Appalachian Memory Project
Your photos. Your Memories. Our History.
Visit us at the Bluff Mountain Festival June 14, 2025!
Help Tell the Story of Madison County, North Carolina
The Appalachian Memory Project (AMP) pilot program is a partnership with the Spring Creek Community Center (SCCC) and other community centers around Madison County to collect and archive oral histories and images from residents.
With the introduction of fiber optic internet to Madison County, new opportunities for economic development and digital literacy have emerged. The AMP pilot program is a direct response to these advancements, aiming to serve as a model for other rural communities to leverage technology for preserving local history and fostering community engagement. The project includes the creation of a training program to develop skills for others to help gather and preserve personal histories and images. We will publish an online archive and begin publication of a series of community memory book in fall 2025.
We are excited to be working with a Dogwood Health Trust rural economic development and digital literacy grant for partial funding of this initial pilot program. This project is also made possible in part by an open access sponsorship from the University Libraries, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
With success we hope to expand the program to other Appalachian counties across North Carolina in early 2026.
We will have a pop-up booth at this year’s Bluff Mountain Festival and upcoming Memory Days at community centers around Madison County. You can check the schedule and upcoming events at the link below.
Meet our Appalachian Memory Project Memory Coordinator
Donna Ray Norton, an acclaimed ballad singer from Western North Carolina, will serve as memory coordinator for this project. A proud eighth-generation ballad singer, Donna Ray has performed at venues like the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the Library of Congress. She is dedicated to preserving the ballads of her ancestors and passing down this tradition to younger generations. With her deep roots in Appalachian music and culture, Donna Ray will lead the collection of stories, memories, and photographs, ensuring the richness of the region's history is captured authentically. She will also help collaborate with partner organizations to bring this project to life.
You can read about Donna Ray Norton and the legacy of ballad singing in Appalachia in this excellent Oxford American article.