Cherokee potter, Bernadine George, discusses how she began making pottery after observing her mother at work, and developed her skills while working and raising her family. She was a founding member of the Cherokee Potters Guild and was one of the…
Joyce C. Dugan, who was at this time Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, discusses tourism and the Cherokees. She begins by discussing the history of tourism on the Qualla Boundary, which began during the 1920s and increased when…
Felix Hooper of Cullowhee worked for Blackwood Lumber Company from his early teen years to 1939, and he talks about the company’s arrival in the county and the infrastructure they used up until 1929, when the market crashed. He worked in the…
Jackson County native, Susan Leveille, attributes her family's influence in her decision to become a weaver. Her aunt, Lucy Morgan, founder of the Penland School, was a frequent visitor in Susan's home in her youth. At age 9 or 10, Susan gained…
In this interview conducted at the 2005 Mountain Heritage Day, Lloyd Carl Owle begins by giving an overview of his genealogy and his interest in pipestone carving, and briefly discusses his work with the Indian Health Service. He talks about the…
Barbara Thorne talks about her father, Dr. Chase P. Ambler, and his career treating tuberculosis patients in Asheville in the early 1900s. Dr. Ambler first came to the area on his honeymoon in 1889 and fell in love with the mountains. He returned a…
An interview with Tommy Lee Cabe conducted as part of the "After the Wars" research project of Western Carolina University. Born and raised in Macon County, Tommy Lee Cabe enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1939, intent on making it his career. His first…
An interview with Helen Patton of Macon County in which she discusses her family's history in the area as well as her personal history. Her ancestor, George Patton, settled in the Cartoogechaye Creek area when Cherokee Indian lands became available…
James Harris Stewart is interviewed by Gwendolyn Sheppard on March 31, 1989 as part of the Western North Carolina Tomorrow Black Oral History Project. The transcription and audio are unavailable. This document includes Sheppard's notes after the…
Bobby Clester interviews Dorothea A. Siler on December 2, 2004 for the Western North Carolina Oral History Project. Born in 1955, Siler has been a member of the AME Mount Zion Church in Cullowhee all of her life, although for a time she lived in…