Interview with Carl "Jake" Gallion, May 12, 2015

Partial Transcript: I'm gonna start.

Segment Synopsis: Gallion introduces himself and describes the Jenkins area. Gallion states that mining has been very detrimental to himself and his family, noting that his father and brother were both killed in mines. Gallion describes the nature of coal mining in Jenkins. Komara asks Gallion to talk a bit about his family. Gallion names his father and mother and states that there were twelve children in his family. Komara asks about Gallion's father and mother and what they did. Gallion states that his father was a miner his whole life until he got killed in the mines and his mother was a housewife since much of her time was spent taking care of twelve kids. Gallion explains that there wasn't much access to electricity and other utilities outside of the company-owned part of Jenkins. Komara asks Gallion to talk about some of his work in the mines. Gallion states that he had many jobs both in and outside of the mine as a coal dumper, timberman, beltman, gas checker, etc. Gallion describes the safety procedures in place at the mine, particularly about how to measure the amount of gas in the mines. Gallion mentions that there no explosions at the mine he worked at but there was one over at Pine Mountain, Kentucky. Gallion describes the management of a mine fire that occurred up at Joe's Branch in Jenkins. Komara asks Gallion which of his jobs was his favorite. Gallion states that he preferred working outside because you didn't get to get fresh air until you left the mine if you worked underground. Komara asks what it was like to work underground. Gallion explains that it wasn't that bad as long as you didn't let claustrophobia get to you. Gallion describes the mining gear that miners carried with them on the job. Gallion describes the benefits of being a member of the miner's union.

Keywords: Beltmen; Carl Lee "Jake" Gallion; Carl Lee Gallion; Coal dumpers; Consolidation Coal Company; Fairmont Machinery; Joe's Branch, Jenkins (Ky.); Mine fires; Miner's pay; Miner's pensions; Mining gear; Mining jobs; Mining pay; Mining safety procedures; Pine Mountain (Ky.); Safety procedures; Timbermen; Union mines; United Mine Workers; United Mine Workers of America (UMWA)

Subjects: Coal mine accidents; Coal miners; Coal miners--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal miners--Kentucky--Letcher County; Coal miners--Labor unions; Coal miners--Labor unions--Kentucky; Coal mines and mining; Coal mines and mining--Appalachian Region; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Letcher County; Jenkins (Ky.); Letcher County (Ky.); United Mine Workers of America.

Partial Transcript: Living here why--in those days, why when I came along in the early part of the--of time...

Segment Synopsis: Gallion discusses how his family lived by farming and how they preserved things before the arrival of ice boxes and refrigerators, including how to keep milk. He describes the things that his family had during the winter, explaining that they didn't often buy food from the grocery. Gallion states that the Gaskill grocery store was where you could get groceries by using scrip given by the company to miners. Komara asks how Gallion's family got milk. Gallion says that they raised cows and that a lot of people had livestock in the area. Komara asks Gallion if his family ever sold milk. Gallion answers that they did and explains the process they went through to sell milk. Komara asks if they sold to anyone outside of east Jenkins. Gallion explains it depended on how long you could keep the milk from going bad and talks about the bakery in town. Komara asks what Gallion's family bought at the Gaskill store. Gallion responds that it was just groceries there but recounts a clothing store nearby where you could catch a train out of town. Komara asks if people often used the passenger trains to go outside of Jenkins and what they usually used them for. Gallion replies that people often did use the trains to leave Jenkins but it could take you anywhere; he mentions the buses were heavily used in this way as well.

Keywords: Bakeries; Bus stops; Carl "Jake" Gallion; Carl Gallion; Carl Lee "Jake" Gallion; Carl Lee Gallion; Company stores; Consolidation Coal Company; Dairy farming; Dairy production; East Jenkins; Farming; Grocery stores; Joe's Branch, Jenkins (Ky.); Livestock farming; Passenger trains; Scrips; Subsistence farming

Subjects: Coal miners; Coal miners--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal miners--Kentucky--Letcher County; Coal mines and mining--Appalachian Region; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Letcher County; Company stores; Consolidation Coal Company; Dairy farming; Grocery shopping; Jenkins (Ky.); Letcher County (Ky.); Passenger trains; Subsistence farming.

Partial Transcript: What did you do in the service?

