James Gooch and Christy Fitch

Recorded June 4, 2011 Archived June 4, 2011 39:55 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id: MBX008141

Description

Christy Fitch (35) interviews her grandfather James Gooch (85) about moving from Neon, KY to Detroit, MI.

Subject Log / Time Code

JG worked on the railroad in Neon, KY just like his father before him.
He moved to Detroit and helped all his family members move and get jobs working in car parts factories.
Remembers summers during childhood he would go visit his grandfather in rural Eastern Kentucky. His uncle would pick them up at the train station in a horse-drawn wagon.
First president he voted for was Harry Truman, and he is a life long Democrat. “Everything that’s been passed for anyone in this country is because of Democrats.”
JG has never done anything he’s ashamed of.

Participants

  • James Gooch
  • Christy Fitch

Venue / Recording Kit


Transcript

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00:03 My name is Christy Fitch. I'm 35. Today is June 4th, 2011, and I'm in Lexington, Kentucky and I'm with my grandfather.

00:15 You can state your name. My name is James Gooch. I'm 85 years old.

00:23 How was born June 12th 2006?

00:28 And neon, Kentucky

00:31 And

00:33 This is my granddaughter.

00:39 About neon when you were a kid, what was it like

00:43 Well, it was just a small town surrounded by a lot of

00:48 Mining companies

00:51 And that's what made the town.

00:54 And

00:58 When the mountain got my full. After town went broke. That's the way it is today broke.

01:05 Did any of your family work in the mines?

01:09 I don't think any of never did work into mine.

01:14 Work Papa work at

01:18 What do you do on the railroad?

01:21 Well

01:23 We haven't got time to look at that. He worked at the shops.

01:30 And I worked on the railroad before I went in service.

01:35 And I

01:38 Did the same jobs as you did but by the time I work there he got promoted and worked on the passenger cars passenger train.

01:52 And now

01:55 I went in the service and that wrapped up my

01:59 Railroad time I come back and change.

02:04 Former superintendents and bosses from what have you eaten?

02:09 Hey don't want no veterans.

02:12 So they wouldn't give you a job because you were at had served in the war.

02:16 Well, I think you wanted was there ever was?

02:21 He was afraid I think.

02:28 Holiday afraid of he was afraid of

02:33 Younger men

02:40 I racked Laura I had him there and

02:45 I went down to apply for a job and he wouldn't even listen to me.

02:56 That was wrapped up my railroad job.

03:01 And me on read

03:04 What much after that after the war there's a little coal mine started?

03:11 Working out and

03:15 All that was left was

03:18 The streets of neon and they didn't last long as long as my daughter is coal mine closed and people left.

03:28 Neon left not much there anymore.

03:35 Well, I went to Detroit, Michigan.

03:40 I worked Dodge, Maine for about 6 months.

03:44 DNR are Danner commercial steel treating I work there 38 years.

03:52 How to know to go up there for work

03:56 How do you know to go up to Michigan for work?

04:04 Working on building cars

04:07 And they all seem to get jobs and Stage I figured well if they can get a job I can do so I left but I didn't.

04:18 Like working in building cars Javad heat-treated a smaller place.

04:30 How was that?

04:32 Who else moved up to Michigan when you did who else moved up to Michigan your friends or family?

04:42 But they all my family got up there and I got them all jobs or is that so?

04:49 Show my brother burn my brother-in-law Henry Hall.

04:56 And Lord came up.

05:00 But you didn't say he's

05:05 Had no.

05:08 Eunice's Brothers came up

05:13 I got him a job and he worked one day.

05:22 All of Me

05:26 KY bud got him a job. Therefore I work.

05:32 I didn't get a real job, but I just went in and took him in and introduced him to the

05:39 Amanda done they're hiring.

05:43 80 kept telling me she's

05:46 You bring any more the chair like you got so far as ha ha ra long?

05:53 He locked her boy from the mountain.

05:59 Tell me about growing up in neon. What did you all do for fun? When you're a kid? Would you play with games your kids play every word.

06:14 Till I got up and go High School play football.

06:20 How is that?

06:22 When are the servers that really was that wrapped up?

