The Anacostia Oral History Project Collection contains 39 oral history interviews with 42 individuals who either grew up in or spent a considerable amount of time in the neighborhood. Interviewees discuss their memories of Anacostia dating back to the 1890s and points of focus include education, occupations, transportation, geographic boundaries, and recreational and community activities. The interviews were conducted and recorded on audiocassettes in 1975 through the Center for Anacostia Studies and the Anacostia Community Museum. Most of the interviews have been digitized and are accessible in the archive on CDs.
Anacostia Oral History Project 1974-1975, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
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The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Amelia J. Verkerk in 2023.
This series contains 39 oral history interviews of 42 individuals discussing Anacostia and their relation to the neighborhood primarily for the first half of the twentieth century. A few of the oral histories have two individuals in one oral history interview. Some of the oral history interviews include transcripts, interview forms, and notes. Five of the oral history interviews have been transferred to CDs and are located in Box 5 of Evolution of a Community exhibition records. This series is arranged in alphabetical order by the interviewee's first name.
Almore Dale was interviewed by John Tetrault in June of 1974. There is no digital audio file, cassette, interview notes, or transcript available for this interview. The oral history control sheet is available.
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Cabell Bayne Marbury, a white man born on August 16, 1902, talks about being born and raised in Anacostia and the history of the neighborhood. He describes how many men went into the Navy or worked as carpenters, mechanics, and other laborers; how the Bonus Marchers were "burned out" of Anacostia; and how he was the chairman of the Rationing Board in Anacostia during World War II. Marbury goes on to discuss the different community groups he was a part of, including the Lions Club and Anacostia Citizens Association.
Marbury includes information about the boundaries of Anacostia and how it was subdivided into three communities: Uniontown and Congress Heights where white residents lived, and Barry Farms (Hillsdale) where African American residents lived. He speaks about the different recreational activities at the time, the epidemics the neighborhood faced in the early twentieth century, and the transportation at that time. He remembers the major churches growing up, such as Bethlehem Baptist and St. Phillips, and being a member of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church when George Davenport was the rector. He discusses Frederick Douglass, his historic home, and his remaining family in Anacostia.
Throughout the interview, Marbury talks about important families in the neighborhood, including the Jenkins, the Christies, the Bealls, the Banks, the Dales, and the Penns, and historic landmarks, such as the German Orphan Home and the Episcopal Home for Children. He ends the interview talking about his father and the typical family life of Anacostia when he was growing up.
Cabell Bayne Marbury was interviewed by Donna Coates and Wanda Dickens. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
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Charles Greene's last name is sometimes misspelled at Green.
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Charles Greene, an African American man born on December 9, 1919, describes living in Anacostia from 1928 to 1942. He talks about the Bonus Marches and how they were "burned out" after only one summer; about the recreation available then, including swimming in the Anacostia River and sleigh riding on hill by Campbell AME Church; about politics and why most African Americans were Republican before the war; and about different landmarks in the neighborhood, such as the Frederick Douglass Home, Anacostia Bank, St. Elizabeth's hospital, and Willow Tree Park. He also discusses the transportation (Anacostia Freight Station), education (Birney School Community Center and Dunbar High School), and the churches he remembers growing up (Campbell AME Church, Bethlehem Baptist Church, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help).
Greene recalls many important community members, such as Ethel Greene (his aunt), John Henry Dale Jr., James Banks, Floyd Patterson, and Dr. Arthur Walker. He speaks on the Barry Farm Civic Association and how it functioned as well as what they tried to accomplish and the racial tension the group faced when working with white residents. Greene ends the interview talking about the changes he sees in the neighborhood.
Charles Greene was interviewed by Wanda Dickens on October 17, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for the most part.
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Charles Williams, an African American man born on August 24, 1887, discusses his early days in Anacostia and what life was like for most of its residents in the first half of the 1900s. He talks about different occupations he held; about the available transportation at the time; about education and schooling (before and after his time); about various recreational activities in the community; and about raising children in the neighborhood. Williams provides information about his immediate family, including his wife and parents, as well as prominent residents in the community (the Shipleys and the Dales) and their respective businesses. He speaks about church attendance at Metropolitan AME Church, movie-going, the police force, and integration.
Williams speaks about his time in Anacostia as a guard for various governmental agencies during the 1940s and 50s. He ends the interview remembering about meeting Frederick Douglass as a child, visiting his historic home, and reading the book Williams owned about him, "The Life of Frederick Douglass."
