. 8 ms boxes
Pine Mountain Settlement School Collection, 1913-1975, SAA 10
Correspondence, clippings, newsletters and other publications that document the
School’s founding and operation, the long service of Berea President, Francis
Hutchins on its Board of Directors, and the College’s formal administrative
arrangement with Pine Mountain during the 1950s and 1960s. 9 ms boxes
Pine Mountain
Settlement School Records, 1913-1984, SAA 42
Photographs and microfilmed records documenting the founding and work of Pine
Mountain Settlement School in Harlan County, Kentucky. 95 rolls of microfilm
and 32 boxes of photographs
Reuben Powell Early Country Music Collection 1910-1982, SAA 65
Correspondence, clippings, and audio recordings of music and interviews that
reflect Powell’s efforts at documenting a host of early country music performers,
mainly 1930 to 1950. He was particularly interested in those from Kentucky and
any associated with such radio programs
as the National Barn Dance and the Renfro Valley Barn Dance. 10
ms boxes and 13 card file boxes
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- R -
James Watt Raine Ballad Collection 1908-1949, SAA 6
Ninety ballads and songs collected by James Watt Raine during the time he taught at Berea College, from 1906 to 1939.
(1 ms box)
Red Bird Mission Records, 1920-1985, SAA 44
Photographs and microfilmed records documenting the administration and programs
of the Methodist Church related Red Bird Mission in Clay, Leslie, Bell and Harlan
Counties in Kentucky. 21 rolls of Microfilm
and 10 boxes of photographs
Steve Rice Kentucky Fiddle Music Collection
, SAA 91
Forty-four audio field recordings (1990s) of interviews and performances that
document the repertoire and playing styles of several Kentucky fiddlers, mainly
from the state’s south central region. Tune titles, performer names, and
locations are searchable via an in-house database.
Doc Roberts Papers,
1910-1938, SAA 75
Correspondence, recording contracts, royalty statements and fan mail documenting
the commercial recording and radio work of Kentucky fiddler, Doc Roberts. 3 ms boxes
Leonard Roberts Papers, 1950-1983,
SAA 57
Audio recordings, and transcriptions of folklore narrative collected by noted
Kentucky folklorist, Leonard Roberts. Story titles, performer names and locations
are searchable via an in-house database. 60
ms
boxes
and
15
card file boxes
E.O. Robinson Mountain Fund Records,
1922-1978, SAA 20
Records documenting the Robinson Fund’s role in southeastern Kentucky agricultural,
educational, health,
and economic development efforts. 71 ms boxes
Stuart Robinson School Collection, 1913-1957
, SAA 78
Publications and photographs documenting this Letcher County, Kentucky, Presbyterian
mission school (1913-1957) founded by E. O. Guerrant. 1 ms box
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- S -
John Morgan Salyer Collection, SAA 122
This collection consists of forty eight acetate disc recordings made in the early 1940s that document Magoffin County,
Kentucky fiddler and banjo player, John Morgan Salyer. Salyer was born in 1882 and was master of an older eastern
Kentucky style that is only barely discernible in the playing of present day fiddlers and banjoists. Song or
tune titles, performer names, and locations are searchable via the Sound Archives Collections Content database.
A sampling of audio files may be heard online.
Scientists and Engineers for Appalachia Records, 1969-1979, SAA 64
Correspondence, clippings, maps, newsletters, photographs and sound recordings that document SEA’s efforts to
bring advances in science and technology to bear on the problems of Appalachia. The sound recordings document two
mid-1970s symposia, one on the Clinch River Nuclear Reactor in Tennessee and another relating to strip mining and
flooding in Appalachia. (6 ms boxes)
William Sears Home and Field Recordings Collection, SAA 130
Settlement Institutions of Appalachia Records, 1970-1982, SAA 36
Records documenting the SIA’s work of fund raising and promotion of cooperative
programming among its fifteen member schools. 36 ms boxes
Edna Lynn Simms Appalachian Collection,
1855-1963, SAA 81
Family records, letters, card files, clippings and photographs compiled by Edna
Simms in her efforts during the 1930s at documenting the people and life ways
of the Gatlinburg, Tennessee, area. The photographs are mainly of people. Note
cards include such topics as herbs, cures, food, superstitions, music, religion,
and speech traits. 4 ms boxes
John F. Smith Traditional Music Collection,
1915-1940, SAA 5
Several hundred ballads, songs, fiddle, and banjo tunes, some with musical notation,
collected from Berea College students during the early 1900s by John F. Smith.
