The Coalition conducted one of its first health fairs in Deer Lodge in 1970. The town had been founded in the 19th century by wealthy White families as a mountain resort, but by the mid-20th century was only sparsely populated and remotely located. Poor access to health care drew the Coalition students to organize with community leaders around issues of health. Findings from the early health fair helped to justify the eventual building of a clinic in Deer Lodge. The town is located in Morgan County in the Cumberland Mountains, not far from the site of Brushy Mountain State Prison, since repurposed as a distillery.
See the 1970 SHC Annual Report for more information.
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The community worker’s role in supporting health fairs
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Deborah Cogswell Photograph Album, Southern Historical Collection, UNC Chapel Hill
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