Charles Williams was interviewed by Donna Coates and Wanda Dickens on September 17, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for the most part.
Clifton Pleasant, an African American man born in 1907, describes what Anacostia was like growing up, with no indoor plumbing and only a wagon for transportation. Children usually went to high school, but few graduated because the high schools were across the river. He discusses the differences he notices with children being raised in the neighborhood today. Additionally, he talks about crime as a bigger problem today than when he was growing up, when no one locked their doors at night. He recalls important landmarks in Anacostia, such as St. Teresa's Catholic Church, Anacostia Bank, and Eureka Park.
Pleasant speaks about the German family (Haas) he knew of in the neighborhood as well as other prominent families nearby, such as the Dales, Sayles, and Williams; about the police station and police officers; and about school and the classes he took as a child. He ends the interview recommending other community members to interview.
Clifton Pleasant was interview by Wanda Dickens on August 19, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
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Earl Shipley, an African American man born on November 28, 1907, discusses his father, Dr. Rezin Shipley (who was a pharmacist in Anacostia until 1923), and other businesses in the area at that time, such as the Sayles Coal Yard, Mason's Funeral Home, and Dyson's Barber Shop. He also talks about his mother, Fannie Johnson, who was a substitute teacher at Birney Elementary and a night schoolteacher at Georgetown University, and about his sister and aunts.
Shipley describes what life was like living in Douglass Hall during his early childhood years, when the second floor was a dance hall, residents lived on the third floor, and businesses were on the first floor. He mentions how businesses were segregated by Morris Road, with black-owned businesses being north of the road while white-owned businesses were south. He speaks about his neighbors and their different businesses as well as the police force and nearby schools.
Earl Shipley was interviewed by John Tetrault in August of 1974. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard for some parts.
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Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Ed Smith (historian with the National Park Service) was interviewed by Donna Coates, Wanda Dickens, and Louise Daniel Hutchinson on July 8, 1975. There is no digital audio file or transcript available for this interview.
Effie Beall, a white woman who was born on November 19, 1896, talks about growing up near Capitol Hill and the stories her father, James Beall, would tell her about Anacostia, including about the Bonus Marches and the malaria epidemic. Beall mentions different community members who bought property in the area and could be helpful for these interviews. She describes how the neighborhood was "like a village" and how close the various families and community members were. She remembers Dr. Bury's Drug Store, and how Dr. Airs, a female pharmacist, took over his practice. She also recalls her father speaking about the nicknames the community gave several policemen, such as "Baby Snatcher Brown" and "Bulldog Jones."
Beall talks about the friends she grew up with, reading the newspaper with her father, and the various recreational activities she enjoyed as a child. She speaks about the three different communities that made up Anacostia: Congress Heights, Hillsdale, and Uniontown. She includes information about how these communities were segregated and divided by streets and about how integration drastically changed these communities, creating issues with crime and housing. She ends the interview talking about important Anacostia residents and what their lives are like now.
Effie Beall was interviewed by Wanda Dickens on November 14, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
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Elizabeth Money discusses what Anacostia was like after moving to the neighborhood in 1925 with her husband, Frank E. Money. She describes how the neighborhood has improved much of its infrastructure, including paving its streets, adding sidewalks, and labeling major roads. She speaks about public education and transport in the 1920s and 1930s, recalling how most of the children finished school through the 8th grade in Anacostia or Randall Highlands; what recreation was popular at that time, such as bingo and dances at St. Francis Xavier; and what she recalls about Bonus Marches.
Elizabeth Money was interviewed by Wanda Dickens on September 10, 1975. There is no digital audio file, cassette, or transcript available for this interview; interview notes are available. This scope and content was written using the available interview notes.
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Ella Howard Pearis, an African American woman born in 1901, discusses her family history, tracing back to her great-grandparents who were some of the first residents in the newly established Barry Farms. She talks about the house her grandfather built on Elvan's Road prior to 1877 that Pearis still resided in with her son and grandson; about how her paternal great-grandfather, James Thomas Howard was a minister and the first president of Barry Farms Civic Association; about her maternal great-grandfather worked for Larz Anderson; and about her family purchasing many shares of PEPCO stock. Pearis also includes information about other prominent Anacostia residents, such as James Banks (banker), Emma Smith (schoolteacher), and Dr. Georgiana Simpson (Howard University professor).