Segment Synopsis: Komara asks Gallion what he did in the service. Gallion replies that he was a machine gunner and a mortarman in the United States Infantry. He adds that he was in North Africa and Italy, having gotten wounded at Anzio on Memorial Day. Komara asks what it was like when Gallion got back from the service. Gallion says that it was very homely because people were glad to see him but there were no big celebrations or anything. Komara asks if Gallion noticed any changes when he came back from the service. Gallion responds that he didn't at first. His job was waiting on him when he came back from the war and his life resumed from where it left off. Komara asks if he noticed any changes in the town itself when he came back. Gallion says that he couldn't tell much of a difference in the town itself other than some people had been killed in the war and a monument had been put up. Gallion describes the process of readjusting to civilian life again. Gallion mentions that he never thought about getting drafted but it put a halt on his plans. Komara asks Gallion what it was like to travel to so many places. Gallion responds that it was nice, he didn't get to the pretty part of Italy but he really enjoyed France and Germany, noting how impressed he was with the Autobahn.

Keywords: 179th Infantry Regiment; 45th Infantry Division; Autobahn; Carl "Jake" Gallion; Carl Gallion; Carl Lee "Jake" Gallion; Carl Lee Gallion; Consolidation Coal Company; East Jenkins; France; Germany; Italy; Machine gunners; Mortarmen; North Africa; Readjusting to civilian life; U.S. infantry; United States infantry; WWII; World War II

Subjects: Coal miners; Coal miners--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Jenkins; Grocery shopping; Jenkins (Ky.); Letcher County (Ky.); Veterans.; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Can I go back and ask you some more questions about the company stores?

Segment Synopsis: Komara asks Gallion what his family bought when they went to the Gaskill grocery store. Gallion replies that they often bought flour, sugar, and lunch meat. Gallion explains that his family mostly raised what they needed to eat but they did buy feed for their cattle. He mentions using scrip cards to purchase groceries at the store since it was owned by the mining company and explains how you used the cards. Gallion describes the brands of products that he can recall buying from the store. Komara asks if Gallion's family ever bought canned food. Gallion replies that they didn't normally because his mother canned the produce that they had at their farm. Komara asks about soda pop and if he had much. Gallion describes the different flavors you could get, but says they didn't keep much of it since it was a luxury. Gallion talks about his father bringing cases of soda pop on the fourth of July for him and his siblings. Gallion describes the meat market in Jenkins and what you could get from it.

Keywords: Carl "Jake" Gallion; Carl Gallion; Carl Lee "Jake" Gallion; Carl Lee Gallion; Company stores; Consolidation Coal Company; Food brands; Groceries; Grocery stores; Scrip; Scrip cards; Store supplies

Subjects: Coal miners; Coal miners--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal miners--Kentucky--Letcher County; Coal mines and mining--Appalachian Region; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Letcher County; Company stores; Consolidation Coal Company; Grocery shopping; Jenkins (Ky.); Letcher County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: So, in East Jenkins, the company didn't pick up the trash here did they?

Segment Synopsis: Komara asks Gallion if the company picked up trash in East Jenkins. Gallion replies that they didn't because they didn't own anything in East Jenkins, it was independent from the company. Gallion explains that the town police were allowed into the company controlled part of Jenkins to help keep order. Komara asks Gallion to tell her about drinking in Jenkins back in the day. Gallion responds that Jenkins was dry in the company-controlled part, but East Jenkins was full of dance halls and liquor stores. Gallion explains that the police picked people up in their "paddy wagons" when they became too unruly from drinking. Komara asks if women drank alcohol. Gallion responds that they did, mostly beer. Komara asks if there were more drinkers in east Jenkins than in the company part. Gallion replies that it was probably equal, the miners in the company part of Jenkins often headed over to east Jenkins as soon as their work was done. Komara asks what the company's attitude towards drinking was. Gallion explains that the company kept order with the help of police and people would sometimes get put in jail in Jenkins for drinking. Komara asks if the company did anything to try to discourage drinking. Gallion responds that they couldn't do anything about the drinking that went on outside of their part of Jenkins, but they did eventually get the sale of alcohol in Jenkins voted out of the county. Komara asks Gallion if people drank raw milk and if the company was worried about it. Gallion replies that people did drink unpasteurized milk and the company wasn't worried about it because they didn't know who Louis Pasteur was. He adds that it doesn't mean that people didn't keep the milk clean and discusses how his mother made butter. Komara asks why Gallion's family decided to live in east Jenkins since his father was a company man. Gallion explains that the family got too big and his father couldn't feed his family on a miner's salary so he moved to East Jenkins so that he could farm and raise cattle. Komara asks what kinds of meals Gallion ate on a daily basis. Gallion replies that he could rely upon potatoes, gravy, oatmeal, jelly, and some kind of piece of meat every morning. For supper time, if salad was in season, you could bet on salad and, other than that, they often had chicken dumplings, cornbread, beans, and soup. Gallion notes that his family always had plenty to eat. Komara asks what a special occasion or holiday meal would consist of. Gallion replies that his mother was a baker and often made gingerbread, ham, pies, and many other fine meals. Komara asks Gallion if he remembers the company holding competitions for gardens. Gallion responds that he doesn't remember any competitions with the company, but there were plenty of beauty contests that went on.

