Interview with James E. Childers, June 11, 1987

Partial Transcript: Tell me about your mother and your dad, and where you was born, your brothers and sisters and all that?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about his childhood on a farm with many siblings.

Keywords: Brothers; Coal companies; Cows; Hogs; Hollers (Hollows); Jobs; Kids; Livestock; Love Childers; Mines; Parents; Peabody Coal Company; Properties; Railroad companies; Sales; Siblings; Sisters

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Childhood; Children; Coal miners.; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Coal--Kentucky.; Families; Family histories.; Farm life--Appalachian Region; Farmers.; Occupations

Partial Transcript: And, so how old were you when you started working in the mines?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about his first mining job for Edgewater Coal Company, including his duties and wages. He discusses pictures of various mines to help the interviewer identify them.

Keywords: Backhands; Camp housing; Cockeyes; Colleagues; Commutes; Contractors; Contracts; Coworkers; Edgewater Coal Company; Henry Clay Mine; Jackson Branch; Loading; Loads; Marlboro (Ky.); Miners; Mines; Mining camps; Overtimes; Owners; Rodger Brothers; Schedules; Wages; Working conditions

Subjects: Coal; Coal miners; Coal mines; Coal mines and mining; Employment--Kentucky; Occupations; Salaries

Partial Transcript: Lot of colored--there was a lot of colored there.

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the living conditions and segregation of African American coal miners and their families. He also discusses company stores and the buying and selling of goods for miners.

Keywords: African American coal miners; African American miners; Black coal miners; Black miners; Boot legs; Churches; Commissaries; Company stores; Education; Groceries; Miners; Schoolhouses; Schools; Stores; Trades

Subjects: African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Housing.; African Americans--Religion.; African Americans--Segregation; Appalachian Region, Southern--Social life and customs.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining; Communities; Families; Food habits--Appalachian Region, Southern; Segregation in education--Kentucky; Segregation.

Partial Transcript: Okay, now remind me again what year this was when you first started over there?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the various coal mines near Marrowbone Creek including their owners, accidents, and other working conditions. He talks especially about his duties for Edgewater Coal Company. Childers also discusses loading and working with coal cars.

Keywords: Accidents; Allegheny (Ky.); Amputations; Bat wings; Big Branch Mine; Cars; Cloth caps; Clothing; Coal cars; Coal mining powders; Coal scenes; Coworkers; Cumberland County (Ky.); Duties; Edgewater Coal Company; Fingers; Greenough Mine; Help; Injuries; Jobs; Kentucky; Knee pads; Kneeling; Marrowbone Creek; Miners; Mines; Motors; Occupations; Owners; Peabody Coal Company; Pennsylvania; Pike County (Ky.); Powder magazines; Powders; Rockhouse Mine; Slate falls; Track motors; West Virginia; Wolf Pit Mine; Wolfpit Mine; Work uniforms; Working conditions

Subjects: Coal mine accidents; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining; Coal mines and mining--Safety measures.; Coal.; Employment--Kentucky; Health.; Occupations; Salaries; United Mine Workers of America

Partial Transcript: So would you--would people talk during the day?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the relationships between coal miners as well as their general economic situations. He discusses how miners often also kept farms and were deferred from war.

Keywords: Coal companies; Colleagues; Conversations; Coworkers; Deferments; Defers; Edgewater Coal Company; Elkhorn (Ky.); Farmers; Friendships; Jobs; Livestock; Miners; Recruitment; Relationships; WW2; WWII; World War 2; World War II; World War Two

Subjects: Agriculture.; Appalachian Region--Economic conditions; Coal miners--Kentucky; Coal--Kentucky.; Farm life--Appalachian Region; Farm life.; Farmers.; Farms, Small.; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: So, now how long did you work at Edgewater?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the closure of Edgewater Coal Company, for which he never learned the reason why. He also discusses Henry Clay Mine. He talks especially about coke ovens.

Keywords: Brothers; Closures; Coal prices; Coke; Coke (coal); Coke ovens; Hawkins Brothers; Henry Clay Mine; Jobs; Lay offs; Leases; Peabody Coal Company; Siblings; Terminations

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Economic conditions; Coal leases; Coal miners--Kentucky; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Industries; Occupations

Partial Transcript: I think that my, my grandfather worked at--around the coke ovens for a while.

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about his family's livestock escaping into a neighboring yard that belonged to the interviewer's grandfather. He also discusses the weaving and creation of homemade goods by his mother and others.

