AddieDavis.txt

From what I understand, they came over maybe originally from Germany and then came to England and migrated into I don't know if they even came in as indentured servants. But anyway, came to bat cannon County, Virginia.

Hey, tell us about your father, or,

well, man, my mother's father was named Cicero Wagner and he raised a family down in Sparta, North Carolina. And his wife died, I guess. And he came and brought his youngest son up into McDowell County. And now wait a minute, he didn't he met my grandmother. She also lived down there. They were up churches. And the strange name I think that anyway, he married her and she was a much younger woman and they they first was in McDowell County, but Mama said she was five years old when they moved into intimate down. And then daddy's people. There was a large family, and they were in big cannon County, but they they came and a lot of them served. I remember dad telling me that one of his grandfather's served on the union side in the Civil War, and the Ottoman served on the Confederate side. And so, a lot of the end most of my people were church people, you know, and Primitive Baptist and there was a lot of churches divided even. I know one in North Carolina, it was probably in one of the association's I was down there and the doors were closed, and it said it was closed because the members were having, you know, divided down the middle because of the War Between the States. So it's I was in Gatlinburg and we just went up in the mountains and looked at and we found this old church up there and went around and looked at the tombstones and all that and it was a Primitive Baptist Church. And so And there's, you know, the churches there's there's several kinds in every denomination they've and there's a group of primitive Baptists like down in North Carolina that are we call it I guess the doctrine of the elect that either you're born for heaven or you're born for Hell, and there's no escape, and we aren't that kind of that is our church's right but not Professor Harold Dorgan. I guess he's a doctorate teaches Appalachian marble college is doing a book about our and he taught, and I thought it was really nice, he said, a kinder, more gentle religion. And so anyway, that's enough of that.

Well, let's see. When did your When did your you say your father moved here from North Carolina.

They came up from North Carolina into back cannon County, Virginia and then over into McDowell County, but of course, one time McDowell County was part of Tazewell County, Virginia. So

So what did you What was your dad a minor? No,

my dad was a timber contractor. He he first started working I think when he was about 10 years old for debris WM Ritter Lumber Company, and he worked in timber and my dad died at 87. And he was appraising boundaries of timber. Five years before that, you know, he, he was very active and was well off his life until in I think in August of 83. They found he had cancer and I was diagnosed in October, he'd just became sick in August, not down or anything, and then he died in December.

So what did your mother do? Mom

was a she was a housewife. But Mom was one of those ambitious people really? She should have been a salesperson and she shouldn't have been a housewife at all. She mom could sail Eskimo snowballs. She Yeah. I remember she would walk during the time back and like I was born in 34. And it was still hard times. Bad times. And mom used to sell something called Family supply. And it was household articles, the kitchen utensils and things of that sort. And she'd walked early Amboy right and she'd walk from the top of our mountain 10 miles into branch house selling all the way down and then she'd make another trip back when it came in delivering it. And I used to walk with her. And to us see we weren't coal miners now I had a brother that made a really good living in the coal mines and some of them have worked dead and worked coal mines, my husband and worked coal mine. But one of the brothers the oldest one alive yet worked in the coal mines before world war two and then he was drafted or he enlisted in World War Two. And when he came out, he went to college and made a very good living. And he lives out in Natural Bridge, Virginia, and he came back and went to Maclean's business college and got a degree in business administration and started with a flat top insurance. Later on, he owned a coal sails and building berm and natural bridge and was president the bank learned how to invest his money and ended up being quite wealthy. Right. And then my next oldest brother that's alive, worked in the coal mines, but he also invested in he lives real well. I mean, he has a home in Florida and Holman McDowell County. Well,

in a way it sounds like this, the idea of entrepreneurial ship you guys got from your mother?

You know, the fact that she was well, that you know, and I've thought about that. Think that mom ended up being a very depressed lady, but I think it was because mom never got to do what her you know, what her real talent was? Yeah. I mean, she had large family, and she did well with us and did the best she could with whatever they had to live on and help the neighbors and all that. And yet dad was the community person. I mean, he was big in politics, he, people came to him if their children got in trouble if they needed a deed for land, or they needed a lawyer or whatever. Of course, he was deputy sheriff for the county for a long time time.

