Linda Carnes interview with Estelle Phillips

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. This recording starts with Estelle Philips remembering growing up in a log cabin in Quincy, Florida. At 3:10 she recalls the deaths of her sisters Fannie and Virginia due to illness and at 7:44, attending school in a one room schoolhouse until her family moved into town. Then at 13:16, she discusses how her family celebrated Christmas by decorating a big holly tree with lanterns and giving gifts of nuts, oranges, and dolls. At 16:41, she recollects her mother making dairy products like cottage cheese and her Aunt Judy making soap. Then, at 24:37, Philips shares a few ghost stories, the first of which she heard from her grandmother and is about witches believed to transform into deer. She also tells stories about her father seeing ghosts. Next, Philips transitions to talking about medicine and illness. Specifically, at 27:25, she says that her grandparents blew a conch shell to communicate when someone was sick. She also recounts her many childhood illnesses such as measles, scarlet fever, and diphtheria and how her father cured illnesses by applying poultices. Starting at 37:11, Philips describes barn raising, her childhood chores, and dresses she wore. At 52:04 she explains that her father planted crops based on astrological signs and predicted the weather based on signs he saw in nature. At 59:56 she remembers migrant Black laborers who harvested tobacco and German immigrants who then rolled it into cigars. Her husband, Charles Philips (1890-1940) was a mechanic, and at 1:10:06, she describes his work. She also looks back on vacations to Pensacola, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; and Asheville, North Carolina. Next, at 1:20:20 Phillips remembers the first talky movies she saw. She also recalls how World War II impacted Quincy, including rationing, and the decline of young people who left to fight or work in factories. She ends the recording by stating her opinion that folklore is highly beneficial to pass down to younger generations. Estelle Owens Philips (1893-1984) was born in Quincy, Florida, to Ida Virginia (1856-1923) and Andrew Owens (1849-1921). She married Charles Philips (1890-1940) in 1921, and they had one daughter, Olive (1925-1989). In 1930, Phillip moved to Elberton, Georgia, to live with her sister Queen Campbell (1891-1982); later she moved back to Quincy. She died in DeKalb County, Georgia. FOLKLORE WITH ESTE:T,r.F: PHILLIPS LIND.A J:i'LOWERS CARNES FOLKLORE if01 FALL QUARTER 1974 TltBLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION II ll TFANSCRIPI'ION III. PHOTOGRAPHS IV, FAMILY TREE V, GREAT CRANDF'ATHER"S IIILL VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY INTRODUCTION About the subject: Mrs, Estelle Phillips was born in the small, but prosperous town of Quincy, Florida on May 25, 1893, She is fi.ve feet tall " and weighs ninety six pounds and is g_uite a remarkable lady, She is also my husband's maternal grandmother. In the few years that I have known her, she has warmsd my heart and inspired my thoughts, Consequently, I wished to share this experience with others and I asked her if she would sharo some folklore with us, She was delighted, Fu.thermore, I wish to say at this point that our comrersations were more than just .... an informant,, to 11recordei-1 ~ type a.tmosphere0 As we sat in the g_uite evevings at her home, I felt that she was telling me things of her past that she had not told anyone else before - simply because they had not asked, She wanted. me to know these thingc, and more than that, 1 wanted to know them, As she talked, I became an integra.l part of her memory. I found. myself wanting to live her childhood a.gain with her, She considers herself as a. plain, cmmtry woman, but I consj_der her my very dear Grandmother, About the paper: I had heard so many stories a.bout Quincy, Florida from Grandmother that I just had to visit the town and find out for myself what it was reaJ.l.y l.ike, So I did and I was not disappointed, The trip helped me in my understanding of Grandmother's ea,rly life times, as well as introducing me again to some of that .fantastic southern hospitality, I thought it would be interesting to include a few photographs that 2, I took in Quincy cf Grandmother's old homes and a few photographs from the famtly cemetery@ Also, I was able to obtain some information about Gra.ndmother's lineage, I have taken the liberty and included it in my paper because she is very proud of ita And while I was being liberated, I included a, copy of Grandmother's Great Grandfather's Last Will And Testamente I found i.t quite amusings The beginning portion of the paper involves a basic description of Estelle Phillips' early J.ife, The remaining part of the paper deals with specific events or customslll I concluded with her philosophical outlook on life, I should apologize if at times l'ly g_uestions are too suggestive but I thought that it would help her to determine or eliminate certain things that she wanted to talk a.bout. This paper turned out to be a very rewarding GXperience for both Grandmother and myself C...1..dle...n Ec'lwC\.R..dsi:Sn. E/i'noR? lmo.iolen V'lc-.wie,, LAV\KhDwn) 787 I Willia.111 JohV\ ThornQ.:S .60.r,;1,,1_e,\ Hi~O..Y\'\ llAl(e.n 1;n. G-e,0R3e LtAt-'1nola. VY'lo.ii...y So.Ro.h Bo-~outc.., LQ~l, I H c, noR.. DoJ~ .. by H e,n f.< y w o-.cle.. C.o.luifl :) LA:>O.Y"\ Elle.