Benjamin Van Clark Neighborhood Documentation Project
Neighborhood Oral History Project
Savannah Department of Cultural Affairs
Oral History# 4
Jason Cutter, Jr.
May 15,2003
Savannah, Georgia
John Cutter owned a shoe shop on 1018 Wheaton Street from 1952-1959.
The following is an abstract of the interview:
I was bom in Screven County in Sylvania, Georgia, moved to Savannah in the 1950s, and
bought a shoe shop at 1018 Wheaton Street February 4, 1952. I learned shoe repair at Savannah
State College from 1950 until December 1951. Reverend Robert Hagood taught me shoe repair, and
Mr. Harden taught me leather craft. I bought my shop from a foreigner whose deceased brother owned
the shop. I paid $500 for the shop. Hohnerlein had a business on Wheaton Street and Waters Avenue.
I lived at 1007 Wheaton and two separate white families were living across the street from me when I
moved there in the 1952. There was a Chinese store in the 1000 block across the street from my shoe
shop. There was a white shoe shop in the 900 block of Wheaton Street. The whites across the street
from me moved in 1955 or 1956. Mr. Minsky, a Jewish man, owned White House Liquor Store across
the street from my store at 1018 Wheaton Street. Mr. Tomas, a Syrian, owned a building next to my
store on Pounder and Wheaton. He lived next to me for a long time, but when his father died- he and
his wife moved in with his mother so he could care for her.
Mr. Tomas was a very decent man who only charged me $35 monthly rent. After he sold my
building, he made the new owners keep my rent at the same rate. I lived on Wheaton Street from 1955-
1959. I moved from Wheaton Street because I needed a bigger house, and I bought a house in East
Savannah and lived there from 1959-1972. I built my current home at 910 Treat Street (in East
Savannah across Pennsylvania Avenue) in 1972. Some whites lived on the corner of Harmon and
Bolton Streets. There were many white families on Henry and Anderson Streets in the 1950s. I do not
know why the whites moved out of the area. The Hohnerleins were German and very nice. They were
no problem and made some good sausage and sold good meat. I had a good experience on Wheaton
Street. I was raised with Jews and white folks.
-End of interviewMr. Cutter did not want to be taped so I transcribed his notes verbatim in cursive script. This is an
accurate description of what he said.
Abstract prepared by:
Charles J. Elmore
Project Historian