Interview: Williams, Maxie
Item
Identifier
Mss-0282, Tape 109-113
Title
Interview: Williams, Maxie
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
1989-11-27, 1989-11-28, 1989-11-30
Description
Maxie Williams was born on December 18, 1909 in Townville, SC. She was the daughter of David and Ida (?) Craig/Craft(?). She died on July 24, 2001.
Cassette 1
Side 1
1:45-5:50--In regards to older relatives, Mrs. Williams first talks about her grandma Emily, whose house was always filled with the aroma of cakes, jelly, and turnover pies. Her maternal grandparents died before she was born. Her aunt Georgia Singleton was a local midwife in Oconee County (she attended both white and black patients). Her uncle Stafford Grant lived to the age of 100.
5:55--Her parents sharecropped over the years for the Whitfield, Shelby, and [inaudible] families.
8:02--Mrs. Williams had seven brothers and four sisters.
9:50--Slavery--her grandparents passed down stories; at this point she cannot recall specifics [she remembers several stories later in the interview].
12:18-13:20--Williams briefly recalls playing both in her neighborhood and in "the country," and fishing trips that her relatives would occasionally go on.
14:58--Mrs. Williams shows Goodwin a few of her photographs; the women in her family were known for their work as midwives.
16:48--She begins to discuss her grandfather Miles Brewer. The Craig/Craft(?) family [farm overseers] are also recalled.
19:24--Most of her family is buried at Shiloh Baptist in Townville, SC, though her mother is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery.
20:09--She recalls fiery preaching and exciting services at the church she attended. Families from rural areas traveled to church by wagon. She learned the bible before she learned her ABC's.
22:41--Williams recalls the death of her mother.
23:30--She learned how to cook and quilt from her mother. She shows the interviewer a few examples of the "butterfly" quilt pattern; she explains a few steps in the process of producing this design. She also has old plates passed down from her grandmother.
28:15--She and her husband raised the children of one of her sisters as their own following the divorce of that sibling.
29:46--Church--her family was always associated with the Baptist denomination. She can recall Reverend Glenn ministering to her church when she was a youth.
31:44--Audio ends.
Cassette 1
Side 2
00:07--Church--in mid-sentence, Mrs. Williams is discussing the situation whereby the congregation would donate food and money to the minister in order to complement his salary. Though camp meetings were Methodist (Bethel Grove), all denominations were welcome. When her mother was a little girl, people literally did "camp out" near the site of the services. The meetings often lasted a week, and a general festival atmosphere surrounded the event. Different ministers from around the area were involved with carrying out services. Williams states that whites have always enjoyed hearing black preaching, and occasionally attending black-sponsored church revivals. Before the establishment of all black churches, blacks would attend white churches where they had to sit in balconies upstairs; an example of this occurrence is at the local white Shiloh Church. Some of her favorite songs are: Swing Low Sweet Chariot, This Little Light of Mine, Jacob's Ladder, etc. Williams states that the trials and tribulations of slaves inspired beautiful music and lyrics. She goes on to explain how slaves communicate in code through song.
15:09--Slavery--Williams explains how, according to her relatives that experienced it, much of the brutality and violence against slaves were carried out by the overseer, not the master. She goes on to recall the living conditions of field slaves versus those who were cooks and domestics for the master.
22:25-29:03--Sunday school conventions were periodically organized in order to raise funds for the benefit of local black education, especially the Seneca Institute.
31:40--Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 1
00:40--Before organized education was available to her older relatives, Williams' understanding is that they were educated in large part by their slave master's (Maxwell, Grant, and Gaines families).
4:32--She mentions that the names of her maternal grandparents were George and Classie.
7:10--Funerals--the first funeral that Mrs. Williams can recall attending was that of Adeline Jones. She remembers a coach-like wagon that transported the body to the church. Beforehand the body had been prepared at home, followed by a wake or "sitting up" in which family and friends would gather to pray and sing. Caskets were store-bought. She discusses local men in the area who would help with funeral services [in the days before undertakers]. Offerings were also taken at funeral services in order to help families pay for the cost.