-n Eli z.o.b e...+h mo..11..y Willio..M Que.en 14nn Ba.owniVlj .lda. ViR-3iri1C1. Jo.me.5 Sc.Mu.el DOJ)i e-l Lizzie.. L e..e., Johnny l I a 71.o An~e:w Owui:S ESTELLE" l Li n+o I'\ ~I Oliver EI i -z o..b e.-+r. \J. 0. lA eel'\ Cho.R.le-5 Ph; Iii p:S J..... o P.en F 0-n ni e.. I-<. '-tie.. LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF WILLIAM EDWARDS Filed January 26, 1866--Recorded in Book 1267 In ~he name of God, .Amen, I, \/illiam Edwards, of tbe <):iunty of Gads,1':.n and the State of Florida; being of sound mind and memory and considr;, ring the uncertainty of this frail and transitory life; do therefore make, ordain, publish and declare this to be my last will and t0;;tar,e;nt. That is to say first, after all my lawful debts are paid and dis~ harged, th& resilue of r;ry Estate, real and personal, I give, bequeath and dispose 0f as fc,llows: to wit- To my loving wife, Honor, I giT~ the house wherein I am living,ar.d 80 acres of land whereon the house stands, l.i,'t' lifetime, At her death '>~ "'" divided eg_ually between my heirs, and Elli equal part with all the heirs in the stock of all kinds. I also give my wife one mare, Jude by name. I also give to my sons Wade, Calvin and William, the mill and all the lan<is attached to it, to be valued at what I gave for it. I also give William one gray mare. I also give Susan's 2 children 1 cow and calf apiece. I also ,;ive two coulard servants, Josh and Gin, l cow and calf apiece. I also give Elizabeth 1 bay colg, Project by name, I also give Mary 1 colt, Pet by name. Tbe balance of the lands to be divided equally between Henry and my 4 daughters, Susan, Ellin, Elizabeth and Mary. If either of the heirs draws more than an equal share in value at first cost, 1n the lands, they must pay so all will have an equill share in value of the lands. The balance of stock of all kinds to be divided equaly bet,reen my Wife and children; Henry, Wade, Calvin, Susan, Ellen, Elizabeth, Mary, and William, sbare and share alike. Likewise, I make, constitute and appoint my sons Henry and Wa<1e to be Executors of this my Last Will and Testament; hereby revoking all fo=er wills by me made. In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal, this fifteenth day of January, one thousand, eigbt hundred and sixty six. 15th January, 1866 Willi= Edwards , d ,,1illiam Edwards d t by the s ai ' b arue subscribe O us and be at t es . instniment -was him to each of ' 'bed to be h1s The above ~ acknowledged by t so subscri ' ce an... instrumen t and. in his in our':prese~ed' and declared the ab~~: Testator's re~ues tiJJle, ~uolis d Testazent; and we at t esses thereto. 1,aBt Will an . ed our ua!!les as wi n presence bave s:Lgu Alex L<,-ve Neill Jobnson l)a-viii Clark BTBLIOGRAPHY History of -the !'l:lwards Fam~ 1y of Gadsden County, Florida, 1967, Nell .Jones Carter, pp, 15-17 E's-+e.lle., Phillips 3'1 L/3 otd L ... ,de.(<.rl Dre. Li+I-, o" i o-. 1 Ge.oA.Ji a.. 3DDS-8 l:o ile.c.JoR ! L i "cl,.. Flo w e.1,5 C, it" e s 131., 1 Loddo..nd Roa.cl t<ltla.nto-. 1 GeoA.Jio.. 303 J{,, I -RELEASEDy letting us collect your traditions--stories, sones 9 music~ rememberences, or beliefs of earlier days--you have made a valuable contribution to preserving and understanding Southern history, and especially the way of life of your community. Because you have given unselfishly of your time to do this, the Georgia Folklore Archives, whose representatives are dedicated to preserving these traditions, wants to protect your ri:;hts to this material by 1,uaranteeing that it will not be used for unscrupulous commercial profits. By signing this sheet, you are giving us permission to use this material for educational purposes so that people who are interested can understand how life was in the old days. If you don't want your name to be used, say so--we respect your right to privacy. Thank you for the time you have given to help us record a heritage that is an i-r,1portant part of American life. "In consideration of r'lY intent in helpin:,: to preserve my folk heritage, I hereby grant permission to the Georgia Folk Archives and its Director, John Burrison, to publish, ot otherwise make use of, the material recorded from me by the agent of the Georgia Folklore Archives whose name appears on thks sheet. Sigqed / ! --i t /,.,/\ l~f}?. ... t_ ,, r"' <....._J_." __ , /. ,J"' ,: / Agent of Georgia Folklore /-1t'chivesc.'. ...: ... ...' c.-,,.;..;. '. ..'- '1.f .;.~. "?"-, _... .., :' -//"-..,~~-"'-JL,-"y:"-/:-",("""" __.c .(_,{_._.<_...,. L_t. 1 _':_ ,_," _"'----- ~' .) . /':., Additional l.Jitness~--~,... ,, .,"--/=:::..:..:c: ::..c:__..:__~,-:..c..<:'--r::._: ::.~:-.:..'