Interview with John H. Preston, July 25, 1991

Partial Transcript: This is John Preston being interviewed by Zack Lewton on July 25th, 1991.

Segment Synopsis: Preston talks about his education, fighting in World War II, and teaching. He talks about growing up on a farm.

Keywords: Children; College; Farming; Fathers; Growing up; High school; Industrial arts; Jobs; Mothers; Parents; Sedaline; Siblings; Teaching; WW2; WWII; Welding; Working; World War 2; World War II; World War Two

Subjects: Education, Higher; Engineering--Study and teaching; Families.

Partial Transcript: Now if there's any questions you wanna ask, well po, pop 'em to me, it don't matter.

Segment Synopsis: Preston talks about growing up without much money. He talks about the work he did to make money. He also talks about his brother's work and education. He talks about his opinion on government assistance.

Keywords: Attitudes; Brothers; Coal mines; Education; Family; Government; Grades; Growing up; Handouts; Martin County (Ky.); Master's degree; Money; Mothers; Motto; Mountains; Self sufficiency; Siblings; Working

Subjects: Country life; Family farms

Partial Transcript: Tell me some more about your mother. Just anything you can remember about her.

Segment Synopsis: Preston talks about how his mother raised him. He talks about what he remembers about his father and how he died.

Keywords: Childhood; Chores; Churches; Clothes; Community; Death; Discipline; Education; Father; High school; Medicine; Money; Mothers; National Youth Association (NYA); Parents; Projects; Raising children; Sickness; Working

Subjects: Discipline of children; Families.

Partial Transcript: I've lived through a part of history.

Segment Synopsis: Preston talks about his therapy at the respiratory clinic. He also talks about driving. He talks about what his sister does, and talks about his brother serving in World War II.

Keywords: Brothers; Cars; Clinic; Driving; Exercise; Family; Health; Marriage; Safe driving; Siblings; Sisters; WW2; WWII; World War Two

Subjects: Automobile driving; Families.; Health facilities--Kentucky--Lexington

Partial Transcript: Before I forget, tell me a little bit about the house you grew up in.

Segment Synopsis: Preston talks about building houses. He talks about living without electricity. He talks about the chores that they had to do, and about preserving food.

Keywords: Apples; Building; Chores; Cooking; Family; Gardening; Growing up; Homework; House; Log houses; Oil lamps; Poplar; Potatoes; Sawmill; Sugar cane; Timber; Trees; Working

Subjects: Building.; Canning and preserving; Food--Preservation; Housing

Partial Transcript: Well tell me about--how did you meet your wife?

Segment Synopsis: Preston talks about moving to Letcher County after getting married. He talks about his son's work and education. He also talks about building their house and his wife's work and education.

Keywords: Building; Children; Coal mines; Education; Engineering; Family; Gardening; Heating; Houses; Industrial work; Inheriting land; Marriage; Math; Money; Sedaline; Sons; Timber; Wife; Woodwork

Subjects: Carpentry.; Families.; House construction.; Letcher County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Tell me about when you were first starting out and you had a garden, what kind of livestock did you have or anything?

Segment Synopsis: Preston talks about growing a garden and raising livestock. He talks about selling eggs.

Keywords: Chickens; Cows; Gardening; High school; Hogs; Livestock; Produce; Selling; Teaching; Wife

Subjects: Agriculture--Kentucky; Eggs--Production

Partial Transcript: Well now tell me about your son. What about--did he help you out with that sort of thing, or?

Segment Synopsis: Preston talks about his son's education and where he has worked.

Keywords: Attitudes; Coal; Family; Raising children; Schools; Sons; Woodworking; Working

Subjects: Education, Higher--Kentucky; Families.

Partial Transcript: Well tell me about church, now. You, you said that you were always in Sunday school, tell me about--did you--

Segment Synopsis: Preston talks about attending the Primitive Baptist Church. He talks about his son attending an Old Regular Baptist church. He talks about all the different churches that he has been to. He talks about how he thinks that the mountain boys have more potential than people think, and they would be able to excel if the educational standards were raised and if funding were increased.

Keywords: Educational funding; Mothers; Old Regular Baptist Church; Primitive Baptist Church; School funding

Subjects: Churches--Kentucky; Education--Kentucky; Kentucky--Religion