06:29 Just about wrapped up my life and Nyan. What branch of the service did you go into?

06:40 What was your job?

06:42 Well, I guess our job was

06:47 Taking troops

06:49 From Transformers when they take a man is getting ready for Invasion or something that take fruit from put them on transport ships.

06:59 And move them out and they would be

07:04 Or I can Mom out at sea.

07:09 And

07:12 The earliest he's like I was on.

07:17 He would come in to bring him to.

07:20 Kayak from Jorge V

07:23 Hey go in turn.

07:25 Let all of them off.

07:28 And we go back out.

07:32 Reporter get off the beach and get out of the way.

07:37 And we can work out there and we just keep going to the passenger for abs and get the troops.

07:45 After we leave

07:47 When we first went in we had tanks or something like that on a ship.

07:52 And it wouldn't they've got off the ship might on the land we backed out and we go to the transport ships and get the troops and take them.

08:06 Because the ship I was on could go right up on the beach.

08:11 Hand-held open the doors room, whatever we had you fly out of whatever.

08:19 Where did you all go to?

08:21 Where did we go to?

08:25 Well

08:27 Eras about

08:29 So what is our miles in the Pacific Ocean?

08:33 And we covered a lot of it.

08:39 About it, you know how to swim before you were in the for you were in the Navy?

08:45 Did I learn how to swim for what did you know how to swim before you join the Navy like that?

09:00 You

09:02 You don't know you can do a lot of things to do you have to

09:08 Mamaw and papaw

09:11 Well outside my mother and dad.

09:15 You better both, you know, almost over.

09:19 Or can I tell you about it, but you don't know what tell me about Mama? Cuz I don't really remember her before she passed away.

09:27 Well

09:30 I know she had red hair.

09:43 I do not know what I could tell you about my parents except.

09:49 Cuz y'all for good parts and

09:58 Dad worked all his life. He didn't know.

10:05 Had he had supported us real good to hear his family come first put him in that was that.

10:14 Wasn't was he a judge at one time stroke?

10:20 And a couple of heart attacks you

10:24 We thought we were going to lose you not half a dozen times. You had two strokes and heart attacks.

10:30 Letcher

10:32 When he had to retire from the railroad.

10:38 Hey, you didn't know what to do for.

10:42 To get Viagra live on and

10:47 Joey ran for judge

10:50 And how they express old town because

10:55 The people would admit in there.

10:58 Have been there for like 20 years.

11:02 And Dad when turn upset him.

11:06 And

11:08 He kept the job for 20 years and then he retired from

11:15 But are you Jewish?

11:18 How did I say or everybody locked me in the town and

11:23 Even if people that he find police would get them for public drunkenness or something like that at small town. That's all they

11:34 Ever had we didn't get no one murders or anything like that.

11:45 He was a

11:47 A good judge I guess as long as you want forever with manful.

11:53 Kept getting elected

12:00 What about mamaw?

12:02 Well

12:04 She was just my dad every step of the way and

12:11 Of course, they were both.

12:13 Before they ever had it for

12:16 Letcher County weather

12:19 They were fireworks down in Lincoln County in Pew Lasky County.

12:25 And my mother was from Lincoln County.

12:30 My grandfather her dad.

12:34 Used to live in neon

12:39 And

12:43 I was like

12:47 I think her and her two or three of her sisters.

12:52 Had a couple of her brother's was born there and then

12:59 But the

13:02 He left before the town ever become a town.

13:08 Are you going to

13:10 Just about the time he left up there. They discovered the cold and the mountains.

13:16 And

13:19 Everything

13:21 Federal around the mountain from never

13:24 The little fowl, Oneonta

13:28 Nicole caps around it

13:31 Made the town what it was.

13:36 Of course all over mine caps had a company store.

13:40 And The Company Store

13:43 Let them know Hoover's.

13:46 Bosses in more ways than one.

13:50 They were there. Bots on morality is working and

13:55 They cashed your check for you.

13:58 And there's a line up for the food and the

14:02 Going into the company store.

14:06 We're right behind their cashier. They cashed your check. Keep going ahead of you coming and going.

14:14 So they paid yet, but then they got it all back.

14:25 Now you said mamaw and papaw did farming in Lincoln County, Lincoln County.

