Matewan Oral History Project Collection
Sc2003-135

Geraldine Reams Interview

Becky Bailey: This is Becky Bailey for the Matewan Development Center at 3:20 in the afternoon. July 5th 1989. I'm in the residence of Mrs. Gerry Reams. And my first question for you Mrs. Reams is when you were born and where and what your maiden name was?

Geraldine Reams: I was born October the 23rd nineteen and five in Matewan, West Virginia. And my name was Geraldine Reams...no Blankenship.

B: Okay.

GR: Now.

B: And was your father Sheriff Blankenship? Was he ever a sheriff or police?

GR: Yes.

B: Okay.

GR: In the first World War he was uh...sheriff of Mingo County.

B: Okay. How many brothers and sisters did you have?

GR: Three brothers.

B: Were they younger or older brother?

GR: All younger. I was the oldest.

B: Okay. Were your parents originally from the area?

GR: My mother was from the Matewan area.

B: Okay.

GR: And my father was from Tennessee. He came to West Virginia at the turn of the century uh...with the railroad. He was a telegraph operator.

B: Was this for the railroad?

GR: Yes. He worked for the N & W.

B; What was your mothers maiden name?

GR: My mothers name was Georgia Chambers.

B: Georgia Chambers. Okay. How old were they when they married? Do you know?

GR: Well I couldn't say for sure. But they must have been in their early twenties. And I'm just summarizing.

B: Okay. Was there a telegraph office in Matewan that your father worked at or...

GR: Not as...not when he first came. He worked along on the different...at the different stations where there were telegraph offices. I believe the first one was maybe Thacker. Thacker, West Virginia but I don't' know for sure. I suppose that you've been told that Thacker at that time was the metropolis of Mingo County. It developed first due to the coal interest and the railroad interests.

B: Did you ever travel there while it was a booming community? What do you remember about Thacker?

GR: Oh my dear I lived in that community until I retired up here.

B: Okay.

GR: Until I retired.

B: So you were actually a resident of Thacker not Matewan?

GR: No I was a resident of Matewan...

B: Okay.

GR: But Thacker is a small community close by.

B: Okay. Okay. What do you remember about going to school? Did you go to school in Matewan?

GR: Yes. I went to school in uh...the graded school I started out when children start out at seven and uh...I went through the grades with the exception of one year and that year I was sent to a convent in Virginia.

B: What year was that?

GR: Oh..

B: I mean what school year?

GR: I couldn't remember.

B: Okay.

GR: I couldn't...I was in the grades maybe fourth, fifth.

B: Okay.

GR: Fourth or fifth grade.

B: Why did they send you to a convent?

GR: Well I had a cousin that was a Catholic and she...this girl was very close to me and my age and uh...we had some difficulty in our school of some type I don't even remember what but uh...I was sent...I went and I just stayed the one year. Then I came back and finished grade school in Matewan. Then my high school was done in Louisburg seminary.

B: Okay. Why was that?

GR: Well it was a very fine junior college in our day. And uh..we were just sent up there to school we felt that there were advantages there that possibly we didn't have at home and I did have a lovely four years there. And graduated in 1924 I do remember that.

B: Did you go on for any more school after that? Did you go to college?

GR: Well then I...yes I'm a graduate of Marshall.

B: Okay.

GR: I did my work for teachers certificate there.

B: Okay. When did you return to the Matewan area then?

GR: In 1924.

B: Okay. And did you teach?

GR: I taught in the Matewan school.

B: Uh...one thing that I didn't ask Miss Boothe was uh...was the Matewan school a segregated school when you all first started teaching?

GR: Not then....not then.

B: Okay. Was this in the twenties or was this later?

GR: oh this was in the...I graduated in 24 so I began teaching in 25.

B: Okay.

GR: In those days you were able to come right out of high school make what they uh...first grade certificate by attending six weeks at Marshall and I did that and then I had a school. Then I finished my college education over the years.

B: Okay.

GR: Until I got my degree.

