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SEGMENT: TOWNS, RACE-RELATIONS, & RECOLLECTIONS

Marie South Williams>UIS Collection T-Z>UIS Collection T-Z, Segment 20

SEGMENT: TOWNS, RACE-RELATIONS, & RECOLLECTIONS,

duration 20:00
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TOWNS
Coal mining and the railroad were important in early 1900s in DeSoto. Memories of different modes of transport - buggy, horse, car, milking cow in a field, & pension. Businesses included mill and store. Has to store flour in bins; insects hatched out. Big and little stores in town. Big one had the only bank. All closed because of fire and tornado or death of manager. Blacksmith, wagon and wheel maker shop
ACTIVITIES
Remembers attending medicine shows and plays like Little Eva and Uncle Tom's Cabin with her uncle the policeman and other relatives.
RACE-RELATIONS
No blacks were allowed in DeSoto. During miner's strike, black workers were trained into town by mine company to break the strike. Violence ensued. Blacks lived in Colp, north of Carterville.
RECOLLECTIONS
Remembers a bald doctor, Dr. Spring, whom she invited to her history class (she was a teacher) to present a program on Indian artifacts. She took her girls' basketball team to play in Colp.