Harriet Bass interview with Lula “Lou” Crumley Vandiver, James W. Greear, Lee Gednye, Ralph Fain, Jimmy Vandiver, and Homer Alston (part two)

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 second of a two part recording; this part begins with Ralph Fain and James Greear telling folktales about agricultural myths, like how to grow vegetables based on patterns of moonlight. The men also discuss family histories and community members from Helen, Georgia. Fain then recalls stories about the desecration of Indigenous graves near Yonah mountain in Nacoochee, Georgia, followed by stories about farming with horses and oxen. Next at minute 12:37, James Greear tells local ghost stories and shares a folk story about a doctor amputating a mans limb with a hacksaw. He also gives advice on growing vegetables in Georgia. Then at about minute 19:00, he and Ralph Fain discuss gold and silver mining in Georgia. Fain says that locals in Helen found machinery from a lost mine in creeks near his home. At 22:30 minutes, Greear and Fain switch topics to Greears printing hobby and how he makes signs for the family. They also talk about heavy rains that raised water levels in the creeks around Helen, as well as a big snowstorm from a few years back. From 28:00 until 30:00 minutes Fain compares weather throughout cities in Georgia, recalling standing on his roof to rake off the snow. There is a break in the audio until minute 30:07 when Hariett Bass starts interviewing Jimmy Vandier as he gardens tomatoes. Vandiver shares several short, comical folktales about sawmills and logging, and tells a few jokes about judges and fines. Next, at minute 38:50 Homer Alston recalls early memories of hitchhiking across Georgia from Gainesville, meeting bootleggers in 1935, and finding cans of moonshine in the woods. Alston and James Greear start telling folk stories about logging camps at 53:30. One story is about a man and woman who go hunting in the woods, where they catch a large hog then carry it down the mountain to their logging camp with a donkey. They also discuss how some logging camps helped build railroads. At 59:38, James Greear elaborates on his experience working in Georgia logging camps, including the machinery, horses, and living on the yards. The work was done by hand, and it was the job of one man, the saw father, to sharpen the tools. He then tells a story about a fugitive escaping from Florida who hid in a logging camp as a cook. He mentions that many of the workers were African American. At hour 1:07:10, James Greear shares stories about growing up around moonshiners because many locals made their living selling moonshine. Specifically, he recalls when he and his brother shared their home brew with fellow loggers. From 1:20:00 until the end of the recording, Homer Alston shares what he remembers about the process of making whiskey. He explains that it is easier to distill a homebrew in the summer than the winter in Georgia because it is outdoor work. He also details equipment needed to run the furnace and distillery, and the importance of adding sugar and copper during the final steps. Lula Lou Crumley (1874-1979) was born in Laveta, Colorado; shortly after her birth, her family moved to Nacoochee, Georgia. She attended school for two months out of the year until she was 16. In 1892, she married George Alexander Dandy Vandiver (1872-1947), and they had ten children. They lived in Helen and Blue Ridge, Georgia. In 1969, Vandivers home in Helen burned down. Leigh Matthias Gedney (1922-1998) was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended Atlanta Southern Dental College and registered for the World War II draft in 1942. He married Mary Catherine Page (1930-2008) in 1951 in Edgefield, South Carolina, and they had two sons and four grandchildren. Dr. Gedney and his wife later lived in Atlanta and had a summer home in Helen, Georgia, where they were buried. James Josh Washington Greear (1912-1993) was born in Troutsdale, Virginia, and his family later lived in Rome and Helen, Georgia. In 1940, he registered for the World War II draft. He worked at Rion Stone Corporation and later designed machinery for the Kraft Paper Company. Homer Alston (1911-1989) was born in Hiawassee, Georgia. In 1933 he married Mabel Alston. He worked as a logger for the Gennett Lumber Company in Asheville, North Carolina, and registered for the World War II draft in 1940. In 1957 he moved to Helen, Georgia, in 1957. Ralph Lloyd Fain (1904-1972) was born in White County, Georgia, to David and Mary Fain. He married Elese Vandiver (1916-2013) in 1933 and they had two children, Phillip and Maurice. He registered for the World War II Draft in 1940 and worked at the Helen Lumber Co. in Cleveland, Georgia. In addition, Fain operated a farm. After retiring, Fain lived with his sister and son in Helen. James (Jimmy) Latimer Vandiver (1927-2004) was the only child born in Helen, Georgia, to Lat and Harriet Vandiver. In 1941 he registered for the World War II draft; then in 1945 he enlisted in the army at Fort Mcpherson in Atlanta. While in the army, he operated trucks, tractors, and taxis. When he finished his service, he ran a concrete company in Cleveland, Georgia. Mrs. Lula Crumley Vandiver, or as she is better mown by the co uunity, iam: a Lou Vandiver, has lived ninety four of her ninety six years in the mountains of :cite county. She vas born on .'arc'. 2i, lb ?L- in Laveta Colorado at the foot of Pike l s Peak here her parents had gone prospecting for gold. ' per father was S.- ith Cru ile;y% of H4bersuam county and her mother was Anne destmoreland of Naeoochee Valley. When Mamma .Lou was two years old she 1oveo into M d.i.te county , arid there pier father built a log cabin at the foot of C)n.-icoi . ountain. Schooling then lasted only two aionths a year in July and August. The school house was four miles from her ho.ie, and s---e walked it daily when school was in session. All together her total scizoolin^ consiste 1. of no more than ten months. She was married At the age of eighteen, two years after she got out of school, to George Alexander (Dandy) Vandiver. ".. after the wedding we rode horseback:=.to our little farm up Smith Creek, where the cabins above Unicoi Mountain are now located. It snowed on us all the way." From Smith Creek they moved up on Spoilc.ne Creek at the foot of TJ icoi Mountain. Their next home was up on "Hickory Field", high upon the blue ridge, where A PDF transcript exists for this recording. 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.