Person Interviewed: Morris Sheppard Location: Fort Gibson, Oklahoma Date of Birth: November, 1852 Age: 85 Old Master tell me I was borned in November 1852, at de old home place about five miles east of Webbers Falls, mebbe kind of northeast, not far from de east bank of de Illinois River. Master’s name was Joe […]
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: Mary Grayson Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Age: 83 I am what we colored people call a “native.” That means that I didn’t come into the Indian country from somewhere in the Old South, after the war, like so many Negroes did, but I was born here in the old Creek Nation, and my master
Person Interviewed: Henry F. Pyles Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Date of Birth: August 15, 1856 Age: 81 That’s how the niggers say old Bab Russ used to make the hoodoo “hands” he made for the young bucks and wenches, but I don’t know. ’cause I was too trusting to look inside de one he make for
Person Interviewed: Doc Daniel Dowdy Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Madison County, Georgia Date of Birth: June 6, 1856 Age: 81 I was born June 6, 1856 in Madison County, Georgia. Father was named Joe Dowdy and mother was named Mary Dowdy. There was 9 of us boys, George, Smith, Lewis, Henry, William,
Person Interviewed: Hannah McFarland Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Georgetown, South Carolina Date of Birth: February 29, 1853 Age: 85 I was born in Georgetown, South Carolina, February 29, 1853. My father was name James Gainey and my mother was name Katie Gainey. There was three chillun born to my folks doing slavery.
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: Stephen McCray Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Huntsville County, Alabama Date of Birth: 1850 Age: 88 Occupation: Fisherman I was born in Huntsville County, Alabama, right where the Scottsboro boys was in jail, in 1850. My parents was Wash and Winnie McCray. They was the mother and father of 22 chillun.
Person Interviewed: Davis Lucinda Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Age: 89 “What yo’ gwine do when de meat give out? “What yo’ gwine do when de meat give out? Set in de corner wid my lips pooched out! Laway! “What yo’ gwine do when de meat give out? “What yo’ gwine do when de meat give out?
Person Interviewed: George Conrad, Jr. Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Connersville, Harrison County, Kentucky Date of Birth: February 23, 1860 Age: 77 I was born February 23, 1860 at Connersville, Harrison County, Kentucky. I was born and lived just 13 miles from Pariah. My mother’s name is Rachel Conrad, born at Bourbon County,
Person Interviewed: Polly Colbert Location: Colbert, Oklahoma Age: 83 I am now living on de forty-acre farm dat de Government give me and it is just about three miles from my old home on Master Holmes Colbert’s plantation where I lived when I was a slave. Lawsy me, times sure has changed since slavery times
Person Interviewed: Nellie Johnson Location: Oklahoma I don’t know how old I is, but I is a great big half grown gal when the time of the war come, and I can remember how everything look at that time, and what all the people do, too. I’m pretty nigh to blind right now, and all
Person Interviewed: Betty Foreman Chessier Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: July 11, 1843 Age: 94 I was born July 11, 1843 in Raleigh, N. C. My mother was named Melinda Manley, the slave of Governor Manley of North Carolina, and my father was named Arnold Foreman, slave
Person Interviewed: Octavia George Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Mansieur, Louisiana Date of Birth: 1852 Age: 85 I was born in Mansieur, Louisiana, 1852, Avoir Parish. I am the daughter of Alfred and Clementine Joseph. I don’t know much about my grandparents other than my mother told me my grandfather’s name was Fransuai,
Person Interviewed: Katie RoweLocation: Tulsa, OklahomaAge: 88 I can set on de gallery, what de sunlight shine bright, and sew a powerful fine seam when my grandchillun wants a special purty dress for de school doings, but I ain’t worth much for nothing else I reckon. These same old eyes seen powerful lot of tribulations
Person Interviewed: Sallie Carder Location: Burwin, Oklahoma Age: 83 I was born in Jackson, Tennessee, and I’m going on 83 years. My mother was Harriott Noel and father Jeff Bills, both of them named after their masters. I has one brother, J. B. Bills, but all de rest of my brothers and daters is dead.
Person Interviewed: Marshall Mack Date of Birth: September 10, 1854 Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Age: 83 I was born September 10, 1854. I am the second child of five. My mother was named Sylveston Mack and my father Booker Huddleston. I do not remember my mother’s master, ‘came he died before I was born. My
Person Interviewed: Nancy Gardner Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Franklin, Tennessee Date of Birth: 1858 Age: 79 Well, to tell you de truth I don’t know my age, but I was born in 1858, in Franklin, Tennessee. How, you can figger for yourself and tell how old I is. I is de daughter
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: John Brown Location: West Tulsa, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Taloga County, Alabama Age: 87 (about) Most of the folks have themselves a regular birthday but this old colored can just pick out any of the days during the year one day just about as good as another. I been around a long time
