Olive Hill woman’s tree reflects her passion for culture and dolls
By: Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County TimesOne of the wonderful things about Uncle Jack’s scrapbooks has been the peek they’ve given us into the Carter County of 100 years ago. But the Carter County of 35 years ago can be just as intriguing. The year 1985 isn’t that far back in time. There are likely folks around that remember Evelyn Rose’s Christmas tree covered in lovely little dolls from around the world or remember reading George Wolfford’s story about it in the Daily Independent.
But in some ways the world of 1985 is just as much a different era as the world of 1920 was. There was no internet. There was no instant gratification. There were video game systems, sure. But Super Mario Bros. (the original 8 bit pixel version) was the height of technology. Games weren’t something you played online with folks from all around the world.
That world, not yet connected via the information super-highway, was in some ways much bigger than the world of today. In others, much smaller – more confined to your community and your neighbors.
It was a world where people could get excited about a tree with baby dolls from around the world, and enjoy the little bit that told us about other cultures; and do so without irony. Without snark and eyerolls. A world where, instead of sharing it on Facebook, Mrs. Rose’s neighbor’s might have only known about her special tree if they heard it from a friend of a friend, or read it in the Sunday paper.
A different world. One so close, yet so far away.
Editor’s Note: This is the 23nd in a series of articles drawn from the historical newspaper clippings and documents in the scrapbooks of Jack Fultz. We thank Sally James of Sally’s Flowers in Olive Hill for sharing her uncle’s collected clippings with us and the community. – Jeremy D. Wells, editor, Carter County Times
