Person Interviewed: William Neighten Location: Dade County, Florida William Neighten gave his address as 60th Street, Liberty City. He was only a baby when freedom came, but he too, “stayed on” a long time afterward. He did not know his real name, but he was given his Massy’s name. “Don’t ask me how much work I had to do. Gracious! I used to plow and hoed a lot and everything else and then did’nt do enough. I got too many whippings besides.”
Interviewer: J. M. Johnson Person Interviewed: Mack Mullen Location: Jacksonville, Florida Age: 79 Mack Mullen, a former slave who now lives at 521 W. First Street, Jacksonville, Florida, was born in Americus, Georgia in 1857, eight years before Emancipation, on a plantation which covered an area of approximately five miles. Upon this expansive plantation about 200 slaves lived and labored. At its main entrance stood a large white colonial mansion. In this abode lived Dick Snellings, the master, and his family. The Snellings plantation produced cotton, corn, oats, wheat, peanuts, potatoes, cane and other commodities. The live stock consisted primarily … Read more
Person Interviewed: Banana Williams Location: Dade County, Florida Banana Williams, 1740 NW 5th Court, Miami, Florida was born in Grady County, Georgia near Cairo in the 16th district. “The man what I belonged to was name Mr. Sacks. My mother and father lived there. I was only about three years old when peace came, but I remember when the paddle rollers came there and whipped a man and woman. “I was awful ‘fraid, for that was somethin’ I nevah see before. We “stayed on” but we left before I was old enough to work, but I did work in the … Read more
Person Interviewed: Margaret White Location: Dade County, Florida Age: 84 Margaret White, 6606 18th Ave., Liberty City, Miami, Florida is one of those happy creatures who doesn’t look as if she ever had a care in the world. She speaks good English: “I am now 84 years old, for I was 13 when the Emancipation Proclamation was made. It didn’t make much difference to me. I had a good home and was treated very nicely. “My master was John Eckels. He owned a large fruit place near Federal, N.C. “My father was a tailor and made the clothes for his … Read more
Interviewer: Rachel A. Austin Person Interviewed: Luke Towns Location: Jacksonville, Florida Age: 100+(?) A Centenarian Luke Towns, a centenarian, now residing at 1335 West Eighth Street, Jacksonville, Florida, was the ninth child born to Maria and Like Towns, slaves, December 34, 1835, in a village in Tolberton County, Georgia. Mr. Town’s parents were owned by Governor Towns, whose name was taken by all the children born on the plantation; he states that he was placed on the public blocks for sale, and was purchased by a Mr. Mormon. At the marriage of Mr. Mormon’s daughter, Sarah, according to custom, he … Read more
Interviewer: Jules A. Frost Person Interviewed: Dave Taylor Location: Tampa, Florida A Marine In Ebony From a Virginia plantation to Florida, through perils of Indian war-fare; shanghaied on a Government vessel and carried ’round the world; shipwrecked and dropped into the lap of romance – these are only a few of the colorful pages from the unwritten diary of old Uncle Dave, ex-slave and soldier of fortune. The reporter found the old man sitting on the porch of his Iber City shack, thoughtfully chewing tobacco and fingering his home-made cane. At first he answered in grumpy monosyllables, but by the … Read more
Interviewer: Cora M. Taylor Person Interviewed: Salena Taswell Location: Miami, Florida 1. Where, and about when, were you born? (Answer) In Perry, Ga. in 1844. 2. If you were born on a plantation or farm, what sort of farming section was it in? (Answer) Ole Dr. Jameson’s plantation near Perry, Ga. north of Macon. 3. How did you pass the time as a child? What sort of chores did you do and what did you play? (Answer) I worked around the table in my Massy’s dining room. I didn’t play. I sometimes pulled threads for mother. She was a fine … Read more
Interviewer: Martin D. Richardson Person Interviewed: Samuel Smalls Location: Jacksonville, Florida Age: 85 A voluntary slave for seven years. The story of a free Negro of Connecticut, who came south to observe conditions of slavery, found them very distasteful, then voluntarily entered that slavery for seven years is the interesting tale that Samuel Smalls, 84 year old ex-slave of 1704 Johnson Street, Jacksonville, tells of his father Cato Smith. Smith had been born in Connecticut, son of domestic slaves who were freed while he was still a child. He grew to young manhood in the northern state, making a living … Read more
Interviewer: J. M. Johnson Person Interviewed: William Sherman Location: Chaseville, Florida In Chaseville, Florida, about twelve miles from Jacksonville on the south side of the Saint Johns River lives William Sherman (locally pronounced Schumann,) a former slave of Jack Davis, nephew of President Jefferson Davis of the Confederacy. William Sherman was born on the plantation of Jack Davis, about five miles from Robertsville, South Carolina, at a place called “Black Swamp,” June 12, 1842, twenty-three years prior to Emancipation. His father who was also named William Sherman, was a free man, having bought his freedom for eighteen hundred dollars from … Read more
Interviewer: Martin Richardson Person Interviewed: Shack Thomas Location: South Jacksonville, Florida Age: 102 Shack Thomas, Centenarian Beady-eyed, grey-whiskered, black little Shack Thomas sits in the sun in front of his hut on the Old Saint Augustine Road about three miles south of Jacksonville, 102 years old and full of humorous reminiscences about most of those years. To his frequent visitors he relates tales of his past, disjointedly sometimes but with a remarkable clearness and conviction. The old ex-slave does not remember the exact time of his birth, except that it was in the year 1834, “the day after the end … Read more
