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![["Vernon John Burky was born to a Swiss family in Helvetia, West Virginia in 1925. He grew up speaking Swiss on his family farm, where his parents raised animals and managed a sawmill, and his grandparents operated a cheese house. They made Helvetia cheese, a type of Swiss cheese, similar to Emental, that was made throughout the Helvetia community and a staple in the diet of residents. As a child, Burky raised chickens and tapped maple trees on his family farm. As an adult, he was an active winemaker, a common pursuit in the Helvetia community. During his working years, Burky worked as a truck driver for a saw mill and a coal company. He learned to play fiddle as a child and started playing in the Helvetia Star Band, the local dance band for generations and the namesake of one of the villages two dance halls. He still plays in the group, which performs regularly for Helvetia square dances and events. Yeah; just kept that smokehouse full of smoke all day and night. Theyd put a big hunk of wood on it; it wouldnt burn but it--they had fire under it and it would sit there and smoke that little room half as big as this. They just smoked up tight. They had the sausage on rods; nothing could come in or get up on there. There it would sit; it was just dried up real solid and my uncle was--I stayed with my uncle when I was in high school. And he said, hey Vernon; come over here. (Laughs) He had rheumatism and he couldnt move around. He was in bed all winter. Go up there to the smokehouse and get me a link of that sausage. (Laughs) And Id go up and clip one of them off and bring it down. Hed get a hold of one piece and put the rest under the pillow and hed start eating that. He wasnt supposed to have red meat because of rheumatism.This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with foodways practitioners in Helvetia, West Virginia, as part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%](/image/4224BurkyVernonIntTranscript111416/0.jpg)
- Identifier:
- 4224.BurkyVernon.IntTranscript.11.14.16
- Title:
- Transcript of oral history of Vernon Burky
- Date:
- 2016-11-14
- Creator:
- Morgan, Thrayon, Burky, Sandy, Burky, Vernon
- Contributor:
- Hilliard, Emily, Whipp, David
- Subject:
- Fiddling, Square dance music--United States, Cooking (Sauerkraut), Eggs, Cooking (Sausages), Cheesemaking, Wine and wine making--United States, Fiddle tunes, Maple syrup, Helvetia (W. Va.), Cooking, Swiss, Waltz, Canning and preserving, Sawmills
- Location:
- Helvetia (W. Va.)
![["Vernon John Burky was born to a Swiss family in Helvetia, West Virginia in 1925. He grew up speaking Swiss on his family farm, where his parents raised animals and managed a sawmill, and his grandparents operated a cheese house. They made Helvetia cheese, a type of Swiss cheese, similar to Emental, that was made throughout the Helvetia community and a staple in the diet of residents. As a child, Burky raised chickens and tapped maple trees on his family farm. As an adult, he was an active winemaker, a common pursuit in the Helvetia community. During his working years, Burky worked as a truck driver for a saw mill and a coal company. He learned to play fiddle as a child and started playing in the Helvetia Star Band, the local dance band for generations and the namesake of one of the villages two dance halls. He still plays in the group, which performs regularly for Helvetia square dances and events. This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with foodways practitioners in Helvetia, West Virginia, as part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%](/image/4224BurkyVernonVideo00191016/0.jpg)
- Identifier:
- 4224.BurkyVernon.Video.001.9.10.16
- Title:
- Vernon Burky and friends play the fiddle tune "Ragtime Annie" at the Helvetia Community Fair
- Date:
- 2016-09-10
- Creator:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Old-time music, Fiddling, Fiddle tunes, Helvetia (W. Va.)
- Location:
- Helvetia (W. Va.)
![["Vernon John Burky was born to a Swiss family in Helvetia, West Virginia in 1925. He grew up speaking Swiss on his family farm, where his parents raised animals and managed a sawmill, and his grandparents operated a cheese house. They made Helvetia cheese, a type of Swiss cheese, similar to Emental, that was made throughout the Helvetia community and a staple in the diet of residents. As a child, Burky raised chickens and tapped maple trees on his family farm. As an adult, he was an active winemaker, a common pursuit in the Helvetia community. During his working years, Burky worked as a truck driver for a saw mill and a coal company. He learned to play fiddle as a child and started playing in the Helvetia Star Band, the local dance band for generations and the namesake of one of the villages two dance halls. He still plays in the group, which performs regularly for Helvetia square dances and events. This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with foodways practitioners in Helvetia, West Virginia, as part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%](/image/4224BurkyVernonVideo00291016/0.jpg)
- Identifier:
- 4224.BurkyVernon.Video.002.9.10.16
- Title:
- Vernon Burky and friends play a short fiddle tune at the Helvetia Community Fair
- Date:
- 2016-09-10
- Creator:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Fiddling, Helvetia (W. Va.), Old-time music, Fiddle tunes
- Location:
- Helvetia (W. Va.)