B: Okay. So did black and white children go to the Matewan school in the twenties or was it something that...

GR: Well not until later. That happened whenever the desegregation schools took place. We took we had the blacks and I taught them yes.

B: Okay.

GR: Yes.

B: Do you know, I'm asking you because I didn't think to uh...ask Miss Boothe. Do you know where the black school was? Was there a black school in Matewan?

GR: Oh yes. Uh...Red...I think it was at Red Jacket. Or in that area. I don't remember exactly where it was located. But it was in that area.

B: Okay.

GR: And then the high school was Liberty High in Williamson.

B: Was your father an elected sheriff of Mingo County?

GR: Yes...yes.

B: Okay.

GR: He was elected sheriff and in those days they campaigned on horseback. Our roads as you well know aren't...they're not too good today are they. But they were very poor in those days. And so that was the way I've heard him tell about going around the county and campaigning. Now I don't' recall for sure but I think that uh...he was the first democratic sheriff elected for a long time when he was elected.

B: So your father was a democrat?

GR: Yes. I don't know whether he had been in Tennessee or not but I know that when he came to West Virginia and married into the Chamber's he became a democrat.

B: So politics...was politics a kind of family thing then in Matewan when you were growing up?

GR: I think so in a way it was.

B: What all do you remember about the time that your father spent as sheriff? What do you remember? What stands out in your mind?

GR: Well the sheriff's office was as the court house in Williamson you know. So that meant that he had to be there everyday. We had excellent passenger service we had excelled passenger trains and it was convent for him to go down and to be back home in the evening too you know.

B: So your father was a commuter then?

GR: Yes. He was uh...I guess you would call it that. He was a commuter?

B: Okay. Did he work basically nine to five or would he work different shifts?

GR: No there were no...no he was...it was basically everyday nine to five.

B: Okay.

GR: That part of it...the only part that I recall of that is that uh...he was away form home sometimes uh...at night too he would have been away. I can't remember to much of it. The office was in the court house and the thing that stands out most in my mind was uh...when the circus would come to Williamson that was always a red letter day. You know we'd go and I suppose it was uh...a thing that'd done usually by the circus people. They'd give passes to the officers or to different people in the community. I know we always had a pass to the circus. I remem-ber that.

B: Do you know about how long your father was sheriff?

GR: Four years. He was sheriff for four years. That was the term then.

B: So was he sheriff uh...when all the trouble happened..

B: Yes...

GR: ...in Matewan with Sid Hatfield?

GR: Yes he was.

B: What do you remember about that those events in that time period in 1920, 21?

GR: Well I can't remember I was thinking the other day trying to figure out how old I was when that happened.

B: You were about fourteen when...

GR: Yes I think I was...uh...yes somewhere between thirteen and fifteen.

B: Do you remember your father talking about some of the things that were going on? Did he...

GR: No, I can't remember those things I don't remember those things. The information that uh...we get you know. Some of it is uh...I'm sure they're are a lot of people in Matewan that think that it...some of it is true and some of it isn't. You know and that's the way I always felt about it. I read the articles that are printed, I read the books that are written. And then I try to think back over but I can't remember you see I'm eighty-four almost and that was a long time ago.

B: That's true. Do you remember uh...ever seeing Sid Hatfield?

GR: Oh yes, I remember that, I knew those people. I knew those men. Yes.

B: What stands out in your mind about the men that were involved? Say Sid Hatfield and Ed Chambers? Do you what do you remember about them? What do you remember ever talking to Ed Chambers or Sid Hatfield?

GR: I remember talking to Ed Chambers because his wife was uh... beautiful dress maker and she made my clothes made my dresses and things. And I remember him and they lived down the street in a little place not too far from us. But it was just the usual you know. I can't...it was just the usual things that uh...a little girl like me would talk about I suppose and nothing unusually. I as far as the uh...trouble that mine trouble and everything I know very little about it. Because I don't suppose I was too interested maybe or...it...we just excepted those things. Or people were mining people you know and they uh...that was what people did for a living. And so we just excepted it.

