folkways

This 1897 photograph of the David Miller family
depicts life on a typical mountain farm.

After the United States gained its independence from Great Britain the mountains of Western North Carolina and what would become Tennessee were opened for settlement.  The majority of the early settlers were English, Scotch-Irish and German.  They came seeking land and independence.

The land was inexpensive and the climate was relatively mild.  Many settled in the fertile river valleys, while others ventured further into the mountains.

Travel in the region was difficult though.  The first roads were steep, rough, muddy and often impassable.  The area was isolated and for many decades economic and political conditions were poor.

 

Families survived by being self-sufficient and hard-working.  They cleared small areas for planting grains, vegetables and fruit.   They raised hogs, chickens and cattle.  They hunted and fished and gathered native plants to meet their needs.  From their harvests they produced what was needed, including medicine, moonshine, molasses and much more.

A mountain moonshine still set-up on Diamond Creek, ca. 1940.

Turpentine, yellow root, catnip, black snake root and many more cured all that ailed the early settlers.  Old-timers recommended wild cherry-bark juice mixed with corn whiskey as a spring tonic or sassafras tea for those who preferred a non-alcoholic tonic.  Golden seal was used for stomach problems, sore eyes, kidney trouble and tonsillitis.  Flaxseed and honey helped with whooping cough.

In addition to the personal needs, medicinal or otherwise, distilled alcohol provided much needed cash income.  Jugs of liquor were easier to haul to market and to sell, plus it was more profitable then selling grain. 

In the early 1960s the congregation at Oak Grove Methodist Church in Brevard
raised can and made molasses to raise money for their new church,
St. Timothy United Methodist.

Another crop that was boiled down to liquid form was sorghum.  Sorghum is a grass with a high sugar content.  It is relatively easy to grow, even in poor soils.  The sorghum cane was cut, boil, squeezed and strained to produce molasses.  For many mountain families molasses was their primary type of sweetener.  They poured it on corn bread or hot cakes, used it to make cookies or cakes and seasoned foods with it. 

Folkways, the traditional practice of a particular community were passed down from generation to generation.  While many of these have disappeared over the years as it became easier to purchase goods and technology advanced, others continued well into the 20^th century and in various forms survive today.

To learn more about North Carolina folkways and folklore try one of John Parris’ books on mountain life or North Carolina Folklore by Frank C. Brown.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.