Kyle Davis and Sandra Hockman interview with Amanda Elender Williams and Margaret Elizabeth Williams

The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. In this recording Kyle Davis and Sandra Hockman interview sisters Amanda Elender Williams and Margaret Elizabeth Williams. They start with an account of how to sew quilts with patterns. At 5:06 they state that both family and neighbors bring them scraps to sew quilts. They note that there isnt enough interest from neighbors for a quilting bee like they had as children, during which they talk and sang to pass the time. At 12:20 Margaret Elizabeth Williams says that her brother attended music school to learn how to play the organ. She also played the organ and took his place as the church organist after he moved. At 14:30 she says that her family sang together and that there was singings at home and at church. The sisters describe their family organ, which they still own. 17:50: Amanda Williams and Margaret Williams next return to the topic of quilting. They detail how their mother wove cloth out of wool from sheep that their father raised, specifically how she operated the loom, spun the wool, and sewed clothing. At 33 minutes they mention that children gathered apples after school on the family orchard. They then return to describing the process of cloth and clothing making, including shearing the sheep and dying the wool and cotton; their mother sewed most of their clothing and owned the first sewing machine in Rabun County, Georgia. 42:10: Next Amanda Williams and Margaret Williams describe their mothers great cooking, which she liked to share with the community. The family raised cows, hogs, children, and sheep. The sisters assert that they had enough to live comfortably but not much actual money because they were farmers. They then list food they prepared such as beans, pies, cabbage, sweet potatoes, meat, and corn (some of which they made for singings and church gatherings), as well as how they preserved their food. At 52:20 they explained that they often hosted company for dinner because they lived close to the church. Their father and brothers butchered hogs, a process which they then describe, including smoking the meat and cooking sausage. Next at 1:01:00 they talk about their property, which they have lived near their whole life. Much of their family also lived close, but otherwise the closest neighbor was a mile away and their school was six miles away. At 1:05:40 the sisters discuss how their parents met and courted at church, as well as how their sister met her husband and describe the wedding. They talk about traveling by horse and buggy and visiting Tallulah Falls, Georgia. Next they discuss living on a farm, specifically plowing and tools that their father used, growing and milling grain for flour, and what they cooked with the grains. 1:17:55: They next tell a story about their father getting sick after traveling by wagon on a rainy day. They also describe the wagon and fireplaces over which their grandmother cooked. At 1:25:00 Amanda Williams and Margaret Williams recall items crafted locally, speaking again about how they are known for their quilting. When they were children their grandmother sewed their dolls. They also explain that their father only attended school four months a year because it cost too much and he needed to work so his younger siblings could attend. After getting married, he built a log house, which they then describe. Neighbors came together to help complete big construction projects. 1:34:00: They then reminisce about corn shuckings where attendees would tell stories and play games. They continue describing additional community activities and games that they played as children. At 1:42:30 they talk about infrequent dancing and the Mountaineer Festival. At 1:47:20 the sisters discuss stories that they heard as kids, including stories that their father told about his childhood and ghost stories that their grandmother told from her own childhood. They say that they left their doors open because no one was worried about burglaries. At 1:53:15 Amanda Williams and Margaret Williams recall growing medicinal herbs in their garden. They also remember the local doctor riding a horse and buggy to attend to his patients, which causes them to look back at different types of transportation. Next they tell a story about a birthday party held for the doctors birthday. 2:01:35 : Next, they explain how their aunt, who was much older than their mother, survived The War Between the States. She collected salt because it was so difficult to find, used rye instead of coffee, and after her husband died worked a full day for one gallon of corn in payment. To conclude the recording, they talk about cooking with ashes, making jelly, and cleaning dishes. Margaret Elizabeth Williams (1896-1985) and Amanda Elender Williams (1890-1976) were born to Epreham H. Williams (1850-1917) and Margaret Mahala WIlliams (1855-1940) in Rabun County, Georgia; they had two sisters and three brothers. The Williams sisters attended school until 7th grade. Additional biographical information has not been determined. There is no transcript for this recording Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions. As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us inaposition to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, andbias isreflected in our descriptions, whichmay not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materialsaccurately.Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment.We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created.Additionally,our work to use reparative languagewhereLibrary of Congress subject termsareinaccurate and obsolete isongoing. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailingreference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.