Blog 5: Researching Appalachia

          For my research paper I chose to write on the Supernatural in Athens and Ohio University. Athens and Ohio University are known to be some of the most haunted places in the world. I started my research by looking at the first known occurrences of supernatural activity in Athens. I was able to find the earliest known occurrences that dated back to the 1800s, centered on a 1,000-foot ridge called Mount Nebo, which had previously been a Native American spiritual center. The Koons family, in the mid-1800s moved to the Athens area and settled their home at Mount Nebo. The father of the family was said to be able to connect with spirits and his wife and oldest son were also able to. The spirits instructed them to build a room and fill it with instruments and the Koons followed their instructions. In this room is where they performed public séances which became very well known and people would travel for hours to come see them. After several years the Koons family stopped performing séances and moved. Mount Nebo is believed to be where the spiritual world is connected with our own. I also researched The Ridges and Wilson Hall.

Mount Nebo

            Throughout my research I was able to better understand the history behind the legends of supernatural activity around Athens, Ohio and Ohio University. I had not previously known the story about the Koons family and Mount Nebo, which I found particularly interesting. I found this information to be the most interesting because it gave me a sense of when, where, and how the supernatural came to life within Athens. There are too many accounts of supernatural events throughout the years that lead me to believe that it is true. 

Blog 4: Past and Present

            The aspect of Ohio University/Athens history that I find very interesting is that of The Ridges. The Ridges was known previously as the Athens Lunatic Asylum when it opened in 1874, and being changed to its current name after Ohio University began taking ownership of parts of the hospital throughout the 1980s. The last patients left the institution in 1992. While The Ridges was still open many of the patients that went into it also died there. There are still cemeteries that remain on the grounds today. When someone died while in the care of the hospital they were given a small stone with their patient number on them, which was used for their tombstone. Few stones were later replaced that included the patient’s name, which was done by their descendants.

                       

The cemeteries, along with the buildings that make up The Ridges, are known to be haunted. The patients that died here are said to haunt the grounds. People who have explored The Ridges have reported hearing voices of patients crying from pain. They believe these cries to be from the horrible treatments that were administered, such as lobotomies.

     

The history of The Ridges and the legends that surround it has captured the curiosity of many people, not only in Athens and Ohio University, but also around the world. Many students at one time or another during their time attending Ohio University visit The Ridges to see if the legends are true. For over 100 years The Ridges have been a well-known part of history in Athens.

Tremblay, Craig. Guide to Ohio University Ghosts & Legends. [S.l.]: Lulu, 2007. Print.

Blog 3: Family Story

           While my mom was growing up family was a big part of her life. Her mother, my grandma, had 4 sisters, 2 brothers, and a total of 22 cousins. During the year they would all gather every Sunday, and during the summer on Saturdays also, at her grandparents house on the river. In 1954 her grandpa became the superintendent of the River Boat Patrol at Griggs Dam in Columbus, Ohio. It was after retiring from the Columbus Police Department after 22 years that he took the job on the river. With that job came the house on the river where my mom and her family would all gather. The house was always full of family and friends and even people that were out on the river boating would stop in to grab a bite to eat or join in on the poker games. My mom’s grandma would always be busy cooking in the kitchen preparing pies, noodles, and biscuits from scratch for family and friends. During the warmer months of the year my mom and all her cousins would go play on the outdoor stone amphitheater, which they would call their castle. In the winter the older kids would take the younger ones outside to go sledding, play in the snow, and ice skate. 

            This story about my mom’s childhood is important to me because over time I think people can lose track of what is important in life such as family. When I think back to these stories it makes me appreciate the time that I have gotten to spend with all of my cousins and the memories that will be passed on through generations like my mom has passed hers down.

Blog 2

            In Sohn’s book, Whistlin’ and Crowin’ Women of Appalachia: Literacy Practices since College, I thought her analysis of Lucy, Jean, and Sarah was very well constructed. I was able to get a sense of the culture in Appalachia and the importance of education for the women that live there. I felt as if each of the three women had their fair share of difficulties to overcome and each prevailed with hard work and dedication no matter what the situation was. None of the women lost sight of their dream and stayed true to their values. I was surprised by the way that men in Appalachia view education. I thought that it was ridiculous how Lucy’s husband Matt was abusive towards her because of his outlook on how things should be in Appalachia. Lucy would have to lie to him about what time she would need to go to class because he would not let her drive herself and she was not allowed to study at home so she had to go early to study, “He ‘allowed’ me to go to college but only if he drove me there and back and if I kept my schoolbooks in the car” (Sohn 75). Sarah also didn’t have the support of her second husband Bill and stuck up for herself by telling him that if he forced her to pick between him and her education that he would lose. In Jean’s case it was her husbands parents who did not agree with her choice to go back to school. A negative view on education was not uncommon for men of Appalachia to have during this time. I believe that men felt as if they should be the most powerful in the household and viewed being educated as having power. Therefore men did not want their wives to be educated in fear that they would lose power.

            In American culture the negative stereotypes of Appalachia are often seen in movies and television shows while the positive stereotypes are overlooked. The negative view on education and the lack of education is a characteristic that Appalachia is known for. We are shown this in the media but we are often not shown the hard work and dedication from women trying to break away from the negative stereotypes. If Americans were better educated on Appalachian culture, I believe it would entirely change the way that we construct Appalachia.

Sohn, Katherine Kelleher. Whistlin' and Crowin' Women of Appalachia: Literacy Practices since College. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 2006. Print.