Keywords: Cattle; Cloths; Friends; Friendships; Grandfathers; Grandparents; Hogs; Homemade goods; John Hawkins; Livestock; Looms; Mothers; Sheep; Weave and spins; Weaves; Yarns

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Economic conditions; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Communities.; Families.; Family farms.; Family histories.; Farm life.; Farmers.; Farms, Small.; Neighborliness; Neighbors

Partial Transcript: So, you--after about a month after you left Edgewater, then you started working at Henry Clay.

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the failure of unionization at Henry Clay Mine. He also discusses his duties at the mine and its eventual closure that led many miners to move to West Virginia.

Keywords: Boarding; Closures; Coal camps; Company towns; Company unions; Competition; Deaths; Edgewater Coal Company; Harewood (W. Va.); Hemphill (W. Va.); Henry Clay Mine; Jobs; Killings; Methods; Miners; Mines; Notices; Organized; Organizers; Schedules; Troubles; UMWA; Union organizers; Unionization; Unions; Violence; Wages; West Virginia; Working conditions

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Coal; Coal miners; Coal miners--Labor unions--Organizing; Coal mines; Coal mines and mining; Employment--Kentucky; Occupations; Salaries; United Mine Workers of America

Partial Transcript: Let me--I meant to ask you this before and I forgot. Um, let me ask you about the--was there a big flood over at Edgewater in like 1927 or 1928?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the social conditions of Edgewater including heavy alcohol consumption and immigrants as well as a deadly flood.

Keywords: "Colored"; Accidents; Alcoholism; Black miners; Camps; Cloud bursts; Deaths; Drinking; Drownings; Edgewater Coal Company; Excessive drinking; Floods; Hollers (Hollows); Homes; Houses; Immigrants; Italian coal miners; Italian immigrants; Miners; Miners camps; Mining camps; Natural disasters; Rough; Slate dumps

Subjects: African Americans--Employment.; Appalachian Region, Southern--Social life and customs.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Coal miners--Kentucky; Communities.; Emigration and immigration.; Immigrants--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So, tell me what you remember about the strike?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the failed efforts to establish a union at Henry Clay Mine. He also talks about who generally supported the union and who didn't. Childers discusses the litigation against strikers. He discusses the picket lines and violence including shoot outs, especially the killing of Perry Adkins.

Keywords: Arrests; Bitterness; Bosses; Closures; Coal camps; Coal companies; Coal loaders; Coal owners; Company guards; Company men; Company towns; Company unions; Deaths; Democrats; Edgewater Coal Company; Elkhorn (Ky.); Gun deaths; Guns; Henry Clay Mine; High power guns; Jim Barkley; Jobs; Killings; Leaders; Machine guns; Meetings; Mine guards; Miners; Mines; Name calling; Organized; Organizers; Perry Atkins; Picket lines; Republicans; Schedules; Searchlights; Shoot outs; Shootings; Speakers; Speeches; Strikes; Supervisors; Tom Rainy; Troubles; UMWA; Union organizers; Unionization; Unions; Vernon Sanders; Violence; Wages; Working conditions

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Coal; Coal miners; Coal miners--Labor unions--Organizing; Coal mines; Coal mines and mining; Employment--Kentucky; Occupations; Picketing.; Salaries; Strikebreakers; Strikes and lockouts--Coal mining--Kentucky; United Mine Workers of America; United States--Trials, litigation, etc.

Partial Transcript: So at Henry Clay how many--was Henry Clay as large as Edgewater or was it a smaller operation?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the size of mines at Edgewater Coal Company and Henry Clay Mine as well as the operations. He discusses the owners that would come visit. Childers also talks about the housing for coal miners and their bosses.

Keywords: Boarding houses; Boss towns; Bosses; Camp houses; Clubhouses; Coal camps; Coke; Coke (coal); Coke ovens; Engineers; Foremen; Hellier (Ky.); Henry Clay Mine; Homes; Houses; Johnny Strong; Lookout; Lookout camps; Operations; Owners; Rockhouse; Rockhouse Mine; Sales; School teachers; Schoolhouses; Schools; Steel companies; Steel mills; Superintendents; Supervisors; Towns; Wolf Pit Mine; Wolfpit Mine

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Economic conditions; Coal leases; Coal miners--Kentucky; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Coal.; Industries

Partial Transcript: So, where did you go to school?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the schools he attended.