14:39 And their neighboring counties, so

14:45 Hygge

14:49 He used to.

14:52 Tell us about ready to go to court and they didn't go over to see Mom and

14:58 Harris saddle horse you rode a horse on a timer ride over and see her.

15:04 Course back then everybody had horses no cars around.

15:11 That was a

15:15 It was a good time and

15:20 Have been seduced places down there where there's born and raised.

15:25 I'd love to be there. Did you visit there when you are a kid?

15:33 Get his vacation. From the railroads.

15:37 It get

15:40 After they become unionized he got his

15:44 Two week vacation in

15:49 They'd come back down where they deliver more raised.

15:54 And for the record

15:58 Take all the kids weatherman.

16:01 Ashford we look forward to every Rivers going down to see Grandpa.

16:07 And

16:09 He was way out in the country.

16:12 Harrods

16:14 Whole log house if he was on the property when he bought it.

16:24 Eras

16:26 It was good times. What would you guys do down there? What would you do down there at his farm?

16:39 Hugo

16:41 Didn't have a bicycle to ride cuz I could afford it. Are the kids are at Backcountry. Go to Florida bicycle.

16:49 And all you could do is play games with each other.

16:55 Your bare feet couldn't stand around on.

17:01 Happy about it.

17:03 How did you all get there?

17:05 Trying to take a train down there.

17:09 Here with ride the train down.

17:13 Orangeburg

17:16 Get off at 3rd, and I'll come with a heavy wagon and horses out there.

17:24 Write about Five Mile regular or is the Farms is that

17:31 How

17:34 I had each one of them each one of them.

17:39 Boys that have

17:43 Fall River Joan

17:46 Xavier

17:49 Grew up and got married and left Grandpa's place.

17:55 Nearby Farms of the Rhone

17:59 Raise our families and

18:04 At that was

18:06 How about a two or three mile area is there?

18:11 At one family home.

18:14 Quarter biggest part of it

18:17 He's walking around two or three Hundred Acre Farms. That's a lot of land.

18:24 What do you grow on a farm wedding grow on the farm are needed back then corn and beans cuz they couldn't afford to buy back store and

18:47 That was

18:50 It was a f what they got by on Corsa?

18:57 Most all the women learn how to can when there's kids from their mother and they would

19:06 Can a fall a good?

19:08 And all Amanda Slaughter Hogs and beef and what have you learned?

19:16 You rephrase your vegetables on the fireman?

19:20 So you lived off on and off the farm?

19:24 By yourself

19:28 So if anybody got hungry in your family, it was your fault.

19:35 Are you couldn't vote your finger? Nobody else?

19:39 When you lived on a farm much, that was the sad part of it.

19:45 Either you had a good time, or you didn't know if you wanted to work you could may have a good time.

19:53 But if you didn't want to work

19:56 And your family didn't have all of the money so I could either.

20:03 And the goodies was new clothes and new shoes. And what have you?

20:10 And back then no clothes in the fire new shoes was

20:15 That was a

20:17 Big time when you went to the store and bought you your dad bought you new clothes and

20:24 New shoes, and then when the catalog is come out.

20:29 Marvel started ordering stuff through the mail.

20:34 Clothes like that

20:37 All them young girls. I just eat that up. They was real good to their mothers.

20:47 Ashley

20:51 That was about it for

20:54 Neon was a

20:59 Coleman Marina Cafe corner, of course try and going in and out of there passenger train.

21:10 At the railroad

21:14 That's what made me on was.

21:18 Railroad, that's where it ended.

21:22 And all of coal mine worked around it.

21:26 I knew it on all the people in the cold caption.

21:30 On the weekends with a company on for

21:34 Groceries in hallway

21:38 How can I remember?

21:41 Hot guy

21:44 I remember a lot of those little streets and neon it.

21:49 Didn't have no concrete on them.

21:54 Careers that just back for each Main Street Los it become a town.

22:02 It was had concrete.

22:06 And

22:09 Back preach no, no concrete. No nothing.

22:15 Asphalt or nothing else

22:23 When it when I was a kid there it was almost A Primitive time.