15:08--She can recall the flu epidemic during the time of World War I. There was much death and sickness.
15:52--Williams recalls the celebrations that occurred when World War I ended. She had two brothers who served; one actually fought in France, while the other was stationed at Fort Jackson when the conflict ended. Williams states that whites and blacks came together in prayer both during and after the conflict.
21:52--Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 2
00:12--Mrs. Williams discusses a few items that have been passed down to her such as an old chest/trunk, and a safe. Quilts are also still in the family. Her grandfather Brewer made baskets. An old local man everyone called Uncle John was also skilled at making white oak baskets.
4:01--She had older relatives who operated a ferry across a local river. Williams recalls what she knew of its operation for travel between the Pendleton, Townville, and Clemson areas.
12:05--Mulattos--relationships between whites and blacks were not approved of, but the community loved the children of these unions nonetheless.
15:53--She discusses the work of men such as Billy Parker in the organization of churches in the local area, as well as the involvement of blacks in the foundation and construction of Clemson College. Williams goes on to state that black history is not a straight-line narrative, but rather bits and pieces must be collected here and there in order to get an accurate picture.
23:26--Her paternal great grandmother had Native American ancestry. She was described as being quick-tempered, with physical features including long, straight hair and high cheekbones.
24:46--In her opinion, the black race as a community was never as unified as it was just after freedom. She believes that the modern black community has lost this sense of cooperation.
29:42--When asked how blacks and whites got along, she responds by stating that like today, it depended on the situation, etc. Some relations were good, while others were not.
31:42--Audio ends.
Cassette 3
Side 1
00:17--Mrs. Williams states that she was never warned about white people, but admits a certain sense of uneasiness in some situations.
1:06--She is aware of several lynching incidents in the area. One involved Allen Green of Walhalla (he was dragged through the streets), another involved a shootout in which a man named Gibson was killed. If a white woman felt insulted by what a black man said to her for example, that individual was in danger of being killed by a mob without trial. She can recall being frightened of the chain gang when they occasionally passed her house. Williams states that she has never been able to understand how the Ku Klux Klan could claim to "uphold the law" by hiding behind a sheet and carrying out justice without the benefit of a trial. She points out that Martin Luther King never hid his face from the public.
10:42-Mrs. Williams details the work of church groups such as the WMWA and Burial Aids Society.
17:27--Education--schools were supported financially by church conventions. She first attempts to identify members of a graduating class from Seneca Institute as depicted on a brochure before going on to detail some of the issues regarding the foundation of the Institute and naming prominent graduates. Later she recalls the situation regarding the eventual closure of the school.
30:44--Audio ends.
Cassette 3
Side 2
1:07--Relatives of hers attended Benedict, South Carolina State, and Morehouse Colleges. Books, newspapers, catalogs, and magazines were available in her home; chief among these was the Holy Bible.
5:26--She gives the location of the East End School, which she attended. She was not taught "black history" per se, because at that time the history was an oral one and not yet widely published. Blue-back spelling books were prized educational tools when she was a youth. Among the schools she attended were: Boiling Springs, St. Paul's, and the East End School. Due to overcrowding, some older students who were educated in certain subjects were asked to help teach the younger children. School years were limited for children who helped their parent's farm. Williams herself had a four to five mile walk to and from school everyday. She describes carrying large lunch buckets, and recalls an educator named Clarence Howard.
19:34--Employment options after graduation varied; for higher education graduates, ministry and educational jobs were available. She did have a few relatives who left the area; blacks were always on the move in search of better opportunity.
26:20--Williams recalls common recreational activities such as dancing, making ice cream, and attending box suppers.