Keywords: Commutes; Elkhorn (Ky.); Elkhorn School; Kettle Camp School; Schoolhouses

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Childhood; Country life; Education--Kentucky; Families; Rural children

Partial Transcript: Um, well, why did--why would you say was the main reason that people wanted the union here?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the various mines in and around Marrowbone Creek. He discusses the social conditions between different groups in the community and support for the union.

Keywords: Bosses; Closures; Coal camps; Company towns; Company unions; Deaths; Dunleary Mine; Edgewater Coal Company; Henry Clay Mine; Jay Tom Hawkins; Jobs; Killings; Marrowbone Creek; Miners; Mines; Organized; Organizers; Schedules; Supervisors; Tensions; Troubles; UMWA; Union organizers; Unionization; Unions; Violence; Wages; Working conditions

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Children; Coal; Coal miners; Coal miners--Labor unions--Organizing; Coal mines; Coal mines and mining; Employment--Kentucky; Occupations; Salaries; United Mine Workers of America

Partial Transcript: Well, how long did you work in the mines?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about his feelings about mining after retirement. He also discusses the injury that ended his career. Childers talks about some of the relationships he made with the Hawkins family and the alternative careers chosen by his brothers.

Keywords: Accidents; Alvin Hawkins; Brothers; Careers; Charles Hawkins; Grant Hawkins; Incidents; Injuries; Jobs; Likes; Siblings; Slate falls; Top falls; Wages

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Coal mine accidents; Coal miners; Coal mines; Coal mines and mining; Communities; Employment--Kentucky; Occupations

Partial Transcript: Well, um, Jim do you remember like Marrowbone, what it was like before all the coal mines opened up there?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the development of the Marrowbone area, especially the arrival of the railroads and its eventual electrification. He discusses what the stores and businesses looked like at different points. Childers talks about the culture, including hoedowns and socialization.

Keywords: Businesses; Cars; Changes; Commutes; Dances; Developments; Electricity; Elkhorn (Ky.); Elkhorn City (Ky.); Foods; Hoedowns; Music; Powers; Radios; Railroad companies; Railroads; Socialization; Stores; Televisions; Transportation; Walking

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Economic conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Communities.; Community development; Country life; Economic development--Kentucky; Families; Neighborhoods; Neighborliness; Neighbors; Recreation; Regionalism--Appalachian Region; Rural electrification--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Okay, so, now what are these here?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about earning his foreman's certificates and why he didn't work much in the role.

Keywords: Bosses; Careers; Certificates; Coworkers; Difficulty; Foreman's certificates; Foremen; Jobs; Leadership; Lexington (Ky.); Miners; Mines; Supervisors

Subjects: Coal; Coal miners; Coal mines; Coal mines and mining; Employment--Kentucky; Occupations; Salaries; Work life

Partial Transcript: --different than what it was when I was a boy.

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about how the roads and decreased farming have changed the Elkhorn area. He also talks about his role in his family after his father passed away. Childers discusses his adult life including the places he has lived and his marriage.

Keywords: Ashcamp (Ky.); Creeks; Crops; Deaths; Elkhorn (Ky.); Elkhorn Creek (Ky.); Fathers; Highways; Hollers (Hollows); Households; Housing; Inventions; Lawn care; Little Branch (Ky.); Marriages; Mothers; Potters Bottom (Ky.); Roads; Spouses; Wives

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Economic conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Families.; Family farms--Management; Farm life--Appalachian Region; Rural roads

Partial Transcript: So did most of the other boys your age go to the mines too, about that time?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about Pikeville, including who lived there and where they worked. He and Mrs. Childers also discuss where people shopped and how they traveled.

Keywords: "Foreigners"; Cars; Cohen's; Elkhorn Creek (Ky.); Groceries; Harry Cohen; Hellier (Ky.); Immigrants; Jack Bartley; Jewish Americans; Passenger trains; Pike County (Ky.); Pikeville (Ky.); Roads; Stores; Trains

Subjects: Communities.; Community organization.; Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Immigrants--Kentucky; Jewish businesspeople; Occupations.

Partial Transcript: Now, what about doctors?

Segment Synopsis: Childers and Mrs. Childers talk about the healthcare and stores provided by coal companies. He also talks about the livestock and crops kept by miners and his job delivering feed for the coal companies. They discuss where they got different types of food as well as their water.

