Audio
Annie Williams - Pyrite Mine Memories
Transcript
Start of recording
DeAnne Evans: “Went back into the woods to the mine.”
Annie Williams: “Yeah! It went right on up to the mine – and that’s why they named it – “
Both women: “The Mine Road.”
DeAnne Evans: “And then they brought the, the pyrite or the sulfur, whatever it was, down on the railroad, down to Possum Point – that’s the mine you’re talking about?”
Annie Williams: “They will – come right here way… come right, right in this road, where it is.”
DeAnne Evans: “Oh, really?”
Annie Williams: They call it the Dinky.”
[DeAnne Evans laughs]
Annie Williams: “It looked like a little train…”
DeAnne Evans: “Yeah…”
Annie Williams: “and I have watched it going along and it would blow…”
[both women laugh]
Annie Williams: “And uh, my sister-in-law’s father – he drove it… he runs it…”
DeAnne Evans: “oh”
Annie Williams: “Yeah, my sister-in-law… my brother’s wife… her father drove that all the time.”
DeAnne Evans: “That’s what I was wondering – he was the engineer. What was his name?”
Annie Williams: “Um, John Kendall.”
DeAnne Evans: “John -”
Annie Williams: “K-E-N-D-A-L-L.”
DeAnne Evans: “Kendall.”
Annie Williams: “mm hmm… Yes he run that little Dinky – they called it a Dinky. They run from um Dumfries to [indecipherable] side.”
DeAnne Evans: “Yeah, mm hmm. And then they loaded it on the ship, didn’t they?”
Annie Williams: “uh huh, uh huh… yeah”
DeAnne Evans: “And so the school, where you went was back in near the mine, is that right? And – back in the woods.”
Annie Williams: “Yeah! Yeah, all up in there, yeah.”
DeAnne Evans: “Oh – and it’s not there anymore?”
Annie Williams: “Oh, no no.”
DeAnne Evans: “It’s gone a long time?”
Annie Williams: “Oh, lord yes…yes.”
DeAnne Evans: “That’s interesting. Where was the – did the – where did the teacher come from?”
Annie Williams: “Oh, well the teachers came from different places, had, some maybe from um Fredericksburg. Mmhmm yes we had some come from Fredericksburg. And we had uh… we had a teacher from um… uh… Fairfax. Different places like that.”
DeAnne Evans: “And the teachers were Black, right?”
Annie Williams: “Yes.”
DeAnne Evans: “Sure, okay. That’s what - they, um, but they’d gone to the high school in Fredericksburg? Maybe, or -”
Annie Williams: “They had gone to that -”
DeAnne Evans: “High school in Fredericksburg.”
Annie Williams: “that, that, they’d come to be teachers.”
DeAnne Evans: “Yeah”
Annie Williams: “Oh yeah”
DeAnne Evans: “Uh huh”
Annie Williams: “Yes, yes… And you know you didn’t have to be good to go to college, then.”
DeAnne Evans: “I know. White teachers didn’t either, right?”
Annie Williams: “Uh huh.”
DeAnne Evans: “Uh huh – when’d that start?”
DeAnne Evans: “So then when you – you were raising your babies here, your little children, and working, and you met your second husband…”
Annie Williams: “That’s right.”
DeAnne Evans: “Here in Dumfries.”
Annie Williams: “Yes.”
DeAnne Evans: “Oh…”
Annie Williams: “Yes. He um, he, he – we went to school together. He was the same year, uh, same uh year as children born in the same year.”
DeAnne Evans: “Oh-”
Annie Williams: “And, um, he had to go overseas – he went in service. And while he was in service my husband died.”
DeAnne Evans: “Mm”
Annie Williams: “And that he was in doing the war too, you know, uh - 1918.”
DeAnne Evans: “Yes. Uh he went over to France, your-”
Annie Williams: “Yes. He was over in France, and he was indeed, he was over in France.”
DeAnne Evans: “Oh…”
Annie Williams: “So we got married after he came back. We got married in 1920… My husband died in 1918 – my first husband.”
DeAnne Evans: “Your first husband died in 1918.”
Annie Williams: “In eighteen and then I was married again in, in uh…”
DeAnne Evans: “1920.”
Annie Williams: “1920.”
DeAnne Evans: “Did you live here in Dumfries? Or did you go down-”
Annie Williams: “In Dumfries.”
DeAnne Evans: “Did you?”
Annie Williams: “Yeah… I’ve been in Dumfries ever since.”
DeAnne Evans: “Ever since… you’re a real native.”
[both women laugh]
Annie Williams: “Yeah, I’ve been in Dumfries ever since.”
DeAnne Evans: “Yeah.”
End of recording
Description
“And so the school where you went is back in near the mine. Is that right? In back in the woods.” “Yeah!” “And it’s not there anymore?” “Oh, no, no.” “It’s gone a long time?” “Oh, lord, years ago.” Interviewee: Annie Williams Interviewer: DeAnne Evans Date of Interview: 7/18/88
Duration
4 minutes, 1 second
Credit
Justine Rothbart
Date Created
08/02/2011
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