Pearis describes the changes in the Anacostia around the 1940s and 1950s, including the construction of public housing and schools, integrating of the different neighborhoods, and the migration of Anacostia residents to the other side of the river. She recalls Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy and Silas' Barbershop as well as St. Elizabeth's and Douglass Hall. She continues to explain her mother's side of the family and their involvement in the community. She briefly speaks about her father who was a piano player.
She discusses the Barry Farms Civic Association, the Barry Farms Recreation Center, Miner's Normal Teaching School, and Dunbar High School. Pearis ends the interview talking more about Anacostia history and many of its prominent residents. Ella Pearis was interviewed by John Tetrault. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for the most part.
Elsie Patterson, an African American woman born on December 16, 1904, speaks about her time and people she has met in Anacostia in the last thirty years. She discusses the education in her neighborhood, such as Birney Elementary and different schoolteachers, and the recreation available then, including Anacostia Park and church events at Campbell AME Church. Patterson recalls important landmarks in the neighborhood, such as the Anacostia Bank, St. Elizabeth's Hospital, and Anacostia Park by the Anacostia River. She also talks about family structures and the closeness of the community.
Patterson also provides information about transportation, such as the public bus system and carpooling, as well as the geographical boundaries and how Anacostia was segregated. She ends the interview discussing the policemen, Reverend James Coates, and the Dale family.
Elsie Patterson was interviewed by Donna Coates on October 8, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
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Ethel K. Graham Greene, an African American woman born around 1894, discusses about her life and family history in Anacostia, starting with her father moving to Anacostia from Meridian Hill in 1888. She talks about her maternal grandparents living in Canada to escape slavery and her paternal grandparents bought freedom for their children, including Greene's father, Captain George D. Graham, who later fought in the Civil War. She provides information about her father's involvement in the government and different civic associations as well as the prominent families he worked with, such as the Douglass, Banks, Hoffman, and Moten families.
Greene speaks about Douglass Hall and the many businesses that occupied, including the second fall dance hall, the Shipley's Pharmacy, and the Sayles' confectionery store. She describes her husband's family and how many of her in-laws were doctors and lawyers in Washington, D.C. She discusses her employment through the federal government in various departments, such as the Bureau of War Risk Litigation and the Office of Special Education.
Throughout the interview, Greene recalls important places for Anacostia residents, such as parks (Eureka and Green Willow), schools (Birney Elementary and Dunbar High), and churches (Campbell Church and Bethlehem Baptist). Greene concludes the interview talking about the Howard family and the recent city planning projects for Anacostia.
Ethel K. Graham Greene was interviewed by John Tetrault on February 27, 1975. There is no digital audio file or cassette available for this interview; transcripts of the interview are available.
Ethel K. Graham Greene's name is sometimes misspelled as Ethel G. or P. Green.
Floyd Jenkins' first name is sometimes misspelled as R. Lloyd or Rlloyd.
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Floyd Jenkins, a white man born around 1894, begins the interview describing his family who have lived in the area since 1810 when Thomas Jenkins, bought land in what would become Congress Heights. That plot of land was Burche's Venture (Congress Heights) and was later sold to Thomas Jenkins Jr., Floyd's great-grandfather. He talks about different antiques, papers, and artifacts his family has collected over the years. He recalls the Navy Yard Bridge, the Overlook Inn, the Southeast Community Hospital, Adolphus Gude's florist shop, and Dr. Bury's Pharmacy.
Jenkins provides information about the history of Anacostia, including historical events such as the Bonus Army March, as well as what the community was like while growing up. Throughout the interview, he discusses prominent community members, such as Frederick Douglass (abolitionist), Buddy and Sunny Owens (farmers), Dr. Richard Mudd (physician), and Frank Murray (undertaker). He mentions the neighborhood flooding, the transition from horse cars to street cars, "asylum hill" (St. Elizabeth's Hospital), and the German Orphan Asylum.
Jenkins speaks about different types of businesses people owned in the area, including florists, brick layers, farmers, doctors, and pharmacists. He ends the interview talking more about the history of Anacostia through different wars.
Floyd Jenkins was interviewed by Wanda Dickens on October 17, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
Geneva Craig, an African American woman born on January 24, 1903, talks about her late husband, Richard Craig, a long time Anacostia resident and nephew of Frederick Douglass. She speaks about shopping at Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy as well as attending Campbell AME Church and how Moses Cooke helped save the church from being sold. She goes on to discuss other community members and families that are well known in Anacostia, including Hannah Swardson, Charles Williams, and Mack Taylor.