So he was he was very much kind of an official, right?

He was. He was real intelligent man. Even though he was one of these guys. Yeah. Right. And he was also the can that if he had $5 in his pocket, he saw some old person he thought needed, he gave them $5.

That's, well, let's see, you grew. So you grew up down in what? What town?

Painesville. Right, within two miles, where I live now. And that's

what growing up was like, coffee. You said you went out with your mother or so and stuff.

Well, we had this huge, just hewn log house that was rough, you know, with the clay in the cracks and all that. And we always had people always there was people and I used to love there was a then we call it a front room. But it was what would be would call a living room now. But anyway, there was a back door, no back porch, and I used to sit in the woodbox the head on that back porch and listen to people talk. And these old people could tell ghost stories, they could tell all kinds of mountain remedies they could tell about everything in the world. And most time they thought I was sleeping. I wasn't asleep at all. I knew a lot of things. And I think I'd developed a great love for people even though I realized many of them were uneducated, and yet they had hearts of gold. Were very hospitable. And I have a great love for me. Oh, yes. And there's some very funny stories. And always I guess I had a picked up on the sense of the ridiculous than anything, and have the ability to laugh with my people. Not at my people. So so

did you. So then when you grew up in Painesville, did you graduate from high school? There is no

there's no high school I wrote down. We live two miles off on a dirt road and I walked that before daylight at the morning and caught a bus at the highway and rode 18 miles to Yeager went to high school and then I'd get back dark and had to walk back down the road and screen. Yes, but really, I never saw a walk get there wasn't a walk hits that I knew there may have been some

most disconcerting.

Listen to Yeah, well, you'd hear them sometimes at night. And I don't think I was ever afraid except my brother said he'd take all of us on a possum hunt and we did and they took the light and ran off and left us there. Um, that was scary. Yeah. But you

graduate from high school and yeah, you're

right. I was a graduate or Well, my granddad Wagner stayed with us. And he taught me to read and tell my letters and things before I went to school. And so I graduated. When I was 16. Too early. I was always too young for my grade, and came up here to Welch to work. And my dad got me a job with a civil engineer. And he just, I mean, he really didn't need anybody to work. He had devious, intense. So I left and went to miss just a First I went to Appalachian Power, and of course, you had to be at Nightline. I told him, I was 18. And I thought, boy, they sent me out to be examined. I'm gonna get this job. And the day they were doing the final decision, they told me they need member certificate and SRO have one they said where you were born, this county should be on the courthouse. And a new is going to get caught. So I said, Well, no, I'm only 16. They said, hurt you get out of school? I said, Well, I did. And so what do you expect me to do? Starved lm 18. And they said, I'm real sorry. So I went to Sam salons who ran a collection agency on a building right down the street here. And he hired me. And I worked there two years and then started Concord when I was at Concord College, and FM's, do your forage for you. And I worked my way out. I went this that summer. And George Bryson was super ninja schools, and he came over there. And I was working in the president's office because I could, I took one year shorthand, and I could take shorthand, like a wish, you know, and I was working with the President. So he came in was talking and the President knew that daddy wanted me to come home, they'd offered me a scholarship and mom was sick, and daddy wanted me come home and work it back and get a school. And Mr. Bryson interviewed me and he said, What makes you think you can teach? I said, Well, I don't know that I can, but I bet I can beat some of those people you've sent out there to teach me. And he hired me, and is oh, it was great. I had a degree in education. I have a degree. I had 12 hours, I think when that's done, but they gave me 60 students grades one through eight, and a one room school. And it was like four miles down this hall and I boarded down I think I made $130 A month or 20 years old. No, it's I think I had boys bigger than me. And we have some the funniest things I said, I started out in one room school. And then I taught in the last one room school in the scan. I have the bailiff and the last one was good. But a little funny thing happened. There was no telephones and no way to get in touch with anybody. And then kids went out and carried water. And so we sent these two little boys after water and they were gone and gone. And I thought, oh my goodness, they've gotten hurt. And I was ready to send two other boys after him here that came down the road and drunk his lords. I mean, one was carrying a little little small what they used to say up five pound lard Beckett or whatever. And the other end it was five pounds even smaller than that three quarts. Okay. And the husband had the large five quart Beckett and they were saying and one of the kids running said miss home dude, Brock and I said oh my goodness. And they but we helped him out in the building an asset for the parents come get him and this one that little bucket was full of steel so yeah, they found the steel and of course it made I guess they wrecked it but anyway made this man real man. And so I said to him, Well, they went home, they almost sobered up and I said Well, boys, I don't know the sheriff is apt more talked yet. No way I can get in touch with the shear. And it just so happened that coastal road was so bad getting down there that the Assistant Superintendent of Schools was coming to make a visit the next day. And he got a deputy sheriff who had a Jeep to bring and this little boys are in school and when that David is that one fell out of his seat. They thought I'd go ahead and call the sheriff. Ahead. That was a wonderful year.

