Interview: Payne, Eva
Item
Identifier
Mss-0279, Cassette 18-19
Title
Interview: Payne, Eva
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
Unknown (presumably in 1988)
Description
Cassette 1
Side 1
00:07: Eva is 90 years old at the time of this interview. She was born on October 7, 1897.
00:44: She was born in Calhoun, in the original 7 room family house on the corner of Elm and Clemson Streets. Her father, Jerrie Payne built one of the first stores in the Calhoun area as well as owning a livery service. In 1910, the store caught fire, and it quickly spread to the family's residence because it was situated only yards away. The family had been alerted to leave the by the local night watchman. Cadets from Clemson College helped fight the fire with well water and attempted to save what possessions they could for the family. Both structures were a complete loss. The family rebuilt a new house on the same spot.
9:50: Eva's father was Jerrie Payne who was originally from Cleveland, Georgia. Her mother Elmira was the youngest daughter of Aaron Boggs. Pat Benson was a black gentleman that worked for the family.
16:00: Aunt Caroline was Pat Benson's mother. It was considered respectful to refer to the local older black women as "aunt."
17:03: Eva states that relations between the white and black communities were good as far as she knew. The two groups were always respectful towards one another.
18:57: Eva's father died at the relatively young age of forty-five in November of 1902.
20:19: Megginson reads from Eva's family bible. The bible was published by the B.F. Johnson Company in Richmond, Virginia. The copyright is 1886. Megginson reads the Payne's marriage certificate.
22:17: Eva remembers that her parents lived eleven years in Alabama before relocating to Calhoun, SC.
24:11: Eva's mother Elmira remarried after her husband Jerrie's death. She married a cousin--Reuben Boggs.
26:31: Eva and Megginson look at two old photos. They comment on how attractive Elmira was, and Eva describes a photograph of a brother named William N. Payne taken before he died as an infant.
30:05: Eva's mother was a fine businesswoman. She had been left with some considerable debt after the death of her first husband but paid everything off while managing the family's business dealings.
31:48: Audio ends.
Side 2
00:25: Eva's mother not only inherited land from her father, but also inherited much of her brother Hal Boggs's land on account that he was not good with business, and let things lapse.
2:40: Her grandfather Aaron Boggs was from around the Pickens area. Aaron was the overseer of the Fort Hill Plantation. Megginson states that the residents at the time may have been Andrew Pickens Calhoun.
3:40: At one tine Aaron Boggs lived at Cherry's Crossing, but in his later years lived at a spot known as "Pleasant Curve."
9:40: Eva doesn't believe that Aaron Boggs inherited much; rather she thinks that he made his money off of the elevated prices of cotton in the years immediately following the Civil War. Eva states that Aaron never actually owned slaves. He instead paid his workers a salary to work for him. He had a large farm and an enormous amount of land.
16:00: Aaron Boggs property stretched from his house all the way to the Ravenel Bridge.
17:19: Eva's grandmother Elmira was a wonderful, cheerful person. A reserve seat was always kept for her during Clemson graduating exercises.
19:30: The Boggs and Stephens families are well known in the local area.
21:30: Aaron Boggs had possession of several Calhoun antiques such as a piano and a four post bed.
23:53: A local train passes by the house. Eva has been around trains all her life. As a youth she would play around the trains and the depot. She admits that she was a bit "wild" as a youth, and was a "tomboy." Her sister Gracia didn't share her want for adventure.
26:21: Eva believes the original depot burned, though the newer one stands in about the same spot.
30:15: Eva can recall that Ramsey and Colonel Doyle were both depot agents.
31:48: Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 1
00:07: Eva briefly explains that the vase on her piano came from one of her mothers first sweethearts. It was saved from the house fire.
2:00: Although Megginson enquires about church services, Eva begins discussing school. She started going to school in Central initially, because there was no accredited school in Calhoun. She had to take the train, so her day lasted from 7am to 5pm. Mrs. Bolger was one teacher she can remember from that school. Carrie Calhoun was a teacher in a closer Calhoun area school. This schoolhouse had two rooms, a heating stove, and outdoor restroom facilities. School usually started a week after September and lasted into late spring. The school day lasted from 8am until around 4pm with one hour for lunch. Books were bought from a drugstore in Central.
11:55: Church activities are discussed. The family was Methodist, though Eva and her sister Gracia joined the Baptist's. Indeed the family seemed to have attended services at most of the local denominations.
