Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: Biography – Visitors, Friends
Park W. Fisher Visitor
PARK W. FISHER Visitor
WWI Lecturer, 1917-1918
TAGS: Park W. Fisher, WWI lecturer, broadsides, war efforts, Ethel de Long Zande, phonographs, patriotic music, stereopticon lectures, American Red Cross, fundraising, Ethel de Long Zande, Unis Pratt, Hindman Settlement School, John C. Campbell, John C. Campbell Folk School, Evelyn K. Wells, Kentucky State Council of Defense, War Savings Drive, National War Work Council of the YMCAs of the U.S., influenza epidemic
PARK W. FISHER: His WWI Mission
In the early years of WWI, Park W. Fisher (1880-1959), a Congregational minister and craftsman, initiated a series of lectures in support of the war effort. He proposed to take his message directly to the people in the Central and Southern Appalachian mountains where he had worked for some years. A two-page broadside (see image of page 1 above) that Rev. Fisher used to advertise his lectures describes his fundraising vision:
“My eight years of experience in the Kentucky mountains enables me now to see the need and opportunity of the hour and I have volunteered to do my bit by going this year to these isolated sections and giving Stereopticon Lectures covering the various phases of the War. I plan not only to encourage voluntary enlistment but to present the Liberty Loan, War Savings and Red Cross work as well.”
— PARK W. FISHER Correspondence, PMSS Collections, page 1.
PARK W. FISHER: Deep Appalachian Connections
His long-time interests in the arts and crafts of the Appalachians had made him a supporter of the region and its people. He called upon his deep Appalachian connections, particularly Pine Mountain Settlement School, and later the John C. Campbell Folk School, to support his WWI fund-raising efforts. He was evidently quite persuasive.
In order to support his ambitious information and fundraising project, he enlisted the support of Pine Mountain Settlement School’s director, Ethel de Long Zande. Following a series of back and forth correspondence he succeeded in convincing Mrs. Zande and the settlement school in Harlan County, Kentucky, to promote his efforts. Pine Mountain became a strong supporter of his initiative and they used their influence to move the program to reality through their deep connections in the region and in the school’s supporters in the Northeast and in Washington DC.
PARK W. FISHER: His WWI Legacy
Fisher’s work helped Kentucky and other Southern Appalachian states to become some of the leading contributors to the war effort. Despite the difficult process of securing funds for his project, his walking disability since birth, and his travel by horse and buckboard, Fisher was a powerful persuader. He was able to move many families in the mountains of Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia to pull money from their small family incomes to support the war effort. Harlan County’s contributions to the war were particularly remarkable — due, in part, to Rev. Fisher’s work.
See Also:
PARK W. FISHER Correspondence I
PARK W FISHER Correspondence II
For more about Rev. Fisher’s life, go to:
CRAFT REVIVAL: Shaping Western North Carolina Past and Present – Park Fisher
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Title |
Park W. Fisher |
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Alt. Title |
Rev. Park W. Fisher ; Rev. Fisher ; |
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Identifier |
https://pinemountainsettlement.net/?page_id=58383 |
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Creator |
Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY |
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Alt. Creator |
Ann Angel Eberhardt ; Helen Hayes Wykle ; |
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Subject Keyword |
Park W. Fisher ; Pine Mountain Settlement School ; WWI lecturer, broadsides ; war efforts ; Ethel de Long Zande ; phonographs ; patriotic music ; stereopticon lectures ; American Red Cross ; fundraising ; Ethel de Long Zande; Unis Pratt ; Hindman Settlement School ; John C. Campbell ; John C. Campbell Folk School ; Evelyn K. Wells ; Kentucky State Council of Defense ; War Savings Drive ; National War Work Council of the YMCAs of the U.S. ; influenza epidemic ; Ruth Huntington ; |
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Subject LCSH |
Fisher, Park W., — 1880 – 1959. |
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Date |
2020-12-31 published by aae; text by hw. |
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Publisher |
Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY |
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Contributor |
n/a |
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Type |
Collections ; text ; image ; |
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Format |
Original and copies of documents and correspondence in file folders in filing cabinet |
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Source |
Series 09: Biography – Visitors, friends. |
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Language |
English |
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Relation |
Is related to: Pine Mountain Settlement School Collections, Series 09: Biography – Visitors, friends. |
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Coverage Temporal |
1880 – 1959 |
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Coverage Spatial |
Pine Mountain, KY ; Harlan County, KY ; |
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Rights |
Any display, publication, or public use must credit the Pine Mountain Settlement School. Copyright retained by the creators of certain items in the collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. |
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Donor |
n/a |
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Description |
Core documents, correspondence, writings, and administrative papers of Park W. Fisher ; clippings, photographs, books by or about Park W. Fisher ; |
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Acquisition |
n/d |
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Citation |
“[Identification of Item],” [Collection Name] [Series Number, if applicable]. Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers. Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY. |
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Processed By |
Helen Hayes Wykle ; Ann Angel Eberhardt |
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Last Updated |
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Bibliography |
Sources “CRAFT REVIVAL: Shaping Western North Carolina Past and Present – Park Fisher”. A Project of Hunter Library Digital Initiatives at Western Carolina University. Administered by the State Library of North Carolina and NC ECHO: Exploring Cultural Heritage Online. Internet resource. “Park W. Fisher Correspondence,” Series 09: Biography -Visitors, Friends. Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers. Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY. Internet resource. |
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