"After the mines closed"

In the 1970s, Fannin County's economy thrived on industrial work. The Tennessee Copper Company employed thousands in the area, and there was also a hosiery mill and a Levi factory.

The Copper Company employed hundreds of people across the Copper Basin for generations.

Chuck Foster worked for years at the Company, which allowed him to raise a family in Epworth.

Though William Patterson worked many jobs throughout his life, he spent most of his career working at the Company. While there he joined the local union, and participated in a few strikes.

Johnny Ray worked his entire life in the Tennessee Copper Company, earning a living working in an industrial setting.

McCaysville's history and development were very closely linked to the success of the Tennessee Copper Company.

William Patterson worked at the Tennessee Copper Company for the majority of his adult life. While there, he joined the local union and participated in different activities to secure better compensation.

After high school, Chuck Foster found work at the Tennessee Copper Company. In his interview, he discussed how large the company was in its heyday.

Nancy Elliot worked in the Tennessee Copper Company's labs from the time that she graduated from West Georgia until she retired. In her interview, she described how she and other local women conducted basic tests in the laboratory under male supervision.