Well, it sounds like that he had my dad you know he used to be a teacher Mr. Bearcat when he said she had sent us to the creek to get water and we'd run off and I got flattened and I guess it's about a month for Daddy Daddy was talking to him. He was telling me a story. I said Daddy, you After I taught for several years, I said, did it ever occur to you that Miss hablar knew you were going to run off when she sent you for water? Do you sit there for me? She said, I never thought Leslie waters does. But that was fun. But now Okay, so you taught there anywhere at 18? Then what do you want,

then I went to, they've sent me to a one room school that had grades one through nine, and then was more than that next year. And so that was two men. And they came over and took the ninth grade out, because some of those kids were older than me. And then they taught their that year. And the next year, they divided it and put maybe two rooms. And after that, I taught him to room schools. Well, I'm married. And but I'm still going to school every summer. So what I do is work in the winter, you go back to school in the summer and take night classes. Right. And so, unfortunately, by trying to do it that way, I didn't graduate, I didn't get my Bachelor of Science degree until I was 40 years old. Going to school at night, raising three kids, or children really better. I had three children, and I waited 10 years and hadn't one at that one. So where do you finally get a degree from Concord? But then let's say right, but then I had to take classes other places too, but I've been I went from I get that degree in 74 and 78. I had a master's degree, then I have all the hours and more or another degree, I just wouldn't take comps, again, I'm a certified counselor for K through nine. So I have the equivalent to Master's degrees. They said enough hours for doctrine. I just I thought it was prestige them well, I don't know, maybe it was taken school for grades and made A's if possible all the time. Until I was just sick of it. And I think really, I've learned more since I've gotten out in this job than I ever learned in school. Well,

of course, really all it is they just kind of walk you through the place and throw a little theory action. And since you have to get some experience. The experience, of course is quite bad. And you've learned here now, when did you? When did you get married? And

well, I'm married. I've been married twice. I'm married the first time must have been gone. I can't remember and don't seem like I was married twice. But anyway. Must have been 54. And we stayed married 11 months. He left me six times we move seven times. And yeah, that basically was it. He didn't want to hold down a job and I couldn't pay the rent and you know, that kind of stuff. He wasn't a bad person we had. We'd come from two different backgrounds all together. Then he left and I didn't know it but I was expecting my oldest son and then my husband I'm married and the oldest son is his and all the others are two. So we we've been together be 39 years in May.

Yeah. And what does he do? He

has he's a skilled laborer in a sense. He works. He file sells for these huge band males. And he works for Mr. James a tireless, Gilbert important hardwoods. And he's been with them. He started with Georgia Pacific and worked with them a long time. And then he moved over there when they built this computerized meal. So he sharpens the size. Right And also he's trained a lot of other people. And a few times he's worked as Troubleshooter for you know, going around to see what's wrong. He's He's very good at his job.

Well, you said you spent all these time raising kids and working part time going so did you continue teaching?

Oh, yes. I taught I taught 28 years Okay, so

you talked 28 years and what and was it all in one room schools? No,

no. taught in one room schools, two rooms schools. Then I went to a consolidate school where I had first they put me in retain first grade. And then I moved up to fifth grade, mixed and then I went to sixth grade and was four H leader and always got community involved in all kinds of stuff. My parents were real good to me. You always worked in elementary school. I worked in elementary up taught. Then I went to junior high the last eight years I was in system as the counselor Junior

let's see that was what year did you finally stop your last year?

