Interview: Anderson, Beth
Item
Identifier
Mss-0279, Cassette 1
Title
Interview: Anderson, Beth
Type
Sound
Format
.mp3
Language
English
Source
Town of Calhoun, South Carolina Oral History 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
1988-08-31
Description
Beth Anderson was born on July 24, 1903 in Antreville, SC. She was the daughter of Joseph A. and Minnie Ola Clinkscales Anderson. She was a secretary with the Agricultural Economics Department at Clemson University. She was a graduate of Winthrop College, a member of the Clemson United Methodist Church, and a member of the United Methodist Women. Beth Anderson died on July 27, 1997.
Side 1
00:07: Beth Anderson is aged 85 in 1988. She explains that she came to the Calhoun area around 1930. After finishing her studies at Winthrop, she taught fifth grade in Winnsboro, SC for a short period of time before moving to the upstate of South Carolina where she began a career as a secretary working for Dr. G.H. Alden at Clemson College.
1:23: She worked in Long Hall. There was a 5 1/2 day work week and employees were paid once a month. Anderson cannot remember the wages.
2:25: She already had relatives in the area. Her uncle Frank Clinkscales was a bit of an "old timer" in the area. She thinks he was in the area in the very early years of the College or perhaps around the early 1900's. He ran a livery service and would meet the train at both "Cherry's" and at Calhoun in order to pick up luggage and passengers and bring then into town.
3:42: Megginson asks about how Mr. Clinkscales was related to her. He was her mother's brother. Her mother was Minnie Caroline Clinkscales. Her father was Joe Anderson, who was a country doctor from Abbeville.
5:00: Frank Clinkscales also owned a general merchandise store for a short time before selling all of his stock to Winslow Sloan in order to focus on his livery business. Anderson mentions that Frank's wife was named Cora Crowther.
6:11: The livery stalls were near Judge Keller's store; not on Main Street but just off of College Avenue. He kept many of his animals there on site. Miss Anderson thinks that mostly mules were utilized. Cadets would occasionally rent buggies for dating or "courting" purposes.
11:20: Megginson is interested to know if Mr. Clinkscales converted over to automobiles when they became more widely available. Miss Anderson isn't sure but says no. Though Miss Anderson cannot clearly recall, she believes Mr. Clinkscales operated the livery service into the 1930's.
12:05: Frank Clinkscales lived on Seneca Road near the Episcopal Church. It had 1.5 stories, a wrap around porch with columns, and stood at the top of a hill. The area was not very developed; few houses were present in those days. One house of note was that of Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Newman. Miss Anderson did not know Mr. Newman's first wife Grace; the recollections are of his second wife, who was known as Ellie.
14:14: Mr. and Mrs. Newman were married in the 1920's. Ellie ran a boarding house (though she always referred to her operation as a house with "paid guests" as a distinction). They had a black cook named Prudence who later married a gentleman named Idly. Miss Anderson cannot recall their surname. Mrs. Newman rented out rooms and provided meals for her guests. Meals were between $0.90 and $1.00. The largest gatherings were for meals at lunchtime, though reservations could be made for evening meals. The regulars at lunch were usually individuals who worked at Clemson College. Meals were very good and were served "family style." Miss Anderson states that Ellie was a "real lady" who sat at the head of the table and smoked cigarettes. Ellie was very much an overseer, as she left preparation of the meals to her staff. She was a very strong willed woman, but was not really considered a "socialite."
20:30: Megginson is interested in the paying guests that stayed at the house. Miss Anderson can remember one permanent resident who was a professor at Clemson, but cannot recall his name. Most of the guests were college students who stayed on a semester basis. The operation could deal with perhaps as many as 10 occupants a night. Miss Anderson cannot recall how much guests were required to pay for room and board.
23:55: Politics in the small town of Calhoun are discussed. Miss Anderson was aware that her uncle Frank was mayor, but cannot clearly recall. He must have held office pre-1937, because Charlie Bennett was mayor from 1937-1943 and Leon Crawford held office after 1943. Miss Anderson informs Megginson that she did vote, though she cannot recall where. Megginson wonders if perhaps many voted at either the schoolhouse or at Boggs Store.
27:05: She graduated from Winthrop in 1925, which was around the time that women were first allowed to vote. Megginson is interested to know of any feminist or suffragette activities that might have taken place on campus. Miss Anderson cannot recall any such activities. She recalls Clemson was not unlike Winthrop in that both had a well regimented campus life set forth for students. The women at Winthrop had to wear uniforms, and had lights out at a certain time in the evenings.
28:17: Megginson is interested in what Miss Anderson called the location in which she lived. Although she technically lived in Calhoun, she always has stated her residence as Clemson, since she had a Clemson College address.
30:15: The conversation moves toward a discussion of her brother, Frank Anderson. He attended Clemson, graduating in 1916. He went to the University of Wisconsin for some graduate work before being called back to Calhoun. The townspeople were interested in starting a local bank, and asked Frank Anderson to come back and be the head of the establishment. Miss Anderson believes the name of the bank was originally Fort Hill Depository.