Keywords: Barrels; Butter churning; Butter churns; Butter dashers; Butters; Chickens; Coal companies; Company doctors; Company stores; Corn; Corn shucking; Cornmeal; Crops; Dams; Deliveries; Dr. Preston; Elkhorn Creek (Ky.); Examinations; Exams; Feed; Flour; Fresh foods; Groceries; Hardware stores; Honey; Jobs; Livestock; Meal rooms; Meals; Milk; Mills; Peddle; Peddles; Peddling; Physical examinations; Physical exams; Quilting; Quilts; Railroads; Salt; Shucking; Spring houses; Springs; Sugar; Water; Waterbranch; Wells

Subjects: Children; Coal miners--Kentucky; Farms, Small.; Food--Preservation--Kentucky; Health.; Occupations; Physicians--Kentucky; Rural health services; Rural health--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So, did you ever travel away from here?

Segment Synopsis: Childers and Mrs. Childers talk about why they did not travel much. Childers discusses how he wanted to quit mining and establish a larger farm.

Subjects: Coal miners--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: When you were growing up on Adams' Branch, did you all--did you ever have, um, like were there any wild--were there any animals that would come around?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the wildlife near his family's farm, especially wildcats. Mrs. Childers also shows the interviewer a picture of their granddaughter. Childers also discusses the different animals that were raised on his family's farm. He discusses how the weather, trees, and crops have changed since he was young.

Keywords: Acorns; Apples; Bears; Blackberries; Bobcats; Cattle; Cherries; Chestnut trees; Chickens; Climates; Dogs; Ducks; Feed; Fruits; Geese; Grandchildren; Herbs; Hogs; Horses; Iodine; Jobs; Medicines; Mountains; Orchards; Peaches; Pears; Plums; Raspberries; Sabrina; Sales; Sheep; Squirrels; Temperatures; Timber; Trees; Turkeys; Weather; Wild animals; Wildcats; Wildlife; Yields

Subjects: Coal miners' spouses; Coal miners--Kentucky; Families.; Family farms.; Farm life--Appalachian Region; Farmers.; Farms, Small.; Occupations; Subsistence farming; Traditional farming--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So, were there movies?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about what they did for fun during his childhood, like hunt and go to dances.

Keywords: Dances; Entertainment; Hunting; Hunts; Kids; Teens

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Children; Country life; Families.; Kentucky--Social life and customs; Recreation; Rural children

Partial Transcript: Smoked in the coal mines is what caused me wearing those things.

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about a mine fire that damaged his hearing, and mine fires more generally. He also talks about explosions and how they might occur. Childers discusses the physical conditions of the mines like temperature. He talks about the death rates in mines today and how his family felt about him working in a mine.

Keywords: Alleghany Mine; Bartley (W. Va.); Bartley, West Virginia; Cables; Coal companies; Coal mine fires; Coal mines; Coal--Kentucky.; Deaths; Disabilities; Dust mines; Electric cables; Explosions; Fear; Fires; Gases; Glands; Hearing; Hearing aids; Hemphill (W. Va.); Hemphill, West Virginia; Lumbers; Machinery; Machines; Mine fires; Miners; Mines; Peabody Coal Company; Sealants; Shaft mines; Smoke; Smoked; Temperatures; West Virginia

Subjects: Coal mine accidents; Coal miners.; Coal mines and mining; Coal mines and mining--Safety measures.; Coal mines and mining--Safety regulations; Coal.; Families

Partial Transcript: What do you think about strip mining?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about what he knows of strip mines, but did not work in one himself. He also talks about the generations in his family and how life did not change much after World War Two.

Keywords: Bartley; Environmental costs; Environmental losses; Grandchildren; Grandparents; Houses; Housing; Jobs; Little Branch; Memories; Strip jobs; Strip mines; Strip mining; WW2; WWII; World War 2; World War II; World War Two

Subjects: Children; Coal miners.; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Coal.; Families; Land use, Rural.; Occupations; Subsistence farming; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: I went to work with the engineers.

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about working with engineers at Henry Clay Mine and the engineers themselves.

Keywords: Arthur Bradmen; Certifications; Certified engineers; Engineers; Henry Clay Mine; Maps; Officers; Rodman; Supervisors; Survey rodman; Survey rodmen; Transit men

Subjects: Coal miners--Kentucky; Coal mines and mining; Community development; Industrialization; Mining engineers; Occupations

Partial Transcript: Well, when--how long did the Henry Clay Mine, uh, stay open?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the closure of Henry Clay Mine because of a variety of reasons including a lack of new machines and the union. He also discusses the closure of more mines later on and the increased prevalence of strip mines.