I think it was 87 because I was out a year and wrote for the paper and that and then I came over here in 89 but I was already on the board

and your official title here is direct or the McDowell

County Economic Development Authority.

And, and this, this place exists when you came here and you started

this office what the organization existed they'd had a man before make a Kenneth weaver who had been Big Sandy development or something, and they put out ads for a director. And they hired him. And he stayed for about a year. And he went about, you know, trying to get acquainted and all that. But I think he didn't realize how difficult it was to do economic Velleman in Macau, Kim,

what what? How do you when you started?

When did you start exactly at October of 89?

October of 89, you started here, and what did you see as the primary challenge? You know, what did you see as the job? How did you interpret the job? And how do you try to do it?

Well, I was given a job description, and just the heater the front door key to the front door. And actually, there was a couple of desk and Acana pencils. And I got all the equipment you see in all three offices. And we, since I wasn't given a job description, I tried the route of trying to get business to come in. And I mean, I really worked at it. But I went, even went to Sweden paid my own way, and tried to get the people to make Ikea furniture to come in, goes, I thought our way to go since cold maybe not be depleted. But there was never going to be the jobs in the coal industry that once was that our net natural resource was wood. And that trip to me was, in my mind, it's still profitable, I brought back names and things for but I don't know if anybody ever contacted. And so that just didn't, it didn't work out. But I got some experience, I wouldn't pay. Then I wrote letters to all the furniture makers, I got a list of them, and I'd call them and I've had people to come in and be interested. But when they got in and sell, we had no sewage, the roads were bad and that they didn't think of it as a profitable venture. We did get a sewing factory that came in, and we paid half the rent for them. For three years, they're still in operation, nothing they employ. And of course, it's seasonal, about 52 workers.

I noticed that in you know, I'm from Tennessee, like I said, He's Tennessee and everybody's idea of salvation has always been a we need to get some factories in here. You know, that's the idea. Do you see that really as a viable option? Or is it a pipe dream or only so many factories? I

think that, that we've had this mindset of chasing smokestacks and all that, and I don't think it's sustainable development. To me, if I could, if we can start one business from with people inside the county, that have a stake in it, they're they bought into it because they lived here. This is home, that if we can help one of those people with an innovative idea to start a business, then we have sustainable development. And but not only do I see it that way, I began to look at, you know, we had two studies done by Marshall University and Vu saying we need a change in attitude. We needed infrastructure we needed, you know, all these talking about, okay, it was this attitude of, well, wait, nobody's going to help us we can't make any difference. It's just like it is and sort of depressed and down. And so, right. And it really just bothered me and I also so McDowell's counties, people operating in isolation, one from the other. So I thought county unity, bring the county together to act as one voice and one people and give them a sense of pride and self would be a major economic. And I think I've accomplished that, whether it was through a mini grant program that we did funded through Bennington Foundation. We started 10 community groups that did marvelous things in their communities. And then later on, there's other groups that have come in right now want to work Crumpler is trying to get started there's a Gary group Yeah, now that was the those the the municipalities war did not have a group Caretta did. Those are not the mini grant groups. Those are the incorporated towns. But anyway, we start in this is our grassroots roots, but that group, that group of people, and sometimes we'd have 300 at workshops. So the people were coming out all over. And so now, because of that kind of unit, unifying process, and training and getting people to believe in themselves, we created a new slogan, which is CANDU. And we a song and all that. So, through that process, the county is beginning to act as one now rather than Jaeger being for itself an animal man for itself. And I think that's the one thing see, there's not our population is not big enough to change an election. We predominantly voted straight democratic, which is fine with me, as long as we have a voice in our own destiny. You know, I don't, I don't have a problem as far as politics is immaterial to me. Except that I think people need to know what choices they have, and what rights they have. And that kind of thing.

