Charles "Feller" Frazier
Carr Creek Oral History Project
This collection is comprised of audio-recorded interviews conducted during 2022-2023 by folklorist Nicole Musgrave with support from the Kentucky Oral History Commission. Her work was part of an effort to document the geographic and human impact of the construction of the Carr Fork Reservoir in southeastern Kentucky, which was completed in 1976. The collection’s twenty interviews with residents of Knott, Letcher and Perry Counties range in focus and content. Most of the interviewees were affected by dislocation in some way. They express different opinions about the lake and its impact on the community. Most interviewees share memories of what the area was like before the lake was built, and many have vivid memories of what the construction process was like.
National Capital Contracting
Charles Feller Frazier, better known as Feller, is a native of Cody, Kentucky, born in New York City while his parents were working there. His family moved back to Kentucky, where they started their business, and Feller has lived there ever since. His father's family originally hailed from Letcher County, Kentucky, from a community called Hot Spot, while his mother's family was from Jackson County, Kentucky, near Annville. Feller's parents met in Vicco, Kentucky, and after working on the road for a while, they returned home to start their business. Feller has one sister, Debbie Holcomb, with whom he grew up in Cody, attending Carr Creek Elementary and later graduating from Knott County Central High School. After high school, Feller started working and married his wife, Michelle Sparkman, in the mid-1980s. The couple has two children, Molly and Rachel. Feller's parents owned a grocery store and a service station, and his father also had a truck garage where he worked on heavy-duty trucks and hauled coal from local mines. The family business was known as Frazier's Gulf.
Scope and Content Note
This interview with Charles Feller Frazier, conducted by Nicole Musgrave on February 6th, 2023, is part of the Carr Creek Oral History Project. The interview provides a detailed account of Feller's life, his family history, and his experiences growing up in Cody, Kentucky. Feller discusses his parents' business, Frazier's Gulf, which included a grocery store, a service station, and a truck garage. He shares stories about the local community, including characters like Wallace and Buster Adams, and his next-door neighbors, Dock and Cuba Hilton. Feller also talks about his work in the family business from a young age, pumping gas and fixing flats. The interview also touches on the impact of the Carr Fork Lake project on the local community, with Feller mentioning how many people were displaced and moved to other areas. Feller also suggests other potential interviewees for the project, including his sister Debbie Holcomb and Jimmy Holcomb, who live in Hyman. The interview concludes with Feller sharing a humorous story about a local character, Wallace, and his unexpected antics.
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