Archive Record
Metadata
Accession number |
2003.030 |
Catalog Number |
2003.030.001A |
Object Name |
Audiocassette |
Date |
2003 |
Title |
Oral History Interview with Freida King Campbell and Peggy King Fosty |
Scope & Content |
Oral history interview with Freida King Campbell and Peggy King Fosty, daughters of Sea Willa Kilgore and Fred King of the Mott community in north Bossier Parish. Interview: Freida King Campbell and Peggy King Fosty June 26, 2003 Nita Cole, Archivist and Kitty Coyle, Researcher Freida and Peggy's parents were Sea Willa Kilgore and Fred King. He was a bus driver for the Plain Dealing school district. Their father came to Bossier from Shongaloo but Sea Willa, who was born in 1905, grew up in the north Bossier parish community of Mott. Sea Willa's parents were Kate Anderson (1879 - 1946) and James F. "Dock" Kilgore (1875 - 1962). The Kilgores farmed about 500 acres in Mott at the turn of the 20th century. Sea Willa attended a one room school at Red Land, then transferred to the new Plain Dealing High School where she played on the women's basketball team. She graduated in 1924 and earned a scholarship to Louisiana Normal College. She attended the Normal for two years. She married Fred King in 19 ____ and together they had four children - Katherine, Bo, Freida and Peggy. Katherine worked with Clark Williams in the telephone company that was later to become Century Tel. She was the bookkeeper and helped to sell stock in the developing company. Note: Archival collection contains a large framed hand colored photograph of Sea Willa and her sister, Dora, taken about 1908. The portrait is on exhibit at the Plain Dealing Library. [Mrs. Cole]: Mrs. Campbell, can you tell me when and where you were born please. [Mrs. Campbell]:I was born in 1928, March the 3rd in Sikes, Louisiana and then moved up to Mott when I was just a maybe two or three years old and stayed there until I graduated in 1944. [Mrs. Cole]:You graduated from Plain Dealing High School? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. Who were your parents? What were their names? [Mrs. Campbell]:His name was Fred King. He was a school bus driver there. She was Sea Willa Kilgore King. [Mrs. Cole]:Where they from the Plain Dealing area or from Mott? [Mrs. Campbell]:She was from Mott. Dad was from Shongaloo. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. Shongaloo. Who were her parents? [Mrs. Campbell]:"Dock" Kilgore and Kate Kilgore. Everybody knew 'em as "Dock" so. [Mrs. Cole]:Were they farmers? Were her parents farmers? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Do you know when they came to Bossier Parish or did she ever talk about that? [Mrs. Campbell]:Whew gosh. He was a young man, very young man when he came there from Alabama. [Mrs. Cole]:From Alabama? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. Was he married at the time or did he meet… [Mrs. Campbell]:No, no. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. So he married a Louisiana girl. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes, yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Now do you know what her maiden name was? [Mrs. Campbell]:Anderson. [Mrs. Cole]:Anderson. Do you happen to know who her parents were? [Mrs. Campbell]:No. (laughing) That's a shame. [Mrs. Cole]:That's all right. I mean, what we're trying to do is get you placed, you know, when people will read this later on they'll want to know who your family was and that sort of thing. Tell me, did you remember your grandparents? Were they still alive? [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh sure. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. Well, tell me something about them. What was your grandmother like? [Mrs. Campbell]:Well, she was my idol. I loved her dearly. [Mrs. Cole]:Why was that? [Mrs. Campbell]:Because I was her pet. (laughter) But she was great cook and of course just a home body. My granddad had farm hands that they farmed and picked cotton and all that kind of stuff. We even helped to pick some of the cotton. [Mrs. Cole]:You did? