History of Farms and Farming in Appalachia

Scope: 

Agriculture has a long history in the Appalachian Region dating back to prehistoric times. Farms in the Appalachian Region have historically been subsistence based, and their history is a more narrow focus, which is the subject of this pathfinder. A variety of fields of study are relevant to this topic, but the purpose of this document is to remain focused on farms and farming in a historical context. Southern Appalachia is the geographical focus, including Southwest Virginia, Western North Carolina, West Virginia, East Tennessee, Northern Georgia and Alabama, and Eastern Kentucky.

Introductory Text: 

A good introduction to the history of Farming in Appalachia can be found in Auchmutey, Jim. “United States: The South.” Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Ed. Solomon H. Katz. New York: Scribner, 2003. p. 465-469. ASU APP COLL GT2850.E53 2003

Library of Congress Subject Headings: 

Highly Relevant:

  • Agriculture - Appalachian Region - History
  • Agriculture - Appalachian Region, Southern - History
  • Agriculture - Kentucky - History
  • Agriculture - North Carolina - History
  • Agriculture - Tennessee, East - History
  • Agriculture - Virginia - History
  • Agriculture - West Virginia - History
  • Farms - Appalachian Region- History
  • Farms - Appalachian Region, Southern - History
  • Farms - Kentucky - History
  • Farms - North Carolina - History
  • Farms - Tennessee, East - History
  • Farms - Virginia - History
  • Farms - West Virginia - History
  • Farms - Appalachian Region - History
  • Family Farms - Appalachian Region, Southern - History
  • Family Farms - Kentucky - History
  • Family Farms - North Carolina - History
  • Family Farms - Tennessee, East - History
  • Family Farms - Virginia - History
  • Family Farms - West Virginia - History
  • Farm life - Appalachian Region, Southern - History
  • Farm life - Kentucky - History
  • Farm life - North Carolina - History
  • Farm life - Tennessee, East - History
  • Farm life - Virginia - History
  • Farm life - West Virginia - History
  • Frontier and Pioneer Life - Appalachian Region, Southern - History
  • Frontier and Pioneer Life - Kentucky - History
  • Frontier and Pioneer Life - North Carolina - History
  • Frontier and Pioneer Life - Tennessee, East - History
  • Frontier and Pioneer Life - Virginia - History
  • Frontier and Pioneer Life - West Virginia - History
  • Land tenure - Appalachian Region, Southern - History
  • Land tenure - Kentucky - History
  • Land tenure - North Carolina - History
  • Land tenure - Tennessee, East - History
  • Land tenure - Virginia - History
  • Land tenure - West Virginia - History
  • Land use - Appalachian Region, Southern - History
  • Land use - Kentucky - History
  • Land use - North Carolina - History
  • Land use - Tennessee, East - History
  • Land use - Virginia - History
  • Land use - West Virginia - History
  • Appalachian Region, Southern - Encyclopedias
  • Southern States - Encyclopedias

Also Relevant:

  • Agriculture, Prehistoric - Appalachian Mountains
  • Agriculture, Prehistoric - Appalachian Region, Southern
  • Appalachian Region, Southern - Economic conditions
  • Kentucky - Economic conditions - History
  • North Carolina - Economic conditions - History
  • Tennessee, East - Economic conditions - History
  • Virginia - Economic conditions - History
  • West Virginia - Economic conditions - History
  • Appalachian Region, Southern - Environmental conditions
  • Kentucky - Environmental conditions
  • North Carolina - Environmental conditions
  • Tennessee, East - Environmental conditions
  • Virginia - Environmental conditions
  • West Virginia - Environmental conditions
  • Food habits - Appalachian Region, Southern
  • Food habits - Kentucky
  • Food habits - North Carolina
  • Food habits - Tennessee, East
  • Food habits - Virginia
  • Food habits - West Virginia
  • Landscape changes - Appalachian Region, Southern
  • Landscape changes - Kentucky
  • Landscape changes - North Carolina
  • Landscape changes - Tennessee, East
  • Landscape changes - Virginia
  • Landscape changes - West Virginia
  • Landscape protection - Appalachian Region, Southern
  • Landscape protection - Kentucky
  • Landscape protection - North Carolina
  • Landscape protection - Tennessee, East
  • Landscape protection - Virginia
  • Landscape protection - West Virginia

More General:

  • Agricultural conservation
  • Appalachian Region, Southern - Civilization
  • Human ecology

Related:

  • Environmental policy - Appalachian Region, Southern - Social aspects
  • Grazing - Appalachian Region, Southern
  • Human Beings - Effect of environment on
  • Hunting - Appalachian Region, Southern
  • Nature - Effect of Human Beings on - Appalachian Region, Southern
  • Nature - Kentucky - History
  • Nature - North Carolina - History
  • Nature - Tennessee, East - History
  • Nature - Virginia - History
  • Nature - West Virginia - History
  • Natural History - Appalachian Region, Southern
  • Plant collecting - Appalachian Region, Southern
  • Slaves - Appalachian Region, Southern
  • Slavery - Appalachian Region, Southern
Clipping Files Subject Headings – W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection: 
  • Agriculture
  • North Carolina - History
  • Watauga County Farmers Market
Library of Congress Call Numbers: 

  • S521.5.A2
  • S521.5.K4
  • S521.5.N8
  • S521.5.T2
  • S521.5.V8
  • S521.5.W4
  • S604.6
  • HD197
  • HD205
  • HD207
  • HD210
  • HD211.K4
  • HD211.N8
  • HD211.T2
  • HD211.V8
  • HD211.W4
  • GF504.A5
  • QH104.5.A6
  • QH104.5.A62
Guides, Encyclopedias, and Dictionaries: 

Abramson, Rudy & Haskell, Jean, Ed. Encyclopedia of Appalachia. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2006. ASU APP COLL F106 .E53

Auchmutey, Jim. “United States: Pioneer Food.” Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Ed. Katz, Solomon H. New York: Scribner, 2003. P. 465-469. ASU MAIN REFERENCE GT2850.E53 2003 and available online through library catalog

Clark, Thomas D. “Agriculture.” Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. Charles Wilson Reagan and William Ferris, Eds. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1989. p. 5-7. ASU APP COLL and MAIN REF F209.E53 1989

Dethloff, Henry C. “Agriculture.” Encyclopedia of Southern History. David C. Roller and Robert W. Twyman, Eds. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1979. p. 11-16. ASU APP COLL and MAIN REF F207.7 .E52

Melosi, Martin V. “Environment - Agricultural System.” Encyclopedia of Southern History. David C. Roller and Robert W. Twyman, Eds. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1979. p. 319-321. ASU APP COLL and MAIN REF F207.7 .E52

Schapsmeier, Edward L., Ed. Encyclopedia of American Agricultural History. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1975. “Pioneer and Rural Life” Index, p.438. ASU REFERENCE S441.S36.

Bibliographies: 

Bryant, Ron D. Kentucky History: An Annotated Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000. “Agriculture” p. 58-64. ASU APP COLL Z1287.B79 2000

Burch, John R. Bibliography of Appalachia: More than 4,700 Books, Articles, Monographs and Dissertations, Topically Arranged and Indexed. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2009. “Agriculture” p. 5-7. ASU APP COLL Z1251.A7 B87 2009.

Edwards, Everett Eugene. References on the Mountaineers of the Southern Appalachians. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture Library, 1935. ASU APP COLL Z1251.A7 E28 1935a

Forbes, Harold M. West Virginia History: a Bibliography and Guide to Research. Morgantown, WV: West Virginia University Press, 1981. ASU APP COLL Z1349.1.F6 W6

Graves, Glenna Horne. A Selected Bibliography on (agri)culture and Modernization Relating to the Appalachian South. Lexington, KY: G.H. Graves, 1988. ASU APP COLL Z5075.U6 A6 1988b

Reda, Kimberly Jane, and Robert O. Burton. A List of References Related to Small Farms and Family Farms. [Morgantown]: Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, West Virginia University, College of Agriculture and Forestry, 1984.

Abstracts and Indices: 

Agricola (Available through Belk Library Databases)

America: History and Life (Available through Belk Library Databases)

Dissertation Abstracts Online (Available through Belk Library Databases)

JSTOR (Available through Belk Library Databases)

Journals: 

Agricultural History. 1927-present. Available online through ASU Catalog.

Appalachian Journal. Boone, N.C. Vol. 1, 1974 - present. ASU APP COLL F216.2.A66

Journal of Appalachian Studies. Morgantown, W. Va.: Appalachian Studies Association, 1995-present (Available online and bound Vol.1 - present) ASU APP COLL F106.J74

Mountain Life and Work. Berea, KY.: Berea College, 1925-1988 ASU APP COLL GR103.M5

West Virginia History. Charleston, W. Va.: State Dept. of Archives and History, 1939- present. Available Online and bound Vol.1-Vol. 58 (some volumes incomplete)

Other Sources: 

Other Relevant Special Collections Pathfinders:

Agricultural Sustainability in the Southern Appalachian Mountains

A Cultural History of Crop Production on Appalachian Farms

The History of Agriculture in Central and Southern Appalachia

Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians

Sustainable Agriculture in Appalachia/West Africa: A Comparative Study

Traditional Heirloom Vegetable Varieties of Appalachia and Southeast China

Compiled by: 

Compiler: Bill Schultz, Jr., 3 November 2009