Interviewer: Viola B. Muse Person Interviewed: Anna Scott Location: Jacksonville, Florida Anna Scott, an ex-slave who now lives in Jacksonville near the intersection of Moncrief and Edgewood Avenues, was a member of one of the first colonization groups that went to the West coast of Africa following the emancipation of the slaves in this country. The former slave was born at Dove City, South Carolina, on Jan. 28, 1846, of a half-breed Cherokee-and-Negro mother and Anglo-Saxon father. Her father owned the plantation adjoining that of her master. When she reached the adolescent age Anna was placed under the direct care … Read more
Person Interviewed: Charley Roberts Location: Dade County, Florida Charley Roberys of Perrine, Florida, was born on the Hogg plantation near Allendale, S. C. “Yes, sah, I’ members de vary day when we first heard that we was free. I was mindin’ the little calf, keepin’ it away from the cow while my mother was milkin’. “We have to milk the cows and carry the milk to the Confederate soldiers quartered near us. “At that time, I can ‘member of the soldiers comin’ ‘cross the Savannah River. They would go to the plantations and take all the cows, hogs, sheep, or … Read more
Interviewer: Viola B. Muse Person Interviewed: Willis Williams Location: Jacksonville, Florida Occupation: Carpenter, Mail Clerk Willis Williams of 1025 Iverson Street, Jacksonville, Florida, was born at Tallahassee, Florida, September 15, 1856. He was the son of Ransom and Wilhemina Williams, who belonged during the period of slavery to Thomas Heyward, a rich merchant of Tallahassee. Willis does not know the names of his paternal grandparents but remembers his maternal grandmother was Rachel Fitzgiles, who came down to visit the family after the Civil War. Thomas Heyward, the master, owned a plantation out in the country from Tallahassee and kept slaves … Read more
Person Interviewed: Rivana Boynton Location: Dade County, Florida Rivana-Williams Boynton was born on John and Mollie Hoover’s plantation near Ulmers, S.C. being 15 years of age when the ‘mancipation came. “Our Boss man, he had planty of salves. We lived in a log houses. My father was an Indian and he ran away to war, but I don’t ‘member anything of my mother. She was sold and taken away ‘fore I ever knew of her. I ‘member that I had to thin cotton in the fields and mind the flies in the house. I had a leafy branch that was … Read more
Interviewer: Pearl Randolph Person Interviewed: Edward Lycurgas Location: Jacksonville, Florida “Pap tell us ‘nother story ’bout do war and ’bout de fust time you saw mamma.” It has been almost 60 years since a group of children gathered about their father’s knee, clamoring for another story. They listened round-eyed to stories they already knew because “pap” had told them so many times before. These narratives along with the great changes he has seen, were carefully recorded in the mind of Edward, the only one of this group now alive. “Pap” was always ready to oblige with the story they never … Read more
Interviewer: Alfred Farrell Person Interviewed: Henry Maxwell Location: Titusville, Florida Age: 77? Occupation: Field Worker “Up from Slavery” might well be called this short biographical sketch of Henry Maxwell, who first saw the light of day on October 17, 1859 in Lownes County, Georgia. His mother Ann, was born in Virginia, and his father, Robert, was born in South Carolina. Captain Peters, Ann’s owner, bought Robert Maxwell from Charles Howell as a husband for Ann. To this union were born seven children, two girls – Elizabeth and Rosetta – and five boys – Richard, Henry, Simms, Solomon and Sonnie. After … Read more
Interviewer: Pearl Randolph Person Interviewed: Amanda McCray Location: Madison, Florida Occupation: House servant Mrs. McCray was sitting on her porch crooning softly to herself and rocking so gently that one might easily have thought the wind was swaying her chair. Her eyes were closed, her hands incredibly old and work worn were slowly folding and unfolding in her lap. She listened quietly to the interviewer’s request for some of the “high lights” of her life and finally exclaimed: “Chile why’ny you look among the living fer the high lights?” There was nothing resentful in this expression; only the patient weariness … Read more
Interviewer: Martin Richardson Person Interviewed: Christine Mitchell Location: Saint Augustine, Florida Age: 84 Occupation: Field Worker An interesting description of the slave days just prior to the War Between the States is given by Christine Mitchell, of Saint Augustine. Christine was born in slavery at Saint Augustine, remaining on the plantation until she was about 10 years old. During her slave days she knew many of the slaves on plantations in the Saint Augustine vicinity. Several of these plantations, she says, were very large, and some of them had as many as 100 slaves. The ex-slave, who is now 84 … Read more
Interviewer: Viola B. Muse Person Interviewed: Randall Lee Location: Palatka, Florida Randall Lee of 500 Branson Street, Palatka, Florida, was born at Camden, South Carolina about seventy-seven years ago, maybe longer. He was the son of Robert and Delhia Lee, who during slavery were Robert and Delhia Miller, taking the name of their master, as was the custom. His master was Doctor Miller and his mistress was Mrs. Camilla Miller. He does not know his master’s given name as no other name was ever heard around the plantation except Doctor Miller. Randall was a small boy when the war between … Read more
Person Interviewed: Emma Knight Location: Hannibal, Missouri Emma Knight, living at 924 North Street, Hannibal Missouri was born in slavery on the farm of Will and Emily Ely, near Florida, Monroe County. The following is her story as she told it: “We lived on a Creek near Florida. We belonged to Will Ely. He had only five slaves, my father and mother and three of us girls. I was only eight or nine years old. De Elys had eight children. Dere was Paula, Ann, Sarah, Becky, Emily, Lizzie, Will, Ike, and Frank. Lizzie was de oldest girl and I was … Read more