Oral Histories

If you would like to work on this project, please contact Maggie Rowe, 1st Vice President/ Project Coordinator.

Project Leader: Maggie Rowe

Project Description: The Jonesborough Genealogical Society has started to collect Oral Histories. The following oral histories have been added to our Soundcloud account, and can be listed to via this webpage.

Project Update: In 2017, the Jonesborough Genealogical Society began our Oral History Project with the introduction of the project by project leader Maggie Rowe. In recent discussions and presentations to the Board of Director, Rowe has had several meetings with Jules Corriere with the Town of Jonesborough’s McKinney Center. Through these discussions, Rowe discovered the Town’s McKinney Center and Senior Center already conduct oral history interviews and record, transcribe, and keep on record the stories of those interviewed, so instead, of reinventing the wheel, the JGS will join this project called the Jonesborough Community Story Initiative. In a recent training session, Rowe provided the following description of the Jonesborough Community Story Initiative.

“Through the Jonesborough Community Story Initiative, the residents of our community will have opportunities to tell their personal and collective stories and, through an array of cultural arts, share their stories with Jonesborough’s residents and visitors… To collect our stories, we have created the Jonesborough Story Brigade – a select group of Jonesborough volunteers, who are being trained to be story collectors. The Initiative is a master plan for connecting, coordinating, and supporting a series of multi-generational, multi-cultural programs, activities, and events carried out by community-based partners and affiliates. They include plays, lectures, art exhibitions, books, radio shows, archives, and other public activities all designed to purposefully tap into the power of our stories and generate new insights, new learning, and positive community change…The Initiative is headquartered at the McKinney Center at Booker T. Washington School and its Mary B. Martin Program for the Arts….The new Jonesborough Community Story Initiative is building on this history and allowing residents of all ages and backgrounds to gather the community’s stories to celebrate Jonesborough and its residents, honor the diverse voices of our community, and discover and commemorate the town’s history, heritage, and values. These stories will be used for varying types of presentations- including new annual plays, radio shows, books and magazines, apps, podcasts, and of course the next emerging technology.”

The Society will have future programs and ideas to help further along this project. Please watch for upcoming information, dates, and training experiences. If you know someone who needs to be interviewed or would like more information please contact Maggie Rowe at rowe944@gmail.com or Jules Corriere at the McKinney Center at (423) 753-0562.