Nola Albert Interview

People

Interviewee: Nola (Shelor) Albert

Date

2006

Places

Amos (Burks Fork District)

Material/Medium

Various oral history documentation materials and media

Specifications

• 127 minute digital recording
• 29 page transcript
• 15 candid digital photos
• data reports

Description

Nola Shelor Albert was interviewed about migration in and out of Floyd, generational migration, and changes in town. She tells of family, on her mother and father’s sides, migrating out of Floyd County earlier to find places with work to support their families. She speaks of George Owens who moved to Versailles, Missouri, who later saw his farm converted to a reservoir turned into “something like Smith Mountain Lake.”  She speaks of another relation who up and left home for greater opportunities in Kansas, taking only his family and a blacksmith’s anvil with him, but was ultimately successful there. Nola recalls her time as a high school guidance counselor, and how children badly wanted to leave Floyd County during the 1960s. However, she noted, that many people migrated into the small county of Floyd, because it was easier to live a simple life there. Over time, the county has turned older buildings into newer attractions, like the Jacksonville Center turned into a center for the arts, when it was originally a dairy farm. Nola talks about how people live in Floyd for the simple life, and appreciate the value-added amenities available here, but they leave for work in different places, “So [now] we’re a commuting county. They have the better of the two worlds; they can come here where it’s serene and cool [trendy] and all, and then they drive to work.”

Keywords

Depression, railroad, anvil, blacksmiths, government job, miner, furnace, Ohio, streams, high school, teacher, guidance counselor, tea, organic food, country store, band, ice cream, dairy farm, Tai Chi, Indian artifacts, chickens, farmland, hippies, honey, wineries

Bio Sketch

Nola Shelor Albert (1927-2012) graduated with degrees from Floyd High School, Radford University, and Virginia Tech. She began teaching at Willis High School, and served as the Guidance Counselor at Floyd County High School for many years. Nola had a wide range of interests, including education, agriculture, forestry, Southwest Virginia culture, economic development, and historical preservation. Ever resourceful, she preserved her family history starting with her ancestor Captain Daniel Shelor (Revolutionary War), who settled in Floyd County in the 1780’s. Community spirited, she was unwavering in her support of the Adopt-a-Highway program in her neighborhood, land conservation, and in the growth of the Falling Branch United Methodist Church. Nola never met a stranger. Her friends and family noted her questions to anyone new in town, “Who are you? Where are you from? What brings you to Floyd County?” and then asking more questions before they had a chance to answer the first one.

Notes

Under the direction of Ricky Cox, Radford University faculty, Dr. Melinda Wagner’s, Radford University, Fall 2006, Appalachian Cultures class conducted interviews with twelve Floyd County residents, including Mrs. Albert, whose interview was conducted by Brittony Fitzgerald, a Radford University student.  The interviews captured stories and information about people who had migrated out of Floyd County or who had returned. The complete collection of archived materials is held at the Floyd Story Center at the Old Church Gallery.