The redevelopment of Russell County, Virginia

129 Pages·2014·5.45 MB·English

by  Daniel Alvin Dye

University of Richmond
UR Scholarship Repository
Master's Theses Student Research
Summer 1966
The redevelopment of Russell County, Virginia : a
survey of the causes of poverty in an Appalachian
county and efforts to correct them
Daniel Alvin Dye
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Recommended Citation
Dye, Daniel Alvin, "The redevelopment of Russell County, Virginia : a survey of the causes of poverty in an Appalachian county and
efforts to correct them" (1966).Master's Theses.Paper 247.
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I
THE REDEVELOPMENT OF RUSSELL COUNTY• VIRGINIA:
A SURVEY OF THE CAUSES OF POVER1'Y IN AN
APPALACHIAN COUNTY AND EFFORTS
TO CORRECT THEM
A Thesis
Presented to
the Graduate Faculty
The University of Richmond
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
I.faster of Arts in Political Science
by
Daniel Alvin Dye
August 1966
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This Thesis is dedicated to my wife,
Phyllis Compton Dye, and my daughter,
Deaun Ruth Dye.
ACKNOWLEDGMENrS
From the outset, permit me to express my sincere
appreciation to all of those who have helped me in obtain
ing the material and in preparing this paper.
I am deeply indebted to ~ir. Ellwood Bausell, editor
I!!2
of Lebanon who granted me access to his newspaper
~'
files even while his plant was being completely re-equipped.
Also, I am indebted to Mr. Theodore Sinclair of the Divi
sion of Industrial Development and Planning. Mr. Sinclair
departed from his busy schedule and discussed with me, at
length, the problems of Russell County, and he obtained for
me a copy of a report on a survey of the Southwestern Vir
ginia area which was conducted by his office. This report
had not been made public and was otherwise unobtainable.
I am also deeply indebted to Luther Compton whose moral
~ir.
encouragement and financial support sustained me in my hour
of need.
My special thanks are extended to Dr. Spencer D. Al
c.
bright and Dr. Ralph McDanel of the University of Rich
mond. Their helpful suggestions and capable supervision
made my task much more enjoyable and far less difficult.
It
would be impossible to describe the inspiration which
these great scholars instilled in me through their teach
ings and quest of truth. I hope that this word of thanks
iv
will in some way repay them.
-
· I would also like to thank Mrs. J • B. Whitworth, Jr.,
for the many hours which she spent at her typewriter.
Through her great skill and diligence, this ' p' aper was trans-
formed. into a legible final copy from an almost illegible
rough draft.
Finally, words cannot express the debt that I owe to
my wife. Her many sacrifices and devotion have made pos-
'
sible not only this paper but my college education as well.
TADLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
INTRODUCTION • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • vii
I. A BRIEF HISTORY OF RUSSELL COUNTY • • • • • • • l
II. THE PEOPLE OF RUSSELL COUNTY • • • • • • • • • ll
III. POPULATION TRENDS SIHCE,1900 • • • • • • • • • 22
Jl
IV. EDUCATION , • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
V. THE TAX STRUCTURE: A FISCAL FARCE? • • • • • • 52
VI. TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES AND HIGHWAYS • • • • 66
VII. AGRICULTURE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 73
VIII. INDUSTRY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 79
IX. REDEVELOPMENT PROGRA.l'1S IN RUSSELL COUNTY:
A LOOK TO THE FUTURE • • • • • • • • • • • • 97
X. CONCLUSION • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 106
BIBLIOGRAPHY • • • • • .. ·• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 116
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAGE
I1 Magisterial Districts and Supervisors '• , • • • 4
II. Population of Russell County by Magisterial
Districts • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 7
.III •. Elected County Officials • • • • • ••••• • 9
IV. ,TheJvfuuntain Dialect • • •.• • • • •••• •. 15
v.
Common Toponyms in Appalachia ••••••••• 19
VI. Population Growth 1860-1960 • • • • • • • • • • 24
VII •. Age.Distribution for State and County by
. Per Cent .•. • .. • .· • • ••.•.. • • • • ••• , • • 26
VIII. ,Net by Age and Sex from 1950 to ,
~tlgration
.196o •••••••••••••••••• • • 29
IX. Real Estate Taxes in Russell County • • • • • • 54
.x.
Real Estate Taxes in the Seven County
. . Appalachian Region 1964 • • • • • • • • • • • 57
XI, .Farms by Nwnber of Acres • • • •• • •• • •• 74
XII •. Prevailing Hourly Wage Rates in.Russell County
by Industry • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • S2
XIII. Unemployment Statistics .for Russell County • • 99
INTRODUCTION
In 1964 President Lyndon Johnson injected a concept
into the American society that represented a fresh approach
to a problem that is as old as society itself. He toured
.
.
the slunis of Harlem, the impoverished mining camps in West
Virginia, and the infertile farms of the share-croppers in
Alabama; and he decided that poverty could be, and must be,
driven from this land. 'l'hus he began his war on poverty.
The purpose of this paper is to describe the economic,
social, and political conditions in Russell County that have
caused it to be classified as a depressed area by the De
partments of Commerce and Labor. The years 1950 to 1966
were selected by this writer because it seems that the
poverty of the people of the county began emerging immedi
ately after the Second World War and has become more pro
nounced since that time. For historical and comparative
purposes, certain aspects of the county's development from
1900 to 1950 have been included; however, they have been
held to a minimum, and they are of only secondary impor
tance to the paper.
This writer has more than an academic interest in Rus
sell County. He was born and reared there, his wife is a
native of the county, and his parents still reside there.
viii
Thus, he has a particular interest in the county's well
being,
The map'below indicates the geographical location of
Russell 'County.
D.C.
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