Craig recalls her husband working at St. Elizabeth's Hospital as a cook and her aunt, Laura Jefferson, was employed at the Episcopal Home for Children as a domestic worker. She also explains how her neighborhood (Barry Farm-Hillsdale) is predominately made up of black residents with a few white and Jewish shop owners on Nicholls Avenue. She also mentions different recreational activities in Anacostia, such as Mantis Park and Douglass Hall.
Geneva Craig was interviewed by Donna Coates originally on September 26, 1975 and re-recorded the interview on October 16, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for the most part.
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
George Trivers, an African American man born on April 24, 1907, discusses growing up in Anacostia from the age of five. Trivers speaks about various landmarks and notable community members as well as his education and family life in Anacostia. He talks about how segregation affected the neighborhood, particularly with schools and other public spaces, such as libraries and playgrounds. He describes the overcrowding and poor housing plans that affected Anacostia; how families purchased land in Hillsdale; and how investors and taxation impacted the families in the community. He mentions a community hearing that residents attended and presented at to fight back against the neighborhood being called a "slum area" and to address housing issues.
Trivers goes on to talk about racial discrimination, such as government identification cards registering African Americans as either "Light Brown" or "Black" and segregated dormitories at universities. He explains more about his time in the Naval Academy, learning about various oaths and ceremonies as well as taking academic classes and physical education.
He discusses his higher education, parents, raising three sons with his wife, Meta, and various recreational activities in the neighborhood, including church picnics, picking fruit, and playing football. Trivers also talks about typical family life in Anacostia; about the various occupations he held, including being a bellhop and a WPA program worker; and about the Bonus Marchers, veterans demanding their bonus certificates.
George Trivers was interviewed by Wanda Dickens and Donna Coates. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for the most part.
Henry Sayles Jr., an African American man born in 1903, talks about the history of Anacostia and how his family moved to Barry Farm-Hillsdale neighborhood from Virginia before he was born. He recalls his experiences growing up in Anacostia. He remembers banking at the Anacostia Bank, shopping at Eastern Market and Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy, and playing at Green Willow and Eureka Park.
Sayles discusses his brother, Frank Sayles, his sister, Louise Sayles Ball, and his father, Henry Sayles Sr., who owned various business around Anacostia, including a confectionery store and Sayles Coal Yard. He includes information about farming and gardening in the neighborhood as well as about St. Elizabeth's and different stores around Nichols Avenue and Douglass Hall. He ends the interview talking about how the community of Barry Farm-Hillsdale felt separate from the African Americans on the other side of the Anacostia River and from the rest of Anacostia.
Henry Sayles Jr. was interviewed by John Tetrault in July of 1974. Digital audio files include significant white noise and static; interviewee can be heard for some parts.
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Hortentia Harris was interviewed by John Tetrault in August of 1974. There is no digital audio file, cassette, or transcript available for this interview. Oral history control sheet is available and says to "see MackTaylor transcript." Unfortunately, there is no transcript for the Mack Taylor interview and the digital audio file has too much white noise and static.
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Irving B. Yochelson's last name is sometimes misspelled as Yocheson.
Irving Yochelson, a white man born on November 26, 1905, talks about growing up just outside of Anacostia on the top of Good Hope Road and how his father operated a country store while his mother was a midwife at Providence Hospital. He discusses the history of his neighborhood, which was originally called Uniontown until the end of the Civil War when the name changed to Anacostia and how Barry Farm-Hillsdale and Congress Heights were not a part of the neighborhood. He recalls his grandfather's business, Dr. Bury's Drug Store, attending Stanton Elementary School, and later banking with Ledru Koontz at Anacostia Bank.
Yochelson includes information about different families he knew growing up, such as the Jenkins, the Campbells, and the Dietrichs. Yochelson goes on to explain more about Garfield and Barry Farm-Hillsdale history and provides newspaper clippings of historical events. He ends the interview describing the Bonus Army and the King Cotton store.
Yochelson was interviewed two times by Wanda Dickens on October 22,1975 and October 22, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
(Rev.) J.J. Clark was interviewed by Donna Coates on December 10, 1975. Digital audio files include significant white noise and static; interviewee cannot be heard for most parts. There is no transcript available for this interview. The oral history control sheet is available for this interview.
