The Pond Mountain Chronicle

Located in the area where North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee meet, Pond Mountain rises to over 4,000 feet. In its valley it holds the Pond Mountain community, a small area in Ashe County, North Carolina. Most of the families that live in the valley have been there for generations, farming the land. Here 31 Pond Mountain residents reflect on their childhoods, families, neighbors, customs and traditions, and the changes that have come to their mountain communities. What emerges is a unique look at a way of life that is rapidly being lost to history.

The late Leland R. Cooper lived in the Pond Mountain community of Creston, North Carolina.

The late Mary Lee Cooper lived in Columbus, North Carolina.

Edited by Leland R. Cooper and Mary Lee Cooper

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 252
Bibliographic Info: 56 photos, maps, index
Copyright Date: 1998
pISBN: 978-0-7864-0391-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1265-2
Imprint: McFarland
Series: Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies

Acknowledgments vii
Preface xi
Introduction 1
Three Maps 11
The Interviews
Lockie Richardson 14
Bessie Patrick Greer 18
Clara Daugherty 24
Bertie and Claude Perry 32
General Grant Carpenter 40
Eli Denny 51
Lundy Perry 61
Della Marie Maxwell 70
Mae Matilda Pactrick Lackey 78
Gladys Hayes 81
Frank Lewis 83
James Rudy Perry 93
Dolly Perry 100
Herman (Sam) Bauguess 110
Della Bauguess 119
Herbert Joines 128
Alice Joines 138
Freeman Greer 141
Nellie Greer 148
Andrew (Pete) Denny 155
Docia Denny 166
Gladys Bailey 174
Betsey and Schiller Martin 178
Juanita Jones 182
Bill Payne 190
Frances Payne 196
Lacey Estel “E.J.” Perry 203
Freda Perry 206
Rodger Carpenter, Sr. 208
Jerry Lewis 216

Appendix A: The House and Surroundings 219
Publisher’s Afterword 224
About the Authors 226
Index 227

• “A joy to read…an excellent example of what is unique and valuable about Appalachian studies and rural Appalachian culture…an excellent text for qualitative and oral interviewing courses”—Journal of Appalachian Studies
• “Show[s] how life on Pond Mountain has changed through the years…written in the same words the people spoke”—Ashe Mountain Times
• “Thirty-two interviews…interesting…good source material for Appalachian cultural history…well-indexed”—North Carolina Libraries
• “A history of the region that shows decided change…rich in regional dialect”—Appalachian Journal