The SFA oral history program documents life stories from the American South. Collecting these stories, we honor the people whose labor defines the region.
Morgan Rice was born in Helvetia, West Virginia in 1999. She is the daughter of Hutte cook Henry Rice, and great-granddaughter of town matriarch and co-founder of the Hutte restaurant, Eleanor Mailloux. Ms. Rice is a member of the Helvetia Farm Women’s Club and works part-time as a waitress at the Hutte restaurant. In 2015 she created a petition to save Helvetia’s Ramp Supper.
Date of interview:
2016-04-30
Interviewer:
Emily Hilliard
Photographer:
Emily Hilliard
“
You’d come down after school every day for weeks to clean ramps. And you’d go to school and be like 'I’m really sorry that I smell like ramps, but it is in my fingers. It is in my fingerprints.' ~ Morgan Rice
The Southern Foodways Alliance drives a more progressive future by leading conversations that challenge existing constructs, shape perspectives, and foster meaningful discussions. We reconsider the past with research, scrutiny, and documentation.
