Petros is a small community (population 1,400) in the northeast portion of Morgan County. At one time a major coal mining community with several stores and a bank, Petros is now crippled by the decline of the deep coal mining industry. In 1890, Tennessee built a state prison in Petros, Brushy State Penitentiary, which housed James Earl Ray, Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassin, and up until mid-1972 employed 180 men, 40 of whom lived in Petros. Because of an attempt to form a guard’s union, the Govern0r [sic] closed the prison permanently, again adding to the economic difficulties. It is now a distillery. Petros might also lose its Post Office and certainly will suffer a decline in population. But if the people leave, it is not because they want to. They will not be happy away from their families, the mountains, and their heritage.
Petros also suffers politically with the county, partly because of geography. It is on the other side of the mountain from Wartburg, the county seat. Wartburg has been designated a growth area, and because of this designation, State and Federal funds are concentrated there.
See the 1972 SHC Annual Report for more information.
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Irwin Venick
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J.W. Bradley
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Related Stories:
Formation of Mountain Peoples Health Council (MPHC)
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Bob Hartmann on his follow-up visits with the Bradleys in Petros, Tenn.
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On the joy and impact of living with local families in East Tennessee
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On closing the Petros Clinic
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Post-health fair formation of community councils and the origins of MPHC in Tennessee
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On the Petros Clinic’s connection to Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary
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Betty Anderson’s introduction to SOCM
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Key players in the health fair and early days of the clinic in Petros, Tenn.
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On the Petros Health Council’s response to altercation with Dr. Chester Caster
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Decline of coal camp healthcare and subsequent basis of need for reform
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Overcoming adversity from Morgan County
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Janie Hiserote on Family Practice
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On the Bradley’s motivation to organize a community clinic in Petros, Tenn.
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“I will always be grateful for the gifts that the work and the people of those summers gave to me.”
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Caryl Carpenter discusses the challenges with the structure of Mountain People’s Health Councils
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More on local opposition to the Petros Clinic
Kate Bradley expands on the issues she explains are often characteristic of small, rural communities and how such things as ignorance and jealousy impeded their efforts to build a community clinic in Petros, Tenn. She describes a few specific examples… Continued
Caryl Carpenter talks about her experiences with Mountain People’s Health Councils
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“We had to work with one hand and fight with the other”
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Kate Bradley on a problematic provider’s attempt to take over the clinic in Petros
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Perry Steele on the summer of 1972
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On the sense of community
Kaye Bultemeier, Janie Hiserote, and Chuck Darling reflect on the sense of community among residents of Petros, Stoney Fork, and Norma, Tennessee, and make note of changes in the region over time. Kaye says, “You could be a little bit… Continued
The Bradleys move to Wartburg, Tenn.
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“Community knows best”
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Related Resources/Links:
Article: “Higher Appalachia Coal Taxes Asked,” from the New York Times
Stuart, Reginald. “Higher Appalachia Taxes Asked.” New York Times, June 22, 1974. Read article online. Continued
Interview with Kate Bradley and J.W. Bradley by Evangeline Mee, 11 August 2012, Southern Oral History Program, UNC Chapel Hill
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Interview with Kate Bradley and J.W. Bradley by Evangeline Mee, 29 May 2012, Southern Oral History Program, UNC Chapel Hill
Topics discussed in this interview with Kate Bradley and J.W. Bradley include: birth in Petros, Tenn.; life history overview; coal mining father; history of Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM); women’s role in SOCM; relationship of Vanderbilt University medical students; Student… Continued
Article: “Health Care for those off the beaten path,” from the Tennessee Valley Authority
Kollar, Robert. “Health care for those off the beaten path.” Tennessee Valley Authority, post-1975. View PDF. More on the Tennessee Valley Authority: Continued
Richard Davidson Photograph Collection, Southern Historical Collection, UNC Chapel Hill
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