Oral Histories

Recorded in Muhlenberg County

Kentucky's Oral History Commission has collected thousands of interviews with Kentuckians since 1976. Many of these interviews are with elderly people who talk about their memories. The tapes can be a gold mine of information about historic events and daily life over the past 100 years.

For more info about the commission and the audio tape collection, go to http://205.204.134.47/oh/introduction.aspx. To go directly to the statewide guide to oral histories, go to http://205.204.134.47/oh/detail.aspx?id=18.

If you're hoping to find something specific in the collection, or if you want to know if specific surnames are mentioned extensively in the tapes, send your inquiry to Beth Shields at beth.shields@ky.gov or call (502) 564- 1792, ext. 4499.

I've located eight taped interviews of Muhlenberg County residents. If I locate more, they'll be added to this list. If you find additional tapes at the History Center or other repositories, please let me know.

Interviews on Audio Tape in the Kentucky Oral History Commission collection in Frankfort:

J.W. Durall Sr. -- talks about the first automobiles in the county, the reaction of horses and mules; the presidential campaign of W.W. Wilson
Agnes S. Harralson (b. 1896) -- talks about Green River steamboats, boat wrecks, Hogg Falls
Lee Howell (b. 1899) -- talks about coal mining (regulations, salary, conditions, accidents, strikes, violence, company store)
Arthur T. Iler (b. 1900) -- talks about the Captain Richard Jones family and drummers (traveling salesmen); tells stories involving horses and dogs
Jesse E. Moore (b. 1896) -- talks about Central City history, banks and bank officers, the Great Depression
Earl N. Noffsinger (b. 1895) -- talks about coal mining, accidents, 1924 mine strike, living conditions on the family farm
Moses R. ("Mose") Rager -- talks about his music and learning to play the guitar
Hebert Stobaugh (b. 1897) -- talks about mining and mine accidents (there is a 4-minute gap in the sound)
George R. Vaught (b. 1892) -- talks about farm produce and prices before WW I; his army training and service in Europe during that war; his work in the coal mines; the strike of 1924