OH112 Arah Kennedy Oral History
Collection Title
Jackson Purchase Oral History Project - Lifestyles
Series Number
OH112
Interviewee
Kennedy, Arah
Interviewer
Devine, Earl
Date Interviewed
March 22nd, 1983
Processed by
Tara Marcum
Date Processed
June 20th, 2011
Description
1 sound disc (72 minutes)
Abstract
Arah Kennedy describes her life in rural Marshall County, Kentucky during the first half of the 20th century. She recalls the family farm, making feather beds and visits from a grocery wagon that delivered goods to people out in the country. She remembers playing games, foot races on the railroad tracks and taking the family horse and buggy to visit friends. She recalled that in 1924 that her family and neighbors listened to the first battery powered radio in the county. She remarked that people had a very patriotic feeling during the First World War and that many rallies were held to support the war effort. She also describes the celebrations following the war, the great flood of 1937 and trains filled with soldiers during the Second World War. Kennedy describes purchasing her first television set in 1957.
Biographical/Historical Note
Arah Kennedy was born in Marshall County, Kentucky in 1900. Her childhood was spent on the family farm, where her family raised chickens, cattle, hogs, turkeys, ducks and geese. She attended the Wilson School, a one room public school that taught grades one through eight. During the First World War, her brother was drafted and saw action in France. He returned wounded suffering from shell shock and internal bleeding.
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
Kennedy, Arah, 1900-
Marshall County (Ky.) - History
Gilbertsville (Ky.) - History.
Calvert City (Ky.) - History.
Wilson School House (Marshall County, Ky.)
Farm Life - Kentucky - Marshall County.
Kentucky - Social Conditions - 1933-1945.
World War, 1914-1918 - Kentucky - Marshall County.
Recommended Citation
Devine, Earl, "OH112 Arah Kennedy Oral History" (2025). Lifestyles. 27.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/oh-lifestyles/27
Audio Transcript