Keywords: Alcohol consumption; Alcoholic drinking; Beauty contests; Butter churning; Butter making; Carl "Jake" Gallion; Carl Gallion; Carl Lee "Jake" Gallion; Carl Lee Gallion; Coal miners; Company patrols; Consolidation Coal; Consolidation Coal Company; Cooking; Dairy production; Dance halls; Drinking; Dry counties; East Jenkins; Farming; Holiday meals; Homemade meals; John Abbott; John Herbert Abbott; Judge Abbott; Judge John Abbott; Liquor stores; Livestock farming; Meals; Miner's strawberries; Miners; Paddy wagons; Paddywagons; Police; Police cars; Police vehicles; Raw milk; Raw milk consumption; Rocky Holler; Rocky Holler, Jenkins (Ky.); Town police; Union mines; United Mine Workers; United Mine Workers of America; Unpasteurized milk; Unpasteurized milk consumption

Subjects: Alcohol.; Coal miners; Coal miners--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal miners--Kentucky--Letcher County; Coal mines and mining--Appalachian Region; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Letcher County; Community policing; Consolidation Coal Company; Cooking, American.; Dance halls; Jenkins (Ky.); Letcher County (Ky.); Livestock farms; Milk consumption; United Mine Workers of America.

Partial Transcript: What was it like being a kid here? What was it like growing up in Jenkins?

Segment Synopsis: Komara asks Gallion what it was like to grow up in Jenkins. Gallion answers by describing what games kids would play during his childhood and how there was only horse-drawn transportation and unpaved roads. Komara asks what kinds of chores Gallion had to do as a child. Gallion responds that there was a lot of work to do, particularly in the summer. He explains that you would work in the fields during the day, milk the cows and feed the livestock during the evening, and then you would bring coal and firewood into the house. Komara asks Gallion what sorts of chores his sisters did. Gallion states that his sisters mostly had to do washing and ironing. Gallion describes the process and what materials his mother used to wash clothing, noting that it was a lot of work considering how many children in the family there were. Komara asks if girls and boys usually played together. Gallion replies that they played together some, but doesn't give any specific examples. Komara asks Gallion if he remembers any African American families in East Jenkins. Gallion answers that he remembers working with and for black people in the community. He describes several individuals he knew of in Jenkins, but notes that there aren't many black families left in Jenkins in the modern day. Gallion recalls that there was no discrimination in the miner's union against anyone based on color or nationality. He describes traveling with black miners from the union who took grievances to court. Komara asks what relationships were like between African Americans and white people in Jenkins. Gallion reaffirms that there weren't any problems between African Americans and whites in Jenkins, stating that black miners shared the same bathhouse with white miners. Komara asks if it seemed like African American women and white women had as much contact as the miners did with one another. Gallion responds that he doesn't really know about that. Gallion states that everyone in the union met once a month, black and white, to discuss cases and business. Gallion reaffirms that he doesn't recall any problems between black and white workers in any mines he worked in or the union, adding that their contracts specifically stated anti-discrimination. Gallion recalls the integration of schools taking place in 1964 or 1965. Komara asks Gallion what he remembers about the integration of schools in Jenkins. Gallion doesn't recall any falling outs when the schools were integrated and asks his daughter if she recalls any. Gallion's daughter Carla Branham states that there weren't any she can recall and the students just had to get along. She remembers some bullying, but there wasn't much based on race for the most part.

