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Black Heritage in the Upper Piedmont of South Carolina

Watson Cassette 1 Side 1

Media

Part of Interview: Watson, Charles B., Sr.

Title

Watson Cassette 1 Side 1

Source

Charles B. Watson, Sr. Interview

Date

1990-09-10

Description

Cassette 1

Side 1

00:20--Biographical Information

00:51--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.

9:35--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.

19:45--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).

31:41--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.