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Town of Calhoun, South Carolina Oral History Collection

Interview: Mixon, Mildred Cochran

Item

Identifier

Mss-0279, Cassette 13-15

Title

Interview: Mixon, Mildred Cochran

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

Mildred Cochran Mixon was born on July 19, 1914 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Her parents were Wiley Newt and Veldora Sears Cochran. She married Floyd Mixon.

Cassette 1

Side 1

00:30: Mrs. Mixon is aged 74 in 1988. She was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas on July 19, 1914. Her two older brothers suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, so her mother (while still pregnant) moved the two boys and a young daughter in order to take advantage of the therapeutic springs. Mrs. Mixon's father and two more daughters stayed behind in Calhoun, SC. Her father worked as a farmer and a brick mason. He was also a local magistrate. The group stayed in Arkansas for a year. Mrs. Mixson was one month old upon the family's return to Calhoun.

2:00: She was originally named Cora Estelle, after the two women who helped with the birth. She was later renamed Mildred.

4:21: Mrs. Mixon believes she was born in her mothers Hot Springs apartment.

4:55: When the family reunited in Calhoun, the family lived in a house near the railroad. It was destroyed by fire. The family's new two story home had three downstairs and two upstairs bedrooms, and a squared off porch with swings.

9:10: Mrs. Mixon married her brother-in-law Floyd. Her sister Edith died at a young age.

10:30: The most recent houses in that area to be built in three decades was her family's house, the Callis home, and the Burnett home.

12:00: The Callis (?) home was built around 1925.

14:01: Her father was Wiley Newt Cochran. Her mother was Veldora Sears Cochran.

15:08: Her father Wiley owned land that stretched from their house all the way to "The Branch" (where black community was) in the direction towards the old Calhoun schoolhouse. They discuss land transactions.

16:30: Her father inherited the land from his parents. He was a brick mason. She imagines that he and his brother John Wesley Cochran worked together with the Cochran family brickyard business. It was located "in back of" Hal Boggs house. John Wesley Cochran owned the business. Several of the first buildings at Clemson contain Cochran brick, though Mrs. Mixon can only specifically recall that the Trustee Building contained some of their handiwork.

20:30: Her father Wiley was also involved in farming. Local blacks helped with day to day operations (Jack Brown is specifically recalled). Wiley Cochran owned a sizable portion of land, most of which was utilized for cotton and corn production. The family had its own chicken coop and pasture land for horses and cattle.

23:19: Wiley Cochran also acted as a local magistrate though it cannot be recalled how long his term nor what his pay if any was.

26:13: Megginson is interested in local politics. Mr. Clinkscales was once mayor in Calhoun. P.S. McCollum was remembered as influential business man, though it cannot be recall whether he held office of any sort. Mrs. Mixon registered to vote at the Norman Boggs store. There was no literacy test associated with the process. She thinks people may have voted at the schoolhouse. Mrs. Mixon can only recall white people in Calhoun voting.

31:21: Audio ends.

Cassette 1

Side 2

00:07: Mrs. Mixon is speaking mid-sentence. She states that people would gather on the benches outside a local establishment. It is unclear exactly which establishment she is speaking of. Mrs. Mixon says that after school kids would always stop and browse at items in the store. A prank bench at some point was placed inside the store that would give an electric shock to any unsuspecting individual that attempted to take a seat on it.

2:12: They speak of the Doyle home. It was "...beyond Ann Crawford's home." It was a large antebellum style mansion. Individuals could see Tillman Hall at Clemson College from this house.

3:45: Kids used to play around the train trestle. This made Mrs. Mixon's mom anxious and angry.

4:30: From the back door of the Doyle house looking north, one could see the Hal Boggs house.

6:21: Mrs. Mixon reflects on memories of the Hal Boggs home. She can remember listening to their son Jimmy play the piano, and admiring the view from the tower atop the house. The date of the house's construction is not known to her. It was an impressive house, with large columns on the porch.

11:30: The two discuss Jane Prince's connection to Hal Boggs. She was his mother-in-law. Her daughter Essie married Mr. Boggs.

11:50: A rumor regarding Essie Prince's father is discussed. Mrs. Mixon cannot verify the story, but relates that the father was either "Calhoun or Clemson." Megginson states that it is more likely to be Clemson because of the dates (the rumor may actually involves John Calhoun Clemson--Thomas G. Clemson's son--though he was killed in a train accident as a young man). Mrs. Prince was Thomas G. Clemson's longtime housekeeper and was never married. The story was well known in town, though neither Mrs. Prince nor Essie ever discussed it.

