In the 1840’s and well into the early 1900’s, pneumonia was a threat in the Appalachian region. With a scarcity of physicians (or none at all), families turned to homeopathic medicines. An onion poultice was commonly used to relieve deep-chested coughs, croup and pneumonia. In the chapter “Lizzie Speaks”, her father dies of it. The mother, Mattie Lee, tries to save him by using an onion poultice, but fails due to lack of onions. Could she have saved him if Aunt Dortha had arrived in time?
Possibly.
Onions are high in sulfur and were used as expectorants for deep-seated colds, croup, and pneumonia. The fumes from the onions thinned the mucus, allowing the patient to cough it up, and relieved tightness in the chest which allowed more oxygen.
These poultices were made by heating diced onions in a frying pan, then
putting them in a flour sack, towel, or sock. In Lizzie’s case, Mattie Lee used torn bed sheets. Ointment was first applied to the chest to prevent burns (in lieu of ointment, lard was used) and the poultice was placed on the chest. Lizzie mentions that “our onions were old and had sprouted” but had they been fresh, the onion juice would have aided greatly. Thus, the call to Aunt Dortha for help.
Mattie Lee knew what she was dealing with and makes the statement, “If that were a snake, I’d cut it in half.” She was referring to the sounds from her husband’s throat. Patients suffering from pneumonia make wheezing and rattling sounds.
Yes, she did have a chance at saving her husband’s life but, as in most of her situations, too much was against her.
AND POTATOES
The potato, rich in potassium, was another natural remedy used in Appalachia to rid one of pink-eye, reduce swelling, and aid in the healing of wounds. A raw potato slice placed over an infected eye or wound was said to draw out the infection. People put slices of raw potatoes in their shoes to reduce swelling. Potato slices were also used to relieve bee stings.
When Death was a Family Affair
Before the use of embalming fluids, the deceased were generally laid out in the home. Many people died in the house they were born in, and so houses were built with death in mind. The parlor was the best room in the house and also the one with the largest window. This window was called “the funeral window” because the glass could be removed and the coffin brought inside. In the chapter Lizzie Speaks, Lizzie doesn’t call the room where her father dies a parlor, but “the front room with the couch that had the good springs”.
After the Civil War and with the rise of embalming fluids, the care of the dead began to be “hired out” rather than left to the family.
The Appalachian funeral was heavily influenced by the Irish and Scots-Irish. Below is a description of what normally took place after a death in the family in the early 1900’s.
The women would immediately wash the body with soap and water, and dress the corpse. Funeral clothes could be the deceased’s “best” clothes or clothes chosen beforehand by the individual. Some people were buried in winding sheets or wrapped in a funeral quilt. The funeral quilts were stitched by a relative or the deceased themselves. The body was then laid on a board. These boards were narrowed at the top and bottom for head and feet. These “laying out” boards were passed down in families, but if the family didn’t have such a board, a door would be taken off and used instead. The board was kept off the floor by sawhorses placed at either end.
A “cooling board” was a great advantage. This was a board with holes drilled through the wood for ventilation, and buckets of ice could be put beneath.
Once the body was on the board and dressed, water mixed with powdered aspirin or baking soda was frequently applied to the face to prevent discoloration. The corpse was secured by ropes about the feet and the waist so it wouldn’t sit up and scare the mourners. Hands were folded across the chest, and the expression was set by closing the mouth (sometimes this meant putting in teeth) and closing the lids. People often died with their eyes open, and in lieu of glue or stitching, coins were placed on the eyes to keep the lids closed. In Lizzie Speaks, Uncle Sid took the pennies off his brother’s eyes and replaced them with silver dollars. He did this because the copper in the pennies would turn the skin green.
While the women dealt with the corpse, the male relatives or friends dealt with the grave. Families had their own cemeteries (often families would merge due to marriage) but it wasn’t uncommon to bury the dead in the backyard. In some areas, this is still allowed provided that the body is embalmed.
If the grave couldn’t be dug due to rocky soil, dynamite would be used to blast a hole in the ground. If the person died in the winter and the ground was too hard to dig, the corpse would be put in an outside shed or barn still attached to the board, where it would remain until the ground was soft enough to dig.
A wake could last anywhere from nine hours to two days. The wake could possibly last three if distance was involved but no longer due to decomposition. Friends and family brought food and liquor and stayed “awake” with the corpse, so that the spirit/ soul would not be hindered by evil spirits. Also, it was common for a window to be left open, so the spirit wouldn’t be trapped inside.
If you were of Scottish descent, a saining was performed. A saining is a ritual used to ensure protection from evil spirits to those about to “cross”. Rowan and white ash were burned to deter evil spirits and a blessing was said.
