Interview with Harold Patterson, June 5, 1991

Interview Summary

Harold Patterson was born in 1938 in his grandparents' home. His father was killed in the coal mines when Patterson was very young, and his stepfather was also a coal miner. His mother was a teacher, and his parents also had a garden. He was very close to his extended family growing up and spent a lot of time with his cousins and on his grandparents' farm. Patterson talks about his chores in the garden, helping out with harvesting corn, and the home remedies his grandparents used. He talks about raising cattle, making molasses and maple sugar, and raising vegetables. He talks about the demand for fresh produce in Kentucky, and discusses the reasons why agriculture is suffering.

Interview Keyword

Cumberland College Eastern Kentucky University Families Farm mechanization Future of farming Gardening Harlan County (Ky.) Heritage farms Hired farm labor Inheritance practices Maple syrup Molasses Patterson family history Pesticides Subsistence farming

Interview LC Subject

Agriculture--Kentucky Agriculture. Family farms Gender issues Manners and customs Social classes

Interview Rights

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Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.