![["Cecelia Coleman Smith was born in Buckhannon, West Virginia in 1949. Originally from Pickens, West Virginia, her family moved away from the Helvetia/Pickens community when she was seven so her father could take a coal mining job. She moved back to Pickens in 2005. Mrs. Smith served in the military and is a member of the local American Legion chapter. She is also part of the Pickens Improvement and Historical Society, the Farm Womens Club, and occasionally volunteers at the Hutte Restaurant.This audio slideshow is part of a series of interviews conducted with foodways practitioners in Helvetia, West Virginia, as part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%](/image/4224CeceliaSmithVideo00143016/0.jpg)
- Identifier:
- 4224.CeceliaSmith.Video.001.4.30.16
- Title:
- Audio slideshow of Cecelia Smith talking about foodways in Helvetia
- Date:
- 2016-04-30
- Creator:
- Smith, Cecelia
- Contributor:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Bakers, Food habits, Helvetia (W. Va.), Pickling, Swiss American women, Cooking (Sauerkraut), Wild leek, Canning and preserving, foodways
- Location:
- Helvetia (W. Va.), Randolph County (W. Va.)
Listen to Audio
- Identifier:
- 4224.CeciliaSmith.AudioInt.4.30.16
- Title:
- Oral history of Cecelia Smith
- Date:
- 2016-04-30
- Creator:
- Smith, Cecelia
- Contributor:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- foodways, Helvetia (W. Va.), Cooking, Swiss, Swiss American women, Food habits, Wild leek, 4-H clubs, Bakers, Canning and preserving
- Location:
- Helvetia (W. Va.)
Listen to Audio
- Identifier:
- 4224.ErnestHofer.AudioInt.001.4.30.16
- Title:
- Oral history of Ernest Hofer, 1 of 4
- Date:
- 2016-04-30
- Creator:
- Hofer, Ernest
- Contributor:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Cooking, Swiss, Wine and wine making--United States, 4-H clubs, Veterans, Food habits, Helvetia (W. Va.), foodways, Coal mines and mining, Wild leek
- Location:
- Helvetia (W. Va.)
Listen to Audio
- Identifier:
- 4224.ErnestHofer.AudioInt.002.4.30.16
- Title:
- Oral history of Ernest Hofer, 2 of 4
- Date:
- 2016-04-30
- Creator:
- Hofer, Ernest
- Contributor:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Food habits, Wine and wine making--United States, Veterans, 4-H clubs, Cooking, Swiss, Wild leek, foodways, Helvetia (W. Va.), Coal mines and mining
- Location:
- Helvetia (W. Va.)
Listen to Audio
- Identifier:
- 4224.ErnestHofer.AudioInt.003.4.30.16
- Title:
- Oral history of Ernest Hofer, 3 of 4
- Date:
- 2016-04-30
- Creator:
- Hofer, Ernest
- Contributor:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- foodways, Food habits, Helvetia (W. Va.), Wild leek, Coal mines and mining, 4-H clubs, Veterans, Wine and wine making--United States, Cooking, Swiss
- Location:
- Helvetia (W. Va.)
Listen to Audio
- Identifier:
- 4224.ErnestHofer.AudioInt.004.4.30.16
- Title:
- Oral history of Ernest Hofer, 4 of 4
- Date:
- 2016-04-30
- Creator:
- Hofer, Ernest
- Contributor:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- foodways, 4-H clubs, Wild leek, Coal mines and mining, Wine and wine making--United States, Helvetia (W. Va.), Cooking, Swiss, Food habits, Veterans
- Location:
- Helvetia (W. Va.)