15:14: Megginson urges Mrs. Mixon to recall what she can about the local railroad. The depot has always been in its present location, she cannot remember it being at any other site. In her memory there has always been an overpass present. A couple of the station agents that can be recalled are Hal Boggs, Tom White, and a Mr. Ragsdale and McNeely.

18:01: The railroad foreman Mr. Vandiver lived near in proximity to the Mixon's. The two families were close friends.

21:00: As a child, Mrs. Mixon was impressed with her Uncle John, and Aunt Louis.

23:00: She recalls the residence portion of the Boggs store, and how it all has changed since becoming "Calhoun Corner's."

29:24: Her mother worked as a seamstress for the community. There was no place to buy women's cloths locally; they had to be hand made. Mrs. Mixon can remember clients coming over for fittings.

31:48: Audio ends.

Cassette 2

Side 1

00:07: Mrs. Mixon picked up sewing skills from her mother. In general, girl's dresses were made at home, while boys cloths were store bought. Older women, as well as married women wore floor-length dresses. Style didn't change over time. They usually were dark in color and were made of heavy cotton material.

6:30: Several of the black families that can be recalled are the Butlers, Dupree's, Brown's, and Shaw's. The wives of the black farmers would do the wash. There were usually three tubs for wash and two for rinse. A fire would be made around the wash pot in order that the cloths be placed in boiling water. The cloths were churned with a stick or wooden apparatus, and then hung on a line to dry.

11:41: The interview moves to utilities that were available when she was a little girl. She was perhaps an adolescent before they got electricity (late 1920's?). Up until that point the family had burned oil lamps. Roads were dirt.

13:30: The conversation moves back to the fitting parties that were given for her mother's clients. It was a social event of sorts. Blackberry drinks and other refreshments were served.

15:20: Perceived social distinctions between Calhoun and Clemson--many Clemson College related families lived near the old Clemson House hotel. They were sociable and friendly, but the two groups tended to keep events such as parties, etc. separate from each other.

18:45: Some if the Calhoun families who socialized together were the Bogg's, Smith's, Grant's, Dillard's, Pike's, Payne's, Evan's Fendley's, Perry's, Sheriff's, and Miller's.

23:00: A couple of black individuals that lived near the Mixon's were Fanny Butler and Jim Ransom.

25:05: Megginson wishes to know if the local black and white communities got along. Mrs. Mixon states that there was never any problem. She grew up around blacks and never felt there was any difference between the two groups. As a youngster, she played with black children regularly. Jack Brown and his sister were close friends of hers.

27:25: Recollections of church and religious activities are discussed. Mrs. Mixon attended the local Wesleyan Church. She can remember real "hell-fire" preaching. Preachers Riley Garrett from Six-Mile and a Mr. Newton are a couple of specific individuals that she can recall. Revivals were held often; the shouting and singing could be heard from quite a distance.

31:41: Audio ends.

Cassette 2

Side 2

00:07: The two continue talking about local revivals. The hymn Just As I Am was often sung during altar call. There was much witnessing and praise. The Wesleyans stressed austerity in regards to appearance. Women were expected to wear long hair, long floor-length dresses, and no makeup. During tent meetings, there usually was singing without the accompaniment of piano or organ. Mrs. Mixon's uncle John Carey was known to do some preaching. He was not a "fire and brimstone" type. He adopted a much more quiet tone.

6:30: At this point the two begin discussing the Smith boarding house (Smith hotel). This establishment was run by Mrs. Mixon's Aunt Louise (W.J. Megginson's grandmother). In the days before running water, Mrs. Mixon and Louise's daughter Edna would help with the operation of the establishment by keeping bowls filled with cold water, cleaning chamber pots, making up beds, providing clean towels, and grinding coffee. Mrs. Mixon can vividly recall the dinner bell that her Aunt Louis would ring before meals. She recalls that most occupants of the boarding house were men. It is at this point that Mrs. Mixon discloses the fact that she met her future husband Floyd at the boarding house while he was living there as a Clemson student. Her Aunt Louis would also take prepared meals to the freight train employees at the local depot.

