Chuck Crabtree
Grundy Virginia Flood Control Project
This series consists interview releases, invoices and reference material relating to the Klines' work for the Huntington District, Corps of Engineers. Interviews were conducted mainly during the late 1990s with Grundy, Virginia residents, Corps employees, and community planners in connection with the development of a flood control plan in response to the severe flooding of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River in 1977.
National Capital Contracting
Chuck Crabtree was born in 1952, in Buchanan County, where he was also raised. His family, originally from West Virginia, moved to Grundy in the late 1920s, following the coal mining industry. His grandfather was one of the first contractors for Harman Mining Corporation in Harman, Virginia, where he mined coal using ponies to pull the coal out of the mountains. Crabtree's family lived in a small camp, in houses owned by the Harman Mining Corporation, known as company houses. His family's roots trace back to Big Creek in West Virginia, and before that, Illinois and the Rockwood area in Tennessee. Crabtree's father was an engineer in the mining industry, working for Allen Creek Coal Corporation as their chief field engineer. His mother was also from Buchanan County, raised in Convict Hollow, a region named after a Convict Camp located there. Crabtree has one sister who moved away about twenty years ago. He attended Harman Elementary School, Grundy Junior High School, and Grundy Senior High School.
Scope and Content Note
The interview with Chuck Crabtree provides a detailed account of his life, his family's history, and the impact of the coal mining industry on their lives. Crabtree shares his family's migration from West Virginia to Grundy, Virginia, in the late 1920s, driven by the coal mining industry. He provides insights into the living conditions in the mining camps, where his family resided in company houses owned by Harman Mining Corporation. The interview also delves into the professional life of Crabtree's father, who worked as an engineer in the mining industry, despite not having a formal degree in engineering. Crabtree also discusses the impact of the mining industry on the local community, highlighting the transformation brought about by the Appalachian School of Law, the new hotel, and the community center. He expresses his gratitude towards the corps of engineers, the State of Virginia, and the Virginia Department of Transportation for their contributions to the community. The interview concludes with Crabtree's optimistic outlook for the future of Grundy and Buchanan County.
Subjects: Flood control--Virginia; Flood damage prevention—Virginia; Buchanan County (Va.)--History; Grundy (Va.)--Social life and customs; Levisa Fork Basin (Ky. and Va.); Big Sandy River Valley (Ky. and Va.); United States. Army. Corps of Engineers.
Please Note: The oral histories in this collection are protected by copyright and have been created for educational, research and personal use as described by the Fair Use Doctrine in the U.S. Copyright law. Please reach out Voices@noaa.gov to let us know how these interviews are being used in your research, project, exhibit, etc. The Voices staff can help provide other useful resources related to your inquiry.
The NOAA mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. The Voices Oral History Archives offers public access to a wide range of accounts, including historical materials that are products of their particular times, and may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes.
Voices Oral History Archives does not verify the accuracy of materials submitted to us. The opinions expressed in the interviews are those of the interviewee only. The interviews here have been made available to the public only after the interviewer has confirmed that they have obtained consent.