Dakota Green

Dakota Green, Unemployed; Cowan, Kentucky: 

“I live up on Cowan. I’m eighteen. Right now, I’m trying to get a job up at Pine Mountain Lumber. I have a four-month-old baby. Her name is Chloe, and right now I’m just trying to find work around here to support her. I just recently resigned from McDonald’s ‘cause it didn’t pay too much. 

Growing up, I lived up on Buck Creek. It’s a little, small holler over in Colson. I used to go up in the mountain, go berry picking with my papaw. Just normal, everyday stuff --- hunting, fishing, four-wheeler riding. 

I was with my friends one time and we were just hanging out. It came a real bad snow that night. They told me to go to one of their buddy’s house, and get something for them. My buddy, Donny, and me we hopped in my truck, and it’s a two-wheel drive, and it don’t really go good in the snow. It was when I was a little bit dumber. But we went up there, and I pulled in his driveway. I let him out. When he got back, I was going to back up in his driveway, and next thing I know, my truck started sliding. I was cliff hanging on two tires, just about went over the mountain. I told my buddies, ‘You’re going to have to come up here, and get me out.’ We stayed up there for about an hour, trying to get my truck to go somewhere. Well, finally, we ran across somebody, and they helped push it. They had to put their legs against the tree, just to push it out. That was a time right there.

I’ve lived here all my life. I just enjoyed my time being in here in the mountains. A lot of people say there ain’t much to do around here, but if you know the right people, you’ll find that there’s a lot of stories up in these mountains. It’ll shock you. It’ll surprise you. 

The way I see it, there ain’t nothing like family around here, especially in a small town like Whitesburg. I mean that’s all family to me. That’s all I’ve ever had growing up was family and friends.

I play guitar. I’ve done it, since I was seven years old. My daddy played in a band. He lives in Georgia. I was born there, but I was raised here all my life. He was in a singing group, him and my mom, at our old church. They picked and sang, and I’d always have a little guitar and I’d pick and play with ‘em. I never really could play. Finally, he taught me how to play, taught me what frets are, and taught me exactly how to do it right. 

Now, I’m trying to get a little band going. [I play] mostly Bluegrass. It’s just soothing. I like sitting out on the porch, [and] listening to Bluegrass really calms me. It’s just something I’ve always been interested in. Bluegrass and Gospel. My grandparents never really played music. It’s always just been my dad and my mom, but I’ve had inspirations over the years. I used to be into a lot of rock bands. AC/DC was one of my all time favorites. Angus Young, he’s another one of my inspirations, other than my dad, that inspired me to play guitar. 

(Passed down traditions) Just learning things over the years, like things that my dad taught me, and things that my papaw taught me, like how to spot danger when you see it, and how to fix things. All my life I’ve been working on things. Working on vehicles, houses, repairing things here and there.
(In response to hillbilly question.) Yeah. In my opinion, I just think it’s someone who really loves these mountains. Someone who lives up in here, and wants to be here, and die here. Someone who don’t really enjoy the city. Someone who just loves being here. It’s peaceful, and it’s quiet, and it’s not really a lot of trouble. 

The hardest time that I’ve ever had was when I moved back to Georgia. It was my fifth grade year. I just completed it, [and] was about to be in the sixth grade. We moved back to Georgia, my mom, and me and we moved in with my dad. That right there was probably one of the roughest times I’ve had, because he didn’t have a job. 

Well, actually he had a job. He just didn’t really work much. We didn’t have much. We struggled. It was hot, and we were real poor. We lived in a trailer park, and we had to walk down to my aunt’s house to take a shower, and that was about a mile up the road. By the time we got back home, we were already dirty and sweaty. It was rough, but we somehow made it. 

The greatest time in my life was when I met the right girl. Started hanging with the right crowd. Started going to church. I just changed my life. I accepted Jesus Christ in my heart. It was just happy for me, because it just made my life so much better.

Right now, there’s not really many jobs. The coal mines is going out of business, and many people are getting laid off, and a lot of families are losing their homes, and they’re having to move to different parts of the U.S., trying to find jobs. Just moving everywhere. 

They’re leaving. They’re leaving the place that they called home, and the places that they’ve grown up in, ran around all their lives, and they love. And, you know, they have to leave it. It ain’t their fault. It’s just real, real hard to find a job around here, but somehow you’ve just got to learn how to survive, I guess.