28:07--Shopping--her parents shopped at the Dobbins', Nimmons', and Gignilliat establishments locally, utilizing both the cash and credit systems depending on the time of year (cash-winter, credit-summer). Since most food was raised at home, her family only bought staples such as sugar, coffee, fruits, and candy from local stores.
31:44--Audio ends.
Cassette 4
Side 1
00:07--Her family didn't have to buy meat products; they owned their own livestock. She explains the process of preparing meat and eggs during the year.
2:52--Mrs. Williams worked as a local nurse; she became known as a sort of advice counselor to her patients. She talks at length about her philosophy of life.
8:56--Audio ends.
Cassette 4
Side 2
00:45--As a youth, trips to Greenville, SC were never made; she can recall one trip to Anderson by train in order to have her tonsils removed by Dr. McQuarter.
3:14--Holidays/celebrations--baseball games during lay-by-time, and July 4th Celebrations were popular. During Christmas, her family would bake cakes and prepare locust beer and popcorn. Santa Claus would visit, often bringing homemade gifts. Birthdays were also recognized in her family.
11:46-Mrs. Williams states that her parents most prized processions were their children.
12:45--She states that she greatly admired a Sunday school teacher named Laura Harrison, and an aunt named Edna Wright.
17:39--Mrs. Williams was always proud of being black since a very early age. She played with white children as a youth and didn't feel any difference. She always had self-respect for herself.
24:53--There have been several instances of serious illness in memory, including typhoid and flu epidemics. She recalls that people burned cloths and used lye soap to disinfect. During the flu epidemic there were no funerals, just burials. Her mother was skilled in home remedies [a few examples are given].
31:45--Audio ends.
Cassette 5
Side 1
00:07--Church--she names a few more of her favorite songs: Get Right Children, and Let's Go Home, Near the Cross, What A Friend We Have In Jesus, and It Is Well With My Soul. Williams sings lyrics from How Great Thou Art and Be Peace in the Valley. She goes on to discuss her strong Christian faith, and her belief that true "freedom" can only be achieved through knowledge of the Holy Bible.
11:38--Audio ends.
Cassette 5
Side 2
Blank
Cassette 1
Side 1
1:45-5:50--In regards to older relatives, Mrs. Williams first talks about her grandma Emily, whose house was always filled with the aroma of cakes, jelly, and turnover pies. Her maternal grandparents died before she was born. Her aunt Georgia Singleton was a local midwife in Oconee County (she attended both white and black patients). Her uncle Stafford Grant lived to the age of 100.
5:55--Her parents sharecropped over the years for the Whitfield, Shelby, and [inaudible] families.
8:02--Mrs. Williams had seven brothers and four sisters.
9:50--Slavery--her grandparents passed down stories; at this point she cannot recall specifics [she remembers several stories later in the interview].
12:18-13:20--Williams briefly recalls playing both in her neighborhood and in "the country," and fishing trips that her relatives would occasionally go on.
14:58--Mrs. Williams shows Goodwin a few of her photographs; the women in her family were known for their work as midwives.
16:48--She begins to discuss her grandfather Miles Brewer. The Craig/Craft(?) family [farm overseers] are also recalled.
19:24--Most of her family is buried at Shiloh Baptist in Townville, SC, though her mother is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery.
20:09--She recalls fiery preaching and exciting services at the church she attended. Families from rural areas traveled to church by wagon. She learned the bible before she learned her ABC's.
22:41--Williams recalls the death of her mother.
23:30--She learned how to cook and quilt from her mother. She shows the interviewer a few examples of the "butterfly" quilt pattern; she explains a few steps in the process of producing this design. She also has old plates passed down from her grandmother.
28:15--She and her husband raised the children of one of her sisters as their own following the divorce of that sibling.
29:46--Church--her family was always associated with the Baptist denomination. She can recall Reverend Glenn ministering to her church when she was a youth.
31:44--Audio ends.
Cassette 1
Side 2
00:07--Church--in mid-sentence, Mrs. Williams is discussing the situation whereby the congregation would donate food and money to the minister in order to complement his salary. Though camp meetings were Methodist (Bethel Grove), all denominations were welcome. When her mother was a little girl, people literally did "camp out" near the site of the services. The meetings often lasted a week, and a general festival atmosphere surrounded the event. Different ministers from around the area were involved with carrying out services. Williams states that whites have always enjoyed hearing black preaching, and occasionally attending black-sponsored church revivals. Before the establishment of all black churches, blacks would attend white churches where they had to sit in balconies upstairs; an example of this occurrence is at the local white Shiloh Church. Some of her favorite songs are: Swing Low Sweet Chariot, This Little Light of Mine, Jacob's Ladder, etc. Williams states that the trials and tribulations of slaves inspired beautiful music and lyrics. She goes on to explain how slaves communicate in code through song.
15:09--Slavery--Williams explains how, according to her relatives that experienced it, much of the brutality and violence against slaves were carried out by the overseer, not the master. She goes on to recall the living conditions of field slaves versus those who were cooks and domestics for the master.
22:25-29:03--Sunday school conventions were periodically organized in order to raise funds for the benefit of local black education, especially the Seneca Institute.
31:40--Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 1
00:40--Before organized education was available to her older relatives, Williams' understanding is that they were educated in large part by their slave master's (Maxwell, Grant, and Gaines families).
4:32--She mentions that the names of her maternal grandparents were George and Classie.
7:10--Funerals--the first funeral that Mrs. Williams can recall attending was that of Adeline Jones. She remembers a coach-like wagon that transported the body to the church. Beforehand the body had been prepared at home, followed by a wake or "sitting up" in which family and friends would gather to pray and sing. Caskets were store-bought. She discusses local men in the area who would help with funeral services [in the days before undertakers]. Offerings were also taken at funeral services in order to help families pay for the cost.
15:08--She can recall the flu epidemic during the time of World War I. There was much death and sickness.
15:52--Williams recalls the celebrations that occurred when World War I ended. She had two brothers who served; one actually fought in France, while the other was stationed at Fort Jackson when the conflict ended. Williams states that whites and blacks came together in prayer both during and after the conflict.
21:52--Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 2
00:12--Mrs. Williams discusses a few items that have been passed down to her such as an old chest/trunk, and a safe. Quilts are also still in the family. Her grandfather Brewer made baskets. An old local man everyone called Uncle John was also skilled at making white oak baskets.
4:01--She had older relatives who operated a ferry across a local river. Williams recalls what she knew of its operation for travel between the Pendleton, Townville, and Clemson areas.
12:05--Mulattos--relationships between whites and blacks were not approved of, but the community loved the children of these unions nonetheless.
15:53--She discusses the work of men such as Billy Parker in the organization of churches in the local area, as well as the involvement of blacks in the foundation and construction of Clemson College. Williams goes on to state that black history is not a straight-line narrative, but rather bits and pieces must be collected here and there in order to get an accurate picture.
23:26--Her paternal great grandmother had Native American ancestry. She was described as being quick-tempered, with physical features including long, straight hair and high cheekbones.
24:46--In her opinion, the black race as a community was never as unified as it was just after freedom. She believes that the modern black community has lost this sense of cooperation.
29:42--When asked how blacks and whites got along, she responds by stating that like today, it depended on the situation, etc. Some relations were good, while others were not.
31:42--Audio ends.
Cassette 3
Side 1
00:17--Mrs. Williams states that she was never warned about white people, but admits a certain sense of uneasiness in some situations.
1:06--She is aware of several lynching incidents in the area. One involved Allen Green of Walhalla (he was dragged through the streets), another involved a shootout in which a man named Gibson was killed. If a white woman felt insulted by what a black man said to her for example, that individual was in danger of being killed by a mob without trial. She can recall being frightened of the chain gang when they occasionally passed her house. Williams states that she has never been able to understand how the Ku Klux Klan could claim to "uphold the law" by hiding behind a sheet and carrying out justice without the benefit of a trial. She points out that Martin Luther King never hid his face from the public.
