Appalachian Resources in Special Collections and University Archives

In this section, you will find resources about economics, education, housing, and transportation in the region. This includes economic surveys, studies on education levels, and information on railroads.

Once a self-sustaining region, Appalachia grew to become dependent on business trends as industrialization expanded. This dependency on forces largely outside of its control (such as market trends and emigration of industries) has led to the decline of the Appalachian economy. Many areas are making a comeback, but Appalachia often remains associated with poverty, addiction, and unemployment.

This information and more can be found in the Encyclopedia of Appalachia and the resources below.

Click on a book or collection title to learn more about it.

• A Regional Study: the Appalachian Core, 1963. Call Number: LD5655 A542 U59 1963c Spec VT General
• Encyclopedia of Appalachia, 2006. Call Number: F106 E53 2006 Spec Large and Newman 3rd Floor
• Industrial Opportunities in the Land of Plenty: Served by the Norfolk and Western Railway. Call Number: HC107 V8 N6 1950 Spec Large
• When the Trains Came to Norton, Wise County, in Old Virginia in 1891, 1941. Call Number: F234 W86 W64 1941 Spec Large
• Coltrane, Robert I. An Economic Survey of the Appalachian Region, with Special Reference to Agriculture. Call Number: HD1751 A47 no.69
• Cox, J. Lamarr. Study of High School Dropouts in Appalachia, 1985. Call Number: LC144 A127 S89 1985 Spec Large
• Couto, Richard A. An American Challenge: A Report on Economic Trends and Social Issues in Appalachia, 1994. Call Number: HC107 A127 C68 1994 Spec Large
• Dulaney, Ben Bane. An Economic and Social Survey of Washington County. Call Number: HC107 V8 V8 no.17 Spec Large and Newman 3rd Floor
• Dunaway, Wilma A. The First American Frontier: Transition to Capitalism in Southern Appalachia, 1700-1860, 1996. Call Number: HC107 A127 D86 1996 Spec Large and Newman 3rd Floor
• Eller, Ronald D. Kentucky's Distressed Communities, 1994. Call Number: HC107 K4 E450 1994 Spec Large
• Kiffmeyer, Thomas. Reformers to Radicals: The Appalachian Volunteers and the War on Poverty, 2008. Call Number: HN79 A127 K45 2008 Spec Large and Newman 3rd Floor
• Lilienthal, David Eli. TVA; Democracy on the March. Call Number: TK1425 M8 L53 Spec Large and Newman 5th Floor
• Pavlick, Anthony Leo. Quality of Rural and Urban Housing in the Appalachian Region. Call Number: HD1751 A47 no.52 Spec Large
• Snidow, Francis Arthur. An Economic and Social Survey of Giles County. Call Number: HC107 V8 V8 no. 8 Spec Large and Newman 3rd Floor
• Stewart, Bruce E. Moonshiners and Prohibitionists: the Battle Over Alcohol in Southern Appalachia, 2011. Call Number: HJ5021 S84 2011 Spec Large
• VanZandt, G. C. Coal and the Norfolk and Western Railway, 1996. Call Number: TN805 Z6 N67 1996 Spec Large
• Welch, Wendy. Fall or Fly: the Strangely Hopeful Story of Foster Care and Adoption in Southern Appalachia, 2018. Call Number: HV875.56 A7 W45 2018 Spec Large
• Withoft, Mabel Swartz. Oak and Laurel: a Study of the Mountain Mission Schools of Southern Baptists, 1923. Call Number: BV2520 W5 1923 Spec Small

• Appalachian Regional Commission Teaching Project Records, 2001-2006 (Ms2011-041).
• Appalachian Student Organizing Committee, 1964-1975 (RG31/14/10).
• Harris Mountain Schools Collection, 1913-1961 (Ms1961-001).
• Industrial Education Association for Southern Mountaineers Collection, 1930, 1936 (Ms2011-059).
• Montgomery Female College Collection, 1875-1892 (Ms2009-013).
• Norfolk and Western Railway and Associated Companies Collection, 1851-1978 (Ms2009-037).
• Fries Textile Plant Records, 1900-1988 (Ms1989-039).
• Lynchburg, Virginia Mercantile Daybook, 1835-1838 (Ms2017-024).
• Virginia Iron, Coal and Coke Company Pay Ledger, 1918 (Ms2017-027).
• James H. Lowry Journal, 1846 (Ms1990-010).

• Historical Photograph Collection. 1890s to present. (photographs)
• Named/Individual Photograph Collections. 1890s to present. (photographs)
• Postcards from Appalachia. c1900-1950s. (Ms2015-032). (postcards/photographs)
• Preston Leech Glass Slides and Cassette Tape. 1900-1925, 1994. (Ms1994-003). (slides, cassette)
• Virginian Railway Photographs. 1945-1959. (Ms2013-015). (photographs)
• Crown Cotton Mills [Dalton, Georgia] Oral History Tapes. 1984-1985. (Ms1988-023).
• Earl Palmer Appalachian Photograph and Artifact Collection. 1880-1989. (Ms1989-025). (photographs, artifacts)
• Appalachian Electric Power Company Photographs. 1931, 1956. (Ms2009-073). (photographs)
• Byllesby, Virginia, Dam Construction Photograph Album. (Ms2019-028). (photographs)