Overview

Any discussion of the 1930s conjures images of the Dust Bowl, unemployment, and economic deprivation across the United States. Perhaps more disadvantaged than most in the nation were the residents of the Tennessee River Valley. Generations of farmers had overworked and deforested marginal land. The region had failed to attract industry, and the general standard of living for valley inhabitants was poor. Already plagued by frequent epidemics, inadequate housing, and meager incomes, the Great Depression only exacerbated problems in the region.

The Tennessee River Valley was not the only region whose people lived in conditions that seemed primitive when compared to contemporary urban standards. Many rural dwellers across the nation faced similar problems...