Wisdom of our Elders    Home

Towns County Historical Society - Oral History Project 2006

The Society is in the beginning stages of producing a new CD or DVD about our county.

Local citizens 65 years or older are urged to apply.
We are putting names on a list. Interviews will proceed from oldest to youngest.

 

Name______________________________________________

 

Birth Date _________________  

 

IN MEMORIAM

For persons who have passed on, please provide current contact information of living relative/friend with recorded information.

Relative/Friend Name ___________________________________

 

Address____________________________________________

 

City, State, Zip______________________________________

 

Telephone Number___________________________________

 

Cell-phone Number__________________________________

 

Email address_______________________________________

 

When is the best time of day to talk about times past ____________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

            Elder's local information

Community where you were raised _______________________

Community where you currently live (does not have to be in Towns County) _____________________________

 

Community where you worked __________________________

 

     What was your occupation __________________________

 

Other places you have lived ______________________________________________

 

Parents

Father name _______________________________Father's Birthday _____________

 

 

Mother name ______________________________ Mother's Birthday ____________

 

Children

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You may either copy all the above fields into an email, fill them out, and send via email to

 

towns_county_ga_history@yahoo.com

 

or print, fill out, cut at the dotted line above and mail to

 

Towns County Historical Society (or TCHS)

PO Box 932

Hiawassee, Georgia 30546

 

 

 

PLEASE CONTACT OR EMAIL THE SOCIETY TO ADD MORE TOPICS AND SUGGESTIONS.

mailto:towns_county_ga_history@yahoo.com

 

Home

Topics for Memory recordings include

Your earliest childhood recollections and parent's teachings,

Activities in the community,

School,

 information about the oldest schools The Academy,

 paying for school and supplies,

 the beginning of free public education Towns County High School buildings

Church,

Attending the Fair,

Revivals,

Camp meetings,

Dating (sparking),

Hunting,

Fishing,

Quilting,

Raising babies,

Clearing ground,

Farming,

Plowing,

Gardening,

Preserving food and canning,

Unusual Appalachian vocabulary words and practices,

Social changes are important,

 electricity,

 the war,

 radio,

 television.

The way you saw changes after returning from trips away

 like being in the army

or working in a big city, etc.

 

 

Everyone's life history is important. The Towns County Historical Society is in the beginning stages of producing an Oral History CD or DVD about our county's past. Recordings of local resident's memories will be used to create this product. If individuals have recordings of elders that have passed away, the Society would be interested in receiving copies to be included in this production. Sound quality can be poor on home recording equipment but we may be able to use amateur tapes and would appreciate the donation of these special recordings made by families, friends, churches, and organizations. Photographs can be used if there is a narrator/reporter giving biographical facts. The final product will take hours and months to produce and many volunteers are needed. The more volunteers we have the faster the final product will be completed. HELP! Please attend meetings and keep in touch through email.

Topics for Memory recordings include Your oldest childhood recollections and parent's teachings, activities in the community, school, church, attending the Fair, revivals, camp meetings, dating (sparking), hunting, fishing, quilting, raising babies, clearing ground, farming, plowing, gardening, preserving food and canning, unusual Appalachian vocabulary words and practices, after returning from trips away like being in the army or working in a big city, etc.

Please start writing notes about your memories (or have your children/grandchildren help you get thoughts on paper) to share with family and Towns County residents. We are really interested in long time residents who have seen the changes to the county first hand. A Native is defined as being born and raised in Towns County, and a Long-time resident is defined as having moved here in their teens, age 19 or younger.(Off-color stories can be amusing and may be recorded but will probably not be used; try to clean them up). What did your family do during the long winter months, spring, in the hot summer, and autumn?

Start making time to work on your autobiography. If you have written about your past and have many memories, please select the ones that will mean the most to historical scholars, specifically, people that look back for dates and events that have had an influence on the larger society. Social changes are important, electricity, the war, radio, and television. Everyone's life history is important. Help the historical society make a record that will preserve our unique Appalachian way of life.

PLEASE CONTACT OR EMAIL THE SOCIETY TO ADD MORE TOPICS AND SUGGESTIONS.

mailto:towns_county_ga_history@yahoo.com