15:10: Megginson asks Eva to think back to her childhood and describe the immediate surroundings around her family home. She can remember the brick Boggs Store across the street. At that time she can recall that two gentlemen who ran the operation were Mr. Nichols and Mr. Holden. Mr. Nichols was originally from Seneca. J.D. Morgan actually owned the store, while Nichols and Holden ran the day to day operations. Eva was a bookkeeper at the Boggs store for eleven years. She prepared statements; most buyers from the store kept a charge account.
24:40: Eva can also remember Mr. Smith's general store. Her uncle John Boggs actually started the operation, but when he was elected clerk of court, he sold the business to Mr. Smith. John Wiley Cochran also built this building.
27:59: J.W. Cochran's wife was Alice Cochran. She was originally a Boggs.
29:30: Mamie Crawford was John Wiley Cochran's daughter.
29:44: Audio ends.
Side 2
00:07: Eva is speaking mid sentence about Norman Boggs.
00:37: Megginson is interested in what Eva may know of the Cochran brickyard. It was near Hal Boggs residence. The Cochran's helped build the Textile Hall at Clemson College as well as many of the brick buildings around the local area of Calhoun.
1:50: There were differences between the Boggs and Smith stores. The Smith store was a grocery store, while the Boggs store was more of a general mercantile business that offered everything from cloth, to luggage, to hardware.
2:45: The post office was at one time located in the Smith Store. The Chapman store was another location of the post office.
7:50: The "hall" above the Boggs store was utilized by the freemasons as well as by groups holding social events. The location was really a community center of sorts.
8:52: Megginson asks if Eva can recall any of her neighbors while she was a youth. She can remember Mrs. Chapman and Mrs. Smith (who ran the boarding house as well as rented rooms above the Smith store).
13:01: Eva discusses the changes over the years to the lay of the land and the routes of local streets.
15:48: Eva has fond memories of her favorite swing, and relaxing on the spacious front porch.
18:10: It was quite nice being a female in a town where so many cadets were close by. There was always the opportunity for dating.
22:37: Eva worked in Washington, DC for twenty years. She briefly describes some of her experiences while there.
27:07: Eva can remember when President Roosevelt's funeral train passed through Calhoun. Huge crowds gathered along with the cadets from the college to see it pass.
28:33: Megginson thanks Eva for the interview.
29:07: Audio ends.
Side 1
00:07: Eva is 90 years old at the time of this interview. She was born on October 7, 1897.
00:44: She was born in Calhoun, in the original 7 room family house on the corner of Elm and Clemson Streets. Her father, Jerrie Payne built one of the first stores in the Calhoun area as well as owning a livery service. In 1910, the store caught fire, and it quickly spread to the family's residence because it was situated only yards away. The family had been alerted to leave the by the local night watchman. Cadets from Clemson College helped fight the fire with well water and attempted to save what possessions they could for the family. Both structures were a complete loss. The family rebuilt a new house on the same spot.
9:50: Eva's father was Jerrie Payne who was originally from Cleveland, Georgia. Her mother Elmira was the youngest daughter of Aaron Boggs. Pat Benson was a black gentleman that worked for the family.
16:00: Aunt Caroline was Pat Benson's mother. It was considered respectful to refer to the local older black women as "aunt."
17:03: Eva states that relations between the white and black communities were good as far as she knew. The two groups were always respectful towards one another.
18:57: Eva's father died at the relatively young age of forty-five in November of 1902.
20:19: Megginson reads from Eva's family bible. The bible was published by the B.F. Johnson Company in Richmond, Virginia. The copyright is 1886. Megginson reads the Payne's marriage certificate.
22:17: Eva remembers that her parents lived eleven years in Alabama before relocating to Calhoun, SC.
24:11: Eva's mother Elmira remarried after her husband Jerrie's death. She married a cousin--Reuben Boggs.
26:31: Eva and Megginson look at two old photos. They comment on how attractive Elmira was, and Eva describes a photograph of a brother named William N. Payne taken before he died as an infant.
30:05: Eva's mother was a fine businesswoman. She had been left with some considerable debt after the death of her first husband but paid everything off while managing the family's business dealings.
31:48: Audio ends.
Side 2
00:25: Eva's mother not only inherited land from her father, but also inherited much of her brother Hal Boggs's land on account that he was not good with business, and let things lapse.
2:40: Her grandfather Aaron Boggs was from around the Pickens area. Aaron was the overseer of the Fort Hill Plantation. Megginson states that the residents at the time may have been Andrew Pickens Calhoun.
