OH221 King Stice Oral History

Authors

Eric Rousey

Collection Title

Jackson Purchase Oral History Project - Kentucky Dam Project

Series Number

OH221

Interviewee

Stice, King

Interviewer

Rousey, Eric

Date Interviewed

November 21st, 1995

Processed by

Dieter C. Ulrich

Date Processed

November 21st, 2013

Description

1 sound disc (89 minutes)

Abstract

King Chandler Stice describes his experiences as an electrician working for the Tennessee Valley Authority during the construction of the Kentucky Dam. He explained in detail the process of building the locks and the different machines and mechanical devices required to complete the project. He recalled the Tennessee river freezing over in the winter of 1938/1939 and that construction continued even when temperatures dropped below zero. He discussed the role of trade unions and apprentice programs. He mentions the Great Depression, previous employers, the construction of public schools in Marshall County, his military service during the Second World War (27th Coast Artillery Battalion), working conditions at the dam, moonshiners in the region, resistance of inhabitants to relocation, the flood of 1937, and other stories related to the history of Calvert City and Marshall County, Kentucky.

Biographical/Historical Note

King Chandler Stice was born at Calvert City, Kentucky on October 11th, 1915. He attended local public schools and after graduating high school, worked as a radio inspector at Corsley Radio Corporation in Cincinnati. He returned to Calvert City and was hired as an electrician with the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1938 and worked there until 1939. He enlisted in the United States Army in January of 1942 and served as a communication chief until 1946. After the war, he worked as an electrician. Stice retired as a maintenance foreman from Pennwalt Corporation in 1980. He passed away on October 4th, 2006 at Calvert City.

General Information

No user access to original recordings. Use audio user copies, digital derivatives, transcripts, and/or tape indexes. This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). Permission for reproduction must be requested from Murray State University.

Subject Headings/Descriptors

Stice, King Chandler, 1915-2006.

Kentucky Dam (Ky.)

Marshall (Ky.) - History.

Calvert City (Ky.)

Tennessee Valley Authority.

Dams - Kentucky.

Land Between the Lakes (Ky. And Tenn.) - History.

United States.

Army. U.S. Coast Artillery, 27th.

World War, 1939-1945 - Personal narratives, American.

Recommended Citation

Rousey, Eric, "OH221 King Stice Oral History" (2025). Kentucky Dam. 32.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/oh-kendam/32