Interview with Clara E. Robinson, June 15, 1988

Partial Transcript: Could you tell me your whole name?

Segment Synopsis: Robinson talks about growing up in the mining camp. She talks about her husband's job. She discusses wages, prices, and social class in the camp.

Keywords: Auxier (Ky.); Children; Clothes; Community; Company doctors; Company houses; Company stores; Fathers; Husbands; Marriage; Mine officials; Miners; Mothers; Parents; Rent; Salaries; Unions

Subjects: Appalachian Region; Appalachians (People)--Kentucky--Social conditions; Coal miners--Labor unions--Kentucky; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Auxier; Country life; Mining camps.

Partial Transcript: How far did you go in school?

Segment Synopsis: Robinson talks about why she didn't go on to high school. She talks about the different jobs that women had in the mining camp. She talks about the houses, and buying things at the company store. She talks about some of the fights that happened sometimes.

Keywords: Clothes; Coal company; High school; Houses; Salaries; Schools; Sisters; Teachers; Tipples; Wages; Working women

Subjects: Appalachian Region; Appalachians (People)--Kentucky--Social conditions; Coal mines and mining; Education--Kentucky; Women--Employment.

Partial Transcript: What did you do all day, say, uh, say you get up at eight o'clock after he's worked the night shift, what would you, how, how would you spend your day?

Segment Synopsis: Robinson talks about babysitting and raising her niece. She talks about playing in the river and around the countryside. She talks about Christmases and sharing with less fortunate families.

Keywords: Babysitting; Children; Christmas; Divorce; Lunch; Nieces; Sharing; Sisters; Swimming; Walking; Working

Subjects: Appalachian Region; Appalachians (People)--Kentucky--Social conditions; Country life; Families.

Partial Transcript: Were there old people living in Auxier, uh, when you were growing up here?

Segment Synopsis: Robinson talks about the elderly people who lived in Auxier. She talks about keeping the house clean, doing laundry, and bathing.

Keywords: Bathing; Cleaning; Coal dust; Elderly people; Miner lamps; Retirement; Tipples; Washing clothes

Subjects: Appalachian Region; Appalachians (People)--Kentucky--Social conditions; Country life

Partial Transcript: Did you all have any, uh, anybody come into town checking for eyes or doing medical check ups in any way?

Segment Synopsis: Robinson talks about the food that they had and talks about killing chickens. She talks about the relatives of the people who lived in Auxier and how some of them had better jobs and some would have nicer clothes. She talks about her parents' friends. She tells the interviewer about her sister's heart problem and how her family was afraid that she would die from her sickness.

Keywords: Charity; Chickens; Clothing; Education; Fathers; Food; Guests; Heart problems; Meat; Mothers; Outsiders; Parents; Poverty; Quilting; Sickness; Sisters; Visiting; Wages

Subjects: Appalachian Region; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Appalachians (People)--Kentucky--Social conditions; Country life; Mining camps.

Partial Transcript: What do you remember about your cousins?

Segment Synopsis: Robinson talks about playing in the snow in the winter time. She discusses her parents' relationship and her own relationship with her husband. She talks about going to church with her family and talks about her father and husband's work. She talks about the foreigners that lived in the coal mining camp and worked in the mines. She talks about the African Americans in the area.

Keywords: African Americans; Boys; Church; Cousins; Fathers; Foreigners; Girls; Hobos; Holidays; Hours; Ice skating; Marines; Marriage; Military; Navy; Parents; Playing; Railroads; Rivers; Service; Spring; Sunday school; Teaching; Tipples; Trains; Wages; Winter; Working

Subjects: Appalachian Region; Appalachians (People)--Kentucky--Social conditions; Country life; Married life