Transcripts: Southern Appalachian English

D. F. "Doc" Conner

(Oconaluftee, Swain County, North Carolina) was age 84 when interviewed.  He was self-educated and the owner of a country store.

*.doc file for printing

I was borned in Jackson County eighteen fifty-five and was about eight years old, I guess, or nine, moved from that county to, my father did, to, to Macon County, and we were there for about six years, I think.  And then we, my father moved to, to, into this county known as, it was Jackson at that time again, but was finally made to, so called to be Swain County, a new county struck off, and that was here on the waters of Luftee River.  I stayed there from the time I were about fourteen years old, I think, on up till today on this river known as the Oconaluftee River, and I've been here in these mountains ever since, reared up just, just come up.  And now I'm a-gittin' up in years, eighty-four, I think, been here in the Smoky Mountains ever since, since I was about maybe fourteen years old.  Of course, we are here in the park now, the park area.  Our lands is turned over to the, to the, the Smoky Mountain National Park.