"Voices From the Past" - Shelby County Museum & Archives Releases Oral History Recordings From 1970s
Updated: May 28, 2022

In 1977, thanks to a grant from the Alabama Historical Commission, Shelby County was one of 11 counties chosen to participate in an oral history project. Between 1977 and 1978, two interviewers, on behalf of the Shelby County Historical Society, Inc., collected interviews from a cross-section of the county's population. The original cassette tapes were converted to CDs at one point, and were only available to listen to at the Shelby County Museum & Archives. However, thanks to the help of museum volunteers, (sister missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), the recordings are now available to listen to online.
Click HERE to access the collection.
List of People Interviewed
Akin, Eugenia Thompson Lawson
Alabaster Aging Club
Albright, Mr. & Mrs. Ferman
Albright, Mr. & Mrs. Ferman
Armstrong, Hylott and Jerry D. Willis
Batson, James L
Baxley, Hubert I.
Buchanan, Sandra
Burge, Sarah Jane "Sallie" Stokes
Burgess, Mrs. Louise Morgan
Caffee, Sarah Caroline Dowdle "Babe"
Calhoun, Mr. Louis C.
Carden, Claude T. & Dessel Connell
Carden, Elmer
Carden, James Warner
Chancellor, Mary Elizabeth "Patsy"
Chancellor, Tot
Collins, Mildred E. Cade
Confederate Songs of 11th Mississippi Regiment Band
Conner, Arthur B.
Cooper, Annie Dinah Summerhill
Crow, Mattie Lou Teague
Davis, Mrs. Claude H. "Edna"
Dickerson, Susan E.
Douglas, Rev. Hiram Kennedy with Inez Peden & Ludie Wilson
Dunaway, Clara B.
Embry, Sim Compton
Farris, Lucille Scott
Foster, Charles Oliver "Charlie"
Garrett, Walter M.
Graddy, Mable W. with Elise Morgan & William Ed Ward
Gray, Mrs. Tela Killen "Teal" with Inez Peden & Tommy Lee Peden
Griffin, Bertie
Ham, Fernwood "Fern"
Hare, Bertha L. Sanders
Harris, Mary Mildred
Head, Sarah & Carrie with Mrs. Grover Cleveland
Henderson, Ralph Clifford
Hines, Walter
Holcombe, Idalee Moody
Holman, Mrs. Amos A. [Olive Nelson]
Hopkins, Mrs. J.W.
Howard, Mignon Faulkner
Jackson, Homer A., Sr.
Jeter, Milton Cooper
Jones, Frank M.
Jones, Mr. & Mrs. William A.
Justice, Herbert Russell
Lambert, Lillian Argo
Lee, Cecil
Lee, Maurine
Letson, Ben
Mahan, Stanley M.
Mahler, Mr. & Mrs. John A. [Betty]
Martin, Mary Ellen Fitzpatrick "Mrs. D.A. Martin"
McGaughy, Herbert N. & Myrtle
McKeever, Mrs. Bessie Lowery
McKinney, Helen [Mother of Doris McGaughy] Mr. Trussell on Daddy's Trust
McKinney, Helen [Mother of Doris McGaughy] 1987 Christmas
McKinney, Helen [Mother of Doris McGaughy] M.O. Floyd, Bessie, Helen, Nancy & Mack
McMikel, Mrs. Bennie Marie "Flyaway"
Meroney, Eloise W.
Merrell, Emma Davis
Merrell, Mr. & Mrs. James [Lora "Jean" Beasley]
Minshew, John Stephen
Morgan, Harold
Mullins, Dr. Edward D.
Ozley, Mrs. Jessie McGuire Evans
Penhale, William John
Peters, Mabel Shirley
Phillips, James H. "Jim"
Phillips, Lillie Raley
Richards, Henry Grady
Robertson, Mary Weatherford
Rogers, Rena Cruse
Scott, Albert
Smith, Carolyn Cortner
Smith, Denson Bryant
Smith, Emma Davis
Smith, Miss Pernesea
Songs of the Creek Indians
Spradley, Mr. Shirley Christian and Mrs. Lessie M. Spradley
Strang, Florence K. Foy
Stricklin, Robert A. "Bob"
Sweet, Henry W. and Frederick W. "Fred" Bruns
Thompson, Joseph
Thompson, Mr. C. LeNoir
Thornton, John Minton
Winn, Joshua Nicholas, III & Bertha L. Michael
Winslett, Clarence
Wood, Lida Nelson
Wyatt, Clyde M.
Youngblood, Jessie Hinton, Mrs.
*Due to the technology available at the time, there may be issues with audio quality on some recordings.