.c':.c'cc>~,c;,:,=-:c_ __________ Geore;ia Folklore Archives c/o Professor John Burrison Georgia State University 33 Gilmer Street Southeast Atlanta, Georgia 30303 TRANSCRIPTION B: Talk about like when you were born, and. uh, what your house lo~ked. Hirn, what it looked, an' things like that. G: Woll, how do I r'member whot H, looked. like? B: Sure ya d.o. G: No, I sure don't, not only th' one you saw th' other day an' that's not th''ono h wheir I was born cause th' one was down th' road, it, was uh laug house, I think. We moved. up t th' new homrn when we wore small chilld.ren, D: Was that th' one that I saw?,., Jest th' outside? Jo G: Uh huh, That's th' one you saw. Yeah, That's th' only one I r'member,t;E'don't r'momber th' other house, But I've hoa:ccl 'um say that they house was off from th' kitchen, Th' kitchen was uh little laug cabin. B: Wasn't that, th' time when you ha,d. uh big hallway an' you had. rooms on each side of it? G: No, J:I;, I don't think so, et uh, I really don't know. I think it was one big house with uh shed room on th' front por.ch an' uh shed room on th' back porch. An' I don't r'member anythin' else about it, An' I know th' kitchen was out acrost th' ynrd., But cha, see th' one I remember J,s th' one you sa,w, They was three bedrooms an' uh livin' room an' uh kitchen a,n' uh ,Unin room an' uh 1 one; back porch, B: An' what klnda houses did ya have out.. in th' yard, like, did ya have uh barn an ,..? G: Oh, yes, They had, they d.idn 't have uh ba,rn, they hacl. uh crib, ll: A corn crib? G: Uh huh. Uh corn crib an' then they had uh 'nother big buildin' where they, uh, horses an' th' cattles stayed in. 'rhey had th' hay upstairs. I r'membcr that. B: Did yall. ever have any problems with rodents or anyt.hl.ng gott.in' :into your corn? G: Not that. I know of, onlay wevalJ.s, they, it didn' la.s' that long. B: Oh y<ah. .I guesn so. G: An' uh they ha.d pear trees an' they had plum trees a,n' Japenese plumc-;trees an' they ha,d pecan trees an' they ha.d uh, big garden, an' they had uh big uh dogwood, I gue,m, what do they call 'um?, dogwood thi.ckets, An l.t was full of d.oewood trees, an' big oak trees, pine trees. B: An' when was this? I mean, what yea.rs do ya r'memher,;t.hat you 1:t ved in tha.t house? G: It musta been about nlneteen seven or r-1:l.x* 131 An' all th' k:i.dc. lived there too? Yotn:brothers an' s:lsters? G: Well, I had uh brother that went to Cuba an' he stayed down there 'bout uh yoa,r an' he ca.me back an' he lived there until he married an I don't r'memher whot year he marri.ed. An' there was Lor:ln an' Queen an' myself an' Kat:i.e tha,t was all see th' other two chilldren had died. D: An' whot d:td. they d:i.o of? G: I, I don't, I thi.nk, um, little Fa,nnie had hoopl.n' cough an strangled t death. An' I think, th' other gi.rl, Virgie, she was about ton years ole, I think she had., uh, they Ga.id a congost.ivo chD.1. B: Di.d th', did ya'll have doctorn an Lh:tngs then or di.d ya try to use.ee G: They d:ldn', they had uh doctor :In town. I don't kno1-1 whore the doctor had th' doctor t' her or not. But my daddy was mos' ly th' doctor for th' country. B: Hell, what kinda things did ho do? Like to help people? G: Ho fix'd. blue mass and calamul, ho measured it out on uh dime. B: Blue rnaiss? ilhot's that? G: It was tho, it's a, "furgattve", I know that, B: A what? G: Blue mass an' calamul\) That. was th', uh, mcdlc:i.ne :i.n those days. l3: Was H like uh powder? G: Yes, it wan uh powder, an' ya measured it on uh dime an' thou ya put it in uh five [,'I'am capsulo B: Oh, C: An' ho did. that at n:i.ght an' ho work'd. at uh turp:i.nUne, ho had uh turp:i.ntino farm 'bout fifteen miles from home, An' he would go down thoro on Monday an stay until about Saturday, an they had uh commisary, An' if any of um got sick, Daddy doctur'd dum. An' he fi.llod his sa,cldle bags up evor' Monday morn in', an put 'um on th 1 horse an' went to th' turp:i.ntine stil.J., An' J.f ,my of th' people roun' the, country, their chilldren got sick, they eame an' got him, B: Whore di.d he learn that. from? Dtcl he learn it from hisoeo C: I don't know-, !,he ,did it all" my li-fle-. An' othil11 -they'. dug' up_, horgs an' things Hirn that, B: \/hat kind.a herbs? Do you r'member? G1 I don't r'member, I hoen wi.th 'um a lot of t:l.mes when thoy dl.g 'um up, but I don't know one from th' other, They was one little nomethi.n', that !,grew i.n -th' hra:l.nch, in th' diteh goin down -I;' th bralnch. That was used. for burns, I r'member that, cause Aunt Sarie a.n' Uncle Henry uned. 't get Uw,t up. That was between our houne an the:l.r house, An' if anyone was burned, they'd pl.ck that l.t-ttlo mosn .lookin' stuff a,n brang it an' they'd make uh polt:i.ce out of it an' put it on th' people who were hurn'd, Bi D:idn't you tell me one t.:l.rne that your mother taught you how t' talk fire out? G: She di.dn' teach me, she talked. the fire out, but. she couldn't teach uh girl, she taught th' boyr;, Bi Well, how d:ld she do :lt?.,,I moan ... G: I don't know, she touphed ya though, Bi Dl.d. she, li.lrn, rub your hands? G: Uh huh, She'd hold her fingers e,n' put :lt over it an' lt would 'd burn, Oh, lt would burn so, But it, th' fire would all be out, It wouldn't bll.ster, B: Di.cl. she-dJ..d she nay things like,,. G: Uh, nhe must have, she did.n' sa.y anything out loud. But she 6. must 'avo said some-a. eI know she aai.cl somHth:ln'. Lendon (Llnton) could ta.Ilk th' f:i.re out, Daddy could ta.J.k th' fl.re out, But they nover did tea.ch any of us to. An' we Lived about seven miles from town, An', I th:i.nk, they were two doctors in th' town, but, we d.idn' have any telephones, An' they had chickens, horseP,, an' mules did th' plowin' an' th' horses pull'd th' buggies. B: What kl.nda th:i.ngs did ya'l.1 raise? Besides corn, G: They, t.hey had. corn an' t.hey had cotton when I was uh small child an' sugar cane.. An' they grew pir1ders an' peanuts an' chowfurso B: What arc pinders? G: '11hcy'r0 what. you call, uh, peamxt.s. B: Oh, G: Ground. peas. B: 0, K, G: A eround poa grows flat, runs out an' uh peanut growfl :i.n uh cJustor at th' bottom of th' bush instead of out, roun' like uh round pea er uh ponder, T b,'lieve some of 'um cal.led it, An' uh.,. 