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James Banks, an African American man born in 1920, discusses growing up in Anacostia from 1920 to 1953 before moving to complete a master's degree at the University of Pittsburg. Banks returned to Southeast, Washington D.C. in 1963. He talks about the demographics of the neighborhood when he first lived there as well as important landmarks to residents, such as Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Anacostia Bank, and the Frederick Douglass Home. He speaks about Birney Elementary and Dunbar High School, noting how most people finished grade school and had some high school education. He provides information about typical recreation, such as playing baseball and swimming in the Anacostia River; attending church plays and picnics; and going to different playgrounds.
Banks recalls what life was like before indoor plumbing and what the average family was like. He mentions Douglass Hall, where organizations like the Masons would meet and people owned shops like Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy. He ends the interview listing prominent community members and their contributions to Anacostia, including Emma Smith (schoolteacher), Laura Robinson (schoolteacher), John Henry Dale Jr., Elzie S. Hoffman (musician), Martha E. Ellis.
James Banks was interviewed by Wanda Dickens on September 22, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for some parts.
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James E. Coates, an African American man born around 1930, discusses his life before and after moving to Anacostia in 1957. Coates talks about being born and raised in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, attending Gethsemane Baptist Church, which his grandfather, James Thomas Harvey, founded in 1912, and playing many sports and musical instruments as a child. He provides information about his education at Howard University's School of Religion and how he was offered a position as minister at Bethlehem Baptist Church in 1957.
Coates speaks on his participation with various community organizations, such as the National Association for Advancement of Colored People, Garfield Douglass Civic Association, Congress Heights Neighborhood Development Program, Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association, and Southeast Neighborhood House, as well as with the local Parent-Teacher Association, including at Birney Elementary and Savoy Elementary Schools. He ends the interview discussing his current political involvement and his growing family.
Rev. James E. Coates was interviewed by Donna Coates on June 24, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for the most part.
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Jennie Greene Smith's first name is sometimes misspelled as Jenny; her maiden name is sometimes misspelled as Green.
Jennie Greene Smith, an African American woman born on January 29, 1907, talks about the different neighborhood families, including the Ellis, Williams, and Dale families, she grew up with in and around Anacostia until 1938. She speaks about the closeness of the neighborhood families and the typical multi-generational homes in Anacostia. She describes the community's transportation services, parks, churches, local businesses, and schools available at a time when many public spaces were segregated.
Smith includes information about historical landmarks in the neighborhood, including the Frederick Douglass Home, Douglass Hall, a former community center, and the Anacostia Bank. She discusses friends and family, specifically her husband, Stanley Smith, and her sister-in-law, Florine McLendon, and their education at Miner's Normal School for teaching.
Jennie Greene Smith was interviewed by Donna Coates. Stanley Smith was also present during the interview. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for some parts.
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Everson Patterson's first name is sometimes misspelled as Averson.
John and Everson Patterson discuss their family tree and highlight prominent family members as well as their neighbors, including Miss Davenport and her mother Miss Dyson, Graham Mitchell, and Mr. McKenzie. They also talk about the various police officers they knew, such as "Bulldog Williams," and the different local businesses, such as Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy and Millers Hardware Store. John and Everson Patterson speak about Birney Elementary School and its teachers as well as existing family in Anacostia.
John and Everson Patterson were interviewed by Wanda Dickens. No digital audio file due to tape failure at the time of the interview; interview notes are available.
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John Saunders, an African American man, talks about his business, Saunders Barber, as well as the other businesses that were on the same block when he opened his shop. He recalls Williams Grocery Store, Pearl Beauty Salon, a tailor shop, and Dr. Walker's Pharmacy that was on the same block in the 1930s. He mentions other grocery stores in the area and comments that the Williams Grocery Store was the cheapest and John Williams had built the store himself. He describes other local businesses, most of which were run by neighborhood families.
Saunders discusses how the neighborhood changed when Suitland Parkway was constructed, tearing down local businesses like the Miller's Store (a general store) and one of the community's oldest churches. He lists other nearby churches that are still standing, including St. Philip's Church, Macedonia Baptist Church, and Bethlehem Baptist Church. He includes information about Eureka Park and Green Willow Park. about as well as the two funeral homes in the area, Mason's Funeral Home and Smoot Funeral Services. He ends the interview about talking all the land owned by Arthur Morrissett and how John Williams will know more of the history of Anacostia.
John Saunders was interviewed by John Tetrault in 1974. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
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Ledru Koontz's full name is Wilbur Ledru Koontz.
