Interview with Mary Lewis Biggerstaff, February 12, 1979

Interview Summary

Mary Biggerstaff was born in Hyden, Kentucky in 1899. Her father was Judge Lou Lewis. She tells of her family's pioneer background and also mentions some early residents of the area before the FNS was established. Biggerstaff was present at the first organizational meeting at the Hyden courthouse in 1925. Her father introduced Mary Breckinridge to many people in Leslie County. Biggerstaff also discusses Black families in Hyden and a Black school. She recalls the family histories of many Leslie County residents and gives the names and backgrounds of early doctors in the community, a grandmother who practiced public health, and also a number of early pharmacists. Her recollection of buildings in Hyden is extremely specific. Biggerstaff's personal acquaintance with Mary Breckinridge is related at length. She also gives some details of the Deaton-Callahan feud, among other local happenings.

Interview Keyword

Banks and banking--Kentucky Criminals--Kentucky Distilling, illicit Family histories. Hotels. Judge Lou Lewis Leslie County (Ky.)--Politics and government Newspapers--Kentucky.

Interview LC Subject

African Americans--Social conditions Appalachian Region--Social life and customs Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965 Education--Kentucky Families. Family--history Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. Genealogy--Appalachian Region Hyden (Ky.) Judges--Kentucky Leslie County (Ky.) Medical care--Appalachian Region Physicians--Kentucky Presbyterian Church--Kentucky Race Relations--Kentucky Rural health services Slavery Traditional medicine United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.

Interview Rights

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.

Interview Usage

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