22:31 But it was a

22:33 I enjoyed every minute of it. I'd love to go back to it to live there.

22:40 Is love to live there again.

22:44 I would love to live there.

22:49 I wish we could happen to you switch uni cell phone.

22:54 I don't see that happening either.

23:06 That ladders after the war.

23:16 I think about 48.

23:21 48 other

23:28 No. I met her before that because we got married in 48.

23:39 Cuz she's a girl alone.

23:46 She's you meant for me to forget a lot of that stuff, too.

23:57 Icy cold Mill song

24:01 Flaming Mike Roberts

24:04 As all mining camps

24:08 And all of them had hundreds of employees, so that's why Neon.

24:15 Flourish the way it is.

24:18 Ever everybody.

24:20 And those little mind gaps that part of the company stores.

24:26 When the store turn me on.

24:31 My pretty good living at all.

24:41 Democrats, aren't you?

24:44 Yes, ma'am. Tell me about the first person you ever voted for.

24:49 First president voted for how are you feeling?

24:59 Now, why are you a Democrat best party? Cuz you're stupid. They're better than the Republican Party especially for the working people.

25:20 Didn't you tell me one time that if it weren't for the Democrat Democratic party, you all wouldn't have been able to eat?

25:28 Well that was proven and in a whole lot of places not just at the mountains.

25:35 Are everything that's been passed in this country?

25:41 Can I help anybody in any way? It's been the Democratic party has done it.

25:47 Go back and check anything you want to check?

25:51 Now when you were in Michigan you were commercial was a union right? Did you ever serve as a role in any of the in the union or were you ever in it? Like a leadership role in the union wear Union steward?

26:09 I would like

26:11 Short new Union

26:15 But that was a minor thing.

26:18 What did that entail what did you have to do is a steward.

26:24 What are

26:28 If ever Foreman will go do something into and employees at

26:36 Porsche

26:38 What is covered in their contract or something like that? A lot of times it was covered the contract and the cupcakes?

26:47 Got it. Anyhow, they don't want to do something.

26:51 That's when you would.

26:53 Get the men together walk out.

26:56 Did you have that happen very often did that happen very often?

27:06 We didn't have any.

27:09 When they all the time we have a strike was.

27:14 Heaven, and I don't know if you're going to strike, but when the contractor drone out.

27:20 And they

27:22 He didn't have nothing to live by you don't have a contract to get around. Nothing to live by.

27:29 That's why unions are formed the first place.

27:35 So you all did have a strike one time.

27:38 Hey, we have described her to but it wasn't.

27:42 How do I don't think I like?

27:45 38 years I was there.

27:48 I know I didn't lose a week's time.

27:53 That's not bad. Beer on truck. I'm are.

27:59 I think the longest strike we have your 3 days.

28:05 Tell me about your siblings your siblings your brothers and sisters.

28:12 Are you going well, but I want to hear about them from you.

28:26 I don't know if I could tell you anything you are doing already know.

28:35 I know was the oldest and who's next?

28:45 And I can assist the baby by how many years I believe.

28:52 Who are you closest with? Who are you closest with? No, Justin relationship.

29:07 Well, I never said she was the oldest and then Rexy was the older.

29:13 Then burn then me.

29:17 And then it was nine years between me and Kenneth.

29:21 Were you good friends closest friends?

29:35 That's a

29:40 What else I can say about that?

29:45 Shut your your family and

29:52 That's about all I can say about it. Nobody else better not say anything about him. That's that.

30:02 Did I ever get in trouble as well?

30:07 I've got spanked every now and then.

30:12 Nothing. No.

30:15 Nothing

30:17 Never was arrested if that's what you mean.

30:25 Ever got in trouble with them. I got a job when I could.

30:30 I worked on the railroad as Dad for a while.

30:35 Had to go to the service reminder comeback did change bosses?

30:40 He wouldn't speak to the veteran.

30:48 What's your favorite car?

30:51 What's your favorite type of car?

30:55 Well, I've had just about every card. Maybe you prefer a truck, right?

31:05 I guess Play-Doh for if you could have car as I've ever had. I've had a lot of the others that just about every car is made.

31:15 But

31:17 August 4th, buddy

31:20 My favorite of all of them. How many pickup trucks have you had would you say?