B: So was uh...was Mr. Chambers a friendly say when you would go to their house? Did...was he nice to you when you were there?

GR: Oh yes. Uh...they were lovely to you know. Everybody it was a small community everybody knew each other and uh...yes people were very friendly very, very friendly.

B: Well say, if you could remember something about his personality was he a say a friendly person or say a quite person or did he was he outgoing or you know?

GR: Well he was friendly. And they would do things for you you know. They'd fix your toys. they uh...his wife would make little dresses for my dolls out of the scraps left from my dresses. And uh...it was just uh...a very nice community to be in. Everybody knew each other and everybody was interested and helpful.

B: How about Sid...Sid Hatfield seemed kind of at once he seems like a colorful character in town but then again it's hard to try to get a picture of what his personality was like.

GR: Well I couldn't say for that because I didn't know him that well you know uh...from all...from what I can remember he was just a good office in the community you know.

B: Okay. How about uh...if I ask you some chronological event kind of questions? Do you remember anything about World War I? Did you...was there any...did you make nay [sic] notice of it as a chid [sic]? Did you know that there was say a war going on?

GR: Well I can't remember uh...except when it was over there was a lot of rejoicing you know. And uh...a lot of patriotism and as a child we would beat on drums and things and have parades and things like that. Then I remembered too that uh...the famous stars came to our community selling war bonds then we had the stamps that what they call the thrift stamp in our school you know. But we had things like that. And I remember you know that.

B: Was this World War I or World War II or both?

GR: This was World War I.

B: Okay. Do you remember any of the stars that came to the community?

GR: The women that played in Miss Miniver(?) what was her name?

B: Oh um...

GR: Gre...you can look it up.

B: Okay. But she played in Miss Miniver(?)

GR: Uh-huh. Mrs. Miniver(?)

B: Mrs. Miniver. Okay. Did she come to Williamson or...

GR: Yes to Williamson is where it was.

B: Okay. How about the flu epidemic I know that seems to have hit the Matewan community pretty hard?

GR: I can't remember that.

B: Okay. How about the great depression? What stands out in your mind about that time period?

GR: Well you see my father after was with the railroad company he had worked up until he became a station master or a depot agency as agent as the uh...people called him. And his job was permanent. And we had uh...an income all through that time but of course things were...it was a depression you know things were scarce and there wasn't too much money. But at that time I was in school. And he was able to send me to college. That's the...what is the date for that which your talking about?

B: The great depression the uh...in the late '20's early '30's.

GR: Yes well at that time I was married...I married.

B: When did you marry?

GR: I married in 1938. November 1928. My husband was not a West Virginian. He came from Virginia...Clarksville, Virginia. And he came during the first world war just out of high school to fill a job that his brother his older brother was vacating. He had been in West Virginia for some time.

B: Okay.

GR: So Allen came and uh...worked for the same company. The    _____ coal interest that uh...his brother had been workin' for. Then as the war continued and things became you know the scarcity of man and the need for them and everything he was able to come right up in the company you know and he held uh...a good job. Then when the war was over and his brother came back they went into business together in Matewan. And then was when we were...-that was when we were married?

B: Okay. What kind of business did they have?

GR: They had uh...the furniture.

B: Okay.

GR: That they were in the furniture hardware and furniture business.

B: Okay.

GR: They were competitors of my grandfather and uncle who owned the Chambers Hardware and furniture company.

B: Was the competition did it end up being a friendly competition or...

GR: Yes. Of course it did.

B: Do you remember where their store was?

GR: Yes. Uh...the Reams uh...Hardware and Furniture Company was located in the Buskirk building.

B: Okay.

GR: Where today I think uh...are auto supplies by you'll have to check on that. I don't know exactly the name of the concern that's in there now. But that's where the business was in those days in the early days.

B: Okay. How many children did you have after you married?

GR: Just one just Pat.

B: Okay.

