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:
File — Box 2: Series Series 1, Folder: 1
Collection number: Folder 1
Scope and Contents
item_title: Alton Carter and Elliott West Interviewcall_number: PRJ-1002project_title:equipment_used:informant_name:fieldworker: Laurie Kay Sommersrecording_engineer: Laurie Kay Sommersdate: 02/01/98recording_location: Folkstoncontent_summary: "Interview with Alton Carter, boss, and Elliott West, his worker for many years, on West's front porch. The two reminisce about the turpentine...
Dates:
February 1, 1998
File — Box 2: Series Series 1, Folder: 2
Collection number: Folder 2
Scope and Contents
id: DAT-1002.02item_title: Carter and West in the Woodscall_number: PRJ-1002project_title: ;equipment_used: ;informant_name: Eddie B. Robinson, Alton Carter, Elliott Westfieldworker: Laurie Kay Sommersrecording_engineer: Laurie Kay Sommersdate: 04/18/98recording_location: Ware Countycontent_summary: Recording of the three turpentine men, boss Carter and workers Robinson and...
Dates:
April 18, 1998
