From Quilt Squares to Apple Baskets: Arts in Appalachia

this post is a newspaper article I wrote for our local paper. It tells of a very interesting road trip I had yesterday.

If you’re looking for a good day trip to visit some interesting places without spending a lot of money, you can do it in our own area of the Eastern Kentucky Hills.

Because I have not completely fulfilled my obligations as a community scholar, the Kentucky Arts Council asked that I take pictures and write stories about quilt squares in eight Eastern Kentucky Counties for a book they will produce. Monday, I took a vacation day and started driving. I left Sandy Hook looking for Stanley Franklin’s farm in West Liberty. You can see the quilt square on Stanley’s barn form route 7 soon after you turn left to go into West Liberty. What a beautiful setting. The large barn wits atop a knob with a background of rolling hills. Cattle have carved paths around the sloping pasture land surrounding the barn. It's a perfect view of farm life. It’s worth while to leave a few minutes early, pull off at the top of the hill and marvel at the magnificent view and beautiful setting of the barn with “Three Pansies” quilt square on it.

Then it was on through Magoffin County…my childhood home. I took a picture of “The Crazy Quilt” On the side of a black barn and proceeded to a store to ask who owned the Barn. R.C. May owned the store when I was a child. It was a general store where Mom purchased our shoes and the family groceries. To my surprise, the store that seemed so huge to a little girl is a very small building. It now sells tack and other supplies needed for horses and pleasure riding. Randy Adams, who now owns the store, told me Sam McNew owns the barn with the "crazy quilt" hanging on the side.

From Magoffin County, Flo and I drove into Johnson County where we visited and photographed “Apple Basket” that hangs on the Country Music Highway Museum. The square was hung in tribute of Loretta Lynn. The original quilt was made for Loretta Lynn by a fan in Johnson County. The design is to honor the Apple Festival held each year on the first week-end in October. The Museum boasts the likes of Hylo Brown, Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle, Patty Loveless, The Judds, Billy Ray Cyrus, and other musicians along Highway 23 including our Own Keith Whitley. One of the best things is the gift shop, which is stashed with souvenirs of artists, carries Blue Monday candy bars that are made in Mount Sterling, Kentucky. If you’ve never had a Blue Monday, be sure to purchase one when you visit the Country Music Highway.

A visit to Butcher Holler was a treat. Van Lear was once a coal camp. We stopped by what was once the Company Store, which still has the same furnishings and atmosphere. It is owned by Herman Webb. Madonna, the niece of the great country music stars, Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle showed us a video Crystal Gayle recently made on the Front Porch of the Old Home Place. What a wonderful treat to hear her sing one of my favorite Gospel Songs “Wayfaring Stranger”. Just up the road, Herman has a quilt square hanging on his barn that is different than any others I have seen. His square, a simple "nine patch" has threads painted on it as if the quilt was tacked rather than quilted.

Nothing prepared me for “The Black Barn Produce” on Route 23 between Paintsville and Louisa. I was told it was a produce stand. In my mind it would be a shed closed in on three sides and open on one long side. My mental picture had rough lumber supported by saw horses with baskets of produce displayed on them.

Well I was shocked to find a log barn with a hip roof and a sign that said “Black Barn Produce, a step back in time. Penny candy for kids”. I could have spent the day in the Black Barn Produce.

Before I went inside I took pictures of the quilt square that was made to honor Hylo Brown, a bluegrass star who paved the way for many other artists from the hills o f Eastern Kentucky. Two men walked by as I was snapping pictures “It’s a family operated business” I heard one say “Me, My wife and daughter run the place” he said. This really interested me.

Inside you can cut your personal amount of cheese off the chunk sitting atop an old barrel. Barrels of “penny” candy angled just right for a child to put in a hand and pull out a bunch, supported other items for sale….all the candies that were in RC May’s store when I was a child was there. I’m sure my eyes lit with delight just the way they did when R.C May gave me a piece of Taffy and pack of Kits. Yesterday, I reached in the barrel, got a handful, and paid for them! Wash tubs, wood baskets, handmade dolls, and relics that bring back memories of “the good ole days” are there waiting to be purchased.

“The Barn belonged to my Grandfather” Shanna said. “He was a logger and he parked his trucks here in the barn”.

They took a part of their history and recreated it into a treasure for today emphasizing the past. The Black Barn is a family heirloom made into a business with its own niche. “Our major concern is the amount of customers we have. We didn’t expect the business to be as successful as it has been”.

On into Louisa to snap one more shot then onto route 32 and home. What a day! There’s so much to see and enjoy here at home. I feel extremely lucky to live in an area with so many assets, such a rich heritage, and history and opportunities.
The vacation continued today as I drove around Boyd and Greenup Counties. Have you visited the McConnell House in Greenup County. It was built in 1833-34. Pre-Civil War!! Renovations have kept it as original as possible and it is an educational treat to visit.