Wilbur Ledru Koontz, a white man born on March 26, 1902, and his family lived in Anacostia, where his father owned a store, the L. E. Koontz Hay and Feed Store. Koontz recalls many German immigrants in the neighborhood, residents using horses and wagons to get around, shopping with local merchants, and doing business with the Anacostia Bank. He talks about beginning his career at the Anacostia Bank in 1917 when he was 15 years old; what banking was like in Anacostia at that time (including serving both white and African American community members during the Jim Crow Era); and local businesses he frequented both as a banker and as a resident.
Koontz discusses local businesses, such as Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy, as well as the business he did with different churches and congregation members when he worked at Anacostia Bank. Throughout the interview, he names prominent community leaders, such as Norman Dale, Irving Yochelson, and Helen King.
Wilbur Ledru Koontz was interviewed by Cassandra Smith-Parker on November 18, 1975. Digital audio files include significant white noise and static; interviewee can be heard for some parts.
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Louise Sayles Ball was interviewed by John Tetrault in June of 1974. There is no digital audio file, cassette, or transcript available for this interview. The oral history control sheet is available where she lists other people who should be interviewed.
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Mack Taylor was interviewed by John Tetrault in August of 1974. There is no digital audio file or transcript available for this interview. The oral history control sheet and a "Greater Southeast Washington" booklet are available.
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Mack Taylor was interviewed by John Tetrault. Digital audio files include significant white noise and static; interviewee cannot be heard for most parts.
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Marguerite Butler Johnson, an African American woman born on February 23, 1913, and her husband, James Johnson, an African American man born on November 16, 1912, discuss being born and raised in Anacostia. They talk about the different families they grew up with, attending church every Sunday, and the various stores they shopped at. The Johnsons speak about segregation in the neighborhood, such as Anacostia High school not allowing African American students. They also touch on how there was little crime in the neighborhood and little need for police officers until the 1950s.
The Johnsons describe important landmarks in Anacostia, including Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the German Orphan Home, Green Willow Park, Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy, and the Anacostia Bank. They recall the Bonus Marches as well as the Hoover and Roosevelt administastions. They end the interview naming prominent community members, including John Williams, Ella Pearis, James Banks, and James Smoot.
Marguerite and James Johnson were interviewed by Donna Coates on October 9, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for the most part.
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Marvin Moon, an African American man who was born in 1902, describes what Anacostia was like when he moved there as a young man in 1923 for work. He talks about how the neighborhood was segregated, the long-standing community members he knew (such as John Williams, John Henry Dale Jr., James Smoot, and Emma Smith), and the different shops he would visit, such as Dyson's Barbershop, William's Grocery Store, Miller's General Store, and Dr. Scott's. He lists nearby churches, including Campbell AME Church, Bethlehem Baptist Church, St. Philip's Episcopal, and Macedonia Baptist Church as well as mentioning the police force, the transportation in the neighborhood, and the Anacostia Bank.
Moon includes information about sanitation and electricity in Anacostia during the 1920s and 1930s, including having an iceman make deliveries in the warmer months. He discusses his farming in Congress Heights and how people sold beans and potatoes. He recalls playing in Green Willow Park and visiting Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy in Douglass Hall. He ends the interview talking more about transportation in Anacostia, specifically when mules, horses, and wagons were phased out by streetcars and taxies.
Marvin Moon was interviewed by Donna Coates on November 4, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
Maurice Hill, an African American man born on April 12, 1911, speaks about being born in Anacostia and growing up there until he was a teenager. He explains the typical family structure of the husband going to work and women worked in the home. His mother, however, worked as a charwoman for six months and his father was a driver for a hardware store for $7.00 a week. He discusses the changing demographics after he moved back to Anacostia as well as how many of the landmarks he remembered as a child are gone now, such as Douglass Hall, Anacostia Bank, and Bohanon's Taxi service.
Hill talks about going to school at Birney Elementary and children attending through high school; going hunting for rabbits and muskrats in neighborhood parks; the flooding and swamps in Anacostia; and the first self-service store in the area, the Piggy-Wiggly. He describes how close the congregations used to be in Anacostia, recalling his mother singing in church choir and playing craps with his minister, Howard Johnson. He mentions the police force as well as the different churches in Anacostia, including Campbell AME Church, St. Philip's Episcopal Church, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Throughout the interview, he names prominent community members, such as Emma Smith, Raymond Bumbry, Henry Phillips, the Dale family, and the Greene family.
