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.
Note: This recording contains racist language at minute 3:05. The interview starts with Mary Ellen Smith recounting a story about her family, who lived in Oglethorpe, Georgia. Her grandfather served in the Gilmer Blues Regiment in the Confederate Army; he was abandoned by his troops and saved by a widow and her daughter. In 2:57, Sallie Cofer recalls a very wealthy man, Jim Smith, who employed formerly enslaved people to work his cotton fields. After his death, all the locals tried to prove familial ties to inherit his fortune; also, he had peculiar demands on how to bury him in preparation for judgment day. At 7:20, Cofer repeats a ghost story from Oglethorpe. Her cousin lived in a house previously occupied by plantation owner, John Moody, who woke up enslaved persons with three taps at four in the morning. Her cousin heard the tapping even though he was dead. She also tells a story about her husbands cousin befriending a mysterious man in jail in Florida. At 17:07, Cofer recounts family traditions. During the holidays, she split her very large family into two houses for dinner and church services. And for Christmas the eldest kids dressed like Santa and passed out gifts. Then from 20:05 to 26:19, Cofer details how the women in her family have worked in primary education for 260 years. Back in her mothers day, schools only had one teacher, a norm that changed by the time Sallie and her siblings started teaching. According to Sallie, bigger schools involved more people and policies, which overcomplicated and took away from effective teaching.
Mary Ellen Smith (1898-1986) and Georgia. Sallie Cofer (1900-1975) grew up in Oglethorpe, Georgia. Cofer married John Farmer Cofer (1882-1957) and worked as a school teacher in Penfield, Georgia. Additional biographical information has not been determined.
A PDF transcript exists for this collection. Please contact an archivist for access.
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.