Interview with Betty J. Ward, November 19, 1988

Partial Transcript: Um, tell me your whole name.

Segment Synopsis: Ward discusses how a couple of the women in her community worked for a wage. Ward says that most of them did housework for other people in town. Ward mentions that she worked in a store for a time. She also discusses how many women sold eggs and milk. Women also sold butter, which they churned themselves.

Keywords: Churning butter; Clerks; Farm production; Gender roles; Housekeeping; Livestock; Sewing; Women's labor; Women's work

Subjects: Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Families.; Family--history; Housing--Appalachian Region; Johnson County (Ky.); Sex role--Kentucky--Van Lear; Van Lear (Ky.); Women

Partial Transcript: Did, um, Van Lear look like a farming kind of town or a mining kind of town when you were a little girl?

Segment Synopsis: Ward talks about the farm work she did as a child. She was the oldest child and says that because of that she had to do the most work. This labor included raising corn, canning corn, making apple butter, making hominy, and making headcheese. Ward learned how to do this labor from her grandmother and mother who often worked and quilted together. Many women in the community quilted together.

Keywords: Apples; Canning; Childhood; Corn; Farm production; Farming; Gender roles; Head cheese; Headcheese; Quilting; Women's labor; Women's work

Subjects: Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Families.; Family--history; Housing--Appalachian Region; Johnson County (Ky.); Sex role--Kentucky--Van Lear; Traditional farming--Kentucky; Van Lear (Ky.); Women

Partial Transcript: When I was, uh, when I was--I was converted at thirteen and, uh--

Segment Synopsis: Ward says that she became a Christian at thirteen. She also talks about the churches in her community. She discusses where the black families lived, such as the Singletons and the Baxters, and how there were no black attendants at her church when she was young. Ward also talks about prejudice from white people toward black people within Van Lear, including her own mother's prejudiced feelings toward black people.

Keywords: Christianity; Churches; Missionary Baptist Church; Prejudice; Racism; Religions

Subjects: African American coal miners; African Americans--Appalachian Region; Coal miners; Families.; Family--history; Housing--Appalachian Region; Immigrants--Kentucky--Van Lear; Johnson County (Ky.); Methodist Church; Race relations--Appalachian Region; Van Lear (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Uh, you know, people in Van Lear was all the time moving from one house to another and if you could--

Segment Synopsis: Ward describes how common it was in Van Lear to move from house to house from year to year. She describes the sort of houses that were in Van Lear, the company houses, and the company houses that the black people who lived in Van Lear resided in. Ward says that the black people kept nice houses and were "civilized" unlike how they "do now" and unlike what she sees on "T.V. a lot now". Ward also discusses class and the school systems in Van Lear and in neighboring towns, such as Paintsville.

Keywords: Class differences; Class relations; Classism; Company houses; Education; Painting; Prejudice; Racism; School houses; Schoolhouses; Schools systems; Socioeconomic classes; Superintendents

Subjects: African American coal miners; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Families.; Family--history; Housing--Appalachian Region; Johnson County (Ky.); Race relations--Appalachian Region; Van Lear (Ky.)African Americans--Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: Um, how--did your mom and dad, uh, talk about politics much?

Segment Synopsis: Ward talks about her parents' attitudes about politics. Her dad talked about politics more than her mom, who rarely voted. Ward mentions that many members of her family were aligned with the Democratic Party. Ward also discusses how her mom spoke about the Consolidated Coal Company when workers were on strike. The strikes were for higher wages and better living facilities.

Keywords: Christianity; Churches; Democratic Party; Strikes; Worker's strikes; Worker's unions

Subjects: Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Consolidated Coal Company; Families.; Family--history; Housing--Appalachian Region; Johnson County (Ky.); Van Lear (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Yeah, see, I went to Number Five School.

Segment Synopsis: Ward describes the three-room schoolhouse she attended when she was young. B.P. Horn ran the school and his wife, Mrs. Horn, taught at this school. Ward also discusses community events and dances.

Keywords: Churches; Class differences; School houses; Schoolhouses; Socioeconomic classes; Teachers

Subjects: Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Education; Families.; Family--history; Housing--Appalachian Region; Johnson County (Ky.); Van Lear (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Tell me about that, that rough side of, of life in Van Lear. The drinking parties. Would women be at those parties or--

Segment Synopsis: Ward discusses the drinking parties she used to witness in Van Lear. Both men and women participated in these parties. Ward's parents participated in these parties and also hosted them. Ward talks at length about her negative feelings toward these drinking parties. She recalls hearing about, albeit not witnessing herself, a man being stabbed to death in a drunken fight at one of these parties.

Keywords: Alcohol; Alcoholism; Drinking; Gender roles; Moonshine; Parties; Violent crime

Subjects: Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Families.; Family--history; Housing--Appalachian Region; Johnson County (Ky.); Van Lear (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Like I said after I was saved, at the age of thirteen, my mother and daddy both were.

Segment Synopsis: Ward describes the revival she, her mother, her father, and her uncle Everett attended when she was thirteen at a Methodist Church. Ward says that this is when she and her mother, father, and uncle were 'saved'. She recalls that Portland Davis ran that particular revival and that there were one-hundred and eleven people in attendance. Ward also describes key individuals in her religious upbringing.

Keywords: "Saved"; Christianity; Churches; Conversion; Missionary Baptist Church; Religions; Religious conversion

Subjects: Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Families.; Family--history; Housing--Appalachian Region; Johnson County (Ky.); Methodist Church; Van Lear (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Did you, um, ever see any, uh, rough words between your mother and dad over the drinking?

Segment Synopsis: Ward mentions how her father, before he was 'saved', used to go out with friends drinking and not come home until the next day. Certain family members were displeased by this. Ward also mentions working during the summer when she was younger in order to pay for her own clothing, and also discusses how they would iron clothing and wash and boil sheets in lye to keep them white.

Keywords: Alcohol; Alcoholism; Chores; Drinking; Housekeeping; Ironing; Lye; Parties; Women's Work

Subjects: Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Families.; Family--history; Housing--Appalachian Region; Johnson County (Ky.); Van Lear (Ky.)