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William Lynwood Montell answers questions about the oral history methods he used in writing .
| Interviewee: | Montell, William Lynwood |
| Call number: | 76-004 |
| Date(s) of Interview: | February 7, 1976 |
| Physical Description: | 17 pp.; 1 reel, 3 3/4 ips, 45 minutes; no index |
| Physical Location: | Interviews are housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room 122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells Library E460. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for the Study of History and Memory office. |
| Access Status: | Open |
| Interviewer: | Archbold, Annelen; Day, Jackie |
William Lynwood Montell, born 1913, folklorist and oral historian, discusses the research methodology for his book . He discusses using written historical records such as census data to confirm and contrast oral histories gathered from the residents of Coe Ridge, Kentucky, about the murder of George Taylor. He also touches upon the philosophy of writing histories and the importance of including oral records as well as written ones in historical accounts. Although oral records may not be "true" in the strictest sense of the word, they serve to flesh out what was popularly believed and can be useful in the analysis of the history as a whole.
Taylor, George
Coe Ridge, Kentucky
folklorist
oral historian
oral history
written history