10:42-Mrs. Williams details the work of church groups such as the WMWA and Burial Aids Society.
17:27--Education--schools were supported financially by church conventions. She first attempts to identify members of a graduating class from Seneca Institute as depicted on a brochure before going on to detail some of the issues regarding the foundation of the Institute and naming prominent graduates. Later she recalls the situation regarding the eventual closure of the school.
30:44--Audio ends.
Cassette 3
Side 2
1:07--Relatives of hers attended Benedict, South Carolina State, and Morehouse Colleges. Books, newspapers, catalogs, and magazines were available in her home; chief among these was the Holy Bible.
5:26--She gives the location of the East End School, which she attended. She was not taught "black history" per se, because at that time the history was an oral one and not yet widely published. Blue-back spelling books were prized educational tools when she was a youth. Among the schools she attended were: Boiling Springs, St. Paul's, and the East End School. Due to overcrowding, some older students who were educated in certain subjects were asked to help teach the younger children. School years were limited for children who helped their parent's farm. Williams herself had a four to five mile walk to and from school everyday. She describes carrying large lunch buckets, and recalls an educator named Clarence Howard.
19:34--Employment options after graduation varied; for higher education graduates, ministry and educational jobs were available. She did have a few relatives who left the area; blacks were always on the move in search of better opportunity.
26:20--Williams recalls common recreational activities such as dancing, making ice cream, and attending box suppers.
28:07--Shopping--her parents shopped at the Dobbins', Nimmons', and Gignilliat establishments locally, utilizing both the cash and credit systems depending on the time of year (cash-winter, credit-summer). Since most food was raised at home, her family only bought staples such as sugar, coffee, fruits, and candy from local stores.
31:44--Audio ends.
Cassette 4
Side 1
00:07--Her family didn't have to buy meat products; they owned their own livestock. She explains the process of preparing meat and eggs during the year.
2:52--Mrs. Williams worked as a local nurse; she became known as a sort of advice counselor to her patients. She talks at length about her philosophy of life.
8:56--Audio ends.
Cassette 4
Side 2
00:45--As a youth, trips to Greenville, SC were never made; she can recall one trip to Anderson by train in order to have her tonsils removed by Dr. McQuarter.
3:14--Holidays/celebrations--baseball games during lay-by-time, and July 4th Celebrations were popular. During Christmas, her family would bake cakes and prepare locust beer and popcorn. Santa Claus would visit, often bringing homemade gifts. Birthdays were also recognized in her family.
11:46-Mrs. Williams states that her parents most prized processions were their children.
12:45--She states that she greatly admired a Sunday school teacher named Laura Harrison, and an aunt named Edna Wright.
17:39--Mrs. Williams was always proud of being black since a very early age. She played with white children as a youth and didn't feel any difference. She always had self-respect for herself.
24:53--There have been several instances of serious illness in memory, including typhoid and flu epidemics. She recalls that people burned cloths and used lye soap to disinfect. During the flu epidemic there were no funerals, just burials. Her mother was skilled in home remedies [a few examples are given].
31:45--Audio ends.
Cassette 5
Side 1
00:07--Church--she names a few more of her favorite songs: Get Right Children, and Let's Go Home, Near the Cross, What A Friend We Have In Jesus, and It Is Well With My Soul. Williams sings lyrics from How Great Thou Art and Be Peace in the Valley. She goes on to discuss her strong Christian faith, and her belief that true "freedom" can only be achieved through knowledge of the Holy Bible.
11:38--Audio ends.
Cassette 5
Side 2
Blank
Subject
African Americans -- History. -- South Carolina -- Oconee County
Interviewer
Goodwin, Brenda
Interviewee
Williams, Maxie
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
