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Black Heritage in the Upper Piedmont of South Carolina

Watkins Cassette 2 Side 1

Media

Part of Interview: Watkins, Ernest, Jr.

Title

Watkins Cassette 2 Side 1

Source

Ernest Watkins, Jr. Interview

Date

1990-07-21

Description

Cassette 2

Side 1

00:14--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.

5:07--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.

6:18--During the flu epidemic of 1917-1918, his father became ill and his grandmother died. Dr. Clayton made house calls to the sick.

8:51--Watkins briefly discusses local singing conventions.

10:11--Watkins recalls the work of P.S. Little, who was the first black teacher in the area.

11:20--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.

14:27--Holidays--aspects of Christmas, New Year's, and Thanksgiving are discussed.

17:12--Large local families included the Littlejohn's, Gaines's, and Knox's.

20:14--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.

22:07--Watkins moved to Chicago after military service in 1946. Immediately after college he had worked in the Naval Cafeteria in Washington, DC.

24:30--He married Laura Taylor in 1954 while living in Chicago.

26:05--Watkins reads from the family bible. Birth, marriage, and death dates are given for his parents and siblings.

29:07--Audio ends.

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.