Interview with Morris Allen, Matilda Allen, July 20, 1983

Partial Transcript: Oh. Did you all have a big family?

Segment Synopsis: Matilda discusses what her family raised in their garden when she was a child. She talks about what they sold from the farm. She talks about her father working for the WPA, making roads. Matilda talks about her chores as a child and how clothes were washed. She talks about preserving food for the winter months and what her family needed to purchase from the store. Matilda talks about what furniture her family had in their home. She talks about the lack of recreation and visits in the community.

Keywords: Works Progress Administration; children; clothing; families; farming; fathers; furniture; gardens; laundry; money; pensions; rain; road construction; sell; shoes; shuck beds; washers; work

Subjects: Family farms; Food--Preservation--Kentucky--Teges Creek; General stores; Roads--Design and construction--Kentucky--Teges Creek; Teges Creek (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: How come they always call you all Morris and Matilda Cotton?

Segment Synopsis: Morris tells how he came to be called "Cotton." Matilda talks about her grandparents and clothes that she wore. Morris talks about his grandparents selling timber. He talks about his chores as a child and tells a story about selling a hog. He talks about his mother making baskets to sell.

Keywords: band-waist dresses; baskets; clothing; grandfathers; mustaches; sales; timber

Subjects: Family--history; Logging--Kentucky--Teges Creek

Partial Transcript: Now he barely can remember a little bit. Or at least that's what he tells me. See, his daddy laid in the bed twenty some years.

Segment Synopsis: Matilda talks about Morris's family. Morris talks about his sister and not knowing the order of birth of his siblings. He talks about where his surviving siblings live. Matilda talks about her siblings.

Keywords: brothers; families; siblings; sisters

Subjects: Family--history; Teges Creek (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: You ever--do you remember hearing old people talk about the old days at all? About, like, the first people that moved in and into this country, or about what it was like?

Segment Synopsis: Morris talks about settlers in the area who hunted and fished. He talks about different families that came to the area. Morris talks about getting a job in the timber industry. He talks about working in the coal mines and moving to Ohio and working for Ford Motor Company.

Keywords: Allen family; Bob Camel; Floyd Caldwell; Will Fountain; assembly line; coal; cutting machine; employee; miners; mules; relatives; saw mills; timber; wages; work

Subjects: Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Teges Creek; Logging--Kentucky--Teges Creek; Rural-urban migration--Kentucky--Teges Creek; Teges Creek (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: And did you move up there with him?

Segment Synopsis: Matilda talks about not moving to Ohio with Morris and staying to farm instead. Morris talks about many people from the area also working in Ohio. He talks about coming home every weekend and people that he lived with in Ohio. Matilda talks about their children and where they live.

Keywords: children; families; farming; living situations; tenants

Subjects: Rural-urban migration--Kentucky--Teges Creek; Teges Creek (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: During the Depression, you all were still living around here, weren't you?

Segment Synopsis: Matilda talks about not suffering during the Depression. Matilda talks about her memories of WWII. They talk about when their children come to visit and about their grandchildren. Matilda talks about how people in Teges have changed since she was young. She talks about people gathering and selling ginseng. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: World War Two; brothers; children; electricity; families; farming; ginseng; grandchildren; honesty; robbery; social mores; society; welfare

Subjects: Appalachian Region--History.; Families.; Teges Creek (Ky.)