"The trouble is no one knows the songs of these singer/songwriters you mention, Ron exzcept for a very limited few and their songs stand a very small chance if any chance of being passed down or even learned by others"

The songs that we consider "folk" were not popular songs - they were found by collectors, published in books or later performed on recordings and became popular songs.   Most of those songs stood very little chance of being passed down or learned by others as the years passed.

Folk music is not about commercial airplay or audiences. It is about making music and the role the music fills in a community.

"Today's folk music is a mere shadow of what folk music was to the every day person "
Sorry, but that is nonsense. You are confusing commercial music with folk music.

"the mere fact that the rise of house concerts as it's leading venue speaks volumes of how the general public has cast it aside."
The fact is, the music is returning to the very venues were it was first performed - and the complications of audiences are not part of the factor.