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Do you know how big his place was? How many acres? [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh, I would say around possibly 500. [Mrs. Cole]:That's a fairly large spread. [Mrs. Campbell]:I'd say about that. I'm not for sure because I never have really sat down and broke it down. [Mrs. Cole]:Now, did y'all live all together? Did you live with your grandparents? [Mrs. Campbell]:No, they lived in the center of us. It was the grandparents and the youngest son and his family lived in one house. Then we lived just north, just down the road a little piece. Then the oldest brother lived just south of us. [Mrs. Fosty]:About four or five blocks. [Mrs. Cole]:Right. [Mrs. Fosty]:They were city blocks. [Mrs. Cole]:So there were three in that family? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:So they just all stayed there. [Mrs. Campbell]:Right there. [Mrs. Cole]:Yes, that's just great. So y'all all grew up together? [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh yes, yes. [Mrs. Cole]:In a family compound. Did you have a lot of cousins? [Mrs. Campbell]:There was six of us. No, three, six… [Mrs. Fosty]:Aunt Myrtis had three. [Mrs. Campbell]:…nine. It was nine of us and we all stayed right there until we went off to college or got married. [Mrs. Cole]:So tell me a little bit more about your grandmother. You said she liked to cook. What were some of her favorite recipes that you liked? [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh my gosh! (laughing) All I can remember is, you know used to they cooked all day and they left it on the table all day until supper, put a cloth over it. But we always wanted one of her biscuits with the syrup all in it. Stick a hole in that biscuit and put the syrup in it. (laughter) [Ms. Coyle]:Stick a hole in it, yes and it would run through. [Mrs. Campbell]:But she made real good dumplings. Then at Christmas, you know, they'd cook, my gosh, three or four days baking and what have you. [Mrs. Cole]:Tell me what would she typically cook for dinner. I mean, she would cook biscuits probably and salt meat for breakfast. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes and then things she got out of the garden. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. So she tended her garden. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Did you help her any? [Mrs. Campbell]:No. (laughter) [Mrs. Cole]:You were the pet, right. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. (laughter) Yes, she had _____________________... [Mrs. Fosty]:The women, the kids. [Mrs. Campbell]:…that helped her a lot. You know that. [Mrs. Cole]:Do you know how many hands were on the place? [Mrs. Campbell]:No I would say . . . We've got a letter in all of this stuff from Smart Robertson begging my granddaddy to help get him out of the war (laughing) because he wanted to come back and help him farm. So it had to be about, I would say maybe eight adults, plus their children. [Mrs. Cole]:So was that families? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. Did they live on the place too? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. Did your grandfather provide the housing or did he build housing for them? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Had they been there for a long time? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes and there's one still living in Plain Dealing. Della Reese, Della Ray, Della Ree - do you know her? Everybody in Plain Dealing knows old Della. (laughing) [Ms. Coyle]:It sounds really familiar, yes. [Mrs. Campbell]:She's there in Plain Dealing. [Mrs. Fosty]:I guess she'd be the only one that's still alive. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. Well her kids. They grew up there. [Mrs. Cole]:Do you remember any of the other family names of some of the hands? [Mrs. Fosty]:What was their names? [Mrs. Campbell]:Robinson. [Mrs. Fosty]:Dora. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes, Dora and oh gosh, Della, I don't remember her husband's name. I didn't pay that much attention to it to tell you the truth. [Mrs. Cole]:Did you play with their children? [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh yes! We learned the jitterbug from those… (laughter) [Mrs. Cole]:Oh that's great! [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes, yes. [Mrs. Cole]:So y'all all grew up together. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Well, did you have any chores at home when you were growing up? [Mrs. Campbell]:Well yes. If mother had a wash day, we had to help her with that. Then my oldest sister who's dead, she did the cooking and I just was a gopher. That's all I could do was just run and get this and run and do that, bring in the stove wood, draw water from the well, you know, and that type of thing. [Mrs. Cole]:Now describe your home. What did it look like? [Mrs. Campbell]:Well we had a living room, dining room, kitchen, three bedrooms and a little back porch and a wrap around porch on the front. But no indoor plumbing, no running water, no electricity. [Mrs. Cole]:Now was it a log house? [Mrs. Campbell]:No. [Mrs. Cole]:Lumber, plain lumber. [Mrs. Campbell]:Lumber. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. So like a bungalow style, maybe. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes, yes. [Mrs. Cole]:So it was fairly new then. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. Was it constructed, did your parents construct it themselves when they got married? [Mrs. Campbell]:Well I guess they did. I did really know who built it. I know it was built after they moved back there. He roughnecked a lot. [Ms. Coyle]:Is it still there? [Mrs. Campbell]:Pardon? [Ms. Coyle]:Is it still there? [Mrs. Campbell]:No. [Mrs. Fosty]:The grandparents' house is still there. [Ms. Coyle]:Really! [Mrs. Fosty]:Yes. It looks bad. [Ms. Coyle]:Where is it? [Mrs. Campbell]:Mott. [Ms. Coyle]:Down at Mott. [Mrs. Fosty]:Jerry Kilgore, one of his grandsons lives in it and it needs a lot of work. [Ms. Coyle]:We ought to go look at it. [Mrs. Campbell]:Do you know, well now, this is not the home that I knew. The old home that I knew is gone. [Mrs. Fosty]:It's the one that I knew [Mrs. Campbell]:But this one is about 60 something… [Mrs. Fosty]:It's over 66 years old, probably 70. [Ms. Coyle]:It was built in the 30's maybe? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes because I remember playing up under the house, the old one. You know used to you'd get up under there and have old snuff bottles as little cars. Y'all wouldn't know that. (laughter) We had our own entertainment you know. [Mrs. Fosty]:____________________________. We never had any grass. [Mrs. Cole]:Tell me what your grandparents' home looked like. Was it an older home? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes, it had the dog trot in the center. It was up off the ground, you know, maybe three or four feet…plenty room for us to play under there. [Mrs. Cole]:Was it four rooms? [Mrs. Campbell]:It was, gosh I was so young when they tore it down. I would say it had the kitchen on one side of the dog trot, you know. And then the dining room and possibly two bedrooms on the other side. [Mrs. Cole]:But they tore that down and built a new… [Mrs. Campbell]:The one that's there now. [Mrs. Cole]:So, it must have been fairly old at the time. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. I'm sure he must of built it when they got married. I don't know. [Mrs. Cole]:Do you know when they married? [Mrs. Campbell]:No, I found when I was calling myself doing genealogy, (laughing) I found their marriage certificate. But, I don't know when it was. [Mrs. Cole]:Did they marry in Bossier Parish? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:'Cause we have an index of marriages so when you... [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh do you. [Mrs. Fosty]:His brother, my granddaddy and his brother, married sisters. His brother and his wife also lived in Mott. [Mrs. Campbell]:See mother was born in 1905. So, my granddaddy had been married before. He married a Rogers. The oldest son, Rayford Kilgore, was by his first wife. Then our mother and the youngest brother was by our grandmother. But, that had to of been back…well like I say we got that old receipt from 1901 when he used Dr. Keoun. So that was back in the 1800's when his home was built. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. Did your mother ever talk about what it was like when she was growing up? [Mrs. Campbell]:Well I know they had to walk to Redland to school. Then she had to come in to town. [Mrs. Cole]:Did she talk about the school any? [Mrs. Campbell]:Just a little one room schoolhouse and she made excellent grades. Oh, and I had something I had somebody fix it in a shadow box for me. Well, she had to board in town to go to high school, you know. [Mrs. Fosty]:Who she boarded with? A Coyle? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes, it was a Coyle she boarded with. [Mrs. Fosty]:Ruth. [Mrs. Campbell]:She was a good friend of your daddy and them. I know I've heard her talk about 'em too much. But when she graduated… [Mrs. Fosty]:They were big buddies. Willie Waggoner. [Ms. Coyle]:Oh really. [Mrs. Fosty]:They were big buddies. [Ms. Coyle]:She would have been about my daddy's age 'cause he was born in 1904. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well she was born in '05. But when she graduated from high school (I've got this in my shadow box), the superintendent of schools just wrote one sentence showing she was entitled to a scholarship to Normal State College. (laughter) That was the scholarship. [Ms. Coyle]:That was something in those days. [Mrs. Cole]:Yes. Well did she go? Did she take it? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh wonderful. [Mrs. Campbell]:She became a teacher. [Mrs. Cole]:Now when was she at the Normal? [Mrs. Fosty]:Well she was born in 1905. [Mrs. Campbell]:She graduated in '24 so it had to have been '25, '26. [Mrs. Cole]:Wasn't Mrs. Bryant, Mrs. Tidwell (Clara), didn't she go like '26, '27? [Ms. Coyle]:And I think Aunt Audrey did too. Audrey Strayhan. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Ms. Coyle]:Remember we were talking about Audrey Strayhan. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Ms. Coyle]:That's my great aunt. [Mrs. Campbell]:Because see, let's see, those girls on the back there I think there's a Strayhan on there. No. It's Denibal Peyton, Inez Heftner, Madge New, Marie McKeller, Mattie Sentell, Lucille Wright and Hazel Sanders. [Ms. Coyle]:Oh yes, I know…can I see? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Ms. Coyle]:Hazel Sanders, that's Leon's sister. She was…oh my goodness. [Mrs. Cole]:Her mother's the one on the end, Sea Willa. Now where she'd get the name? That's a beautiful name. [Ms. Coyle]:I love her name. That's a beautiful name. [Mrs. Fosty]:It's an Indian name. [Mrs. Campbell]:I have no idea. And it's spelled two words, Sea Willa. [Mrs. Fosty]:'Cause Uncle Buddy's name was Rayford and Uncle Rupert. So she was the only one with an odd name. [Mrs. Campbell]:When she started teaching school… [Ms. Coyle]:So this is her on the right and this would be Ms. Hazel. She that's Paula's aunt and she looks kind of like Paula. [Mrs. Cole]:Aren't they cute? [Ms. Coyle]:That is precious. [Mrs. Campbell]:When mother started teaching school, it was over in the River Bottoms there at Plain Dealing. She's told us so many times her oldest brother was taking her over there to board at somebody's house and she saw my dad out in the cotton field weighing cotton. She just made the remarks said, "That's the man I'm gonna marry." And she did. (laughter) [Ms. Coyle]:Love at first sight. [Mrs. Fosty]:That wasn't the story I heard. (laughter) [Mrs. Cole]:Ok, now let's hear the other story. (laughter) [Mrs. Fosty]:I thought he was working in the oil field 'cause I can remember her saying the daddie's locked their daughters up from the rough necks come around. [Mrs. Campbell]:But that was after they married and they started because back in those days she said when one crew left the town, oil field workers, they didn't want to rent to anybody else. And she said at one time we lived in a chicken house in Magnolia. (laughter) [Ms. Coyle]:We could stand to get a good scan of this. [Mrs. Cole]:Yes, we have the picture up at Plain Dealing. [Ms. Coyle]:We do? [Mrs. Cole]:I had the choice between… [Mrs. Campbell]:_______________________________ got that one also. She has _________________________________________________. [Mrs. Cole]:But we also have that one also and I was trying to decide which one… [Mrs. Fosty]:Well the names should be the same standing if you could… [Mrs. Cole]:Right. The one I put out was framed and this one wasn't framed so that even though that one was a much cuter picture. [Ms. Coyle]:I love the way they're lying with their feet up in the air. [Mrs. Cole]:I know and their hands under their chin. It's just darling. [Ms. Coyle]:Oh isn't that cute? [Mrs. Cole]:So your parents moved around quite a bit since he was in the oil field. