Appalachian History

The winters were the worst. Nobody has any idea how bad things were. I had to be ready to get on the bus by five in the mornin’. It was bitter cold because there weren’t any heaters, so some of us would sit on our feet to keep ’em warm. Sometimes I’d take off my mittens and put ’em on my feet to help keep ’em warm in that way.

It took about an hour and a half to get to school, and we were nearly always late. The road from Raccoon Creek, up Bowen Creek, and all the way to Salt Rock was muddy and axle deep. Sometimes we’d get stuck on Green Valley Hill, so the boys, they’d get out and help shove the bus up the hill. One time Ancil Ramey— that was Ripgear’s boy— slipped and fell underneath it, but the bus was sittin’ still at the time, and he was lucky it didn’t roll back on him and maybe kill ’im.

On the way to Barboursville, we’d get off in Salt Rock at DeJarnett’s Store and wait for the driver to make another run. Then he’d come back and pick us up and take us on to school. We didn’t have any money to buy anything at the store either. And once we got to school, they’d let us go and clean the mud off our shoes. Nobody ever complained, though. We were just glad to have a way to go to school.

Margaret Adkins
Raccoon Creek, WV
http://tinyurl.com/srru4

appalachia appalachian+culture appalachian+history