"Voices From the Past" - Shelby County Museum & Archives Releases Oral History Recordings From 1970s

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.