Blog 3 - Religious Skepticism: A Family Tradition

    Accidental suicide is one of the greatest loopholes of the Christian faith. Parishioners from the various sects will have different answers for why and how the lines are drawn, but a Christian who accidentally overdoses on heroin has a better chance of getting into "Heaven" than a person who, say, jumps off a cliff. Even better, if you wear a parachute that fails as you're going over the cliff, you're off the hook completely; that is, as long as you don't you don't intend to die. Extreme sports, in particular, allow one to statistically "beat the system" and "reunite with God" ahead of schedule (obviously not "God's"' schedule, as he is "omniscient"). If "Heaven" is, in fact, the goal, why not give God frequent opportunities to fly you home?
    My grandfather, Fred, was born and raised in rural Appalachian Ohio. He identifies as Methodist and has attended church regularly throughout his life. A school teacher and avid reader, my grandfather has always regarded science as a worthwhile pursuit and method of religious illumination; he'd favor geological evidence over Young Earth creationism, and then use the Big Bang theory to explain Genesis. He's my favorite kind of Christian: the kind that allows for his faith and understanding to evolve, together, in the light of new evidence. I remember his support at my aunt's commitment ceremony every time I see him with his namesake, my one year old cousin Fritz, as he's being fussed over by his two moms.
    My other cousin, Jack, is in first grade. One afternoon, back in August, we were playing with his hypoallergenic puppy, Rogue, when he asked me whether or not I believed in heaven. He'd been told that dogs could go to heaven, too, but that some people couldn't. He told me he thought everyone should be allowed into heaven, regardless of what they believe, because "Jesus loves everyone". When my grandfather was his age, he had a similar thought. See, there's another loophole in the bible which, by law of subtraction, states that a person has a better chance of entering heaven if they're unaware of Jesus's existence. That is to say, a person who does not believe in Jesus, because they have never heard of Jesus, can still enter the gates of heaven if they have lived a moral life. However, if someone tells you about Jesus, but are unable to convince you to join their particular sect of Christianity or Catholicism, they have essentially damned you to hell. You have now willingly rejected the word of Christ, whereas before you were simply "ignorant."
    When my grandfather raised this point in Sunday school, he was told that to know Christ, but not proselytize, is to neglect him. Good Christians should, by all accounts, engage with and win over the hearts and minds of as many people as possible. For Fred, the math just didn't add up: even if his church's members were able to convert 50% of the far East "natives" they'd chosen to ", they'd be condemning the other half to eternal suffering. Perhaps this is why, when asked about my grandfather's ancestor John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman, he refers to him as "a bit of a nut." That's what his mother told him, that's what told me, and that's what I'll tell any of my future progeny. They'll probably hear a lot more from me on the subject, as I have from my grandfather over the years, and I hope some of my skepticism will be passed down as well.

Blog 6: Discourse

Throughout this course Sam Telford and I discussed almost all of the texts assigned in class together.  We both found that all of them included many distinct stereotypes about Appalachia and the people that live there.  While many of the stereotypes that were included helped to show positive ideals such as strong family values, love of the land, and loyalty there were also negative stereotypes depicted in the readings as all.  We found the mix of stereotypes very fascinating and decided to direct our curiosity towards our guest speakers.  We wanted to know if the recent publishing of these books and other factors such as media and technology had an affect on how people perceive Appalachia in today’s society.  

The question we came up with to ask the speakers was: “Do you think the public perception of Appalachia has improved or declined in the twenty-first century?”  

While I missed class due to a doctors appointment Sam asked the speakers our question and took notes on their responses.

They did not take a direct stance on whether they thought it has improved or declined, but they went on to talk about how public perception is mixed.  They gave examples of negative stereotypes such as Appalachians being bullied and made fun of for their accents, people dehumanizing them for being from a region that is seen as “lower” and “less important”.  The older lady that spoke about being at a conference helping to fund various parts of Ohio mentioned that “those people down there wouldn’t know what to do without the coal jobs”.  Which I found very peculiar, since it almost implies that the people are not capable of doing anything.  They also included positive things that have been noticed by society.  One thing was the Bluegrass music revival movement and how it has improved people’s perception because many enjoy Bluegrass music.  Another positive was the increase in education and how this generation is becoming known for being literate.

No matter what happens I think that there will always be a few bad stereotypes about any group or culture.  I do think that broad stereotypes have an impact on societies opinion of groups, especially groups that are much different than the rest of society which makes it very hard for Appalachia to lose these negative stereotypes.  It is really nice to see the other side of the stereotype and see that not all stereotypes are negative and they can be influential in a positive way.

Researching Appalachia

While I writing my exploratory research essay I was very interested in knowing if the geographical location directly effected Appalachia's economic growth.  Throughout my research I was able to discover many interesting facts about the land and how it has suppressed certain areas within Appalachia.  While areas in Appalachia have been able to expand due to the Appalachian Regional Commission, where it endorses economic and community development. Some have not been so lucky and “despite these gains, portions of the region continue to lag behind the rest of the nation in terms of income, quality of life, and general economic performance incomes” (Ezzell 14). While many things have been contributing to the economic down fall of Appalachia these “geographical barriers, may, in fact, be more persistent in the region’s distressed counties” (Ezzell 14) because of the complexity of the land.  These physical restrictions have been suppressing certain areas within the region for generations and seem to not be improving from traditional tactics.

I concluded that the topography of the region has had a large part in how Appalachia has developed overtime.  The land affects everything from the climate, weather, people, farming and economic growth.  It is important for people to understand that the economy within this region is unable to thrive like others, because of its unique layout. 

Ezzell, Tim, Ph.D, et al. Strategies for Economic Improvement in Appalachia's Distressed Counties.

     Research rept. N.p.: n.p., 2012. Print.