Maurice Hill was interviewed by Wanda Dickens on October 10, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
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Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Norris Scott, an African American man born on November 13, 1888, discusses his family history in Barry Farms and what growing up in the Anacostia neighborhood was like. He talks about different occupations he had, such as digging ditches and plumbing; Douglass Hall and other businesses, including John A. Moss's Law Firm, Sayles Coal Yard, Mason's Funeral Home, and Slaughter's Blacksmith Shop; and recreation, like visiting Green Willow Park and Eureka Park.
Throughout the interview, Scott talks about prominent community members, including Georgianna Simpson and Emma Smith (schoolteachers), Captain George Graham (Civil War sergeant) and his daughter Ethel Greene, Elzie S. Hoffman (musician), Raymond Bohannon (taxi driver), and the Edmonson family (abolitionists and activists). He explains how many prominent families are related in Anacostia, including the Greene, McKenzie, Campbell, and Mason families. Scott also talks about being an original member of St. Phillips Episcopal Church. He ends the interview speaking about different homeowners and their houses in Anacostia.
Norris Scott was interviewed by John Tetrault on February 24, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts. The interview is cut short by the passing of a train.
Norris Scott's first wife, Marguerite E.C. Butler, is not the same person as Marguerite E. Butler, the wife of James Johnson (also both in this collection).
Raymond Fillius' last name is sometimes misseplled as Fillers.
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Raymond Fillius, a white man born on December 18, 1888, talks about being born and raised in Anacostia when the neighborhood only had street cars and horses for transportation. Fillius mentions how the part of Anacostia he grew up in was predominately white, while African American residents lived in the Barry Farm-Hillsdale area. He remembers some contact between Hillsdale and Uniontown residents and seeing Frederick Douglass walking down Trouble Street. He discusses going to Van Buren Elementary School until the 7th grade before dropping out of school to work and attending parties and church at Emmanuel Episcopal Church where he sang in the boys' choir.
Fillius discusses the typical family in Uniontown being close-knit, with the average family size around six people. He talks about how his father, Joseph W. Fillius, was from Bavaria, Germany and passed away before he turned two years old; how his mother, Mary A. Fillius, remarried and passed away in 1916; and how the neighborhood had little crime and knew most of the police officers. He ends the interview touching on the Bonus Marches and how transient the neighborhood has become.
Raymond Fillius was interviewed by Wanda Dickens and French Nickens on October 01, 1975. The interview begins at 00:32:07. Digital audio files include some background noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for the most part.
Raymond McKenzie, an African American man born on May 1, 1898, and his sister-in-law, Nellie Marshall McKenzie, an African American woman, discusses being born and raised in Anacostia, remembering the prominent families (such as the Dale, Sayles, and Butler families) and churches (such as Bethlehem Baptist Church and St. Philip's Chapel). He talks about notable businesses and landmarks in the neighborhood, including Mason's Funeral Home, Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy at Douglass Hall, Dyson's Barber Shop, and the paint shop owned by his father, Walter McKenzie. Additionally, he speaks about the type of transportation then, such as horses and wagons, street cars, and bicycles and about recreation and sanitation in the neighborhood during his younger years. He briefly recalls his father talking about Frederick Douglass.
Raymond McKenzie describes the racial tension in Congress Heights and Uniontown as well as the railroads in the neighborhood and using the Anacostia River for baptisms. He ends the interview talking about the Navy Yard and the Bonus Army in Anacostia.
Raymond McKenzie and Nellie Marshall McKenzie were interviewed by John Tetrault in July of 1974 and Raymond was re-interviewed by Donna Coates on August 20, 1975, because the first interview was not taped. Nellie Marshall McKenzie was not present for the second interview. Raymond McKenzie's wife, Gladys McKenzie, was present for the interview and called "Speaker 3" in the interview transcript. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts. There are no digital audio file, cassette tape, or interview notes available from the first interview.
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Robert Dyson, an African American man born around 1888, discusses his time in Anacostia, with a focus on his work as the owner and operator of Dyson's Barbershop on Howard Road. He talks about important community members and families, including Samuel Lucas (business owner), Dr. Earl Shipley (pharmacist), and Robert Pendleton (printer). He also speaks about St. Philips Chapel, Mackall Spring and Butlers Spring in the Anacostia River, and the Silas' Barbershop. Dyson ends the interview describing what life was like in the community growing up.
Robert Dyson was interviewed by John Tetrault. Digital audio files include significant white noise and static; inaudible until 00:31:03; interviewee can be heard for some parts after.
