A Counterculture Pirate—Beverly Cratch Oral History-2026

Title

A Counterculture Pirate—Beverly Cratch Oral History-2026

Description

Oral HIstory interview Beverly Cratch. Beverly, 74, recounts her journey from Raleigh to East Carolina University (ECU) at 17, needing a fake ID to enter bars. She discusses the cultural impact of events like the Kennedy assassination, Vietnam, and civil rights, and her involvement in the first Earth Day at ECU in 1970. Beverly's background in special education and her work in starting the first hospice in eastern North Carolina reflect her commitment to social causes. She emphasizes the importance of music, environment, and healthcare in her life. They discussed the counterculture movement in Greenville, North Carolina, during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Beverly recounted attending the Love Valley festival in 1970, where she experienced the euphoria of the event. She estimated the crowd size to be over 100,000. Beverly also mentioned the lack of media attention and documentation, noting that a planned documentary was never released. They discussed the influence of the counterculture on local nightlife and the tolerance learned from interactions with military personnel and protesters.

Contributor

Beverly Whitley Cratch

Coverage

Greenville-North Carolina-Love Valley-East Carolina University

Creator

Lillie DoverSee all items with this value

Date

03/05/2026

Publisher

East Carolina University Digital CollectionsSee all items with this value

https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/See all items with this value

Rights

This item has been made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Researchers are responsible for using these materials in accordance with Title 17 of the United States Code and any other applicable statutes. If you are the creator or copyright holder of this item and would like it removed, please contact us at als_digitalcollections@ecu.edu.

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/

Subject

Love Valley Rock Festival-Love Valley-North Carolina-Allman Brothers-Rock Festival-Hippie-Counterculture-East Carolina University-Greenville-Earth Day-Flower Child