GR: His name is Pat...Patrick Allen.

B: Okay. When was he born?

GR: He was born in March 1935.

B: Okay. Did a doctor deliver him?

GR: Oh yes. I was in the hospital.

B: Oh you went to the hospital.

GR: And the hospital was located in those days in the Buskirk building on the second floor.

B: Uh...why did you have him in the hospital that was kind of rare for that time.

GR: No not for that time 1935.

B: That wasn't that rare?

GR: No.

B: Okay.

GR: You see the war was over and uh...the doctors had come back and a Dr. Hodge had started this hospital.

B: Okay.

GR: Have you had any information on the first hospitals in Matewan?

B: No mam. What were they like?

GR: Well, as I told you this one was located in the hotel on the second floor and it was uh...it was started I think by a doctor Hodge. I think maybe I'm wrong you'll have to verify it. But uh...the doctor that delivered Pat my son was a doctor Rutherford. Dr. Rutherford. And he had uh...his father before him had been a just a doctor there in the community. Which my people had used along and of course when he was located there in the hospital why it was my grandmother who insisted that he deliver my Pat. Because the family had always used them you know.

B: Where was the hospital after that? Do you know?

GR: Yes, then it was down in the building that Mr. Blankenship has today. In the uh...lower part of town...the lower end of town. That originally well the...it is...it was different from what it is now. Originally it was just a small but it's been added to. But it was a fairly nice little hospital. And doctor Hodge practiced there for years.

B: Do you know anything about the training that these doctors received? Did they go to college far away or....

GR: Oh yeah...well they came to us from another community and they were certified well and were very fine doctors in those days. Yes in deed. We had uh...we were very fortunate to have them.

B: How much did it cost for your son to be born? How much did... do you remember?

GR: No...no I don't remember that. I don't remember.

B: What was the social life like in Matewan for a young married couple say around when you and your husband married?

GR: Well we had a nice social life. In our community uh...there were lots of young men who had come in for the different...they'd come in to work for the coal company. They had come in...some had come in and gone into business for themselves. As my husband had and a Mr. Brown who was in the B & C Oil Company. And then we had several businesses that brought in very fine people. Uh...the druggist you know. Mrs....Miss Boothe I suppose told you about they owned the drug...

B: Leckie's Drug Store.

GR: Leckie's Drug Store. So uh...these men were able to secure ...this is one thing that's outstanding was outstanding in our community were the dances that we had. Uh...the hotel it later became you know it was uh...it was a hotel it was originally built the Urias Hotel a very fine one. It was said that it was one of the nicest ones. One of the finest ones between uh...Roanoke and Cincinnati. And due to the excellent transportation that we had you know people could get in and out on the trains. We could have affairs and people would come from distances to take part in them. So big name orchestras came....

B: Oh really...

GR: To that town in the early days. It's unbelievable the different ones that uh...came for one night stands. And so some of our businessmen would go together and guarantee them a price you know then they would make the arrangements and sell the tickets and plan and have....and we had some lovely things. So that was one of the outstanding things that we had in Matewan in the early days. Then of course we had our clubs, we had our churches, we had the schools for the center of a lot of activity in those days. When I first began to teach. I would say that the school was the center of activity and the church. The school and the church.

B: Do you remember any of the names of the big orchestras that would come? Were they big band orchestras or...

GR: Tommy Dorsey was there.

B: Oh really?

GR: Yes.

B: And he played at the Urias Hotel?

GR: Tex Benakey (?) is the...name can you name some orchestras that...

B: Uh....

GR: I've forgotten them but we had some lovely ones.

B: Kay Kiser? Did he ever come?

GR: I believe so.

B: Uh...Glen Miller? I don't know if he...he was in the forties.

GR: I don't remember.

B: Okay.

GR: You can...I'm sure that you can with somebody else and find out the names of them.

B: Okay. Your the first person that's mentioned that they came though.

GR: Do you have...do you have a lot of interviews with uh...people scheduled or have you had already had them?

