The Stoney Fork Community is actually made up of a number of smaller communities ranging in size from 10 to 60 people. The smaller units had originally grown up around various deep mining operations, known locally as Shea’s Camp (or Clinchmore), Round Rock, Peewee Camp, Welsh’s Camp, and Beech Fork.
This area is in an isolated section of Campbell County. The nearest towns begin 20-30 miles away on twisting gravel roads over Caryville Mountain. The driving time for those with a car is about an hour. As a matter of fact, the roads are so treacherous that the TVA mobile health unit which travels with health fairs could not make one of the turns and had to be stationed several miles down the road at the school in Rosedale.
Some of the reference to the Stoney Fork area in this [1973] report use the name Beech Fork. It was not until the end of the summer at a meeting of the community that the name Stoney Fork was chosen for the health council.
See the 1972 and 1973 SHC Annual Reports for more information.
Related People:

Richard Davidson

Virginia Munford

J. Thomas “Tom” John

Bill Dow

Odes and Shelby McKamey
Related Stories:

Bob Hartmann on the influence of cultural understandings about death and healing

Caryl Carpenter talks about her experiences with Mountain People’s Health Councils

Post-health fair formation of community councils and the origins of MPHC in Tennessee

Notes from the road: Mountain People’s Health Councils

Caryl Carpenter discusses the challenges with the structure of Mountain People’s Health Councils

Kaye Bultemeier introduction

Bob Hartmann on the National Health Service Corps and its role in his development as a young doctor

Bob Hartmann on community medicine in Stoney Fork, TN

On the sense of community

Rick Davidson talks about a local healer in the Stoney Fork community

On the joy and impact of living with local families in East Tennessee

“I will always be grateful for the gifts that the work and the people of those summers gave to me.”

Caryl Carpenter on community leader Odes McKamey

Rick Davidson on connecting with local communities through music

Betty Anderson’s introduction to SOCM

Decline of coal camp healthcare and subsequent basis of need for reform
Related Resources/Links:

Caryl Carpenter Papers on Mountain People’s Health Councils, East Tennessee clinics, and Student Health Coalition Photographs, Southern Historical Collection, UNC Chapel Hill

Sue Love Student Health Coalition Meeting Photographs, Southern Historical Collection, UNC Chapel Hill

Richard Davidson Photograph Collection, Southern Historical Collection, UNC Chapel Hill
