Interview with Lillian Spencer part 2, 2003 October 9

LMS: Most of your generation is starting to go.

LS: My generation is beginning to go, because a family that lived there are Harmon Street at the
corner of Frank Street, they were very prominent, they were Parkers. And Mr. Parker used to
write insurance, and the family was a member of Asbury, the one on Abercorn. And they've
been gone. And now the daughter that I played with, now she's gone. So, most of what I
knew is just gone. Most of the people I knew are gone, and going, we're all getting old. So it is
nothing like, and I have no idea what it is to live in a project like Blackshear Homes. I have no
idea. I don't know the difference, I don't know how to compare it. But we were very
neighborly. Like I told you Virginia's husband worked at Derst, and I used to eat all the cakes
he'd bring home. And Mr. Skipper worked on the railroad and he used to like to cook and I
could go over there and eat. And he had a garden over by Mr. Porter's wood yard. And Mr.
Porter, they would have oyster roasts in the wood yard. He would build a fire, put a frame over
the fire with a piece of tin, and put them oysters on there, and cover them with crocus [?] bags,
things made out of material like they call crocus, they used to have bags or sacks, and they
would cut them open and wet them and put them on top of the oysters and they would steam
cackle and you'd buy your ticket and you'd bring your oyster knife with you and eat all the
oysters you wanted to. That was called an oyster roast, it was social event.
LMS: How much would they charge you for a ticket?

LS: About two dollars, maybe.
LMS: And Mr. Porter would run these?

LS: Oh, he would allow different clubs or organizations to use the yard.
LMS: Well, that sounds like that was fun.

LS: It was. It was. It was fun to see him with that mule.
LMS: You would go over and watch him with the mule?

LS: I'd watch him give the mule medicine, he would put the bridle over the tree limb and pull the
mule's head up and pour like a quart of medicine down in the mule's mouth.
LMS: I wonder what he was giving him medicine for?

LS: I don't know, it was amazing to watch it. We've weathered hurricanes over there in that
neighborhood. One took the roof of the shed in the ice house, and put it down in the street.
I've seen the wind blow trees up out of the roots, just gradually, gradually, till the roots come up
out of the ground. We weathered it. That was quite a neighborhood.
LMS: Do you still think of it as home now?

LS: I think about it sometimes, because if they had not made me move I'd probably still be there. I
would have had to do some extensive repairs to the house, but I would have. I probably would
be right there.
LMS: Well, thank you. That was very interesting.

LS: You're welcome.