This is a photograph of a father and his children. This photograph features Harvey Canter, Charles Miller, Lula Belle Miller Main, Arlie Vestel Miller, and Eula Miller Dollar.

The girls in the photograph (from left to right) are Bertha Nancy Canter Miller, Pearl Main, Hazel Virginia Canter Miller, and Daisy Main. The Main girls are the sisters of R.O. Main. The Canter girls are the daughters of Frank Canter.

This is a photograph of Mae Sluder and her children including, Wesley, Hilery, Katie, and Bessie.

This is a photograph of John Robert Miller (left) and Arlie Vestal Miller (right) standing in front of a home.

This photograph depicts a mountain in rural Watauga County, North Carolina taken by Episcopal minister Reverend J. Norton Atkins in the early 20th century.

This is a photograph of a river scene located in Watauga County, North Carolina taken by Episcopal minister Reverend J. Norton Atkins in the early 20th century.

This photograph depicts a river scene in Watauga County, North Carolina taken by Episcopal minister Reverend Norton J. Atkins in the early 20th century.

This photograph depicts a view of Grandfather Mountain in Linville, North Carolina with carriage horse in foreground taken by Episcopal minister Reverend J. Norton Atkins in the early 20th century.

This photograph depicts a man, possibly the Episcopal minister Reverend J. Norton Atkins, with horse and buggy on a rural Watauga County, North Carolina road in the early 20th century.

This photograph depicts a farm in the Foscoe Valley in Watauga County, North Carolina taken by Episcopal minister Reverend J. Norton Atkins in the early 20th century.

This photograph depicts the Episcopal Mission House in Valle Crucis, Watatuga County, North Carolina, taken by Reverend J.Norton Atkins in the early 20th century.

Edward Eugene Blackburn was born on August 29, 1893 to Alex (b. 1852 – d. June 1, 1926) and Rhoda Howell Blackburn (b. February 12, 1856 – d. December 6, 1934). He was married to Ollie Clawson Blackburn (b. July 29, 1893 – d. June 1985). He grew up in the Todd community of Ashe County and served in the U.S. Army during the First World War with the 318th Field Hospital of the 80th Division. He experienced combat in France, which is briefly mentioned in the interview.

Many affectionately knew him as “Brother Ed” or “Uncle .” The Reverend Ed Blackburn and his wife took over the leadership of The Tabernacle, a non-­‐denominational Holiness church across the hill from his childhood home. This church later became the Blackburn Community Church, was originally started by his father around 1910. His uncle was U.S. Congressman Edmond Spencer Blackburn (b. September 22, 1868 – d. July 21, 1912) who served in 1901-03 and 1905-­07.

During the interview Ed Blackburn talks about growing up in rural Ashe County. Topics include explaining the rules to a game called “dare base,” and his experience working at a grist meal and laying railroad track as a young man. He also discusses the railroad in Todd, timber stripping, religion, and family.

Early E. Earp was born on July 31, 1881 in the Vilas community and Bairds Creek community of Watauga County to Lewis Calloway Earp (b. June 5, 1844 – d. November 11, 1919) and Rebecca Williams Earp (b. May 16, 1861 – d. March 27, 1937). They were farmers and raised a family of 14 children. Many of siblings lived long lives. He parents were originally from Wilkes County and his maternal grandfather was killed in the Civil War. He passed away on December 25, 1988 at the age of 97.

During the interview he talked about early wages, farm work, how crops were planted and how the quantity was determined. He discusses growing sugarcane for molasses, selling wheat for flour, canning vegetables, drying pumpkins, and planting by the signs.

During the first of two interviews Mr. Hayes discusses in detail the Daniel Boone Wagon Train (years) that followed a route from Wilkes County to Boone using horse drawn wagons with people wearing 19th Century clothing and camping along the way.

In the second interview Mr. Hayes discusses his involvement in local politics. He was elected as a precinct chairman about 1938, was active on several state committees and was a delegate to the state convention starting in 1940. He recalls how how he ran a local rally and campaign and attended several governor inaugurations.

“Charles” Wesley Bolick was born on August 15, 1897 in the Mulberry Valley community of Caldwell County about ten miles from Blowing Rock, North Carolina. His parents were Emanuel (b. October 24, 1852 - d. August
16, 1926) and Mary Vienna Sherrill Bolick (b. April 1860 – d. August 27, 1934). He had four siblings and was married to Elizabeth “Libby” Gomer Bolick (b. October 7, 1881 – d. January 16, 1983). Charles Bolick died on April 29, 1996 at the age of 98.

During the interview he talks about his parents and siblings, selling whiskey, making apple brandy, living off the land and making everything the family needed. He reflects on the Depression, and attending school. He also discusses making molasses, sleeping on a rope bed, courting, digging for ginseng, and the floods of 1916 and 1940.

Arlie Earl Moretz was born on June 30, 1908 to Sion Gideon Moretz (b. January 16, 1880 d. October 29, 1950) and Virginia Dare Stanberry (b. March 16, 1883 d. February 2, 1970). He married Alice Myers Moretz (b. May 12, 1912 d. January 25, 1965) who was born in Crossville, Tennessee to the parents of Thomas Myers and Olive Dougherty. His great grandfather was one of the first settlers in Watauga County, having married twice he had 25 children. The Arlie Moretz family lived in the Meat Camp area of Watauga County. Arlie Moretz died on September 7, 1997 at the age of 89.

Mr. Moretz earned B.S. and M.A. degrees from Appalachian State, and professionally was both a minister and schoolteacher with 39 years of experience. During the interview he reflects on how education has changed from the time when he was a youth through his career as an educator, talks about attending and teaching in a one-room schoolhouse, personal reflection on education, and local politics.

Viola N. Greer was born on March 27, 1906 in Crandall, Tennessee, moving to Watauga County after she married Walter Greer and had two children Walter and Annie Lee. Her parents were Arthur and Martha Nichols Smith who were from Wilkes County, but had met in Tennessee. Her father bought timber for sawmills. As an adult she lived one year in Montana, then Ashe and Lenoir counties before returning to the Deep Gap area of Watauga County, where her children were reared. She died on November 2, 2003 at the age of 97.

During the interview Mrs. Greer talked about her parents, the importance of religion, quilting, making soap, superstitions such as walking under ladders, and planting by the signs.

Stanley Austin Harris was born on October 31, 1882 in Trade, Tennessee, and reared in Avery County. The son of a Confederate officer, after graduating from Tennessee Wesleyan College in 1903, he worked for the Young Men's Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.) in Kentucky where he was introduced to the British Boy Scout movement. He chartered a troop from the British Scouting movement in 1908, two years before the Scouting program was established in the United States.

He started working for the Boy Scouts of America in 1917 until his retirement in 1947 at the national office in New York City. In 1926, he was the director of the Interracial Service where his responsibility was to build positive relationships with African American and Native American communities across the nation.

The Harris family lived in Boone while he worked in New York City, but would commute by train every few weeks. In 1942, Stanley Harris was awarded an honorary doctorate of humanities from the historically black university Tuskegee Institute; the first Caucasian to receive this honor. Upon retiring, he lived in Boone and was very active with local businesses and civic groups.

During the interview he focuses largely on his retired life and talks about his childhood, the Depression, and Boone history.

William Ron Davis was born in Todd, North Carolina on July 30, 1896, attended college at Appalachian Training School for Teachers (later became Appalachian State University) starting in 1917, then taught in Watauga and Ashe Counties for 32 years. He passed away on March 9, 1978 at the age of 81.

During his interview, Ron reflected on his rearing in rural Ashe County including his education, the rules to games they played as children, and discipline. He spent a considerable amount of time reflecting on education including his thoughts on how education has changed.