Martin, this is a very interesting story about a somewhat familiar area. My father in law was born in Fleming, east of Whitesburg. His older sister worked as a manager in the Whitesburg Sears until she retired and moved to Florida. His younger brother is the County Judge in Laurel County, west of Letcher County. The terrain would be hard to maneuver in. His mother's house in Fleming was in a hollow so narrow the street had only one side. The creek took up the other side. His dad came from West Viginia in the late 1890s to mine coal. Black Lung got him. My father in law married a Georgia girl after service in WW II and settled in North Georgia. We have hills, but not so close together. Thanks for the post. Stan