Dock Stories

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  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Jennifer Sweeney Tookes
  • The Dock Stories project incorporates oral history research with other research methods in order to address simultaneous issues being experienced by fishing communities in Georgia. The project goals are to improve infrastructure and industry sustainability by identifying improvement opportunities within the constraints of land use, environmental impacts, weather patterns, aging infrastructure, and evolving vessel needs, while also documenting the cultural history of commercial fishing docks in Georgia. An integral part of the project is training student researchers in the Georgia Southern Anthropology program. Under the guidance of Dr. Sweeney Tookes (Georgia Southern University) and Bryan Fluech (University of Georgia Marine Extension & Georgia Sea Grant), students are receiving comprehensive training in conducting interviews, oral histories, and appropriate interview protocols. They then spend several days at a time on the Georgia coast, learning firsthand about the marshes, estuaries, vessels, and communities before commencing lengthy oral history interviews with local experts on the industry. This project began in 2024 and will continue through 2026, coordinated by Graduate Student Project Manager, Kristin Meeuwen.

Interviewee Sort descending Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Bobbie Smith Dock Stories

On April 12, 2024, Logan Collins and Blake Pavri interviewed Bobbie Smith for the Dock Stories project at the UGA Marine Extension/Georgia Sea Grant in Brunswick, Georgia. Bobbie Smith, who had been co-owner of the Sapelo Shrimp dock for over a decade, shared her experiences managing the dock alongside her partner, Bill Harris. She detailed the dock's history, including its transformation from the dilapidated Ward's Dock into the functional and modern Sapelo Shrimp Dock, which became a vital part of the local shrimping community.

Logan Collins, Blake Pavri Brunswick, GA Georgia Southern University, University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant
George Knight Dock Stories

On April 11, 2024, Lillie Waters and Lilah Henderson interviewed George Knight for the Dock Stories Project at the UGA Marine Extension/Georgia Sea Grant in Brunswick, Georgia. George Knight is a long-time commercial fisherman. His grandfather initially worked as a shrimper before transitioning to construction, while his father returned to shrimping full-time in the 1960s. Knight describes how he started working at the docks at the age of nine, heading shrimp and learning the intricacies of the shrimping industry.

Lillie Waters, Lilah Henderson Brunswick, GA Georgia Southern University, University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant
Holly Boone Dock Stories

On April 13, 2024, Kristin Meeuwen, Lillie Waters, and Blake Pavri interviewed Holly Boone for the Dock Stories project at Boone’s Seafood in Darien, Georgia. Holly Boone, who married into the Boone family 25 years ago, has lived her entire life in the area. She married a fisherman and eventually took on responsibilities at Boone’s Seafood, a multi-generational family-owned dock that has been operational for over 60 years. The interview provides a detailed account of Boone’s experiences managing the dock, including her transition from occasional help to a central role in its operations.

Kristin Meeuwen, Lillie Waters, Blake Pavri Darien, GA Georgia Southern University, University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant
Jim Dickey Dock Stories

On April 13, 2024, Lillie Waters, Kristin Meeuwen, and Lilah Henderson interviewed Jim Dickey for the Dock Stories project at the UGA Marine Extension/Georgia Sea Grant in Brunswick, Georgia. Jim Dickey, a longtime resident and shrimper from St. Marys, Georgia, shares his extensive experience in the shrimping industry, which began when he was 16 years old. His family operated Dickey and Sons Seafood, a dock that was a significant part of the local economy from the 1950s until it was sold in 2010.

Lillie Waters Brunswick, GA Georgia Southern University, University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant
Kim Boone Dock Stories

On April 13, 2024, Logan Collins and Lilah Henderson interviewed Kim Boone for the "Dock Stories" project at Boone’s Seafood in Darien, Georgia. Kim Boone shares her family connections to the shrimping industry, detailing the history of Boone’s Dock, which has been part of her husband’s family for generations. Her own family also had significant ties to the industry, with her grandfather and parents operating a dock in Meridian, Georgia, before selling it to the state in the early 1990s.

Logan Collins, Lilah Henderson Darien, GA Georgia Southern University, University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant