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 part of a six-part interview. The interview starts with Mrs. Hicks recalling a time she waited on two older people as a child. One person was 100 years old and too weak to tend to themselves. She then talks about the chickens her family kept at home. Hicks mentions that she uses the almanac to check the weather and then explains that she doesnt watch much television. 7:05: The next part of the recording is an interview with J.S. Gilstrap. She starts by reminiscing about growing up in Rocky Bottom, South Carolina, and then more specifically discusses church and Sunday school. She then reminisces about her fathers work as a preacher and his hunting. She concludes with a discussion about cooking chicken, squirrels, rabbit, and vegetables and recollects how to predict the weather by the color of the sky. 15:20: In the next section of the recording, the interviewers talk with Jess Ruth Jackson. Continuing the theme of weather forecasting, Jackson shares a story about predicting the weather from corn shucks, the color of the sky, and chickens. She explains that she had three children and has lived in the same log house since 1929, which she then describes in detail. She then tells a story about scaring her children to keep them out of her mothers room. Jackson claims that Native Americans captured her grandfather when he was two years old; he escaped when he was 22 years old. At the conclusion of this part of the interview, she tells two tales she heard from her grandfather, one about murder and cannibalism, and the other about a witch. She follows up with a ghost story her mother told her.
Biographical information about Mrs. Hicks, J.S. Gilstrap, and Jess Jackson has not been determined.
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.