Local Community Events: Corn Shuckings, Quiltings, Singings and Candy Pulling

1 / 9
Corn shuckings were often chances for neighbors to get together to enjoy food and dancing while getting needed work done.
Corn shuckings were often chances for neighbors to get together to enjoy food and dancing while getting needed work done.
2 / 9
Organized quiltings often ended with one or two quilts finished in the course of a day.
Organized quiltings often ended with one or two quilts finished in the course of a day.
3 / 9
Food and parties are a welcome accompaniment to hard work.
Food and parties are a welcome accompaniment to hard work.
4 / 9
Clearing land and log rollings were preliminary steps in preparing pasture or building areas.
Clearing land and log rollings were preliminary steps in preparing pasture or building areas.
5 / 9
Cand pulling is messy, but fun!
Cand pulling is messy, but fun!
6 / 9
Corn shuckings were often chances for neighbors to get together to enjoy food and dancing while getting needed work done.
Corn shuckings were often chances for neighbors to get together to enjoy food and dancing while getting needed work done.
7 / 9
Corn shuckings were often chances for neighbors to get together to enjoy food and dancing while getting needed work done.
Corn shuckings were often chances for neighbors to get together to enjoy food and dancing while getting needed work done.
8 / 9
Neighbors butchering hogs together.
Neighbors butchering hogs together.
9 / 9
Young men helping to clear land.
Young men helping to clear land.

Excerpted from the book Foxfire 2. Copyright©1973 by the Southern Highlands Literary Fund, Inc., and Brooks Eliot Wigginton. Published by Anchor Press/Doubleday & Company, Inc. 

“They’d come in and shuck m’corn, sing, and have th’best time. You’ve never seen such a good time as they had! I wish you could go to a corn shuckin’ sometime. “

Thoughts like this one expressed by Aunt Arie were what really kindled our interest in researching this chapter. When we got into it, we became truly fascinated by the various community activities that people were involved in back in the “old days”. Simple things like candy pullings and ice cream parties and singings delighted people no end . . . particularly young people.

What really amazed us, though, was the way people took a dull, arduous task and turned it into a time for fun and warm fellowship. Corn shuckings and house raisings and log rollings became a time for neighbors to pitch in and have the best times of their lives while working with and helping each other.

We decided that the best way to get the real feeling across would be through the words of the people themselves. Here is what they had to say.

  • Published on Jan 1, 1974
Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368