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Town of Calhoun, South Carolina Oral History Collection

RamseyJ Cassette 2, Side 1

Media

Part of Interview: Ramsey, Jane Vandiver

Title

RamseyJ Cassette 2, Side 1

Source

Jane Vandiver Ramsey Interview

Date

1988-08-21

Description

Cassette 2

Side 1

00:12: The two are discussing the Hendricks house. She states that one of the Hendricks was a policeman, and his wife was a nurse.

1:12: Cochran Road did not exist as a street name when she was a youth. There weren't many houses in the area when the Vandiver's first arrived. She can remember that Clint Taylor's daughter had a house built close, as did Shorty and Elma Hendricks after the Vandiver's arrived.

2:00: Preacher Henry was another close neighbor who moved in a year after the Vandiver's. He and his family were originally from Jefferson, Georgia. He was a Methodist minister, although he didn't preach in Calhoun (retired?). The family had around eleven children: Garrett and Francis were two that Mrs. Vandiver Ramsey knew.

5:30: She cannot recall the Doyle's ever having children. Teachers from the Calhoun/Clemson school boarded with the Doyle's. "Colonel" Doyle's title was believed to be honorary. He was a station agent at the depot just prior to Tom White.

8:00: The Dillard family was another local Calhoun family. Frank lived with wife and family. He was in charge of the college laundry. She can also remember the Crawford's, Fendley's, Chapman's, Sheriffs, and Perry's. She briefly touches on aspects of the Carey house.

11:09: Her mother's name was Nina Dominic. She was from Newberry and attended college at Leesville. She taught school briefly before marrying. She was quite an artist.

11:55: The two briefly discuss a painting her mother did of her home in Newberry.

15:10: Megginson is interested in what medical and dental services were available to the community. She states that Dr. Watkins was their family doctor. Dr. Milford was the college doctor. There was a dentist in Seneca.

15:53: Megginson asks Mrs. Vandiver Ramsey what reading materials were available to Calhoun locals. The Greenville News was popular. There was a national publication known as The Grit. The family received a monthly publication known as the Liberty Magazine. As a child she read Anne of Green Gables, and in later years Ben Robertson's Red Hills and Cotton, and enjoyed them both.

18:37: Megginson is interested to know if Mrs. Vandiver Ramsey was familiar with the King family. The family apparently moved to the Calhoun area while she was in college. Mr. King may have been involved with the local post office, though she didn't really know the family well.

20:37: The two discuss the Smith boarding house. She can recall that many Federal Board Men stayed there in the years after World War I.

22:14: She can remember the Clemson cadet walkout of 1920. She can recall cadets strolling about town, and catching rides on the train. As a girl she would sweep the porch to the cadence of the marching band as they practiced.

23:48: Megginson thanks Mrs. Vandiver Ramsey for the interview.

24:05: 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.