I’ve been to Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and I’ve noticed that, that place is a lot like Whitesburg. Its just got way more stuff, and honestly, I believe that if we can put the same attractions that that’s got in it, then a lot of people will want to come here, and there will be a lot of places to have good jobs, and the city will make more money. I think that’s what we need. Attractions, and just things like that. Get tourism in. 

Like I said before, there’s a lot of stories up in these mountains that you can find. And if there’s a way to make it to where more tourists can come check it out, I think a lot of people would be interested in it. You know, they pay good money to see it. 

If you go up on Pine Mountain, there’s a place called MARS. That place is beautiful. The overlook is beautiful, looking at all the mountains. It’s a nice, clean environment. A lot of people say they like it. 

I’m afraid to see what it’s going to look like [5-10 years]. ‘Cause right now, it don’t really look like it’s getting anywhere. I guess people who own a lot of land are being stingy with it. They don’t want people to buy their property. They don’t really want to put a lot of businesses in. The past twenty years, it’s really gone downhill. 

I’d love to see it go somewhere. I’d love to see all those attractions be put in. If there was a way they could that, it would be great. Then, I could see this place really going in a good ten or twenty years, but the way things are going right now, it don’t really look good. 

But it’s still beautiful.”

Rebecca Garrett

Rebecca Garrett, Retired Textile Worker, Runs Flea Market Business; Jonesville, Virginia:

“I grew up in Pennington. Well, right down past a little place called Ben Hur. It was called Cane Creek. It was all right [growing up in the mountains]. We played in the woods [and the] creeks. 

I’m retired [from the] sewing factory. I started working in sewing factories when I was 15 years old. I worked at different sewing factories at different times. No, [didn’t like working in sewing factories], it was basically the only jobs that were around. 

My grandpa was a coal miner basically all his life. My dad was a police officer in Pennington Gap for a while and then he was a police officer in St. Paul and Big Stone. Then after that he was a carpenter, done bricklaying, carpentry stuff. 

My dad did a family tree went all the way back. We got Indian in us… Cherokee Indian, we got on my mom’s side German blood, and Irish. 

I got one son that’s deaf. He’s 35 years old. Right now, he’s not doing nothing, but he did do auto body [and] painting. Communication was a struggle at first. [He was] about a year and a half old [when they found out he was deaf]. During that time, around here, they didn’t have interpreters and sign language teachers, and I had to take sign language classes to be able to communicate with him. [Took classes] at Mountain Empire, and through some of the classes they had at schools. 

He’s good enough now to where he really doesn’t use sign language that much, he reads lips. If you’re a mile away, he can read lips and tell what you’re saying’. He does good, really good [speaking verbally]. They did speech with him in school. He graduated with high school honors. I had to stay on top of him and those teachers in school. 

[What makes Appalachians different from everyone else?] From the city you mean? I’ve visited the city ‘cause some of my family’s from the city. [Here] It’s calm, easy going life. It’s not a fast life, it’s your clean air, trees, and you don’t get into all that smog and fast life. They're more down to earth about things, homebound, not into that crazy lifestyle that’s out there.

[On being a hillbilly] Oh yeah! My nickname’s Rebel! That’s what my uncle nicknamed me! 

I do this, flea marketing. I like growing flowers. I like animals. I like sewing. Little bit, not much! [Still likes sewing after doing it all of her life for work]. If I get the time, I like making jewelry. I cook some, yeah, cornbread, soup beans, collard greens, mustard greens… I like fried chicken. It’s been a while since I fixed anything like that! I think I’m a pretty good cook.

[People outside Appalachia] I don’t think they should think negative about us! The people that I’ve met have not. I’ve met some people from New York—they’re pretty friendly. I actually got along fine with them, had good times with them. 

I think it’s a matter of getting to be spending time around them and stuff. Getting to know each other is basically it.”

Karen Weddle

Karen Weddle, Psychiatric Aide (CNA); Marion Virginia:

“My Mom had family here. She grew up, was born and raised here and then she moved to Maryland. She still had family here and they bought property here and I was still in high school so I moved with them.

Both of my sisters still live in Maryland, and they both have children now and I miss them. But I am glad and grateful that I have my parents nearby.
Technically [I am called] a second generation Urban Appalachian. 

[Living in the mountains] At first, I was a little uncomfortable, because it was such a small town and I was used to a big city. As I have gotten older, I appreciate it so much more. The people are just so much friendlier and so much more helpful. Whereas, in the city everybody I think, is too busy and rushed to be bothered.

