Narrator Robert Nathan, of Arlington, Virginia was an economist and recreational fisher at the time of the interview.  He has been fishing the Florida Keys since 1937.
 

Robert Stewart Edwards was interviewed for the Steamboat Era Museum Oral History Project. Edwards, born on September 30, 1914, was a lifelong resident of Gwynn's Island with deep roots in the community. His family, including the Fosters, operated a canning factory that employed many locals and migrant workers. Edwards himself was involved in the fishing industry and later operated a marine railway with his father. The interview provides a rich account of life on Gwynn's Island, focusing on the local industry and community activities during Edwards' early years.

subject: 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.

Ronald Cole is the operations manager for Virginia-Kentucky Broadcasting in Grundy, Virginia. He has been in broadcasting for over 26 years, primarily in Kentucky and Virginia. Cole was involved in broadcasting during the flood in Buchanan County, Virginia, in 1973. He received a phone call from the civil defense director, John Hash, warning of an impending flood due to heavy water systems moving in. Cole was responsible for opening the radio station early to announce the flood and provide information to the public.

Roy Ballard is a long-term inhabitant of the Eastern Shore with deep familial ties to the local seafood industry. His lineage is closely associated with the Ballard Fish and Oyster Company, a business that has been a significant part of his family's heritage. Ballard's personal history is interwoven with the maritime culture of the region, and he has spent a portion of his career working as a carpenter.

Rubie Lee Norris (1916-2012). Then still living in a pre-Civil War house built by her great uncle near Topping on the Rappahannock River, Norris remembered riding the steamers to college in Fredericksburg and told vivid stories of clerking in her father’s store, which was supplied by steamers. 

Scott B. Gudes was born on August 16, 1956, in Los Angeles, California, to a family with roots tracing back to Eastern Europe. His grandparents, all born in the late 1890s, were Jewish immigrants seeking freedom from persecution and economic opportunity. His upbringing in Buena Park and Fullerton, California, cultivated a deep passion for the ocean, with Gudes often found fishing or enjoying the beaches of Newport and Laguna.

Scott Wivell, age 29 at the time of his interview, is a waterman in Cape Charles, VA. Scott grew up fishing with his father and is now the owner-operator of the F/V Lady Lynnae, which he uses for gillnettting, crabbing and oystering. Scott markets some of his own catch and thinks about having a retail market someday.

Scope and Content Note

Sue Branham, born on July 18, 1937, is the owner of The Corner, a ladies' and children's ready-to-wear business in downtown Grundy, Virginia. She purchased the existing business in March 1977 and continued to teach at Grundy Junior High School until 1991. Branham was directly impacted by the 1977 flood that occurred a month after she acquired the business. She resides on Route 83, outside the floodplain, and has been involved in the community's efforts to address the recurring flood issues. 

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.