Julie Archer was born on January 31, 1971, and is a native of West Virginia. She grew up near Parkersburg, in a suburb called Vienna. Her father, Gary Archer, worked in a heating and insulating plant and was involved in union organizing, which influenced Julie's early exposure to activism. Her mother, Karen Carpenter Archer, originally from Iowa, met Gary while working at the Pentagon during the Vietnam War. Julie pursued a degree in biology and developed an interest in environmental issues during college.

Michael Kline interviewed Kathleen Hall on April 10, 1986, for the Tucker County, West Virginia Flood Audio Recordings project. Kathleen Hall, born in 1912, grew up in a family deeply rooted in the Methodist Protestant tradition, with her grandfather serving as a preacher. In this interview, Hall recounts her family's history, including her grandfather's various preaching assignments and her father's work as a deputy sheriff. She describes the hardships her family faced, such as the murder of her grandmother during a robbery, which led to her grandmother moving in with Hall's family.

Larry Chowning (Age 54 at the time) with Michael Kline and Dianne Jordan in Larry's Mother's living room in Urbanna.  Sprung from generations of family in Urbanna, Chowning displays a flair for uncovering intriguing details of the Chesapeake region through first person accounts. He is prolific author and knows every detail of making a living on the water over the past century.

Lodge Compton is a long-standing figure in the world of journalism in Grundy, Virginia. He has been the editor and publisher of the Virginia Mountaineer, a weekly newspaper, for over twenty-five years. Compton was born and raised in Buchanan County, specifically in the headwaters of Dismal River, where his father, a writer, photographer, and occasional politician, also resided. Despite his father's brief stint as the editor of the Virginia Mountaineer, Compton insists there was no direct connection between his father's role and his own eventual position at the newspaper.

The first part of Mrs. Olivia Mariam Williams Haynie's (1917-2006) interview is spent in bitter recollection of the atrocities committed by the Yankees during the Civil War, tales of great incivility passed down from her grandparents who witnessed affairs firsthand. From here Miriam Haynie takes listeners from her Reedville home to and through the Baltimore. Steamboats occasioned close relations between the Northern Neck and this cosmopolitan city.

On December 19, 1985, Michael Kline interviewed Martha Sponangle for the Tucker County, West Virginia Flood Audio Recordings project. Martha Sponangle, a local resident, reflects on her experiences during and after the devastating flood that affected Tucker County. She describes the immediate aftermath of the flood, including the destruction of a bridge and the discovery of a victim’s body trapped in a tree. Her husband assisted local authorities in responding to the disaster.

Mary Aspinall, a farmer, has lived in the Stonewall Jackson Lake area for forty years. Originally from the Roanoke area, she and her husband moved to their current farm after the dam was proposed on the West Fork River. Prior to their current farming endeavors, the Aspinalls owned a farm in the Roanoke area. Their decision to relocate was influenced by the proposed construction of a dam on the West Fork River, which promised new opportunities and challenges for the local agricultural community.

At 100 years old Mrs. Morgan, with the help of her son, legislator Harvey Morgan, recalled her honeymoon voyage aboard a side-wheeler in the 1920s. The Morgan family has operated a pharmacy in Gloucester Court House for generations. 

On February 6, 1985, Michael Kline interviewed Matthew Snyder, Francine Snyder, and Ron Simmons for the Stonewall Jackson Dam Removal Project. Matthew Snyder, a contractor and part-time farmer, has experienced personal loss due to the construction of the Stonewall Jackson Dam, including the displacement of his family’s farms. Francine Snyder, his wife, offers insights into the local resistance and interactions with government officials. Ron Simmons, another local resident, shares his observations about the dam project’s broader impact on the community.

Michael O’Brien was born on October 2, 1944, and currently resides in Doddridge County, West Virginia. Raised by a government meat inspector, O’Brien moved frequently between southern Florida and Virginia, finishing high school in the latter. After high school, he moved to Baltimore to live with his grandmother, hoping to find better opportunities. He spent ten years in Baltimore but ultimately sought a simpler life. O’Brien met his wife, Nancy, during his time in Baltimore.