Also included are lists of musical instruments
played in the students’ home communities and descriptions of house dances
and singing schools they participated in.4 ms boxes
Southern Appalachian Studies
Records (1962 Survey), SAA 3
Records of the administration, activities, and findings of this social, economic,
and religious survey that was conducted to examine changes in Appalachia since
the last such study done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1935. 180 ms boxes
Southern Music and Radio Photographic Collection, SAA 82
Photographs relating to early country music performers, traditional musicians,
radio personalities, and events documented in the Berea College Appalachian Sound
Archives.3 ms boxes
Southern Regional Council Appalachian Desegregation Survey Records, 1953-1954, SAA 55
Results of 1954 attitudes survey in twenty-nine counties of three states by Berea
College economics professor,
Robert Menefee, regarding the Supreme Court’s Brown decision. 1 ms box
Albert Stewart Papers
, SAA 84
Correspondence (1949-1994) to and from Albert Stewart in his capacity as Editor
of Appalachian Heritage. 2 ms boxes
James Still Papers, 1940-2001, SAA 35
Correspondence, typescript poetry and prose, clippings, and photographs documenting
the life and work of eastern Kentucky writer, James Still. 8 ms boxes
Jesse Stuart Papers, 1933-1983
, SAA 12
Correspondence, typescript poetry and prose, clippings, and photographs documenting
the life and work of eastern Kentucky writer Jesse Stuart. 7 ms boxes
J.A. Stucky Papers,
1903-1956, SAA 23
Correspondence, photographs, clippings, and articles documenting Dr. Stucky’s
pioneering efforts in the treatment and eradication of Trachoma among eastern
Kentucky residents during the early 1900s.
2 ms boxes
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William H. Tallmadge Baptist Hymnody Collection, 1968-1980, SAA 33
This collection includes correspondence, sound recordings, notebooks, church association minutes, and hymnbooks compiled during the 1960s and 1970s by William H. Tallmadge while studying Old Regular, Primitive, and United Baptist hymnody in eastern Kentucky, western North Carolina, and western Virginia, as well as the African-American shape-note singing tradition in southeastern Alabama. Title, performer and location search
available here. (17 ms boxes)
Samuel McDowell Tate Papers, SAA 100
Correspondence, financial, and business records relating to Burke County, North Carolina businessman and politician,
Samuel McDowell Tate, mainly for the period 1850-1892. Included also are Bills that Tate authored while serving in the
North Carolina House of Commons (1870s 1880s). Pre-Civil War, Tate had a thriving general merchandise business and
worked as a manager for the Western North Carolina Railroad Company. After Confederate Army service, he served
variously as financial agent of the Western North Carolina Railroad Company, census taker, postmaster, justice of
the peace, bank examiner, and North Carolina state treasurer.
Tennessee Valley Authority Collection, 1936-1983, SAA 77
TVA produced educational and technical publications and photographs documenting
its organization and activities. Subject areas include agriculture, industrial
development, water management, health, and safety. 7 ms boxes
Halbert H. Thornberry Kentucky Farm-Home String Band Collection, SAA 120
Audio recordings and print material documenting the history of a family string
band from Henderson County, Kentucky over a period extending from the late
1800s to the mid 1970s. The original members consisted of Thomas and Gertrude
Thornberry and their six children including son, Halbert, who compiled this
collection. The six audiocassettes recorded during the period 1962-1976,
are mostly of the Thornberry-Kentucky Farm-Home String Band at family gatherings
in Henderson County, Kentucky and Urbana, Illinois. Additional recorded material
includes brief portions of a fiddle contest in Morganfield, Union County,
Kentucky and fiddle tunes by family associate, Ernest Ringo of Shelbyville,
Illinois. Song or tune titles, performer names, and locations are searchable
via the Sound Archives Collections Content database. (1 ms box)
Jeff Titon Kentucky Traditional Music Collection, 1990-1996
, SAA 93
Fifty-seven audio and ten video field recordings of interviews and performances
that mainly document southeastern Kentucky Old Regular Baptist singing traditions
1990-1996. Also documented are the repertoire and playing style of southern
Kentucky fiddler, Clyde Davenport 1990-1991. Included as well is an undated,
published
video, “A
Singing Stream: A Black Family Chronicle” (Landis Family gospel singers
of Granville County, North Carolina) produced by Titon associate, Tom Davenport.
Tune titles, performer names, and locations are searchable via an in-house
database or printed index.
Lois Hirschy Trimble Postcard Collection, SAA 98
One hundred twenty
seven postcards depicting such scenes as the last stagecoach in
Kentucky, logging on the Kentucky River, Shaker dwellings,
coal mines, moonshine stills, Lexington court day, and tobacco
and hemp cultivation. The majority of the postcards apparently pre-date
1930. Some bear numbers that indicate they were within the Curt
Teich
series printed
between 1913 and 1928. At least four were printed between 1900
and 1908. Two date from 1933 and 1936 respectively. Two were printed
in England, and one (of a mountain washday) in Germany.
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- U -
Doris Ulmann Collection, 1930-1976, SAA 8
Correspondence, clippings, and articles relating primarily to photographer Ulmann’s work in Kentucky and other
parts of Appalachia during the early 1930s. Also stored in relation to Ullman's papers are copy negatives for 300 of
Ulmann’s Appalachian related prints. (NOTE: The Berea College Art Department houses and provides access
to an additional 4,000 posthumous Ullmann prints and is the usage and permission granting body for this collection,
through the Doris Ulman Foundation). (1 ms box and 7 boxes of copy negatives)
Urban Appalachian Council Records, 1934-1994 (Part I), SAA 160
Since 1974, the Urban Appalachian Council (UAC) has worked with and for Appalachian migrants and their descendants, to dispel negative stereotypes and to help Urban Appalachians participate more fully in urban community life. This collection contains the organizational papers of the UAC, documenting the board of trustees, executive committees, programming, funding agencies, community outreach activities, and beyond. (100 ms box)
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Virginia Americana Collection, SAA 99
Court documents, personal and business correspondence, election vote tallies, and bills of sale pertaining variously
to Campbell, Floyd, Henry, Montgomery, Patrick, and Scott Counties in Virginia and spanning the years from 1792 to 1889.
In particular, materials document indentured servitude, the sale of slaves, and real property transactions.
Personal and business correspondence 1805-1874 provide informative glimpses of personalities, attitudes, experiences,
and the world of business. 1 mss box
“Voices From the Sixties” Oral History Collection, 1985-1987, SAA 87
Forty-one audio recorded interviews of Kentucky and West Virginia
activists, politicians, and scholars relative to government funded
anti-poverty programs
in the 1960s and 1970s. The interviews were the bases for four public radio
documentaries titled respectively, “Appalachian Volunteers,” “Maximum Feasible
Participation,” “Strip Mining,” and “Fair Elections.” An
in-house database is available.
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Rebecca Washington Collection, 1853-1906, SAA 103
Twenty-five letters sent to Rebecca Washington (1839-1904) between 1853 and 1864, with original envelopes,
comprise the heart of this collection. It also includes a printed photo of the student body at Berea College,
c.1906; a booklet given to Rebecca's daughters, Lucy and Sally Rees, in 1898; and Lucy's 1868 Bible,
with some mementos saved in its pages. 1 ms box
West-Vanhook Family Papers,
1867-1952, SAA 61
Correspondence, family history, financial records, photographs,
and audio recorded interviews that document the West-Vanhook family
and the operation of the family
farm at Paint Lick, Garrard County, Kentucky. 5 ms boxes
WHAS Radio Listening Center Reference Collection, SAA 131
This is a recent addition to our processed collections; a description, finding aid and other access options are forthcoming.
Mary Wheeler Ballad Collection,
1917-1982, SAA 76
Ballad transcriptions, correspondence, clippings and photographs
documenting Mary Wheeler’s collecting efforts while teaching
at Hindman Settlement School in 1926. 2 ms boxes
D. K. Wilgus Folklore Collection,
1918-1989, SAA 67
Kentucky ballads, songs, stories, sayings, legends, and local histories
that Wilgus collected directly and through students while teaching
at Western Kentucky
University 1950-1962. Of equal importance are the sizable folksong and ballad
files that Wilgus obtained from such earlier folklore scholars as Josiah Combs
and E.C. Parrow whose study of Kentucky folklore date to the turn of the nineteenth
century. 12 ms boxes
Cratis Williams Papers, 1940-1985
, SAA 56
Correspondence, manuscripts, writings, clippings and photographs
related to the life and work of Appalachian scholar, Cratis Willams.
7 ms boxes
Mabel Martin Wyrick Local
History Collection, 1854-1893, SAA 37
Family letters, Baptist Church Association minutes, and an 1861
Union oriented songbook relating to the Martin, Anderson and Jones
families in Knox, Laurel,
and Whitley Counties, Kentucky, collected by local history writer Mabel Martin
Wyrick of Corbin, Kentucky. 1 ms box
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Chester R. Young Papers, SAA 111
The Chester R. Young papers include materials relating to his education, work,
research, writing, and personal life. These materials include correspondence,
clippings, photographs, manuscripts, research notes, publications and documents.
They cover a wide range of subject matter, including mission work, Kentucky
and Virginia history, religious topics, and education. Processed by UK graduate
student Janice Childers. (75 ms boxes)
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