Women were expected to gather round the corpse and keen, while the men stayed in the background.
As the trails of the circuit riders become more well-worn (originally these saddlebag preachers were Presbyterian), it became more important for a sermon and scripture to be read at the funeral. If the weather was inclement at the time of death, the body was stored until he could arrive. If one or more deaths occurred in the family, the bodies were kept together until the minister’s arrival.
Mountains and Moonshine
Mountains serve as a natural boundary for West Virginia. It’s a land-locked state and the only one that is entirely within the confines of the Appalachian region. The state was primarily populated by the Irish, Scots-Irish*, and Germans. The Irish came in droves during the Great Migration, and more than any other, made a lasting impression on the state’s culture. Even today, despite a declining population, 11% of the state descends from Irish ancestry. The Irish particularly liked the region because it was hilly (though more so than Ireland), mining was an occupation the men were familiar with, and they were able to own land good for farming. The last was a huge draw, particularly in light of the Irish Potato Famine.
The Irish came with their “worms and wood” and set up stills in the mountains. Yes, the tales about moonshine are mostly true, along with a deep-seated hatred of revenuers. Not only was making moonshine a source of income, each family (or clan) had its own technique. Home breweries were common in Ireland and this was like taxing a favorite recipe! The most hated man in the hills was the revenuer, and many lost their lives. If death weren’t enough of a deterrent, all revenuers had to be registered Republican and give a 5% of the income to the party!
*Scots-Irish refer to those Scots who moved to Northern Ireland and had lived there for three generations.
Appalachian Dialect Disappearing Fast
The following is a list of phrases unique to the Appalachian dialect. I say “disappearing fast” because our speech is, by and large, conforming with the rest of the nation. The pockets of isolation have been filled with Walmarts.
Hillbilly: this term comes from the Scots-Irish and began as an endearment. Bill or Billy is a man or lad, so a Hill Bill or a Hill Billy was a man or boy who lived in the hills and preferred solitude. The word originated in Kentucky and would later take on negative connotations.
Pay it no mind: Don’t worry about it.
Poke: a paper bag or grocery sack.
Pig in a Poke: A surprise, good or bad. “You’re buying a pig in a poke,” means you don’t know what you’re getting.
He’s sorry: Has no value. “He’s sorry at his job.”
Wishbook: a mail order catalog.
Privy: the polite word for outhouse. The pages of a wishbook were used in them.
Call the granny: call the mid-wife.
Ole Rip: a woman of unsavory character.
Ditch Water: a woman with a bad reputation. “She was known as nothing but ditch water.”
Beginning to turn: impending death.
Slick as a butter bean: can mean smart or quick. “The baby was born slick as a butter bean,” or “She’s a good student, slick as a butter bean.”
Flatter than a flitter: flat as a pancake.
Fine as frog hair: Something that is extremely hard to find. Another example would be As Scarce as a hen’s tooth.
Ugly as homemade sin extremely unattractive or unsavory.
Cooling Board: a flat board (sometimes a door) on which a corpse was laid.
Graceful as a cow: you’re clumsy.
She’s fallen off the roof: reference to a young girl who has started her monthly cycles. This phrase occurs in the last chapter Lizzie Speaks, when the narrator says, “Aunt Dortha said Myrtle had fallen off the roof, but she looked fine to me.”
Pretty as a speckled pup: Especially attractive.
She’s/he’s the berries: She’s/he’s the berries.
Hide and Watch: wait and see.
Kin: a relative.
Yonder or over yonder: somewhere in the direction the person is pointing. “Over yonder about eight miles, more or less.”
Cut a shine: to make a scene in public, a temper tantrum. “Every time he goes to the store, he cuts a shine.”
Roast’neers: an ear of corn cooked in its husk in campfire. The ends of the husk were tightly twisted and the corn was either put on the hot coals or in a hole dug within the circle of fire. This was actually an Indian custom. Shawnee, Delaware and Cherokee are the tribes historically associated with West Virginia.
Gem Jar: a container of moonshine.
Moonshine: illegal liquor made at night, under the shine of the moon.
Prohis: a revenuer who was sent to control and curtail the production of illegal liquor. By and large, they met with little success.
The Covered Bridge
There are seventeen covered bridges in West Virginia and the one pictured above is the one mentioned in the second chapter, This Will Never Stop. Lorraine works to “beautify the main entrance of the bridge with the ladies of Harshbarger Mills Garden Club.
The bridge was built around 1875, and the sign attached at the top reads THIS BRIDGE MAINTAINED BY THE UNION ARMY AGAINST THE CONFEDERATES.
It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and has been repaired and relocated to a fairground nearby where it spans a pond.
