Interview: Watson, Charles B., Sr.
Item
Identifier
Mss-0282, Tape 97-98
Title
Interview: Watson, Charles B., Sr.
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
1990-09-10
Description
Mr. Watson was born in Atlanta, GA, the son of Charles D. and Lillie Sharp Watson. Watson received an education from both Morehouse and Benedict Colleges. His uncle was Dr. Bryant S. Sharp.
Cassette 1
Side 1
1:00-9:30--Watson's family moved between Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia on account of his father's railroad job. His uncle was Bryant Sebastian Sharp (born in 1877), who was the first black medical doctor in Oconee County, SC who ran an integrated practice from its inception. His paternal grandparents were John and Mary Jane Watson. John was a minister at several churches in Anderson Country as well as Ebenezer locally.
9:36-19:37--Watson's maternal grandparents were Joseph and Evelyn Glenn Sharp. They did farming related work and raised twelve children. In 1906 they, along with 8 children, left the United States in route towards Liberia, Africa in order to do missionary work. Only 3 children made it back (Watson's mother and two sisters), the rest either died shortly after arriving in Africa or on the subsequent voyage back to the United States.
19:41-31:15--Watson makes short comment on a variety of topics: His mothers teaching profession, members of the family (including Dr. Sharp) who didn't go on the African mission trip, family photo that depict the Joseph Sharp family as well as his Aunt Ella, his in-laws (the Blassingame's), his father's railroad profession, and two uncles who lived in Greenville, SC (one was a barber, the other a pharmacist).
31:20--Audio ends.
Cassette 1
Side 2
00:32-11:40--Watson recalls his summers spent with his uncle Dr. Sharp when he was a youth in Seneca, SC, talks about jobs commonly open to black men and women, shopping in Seneca (furniture, general, and clothing stores), the flu epidemic of 1917-1918 (his family was not affected), and his family's church affiliations with the Baptist and Church of God denominations.
11:45-31:39--Some of the ministers he can recall from his youth are Reverend Hicks, Dr. Starks, Dr. Clark, and Dr. Hancock. St. James United Methodist and African Methodist Episcopal were other important denominations locally bedsides the Baptists. He details his education: Catholic school, public school (Oconee County Training School), Seneca Junior College, Morehouse College, and Benedict College. He goes on to detail some of his grade school experiences before recalling aspects of his parent's education. His grandfather Sharp was a white man; his grandmother was perhaps of mixed Native American/African ancestry. In his grandfather's day, men were the head of the household.
31:45--Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 1
00:07-10:40--Advancement of the black community was greatly enhanced by the educational opportunities afforded by places like Seneca Institute. Watson goes on to recall aspects of Dr. Sharp's medical practice and his strong religious faith. Dr. Sharp attended medical school at the institution now known as Shaw University in Raleigh, NC.
10:48-14:00--Watson's uncle B.C. Sharp was a local pharmacist. The Sharp brother's offices occupied a building across from the Thomas Clothing Store locally (Dr. Sebastian Sharp was upstairs, B.C. Sharp was downstairs.
Cassette 2
Side 2
Blank
Cassette 1
Side 1
1:00-9:30--Watson's family moved between Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia on account of his father's railroad job. His uncle was Bryant Sebastian Sharp (born in 1877), who was the first black medical doctor in Oconee County, SC who ran an integrated practice from its inception. His paternal grandparents were John and Mary Jane Watson. John was a minister at several churches in Anderson Country as well as Ebenezer locally.
9:36-19:37--Watson's maternal grandparents were Joseph and Evelyn Glenn Sharp. They did farming related work and raised twelve children. In 1906 they, along with 8 children, left the United States in route towards Liberia, Africa in order to do missionary work. Only 3 children made it back (Watson's mother and two sisters), the rest either died shortly after arriving in Africa or on the subsequent voyage back to the United States.
19:41-31:15--Watson makes short comment on a variety of topics: His mothers teaching profession, members of the family (including Dr. Sharp) who didn't go on the African mission trip, family photo that depict the Joseph Sharp family as well as his Aunt Ella, his in-laws (the Blassingame's), his father's railroad profession, and two uncles who lived in Greenville, SC (one was a barber, the other a pharmacist).
31:20--Audio ends.
Cassette 1
Side 2
00:32-11:40--Watson recalls his summers spent with his uncle Dr. Sharp when he was a youth in Seneca, SC, talks about jobs commonly open to black men and women, shopping in Seneca (furniture, general, and clothing stores), the flu epidemic of 1917-1918 (his family was not affected), and his family's church affiliations with the Baptist and Church of God denominations.
11:45-31:39--Some of the ministers he can recall from his youth are Reverend Hicks, Dr. Starks, Dr. Clark, and Dr. Hancock. St. James United Methodist and African Methodist Episcopal were other important denominations locally bedsides the Baptists. He details his education: Catholic school, public school (Oconee County Training School), Seneca Junior College, Morehouse College, and Benedict College. He goes on to detail some of his grade school experiences before recalling aspects of his parent's education. His grandfather Sharp was a white man; his grandmother was perhaps of mixed Native American/African ancestry. In his grandfather's day, men were the head of the household.
31:45--Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 1
00:07-10:40--Advancement of the black community was greatly enhanced by the educational opportunities afforded by places like Seneca Institute. Watson goes on to recall aspects of Dr. Sharp's medical practice and his strong religious faith. Dr. Sharp attended medical school at the institution now known as Shaw University in Raleigh, NC.
10:48-14:00--Watson's uncle B.C. Sharp was a local pharmacist. The Sharp brother's offices occupied a building across from the Thomas Clothing Store locally (Dr. Sebastian Sharp was upstairs, B.C. Sharp was downstairs.
Cassette 2
Side 2
Blank
Subject
African Americans -- History. -- South Carolina -- Oconee County
Interviewer
Harrell, Yolanda
Interviewee
Watson, Charles B., Sr.
Spatial Coverage
Seneca, Oconee County, South Carolina, United States, 34.68037, -82.9609, SC, 7318113, [34.68037, -82.9609] [id:7318113]
Publisher
Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Repository
