Interview with Norwood Thorp

Partial Transcript: Please state your name sir.

Segment Synopsis: Thorp discusses background information such as date of birth.

Keywords: Electric lights; Great Depression; Kerosene lamps; L&N Railroad; Torrent, Kentucky; Wolfe County

Subjects: Electric lighting Great Depression--1929 Kerosene lamps Railroad companies Wolfe County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Uh I started school in Ravenna, first grade in 1939

Segment Synopsis: Thorp discusses his education in several different counties before being drafted and serving in the United States Marine Corps.

Keywords: Beattyville, Kentucky; Draft; Hatchery; Lee County; Lee County High School; Pine Hill School; Ravenna, Kentucky; Torrent, Kentucky; United States Marine Corps

Subjects: Beattyville (Ky.) Chicken--Hatcheries Draft Lee County (Ky.) Ravenna (Ky.) School attendance United States. Marine Corps

Partial Transcript: And uh, of course I went back to Beattyville there and uh, this high school mate of mine, I was there two days he asked me...

Segment Synopsis: Thorp discusses his employment at General Electric and then his career with the railroad.

Keywords: Beattyville, Kentucky; Diesel engine; General Electric; Railroad; Ravenna, Kentucky

Subjects: Beattyville (Ky.) Diesel locomotives Railroad--Employees Ravenna (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: What was her maiden name?

Segment Synopsis: Thorp discusses the research on his ancestry background.

Keywords: African American Church; Bush; Bush's Brothers Restaurants; Clark County; Estill County; Providence Baptist Church; Quesenberry; Red River Association; Salem Baptist Church

Subjects: African American churches Baptist church buildings Clark County (Ky.) Estill County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Ravenna, I remember uh when I first started working there they had a lot more people of course working there then.

Segment Synopsis: Thorp discusses working for the railroad.

Keywords: Beattyville, Kentucky; Conductors; Engineers; Hazard, Kentucky; Irvine, Kentucky; Lay off; Paid off; Railroad; Railroad Brakeman; Ravenna, Kentucky; Roundhouse

Subjects: Beattyville (Ky.) Hazard (Ky.) Irvine (Ky.) Railroad--Employees Ravenna (Ky.) Roundhouses (Railroads) Severance pay

Partial Transcript: Of course we've had uh, we got four kids, three boys and a girl.

Segment Synopsis: Thorp discusses his children and their occupation. He also describes different denominations in the area.

Keywords: Baptist churches; Car Sales; Catholic church; Christian church; Church picnic; Dating; Eastern Kentucky University; Flywheel battery; Lockheed Aerospace Company; Nazarene church; Presbyterian camp; School teacher; West Irvine School

Subjects: Eastern Kentucky University Family Picnics Rural churches

Partial Transcript: What about uh, getting back to Ravenna a little bit, what's the, what's the relationship between say Ravenna and Irvine?

Segment Synopsis: Thorp discusses Ravenna and the different businesses in and around the town.

Keywords: Bedroom community; Bush Brother's Restaurant; Edward Hawkins; Estill County; Irvine, Kentucky; L&N Railroad; Lumber company; Oil boom; Railroad stations; Ravenna, Kentucky; Retirement; Saw mill; Taxes; Town merger

Subjects: Bedroom communities Estill County (Ky.) Irvine (Ky.) Oil fields Railroad companies Railroad stations Ravenna (Ky.) Small business Taxation

Partial Transcript: How has Ravenna changed?

Segment Synopsis: Thorp discusses the railroad closing which led to closing of the surrounding businesses. He also describes damage to the town caused by a tornado in 1961.

Keywords: Guy Hatfield; Hotels; Irvine, Kentucky; Railroad; Ravenna, Kentucky; Restaurants; Retired community; Tornado; Widows

Subjects: Bedroom communities Railroad stations Ravenna (Ky.) Tornado damage

Partial Transcript: Tell me about the Railroad Museum you have there?

Segment Synopsis: Thorp discusses a railroad museum he had created.

Keywords: Caboose car; Coach car; CSX Railroad; Deputy Sheriff Bob Walker; Estill County; Historical Society; Railroad depot; Railroad engineers; Robert Prewitt; Southeast Coal Company

Subjects: Cabooses (Railroads) Estill County (Ky.) Railroad engineers Railroad stations