B: Well we have about twenty some so far. We're suppose to have twenty some more. Uh...we're suppose to do about fifty over the course of our remaining time so we're suppose to do about fifty. And people have mentioned that they have had dances but they...and orchestras but they never said who so...uh...speaking of school I've heard one uh...kind of colorful character that's come up in relation to school history is uh...Billy Adair and uh...Miss Boothe said that you might be able to tell me something about the mysterious flower fund. I've heard that there is uh...flower fund the teachers were uh...they tried to get the teachers to contribute money I think for the flower fund. Do you remember anything about that?

GR: I just know that Mr. Adair was uh...member of the Board of Education.

B: Oh, okay...okay. Did you ever hear anything about the flower fund though?

GR: I don't recall hearing...I don't remember.

B: Okay. So...

GR: Of course I think that people who are interested in politics and things always contribute to their party if they're interested in it. And if they want to see things done you know they don't uh...it's even prevalent today except that it's on a much higher scale and it's called by different things. But uh...I expect as long as there has been any politics in West Virginia there have been some kind of funds.

B: I was just asking because I know in later years they say some of the teachers from later years have said that they gave money because they might lose their jobs. And I was just wondering because that had happened earlier on. You know early in say the '20's or '30's or '40's if teachers were strongly encouraged to contribute.

GR: Well I've always felt that teachers who really did the job of teaching and who really were teachers dedicated people, I think all down through the years that they've been held in positions.

B: Okay.

GR: I always felt that way.

B: Okay.

GR: I think there was always the fear of being moved from a locality from one locality to another. That you might have that fear.

B: Okay. So if a teacher wasn't doing a good job they might get moved to uh...more remote school or.

GR: Well I think...I don't know just how it was done but I think that probably that existed in the early days. But that still exists in communities today.

B: That's true.

GR: I hear so much talk, I read so many articles up here about merit pay and that's on the same...

B: Okay.

GR: ...that's in the same vane I think.

B: Okay.

GR: And I think once you've been a school person and once you've been in school, interested in schools that you...it's rather...it brings back a lot of memories and it brings back a...uh...your interested in seeing how teachers are faring today and what the conditions are. And I would say that in our areas there still a lot of things maybe done. But I don't...I don't know for sure I just think that from what I read and...

B: Were you active in the democratic party? Were you an active person?

GR: Yes...yes.

B: What kind of role did women have in politics in Mingo say years ago what kind of things did you do?

GR: Well I think that uh...I think it increased over the years I think they became more active as time passed you know. But I think that women have always played an important role down in our county.

B: What kind of things did you do uh...politically?

GR: Well then we served on elections boards. Then when we got the right to serve on juries our people served on juries. We uh... represented...Worthy now the uh...lets see how...we of course we worked for increase in teachers salaries you know. And in the teacher load and in the uh...anything that pertained to schools that was for the betterment of our schools and our community and our children. I think our people went all out for it. When there bond issues, we supported those.

B: Did you ever hold any offices? Elected or appointed in your party?

GR: Not that I recall.

B: Okay. The reason I'm asking you political questions is Miss Boothe said you were better at information on the political activities in Mingo than she knew.

GR: Then she gave you the club activities? She...

B: I didn't get a chance to ask her about the club activities.

GR: Well she was such a wonderful club women and so was her sister Mrs. Leckie.

B: Was this the women's club or...

GR: Yes, this is the Matewan Women's Club. We worked very hard on the fair. I suppose you've been...

B: I've heard about the fair.

GR: Heard about the fair. We worked very, very hard in the early days to get it going and it was really quite an achievement in that community.

B: Okay. What interaction did say the women's club have with the mens club say the Rotary club or the other organizations? Was there much interaction between them?

GR: Yes uh...more so later on than...and especially after the fair was started you know and the fair I think is in it's twenty...what is it? Oh it must be or maybe the 30th year. Is it?

B: I think so...I...it's way up there...

GR: You'll have to verify those days because I can't remember them exactly but I'm sure you can do that uh...

