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Records an interview with Mae Long, (née Atkins), who grew up in Page County, Virginia. Describes daily life in the mountains, including raising livestock, the means of growing and preserving food and other aspects of the local economy, such as chestnut and ginseng harvesting and moonshine.

Records the reminiscences of Mamie Dearing, who grew up near Dark Hollow, Virginia, prior to the establishment of Shenandoah National Park. Describes her early home and family life, household chores, and school days. Discusses the growing, harvesting and preserving of food, hog butchering, apple butter boilings and herbal remedies. Includes references to holidays, weddings, funerals, and courting.

Records an interview with Marguerite Sutherland, (née Daniel), who grew up in Graves Mill, in Madison County, Va. Describes daily life in the mountains, touching on the work of growing and preserving food, raising livestock, holidays, funerals, and working in her family's orchards.

Records an interview with Mattie Yager, whose family lived near Old Rag Mountain in Madison County, Virginia. Describes daily life in the mountains, touching on the work of growing and preserving food, herbal remedies, courtship and holidays. Mrs. Woodward plays several old-time mountain tunes on her autoharp during the interview. Her son, Dennis Yager joins in at the end of the conversation. Dennis Yager and two other musicians give an impromptu concert of mountain music in SdArch no. SNP-137.

Records the reminiscences of Miley Frazier, who was born in 1900 near Patterson Ridge, in what would become the Southern Section of Shenandoah National Park. Describes daily life in the mountains, including local agriculture, livestock production and food preservation, courting rituals and folk music. Discusses the annual cattle drives from the lowlands to the mountain pastures. Discusses the importance of seasonal harvests, including chestnuts, huckleberries and tan bark, to the local economy.

Records an interview with M.M. Hitt, Jr., whose father owned a general store in Luray, Virginia, at the turn of the 20th century. Mr. Hitt ran his own confectionery store in Luray, from 1911 to about 1930. Discusses the retail business at that time and his impressions of the mountain people who would patronize his store. Includes references to local entrepreneur, George Freeman Pollock, owner of nearby Skyland resort, and local Episcopal missionary, Mary Deaconess Hutton.

Records an interview with Myrtle Woodward, (née Broyles), who lived in the mountains near Syria, Virginia. Describes daily life in the mountains, touching on the work of growing and preserving food, herbal remedies and holidays. Also recalls her experiences with local entrepreneur George Freeman Pollock, owner of nearby Skyland resort, who was a major influence in the establishment of Shenandoah National Park.

Records an interview with Nelson Nicholson and his wife, Claudia, who lived in Nicholson Hollow, within the future boundaries of Shenandoah National Park. Describes daily life in the mountains, touching on the work of growing and preserving food, herbal remedies, hunting and fishing. Discusses the limited economic opportunities available to the mountain people, such as the apple and chestnut harvests, bark peeling and moon-shining. Includes references to local entrepreneur, George Freeman Pollock, owner of nearby Skyland resort.

Records an interview with Nettie Lang, (née Breeden), who grew up in Dark Hollow, in Madison County, Virginia. Describes daily life in the mountains, the means of growing and preserving food and other aspects of the local economy, such as chestnut and ginseng harvesting, bark peeling and moonshine.

Records an interview with Nettie Sirbaugh, (née Schafftnaker), her son, Clarence W. Sirbaugh, his wife, Beulah C. Sirbaugh, (née Thomas), and Beulah's cousin, Vallie Cave, (née Thomas). Describes daily life in the mountains, touching on the work of growing and preserving food, raising livestock, holidays, funerals, chestnut harvests, bark peeling, and other local economic activities. Mr. Sirbaugh discusses the local tanbark industry, which was a major source of income for many mountain families. Additional interviews with Beulah Sirbaugh and Vallie Cave are available in SdArch no. SNP-2, and SNP-26.