Published in 1982, The Barter Theatre Story: Love Made Visible tells the colorful history of a remarkable American cultural institution. Opened by Robert Porterfield, a native Virginian, in 1933, the Barter Theatre offered the people of Abingdon, Virginia, and the surrounding area entertainment and a much-needed escape from their Depression-era working lives. It became the State Theatre of Virginia in 1946 and it is where the likes of Gregory Peck, Ernest Borgnine, Patricia Neal, Ned Beatty, and Hume Cronyn got their starts. Mark Dawidziak, a journalist from New York who spent much of his twenties in Appalachia and grew to admire the theater, tells the improbable story of the Barter Theatre, which remains one of the last year-round professional resident repertory theaters in the country.

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These three files contain the final report on land ownership for the twelve Appalachian counties in the state of Virginia which were part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey conducted in 1979. There are profiles for each county and four case studies—on Grayson, Scott, Wise, and Wythe Counties—in the report.

These files contain the report (divided into four files) and an addendum (the fifth file) on land ownership patterns and their impacts based on the results from the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey conducted in 1979. This report and addendum were submitted to the Appalachian Regional Commission by the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force in February 1981.

The study was conducted in these six states and counties:

Alabama: Blount, Cherokee, Cleburne, Cullman, Dekalb, Etowah, Fayette, Jackson, Lamar, Marion, Marshall, Shelby, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and Winston

Kentucky: Bell, Breadthitt, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Letcher, Martin, Perry, and Pike Counties

North Carolina: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Burke, Clay, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, Mitchell, Swain, and Watauga

Tennessee: Anderson, Bledsoe, Campbell, Cumberland, Fentress, Hamilton, Marion, Morgan, Rhea, Roane, Scott, Sequatchie, Van Buren, and White

Virgina: Bland, Buchanan, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe

West Virginia: Braxton, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Marion, Marshall, Mineral, Mingo, Ohio, Raleigh, Randolph, Summers, and Wayne

This document is the key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey conducted between 1978 -1979. The study covered counties in six states within Appalachia: Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. To view the digital collection of the survey for each county, see the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey Records, 1936-1985.

These two files contain data from the land ownership survey of Bland County, Virginia conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey.

These three files contain data from the land ownership survey of Buchanan County, Virginia conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey.

These two files correspond to land ownership surveys of multiple counties in Virginia and North Carolina which was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey.

These three files contain data from the land ownership survey of Dickenson County, Virginia conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey.

This land ownership survey of Grayson County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey.

These two files contain the land ownership survey of Washington County, Virginia, including the Washington County section of Jefferson National Forest, was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey.

Note: This county survey includes Jefferson National Forest mineral lands.

This land ownership survey of Lee County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey.

Please note: The document is missing pages 51 and 80.

This document corresponds to and contains additional data for Tazewell, Lee, Russell, and Scott Counties in Virginia for land ownership surveys which were conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey.

This land ownership survey of Russell County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey.

This land ownership survey of Scott County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey.

This land ownership survey of Smyth County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey.

Please note: This document is missing pages 11,14,24, and 29.

This land ownership survey of Tazewell County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey.

Please note: This document is missing pages 15,32,35, and110.

This land ownership survey of Wise County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey.

Please note: This document is missing pages 49 and 76.

This land ownership survey of Wythe County, Virginia was conducted in 1979 as part of a larger Appalachian Land Ownership Survey. To interpret the survey codes, use the Key to the Appalachian Land Ownership Survey.

Interview about Appalachian Power Company's attempt to create a dam on the New River, near Grayson County, Virginia and the community's battle to keep them out.

Albert Hash began making things out of wood at a young age. He had a dream as a child about making a fiddle, and did the best he could with the tools he had and a plank of wood. He continued to perfect his wood-working and carving skills and began to make more instruments. He also worked in clock making, farmed for a short time, and went to school for mechanical engineering.

Ollie Blackburn was born in Watauga County, North Carolina in 1892. She attended an all girls church school in Valle Crucis when she was 16, after she had a general education. She then lived in Cherryville, North Carolina and Coeburn, Virginia at one point.

Mrs. Blackburn explains doing chores around the house and the different activities her family would participate in as a child. She then describes her education and how she met her husband through courting. Mrs. Blackburn's husband is also in the interview, and they about how they got married and moved to different places. While talking about marriage, they explain their theories on raising a family. Mr. Blackburn ends the interview talking discussing his personal experience working in the mines in Kentucky and Virginia.

This item is part of the I. G. Greer Folksong Collection which consists of more than 300 individual song titles and their variants as collected by Isaac Garfield Greer (1881-1967) from informants, primarily in Ashe, Wilkes and Watauga counties. The collection includes manuscripts, typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s clerical staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.

This item is part of the I. G. Greer Folksong Collection which consists of more than 300 individual song titles and their variants as collected by Isaac Garfield Greer (1881-1967) from informants, primarily in Ashe, Wilkes and Watauga counties. The collection includes manuscripts, typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s clerical staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.