31:28 I can think of three I can think of three.

31:36 Doesn't maybe two dozen. I don't know I can but I don't remember the cars. I've been profoundly head.

31:44 Now let me ask this cuz I know we only have a few minutes left. What's one thing that you would want me to make sure that Emma knows about you and Emma's kids knows about you.

31:57 MMA knows about me. I don't know what you're teaching your daughter about me. What do you want her to know about you, but you stay in for your family or

32:20 I don't know of anything and our family that you don't know if you are you at you should know.

32:28 Ain't none of none of them ever been in jail or prison tour.

32:35 I think we've all had a fart a good life.

32:40 Oh.

32:44 Most all of us Christian people so hot

32:49 Are all the speak for yourself?

32:57 Don't don't care.

33:00 Go around start. No trouble.

33:03 It's the best way to stay out of trouble.

33:10 That's one thing I've learned in this world.

33:16 And I didn't have to learn it the hard way.

33:23 Ashley is going then you can learn when you're a kid in the mountains.

33:29 You learn the good and bad and you learn it.

33:33 The way you want to

33:37 If you if you want to learn the bed, you can learn it in about 4, so you don't have to be in the big city today.

33:45 Has it say up in the mountains of a rotten person?

33:58 Asher

34:01 But I don't.

34:06 I hear you call somebody rotten person and

34:10 You better be willing the back of your words.

34:15 A lot of people take sat as fighting words.

34:26 But me I've had enough fighting.

34:30 I don't want to fight no more with you, but that's enough of that.

34:35 We don't fight.

34:39 You know that.

34:42 Well, tell me about Mom.

34:46 Did you teach her how to shoot again?

34:49 No, did you get her first BB gun?

34:53 You didn't.

34:55 Who got her first BB gun?

34:59 Your mother

35:01 First BB gun

35:03 Oh, I don't know why my daughter learn trying to teach her out and sat down the barrel or something, but

35:13 How did barnova I do again from BB gun?

35:25 I don't think great about it for.

35:28 I don't know. I don't even know she had one to talk about taking it out and shooting at the stop sign.

35:36 Oh well, and that was something that the kids used to do I guess but I don't remember giving her a BB though.

35:53 Sherdog

35:56 Not really not going to give her a a a gun.

36:02 It wouldn't be a BB gun. Would it be?

36:07 Bb8 much of a gun.

36:11 But if I was going to give real under something and be something to protect yourself with

36:18 And that's be all in.

36:21 Be in the

36:26 But I don't think I'll ever have to give her one.

36:34 I certainly hope I don't ever have to give her one, but I'll guarantee you one thing.

36:41 She would I bet you she could take a gun right now and had was as low as a man could.

36:49 How many for safe do you know?

36:55 Well

36:59 Do I tell me about?

37:01 About stuff that you've lived in your life.

37:04 No rush. Don't get too nosy nosy too much about never done anything that I'm ashamed of.

37:18 Never done anything to hurt anybody intentionally except those that I was supposed to.

37:28 So

37:32 There have said that and that is that.

37:42 I don't ever remember having.

37:46 Outside of a fist fight or something much.

37:50 Never had to go to jail over any them. So.

37:55 I got a quiet life. I guess you'd call it.

37:58 Did you have fist fights when you are neon?

38:02 Fish fries don't ever kid hit fit fat. Okay, I didn't say so.

38:15 Somebody might slap your face realize about somebody's face, but that's

38:21 That ain't much fattening.

38:28 But somebody slap her man face.

38:32 There's there's going to be fat.

38:37 That's why you want to be careful about whose face you slept.

38:47 Anything else grandpa that you want to share?

38:51 It is a thing. I want to see.

38:56 No, I don't know anything.

38:59 That you don't already know, you know about everything you can about me and our family.

39:06 So, I don't know whether you think that I can tell you.

39:09 If you don't already know too much of

39:17 How to time that went want to thank you Grandpa for coming down today and in talking with me and sharing your stories, are you something you already knew?

39:38 But I had everybody that I know or care about.

39:44 Knows everything I've told you.

39:47 So I don't think anybody going to learn anything new from it.