Interview with Vergrinia Marie Smith Thomas, September 2, 2023
Project: Benham (Kentucky) Credit Union Oral History Project
Interview Summary
Thomas, one of the first female coal miners at Lynch, KY chronicles the daily perilous life when mining coal underground beginning in 1977 for 14 years in Lynch, Kentucky, inside US Steel’s coal mine, subsequently purchased by Arch Coal and her first reaction. She recounts how a miner’s daily existence depended on fellow miners, and the impact of company lay-off of miners and strikes; whether racism or sexism existed alongside equal pay and benefits; impact of bidding on different jobs inside the mine and also highlights the joys of friendship, community and family life in Lynch. Dreena retired in 2020.Interview Accession
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Lynch, Kentucky US Steel Company Arch Coal United Mine Workers America (UMWA) Lynch Big Store Lynch School sports underground mining roof bolting shuttles other women miners and women within the community equal pay and benefits family life Lynch company houses friendship community lifeInterview Rights
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All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.
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Thomas, Vergrinia Marie Smith Interview by Jo Hern Curris. 02 Sep. 2023. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Thomas, V.M. (2023, September 02). Interview by J. H. Curris. Benham (Kentucky) Credit Union Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Thomas, Vergrinia Marie Smith, interview by Jo Hern Curris. September 02, 2023, Benham (Kentucky) Credit Union Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
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Persistent Link for this Record: https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt74bphpw19gn