The Foxfire Book: Hog Dressing, Log Cabin Building, Mountain Crafts and Foods, Planting by the Signs, Snake Lore, Hunting Tales, Faith Healing, Moonshining, and Other Affairs of Plain Living

Came as was described

In 1980 I was a freshman in college with a part time job that paid $3.50 an hour. My car at the time was a 1973 Plymouth station wagon that got 12 mpg on a good day. Downhill. With a tail wind. Because fuel costs were eating up a good part of my check, I began to explore the possibilities of fueling the car with alternative fuels, mainly moonshine. The Foxfire books were one of the sources that I turned to in an effort to learn about the process. Needless to say, I never got around to building my still, but my interest in the tradition of oral history was fired in a big way. I picked up the rest of the set over the next few years and was fascinated by them all. The Foxfire books are the ultimate "how it used to be" source. Highly recommended.

The Foxfire series is the creation of English teacher Elliott Wigginton (Wig) who made it a point to have students participating in his program interview older folks to find out how they did things in everyday life. And even though this is the work of high school students, the writing is clear, concise, informative, and very readable. Good writing is good writing. Each volume is like a time capsule, capturing the wisdom and know-how from individuals born around the turn of the 20th century. And while the focus is based around the inhabitants in and around Rabun County, Georgia, this information shows life as it was in America circa the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. After reading several of these volumes, I think what appealed to me most of all was the fact that these older folks in the 80s and 90s weren't viewed as forgotten relics of a bygone era. They were treated with respect and dignity, and their memories treated as the treasures that they indeed are. It's a shame nowadays that we don't have more publications like Foxfire that highlight the knowledge gained from our older population. So many folks in the 70s, 80s, and 90s sit alone at home, or nursing homes forgotten and alone. They are untapped resources of great stories and wisdom. Fortunately for us, the people at Foxfire realized the value of these individuals and preserved some of those stories for future generations to cherish and enjoy. If you have an interest in 19th century knowlege and an appreciation or an interest in how things used to be, you cannot do without this series.

My father tried to teach me from the moment I would pay attention, until the time I "knew it all", about simplicity. When I was in boy scouts, I read all kinds of books. The problem with most is that most people have no kind of base to start from. The whole foxfire series tells a story of the way life used to be. If you are into "outdoors" type books or life style, it captures the wonder of it all. Most books of this nature tend to get technical leaving what was interesting behind, fun. Around the time I was getting burnt out on tech books, my father found original foxfire books. Now all of the tech books mean more to me than ever before. They approach simple living "camping" from an entirely different vantage point. Now it's time to get my own set.

My great-grand parents and my grandparents and even most recently my 97 year old aunt did live and think like this. I at the age of 52 now have planted by the signs all my life since age 8. My mother believed in a lot of the old remedies in this book. My mother's mother was part Cherokee indian and they too passed along a lot of what was in the book. If things continue on the same tract as they are going now, we will probably be doing this very same thing real soon. The only problem, the young generation of today do not know how to do any of the stuff in the foxfire book and just laugh at us oldies when we try to tell them how it was and may very well be in the future. I hope they never have to experience this way of life. They will never make it. I have an issue I purchased in 1972 . I can't tell you how many time I have referred to it regarding some of the remedies and the food. A person can make a great quilt from this also. Never tried the still "ha, ha"