With a father and grandfather who ran a cannery at the steamboat wharf, John Cowart's telling brought to life the Adams Floating Theatre, the rich singing of the Black men in his family’s oyster house, and the dynamic interaction at the country store.

Mr. Crosby was an African-American raconteur, a Lancaster County legend, who founded a snack shop just north of White Stone on Rt. 3. A veteran of the fishing industry, he knew every aspect of boating and sold seafood in Richmond over a forty-five year period.

Walther Fidler (1923-2013). Remembering his early boyhood, Walther Fidler spoke of bicycles flung asunder on the wharf, sneaking onto and all around the steamboat as it stopped in his home community of Sharps. Legislator Fidler speaks in vivid imagery of muscular Black stevedores entertaining the masses while loading recalcitrant calves aboard the tall, white vessels. He spoke of the vast disparity between Black and white households in the community and marveled at the positive spirit displayed by neighboring African-Americans.

Vittie and Thelma Lipscomb 4-3-1986 interviewed by M. Kline 

Tom Bonner, The Flood of Jenningston 2-9-1986

Tim Potter is the personnel director of the town of Grundy in Grundy, Virginia. He is involved in addressing the town's opportunities and challenges, particularly focusing on the flood project with the Corps of Engineers. 

Thomas A. Williams (1925-2006). Son of an innovative Menhaden fishing boat captain, Williams provided an inventory of steamboat landings and lighthouses. He described the wide range of goods delivered to and from Northumberland County by steamers. 

Thomas "Dusty" Welch (1920-2012) was raised in Venedig, a region known for its oyster industry, which played a significant role in the local economy and culture. His early life was deeply intertwined with the rhythms of the coastal environment, where the community's livelihood was largely dependent on the fruits of the sea. Welch's family background was steeped in the traditions of fishing, crabbing, and oystering, which were common occupations in the area. These activities not only provided sustenance and income but also shaped the social fabric of Venedig.

Susan Schmitt 2-24-1986 interviewed by M. Kline

Sue Branham, born on July 18, 1937, is the owner of The Corner, a ladies' and children's ready-to-wear business in downtown Grundy, Virginia. She purchased the existing business in March 1977 and continued to teach at Grundy Junior High School until 1991. Branham was directly impacted by the 1977 flood that occurred a month after she acquired the business. She resides on Route 83, outside the floodplain, and has been involved in the community's efforts to address the recurring flood issues.