[Living here in the mountains] It took a little getting used to. One thing I remember when I first moved here, they were talking about the Iron Street Mall on Main Street. I was like, ‘there is a mall in Marion, really?’ I thought there was nothing here. I found out it was just a couple little stores. My husband is from here and has lived here all of his life, so he kind of shows me the way around.

[Appalachian Culture] I think everybody is just so friendly and helpful and I love the mountains and the Appalachian Trail. I love it when the hikers come through.

You have people here from many different walks of life, and many different occupations and backgrounds. I think everybody eventually feels comfortable here…everyone is kind and nice. Like when I moved here from the city, I guess I probably wasn’t as friendly as the people here. 

In this particular area it’s like a small town. Everybody knows everybody, and I think that can be beneficial because you do bond and everybody helps each other in hard times, whether it be a sickness or a death. 

I am a CNA. I’m a psychiatric aide at the State Mental Institute. It can be hard, extremely hard at times, but it can also be rewarding. When people come in with a mental illness or depression you see them as time goes by become more ready to be a citizen and live productively. [Some of the challenges are] when you have people who are extremely sick and who don’t want to be there, and think you are the reason they are there. They can be very difficult and hard to deal with. I try to put myself in their shoes, because it could be any of us at any time. 

I love the summer, I love going walking in the woods at Hungry Mother Lake, just walking in the mountains and enjoying nature. I ride a motorcycle and we have lots of good roads for motorcycling and I really enjoy that. [I have been riding] for about ten years. I have a Kawasaki Ninja. You know the ‘back of the dragon’ and that’s like right in the backyard.

[I consider myself a hillbilly now.] In fact, when I lived in Maryland, when I lived in Baltimore, people said I had a hillbilly accent, and then when I moved here, people said I had a northern accent, because I had been here longer than I was in Baltimore. So I am more of a hillbilly than a city girl. [Hillbilly means to me] the relaxed atmosphere, the friendliness, nature and the mountains, and moonshine.

App-a-lat-cha! Is that right? [When I hear App-a-lay-shia on TV] I think that’s not right! They’re not saying it right. It’s kinda like when I was in the city, you don’t say Baltimore you say Bal’more.”

Brilla Tate

Brilla Tate, Runs Flea Market Business and Collects Old Cars; Big Stone Gap, Virginia:

"I help out elderly people, mostly; flea market and go out and look at old cars. I like helping the elderly; I go and sit with them. We’re going to have a car show and I’ll be cooking some hot dogs for everybody and stuff like that.

[Growing up in the mountains] has changed a lot [since] growing up. It’s a lot different than what it is now. You had just good neighbors and good folks. Things have changed than what it used to be. We were happy just to get out in the woods and go fishing, ride little motorcycles or little bikes like that. We would go down to Big Stone Gap park and go fishin’ all the time. That was our favorite spot [to go] fishing. 

There are a lot of new houses that come in, and a lot of people selling out. The coalmines and stuff are ‘bout gone. It ain’t like it used to be. All the coalmines has sold out, and everybody’s moving. Coal mines [are] what kept everybody around here. 

[We need] to get somebody here to make better jobs. There ain’t no jobs here for young people. Everybody’s moving away to try to get jobs. They ain’t hardly no jobs around Virginia here. They need better jobs and stuff for young people to try to keep family and people here. It’s put a hurtin’ on our people; cause coalmines was mostly the roots here in Virginia. 

[Cost of living is going up and income’s going down. You see food banks around. I tell you, when you go by them it's packed. There’s little kids don’t have things like kids need. There’s a lot of poverty here, kids and stuff. You see a lot and it wasn’t like it was when we grew up. Things were hard then too.

I’ve got one [daughter], she’s nineteen. She’s a little sweetheart. She was born December 6th, 1994. She weighed five pounds and four ounces. That was the best time ever ‘cause you love your kids when they’re born. 

She was a good kid and very respectful to others. And I’ve raised her; me and my husband have took care of her. She went to school and graduated and she was always a straight A student all the way through school, thank God. She was a real good kid, and stayed on honor roll, too. 

Now, she works at the Huddle House in Big Stone and then she’s got a job through AT&T. She does phone calls. Hopefully, this coming week, she’s going to end up getting a manager position. So I’m excited. But, she’s a good kid. Now these days when you get a good job, it’s hard to keep a good job. She’s been there two and a half years so far. She stuck with it. 

She won Miss Big Stone when she was three years old; which I won Miss Big Stone three or four times growing up in school. Those are the good days. 