This artist I work with, she says, you're like Chairman Mao, you don't care what color the cat is, as long as he catches the mouse,

as long as people is, as long as the stakeholders have a voice in the decision making. That's my aim. And so now we are I feel like a unified County and we're in a position to go after some major funding, we've with a built in network, and with the help of the county people, and we're going out into other counties, and we're being looked at as a model of a way to revitalize a county such as ours. What

sounds like it what what I'd like to ask is, you know, when you say that they had a poor attitude, or they were depressed or whatever, what created that what caused that? Where do you think?

Well, I think the, and I don't know if other people you see I was brought up in a coal mining town, and somebody from a coma. I know Denise Jardine, she probably has a whole different perspective. Not hers isn't wrong, and mine isn't wrong. It's we came from two different places, even though there's two cultures in McDowell County, the mountain people. Yeah, she's from Europe, North Fork, I think. But the people when I grew up, the people living in the towns were the wealthy kids. I didn't feel poor, but I didn't have the material things they had. They could go to movies, and they, you know, go to the drugstore and that kind of thing. Yeah. But then I had some things they didn't have. And usually, the principal of our school would say, give me the mountain kids because we'd been disciplined when you got hard work was and we didn't have any of the frills of law, which can be a mixed blessing. But anyway, I think what happened there When coal companies came in, people had this rough terrain land that they really couldn't the only way you can make a profit raising corn has turned into moonshine. And there was a lot of moonshine steals. But it was really hard to make to eke out a living. So these companies came in and they discovered coal that people had no idea what the worth of coal said about big boundaries of land.

Do you remember the first big coal Rush was here in the 1880s? Or 1900s? Or

1900? I guess, but I'm not sure. Yeah. But anyway, what I see and and I believe that this there can be tested and found to be true is that when the coal companies came in, especially if they want to go establish sometimes it was tent cities, but then they built these co company towns, and they provided they brought in doctors, they brought in churches, schools, and they built us their own church, not necessarily they build a church house and maybe a Methodist or whatever, you know, could use it right. And, and people without realizing it. Were trained in a dependency kind of attitude because they didn't have to paint their houses once a year the company came once your paint the house, but the room, it was it was good business to do that. Because if they didn't, the houses were go down. So they did the upkeep they built, whatever sewage treatment, there was whatever water there was the companies put them in. But the companies, I guess, knowing how long they weren't gonna maybe stay there. They didn't provide for somebody to take over. So when the companies left, the water systems weren't kept up, the sewage plants weren't and the houses weren't and they went down,

much like what happens in a colonial country. Right? Just like John Gibbons wrote about the Appalachian Appalachia makes much more sense as a as a colony than it does as a state. Well,

in a sense because of this dependency because and Italy that's That would be really easy. If the company wasn't there and you didn't have a job, it would be much easier to get on welfare than it would have been somebody that has had to figure a way to survive if

some survival skills are being done right. And,

and so I think that a dependency culture came in. And once it was taken away, and people were sort of lost, and they became very depressed, because they had a lot of pride in working in the coke mines, and were good at their jobs. And they made the cold pounds. Right, and the cold towns there was, it was a community and all the nurses necessities of life were provided. And it was just really hard. It wasn't a bad life. It wasn't a bad life in my pin, because I remember,

of course, after the wages got better, right?

Well, for example, my brother union Oh, very much. So it McDowell County is two and I can understand why. And part of me can and part of me thinks the two entities that really needed each other fought all their lives, and look at the energy wasted in fighting and fighting when management needed workers and workers needed jobs.

You know, it's interesting that you brought that up. That's the first time I've, I've heard that mentioned. And I'm wondering if it's, I know that women tend to be more net workI, you know, and coordinate things and see the big picture. So and yeah, possibly. And I'm wondering if that's kind of not a, an attitude that more women than men would have shared. And if women had been more involved in the decision making process, maybe there wouldn't have been as much

wasted energy. And maybe, well, you know, I think, had there not been this squabble going on. And people taking sides and lining up behind so and so in this that, that, right, and it was very divisive and also

elected who they want to serve, because it was to their interest to have people in there that weren't going to put too much strict laws, and the people not realizing that back to whatever candidate, you know, and maybe they weren't always the best for the people. Because people when I started doing this, people start saying the coal companies did this. And the land companies did this. And I kept saying, and yes, who allowed them to do that? Well, so until did and I said, who, who allowed them to do this? Who was in control? Well, the government asset and who's the government? And they'd say, Well, we the people we elect and I said, we That's right, we elect.