13: What do chewfers look Hico? G: They grow l.n th' ground, they look like grass, a.n' they got little nuts on 'umo 13: Wha.t do they taste Hko? G: 'l'aste like uh chewfer, I don't know that's th' only thin' I ever hoard 'um called an' they tmeta have um, they grow on great big clusters, like li.ttle onions. An' th' dah, an th' hogs root 'um up ya, know, an' eat 'um, An' they had alJ.kinds of vegetables in th' garden an' they h,vl,.,Darldy never did plant oats, I don't b'lieve, An' he had corn. l3: Did ya.11 make perserves from th , , , ? G1 Oh yes, Mother made peach pen;ervos, pear porserves, an' plums, 13: Do ya r'member how she made 'um? G: Not much, We were at school most of th' ti.mo, We went ta, school 'bout two an' uh ha'I' miles from th' hous(a, An' we had t,a walk. An' it was jest nh one room little c;chool house. An they had ta bring th' water 'bout uh rn:lle from Uncle ,Johnnie"s an' Aunt Lovey's, what they drank, Then later they uh, bored uh well out at th' school. nut we rlidn t e;o \;a school there very lone;. Thay sont my olrlewr, sistor, (l,ueon ta Quincy ta school, They boarded. her, An' they wac;n t anyono ta e;o ta school so I was loft at home. An' Jest uh, mother an myself was at home most of th time. Li.ndon had gone an then after he marrlcd he moved ta Lown, ya ooo. Thon he e;ot tired of town an moved back to th' country, then mothor moved ta town, An' we lived In town th' rest of our lives. An' hut we had uh, farm an' uh garden, as lone; as she lived an oho died in 1923, Then we sold th' farm an' we hadn't uh fD,rm since. None of th' boys would farm, 1'hey'ro in th' mercantDl busl.noss. One in Port Ual.nt Joe an' ono in Appalachacola, An' they were both baseball players, An' th' younger one playecl ball fer many yearr;. Ho played in Port Ua,int ,Joo an then he played with Lh' hall team a,roun', I forget th' name of it, '.l'hey playecl fer years, They'd travel all over tli south Georgia, Alabama, an' F'lorlda, play baneballe B: Do you r'membor what th' school looked like when ya did go? What kinda hoolrn you had an' things like that? G: ,r guess we had th' Blue Back Spell.a but I was small, An' I have forgotten th' names of th' books we r:tudied because they've changed 'um all in th' past twenty yoars, I don't, r'm01nber :U1' books, th' names of 'ume B: R'rnernber who your teacher was, was l.t uh male or uh female? G: Well, we had one in th' country, we had uh J.a,dy teacher. An' in th' early, th' first I r'member, th' teacher stayed uh week with one pairent, an' I don't know how th' worked it, but she went. from one home ta th' other. See, they didn't boader at one place 'cause they di.dn' have enough money ta pa,y 'er hoard, nut she'd spend uh week er two w1th us. She'd s11end uh WBek or two with Aunt Lavey 'n' Uncle Johnnie then she'd spend uh wool< er two wtth cousin Mit Strom. An' then there was some Seabrooks that lived on th' plantation an' she would spend uh week er two with thorn until she took leave, then shr,'d start all over again. An' of course when we were, went ta town, I was in th' third. gra.d.e when we moved ta town. Ho I rnusta not I ave been VP-ry old, cause I didn't go ta school much, Brother usota take me ta school when I was 'bout four yea,rs old. I but, r'mernber, r'member uh little bit about that, but not much, MiGs Annie Gl.lburn was our teacher, An then uh, Olean Chester, th' one you meet, her daddy was th' school tea,cher, He taue;ht us one year, h:i.s namo was Alfred ChuJ.ler, An' after tha,t was th' last school I r'member e;oin' to :i.n th' country, Thon we moved ta town an MisH Ann le Foster was my teacher, first year, An' Miss Mary Gray Monroe was Mary Gray, yeah, she married 9, th I banlrnr Mr. Pat Monroe, An' then Misr; Nellie Godfrey was my teacher, An' I had uh Miss Denna val, who was our teacher in th' seventh grade an' she was rrom uh, Atlana, An' i.n th' eighth grade th' Latin teacher was uh Miss Maude Taylor who uh, later married uh, th' mln:i.ster Mr. Bride;eso She was un ole man, oJ.e mai.do An' Mins Grace Taylor was our uh homec teacher, which we didn' have anythin' ta cook on, we jest did finger work, Sho taught us ta sow with our fingers, J3: What kinda things did ya make? G: We jest made Httle uh, jest,, .she had little pieces uh cloth an taught us ta do all th st:i.tchrn,, 81 Embrodiery? G: She taue;ht jost uh little embrodery, I already knew how ta embrodrey. But she didn' teach that, she was tryin' na teach us how ta make dresses, Sho cut little patterns, like doll thingl, a,n make us make those. So that's what we did then an' then Miss )]auline Gunter was our history teacher, An' Miss Mays from down at Montacolla was th' study hall, she kopt study hall, Wo didn' havo uh cla,ss with her, An' then the profosser, thoy call0d him in those days, Clark wa._s our agriculture teacher, An' I don't :r'member much more 'bout our class then, They were uh lot of 'um that left town an' moved away an' they was jont uh few of us left in our time. B: l/ell, let's go back to your childhood, G:randmothe:r., Do ya r'rnembor any spacial Christmas or anythine? 