Restrictions: There are no restrictions on use of this material other than federal copyright regulations. Records can be accessed through the Reading Room, Berea College Special Collections and Archives, Hutchins Library, Berea College.
Preferred Citation: [Object identification], Kentucky River Oral History Project, Berea College Special Collections & Archives, Berea, KY.
Scope and Contents: One hundred fifty-one audio recorded interviews and detailed content summaries (not transcripts) documenting the economic and social conditions of people who have lived or worked on the Kentucky River. The interviews were recorded by Berea College students in 1989 and 1990 as part of an oral history project administered by the Kentucky Folklife Program. The memory time span of these interviews in some instances goes back as far as the late 1800s. Narrators talk about industries and occupations associated with the river, various types of boats, floods, and accidents. Also discussed are river pollution, area geological history, social life, and recreation. Communities along the river that are discussed in the interviews include Valley View, High Bridge, Shakertown, Boonesborough, and Oregon.