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McDOWELL COUNTY ORAL HISTORY

A project of the McDowell County NC Tourism Authority made possible by a grant from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area

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« Lake Tahoma Steak House: Bear Suppers, $1.50 Buffet, and Cornflakes for Tommy Dorsey
The Flood of 1916 »

The View From Graphite

September 12, 2009 by mcdowellcountyhistory

The men in Mildred Kelly's family worked with the railroad for generations.

The men in Mildred Kelly's family worked with the railroad for generations.

The McDowell community of Graphite, or Graphiteville, is located just down the mountain from Ridgecrest and takes its name from the mining activity that took place there around 1900.
Mildred Kelly has lived in Graphite her entire life,  as did her mother and grandmother before her. Her home is located just across the yard from the house where she was born.
A few miles southeast of Graphite, the citizens of Old Fort dig out after the 1916 flood. (Photo courtesy of Peggy Silvers)

A few miles southeast of Graphite, the citizens of Old Fort dig out after the 1916 flood. (Photo courtesy of Peggy Silvers)

Mrs. Kelly welcomed us to her front porch to talk about the 1916 flood, the depression years,home remedies, the railroad,  and the observations she has made in her 80+ years. (You’ll also hear the sounds of a late summer morning, the chickens in the yard, and Buddy the dog doing battle with a persistent flea…)

To drive up to Graphite or to see it on a map, you’d be forgiven for thinking that  it is one of the most isolated places in western North Carolina. But as you can see in the photo to the left, which was taken from Mrs. Kelly’s porch during our interview, she has had good reason never to feel isolated at all.

https://mcdowellcountyhistory.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/mildredkellyinterview.mp3

Listen to Mrs. Kelly using the media player above.

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Posted in Depression Years, Everyday life, Flood of 1916, Trains, _Interviewee: Mildred Kelly | Tagged history, mcdowell county, north carolina, oral history |

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