Interviewer: W. B. Allen Person Interviewed: Berry Smith Location: Forest, Mississippi Place of Birth: Sumpter County, Alabama “Uncle Berry” Smith is five feet two or three inches tall. He is scrupulously neat. He is very independent for his age, which is calculated at one hundred and sixteen years. He believes the figure to be correct. […]
Person Interviewed: Matilda Poe Location: McAlester, Oklahoma Age: 80 I was born in Indian Territory on de plantation of Isaac Love. He was old Master, and Henry Love was young Master. Isaac Love was a full blood Chickasaw Indian but his wife was a white woman. Old Master was sure good to his slaves. The
Person Interviewed: Bob Maynard Location: 23 East Choctaw, Weleetka, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Marlin, Texas, Falls County Age: 79 I was born near what is now Marlin, Texas, Falls County. My father was Robert Maynard and my mother was Chanie Maynard, both born slaves. Our Master, Gerard Branum, was a very old man and wore
Person Interviewed: Liza Smith Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma Age: 91 Both my mammy and pappy was brought from Africa on a slave boat and sold on de Richmond (Va.) slave market. What year dey come over I don’t know. My mammy was Jane Mason, belonging to Frank Mason; pappy was Frank Smith, belonging to a master
E. Y. Salmon, M. D., was born in the “Palmetto State,” on the 26th of June, 1830. His father, William H. Salmon, was a physician and immigrated to Alabama in 1833, and afterward removed to Texas in 1863, where he died. He was identified with public interest in Alabama, and held the office of clerk,
Person Interviewed: Mattie Hariman Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Gunalis, Texas Date of Birth: January 2, 1859 Age: 78 I was born January 2, 1859, at Gunalis, Texas. My father’s name was William Tensley and my mother’s name Mildred Howard. They was brought from Virginia. I did have 8 brothers and sisters but
Person Interviewed: Anthony Dawson Location: 1008 E. Owen St., Tulsa, Oklahoma Age: 105 “Run nigger, run, De Patteroll git you! Run nigger, run, De Patteroll come! “Watch nigger, Watch- De Patteroll trick you! Watch nigger, watch, He got a big gun!” Dat one of the songs de slaves all knowed, and de children down on
Person Interviewed: Harriet Robinson Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Bastrop, Texas Date of Birth: September 1, 1842 Age: 95 I was born close to Webbers Falls, in the Canadian District of the Cherokee Nation, in the same year that my pappy was blowed up and killed in the big boat accident that killed
Person Interviewed: Bert Luster Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Watson County, Tennessee Date of Birth: 1853 Age: 85 I’ll be jest frank, I’m not for sho’ when I was born, but it was in 1853. Don’t know the month, but I was sho’ born in 1853 in Watson County, Tennessee. You see my
Person Interviewed: Francis Bridges Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Red River County, Texas Date of Birth: 1864 Age: 73 Occupatio I was born in Red River County, Texas in 1864, and that makes me 73 years old. I had myself 75, and I went to my white folks and they counted it un
Person Interviewed: Mary Lindsay Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Date of Birth: September 20, 1845 Age: 91 My slavery, days wasn’t like most people tell you about. ’cause I was two to my young Mistress and cont away to have when I was jest a little girl. and I didn’t live on a big plantation a very
Person Interviewed: Lizzie Farmer Location: McAlester, Oklahoma Age: 80 “Cousin Lizzie!” “What.” “I’se seventy years old.” And I say, “Whut’s you telling me for.” I ain’t got nothing to do with your age!” I knowed I was one year older than she was and it sorta riled me for her to talk about it. I
Person Interviewed: Lewis Bonner Location: 507 N. Durland, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Date of Birth: 1850 Age: 87 I was born 7 miles north of Palostine, Texas on Hatt Swanson ‘s place in 1850, but I kin not remember’ the date. My mistress was name Celia Swanson. My mistress was so good to me till I
ANDERSON, Von R., Sgt., USMC. Mother, Mrs. Excell Anderson, Glazier. ARNOLD, George Marvin, Pharmacist’s Mate 3c, USN. Mother, Mrs. Sarah Frances Arnold, 1419 Laredo Ave., Corpus Christi. BARKER, Russell Pershing, Pfc., USMC. Parents, Mr. and Mrs. James P. Barker, Bridgeport. BLANCET, Jasse Ralph, Pharmacist’s Mate 2c, USN. Mother, Mrs. Ollie Blancet, Box 3, Orth. BLOXOM,
Person Interviewed: Andrew Simms Location: Sapulpa, Oklahoma Age: 80 My parents come over on a slave ship from Africa about twenty year before I was born on the William Driver plantation down in Florida. My folks didn’t know each other in Africa but my old Mammy told me she was captured by Negro slave hunters
Person Interviewed: Amanda Oliver Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Missouri Date of Birth: November 9, 1857 Age: 80 I ‘membuh what my mother say, I was born November 9, 1857, in Missouri. I was ’bout eight years old, when she was sold to a master named Harrison Davis. They said he had two
Person Interviewed: Ida Henry Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Marshall, Texas Date of Birth: 1854 Age: 83 Occupation: House Girl I was born in Marshall, Texas, in 1854. Me mother was named Millie Henderson and me father Silas Hall. Me mother was sold in South Carolina to Mister Hall, who brought her to
Person Interviewed: Allen V. Manning Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Clarke County Mississippi Date of Birth: 1850 Age: 87 Occupation: Sells Milk I always been somewhar in the South, mostly in Texas when I was a young man, and of course us Negroes never got much of a show in court matters, but I
Person Interviewed: Annie HawkinsLocation: Colbert, OklahomaAge: 90 I calls myself 90, but I don’t know jest how old I really am but I was a good sized gal when we moved from Georgia to Texas. We come on a big boat and one night the stars fell. Talk about being scared! We all run and
Person Interviewed: Phyllis Petite Location: Fort Gibson, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Rusk County, Texas Age: 83 I was born in Rusk County, Texas, on a plantation about eight miles east of Belleview. There wasn’t no town where I was born, but they had a church. My mammy and pappy belonged to a part Cherokee named