B: I know it's been many years.

GR: I remember Bill...uh...Stewart and uh...people like that who and over the years have been in the fair could give you all that information. But the women were you know they've taken an active part in that every since the beginning. That's uh...is one of the ...well I'm sorry that you didn't get Mrs...Miss Boothe's reaction to the fair and to the women's club because they were so very active and did so much. Then you know after the Rotarians agreed to women coming in we were even closer I think. We were even closer.

B: Okay. What political party did uh...Noah Floyd belong to? Do you remember him?

GR: I remember Mr. Floyd because he was the school man. He was uh...was a county superintendent I believe. I'm...I'm sure he was. Well I don't know uh...I don't remember, I can't remember exactly. Uh...you know always the uh...school board then became non    _____ and it's non    _____ today supposedly but we've always had the factions in. The different factions in those both political parities you know. So that has made for a lot of unpleasant publicity. That is made for a lot of miss information and it's destroyed a lot of things that we're really very fine at one time.

B: What kind of things that you think were harmed by the publicity? Can you think of anything off hand that you though has suffered because of the negative publicity?

GR: Well I think the schools have suffered from that more than anything else. I really think. I think the schools have suffered more from the negative publicity than other things. Of course now I'm not familiar with the uh...well I can't think dear what it is I want. With all the programs that you know even in uh...the years I have been up here with is number eight now there's been great changes too. But a lot of it must have been in the making before I came. But I don't know why I wouldn't recall a lot of it but I don't. A lot of things. I just don't recall it.

B: What stands out in your mind about Mr. Floyd? Did you ever talk to him personally?

GR: Oh yes. He was county superintendent and he came to visit our schools. He was a very fine school man.

B: So he was concerned about the state of education in the county?

GR: I think so, yes indeed. I think that uh...now uh...it's just unfortunate that schools became so politically involved that maybe there was something there but I think that uh...our schools started out and I think that they were...there was a lot of improvement. They were very fine I think. As I said eighty years makes a difference...and all I know is what I get from the daily newspaper that comes to me which isn't very pleasant at times. To read about things that I never...I could not believe that the things that have happened would happen. Because uh...the day that we taught the Miss Boothe taught Mrs. Leckie taught and all the ladies that you've interviewed or will hear about and everything were really dedicated teachers who uh...had the welfare of children and schools at heart...and really taught school.

B: That's true. Were you still active in the democrat party when the economic opportunity commission was started then?

GR: I don't know anything about that as I said I don't' know uh... I'm sure it was started a lot earlier I mean before I left home, West Virginia to come up here to retire I'm sure was in...was in full swing. But I...after I retired I didn't uh...and not having anyone particularly in that uh...field you know I suppose I my interest maybe went some where else.

B: Okay. What uh...if you don't mind if I back track through the years now uh...do you remember hearing about when Sid Hatfield and Ed Chambers died? You were probably at least distantly related to Ed.

GR: Ed.

B: Right. Uh...at the time...he got a monument over his grave much sooner than Sid Hatfield did uh...how did the Chambers family deal with his death? Do you remember?

GR: I suppose they dealt with it just like uh...anybody else deals with death. Uh...I don't remember any...any what do you mean dear?

B: Well uh...I was just wondering we haven't heard that much...we hear about the event the day that it happened. But we haven't talked to anybody say to uh...to see what kind of...he was such a young man. To see what kind of impact that had on the Chambers family. The Chambers family is so big and it's connected into so many different families.

GR: Other families.

B: Right. We were just wondering that have to had a great impact on the family to lose someone that young.

GR: Well I can't remember that. I can't remember that.

B: Okay. Do you know did Sally his wife stay in the Matewan area after his death? Do you remember seeing her after?

GR: I don't recall how long she stayed there or those things. Don't you have a record of those from their...those people are still alive her family is still uh...they're are members of that family still in Matewan.

B: We're piecing that together.

GR: Are you?

B: Yes.

