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 recording contains a series of interviews, beginning with Ethelyn Conway telling a story about her grandmother writing letters to a rich uncle named Seaborn Maybry who worked in Texas. At minute 2:20, she recalls pranks her siblings played on each other growing up near a cemetery; for example, one of her brothers had polio and could not run quickly, and another brother often pretended to be a ghost to scare him. Around minute 4:00, the recording switches to Quentin Conway telling a story about a train that derailed from the tracks behind his childhood home. He says he and his father investigated the crash because it had scared their hogs, and it took them three days to repair the tracks. Next at minute 7:50, Mary Noel Almy tells a scary story she learned at a summer camp about a girl whose aunt was beheaded by a man who escaped from a mental institution. She also tells a story about a professor with a magic phenomenal hand that strangled his daughters when they did not feed it a special formula. At minute 14:20, Almy tells a personal ghost story about when she was living with a widow in Atlanta, Georgia. When she was trying to sleep, she heard loud noises that she believes were caused by the widows late husband haunting her after she became engaged to another man. Then Almy tells a scary story she heard in New York about a couple who left their child with a babysitter to go on a vacation; when they returned, they found their baby being cooked for dinner. The recording ends with Lula Mae Albertson telling several short, scary stories, including a tale about a body being stolen from a casket, a blood-stained staircase, and a mans gravesite lighting on fire.
Ethelyn (Hyde) Conway (1916-2008) was born to Powell Edgar Hyde (1884-1934) and Florence Hyde (1882-1953) in Ocee, Georgia. She moved to Chamblee, Georgia, as a child with her six siblings. She married Quentin Thomas Conway (1919-2013), who was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Mike A. Conway (1890-1974) and Frances P. Conway (1892-1966). Conway served in the United States Air Force during World War II, flying twenty six bombing missions. He retired in 1979 under the rank of Major after surviving a plane crash on the English Coast. He and Ethelyn Hyde had several children. Mary Noel Almy (1944- ) was born in Pelham Manor, New York, to James Almy (1902-1983) and Mae Hart Almy (1904-1897). In 1994 she moved to Atlanta. Lula Mae (Hulsey) Albertson (1921-2006) was born in Cleveland, Georgia. She married Wilson Albertson (1918-2005), who served as a judge, and they moved to Atlanta, Georgia. She had one son, Randall Albertson (1962-2019), and was a member of Chattahoochee Baptist Church.
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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.