Eric Strong, of Celina, TN, is a second generation marble maker and an experienced player in the Rolley Hole marble folk game tradition. A game similar to croquet, Rolley Hole is played on a cleared dirt yard constructed from sifted loam soil that measures 40’ by 25’, with three holes placed ten feet apart. Teams consist of two players, each attempting to put his/her marble through a course of twelve holes. The Annual Rolley Hole Marbles Tournament is held every September at Standing Stone State Park in Overton County, TN. Rolley Hole players exclusively use locally made flint marbles–the sort which Eric and only a few others continue to make. Part of the strategy of this game involves strong shots that knock your opponent’s marble far from the given hole. Store bought glass marbles cannot handle this action. The best marbles are the strongest flint marbles with the fewest blemishes.
Eric has been making marbles off and on for nearly three decades. His father, the late Junior B. Strong, and his uncle, Malcolm, were considered two of the most well-respected marble shooters and makers, with a knowledge of the tradition that stretched back into the 1950s. Malcolm and Junior could recall several primitive methods for shaping marbles, including grinding the raw flint with a bow drill-type “whirligig” method or by employing a steady stream of water to smooth the rough surface. Eventually, washing machine motors were used to create a fully powered method for the craft. Today, Eric continues the practice of using a powered cutting and grinding station to create the treasured game marbles. Despite the advances in the technology for making marbles, few in the region continue the practice. “Marbles have always been a big thing in and around Clay, And Overton counties,” Eric explains. “If we don’t try to preserve it, it will become a lost art. It is dying out and we need to engage the youth to continue this tradition.”
As part of the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program this year, Eric will teach his apprentice and daughter, Gracie Strong, this time-tested method for making flint marbles. In a game tradition typically dominated by male competitors and makers, Gracie, along with her sister Emma, has begun to bring gender diversity to the youth tournaments. In 2022, Gracie and Emma were crowned champions of several tournaments, including those held at the Monroe County, KY Fair and at Standing Stone State Park. With this opportunity, Gracie will continue to inherit the tradition more fully as she becomes the third generation and first female in the Strong Family to make marbles. “I want to continue a family tradition. I want to learn and be taught the dying art form that my family has mastered over the several decades.”
*This team is funded through a special partnership with the South Arts’ initiative In These Mountains: Central Appalachian Folk Art & Culture.