Development, how do you see it as a political power thing or a political weapon or political, you know, how does it fit into the general overall scheme of politics? And I think it could probably safely be said that to a large degree, big businesses always controlled. Certainly Tennessee has always the interests of big business have been a controlling factor, if not an overriding factor, a controlling factor. And how do you see now if what you're trying to do is as as obviously sounds like it's not only a grassroots economic movement, but it's also grassroots political?

Well, I guess I'm very naive. And I guess I always thought of politics as Democrats and Republicans, you know, but then one of my board members said us that I'm not politically oriented. And they said, but you are a political entity because all of these people have been organized. And I said, not to alienate to side with any party or alienating party. I said, we're trying to stay non aligned. But we are saying these are get a community college provide job training for the young, but also in jobs. We want to look at our own resources and say, What could we begin here? That would be a job economic development, and we've done that we've started a citizens Conservation Corps that has

mixed we have right we even have for the first time I guess, anyplace, oh, a woman work projects coordinator. Doing fabulous job, we have a woman supervisor, but we have boys and girls. And we've set up the first daycare in the county. They're one of these mini grant groups that was telling me about.

It sounds like a lot of the things that you're trying to do are things that traditionally government should have already done anyway. You know, that should have already been now. When the when? If that is indeed the case. Have you encountered any resistance from county government and city government? And you saying, We want these things? Are they saying, well, we wanted you to have we've

given them now otter Howard, not not early approaching,

you know, or do they see it as a threat?

I think when we registered 300 voters, it was a training, it was purely educational, because I saw a lot of people not voting young people not understanding that. That's a citizens beauty we have. I think education is missing the boat in that we kill people all the rights, but we don't say rights have responsibilities. And I was going back and we went into the schools with these mini grant people. And we had workshops for these young people saying it is what about civic responsibility. And we have this right to vote. That's every citizens, right? And if we failed to use that over time, we could lose that. Right. And, and right. And so I didn't when they went out to register, we didn't say if they ask, what's the difference, a Democrat, Republican, we say ask your teacher, whatever we didn't get into that part of we talked about civic responsibility. I talk in workshops about civic responsibility. Because if something happens to my house, I fix it. And if something happens to my county, that's what I would keep telling people. If this happens to our county, whose responsibility is it to fix? And if government is not right in the county, whose responsibility is that? And it's time we stop passing the book. Now, there's a progressive movement here. And I think, the old time, backroom politics, and I don't even like to get into that. But I think the people are wise enough now to, they would look very essence at something like that. And we've not had any hindrance as far as overtly from county government we haven't had from state government

is because you, you've demonstrated over a period of time that you're not political.

I've worked very hard. Now. I've gotten set up a few times, and I won't even Oh, you know, at least, I mean, I just want to go ahead and explain that further. And but that was the learning process, and where people tried to use you. Right, and I had been used, and that that was very, I mean, I learned a lot from that. But even that I don't really get upset because to me, if I see somebody that's really doing something that they shouldn't, I think that we can as a as a body. act in such a way that that person eventually realizes there's another way there's something else happening here. And we'll turn around. I don't know we have this mistake that everybody that's a dirty politician. I don't believe we're to that. What I believe is that we elect people and don't give them a charger. I mean, we don't send them off. And not if they found somebody to be dishonest and untruthful, not kickback and somebody that's gone just out to serve sale that they would go and find what's the best way not, not just blindly be led anymore. If McDowell County's people would stand up, they're beautiful. They're hospitable, and they have energy and intelligence. And all they need to do is to be true to themselves. I mean, exhibit Well, that's the way it is. Now, that isn't the way it is. If I find somebody who's not honest with me, then I tell them straight out. And I hope that the rest of McDowell County would say all where one is are counted to be a better place to live in and anybody gets an hour of doing this. We're gonna do something about it. That's it