Keywords: African American Appalachians; African American coal miners; African Americans; Anti-discrimination policies; Bathhouse integration; Black Appalachians; Black coal miners; Carl "Jake" Gallion; Carl Gallion; Carl Lee "Jake" Gallion; Carl Lee Gallion; Childhood; Chores; Clothing; Coal miners; Consolidation Coal Company; Domestic chores; Farm work; Female chores; Household chores; Laundry; Male chores; Miner's unions; School integration; Union mines; Unions; United Mine Workers; United Mine Workers of America (UMWA); Workplace integration

Subjects: African American coal miners; African American families; African Americans--Appalachian Region; African Americans--Employment--Kentucky; Coal miners; Coal miners--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal miners--Kentucky--Letcher County; Coal miners--Labor unions; Coal miners--Labor unions--Kentucky; Coal mines and mining--Appalachian Region; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Letcher County; Consolidation Coal Company; Jenkins (Ky.); Letcher County (Ky.); United Mine Workers of America.

Partial Transcript: Tell me, tell me a little bit about your wife. How'd you meet your wife?

Segment Synopsis: Komara asks Gallion how he met his wife. Gallion states that he met her at school in the 7th grade after her family got back from Mexico. He explains that her mother had been in bad health and so the family had stayed in Mexico for a while on doctor's advice. Komara asks what kind of work Gallion's wife did. Gallion answers by saying that she raised the family and worked a little at the hospital for a while as a nurse's aide. Komara asks where Gallion's family lived and he answers that they lived and raised the family in the Camden area of Jenkins, Kentucky. Komara asks if Gallion did all the same things in Camden, such as gardening and raising animals. Gallion states that he and his father-in-law gardened together a lot and describes some of what they would grow. Komara asks Gallion if he remembers anything about the company's garbage disposal program. Gallion recalls that the company would pick up garbage for free, most of it being the ashes from stoves and such. Gallion describes how the company used to pay for water and electricity bills as well. Komara asks where the company took the garbage it collected in town. Gallion recalls a garbage dump at Potter's Fork below Tony's Camp and how the company collected sewage waste and put it somewhere. Gallion states that young boys often went to around the garbage dump to collect rats, cockroaches, and flies as a sort of currency to get into the movies. He explains that it took five rats, fifty cockroaches, or one hundred flies to get into the movies for free. Gallion's daughter asks where Tony's Camp was and works out with Gallion where it is now. Komara asks for specifics about where Potter's Fork is and Gallion and his daughter give her directions. Komara asks what people did with their garbage in East Jenkins since the company didn't take garbage in that area. Gallion responds that he's not really sure what they did but that they were responsible for the disposal themselves. Komara asks what Gallion's family did with their garbage. Gallion replies that they weren't too careful with the garbage and dumped it somewhere on the property. Gallion notes that those were tough times and talks about the lack of light in farmhouses, adding that you went to bed with the chickens and woke up with the roosters. Gallion describes how his mother always found something for him and his siblings to do around the farm.

Keywords: Burdine School; Burdine School, Jenkins; Burdine School, Jenkins (Ky.); Camden, Jenkins (Ky.); Carl "Jake" Gallion; Carl Gallion; Carl Lee "Jake" Gallion; Carl Lee Gallion; Coal miner's spouses; Company garbage disposal; Consolidation Coal Company; Family; Farmhouse life; Garbage disposal; Garbage dumps; Sewage disposal

Subjects: Coal miners; Coal miners' spouses; Coal miners--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal miners--Kentucky--Letcher County; Coal miners--Labor unions; Coal miners--Labor unions--Kentucky; Coal mines and mining--Appalachian Region; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Letcher County; Consolidation Coal Company; Jenkins (Ky.); Letcher County (Ky.); Public utilities.; United Mine Workers of America.

Partial Transcript: What are some of your favorite memories of, of Jenkins back in the day?

Segment Synopsis: Komara asks Gallion what some of his favorite memories of Jenkins are. Gallion replies that some of his favorite memories consist of townsfolk gathering around the radio to listen to the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday nights. Komara asks Gallion about some of the biggest changes he has seen in Jenkins in his lifetime. Gallion answers that Jenkins has gone down and there's no life to it now because people only run around shopping and stuff. Gallion describes how the mining town used to be pretty and full of life. Gallion states that the departure of the mining company and the union from Jenkins brought it to its current state. Komara asks Gallion how people felt about the Consolidation Coal Company as a whole. Gallion says that people regarded the company as one of the best you could work for. He particularly admires the importance they placed on safety regulations and the maintaining of equipment. Komara asks if there were any disputes over unionization. Gallion says that he can't say there weren't disputes because there were strikes and the like, but that that is something that comes with unions. Komara asks Gallion if any of the strikes stuck in his memory. Gallion states that none of them stuck with him much, he just lived through them and waited for them to pass. Komara asks what the strikes were about. Gallion explains that a lot of times there were some miners who just didn't want to work sometimes and would claim that the union higher ups had ordered the strike when they really didn't. He says that there were times when you left work without a legitimate reason, but the legitimate stuff sometimes took time over people cursing each other out and things. Gallion states that the only protection you have as an individual is a good union. Gallion describes the importance of unions in preventing the mistreatment of workers.