1 o, G; Yes, we didn have much fer Christma,s back then, They would jest would be jest uh few little toiys, An' we would get blrds, wo uc,eta get uh b:b;,lt;",9-n' we'd get apple an' uh orange, cand_y an' brazil nuts an Ene;l:1.sh walnuts, an' we h;'J,d. pHcans on th' farm, An' we would sot little uh ,lJaskets with lHUe ti.ny pa,rfumes, like uh bird nest, an' they'd be uh little bottle of perfume 1n that, An' someti.mes we'd. get uh va,so, An' W() got beautiful dolls, B: These were ,;tore-bought? G: Yes, beautiful dolln ! Dressed., mine wan d.ressc,,cJ, in yell.a with lace all over tt 's d_.eess e A d.ress maker ln town dressed 'urn o 'rhey bought th doll,; an' th' dressmaker dressed 'um for Mama, cause nhe couldn' make th' dresr;es with me aroun an she woncl us t think Sannio Claus brought 'um, An' we'd see th roindeer track,; sometime in th' yard when, uh Christmas morn in', An we had our big Christmas tree uh cupala tinu-1s an' :tt was in th yard.o An' it was uh groat big holly, as bi.g, would be that big aroun', (holding her arms n,bout three feet apart), An' have lanterns hangin' in it, an' all kinds uh pretty thlngs hangin' up l;hore, B: Did ya,' 11 rnako th' Christmas tree ornaments? G: Uh, I don't r'memhor because ya see I was real young10whon we moved. t town, I don't remember, I jest rornembor how pretty it, was an' that evcr'body in th' country would come, An' I ron\Gmber Daddy usota buy uh sack of ora,nges a,n uh sack of apples, I mean, e;rcat big ale sack, hundred pound nack :tt look llke, sometimes :i.t'd be uh barrel of or.angos an' uh barrel of apples, An they had hawg killings in th w:tnner tlrne, 'l'h' neighbors would coma, an' they'd kLll th' hawgs an' m1:.1,ke t.h' Hausage, an' then they'd haft.a cu:r.o ito B: 'd th<ey salt l,t down? 11, G: Yes, they'd salt l.t down, had uh smokehouse, An' Mother had uh dai.ry, It was uh little house with shelves on both sides, whore she keep th' milk- we cUdn' have iceboxes, An' they had screen doors a,n' screen winders fer that. An' she use'ta put cheesecloth over th' mi..lkpcms, I r'member they was a]ways covered. n: They were pans, metal pans? G: Uh huh, great bi.g pans, metal pans, An' then she'd skl.m th' cream off a,fter it would rise an' put it in uh woodon churn. You saw one at OJ.ean's? B: Uh huh, G: , .. put i.t in uh churn ll.ke that an' churn it, t' make huddermi!lk an' uh huddor, An she would t' take th' mi.lk when it would make, cl.a,hber an' put i.t :l.n a sack a,n' drip i.t an' make what we call "curd", an' tha;t would be served with sweet milk an' sugar, B: What's clo,l)bor? G: 'rhat' s where th mi.Ik, after you skim, when ya skim th' cream off it's sol:l.d, an' then they take that an' put it in th' churn. B: Oh, I seee G: Or she'd take :tt an' put it in uh sa,ck o,nhmake, uh, ceddcge cheese, An' she never molded her cod.doge cheese, she'd always pat i.t in uh dish, o,n' it would ho solid, An' th' curd war, jest lof loose, You see it wond it like what we get now, what do you call that? B: Llko sour cream? G: No, it's in lt.unps. What is it wo get? (pause) Cod.dege cheese. Her cod.doge cheese war; jest like that, except she'd have what they, some people wond. it packed down an' didn't wont th' little lumps in i:t, so it would be uh cream eheose, B: \foll, how did this house stay cool onough t' keep th' milk? Wa,s 12, it l:!h spri.ng house? G: It was under uh big troe, no, It was under uh bl.g tree, soe th' milk wand I; kept bracauso each day it waa used. up, what they didn use ta make coddege cheese an churn, was give th th' pi.gs, 13: Oh, wh-who got ta, mU.k th' cows? G: I gu.ess Mama an' Daddy mi.lked. th' cows, I don't evrr remember milkl.ng d cow, but we had uh lot of 'um, 13: Wo11, when ya, moved t' town, wh-how old were you when ya, moved t town? G1 I must a been 'bout eight, I d.ont remember even th' year we moved. t' town, B: Well, what did ya, do? Di.d ya hafta start wor:k? G: Uh huh, We went t' school, B: D' chaJ.l go in th' town? G: Yeah, we went t' school, (cough) Ya r'member that. thr0e story house I show'd. ja, we lived there, An' we went out th' back gate, we di.dn' come out th' front on Washington Street, ya know where King Street la, we went out-ou-out to our garden to a little feel t' KJ.ng Street an' walk ta,h the, uh, li.bra,ry, See, an' then we'd go home t lunch, we had uhn houre An' sornetimes we would walk home t lunch, Or we'd :ll!1_ home t' lunch, It was about. six er ei.ght blocks, B: What di.d ya' 11, what did ja have fer lunch when ya got home? G: Oh, we'd have beans, or poaG, an some kind.a meat, either stewboef or steak er ham. An' l1oston crea.m pi.es sometimes an' sweet rx:1,tatters an' ir:tsh pa taters an' we had a lot uh fig +.reos an' Mother canned, a.lot uh fl.gs there. An' Uncle Henry an' Aunt Sara would pick th' frui.t an' brang th' pears an' th' pea,cheso We dld.n' have any B,pples because i.t was too hot, Grandpa an' Grandma had an apple tree, but they cU.d.n' ha,v0 much apples on it o An' all kindsa pcn:sorves, an rtce an' chicken, coolrnd. in all klndsa ways an' we had turkey an' duck, That was uh mont1y our meats, We didn' havo uh many ma,:rkets, Occassl.onally they'd have steak, An' then later on, in uh few years wo had plenty uh me,,,tr; ya could buy at th' m,~rkots - steak an' pork, lamb, Iota people had goat, moat, but we never did ha,ve it, an' lamb chops, we use ta have that some, An' we couldn' buy a,ny fresh fruit, any frosh vegetable,, at th' stores back then, You had t' grow it all, We had uh garden in town, when we llved. out there an' we had uh garden al.so in th' country, We always had uh garden l.n th' country, as long as Mother lived an th' colored people that U ved ou-L there did th' .farmin'. An' we had roastin' ears, when they were in style, An' when they kHled. hawes they washed th' ch:l.tUns, they took 'um down to th' creek ., B: And washed 'um out? Gt And washed 'um. An' then t.hey had chitllnse B: D'ya r'member how they fixed 'um a-after they washed. 