Interview: Watkins, Ernest, Jr.
Item
Identifier
Mss-0282, Tape 95-96
Title
Interview: Watkins, Ernest, Jr.
Type
Sound
Format
.mp3
Language
English
Source
Black Heritage in the Upper Piedmont of South Carolina Collection
Rights
Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives.
Date
1990-07-21
Description
Ernest Watkins, Jr. was born on November 27, 1915 in Central, SC. He was the son of Ernest and Estelle Jamison Watkins. He married Laura Taylor in Chicago in 1954. Mr. Watkins died on May 14, 1995.
Cassette 1
Side 1
1:29--After naming a few uncles and aunts on the Watkins side, he states that his maternal grandparents were Jeff and Hannah Jamison.
3:16--Harrison and Suzy Haywood were relatives; he gives the location of the old Haywood home.
4:51--Mr. Watkins parents were farmers; they worked around 48 acres.
5:20--Mr. Watkins had three siblings: Robert, Andell (Mickens), and Beatrice (Patterson).
6:01--Mr. Watkins recalls daily chores and the main crops grown at the farm. Most food was grown at home; the family had its own vegetable garden as well as livestock. He goes on to discuss the cotton-picking process as well as its price and to whom it was sold (Mr. Gaines of Central, SC).
9:36--The family shopped at Morgan's Store and Kelly's Meat Market locally.
10:09--Education--his sisters attended Tuskegee and Morris, respectively. He goes on to describe his own elementary school experience. He details the typical length of the school year, the grades available (1-7), the location of the building, hours of operation, his walk to and from school everyday, and where he bought his books. A few teachers he can recall are: Ella Williams, Professor Robinson, Rebecca Thompson, and Conyers Williams. While in school, black history was taught to the children; the works of G. W. Carver, Booker T. Washington, Mary McCloud Bethune, and Fredrick Douglas were commonly read. He goes on to detail some of his college experiences while in Clinton, SC and Trenton, Virginia.
25:24--Black newspapers available in his home as a youth were the Pittsburgh Courier and the Chicago Defender.
27:40--His parents received a grammar school education.
28:29--Books were always available in the home; his mother did laundry for Wesleyan College and people there would give her reading material.
30:09--His parents never owned a car, but had little trouble finding people who had cars that were willing to take them places.
30:45--Mr. Watkins talks briefly about the Jamison family.
31:45--Audio ends.
Cassette 1
Side 2
00:47--He continues discussing the Jamison family. His mother Estelle had many siblings: Lawrence, Bill, Bayless, George, Mack, Ada, and Ina. They lived in the Norris, SC community. There was a black Presbyterian church there: Rock Hill Presbyterian.
3:14--His grandmother Hannah Jamison was originally a Chapman.
3:28--Many family members are buried at New Olive Grove Baptist Church.
5:51--Watkins discusses his Haywood relatives. Harrison and his daughter Suzy were both longtime secretaries at Abel Baptist Church. Suzy was known for her gorgeous penmanship; locals would often bring her family bibles in order that she fill in their genealogical information.
11:23--Watkins has heard of the alleged 1888 incident in which Harrison Haywood was involved in the lynching of a white man. He doesn't believe the accusations were ever proven.
12:23--Lynching--this was always a concern for the black community, though he never heard of any specifics.
14:16--When he was a youth, he played with white children. They would play ball, jump rope, etc.
16:01--Black baseball teams in the local area are recalled. There were teams from Clemson, New Light, and Pendleton that competed locally.
21:41--Church--Watkins' family attended New Olive, Abel, White Oak, and Mt. Zion on different Sundays. Departure for church would typically start around 9am, with arrival back home around 2pm. He goes on to detail Sunday dinner, Sunday school, singing in the choir, and camp meetings.
31:44--Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 1
00:25--Ministers usually had other jobs in order to complement their income; many were farmers. Most lived a short distance from the church. Watkins recalls family prayer in the evenings, and memorizing bible verses.
5:23--Watkins had a relative (brother-in-law?) who fought in World War I. His health was not good in the years after his return; he suffered from a chemical gas attack.
6:26--During the flu epidemic of 1917-1918, his father became ill and his grandmother died. Dr. Clayton made house calls to the sick.
9:01--Watkins briefly discusses local singing conventions.
10:20--Watkins recalls the work of P.S. Little, who was the first black teacher in the area.
11:37--There were black owned businesses locally when he was a youth; they included restaurants and barbershops. A gentleman named Tom Brown owned a restaurant circa 1920.
14:30--Holidays--aspects of Christmas, New Year's, and Thanksgiving are discussed.
17:18--Large local families included the Littlejohn's, Gaines's, and Knox's.
20:18--Megginson is interested to know if the stories of the Haywood family being able to "pass for white" are true. Watkins affirms that they probably could have, but would likely not have done so locally. Many moved to the New York and Cincinnati areas.
22:23--Watkins moved to Chicago after military service in 1946. Immediately after college he had worked in the Naval Cafeteria in Washington, DC.
25:07--He married Laura Taylor in 1954 while living in Chicago.
26:00--Watkins reads from the family bible. Birth, marriage, and death dates are given for his parents and siblings.
28:59--Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 2
Blank
Cassette 1
Side 1
1:29--After naming a few uncles and aunts on the Watkins side, he states that his maternal grandparents were Jeff and Hannah Jamison.
3:16--Harrison and Suzy Haywood were relatives; he gives the location of the old Haywood home.
4:51--Mr. Watkins parents were farmers; they worked around 48 acres.
5:20--Mr. Watkins had three siblings: Robert, Andell (Mickens), and Beatrice (Patterson).
6:01--Mr. Watkins recalls daily chores and the main crops grown at the farm. Most food was grown at home; the family had its own vegetable garden as well as livestock. He goes on to discuss the cotton-picking process as well as its price and to whom it was sold (Mr. Gaines of Central, SC).
9:36--The family shopped at Morgan's Store and Kelly's Meat Market locally.
10:09--Education--his sisters attended Tuskegee and Morris, respectively. He goes on to describe his own elementary school experience. He details the typical length of the school year, the grades available (1-7), the location of the building, hours of operation, his walk to and from school everyday, and where he bought his books. A few teachers he can recall are: Ella Williams, Professor Robinson, Rebecca Thompson, and Conyers Williams. While in school, black history was taught to the children; the works of G. W. Carver, Booker T. Washington, Mary McCloud Bethune, and Fredrick Douglas were commonly read. He goes on to detail some of his college experiences while in Clinton, SC and Trenton, Virginia.
25:24--Black newspapers available in his home as a youth were the Pittsburgh Courier and the Chicago Defender.
27:40--His parents received a grammar school education.
28:29--Books were always available in the home; his mother did laundry for Wesleyan College and people there would give her reading material.
30:09--His parents never owned a car, but had little trouble finding people who had cars that were willing to take them places.
30:45--Mr. Watkins talks briefly about the Jamison family.
31:45--Audio ends.
Cassette 1
Side 2
00:47--He continues discussing the Jamison family. His mother Estelle had many siblings: Lawrence, Bill, Bayless, George, Mack, Ada, and Ina. They lived in the Norris, SC community. There was a black Presbyterian church there: Rock Hill Presbyterian.
3:14--His grandmother Hannah Jamison was originally a Chapman.
3:28--Many family members are buried at New Olive Grove Baptist Church.
5:51--Watkins discusses his Haywood relatives. Harrison and his daughter Suzy were both longtime secretaries at Abel Baptist Church. Suzy was known for her gorgeous penmanship; locals would often bring her family bibles in order that she fill in their genealogical information.
11:23--Watkins has heard of the alleged 1888 incident in which Harrison Haywood was involved in the lynching of a white man. He doesn't believe the accusations were ever proven.
12:23--Lynching--this was always a concern for the black community, though he never heard of any specifics.
14:16--When he was a youth, he played with white children. They would play ball, jump rope, etc.
16:01--Black baseball teams in the local area are recalled. There were teams from Clemson, New Light, and Pendleton that competed locally.
21:41--Church--Watkins' family attended New Olive, Abel, White Oak, and Mt. Zion on different Sundays. Departure for church would typically start around 9am, with arrival back home around 2pm. He goes on to detail Sunday dinner, Sunday school, singing in the choir, and camp meetings.
31:44--Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 1
00:25--Ministers usually had other jobs in order to complement their income; many were farmers. Most lived a short distance from the church. Watkins recalls family prayer in the evenings, and memorizing bible verses.
5:23--Watkins had a relative (brother-in-law?) who fought in World War I. His health was not good in the years after his return; he suffered from a chemical gas attack.
6:26--During the flu epidemic of 1917-1918, his father became ill and his grandmother died. Dr. Clayton made house calls to the sick.
9:01--Watkins briefly discusses local singing conventions.
10:20--Watkins recalls the work of P.S. Little, who was the first black teacher in the area.
11:37--There were black owned businesses locally when he was a youth; they included restaurants and barbershops. A gentleman named Tom Brown owned a restaurant circa 1920.
14:30--Holidays--aspects of Christmas, New Year's, and Thanksgiving are discussed.
17:18--Large local families included the Littlejohn's, Gaines's, and Knox's.
20:18--Megginson is interested to know if the stories of the Haywood family being able to "pass for white" are true. Watkins affirms that they probably could have, but would likely not have done so locally. Many moved to the New York and Cincinnati areas.
22:23--Watkins moved to Chicago after military service in 1946. Immediately after college he had worked in the Naval Cafeteria in Washington, DC.
25:07--He married Laura Taylor in 1954 while living in Chicago.
26:00--Watkins reads from the family bible. Birth, marriage, and death dates are given for his parents and siblings.
28:59--Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 2
Blank
Subject
African Americans -- History. -- South Carolina -- Pickens County
Interviewer
Megginson, W. J.
Interviewee
Watkins, Ernest
Spatial Coverage
Central, Pickens County, South Carolina, United States, 34.72352, -82.77894, SC, 7171489, [34.72352, -82.77894] [id:7171489]
Publisher
Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Repository
