Interview with James Muir, August 13, 1992

Partial Transcript: Okay, this a Farm Family Oral History interview with Mr. James Muir.

Segment Synopsis: James Muir discusses his family history, specifically his parents and siblings. He also describes his early experience in farming.

Keywords: Bill Mowden; Callie Mowden; Childhood; Clarence Mowden; Corn; Death; Earl Gill; Emma George Muir; Farming; Fathers; Grain; Guthrie (Ky.); Hay; Home place; James Lacy Muir; Logan County (Ky.); Mamie Muir; Mattie Wilcox; Mothers; Pneumonia; Siblings; Sisters; Stateline Road; Tobacco; Wheat

Subjects: African American children; African American families; African American parents; African Americans--Employment; African Americans--Mortality; Family history; Farm produce; Rural African Americans

Partial Transcript: Could you tell me little bit about--um, now you had mentioned that you had got, gotten married.

Segment Synopsis: Muir discusses his wife and many children. He also describes how he came to own his farmland and the different crops he has raised.

Keywords: Acres; Barley; Buying land; Children; Crop rotation; Crops; Family life; Farmland; Father; Gregory Muir; Harvest; Helen Bryder (??); J. W. Murray; James Riley Muir; Land ownership; Landowners; Louisville (Ky.); Marriage; Michelle Muir; Oscar Mimms; Robert Earl Muir; Soybeans; Tobacco; Walt Lee Muir (??); Wheat; Wife; Willy Muir

Subjects: African American children; African American families; African American farmers; African American parents; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Economic conditions; African Americans--Employment; Farm produce; Rural African Americans

Partial Transcript: And when would you, when you would you, uh, harvest the soybean then?

Segment Synopsis: Muir discusses the different crops he raises on his land and when he plants each type of produce. He also describes the changes he has seen on his farm over the years.

Keywords: Acres; Banking; Citizen's National Bank; Combine harvester; Corn; Crops; Farm equipment; Farming; Finances; Help; Hiring work; Machinery; Mules; Plowing; Soybeans; Tenant farming; Tractors; Wheat

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Economic conditions; African Americans--Employment; Agricultural machinery; Farm produce

Partial Transcript: M'kay. what sorta things where you doing there?

Segment Synopsis: Muir describes his time working as a tenant farmer on the Moten family's land. He also discusses the accident he had on the farm that damaged his hand.

Keywords: Accidents; Acres; Allensville (Ky.); Coal; Corn pickers; Cows; Electricity; Employment; Farm accidents; Farmland; Hands; Heating; Hogs; Home place; House; Housing; Hurt; Land ownership; Landowners; Living conditions; Medical care; Milking cows; Moten family; Water; Wood; Work

Subjects: African American families; African American farmers; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Employment; African Americans--Health and hygiene; African Americans--Housing; Livestock; Rural African Americans

Partial Transcript: Did you end up getting, uh, milking equipment?

Segment Synopsis: Muir discusses his time owning livestock, particularly dairy cows and hogs. He also describes his farming techniques, especially the use of chemicals on his farm.

Keywords: Clarksville (Tenn.); Dairy cows; Farming; Farming equipment; Father; Fertilizers; Hogs; Milking cows; Pesticides; Selling hogs; Selling milk; Tractors

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Agriculture; Agricultural machinery; Livestock

Partial Transcript: Well when did y--why did you quit working for her then?

Segment Synopsis: Muir discusses the personal goals he had set for himself as a farmer. He also describes the local community and social activities.

Keywords: Allensville (Ky.); Children; Church attendance; Church membership; Churches; Fall; Farming; Goals; Help; Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church; Neighbors; Rural communities; Social gatherings; Spellman Chapel CME Church; Work; Young people

Subjects: African American Christians; African American farmers; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Religion; African Americans--Social life and customs; Rural African Americans

Partial Transcript: Do you think it's more difficult now to get into farming, or?

Segment Synopsis: Muir discusses the difficulties of beginning to farm, particularly because of how times have changed. He also describes his time as a tenant farmer on Earl Gill's land. He later shares some of his childhood memories.

Keywords: Baseball; Beans; Butter; Changes; Chickens; Childhood; Cows; Crops; Day labor; Difficulties; Earl Gill; Eggs; Farming; Fieldwork; Government policies; Government programs; Health; Help; Hiring help; Hogs; Housework; Marbles; Men; Milk; Raising crops; Sales; Tenant farming; Tobacco; Wages; Wheat; Women; Work; Young people

Subjects: African American families; African American farmers; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Employment; Farm produce; Livestock; Rural African Americans