Exploring Primary Sources: Environmental Activism in Appalachia Exercise

In the early 1900s, the Mowbray-Robinson Lumber Company acquired land in eastern Kentucky and began commercial logging on much of the land. By the early 1920s operations had slowed, and E.O. Robinson, the company’s president, started the E.O. Robinson Mountain Fund. In 1923 the E.O. Robinson Mountain Fund deeded present day Robinson Forest to the University of Kentucky for the practical demonstration of reforestation.  In the early 1980s, the University began to consider options for conducting mining operations in the forest, due to the university’s financial outlook and an increase in coal companies’ inquiries about the land. The move sparked controversy and received push back from environmentalists, especially within the UK student body.  

Below you will find materials related to the controversy, including newspaper clippings and a flyer from the student-led organization Students to Save Robinson Forest. As you look at the materials and work through the discussion questions with your group, think about the context in which these were created and consider what unique knowledge and perspective we can gain from them. 

Brainstorm. List 10-20 words or phrases about the documents/items. Start with the details of the document, like topic, names, publication, etc. What do you find interesting? Strange? Do you find anything appealing or disturbing? Things you don’t understand or are unfamiliar with?

Bias. Identify some biases in play. What do we know or what can we infer about the speakers? Whose perspective is represented? Who is the target audience? 

Context. Think about the when and why of this primary source. What gives their voice authority? What should we be wary of? What makes this a valuable resource to the topic? 

Power: What power relationships can you identify in the materials? Can you identify any gaps or silences? Try to think in terms of format in addition to content.

Reflections. What can we learn from these materials? How is our understanding of the topic enhanced through these first-hand recollections? What are some avenues for further research on this topic?