This item is part of the I. G. Greer Folksong Collection which consists of more than 300 individual song titles and their variants as collected by Isaac Garfield Greer (1881-1967) from informants, primarily in Ashe, Wilkes and Watauga counties. The collection includes manuscripts, typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s clerical staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.

This is a letter from Emery Kirby to his parents. Emery writes about moving soon to a new location and tells how to address any mail sent to him. Note: the letter was mailed from Salt Sulphur Springs, Virginia which was before the Civil War. Salt Sulphur Springs became part of the new state of West Virginia in 1863. The letter was sent to a community in Grayson County, Virginia.

This letter from Fannie was written in June in reply to a letter she received from her cousin Bettie Kirby. This letter refers to the imprisonment and death of two men, Brother John and Frank. Fannie also tells Bettie about her church activities.

This letter was written at Rose Cottage in Virginia to Daniel by an old friend, A. Ba[illegible], who is missing his company. The writer discusses visiting her Aunt in Franklin, as well as mentioning friends such as Grayson, Judy, Sally, and Fannie.

This letter talks about work done on Ada’s house, domestic life, and the lives of close family friends. There is mention of raising horses, marriages, and rules for growing tomatoes.

This letter is written by Rosa to her aunt. In it she talks about how she hasn’t been to school in a while, and her grammar is poor. The letter mainly involves catching her aunt up on the events of the winter.

This letter from Robert Kirby to Ada Kirby talks about how he is recovering from illness and a leg condition, and will be returning to school. There is also mention of photographs Robert will have taken to send to his aunt.

This letter from R.L. Kirby to his uncle, Joseph Eller, discusses how R.L. Kirby has taken over the local newspaper, and mentions a scheme to boost subscriptions by giving some of the profits to people who bring in customers.

This letter from Lillie to her aunt talks about a dress pattern that Lillie has sent her aunt. Lillie also talks about the trip they made to get back home to Edgewater, Virginia, and how they will be house sitting for her Uncle Zeke.

This letter from Lillie Young to her aunt, Elizabeth Eller, talks about the death of Irena Phipps Young, Lillie's grandmother, and mentions some of her relatives, including Lucy Ann Young. Lillie also refers to her father, John Tyler Young. The letter covers family matters.

This letter from Lillie Young to her aunt, Elizabeth Eller, talks about peaches, a new school teacher, and her mother's health.

This is a letter from Mary Kirby, wife of Emory Kirby, to Frances Kirby, her mother-in-law. She talks about how her mother is sick and dying, and how several people in the family have measles. She tells Frances that she will visit once her mother has died, and hopes to hear from Ada Kirby soon.

This letter from Lillie to her aunt, Ada, asks for her aunt to come and visit her soon and to send some "good pieces" of poetry for Lillie to recite on the last day of school.

This is an envelope addressed to Elizabeth “Bettie” Eller, dated 26 September 1889

This is an envelope from Robert Lee Kirby addressed to Frances “Nan” Kirby, and dated 10 June 1887.

This letter from Robert Kirby to his aunt, Ada Kirby, discusses a horse that Robert has bought. Robert says that he and his father intend to start teaching again. Robert mentions that Lilly and Bruce (last name unknown) said they would meet him in town, but did not show up.

This is a letter from Robert Kirby to Ada Kirby, written on May 15th, 1885. This letter is faint and difficult to read.

This is a letter from Robert Kirby to an aunt of his. In this letter, Robert discusses the upcoming end to the school year and some of his plans for what to do after he finished teaching. Robert mentions his grandpa being ill, and that he wants Millard Fillmore Kirby to know he is planning on coming to visit. Robert says one of his aunts, Lindy Roberts, has died, and that another, Phebe, is very feeble.

This letter from Robert Kirby to his aunt Ada talks about what has happened to Robert over the Christmas holiday season. Robert talks about teaching and how he only got two days of break for Christmas. The letter also includes mention of the murder of a black man by Rich Reeves, whom Robert says fled the country, abandoning his wife and mother. Robert says that he is homesick and plans on taking a trip to see his family soon.

This is a letter from Emory Kirby to his sister Nan. Emory talks about how his recent bout of measles has prevented him from rejoining the cavalry he is a part of, and he details several positions and occurrences in his area during the Civil War.

This is a letter from Anabella Baker to Fannie Kirby. She uses metaphors built from nature to describe her friendship. The letter ends with Anabella saying she has met a man she finds attractive.

This is a letter from Emma Baker Martin to her aunt Betty Kirby Eller. Emma writes this letter while sick with the mumps. She is attending a girls college, and discusses her lessons and reading. She says she is no longer homesick, but likes being alone sometimes. The letter references the recent election of many Democrats, which was praised by Emma and the town she is in, and how she is possibly going to be travelling for Christmas.

This item is part of the W. Amos Abrams Folksong Collection, which includes some 400 individual song titles, most of which have multiple variants. Dr. Abrams recorded songs primarily from the Appalachian region of North Carolina from 1938 to 1946 and transcribed them in 1973. Like the I. G. Greer Collection, the titles contained in Abrams’ collection range from traditional Child Ballads to 19th century popular music to compositions of local origin.