![["The town of Helvetia, West Virginia, population 59, was founded by Swiss-German immigrants in 1869. In the late 60s, around Helvetias centennial, town matriarch Eleanor Mailloux worked to revive many of Helvetias Swiss traditions, co-founding the Hutte Swiss restaurant, collecting a cookbook of community recipes, and restoring the Fasnacht celebration as a public event. Helvetia also has a long-standing cheese making tradition, practiced in private homes, and in the semi-public Cheese Haus, which now is located in an old renovated mechanics garage. Documentation of foodways traditions in the community is part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/Also see Emily Hilliards piece on Helvetias seasonal celebrations via The Bitter Southerner: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginia Read her piece on the Hutte Restaurant, Something Good from Helvetia, for the Southern Foodways Alliance: https://www.southernfoodways.org/something-good-from-helvetia/ and NPR piece on Fasnachts foodways traditions: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/02/17/386970143/swiss-village-west-virginia-mardi-gras-feast-fasnachtLearn more about Helvetia via the website maintained by Helvetia resident Dave Whipp: http://www.helvetiawv.com/"]%](/image/4224HelvetiaPhoto0012616/0.jpg)
- Identifier:
- 4224.Helvetia.Photo.001.2.6.16
- Title:
- Helvetia Museum display, featuring the original Swiss flag brought to the area by the settlers of Helvetia, 1 of 3
- Date:
- 2016-02-06
- Creator:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Helvetia (W. Va.), Community museums, Swiss Americans
- Location:
- Helvetia (W. Va.)
![["The town of Helvetia, West Virginia, population 59, was founded by Swiss-German immigrants in 1869. In the late 60s, around Helvetias centennial, town matriarch Eleanor Mailloux worked to revive many of Helvetias Swiss traditions, co-founding the Hutte Swiss restaurant, collecting a cookbook of community recipes, and restoring the Fasnacht celebration as a public event. Helvetia also has a long-standing cheese making tradition, practiced in private homes, and in the semi-public Cheese Haus, which now is located in an old renovated mechanics garage. Documentation of foodways traditions in the community is part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/Also see Emily Hilliards piece on Helvetias seasonal celebrations via The Bitter Southerner: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginia Read her piece on the Hutte Restaurant, Something Good from Helvetia, for the Southern Foodways Alliance: https://www.southernfoodways.org/something-good-from-helvetia/ and NPR piece on Fasnachts foodways traditions: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/02/17/386970143/swiss-village-west-virginia-mardi-gras-feast-fasnachtLearn more about Helvetia via the website maintained by Helvetia resident Dave Whipp: http://www.helvetiawv.com/"]%](/image/4224HelvetiaPhoto0013114/0.jpg)
- Identifier:
- 4224.Helvetia.Photo.001.3.1.14
- Title:
- Exterior of the Hutte Swiss Restaurant in Helvetia
- Date:
- 2014-03-01
- Creator:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Cooking, Swiss, foodways, Restaurants--Design and construction, Swiss Americans, Helvetia (W. Va.), Food habits, Restaurants--United States
- Location:
- Helvetia (W. Va.)
![["The town of Helvetia, West Virginia, population 59, was founded by Swiss-German immigrants in 1869. In the late 60s, around Helvetias centennial, town matriarch Eleanor Mailloux worked to revive many of Helvetias Swiss traditions, co-founding the Hutte Swiss restaurant, collecting a cookbook of community recipes, and restoring the Fasnacht celebration as a public event. Helvetia also has a long-standing cheese making tradition, practiced in private homes, and in the semi-public Cheese Haus, which now is located in an old renovated mechanics garage. Documentation of foodways traditions in the community is part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/Also see Emily Hilliards piece on Helvetias seasonal celebrations via The Bitter Southerner: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginia Read her piece on the Hutte Restaurant, Something Good from Helvetia, for the Southern Foodways Alliance: https://www.southernfoodways.org/something-good-from-helvetia/ and NPR piece on Fasnachts foodways traditions: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/02/17/386970143/swiss-village-west-virginia-mardi-gras-feast-fasnachtLearn more about Helvetia via the website maintained by Helvetia resident Dave Whipp: http://www.helvetiawv.com/"]%](/image/4224HelvetiaPhoto00131817/0.jpg)
- Identifier:
- 4224.Helvetia.Photo.001.3.18.17
- Title:
- Exterior of the Helvetia Cheese Haus
- Date:
- 2017-03-18
- Creator:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- foodways, Food habits, Helvetia (W. Va.), Cheesemaking, Painted signs and signboards
- Location:
- Helvetia (W. Va.)
