This was a fairly typical home in the hills and hollows of eastern Tennessee near Great Smoky Mountain National Park in 1973. It had a tin roof. The siding consisted of wooden planks nailed to a wooden frame. The roof was tin. Inside, there was no plaster, wallboard, insulation or indoor toilet. Note the outhouse behind the main house at the left of the picture. They did, however, have electricity and a television. Note the antenna.
This was B.C. – Before Cable. In 1973, cable television was a brand new phenomenon and had only a tiny share of the market. Most television was broadcast. Television sets typically had 12 channels (2 through 13), but the most cities had only three stations (the network affiliates for ABC, CBS and NBC. Some larger markets might also have a PBS station. Choice was very limited in those days. If you didn’t like what was on, you went out to the front porch and enjoyed the fresh air.