'um? G: They cooked 'um some way, but I don't know how0 I know they were ln uh pot, an' they'd cook 'um down an' then they'd. a,dd some bud.der er sornethin' to 'um an' kinda :fry them, I never did eat any of 'um, I use ta smell them when they were cooldn', D: Dirl you ever, uh, yer mother ev0r make soap? G: Uh, uho Sho nover made soap, Aunt Judy ,James' grandmother's washwoman made all th' soap, An' she, I did, I have seen Aunt Judy mako j.t, Sho'd. got tho, uh, groaso mother would savo her fried meat grease, I 'memlJHr that., an would take it over ta grandma'so An' whon Aunt ,Tud.y would come, she'd put it in uh big ol' black washpot an' stir an' stir an' I guess she used. potash, I think with it, wlth th' erease an' made soap, It had uh funny smell, n: This was out in th' yard? G: Yeah, Out in th' yard an' my Daddy, as long as Grandpa l:tved, made riirrup for tho whole community, He hada,, Grand.pa had uhl.\Sugar kettle an', uh, cane mill. An' he hitched two horses t it an' he red th' cane in an th' juice ran out, it went between two big wheels, n: Oh, like rollers? G: Uh, huh, An squueze th' c;ris, uh, th' squeeze juice out an' Daddy would make th' sirrup, An' the foam, they'd skim off th' of th' uh c1irrup, whi.lo it was in loh' kettle an' cookin', they'd put it in uh ba,rrel an' that would make beer, Cano beer, they called it, (stop at 50', bogin at 60' ). srrORITI!S. G: ,,.An' you wont me ta tell about the witches? 13; Gra,ndmn,, jest talk about anythin' you wont to, I'll be glad ta listen! G: Well, Grandma, Grand.pa Edwards usot,a tell us uh story about uh, uh lady an' uh daughter that 11.vcd near them, an' everybody tn th' community called um wltches, An' Guspected tha,t they were, witches because i.n th' a,fternoons, nearly ever' afternoon, they'd be uh, deer an uh doe thcit would feed out in front, of Grandma's homo, Sho had uh brother named ,John an' they had f,hot at those door sev' raJ. times an' couldn' h:lt 'um an' that's why th0y thought they were witches, So Uncle, someone told Uncle .John tha,t he ha,fta hit uh bull, with uh sl.lve:r hull.ct, So he made uh d:i.me, took uh dime an' made uh bullet an that afternoon when they were feed:i.n' out there he shot at thum an' he hit, th', ga, doe in th' front r:lght han' foot an' they went off l:i.mpin , An' ever after that th girl woro uh bandage aroun' her rl.ght wrist, An' they never saw th' deers out again, So they all confJ.rrned that they wore witches, (stop at 62', bog:tn at 65'), CONCH CALLING. G; , e ,an' they didn' have anyway rluh, uh call anyone, :i.'f Grandma, Grandpa got sick they bad uh horn, An' if they wont'd 'urn ta 001110 c1uick they'd. hoar three blows on th' horn, An' Gran- uh, Mama 'n' Daddy had uh conk they'd gotten over in Pensacola, An 1 :i.f they wont'<1 ta uh, let anyone send 'um uh mm1~iage er anyLhln' er wonted 'um t:.' 1 ~ome, tlrny blow th' conk, An' if anyone was sick an' they hoard that horn, they'd know t' go, An' if they d:i.dn't, uh, I heard, hem:d-soon Mathe,~ 'n' Daddy get up a lot uh ti.mos at night, they'd hoar th' horn, maybe Grandpa had got sick an Grandma would. hi,ow th' horn an' a,way they'd go through th' woods t th' house, (stop at 68', begin at 72' ). POULTICES, G: , ,. An' Uncle Henry an' Daddy went t I th' woods an' cut hig fat uh lightwood they c,~llcid it, an' they would burn it an drip th' black ts;c an' they would make uh poltia out of tar an' hot popper an put it aroun' - bind it aroun' my thoat, (when Ghe bad tonn:il:i.tis) An' I had th', I had th' croup ever' ni.ght I stopped out afta sundown. B: What did lt feel like when they put tha;t poulttce on your throat? G1 Oh, it wan awful, I couldn' hardly stand it, but they'd. put it on there, I had sech high fevEJr, B1 r.ould you not stand lt heca,use of th' nmell or because of th' feeling? G: It was jest uncomta,hle I reckon, I rnie;ht a bcien too small tuh rcali.7.e what was again on. But I remembered scein' 'um drippin1 that al' black ta,ro An when we had boils er anything they used uh burnt horn an' honey An' trn had. a lot uh bees an' a, lot uh honey, B: Bll'r.nt otl an' honey? G: Burnt horn, they'd take th' ole cow horn an' burn :i.t an scrape :ti; off an' mix it with th' honcy an' make uh poltis, 16. B: An' you drink it? G: No, They'd put l.t on th' ho:ll or whatever, An if you had thei. n those days we had th I ground itch they called it, it would rain an' if you wallrnd. out barefooted you'd bread.out botwoen yer toes an' they'd get roots an' things an' beat, up an' make pol.tises an put on ya feet, An' they used., uh, something green - coppers, B: Coppers, They'd buy li.ttle green, look Hke little stones, an' ,Li.ssolvo it in hot water an put cha, feot i.n that an' bathe 'um i.n itcoppers, Blue stones an coppers, I boll.eve it was, it was two colors, (stop at 75', begin a;\; 80'), BARN BUILDING, F'HU:l 'P.'