JAMES COLUMBUS CREECH Family Collections Guide

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: BIOGRAPHY – Community
JAMES COLUMBUS CREECH Family Collections
GUIDE

459 Columbus and Emily and family, August 1963. [creech_columbus_4_459.jpg]

TAGS: James Columbus Creech, Emily Hill Creech, family photographs, Linda McIntyre Smith, William Creech family, William Creech, Audry McIntire, Watson “Buster” McIntire, Peggy McIntire. Kitty LeHIgh, Celeste LeHIgh, Jack Cornett, WWI, WWII

JAMES COLUMBUS CREECH Family Collections GUIDE
Late 1890s – late 1900s

The photographs in the JAMES COLUMBUS CREECH AND EMILY HILL FAMILY COLLECTIONS GUIDE span the last years of the 1890s until the late 20th century. Though Columbus, as he was known, and Emily had no children of their own, they lovingly cared for a large and extended family of related children over the course of their lives. This extended family, many of whom are represented in the Pine Mountain Settlement School record are included in this large collection. Columbus and Emily were longtime supporters of Pine Mountain School.

Pine Mountain is deeply grateful for the donation of this material as it fills in a broad swath of history in the Pine Mountain Valley, Harlan County, and the region. It touches on the lives of many related families in the region, particularly those in Perry and Letcher Counties. Many families who live in Harlan County will also recognize relations captured in the photographs. The collection provides an intimate portrait of the Settlement School land its relation to the community, and to the county of Harlan during a dynamic time of social and cultural change.

The region is well represented with images of family life and the eras of pre-mining, preparing for WWI, the coming of the ROAD (LADEN TRAIL) across Pine Mountain, and the later industrialization and mountain population migration periods. The photographic images vividly capture the migration adjustments of mountain families in various locations; the social and civic challenges of rapid industrialization; and the strong commitment of Appalachian mountain people to heritage, place and to family.

Not all photographs are identified and the editors of Pine Mountain Settlement School Collections invite viewers who recognize people, places and events, to provide additional information for the record by contacting the Pine Mountain Settlement School Office https://www.pinemountainsettlementschool.com/contact

The photographs in this collection were donated by multiple family members. Linda McIntire Smith, daughter of Audrey McIntire (who was the sister of Watson “Buster” McIntyre* and Peggy McIntire), was designated as the representative for the JAMES COLUMBUS CREECH family’s photographic and archival material donation. (*Buster chose to spell his last name differently than that of his sisters.)

Together with the photographs, Linda Smith has provided collections gathered by other relatives, such as Kitty and Celeste LeHigh, who have also added photograph and document collections. Kitty and Celeste LeHigh were students during the Community School years at Pine Mountain. Included in the joint collections are letters related to James Columbus Creech and Emily Hill and to their close relatives. The combined holdings form a remarkable body of information and shed light on the social and economic welfare of the Pine Mountain valley families and the deep attachment to the place of the Pine Mountain valley.

The photographs have been scanned but have not been edited and enhanced for quality before presentation online as is the custom for many of the older photographic collections in the Pine Mountain Settlement School Collections. As time permits, the editors will improve the quality of the images in the sets for better viewing. Please return frequently to follow our progress with photographic editing. And, please notify us if you are able to add to the identification of individuals.

*Note: Spelling of family name “McIntyre” and “McIntire” varies within the family.