Theodore Stump was born on April 7, 1949, and grew up in southern New Jersey. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware. During his early years, he worked in various factories, including General Motors. In 1978, he relocated to West Virginia as part of the rural revival of the 1970s. Attracted by the promise of free gas, he moved to Doddridge County, where he quickly learned about the separation of land and mineral rights. Stump became involved in the local landowners’ association and began advocating for the rights of landowners against gas extraction companies.

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.

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. 

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. 

The interview with Tina Del Prete and Mirijana Beram, conducted by Carrie Kline on November 4, 2013, provides a firsthand account of the impact of industrial changes on their hometown and the resulting environmental and health concerns. Tina Del Prete shares her experiences growing up in Penns Grove, New Jersey, and the subsequent decline of the town following industrial shifts, particularly the effects of fracking.

Thomas “Tom” L. Bonner was born in Gladwin, West Virginia in 1921. Bonner took part in West Virginia’s Civilian Conservation Corps and went on to serve in the United States Air Force during World War II. After the war, he returned home to Tucker County, where he lived with his wife, Freddie Rachel Waybright Bonner. Tom was working as a local bus driver when devastating floods struck the region in the fall of 1985. 

On April 3, 1986, Michael Kline interviewed Vittie and Thelma Lipscomb for the Tucker County, West Virginia Flood Audio Recordings project. Vittie Lipscomb, the eldest of ten children, grew up in Pine Run, West Virginia, and later moved closer to school. During the Great Depression, Vittie’s family farmed, selling produce to local mining communities. Vittie later served in World War II, participating in significant campaigns, including the D-Day invasion and the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest.

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.

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.

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.