31:50: Audio ends.
Side 2
00:05: Megginson enquires about how long Frank was present at the bank. Miss Anderson cannot recall. Another question that she cannot recall is if the Bank and the Savings & Loan were under the same management.
1:09: Megginson is interested to know how most buildings looked in Calhoun in the early days and what kinds of shopping she did. Miss Anderson states that most buildings were wooden. The Sloan store was brick. She can remember Mr. Evans community store, which would be next to the present (1988) bank. Clothes had to be purchased in either Greenville or Anderson. The goods and services in town were very male oriented because of the college.
3:55: Conversation moves briefly back to the local bank. Megginson wants to know if any long-term employees of the bank can be recalled, and about how many staff were there in the old days. Miss Anderson remembers that Norma Madden was there for many years, and that when it was first established the bank had perhaps only two employees.
4:46: Frank Anderson bought an insurance company from Ben Robertson sometime before 1930 which dealt with fire, theft, and liability.
6:50: Miss Anderson's impressions of the town of Calhoun upon her first arrival in the 1930's were very positive. She was a country girl so the town actually seemed large to her. There were no paved roads.
8:06: Megginson is interested in the number of automobiles that might be seen on any given day in the town around the early 1930's. Miss Anderson cannot recall that there were very many.
9:00: Miss Anderson had no trouble finding a job despite the fact that the Depression was in full swing when she was first looking for work. Wages were cut back, however.
10:40: Local churches--Miss Anderson attended Wesleyan Methodist, and knew Maggie Morrison because she also attended that church. She can remember ministers J.L. Smith and Mr. Chambers. She recalls the fact that many cadets attended services and that local churches were always sponsoring social events for them.
15:41: She knew young Ben Robertson vaguely; he had no real reputation as a writer before his published works.
16:25: Megginson enquires about any social, literary, or dramatic activities that might have been available to residents. The "Little Theater" had not been established in those days. Films could be seen at the YMCA. There were musical performances at the college, and many events were held at the amphitheater which was open to the public.
18:10: Employment at the College--Miss Anderson's secretarial responsibilities were for the entire Agricultural Economics department at Clemson, but she had a staff of sorts that offered help. She did things such as typing dictation, filing, writing tests, etc. There were telephones in the 1930's, but they were not available in every office. All the departments at the college employed secretaries. They were allowed a 15 minute break in the mornings and 1 hour for lunch.
21:55: Miss Anderson retired in 1985. She states that the town of Calhoun and Clemson College was a wonderful place to live and work.
24:57: Audio ends.
Side 1
00:07: Beth Anderson is aged 85 in 1988. She explains that she came to the Calhoun area around 1930. After finishing her studies at Winthrop, she taught fifth grade in Winnsboro, SC for a short period of time before moving to the upstate of South Carolina where she began a career as a secretary working for Dr. G.H. Alden at Clemson College.
1:23: She worked in Long Hall. There was a 5 1/2 day work week and employees were paid once a month. Anderson cannot remember the wages.
2:25: She already had relatives in the area. Her uncle Frank Clinkscales was a bit of an "old timer" in the area. She thinks he was in the area in the very early years of the College or perhaps around the early 1900's. He ran a livery service and would meet the train at both "Cherry's" and at Calhoun in order to pick up luggage and passengers and bring then into town.
3:42: Megginson asks about how Mr. Clinkscales was related to her. He was her mother's brother. Her mother was Minnie Caroline Clinkscales. Her father was Joe Anderson, who was a country doctor from Abbeville.
5:00: Frank Clinkscales also owned a general merchandise store for a short time before selling all of his stock to Winslow Sloan in order to focus on his livery business. Anderson mentions that Frank's wife was named Cora Crowther.
6:11: The livery stalls were near Judge Keller's store; not on Main Street but just off of College Avenue. He kept many of his animals there on site. Miss Anderson thinks that mostly mules were utilized. Cadets would occasionally rent buggies for dating or "courting" purposes.
11:20: Megginson is interested to know if Mr. Clinkscales converted over to automobiles when they became more widely available. Miss Anderson isn't sure but says no. Though Miss Anderson cannot clearly recall, she believes Mr. Clinkscales operated the livery service into the 1930's.
12:05: Frank Clinkscales lived on Seneca Road near the Episcopal Church. It had 1.5 stories, a wrap around porch with columns, and stood at the top of a hill. The area was not very developed; few houses were present in those days. One house of note was that of Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Newman. Miss Anderson did not know Mr. Newman's first wife Grace; the recollections are of his second wife, who was known as Ellie.
