Bio

Elliott West, born August 27, 1920 in Darien, Georgia, has lived on countless turpentine camps since he was six years old. His father was employed on a camp in Nahunta when West was very small, and much of West’s childhood was spent playing games with other children in the dusty roads of south Georgia’s and northern Florida’s turpentine quarters. Having worked for over sixty years to bring turpentine from pine trees, West knows little else when it comes to work. He remained active in the woods until economic factors (“They can buy it cheaper across the water,” he says) removed turpentine from the area entirely just a few short years ago.

West lives alone today in Folkston, Georgia, and he continues to labor under the sun, nowadays landscaping for friends and neighbors.

Found in 2 Collections and/or Records: