B Sampson interview with Eva Reece, Barbara Sampson, Quinton Nichols, Johnny Mull, Jay Burgess, Clayton Nix, and Stanley Wood

The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. This is the first part of a two part interview. This interview begins with Eva Mae Reece recalling songs her mother used to sing such as Barbary Ellen and Molly Bly. Her brother, Byron Herbert Reece, was an award winning author whose collected letters, pictures, books, and manuscripts were donated to Young Harris College in Georgia. Next, Reece reminisces about the 106-acre farm she lived on as a child where a Civilian Conservation Corps camp was erected in 1933. She and an unidentifed woman talk about a toll road built nearby the farm. Reece then describes the pigs and cattle her grandfather raised, and the other woman discusses wild boars. 9:13: Reece claims that her commute to grammar school in Choestoe, Georgia, required four miles of walking that included crossing creeks via foot logs. To improve her journey in high school, her father bought a Model T Ford truck. This high school that she and her sister attended was Baptist. 14:00: Next, Reece talks about the Cherokee meaning of Choestoe as the land of the dancing rabbits. Continuing this topic, the anonymous woman discusses the Arkaquah Creek meaning of crooked creek in Cherokee. Reece recalls when Vogel Lumber Company sold land to the government that her grandfather had previously sold to them. 19:01: Returning to the topic of her brother, Reece explains how folklore and common North Georgia superstitions influenced his writing. She also recalls books that he wrote and shares insights about his personality and writing. She then recites his poem Lest the Lonesome Bird. 32:45: Reece changes the subject to games she played as a child such as Red Rover. Next, she shares superstitions about planting crops by the moon and the bad luck associated with taking out ashes on a Friday. Further recalling her childhood, she reminisces how her father read to her and her grandparents gave her books. She then discusses her parents and grandparents education. She also recalls how her family spent time picnicking, hiking, swimming, and camping. She concludes with a description of teaching a one-room schoolhouse while she simultaneously earned her teaching degree. 50:28: The interview switches to Barbara Ruth Sampson talking about superstitions. First, catching a mole with your hands will cure any disease; next if you try a dress on before for whom it was intended, the owner of the dress will die. If you're big while pregnant, the baby will be a boy; if you cut your nails on a Friday, youll never have a sweetheart; marry on a new moon for good luck; and if a hen crows, its a sign of bad luck. The recording concludes with Sampson describing dumb suppers, a tradition in which young women cook silently to determine who they will marry. She then returns to reciting superstitions about warts, fishing, moles, pregnancy, duck eggs, crops, marriage, Christmas, spit, and rain. Eva Mae Reece was the child of Juan Welborn Reece (1880-1960) and Emma Lance Reece (1886-1954), and she had five siblings, including Bryon Herbert Reece (1917-1958), who was a popular and award winning poet and writer. Barbara Ruth Sampson married Francis Paul Collins (1916-1964) in 1934, divorced Collins, and in 1953 married Harold Sylvester Sampson (1918-1972). Quinton Nichols (1918-1993) was the son of David J Nichols (1882-1947) and Ethel Nichols (1890-1970). Additional biographical information about the interviewees has not been determined. Native Americans A transcript does not exist for this recording. Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions. As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us inaposition to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, andbias isreflected in our descriptions, whichmay not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materialsaccurately.Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment.We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created.Additionally,our work to use reparative languagewhereLibrary of Congress subject termsareinaccurate and obsolete isongoing. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailingreference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.