Interview with Opal McGuffey Heth, November 12, 1991

Partial Transcript: This is an interview with Opal McGuffey Heth, conducted on November 12, 1991, at Mrs. Heth's house at Stearns, Kentucky, by Kim McBride.

Segment Synopsis: Opal talks about what brought her family to Barthell, and the names of her family members.

Keywords: (coal) mining; Family History

Subjects: Coal mines and mining; Families.; McCreary County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: So he came down here, I guess he was, uh, he hadn't gone away to school yet.

Segment Synopsis: Opal names all her family members and states how old they are. She describes their early life in Barthell.

Keywords: Family History; Houses; area schools; living conditions

Subjects: Brothers and sisters.; Coal miners; Company towns; Education.; Families.; McCreary County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: When Mr. Reynolds retired or quit, then your father took over mine number 2?

Segment Synopsis: Opal talks about mining in the camp. Opal also describes the layout of her home.

Keywords: Barthell Coal Mining, Stearns; Coal Mining; Family home; Mine 18; Springs; Water; changes in mining; childhood home

Subjects: Coal miners; Coal mines and mining.; Company town architecture; Company towns; Dwellings.; McCreary County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Uh-huh. Who lived there?

Segment Synopsis: In this segment Opal describes the landscape and other families and homes of Barthell. She talks about getting food in Barthell.

Keywords: Barthell (Ky.); Buildings; Changes; Childhood; Families; Food; Gardens; Houses; Landscape; Locations; Neighbors; Peddlers

Subjects: Coal miners; Coal mines and mining.; Company stores; Company town architecture; Company towns; Dwellings.; McCreary County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Did she send you kids to the store frequently to get things?

Segment Synopsis: In this segment Opal describes some of her family traditions and customs growing up. She also talks about her educational background.

Keywords: Childhood; Cooking; Country stores; Eating habits; Education; Family traditions; Schooling

Subjects: Company stores; Company towns; Families.; McCreary County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: You told me you taught at Barthell for one year, in 1931.

Segment Synopsis: In this segment Opal describes her teaching years. She talks about how large her classes were and about boys dropping out to work in the mines.

Keywords: 1946; 1948; Deaths; Education; Educators; Family; Parents; Recess; Teachers; Teaching school; Youth

Subjects: Coal miners; Company towns; McCreary County (Ky.); Teachers.

Partial Transcript: Who lived in your all's old house, after the McGuffey family had left there?

Segment Synopsis: Opal talks about her family leaving Barthell and about the death of her parents and brother. Talks about her siblings, her brothers playing sports, and going to school in Barthell.

Keywords: Ball; Baseball; Basketball; Deaths; Fidelity (Ky.); Furniture; Games; Moving; School; Siblings; Sports

Subjects: Brothers and sisters.; Coal miners; Dwellings.; Families.; Fathers.; McCreary County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: I'm sorry, I interrupted you. I'm going to get out some pictures and show you. And there's--the school shows in a few of them.

Segment Synopsis: In this segment the interviewer shows Opal pictures of Barthell and Opal locates places she remembers.

Keywords: Buildings; Homes; Houses; Housing; Landmarks; Locations; Memories; Towns

Subjects: Company town architecture; Company towns; Dwellings.; McCreary County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: There used to be a washer down here. It'd take all day to wash clothes.

Segment Synopsis: In this segment Opal talks about washing clothes in Barthell and how people in Barthell got their clothing. She continues discussing photographs with the interviewer.

Keywords: Attire; Clothing; Dresses; Laundry; Montgomery Ward; Seamstresses; Shopping; Way of life

Subjects: Appalachian Region, Southern--Social life and customs.; Clothing and dress.; Company stores; Company towns; McCreary County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: That's the cliffs, so this is--is this your all's house?

Segment Synopsis: In this segment Opal describes the location of homes of some of her friends in Barthell.

Keywords: Childhood home; Community; Company store; Family life; Pump; Social conditions; Water source

Subjects: Company town architecture; Company towns; Dwellings.; McCreary County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Did many of your, um, siblings stay around--when they got to be an adult age did they stay around Barthell?

Segment Synopsis: Opal talks about her sisters marrying and leaving Barthell and playing the piano. She continues to identify structures in the interviewer's photos.

Keywords: 1920; Beatrice McGuffey; Marriage; Organs; Pianos; Sisters

Subjects: Brothers and sisters.; Company town architecture; Company towns; Dwellings.; Families.; McCreary County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Yeah, it's just, it looks like, you're right, it looks like, um, looks like--are those windows on the side?

Segment Synopsis: In this segment Opal talks about the building the school was housed in and describes school days in Barthell.

Keywords: Coal camp schools; Education; One room schools; Schools

Subjects: Company town architecture; Company towns; McCreary County (Ky.); Rural schools; School buildings

Partial Transcript: So you all had a piano at your house, did you?

Segment Synopsis: Opal talks about her sisters playing the piano and not being allowed to go to dances. Talks about other activities in the community and traveling to other coal towns.

Keywords: Clothing; Co-operative (Ky.); Dances; Music; Piano; Pie suppers; Sewing; Shopping; Stearns (Ky.)

Subjects: Appalachian Region, Southern--Social life and customs.; Company stores; Company towns; McCreary County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Do you remember much about the strikes or anything like that, that went on?

Segment Synopsis: Opal talks about her father's life being in danger because he did not belong to the union.The interviewer asks some questions about cave shelters and Indian villages. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Danger; Fathers; Guards; Support; Union members

Subjects: Children of coal miners; Coal miners; Company towns; Labor unions.; McCreary County (Ky.)