3:40: At one tine Aaron Boggs lived at Cherry's Crossing, but in his later years lived at a spot known as "Pleasant Curve."
9:40: Eva doesn't believe that Aaron Boggs inherited much; rather she thinks that he made his money off of the elevated prices of cotton in the years immediately following the Civil War. Eva states that Aaron never actually owned slaves. He instead paid his workers a salary to work for him. He had a large farm and an enormous amount of land.
16:00: Aaron Boggs property stretched from his house all the way to the Ravenel Bridge.
17:19: Eva's grandmother Elmira was a wonderful, cheerful person. A reserve seat was always kept for her during Clemson graduating exercises.
19:30: The Boggs and Stephens families are well known in the local area.
21:30: Aaron Boggs had possession of several Calhoun antiques such as a piano and a four post bed.
23:53: A local train passes by the house. Eva has been around trains all her life. As a youth she would play around the trains and the depot. She admits that she was a bit "wild" as a youth, and was a "tomboy." Her sister Gracia didn't share her want for adventure.
26:21: Eva believes the original depot burned, though the newer one stands in about the same spot.
30:15: Eva can recall that Ramsey and Colonel Doyle were both depot agents.
31:48: Audio ends.
Cassette 2
Side 1
00:07: Eva briefly explains that the vase on her piano came from one of her mothers first sweethearts. It was saved from the house fire.
2:00: Although Megginson enquires about church services, Eva begins discussing school. She started going to school in Central initially, because there was no accredited school in Calhoun. She had to take the train, so her day lasted from 7am to 5pm. Mrs. Bolger was one teacher she can remember from that school. Carrie Calhoun was a teacher in a closer Calhoun area school. This schoolhouse had two rooms, a heating stove, and outdoor restroom facilities. School usually started a week after September and lasted into late spring. The school day lasted from 8am until around 4pm with one hour for lunch. Books were bought from a drugstore in Central.
11:55: Church activities are discussed. The family was Methodist, though Eva and her sister Gracia joined the Baptist's. Indeed the family seemed to have attended services at most of the local denominations.
15:10: Megginson asks Eva to think back to her childhood and describe the immediate surroundings around her family home. She can remember the brick Boggs Store across the street. At that time she can recall that two gentlemen who ran the operation were Mr. Nichols and Mr. Holden. Mr. Nichols was originally from Seneca. J.D. Morgan actually owned the store, while Nichols and Holden ran the day to day operations. Eva was a bookkeeper at the Boggs store for eleven years. She prepared statements; most buyers from the store kept a charge account.
24:40: Eva can also remember Mr. Smith's general store. Her uncle John Boggs actually started the operation, but when he was elected clerk of court, he sold the business to Mr. Smith. John Wiley Cochran also built this building.
27:59: J.W. Cochran's wife was Alice Cochran. She was originally a Boggs.
29:30: Mamie Crawford was John Wiley Cochran's daughter.
29:44: Audio ends.
Side 2
00:07: Eva is speaking mid sentence about Norman Boggs.
00:37: Megginson is interested in what Eva may know of the Cochran brickyard. It was near Hal Boggs residence. The Cochran's helped build the Textile Hall at Clemson College as well as many of the brick buildings around the local area of Calhoun.
1:50: There were differences between the Boggs and Smith stores. The Smith store was a grocery store, while the Boggs store was more of a general mercantile business that offered everything from cloth, to luggage, to hardware.
2:45: The post office was at one time located in the Smith Store. The Chapman store was another location of the post office.
7:50: The "hall" above the Boggs store was utilized by the freemasons as well as by groups holding social events. The location was really a community center of sorts.
8:52: Megginson asks if Eva can recall any of her neighbors while she was a youth. She can remember Mrs. Chapman and Mrs. Smith (who ran the boarding house as well as rented rooms above the Smith store).
13:01: Eva discusses the changes over the years to the lay of the land and the routes of local streets.
15:48: Eva has fond memories of her favorite swing, and relaxing on the spacious front porch.
18:10: It was quite nice being a female in a town where so many cadets were close by. There was always the opportunity for dating.
22:37: Eva worked in Washington, DC for twenty years. She briefly describes some of her experiences while there.
27:07: Eva can remember when President Roosevelt's funeral train passed through Calhoun. Huge crowds gathered along with the cadets from the college to see it pass.
28:33: Megginson thanks Eva for the interview.
29:07: Audio ends.
Subject
South Carolina -- Pickens County
Interviewer
Megginson, W. J.
Interviewee
Payne, Eva
Publisher
Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Repository