.Ll(I!ffi, G: ,.,An' when they'd. got build. uh barn, they - all th' neighbors would come, they'd get th' lumber, they had uh Raw m:i.11, they'd eut, they'd all go - co1ne t th' l.aug roll.in', They'd get th' laugs an' then they'd take 'um t th' saw m:i.11 an thoy'd get 'um sawed, Then they'd bra:1.ng th' ltJJllbcar back thcan they'd be uh day that all th' neighbors would. come in, carp'nters, an' a.11 an' they'd build th' barn. B: In uh day? G: Uh wcall nca, they'd wouldn' fi.nish :tt, they makca take - but Uwy'd get it up so Umt jcast occas'na11y they'd come an' hcalp them, An' U l.t - th,3y had ha,y t' cut an 1.t loolrncl 1:ike it was gonna rain, one ncaighbor would help th' other ncaighlJor, I know Mr, Bowen uscata come over an I help Daddy. An' they' rl cut th I hay an' tlwy had uh tha.ing that thcay ha,d hor,rns, thcay rUd.n't have any motors Ulm they havca now, thoy ha,d horncas that thcay hitchoo up a,n' th thing ran along on th si.do of th' hickcay an' th' man rode up that, Then they had uh nothcar one that they had forks, ha,d horscas hitdherl t that an' uh man sat on :i.l; an' d.rovca it an' they'd. pull th' hay togethcar with that, (stop at 86', hegin s.t 88' ), WASHING, li'IRE'l'ALKING G: , .. An' I think Kate Williams came t' th house an' washed, the colored people that helped raise us, they lived 'bout uh mi.le from borne. Tl: Did cha hafta. take :lt down to uh crook? 17, G: No, we had uh 1-rnll, Th<3y had uh wash place an' they had uh black wash pot, An' Kat" gon'rally washed, I don't r'member Mother washin' but one er two times, An' I r'memhor that l smarted. out, went out, t' th' wash pot an they was uh stiek in i.t, a.n' th clothes was in it, an I was gonna jig l:l. down an I turned. th' pot over an r;calded rny,rnlf almos' t' my knee8, an Mother talked. th' fire out, I didn' have any blisters. But boy, I was :i.n uh bad fix, I was red an' burnin' an' I cried ~n cried, An' uh, she blew, an' I r'member she blew th' conk s.n' Daddy came o.n' he ta1ked out one foot c1.n she talked th' other, But l.t took uh J.ota ta.J.kin' t' get :it out, they'd talk-- they'd ta] k th' fire out. awhile an' then I b' l.l eve t.hey put something Hirn wh1.to vasaline or something on :i.t, then they'd wipe that off an' ta.lk a.gai.n, But it never did bl:l:ot.er (stop at 89 1 , end of sirle one of tA,po., begin side two at 1. ). BHUSI! BR0O!li, G: \foll, I told cha about t.he gall berries, we go out an' cut those an' uh, they'd hafta ler t.h' leaves dry some an' thon they'd boat 'nm ofr, ya know, an' then they'd t:l.e 'um in fi.vo er six of those uh hm,hes together an' make yard broomu an' sweep th' yards, pile th loavoG up, an I then ta haul 'um off in uh wheolbs.rror, We had rakes if 1.t got too hoa.vy fer the uh, broom, they'd rake '1;1m up, An for th' houe;o we had tn. go out. an' ring uh, broom gage, that grow in un ol.e field d.own ht th' back uhf th' fields an' we'd get that an' put i.t l 8, together an Mother would twist twine uh, throe /,r four twistins together tu rna.ke it, t,h' broom - ta tie th' broom with so lt wouldn' come aloose, so it would hold it ti5ht. (ntop at 3', be5in at?'), CHUHCH GOING, n: Hhat do you r'momhor e1hout goin' ta, church when you woro uh little girl, Grandma? C: Well, we went ta church at- we only had. church ovary third Sunday in uh, in uh month, An' Mother would bairn teacakes an nho'd take ns uh sack uh t.ea,cakes an' l f we got hungry we 5ot teacakes durin th' services e An th' men sat on one si.de d' church an' th' ladies on th' other, I remember thn,t, they'd separate, they had. separate places uh, fer th men ta sit a,n fer th ladies ta sit, An' they would always lnvite nomeone to, dinner at th' church, somebody would go home with ya for dinner, B: Dld yall ride or walk? G: Oh, wo had ta ride, we lived three mileslt n: \fas :it uh buggy? G: Yes, we had uh double buggy an' w0 had uh Gi.ngle buggy, 'course we alJ went together in uh double buggy an' brother took' his girlfriend in th' si.nc;le hu5gy. (stoop at 10', bogl.n at 211,), CONJURING, G: , , hut they (relattv0s) b 1 li0vecl in ounjerin , I know that, B: Conjerin ? G: Gunjerin , not only witch en but cunjcrin , 13: \/ell, what did they do? G: There war; an ole uh, colored woman that I uncta hear Unnlc Henry 'n' Aunt Sm:ah sa,y thatubh, she was uh cunjeror, An I remember one ttme that tuh, I went wi.th Uncle Henry, Charlie (h1rnba.nd) an myself, 19. ta get some ba,rk, An' I said, "Unole Henry, whaddah we get.tin' this bark for?" an he said, "well, somebody had put uh spell on someone an' he was gonna cut c;omo bark fer th' north c;ide of uh pi.ne tree in uh certain direction so that tuh, they could get rid of th'- wha,tspell, that ~ms it, that's what they called it, (stop at 26', begin at 35'). TOBACCO AND QUINCY, G: \fo,m we wore chilldren we couldn' go ta town on Sadurdays becaufie we had so many colored people that cha cou.J.dn' even walk on th' sidewalks, They wero growin' tobaccor, they had., uh, shade tobacco (tobacco grown under a cheese cloth shadJ.ne; apparat1m, the results being a, rnU.der tB.ste), The uh, farmeni built sha,des an' planted. tobacca an' that was fer th' wr:;i,ppers fer th' cigars. An' we had about twenty-two pa.ck:ln' houses, An' ya see th' colored people were there t' work in-on th' tobacca farms a.n' then they would haul 'um in wa,gons, mules an' wagons in those days t' th' packin' house tuh strip th' tobacca an' sort lt an' get ready t' rol1 th' ci5ars. They d:l.d.n' roll ci.gars very much, they brought people from Germany. We have uh little communi.ty on th' east stcle of town they call "German Town", an' they brought those people t ! make th' ci1sars, they rolled th' cigars, They were all hand rolled. back then, An' then they brought people -we had uh nothcr section they called Alsis -Alsi.s Lorraine, they brought those from th' Oilie