14:14: Mr. and Mrs. Newman were married in the 1920's. Ellie ran a boarding house (though she always referred to her operation as a house with "paid guests" as a distinction). They had a black cook named Prudence who later married a gentleman named Idly. Miss Anderson cannot recall their surname. Mrs. Newman rented out rooms and provided meals for her guests. Meals were between $0.90 and $1.00. The largest gatherings were for meals at lunchtime, though reservations could be made for evening meals. The regulars at lunch were usually individuals who worked at Clemson College. Meals were very good and were served "family style." Miss Anderson states that Ellie was a "real lady" who sat at the head of the table and smoked cigarettes. Ellie was very much an overseer, as she left preparation of the meals to her staff. She was a very strong willed woman, but was not really considered a "socialite."
20:30: Megginson is interested in the paying guests that stayed at the house. Miss Anderson can remember one permanent resident who was a professor at Clemson, but cannot recall his name. Most of the guests were college students who stayed on a semester basis. The operation could deal with perhaps as many as 10 occupants a night. Miss Anderson cannot recall how much guests were required to pay for room and board.
23:55: Politics in the small town of Calhoun are discussed. Miss Anderson was aware that her uncle Frank was mayor, but cannot clearly recall. He must have held office pre-1937, because Charlie Bennett was mayor from 1937-1943 and Leon Crawford held office after 1943. Miss Anderson informs Megginson that she did vote, though she cannot recall where. Megginson wonders if perhaps many voted at either the schoolhouse or at Boggs Store.
27:05: She graduated from Winthrop in 1925, which was around the time that women were first allowed to vote. Megginson is interested to know of any feminist or suffragette activities that might have taken place on campus. Miss Anderson cannot recall any such activities. She recalls Clemson was not unlike Winthrop in that both had a well regimented campus life set forth for students. The women at Winthrop had to wear uniforms, and had lights out at a certain time in the evenings.
28:17: Megginson is interested in what Miss Anderson called the location in which she lived. Although she technically lived in Calhoun, she always has stated her residence as Clemson, since she had a Clemson College address.
30:15: The conversation moves toward a discussion of her brother, Frank Anderson. He attended Clemson, graduating in 1916. He went to the University of Wisconsin for some graduate work before being called back to Calhoun. The townspeople were interested in starting a local bank, and asked Frank Anderson to come back and be the head of the establishment. Miss Anderson believes the name of the bank was originally Fort Hill Depository.
31:50: Audio ends.
Side 2
00:05: Megginson enquires about how long Frank was present at the bank. Miss Anderson cannot recall. Another question that she cannot recall is if the Bank and the Savings & Loan were under the same management.
1:09: Megginson is interested to know how most buildings looked in Calhoun in the early days and what kinds of shopping she did. Miss Anderson states that most buildings were wooden. The Sloan store was brick. She can remember Mr. Evans community store, which would be next to the present (1988) bank. Clothes had to be purchased in either Greenville or Anderson. The goods and services in town were very male oriented because of the college.
3:55: Conversation moves briefly back to the local bank. Megginson wants to know if any long-term employees of the bank can be recalled, and about how many staff were there in the old days. Miss Anderson remembers that Norma Madden was there for many years, and that when it was first established the bank had perhaps only two employees.
4:46: Frank Anderson bought an insurance company from Ben Robertson sometime before 1930 which dealt with fire, theft, and liability.
6:50: Miss Anderson's impressions of the town of Calhoun upon her first arrival in the 1930's were very positive. She was a country girl so the town actually seemed large to her. There were no paved roads.
8:06: Megginson is interested in the number of automobiles that might be seen on any given day in the town around the early 1930's. Miss Anderson cannot recall that there were very many.
9:00: Miss Anderson had no trouble finding a job despite the fact that the Depression was in full swing when she was first looking for work. Wages were cut back, however.
10:40: Local churches--Miss Anderson attended Wesleyan Methodist, and knew Maggie Morrison because she also attended that church. She can remember ministers J.L. Smith and Mr. Chambers. She recalls the fact that many cadets attended services and that local churches were always sponsoring social events for them.
15:41: She knew young Ben Robertson vaguely; he had no real reputation as a writer before his published works.
16:25: Megginson enquires about any social, literary, or dramatic activities that might have been available to residents. The "Little Theater" had not been established in those days. Films could be seen at the YMCA. There were musical performances at the college, and many events were held at the amphitheater which was open to the public.
18:10: Employment at the College--Miss Anderson's secretarial responsibilities were for the entire Agricultural Economics department at Clemson, but she had a staff of sorts that offered help. She did things such as typing dictation, filing, writing tests, etc. There were telephones in the 1930's, but they were not available in every office. All the departments at the college employed secretaries. They were allowed a 15 minute break in the mornings and 1 hour for lunch.
21:55: Miss Anderson retired in 1985. She states that the town of Calhoun and Clemson College was a wonderful place to live and work.
24:57: Audio ends.
Subject
South Carolina -- Pickens County
Interviewer
Megginson, W. J.
Interviewee
Anderson, Beth
Publisher
Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Repository
