Driving The Hillbilly Highway
I have studied the migratory movements of those in Appalachia to the Midwest, informally known as the “Hillbilly Highway,” and how my family relates to this mass migration. I became interested in this because my great-grandparents moved from Tennessee to Michigan in search of employment with the automotive companies. They are a prime example of why thousands of Appalachians left the area.
During World War II, Southerners flocked to the Appalachian area to work for the booming coal companies. However, once the war ended, the coal companies no longer needed all of those workers. This prompted to move North towards Detroit to work for the automotive industry.
Through my online research and interviews with my family, I have learned a lot about why Appalachians made the move, but I also learned a great deal about my family. I was able to find wedding certificates of my great-grandparents and my grandparents, as well as death certificates. I also discovered a church where my great-great-grandparents are buried called Welch Chapel United Methodist Church in Dunlap, Tennessee. I have pictures of this wonderful history listed under “Gallery” on my website.
Being a descendant of a family that moved to Michigan from the Appalachia area, I am curious to know where those families are now and what they are doing with their lives. For example, my great-grandfather was a painter for the automotive industry, and my grandfather became a painter as well. My father, during college, started his own painting company and eventually that grew to a home building company. My aunt, however, (my father’s sister) used to be engineer for Ford Motor Company (an automotive company). Although my relatives have been able to up their standard of living compared to my great grandparents, it’s interesting to see how they still are involved in the same work as my great grandfather.
Linked below is my website:
Works Cited
Alexander, J. Trent. “Defining the Diaspora: Appalachians in the Great Migration.” Journal of Interdisciplinary History, vol. 37, no. 2, 2006, pp. 219–247., doi:10.1162/jinh.2006.37.2.219.
Balestier, Courtney. “In Search of the Hillbilly Highway.” Model D, ModelD, 7 Nov. 2016, www.modeldmedia.com/features/hillbilly-highway-110716.aspx.
Earle, Steve. “Hillbilly Highway.” Guitar Town. Emory Gondy Jr. and Tony Brown, 1986.
The Dollmaker. Dir. Daniel Petrie. Perf. Jane Fonda. Finnegan Production, IPC Films, 1984. YouTube. Web. 4 December 2018.
Stone, Lyman. “A Brief Population History of Central Appalachia — In a State of Migration — Medium.” In a State of Migration , Medium, 2 June 2016, medium.com/migration-issues/a-brief-population-history-of-central-appalachia-b65a58bc6e6c.
Yoakam, Dwight. “Readin’, Rightin’, Rt. 23.” Hillbill Deluxe. Pete Anderson. 1987.