Country, An' they were suppos t' help th'-they were gonna try grow, uh, is it hemp? T'rn;i,ke cloth, B: I think so, G: An' that d.icln' work out too good.o Th' tobacca was th' mont prosperus thing th8.t, they had, B: What year wa,s th:i.s, Grand ma? 20. G: Uh, I really can't r'memh0r, It, was wa,y back in nl.net.Nm-ten an eleven, I guo::;s (stop at 37', begin at 39' ), n: Do you remember over plckin any tobn,cco? Ilarvostin' tobacco? G: Oh I learncrl t Rt.ring tr1,baccae Yes, I useta go t' Uncle ffohnny's an' Aunt Lovey's t' spend th' summer an' Uncle ,Johnny would let us string th tabacca sticks an' ya took uh noedl.o an they uh thread was hitchccl t' one cmd an' ya Rt.rung yer t.abacca leaveR an' then they fn,sten'd it off an' hung it 1.n groat h1.g harns,in tiers they called H, They climb up n,n' start at th' top an' if we had, uh, rainy weather in Juno 'n' July, they would haft.a build firm; t' dry th' tabaccer out, An' in la.ter years we have, uh, what they call bright ta,bacca, that's grown :tn un open fi.eld, ( stop at lf1', hegl.n at If)' ) SfHGET POTATOE BANKS G: , , ,An' they would put-dig th' sweet patah,rs, je:,t before t.h' frost fell an' put 'um in hanks, They would,uh, put either wheat straw, oate.;, er pino straw an' make uh hod an' dig uh cU tch a.round tt a.n' they' cl pilo th' sweet pa.taters in there, an then thoy'd take pine b.1.rk a.n' bui1d U up 't.U lt was uh steeple an' then they'd put something over th' top uf it, a.n' then put dlrt on it, an' yer pat.at.ors wouldn't freeze, When ya wonted uh sweet patater ya go out there an open that up t get ya, some. Anl 1.;ome poople took oaro of th' ruddabogars that way. (stop at lf5', heg:l.n at 62 ). PHILOSOPHY, Il: Sounds like you ho,d some good ti.mes back then, Grandrnao G: We did, He had good times. nut th' people of today don't Lhink they were good U.mes, Woll, there waclent any trouble t' got i.n oi.thor, because they wadn' things like it is now, 21.. B: \foll, what kinda things don't you like today? G: It's all right wid mo, jest whittovor p0ople wont t' do, I don't lnnor.ferc with 'umjl because you hafta grow with th' timcso (stop at 63', begin at 70' ). F0LKL0ill~, 13: What do ya think about "folklore", Grand.mother? G: Well, I think it's won - it's sornoth:i.ug that poopl.0 are ferg0tting that they should not, that they Ghoul.cl think of it, (stop at 71 ', begln at 90' ), FULFILLMEN'C, B: Do .you think Urn young people of today have uh lot to learn'? G: Yee;, they're lnarni.n' uh lot, but t.hior learnin' is di.ff'rent very cl.iff':rent ta. whot we ro,:;pocted, They don't respect th' things we di.d, They don't think of life like we did or do, bocamso we felt like we should do thmrn thing:; an we still feel tha,t way an wo still do those things, B: Dom; :lt make you sad? C: Somot:iJ1lCS lt's, it's very sad, th' way we seo thangs goln', beco.uno jest thl.nk they 'ave all he< n forgotten, 80 mueh have, But still. you find uh lot uh people who live in the country stUl abide by thor;e rules, i.n fact you vis'ted with name of 'urn I think Sunday (during Quincy visit), Trwy ,:;!;ill feel like wo do, o'cour.sc now we accept life as .lt ic; today, You ca:l.n't je,:;t stan' still an' you ca.l.n't put uh bushel over yer head an' not see :i.t, But i.t's very <liff rant. B: Do you wl.sh you could. go hack an livo i.n th country th wa,y you used to, Grandma? G: T don't think so, b'cauno we have too munh, too many had thi.ng8 now, I would bo afraid, of oour8e if I had grown in th' country- - Grown up in th' oouni;ry an' li.vod there all my life it would 'avo 22. boen all r:i.e;ht, I (magl.no, But I don't care to go out an' 1:i.ve :i.n th' country, Although wo went ta th' mountains (on trlps) we were really J.n th' country, but they told un Uwy wadn't anyone there, but now tocla,y we wouldn't go there an' li.ve liko we did thirty, twonty five or thirty years ago--lleen v,bout thirty yoi:i,rs, I guess, becuuse thangs arc so di.ff' rent, people arc so d:i.ff 'ront, B: How old are you, Grandma? G: I'rn eighty one years olo, B: Do you fool li.ke you've had a very full Ufe? G: YeG, I th:i.nk T ha,ve, I never done anything groat ... B: Do you feel fulfilled? G: I have enjoyed whot little I havo been able ta accomplish, I've eor:tunly enjoyed :i.t an' appre'shaded it, an' I don't think if I had my life ta live over I would change it, !Dnd of transcri.ptJ cmcl of tape,, 'rhl.s is the house that Grandma's family lived in 1-rhen they first moved to town, She was eight at that time, This is a front view of the Game house, showlng a very large pecan treea Grandma1 f:, sister Quer:>n stj_ll lives in thiR house& She is 83 years old, Thit; is the house that she and. her young daughter. Oll.ve lived in following her hucsba,ncl's death in 1931,1,, This is the tombstone of GJ."'andmo,'s other sinter, . Elizabeth Virglnir.1, or "Trizz-1ie'' who died of "congestive chill O ,, This is the tombstone of died. of 11hoopin'" This :ls the tombstone for Grandma's rnaterno.l gra.ndfather. ''HenrJ' Edwax<l.s 1 born Augi :1.1,1827 dled !'18,y JJ,, 1901.:,, Asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep. 11 'fhis 1.s the tombstone fo1. f::candma' s maternal g:i:a,nrl.rno1~he:c 1 "Queen Arm, wife of Henry Ed.wa1.-d.f1, Nov, 16, Hl29 - ,fan, 17, 1917, In J esu.G o,rms [-{h 0 :ees-ts en A PDF transcript exists for this recording. Please contact an archivist for access. 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.