There are a lot of friendly people here. Everybody knows everybody. It’s a small place and a small town. You’re not a stranger. Lot of people you went to school with and a lot of people has left here; they’ve moved back. 

The mountains; when you’re used to growing up on the mountains, you get to go fishing and seeing this, you go out of town, it’s not like being home. You know, my mamaw and papaw always says, ‘When you leave home, you’ll always come back to home.’ Home is home. I left here for about a year and moved to Bristol and nothing was like home ‘cause I missed the mountains. I missed the fishing and the hunting. That’s the good part about it. 

As I [grew up], my papaw,, my mamaw,, my mommy and daddy, they always helped others. Growing up, everybody was there for each other; and I grew up to be taught to help others also. If you know anybody’s in need,, and I know a lot of people ‘round here, that will help somebody if they need help. There’s a lot of family and that helps people. There’s a lot of people, the elderly, ain't got nobody or family around. I’d love to see people my age and the younger generation to pitch in and do more for the elderly, too. I really would. It would help a lot. 

Oh, yes [I’m a hillbilly]. I’m just a country girl and I like to fish and I like to hunt and we like our country music; and that flatfootin’. I’ve been doing that] a long time. I learned that from my papaw. Flatfootin’. He used to play fiddles and stuff like that. 

A lot of my family was farmers in Big Stone and places. Most of us lived off the garden, and we’d can stuff and put stuff up for the winter growin’ up to help save on food. My papaw used to have chickens as I grew up. My mamaw and papaw practically raised me, so I lived with them most of the time. Chicken or eggs and all that stuff; they had their own farm for everything. They would kill them and wring their necks. Before then, I couldn’t [eat chicken], but I like Kentucky Fried Chicken now. And soup beans, cornbread, I still eat that today. My daughter, if I tell her I’m cookin’ soup beans and cornbread, she says, ‘Mama, you better bring me some.’ ‘Cause you don’t get tired of it. 

I like old cars; my favorite thing is old cars. And I like animals, let me tell you, I love animals. If I see a stray animal or something I’ll take it in and take care of it. I’ve got a Boxer, I had three Boston Terriers, and I had one when she was at six weeks old and she was sixteen years old and I buried her in the backyard and I even got her a tombstone. I named her Ladybug. She was precious. She had two [babies], and I’ve got them; I kept them. I wouldn’t take anything in the world for my animals. 

My brother started me out [liking cars]. The newer cars ain’t like the older ones. The older stuff is, well, more built than these newer ones. My first cool car, and I’ve still got it, was my 1979 Smokey and the Bandit; and it ain’t going nowhere and I love it. It’s black and [its] interior has T-tops and it’s got a 455 in it. It had a 400 motor in it, and we put a 455 in it. It will fly. I baby it; just like my daughter, I baby it. “

[Outsiders] they think we’re hillbillies. I don’t know, they think we’re old hillbillies or something because we don’t have much here. But if they were raised like we [were]; we might not had a lot of money growin’ up and everything, but we respect what we have. We’re thankful for what we do get. We don't think ourselves better than nobody else. If they had to live here, I think they would love it. 

We got the mountains, we got the beautiful animals and we do have a lot of freedom here. We ain’t got a lot of crime issues like you do other places. I mean, no matter where you go, you’re gonna have crime but it’s not like out of town and out of state. 

Everybody knows everybody here. That’s the good part. You can be driving in certain places where I live at in Big Stone, everybody knows everybody, if they’ll be outside they’ll throw their hand up at you and wave. If you’re out of town, places like that, you don’t see that. 

[Grandparents legacy] To be loving and caring; and go to church. Now they were good church going people. They’d want me to do other stuff growing up that I’d wish I’d done. Went to college and done a lot. Everybody makes mistakes. I took care of my family and I took care of my grandparents. So that means a lot when you do that. 

[Happiest times] Spending time with my papaw and mamaw. That was the happiest. Something you never forget. [The saddest] was when I lost them. That was the hardest. When you’ve got good grandparents, you miss them. I stood by them when I had them, you know, and took care of them. I tell you, you lose them, it’s hard. If I could go back and do all over, I would. It just hurts. I lost my grandmother two years ago; that was hard. That was the hard part. They were good people. My grandad, when he worked, he took care of me; anything I wanted he done for me. 

I wish, if they were alive and stuff now, there’d be a lot more I wish I had done for them before they passed away. Anybody would, ‘cause you don’t know what you’ve got till they are gone anyway.