14:00: Megginson turns the interview towards her experiences in school. She attended the Calhoun-Clemson school. The normal school day lasted from 8am to 3pm. Lunch was brought from home and the children used a water fountain to drink from. A few teachers that she can recall are Edith Mills (Preacher Mill's daughter), Maggie Morrison and her sister, and Kitty Adams. The schools curriculum had eleven grades. A normal class consisted of perhaps a dozen people, though her tenth grade class had around grown to around twenty. The only male teacher she can remember was Ben Blakely, who taught high school math. He did not teach for long; he established a local dry-cleaning business.

20:40: Music lessons--Mrs. Mixon took private piano lessons for a while. She would practice with the piano at her Aunt Louis's boarding house. Megginson states that that piano is now at the Eastern Star meeting hall.

21:30: The conversation moves back toward recollections of school. Mrs. Mixon recalls that science class included the dissection of frogs and that field trips were made to Sloan's pasture for nature studies. She also remembers staying in trouble at school either for talking or general mischief. Writing on the chalkboards after school and dusting the erasers were two of the common punishments. The girls played baseball with the boys. She occasionally went swimming at the YMCA but was not allowed to go to the river to swim.

27:35: Mrs. Mixon relates a story of tragedy. A sister named Eula, who was a lover of animals, kept a small dog as a pet in a barn near the family's home. The dog turned rabid, and on one occasion escaped the barn and bit over a dozen locals before being killed by Norman Boggs. Her sister had been infected by scratches during previous play. The bite victims had to take several rounds of treatments. Dr. Watkins provided the service at "Uncle John's store." The disease had become too advanced in Eula, and she died a short time later.

30:59: The conversation turns toward medical facilities. Dr. Watkins practiced from his home on a hill overlooking the college. The home no longer stands. She cannot remember the dentist.

31:37: Audio ends.

Cassette 3

Side1

00:07: The interview turns toward what reading materials were available to people. She can remember the Anderson and Greenville newspapers, as well as the Pickens Sentinel. Everyone seemed to have a Sears's catalogue. The schoolhouse had a nice library. Jane Eyre was a popular novel when she was a child. She occasionally went to the Clemson library as a youth. School textbooks were purchased at Martin's drugstore.

5:35: Mrs. Mixon names her siblings. Eula, Wallie(?), "Dud"(Hugh?), Sue, and Edith. All of the children were born at home under the care of Dr. Beardon of Central, along with the help of a midwife named Fanny Butler.

9:41: The conversation jumps to the neighboring Henry family. Garnett and Elmore Henry's children were Sue Mary, Louis, and June. Mr. Henry worked at both the dairy and the canteen at the college.

11:34: Back to Mrs. Mixon's family--her mother was from Townville, SC. It is not known how her parents met. She had a grandfather named Christopher Columbus that everyone called "Uncle Lummy." Mocrina Campbell was another relative. She may have been a Kennymoore by birth. Megginson adds that she and her husband owned a large portion of land in the area. After a marital dispute, she was awarded with well over 100 acres of land. She sold off lots in the area for $25 a piece.

17:00: Mrs. Mixon talks about the difficulties and illnesses of some of her siblings. One of the arthritic brothers, William, died of a burst appendix when he was still quite young. The other arthritic brother, "Dud", lived into his forties. Her sister Edith died of pneumonia at a young age. Five of the seven children in the family had serious illnesses/died young. Mrs. Mixon says that her mother was remarkably strong in the face of these tragedies.

18:50: Some of her fond memories of childhood involve the Boggs store, and movies at the YMCA. During Christmas, Santa would visit the YMCA and children would receive presents in stockings hung by the chimney. She can't remember anyone having Christmas trees when she was a youth.

20:21: Mrs. Mixon talks about her husband Floyd Mixon. He was from Fairfax, SC. He came to Clemson as a federal board student and lodged at the Smith Hotel. He married her sister Edith, but she died of pneumonia at a young age. Mrs. Mixon later married Floyd. He worked many years at the local State Farm Agency. He also worked in the dairy department at Clemson and as a one of the first police officers at the college.

22:10: Megginson thanks Mrs. Mixon for the interview.

23:00: Audio ends.

Cassette 3

Side 2

Blank

Subject

South Carolina -- Pickens County

Interviewer

Megginson, W. J.

Interviewee

Mixon, Mildred Cochran

Publisher

Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Repository