Full Description
Owsley County, Kentucky, is well known by journalists, academics, and local historians as a quintessential example of rural poverty in Appalachia. This study identifies several reasons behind Owsley County's ongoing struggle with poverty, including the county's lack of natural resources, a poor transportation system, and a centralized socio-political power structure controlled by the entrenched elite. The author asserts that Owsley County's economic hardships are far from unique, but rather are representative of a significant number of Appalachian counties and towns. Several tables and appendices provide useful demographic, legislative, and agricultural data.
Contents
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 The Creation of Owsley and Lee Counties
2 The Raw Deal
3 The War on the Poor
4 Lake Daniel Boone
5 Moments of Development
Tables
A. Individuals Involved in Coal Mining Within Owsley County in 1850
B. Individuals Involved in Coal Mining Within Owsley County in 1860
C. Gubernatorial Election Returns for Owsley County and the Commonwealth of Kentucky 1844-1859
D. Presidential Election Returns for Owsley County and the Commonwealth of Kentucky 1844-1860
E. Road Mileage in a Small Sample of Kentucky Counties Circa 1923
F. Rainfall and River Level in Lee County During the Flood of 1937
G. Population Trends in Counties with Representation in the KRDA
H. Population of Counties in the Vicinity of the Proposed Booneville Reservoir
Appendices
A. Farms in Owsley County, 1909-1974
B. Burley Tobacco Production in Owsley County, 1935-1975
C. Corn Production in Owsley County, 1930-1970
D. Transcription of Specific Charges Asserted Against Ms. Treva Howell and the MKRADC
E. Responses to Claims Made by Sierra Club Members at the Public Real Estate Hearing Held in Stanton on August 16, 1967
F. Statement of Senator John Sherman Cooper
G. Attendees of the Lake Daniel Boone Development Committee Meeting, April 26, 1966
Notes
Bibliography
Index