Ruth Hoffman King's full name is Ruth Sylvia Hoffman King.
Ruth Hoffman King was interviewed by John Tetrault in August 1974. There is no digital audio file, cassette, or transcript available for this interview. The oral history control sheet is available.
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Sallie Underdue's first name is sometimes misspelled as Sally.
Sallie E. Underdue, an African American woman born around 1909, talks about what Anacostia was like when she was younger, remembering her time at Dunbar High School and Miner Teaching College. She provides details about Jenny Simpson's Hat Shop, Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy (Dr. Rezin Shipley was her uncle), and Dr. Hamilton's dentistry as well as more information about the segregated communities of Barry Farm-Hillsdale and Uniontown. She discusses popular music at the time, such as saxophonist Elzie S. Hoffman and ragtime composer Scott Joplin. She also describes how her father, Bruce Underdue, was strict about her attending public events, so she used to go walking in the evenings to Green Willow Park.
Underdue speaks about how different neighborhood families were related or connected to each other, such as the Graham and Greene families and the Andersons and Howards. She recalls her work as clerk at the Veterans Administration, a receptionist at Mason's Funeral Home, and a teacher's aide at St. Philip's Episcopal Church as well as her involvement with the National Sewing Council of the United States. She goes on to discuss her family, including her five brothers and sisters and numerous nieces and nephews.
Sallie E. Underdue was interviewed by John Tetrault on December 9, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard for some parts.
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Stanley Smith, an African American man, describes how closeknit the community of Barry Farm-Hillsdale was while growing up. He discusses different details about his childhood, remembering the novelty of a camera and how his great uncle was a part of the construction of new schools in Anacostia. He also talks about the black owned businesses in the area, like Dyson's Barbershop and Williams Grocery Store, he used to frequent as a child. He mentions schoolteachers in the area, including Emma Smith, Florine McLendon, and his sister, Gladys Smith. He provides information about the changing attitudes towards terms about race, such as "Negro," "colored," and "Black."
Smith recalls playing baseball, going to Lincoln Theater, and attending Birney Elementary School with the relatives of the comedian, Loretta Mary Aiken (known by her stage name "Moms Mabley"). He also includes information about transportation issues around Nichols Avenue and having to cross the bridge to attend high school; Douglass Hall and which businesses were inside; which churches and schools people attended; different prominent families, including the Smoot, Wilkerson, and Mason families; and the rising crime rate in Anacostia.
Stanley Smith was interviewed by Wanda Dickens on August 20, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for the most part.
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Thomas W. Turner, an African American man, talks about his time as Howard University student who lived in Meridian Hill but spent considerable time in Anacostia meeting many of its prominent residents, including Frederick Douglass. He recalls Douglass's funeral at Campbell AME Church as well as other important landmarks in the neighborhood, such as St. Elizabeth's Hospital and Douglass Hall. Turner discusses what Anacostia was like during the 1880s and 1890s, describing the transportation and education at that time. He lists prominent community members and their families he got to know, including the Smoot family, the Dale Family, Garrett Wilkerson, Dr. Lucy Moten, Robert Dyson, and the Douglass family.
Turner provides information about the churches he knew of in the area (Campbell AME Church, Bethlehem Baptist Church, and Emmanuel Episcopal Church) as well as recreation available to African American residents at that time (Green Willow Park and Eureka Park). He ends the interview detailing more about public education in Washington, D.C., and Howard University.
Thomas W. Turner was interviewed by Donna Coates on August 19, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for some parts.
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Virginia Hool's full name is Juanita Virginia Hool.
Juanita Virginia Hool, a white woman born on January 26, 1907, discusses what Uniontown was like while growing up. Hool describes the doctors, post office, police force and fire department as well as the problems with sanitation, malaria, floodings, and road work in Anacostia. She talks about how only white residents could buy homes at the time; how a few residents were Italian, Greek, and Chinese and owned different businesses; and how close community members were to the police officers. She speaks about transportation, education, telephones, and recreation in the neighborhood.
Hool speaks about her family, especially her brother, Major John E. Bailey, who fought in Japan during World War II. She continues to discuss his treatment as a veteran after he retired from the military. She ends the interview talking about the book she would like to write about her childhood and growing up in Anacostia.
Virginia Hool was interviewed by Wanda Dickens. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for some parts.
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
This series contains the cassettes that recorded the meetings held by the Anacostia History Society from March 1975 to May 1976. This series is arranged in chronological order.
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.