Keywords: Carl "Jake" Gallion; Carl Gallion; Carl Lee "Jake" Gallion; Carl Lee Gallion; Coal miners; Consolidation Coal Company; Memories; Miner's unions; Mining towns; Radios; Unions; United Mine Workers of America (UMWA)

Subjects: Coal miners; Coal miners--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal miners--Kentucky--Letcher County; Coal miners--Labor unions; Coal miners--Labor unions--Kentucky; Coal mines and mining--Appalachian Region; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Letcher County; Consolidation Coal Company; Jenkins (Ky.); Letcher County (Ky.); United Mine Workers of America.

Partial Transcript: What do you, what do you think the future of Jenkins is gonna be like?

Segment Synopsis: Komara asks Gallion what he thinks the future of Jenkins is going to be like. Gallion says that he wishes he knew but it's a bad sign that no new industries are coming in. Gallion discusses how there is barely anything in town to maintain your house with. Komara asks Gallion what he would hope the future of Jenkins would be like. Gallion answers that he would like to see the mining industry come back and give local people jobs. Gallion states that Jenkins is currently just a place to get old and die in. Komara asks Gallion if he ever had much contact with people who live in the Lakeside district. Gallion replies that he used to but he doesn't get out as much now. He lists some individuals he knew from the area. Komara asks if Gallion ever went to Lakeside when he was younger to play or anything. Gallion responds that he didn't go there much but sometimes went to play basketball, but thinks that Lakeside was a bit outside of his class. Komara asks if Lakeside is still considered to be higher class today. Gallion answers that he supposes it is and describes how Lakesiders were regarded as being a bit snobbish. Komara asks if Gallion remembers if people from Lakeside came to East Jenkins to shop at the stores. Gallion says he doesn't but he remembers them coming down to go to the bars. Komara asks if Gallion can think of any stories he hasn't told her that he thinks she might want to know. Gallion replies that he could sit and tell her stories, but nothing that would really interest her. Komara notes that it sounds like Gallion has had a good life in Jenkins. Gallion agrees that he has and is thankful for how long he's lived. Gallion says he's blessed to have come back from war, had a stable job, got married, and raised four kids and now he has grandchildren. Komara asks Gallion to talk about a drawing of a helmet on his wall. Gallion explains it was a drawing commissioned by his daughter of his mining cap. This gets him to talking about gas detectors on the mining hats and gas explosions in the mines. Komara asks Gallion's daughter if there are any stories she thinks that Gallion has that she should know about. Gallion's daughter asks if Gallion told Komara about the square dances in Jenkins. Gallion says that he and his wife used to go square dancing a lot towards Pikeville, Kentucky and square dancing was a big entertainment pastime for the area. Komara asks Gallion if he plays any musical instruments. Gallion replies that he occasionally does but not much, and his daughter notes he'll wake up and sing sometimes. Gallion recounts a story about him playing an instrument and singing when a neighbor he didn't know showed up and talked to him. Komara asks how Gallion learned how to play. Gallion states that it was his brothers that taught him how to play. Komara asks Gallion how his brothers learned how to play. Gallion replies that they just sort of picked it up on their own. Komara asks if Gallion has a lot of pictures of his family. Gallion replies that he does under his bed but he wouldn't want to dig all of them out. Komara asks if he has any pictures of his old house. Gallion answers that it doesn't exist anymore and he doesn't have a picture of the house. Komara asks if there were a lot of houses around that weren't built by the company. Gallion replies that there were and describes some of them.

Keywords: Carl "Jake" Gallion; Carl Gallion; Carl Lee "Jake" Gallion; Carl Lee Gallion; Coal miners; Family; Family photos; Family pictures; Future outlook; Gas detection; Lakeside, Jenkins (Ky.); Mining towns; Music; Outlook upon the future; Pictures; Social class; Square dancing; Unemployment

Subjects: Coal miners; Coal miners--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal miners--Kentucky--Letcher County; Coal mines and mining--Appalachian Region; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Jenkins; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Letcher County; Jenkins (Ky.); Letcher County (Ky.); Social classes.; Square dancing; Unemployment.