Keywords: Belt lines; Coal loading; Costs; Deep mines; Deep mining; Hand loading; Machinery; Machines; Miners; Miners welfare cards; Mines; Modernization; Operations; Production; Strip jobs; Strip mines; Strip mining; UMWA; Unionizations; Unions; Wages; Workers

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Coal; Coal miners; Coal miners--Labor unions--Organizing; Coal mines; Coal mines and mining; Employment--Kentucky; Occupations; Salaries; United Mine Workers of America

Partial Transcript: So your home place up there in Adams' Branch, is it still there?

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the land his family used to own, including their home, which was sold. He discusses how the land was used for strip mining. Childers and his wife took over a store from his brother, Marvin.

Keywords: Acres; Adams' Branch; Brothers; Childhood; Fires; Home places; Homes; Houses; Housing; Marvin Childers; Properties; Sales; Siblings; Stores; Strip mines; Strip mining

Subjects: Coal miners.; Coal mines and mining; Communities.; Country life; Families.; Family histories.; Land use, Rural.; Rural children

Partial Transcript: Let me ask you this, Jim.

Segment Synopsis: Childers talks about the economic gap that started growing after the introduction of mining in the Marrowbone area. He also discusses which families benefited the most, especially the Caudills.

Keywords: Ben Ward; Book keepers; Bookkeepers; Elkhorn City (Ky.); Federal coal companies; Federal coal mines; Fortunes; Hellier (Ky.); Houses; Housing; Kurt Caudill; Marrowbone Creek (Ky.); Miners; Mines; Money; Radio stations; Radios; Restaurants; Taxes; WW2; WWII; Ward Coal Company; Wealth; World War II; World War Two

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Economic conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Coal leases; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Coal--Kentucky.; Communities.; Community development; Community organization.; Industries; Inheritance and succession.; Occupations.; Salaries; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Did you know the Pollys who built--you know the Elswick Store?

Segment Synopsis: Childers and Mrs. Childers talk about various important economic and social institutions in the area including the Elswick store, train depot, bank, and mines. They also talk about the decline of Hellier, Kentucky and other changes.

Keywords: Alleghany Mine; Banks; Blake Childers; Buy outs; Closings; Clubhouses; Coal camps; Doctors; Elkhorn (Ky.); Entrepreneurs; Grandchildren; Groceries; Hellier (Ky.); Henry Clay Mine; Houses; Housing; J.D. Wright; Jobs; Marriages; Miners; Mines; Pikeville National; Pikeville National Bank; Roy Loony; Sales; Store owners; Stores; Train depots; Trains; Virginia; Wells

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Economic conditions; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Communities.; Country life; Entrepreneurship; Occupations.

Partial Transcript: Well now, did you know, um, Paul Ratliff?

Segment Synopsis: Childers and Mrs. Childers talk about various members of the community and their histories. They also talk about the dangers of Elkhorn City. They discuss life during Prohibition in the area as well. Childers talks about his uncle who was a federal revenue officer during Prohibition from Pikeville, Kentucky and the criminal process for those caught.

Keywords: Alcohol consumption; Apple brandy; Deputies; Distillation; Divisions; Drinking; Dry cleaners; Dry cleaning; Dry cleaning stores; Dry counties; Elkhorn (Ky.); Elkhorn City (Ky.); Frankie Marino; G.C. Ratliff; Hellier (Ky.); Historians; Homebrews; Kelly Marino; Local historians; Mary Marino; Matt Sanders; Miners; Moonshine whiskeys; Moonshines; Murders; Nick Marino; Outlaws; Pikeville (Ky.); Potter flats; Prohibition; Public intoxication; Restaurants; Revenue officers; Shootings; Union supporters; Unionization; Violence; Wet counties; Worms; Writers

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Coal miners; Communities.; Community organization.; Country life; Neighborhoods; Prohibition--United States--History.; Prohibition--United States.; United States--Trials, litigation, etc.

Partial Transcript: Well, Jim, did you ever hear your dad or any of the, you know, old timers talk about the Civil War?

Segment Synopsis: Childers and the interviewer discuss stories heard from family members who lived through the Civil War. They also talk about the migration of their families to Pike County. They and Mrs. Childers talk about the land and livestock owned by past generations.

Keywords: Cattle; Confederacy; Crops; Harv Sanders; Histories; Livestock; Marrowbone Creek (Ky.); Memories; Moves; North Carolina; Pike County (Ky.); Recruitment; Recruits; Sheep; Soldiers; Stories

Subjects: Childhood; Children; Civil War campaigns; Civil War soldiers and strategies; Civil war--Protection of civilians.; Families; Family histories; Farm life.; Farmers.; Neighbors