Federal Writers’ Project. WPA Slave Narratives. Web. 2007.
Interviewer: Adella S. Dixon Person Interviewed: Pierce Cody Location: Georgia Pierce Cody was the eldest son of Elbert and Dorothy Cody. His father was born in Richmond, Virginia, his mother in Warren County. When the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, he, the eldest child in a large family, was in his early teens. This group lived […]
Person Interviewed: Phyllis Petite Location: Fort Gibson, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Rusk County, Texas Age: 83 I was born in Rusk County, Texas, on a plantation about eight miles east of Belleview. There wasn’t no town where I was born, but they had a church. My mammy and pappy belonged to a part Cherokee named
Person Interviewed: Phoebe Banks Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma Date of Birth: October 17, 1860 Age: 78 In 1860, there was a little Creek Indian town of Sodom on the north bank of the Arkansas River, in a section the Indians called Chocka Bottoms, where Hose Perryman had a big farm or ranch for a long time
Interviewer: Caldwell Sims Person Interviewed: Philip Rice Date of Interview: May 7, 1937 Location: Kelton, South Carolina Occupation: Drove cattle “I’m living on Mr. Russel Emmitt’s place. I never did nothing but drive cows when I was a little boy growing up. Miss Cum and Miss Lizzie Rice was Marse Alex’s sisters. Marse Alex done
Interviewer: Guthrie Person Interviewed: Phillip Johnson Location: Poolesville, Maryland Ref: Phillip Johnson, R.F.D. Poolesville, Md. The subject of this sketch is a pure blooded Negro, whose kinky hair is now white, likewise his scraggy beard. He is of medium size and somewhat stooped with age, but still active enough to plant and tend a patch
Interviewer: Evelyn McLemore Person Interviewed: Peter Bruner Date of Interview: 1936 Location: Kentucky Place of Birth: Winchester, Kentucky, Clark Co. Date of Birth: 1845 ESTILL CO. (Evelyn McLemore) Story of Peter Bruner, a former slave: Peter Bruner, was born in Winchester, Kentucky, Clark Co., in 1845. His master was John Bell Bruner, who at that
Interviewer: Mrs. Richard Kolb Person Interviewed: Pet Franks Location: Aberdeen, Mississippi Age: 92 Uncle Pet, 92 year old ex-slave, is the favorite of Ackers’ Fishing Lodge which is situated 14 miles north of Aberdeen, Monroe County. He is low and stockily built. His ancestry is pure African. Scarcely topping five feet one inch, he weighs
Interviewer: Bishop & Taleman Person Interviewed: Perry Sid Jemison Location: Steubenville, Ohio Place of Birth: Perry County, Alabama Age: 79 Place of Residence: 422 South Sixth Street, Steubenville, Ohio WPA in Ohio Federal Writers’ Project Written by Bishop & Isleman Edited by Albert I. Dugen [TR: also reported as Dugan] Ex-Slaves Jefferson County, District #2
Interviewer: Rogers Person Interviewed: Perry Lewis Location: Baltimore, Maryland Place of Birth: Kent Island, MD Age: 86 Place of Residence: 1124 E. Lexington St., Baltimore, Maryland Reference: Personal interview with Perry Lewis, ex-slave, at his home, 1124 E. Lexington St., Baltimore. “I was born on Kent Island, Md. about 86 years ago. My father’s name
Interviewer: Annie Ruth Davis Person Interviewed: Pauline Worth Date of Interview: September 1937 Location: Marion, South Carolina Date of Birth: November 1 Age: 79 “Yes’um, I know I been here in slavery time, but wasn’ large enough to do nothin in dat day en time. I reach 79 de first day of November. To be
Person Interviewed: Patsy Hyde Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Residence: 504 9th Avenue N., Nashville, Tennessee “Dunno how ole I ez. I wuz bawn in slavery en b’longs ter de Brown family. Mah Missis wuz Missis Jean R. Brown en she wuz kin ter Abraham Lincoln en I useter y’ar dem talkin’ ’bout ‘im livin’
Interviewer: James Johnson Person Interviewed: Patience Campbell Location: Monticello, Florida Patience Campbell, blind for 26 years, was-born in Jackson County, near Marianna, Florida about 1883 (sic) on a farm of George Bullock. Her mother Tempy, belonged to Bullock, while her father Arnold Merritt, belonged to Edward Merritt, a large plantation owner. According to Patience, her
Interviewer: Anna Pritchett Person Interviewed: Parthena Rollins Location: Indiana Place of Birth: Scott County, Kentucky Date of Birth: 1853 Place of Residence: 848 Camp Street (Rear) Federal writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue FOLKLORE MRS. PARTHENA ROLLINS 848 Camp Street (Rear) Mrs. Parthena Rollins was born in
Interviewer: Rogers Person Interviewed: Page Harris Location: Camp Parole, Maryland Place of Birth: Charles County MD Date of Birth: 1858 Place of Residence: Campe Parole, A. A. C. Co., MD Reference: Personal interview with Page Harris at his home, Camp Parole, A.A.C. Co., Md. “I was born in 1858 about 3 miles west of Chicamuxen
Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Ora M. Flagg Location: 811 Oberlin Road, Raleigh, North Carolina Place of Birth: Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: October 16, 1860 My name is Ora M. Flagg. I wus born in Raleigh near the Professional Building, in the year 1860, October 16. My mother wus named Jane Busbee. Her
Person Interviewed: Octavia George Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Mansieur, Louisiana Date of Birth: 1852 Age: 85 I was born in Mansieur, Louisiana, 1852, Avoir Parish. I am the daughter of Alfred and Clementine Joseph. I don’t know much about my grandparents other than my mother told me my grandfather’s name was Fransuai,
Person Interviewed: Nettie Henry Location: Meridian, Mississippi Place of Birth: Livingston, Alabama Age: 82 Place of Residence: 19th Street, Meridian, Lauderdale County, Mississippi Nettie Henry, ex-slave, 19th Street, Meridian, Lauderdale County, is 82 years old. She is five feet tall and weighs one hundred pounds. “De Chil’s place was at Livingston, Alabama, on Alamucha Creek.
Person Interviewed: Nellie Johnson Location: Oklahoma I don’t know how old I is, but I is a great big half grown gal when the time of the war come, and I can remember how everything look at that time, and what all the people do, too. I’m pretty nigh to blind right now, and all
Interviewer: Martin D. Richardson Person Interviewed: Neil Coker Location: Grandin, Florida Interesting tales of the changes that came to the section of Florida that is situated along the Putnam-Clay County lines are told by Neil Coker, old former slave who lives two miles south of McRae on the road Grandin. Coker is the son of
Interviewer: W. W. Dixon Person Interviewed: Ned Walker Location: Winnsboro, South Carolina Place of Birth: Winnsboro, South Carolina Age: 83 Ned Walker lives in the village of White Oak, near Winnsboro, S.C., in a two-room frame house, the dwelling of his son-in-law, Leander Heath, who married his daughter, Nora. Ned is too old to do
