Boone County, West Virginia, 1938
In September 1938 the photographer Marion Post Wolcott photographed Racine in Boone County, West Virginia, for the Farm Security Administration. These are 11 of those negatives, with the captions she wrote for them.
The negatives are federal works. They are in the public domain, they are held by the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress, and anyone may reproduce them. Each caption below is hers, transcribed in full — including the parts a video has no room for.
Her captions for West Virginia name the town, not the county. The county given here was resolved against the United States Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System, Domestic Names file for West Virginia.
Farmer stirring sorghum molasses which is being cooked in vat. Racine, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Farmer making molasses from sugarcane. Racine, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Juice from sugarcane being poured into barrel. It is cooked in vat or still, into sorghum molasses. Racine, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Sugar cane juice drains from barrel into vat, is boiled into sorghum molasses as it reaches last section of vat. Racine, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Firing the vat with wood which makes very hot fire for cooking sorghum. Racine, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Badly wounded and gassed in world war. Racine, West Virginia. Watching sorghum mill operations
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Pressing juice from sugarcane to make sorghum, Racine, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Skimming sorghum molasses. Racine, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
Neighbor watching the process of making molasses. Racine, West Virginia
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
![[Untitled photo, possibly related to: At right, pressing juice from sugarcane. At left boiling it into sorghum molasses. Racine, West Virginia]](img/P11.jpg)
[Untitled photo, possibly related to: At right, pressing juice from sugarcane. At left boiling it into sorghum molasses. Racine, West Virginia]
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.
![[Untitled photo, possibly related to: Racine, West Virginia. Making molasses is hot work]](img/P12.jpg)
[Untitled photo, possibly related to: Racine, West Virginia. Making molasses is hot work]
Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration, September 1938. Library of Congress record.