Appalachian Isolation In Perspective

Abstract

I» Appalachian Isolation In Perspective by Gary S. Foster Introduction Appalachia is a land of discovery and rediscovery with respect to settlement, natural resources, and politics, and much has been written on, but not about, Appalachia . It has been observed that Appalachia is "... a land about which . . . more things are known that are not true than any other part of our country." 2 In the same vein is the observation of " . . . the life and character of the mountain people, about whom perhaps more has been written, and less actually known, than about any other people on this continent." " Such a condition exists not through the lack of research, but through a lack of any accurate and effective research. Indeed, as a distinct geographical region and a segment of the American cultural continuum, Appalachia still lacks a comprehensive and accurate history. The writings and research on Appalachia have largely been in one of two veins— either a romantic approach or a critically condescending and often pathological approach , 4 both seemingly with an axe to grind. However, as the whetstone of Appa34 lachia becomes worn, no sharp truth is produced. And unfortunately, such works provide most of what is "known" about Appalachia. Thus, of all the social and economic problems credited to Appalachia, perhaps its greatest problem is the perpetuation of inaccuracies which in turn give rise to non-understandings and even misunderstandings . Before any accurate history of Appalachia can be realized, the notion of isolation in Appalachia must be fully re-evaluated. Indeed, both the proponents of the romantic view and the pathological view cite isolationism as either the preservative of that which is considered colorful and quaint, or much of the cause of the problems credited to Appalachia. These views will be juxtaposted with earlier documents and accounts which reveal that Appalachia, historically, was not the isolated cultural islands portrayed today. Because of certain limitations, the focus will largely be upon the Cumberland Plateau of eastern Kentucky, the same area that Caudill addresses in Night Comes to the Cumberlands. One obvious limitation is the lack of any comprehensive history addressing the whole Appalachia, and a second is the historical accounts and local histories focusing only on eastern Kentucky and made abundantly available to me because of my geographical proximity to the region. It must be acknowledged that the concept of isolation is both cultural (i.e., learned) and relative. Thus, it will carry different implications from one place to another as well as from one time to another. Isolation, like culture itself, is dynamic, and it normally takes much to support or maintain the isolation. It cannot normally exist via a simplistic, monocausal factor. Thus, it is suggested that the isolation experienced by Appalachia was largely a political and economic isolation precipitated by a number of historical events and did not coincide with the early settlement and development of Appalachia, but rather began during the mid-nineteenth century and extended into this century. The Isolation Myth The story is still told in the Appalachian Mountains of the young man who abducted his sweetheart because her family opposed their marriage. He carried her away with him deep into the mountains and built a cabin for his bride at the edge of a dense forest. One day several years later, when her husband was out hunting, she decided to go berry picking. She wandered farther and farther into the woods in search of berries, and finally, as she crossed a stream, saw a cabin a short distance away. To her surprise she recognized the home of her parents! For five years she had been living only three miles from her family, unknown to them or to her. 5 It is, at best, doubtful that this story was ever told in Appalachia, but such stories are probably conveyed in a seemingly esoteric manner by those wishing to colorfully express their isolation thesis to their leaders. However, the concept of Appalachia 35 experiencing isolation from the very beginning of its settlement is so widespread and generally accepted, because of its perpetuation in the more widely read works on Appalachia, that one now finds a pictoral essay on Appalachia entitled Where Time Stood Still. 6...