GR: Well I...that will be your authentic information would be from them.

B: Okay. We're just...we're trying to piece together not so much factual information as what people heard. Say about those events.

GR: Yeah. Well there was a lot of hear say.

B: Is there anything that you remember in particular? And of the stories that you remember acting to or that your parents reacted to the hear say about those events?

GR: No. I can't. Nothing particularly that I can recall.

B: Okay. Is there anything that has been important in your life that I haven't ask you about yet that you would like to talk about? Uh...one thing I can think of that I'd like to ask you is uh...did you continue to work after your son was born?

GR: Yes I taught school right on each year after he was born. With the exception of one year that I worked for my father in the Matewan Express office. In the N & W Express Office. I worked for one year for him. Then I went back into the school.

B: How much time...

GR: And I can't remember the date I can't remember the date that I uh...got a leave of absence of school and went into business with my husband in the Reams Wholesale. We had that business in Matewan. It was a wholesale feed and grocery. For five years I worked with him. In that business and that was in the second World War.

B: Okay. What was the express office?

GR: The express office it was in this station that they are talk-ing about restoring.

B: Okay. Where did that station stand at the time? The railroad station.

GR: Well it was between the railroad and the back street that uh...that the church is located on. And there a little tract of land that the road comes around that way and where there are now tracks. There...the station a long frame building. It's a such a pity that uh...that wasn't uh...saved at uh...that it wasn't... that they didn't contact the railroad company and try to get that and the town take it at that time. Because now I understand they want to restore it or they want to build something to take the place of it and    _____ and fix it as it was.

B: That's true they do. Before...

GR: But there again you know are high insights or the...

B: foresight..

GR: Foresight or the other way around which is it?

B: One before my tape runs out I want to get on tape uh...Miss Boothe said you know a humorous story about the 1977 flood. She said there was a funny story...

GR: Oh, I don't think we have time for that.

B: Oh, is it a very long story.

GR: It is a long story.

B: Oh my goodness.

GR: In our end of town what we call, we speak of it as the lower end uh...there was a telephone office the C & P Telephone people had an office there, well at the time of the flood when the waters began to come of course they sent in men from everywhere to man that and to keep their lines open as long as they could keep them open. Well there was a young man I don't know about his age I...he wasn't so young either I guess he was maybe middle age. Who uh... was there and when the waters got up to where it was unsafe for him to stay in he came out the window and walked the wires now how he did it because you know how wires are strung along there. But he was able to get from that lower end of town up to the section where the dollar store is now. That was called the Cooper building in those days and I think the dollar store is in there now. And right next to that place...it's a cinder block building but right next to it was a big old frame building that was known as the Chafin home in the early days but it had since been remodeled and made into two apartments. In the upper apartment lived uh...an elderly lady by the name of Mrs. Parkinson, a widow who was a very, very person her husband had been connected with the Red Jacket Coal Com-pany uh...then Mr. Cooper had what was originally was the Chambers Hardware and Furniture Store, he with some other men had bought that and he had the Cooper Hardware and Furniture store in that building. The building had a flat roof. It has just a flat roof. It's not...it was not a two story building but the roof of that building above it the second floor of this uh...frame building where Mrs. Parkinson lived well the man came up ont he wires and came up and got off on this flat roof it began to rain and to snow and was terrible weather and there he was there on the roof and the water coming up, up all the time and he was going to stay there. Well my...I lived in the property adjacent to that old hospital that I'm telling you about that the man was in and Mrs. Talbert lived in those apartments that are there today which are directly across from this super place or this Cooper's place she had the back apartment which was uh...her place and her niece had the front apartment and Miss Bowling even today and Julie have it together and uh...you could just...they had a door cut through you know so we were in both apartments well we'd leave the back and go to the front well when the water began to get so high Mrs. Talbert kept sending word for me to come on up there from my house which was just down below her you know but I was waiting because I felt like well it was gonna go down every...something was gonna happen...

Matewan Oral History Project Collection