Interview with Charles W. Frazier, October 22, 1988

Interview Summary

Wes Frazier grew up in Dalna, Kentucky, a coal camp in Letcher County where he was born in 1919. He explains that Dalna has gone through a series of name changes as different coal companies bought the mines including Elsiecoal, Hot Spot, and Premium. Frazier states that his grandparents on both sides of the family had large land holdings. He describes the investment that his father made in a saw mill where he employed twelve people to saw mine timbers and railroad ties. He remembers his mother's struggles after his father died. Frazier states that they were able to grow practically everything that they needed. They only bought salt, sugar, coal oil, soda and baking powder at the store, but still his mother worked hard to gather the money to pay the insurance policy and the property tax on the farm each year. Frazier also describes the gendered work on the farm. He talks about the unfairness he felt when the boys had leisure time and the girls had to do domestic work after working in the fields.

Interview Keyword

Appalachian people Appalachian social issues Coal mining Elsa Coal Kentucky Family farms Gender roles Great Depression Hotspot (Ky.) Letcher County (Ky.) Premium (Ky.) Women's roles in coal camps Coal camps

Interview LC Subject

Appalachian Region Frazier, Charles W., (Charles Wes), 1919- Frazier, Charles W., (Charles Wes), 1919- --Interviews

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.