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes until… [Mrs. Fosty]:In the early years. [Mrs. Campbell]:…yes, in their first years of marriage and then he started driving school bus when I started to school. [Mrs. Fosty]:And he was a butcher at Turnely's Store. [Mrs. Campbell]:And he quit yes, at Turnley's, butchered there at Turnley's for a while. Played dominoes at Jack Dexter's Pool Hall. (laughter) [Ms. Coyle]:Yes, they all did that didn't they? (laughter) [Mrs. Cole]:Yes. That was the social life there. [Ms. Coyle]:I was telling her about the pool hall. I mean that went on for many, many, many, many years. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh yes. [Mrs. Fosty]:You can still talk to somebody in Cotton Valley and mention Myrtis Finley's husband. "Is Fred King your daddy? Oh God he could play dominoes." (laughter) [Mrs. Cole]:My heavens. Well, how often did he go? Was it weekly? [Mrs. Campbell]:Well I think he stayed there everyday after he drove the school bus in to work. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh, ok. [Mrs. Campbell]:Because he lived seven miles out he'd just go down there and hang around till it's time to pick us up and take us home, you know. I don't know how mother endured it. (laughter) [Mrs. Cole]:That's makes sense when you think about it rather than driving all other the countryside. Well, so you say your mother taught school in the Bottoms. Is that over around Wardview all in there? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:If wonder if she taught any of the one's that we've been interviewing so 'cause she would have been there in the 20's or so. [Mrs. Campbell]:And I don't know who she lived with over there ______________. [Mrs. Fosty]:Over where? [Mrs. Campbell]:In the River Bottoms when she was teaching school. I never did really get into that. It's a shame we don't… [Mrs. Cole]:See that's why we are taping you now to make sure that we do it. [Mrs. Campbell]:And I said my kids they're not gonna know anything either, you know. (laughter) [Mrs. Cole]:Well they'll have this transcript. [Ms. Coyle]:They will now. [Mrs. Cole]:Yes, they will have this transcript. Now when she married, did she quit teaching school? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. Then she settled down to raise a family. How many children did they have? [Mrs. Campbell]:Four. [Mrs. Cole]:They had four. Now are you the baby? [Mrs. Campbell]:No, I'm the middle. This is the baby. (laughing) [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. [Mrs. Campbell]:And our brother and older sister are dead. [Mrs. Cole]:What are their names, your brother and sister? [Mrs. Campbell]:Katherine. We called her "Kat" over there but everybody else called her "Kitty." She started out with Clark Williams with the Century Tel Telephone just the two of 'em when it was originated. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh, she did. [Ms. Coyle]:We would really want to do some research on that. [Mrs. Cole]:Now did she talk about that? I mean, what was that like? [Mrs. Campbell]:Well, it was just, well it was she and Clark and Walter Frank. It was three of 'em. Of course, he went around trying to get people to buy into it, you know, buy stock into it. Then it just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. He was one of the most wonderful people I think you could ever work for, Clark Williams was. But, he's built a…'course they're all dead. Clark is. [Ms. Coyle]:Did he live in Plain Dealing? [Mrs. Fosty]:Marion. [Mrs. Campbell]:No. Clark lived in Oak Grove. His sister-in-law lived in Plain Dealing, you know. I'm having a senior moment. (laughter) [Ms. Coyle]:Maxie. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes, yes. [Ms. Coyle]:Maxie Arnold. [Mrs. Campbell]:Maxie Arnold, yes. [Ms. Coyle]:But I thought she was a Lee before she married. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well she was. I guess Clark must of married her sister. Maybe that's what it is. [Ms. Coyle]:I think that's something their families were related, their siblings somehow. [Mrs. Campbell]:I guess so because I know she had an interest in the telephone company. [Ms. Coyle]:Yes, Mr. Lee, her daddy I think, and Mr. Clark Williams were partners in the beginning. [Mrs. Fosty]:So I guess Clark's wife was a Lee. I just never did, like I said, connect them. [Mrs. Cole]:Now, what did your sister do? [Mrs. Campbell]:She was the bookkeeper and then as they…and she was a self-taught bookkeeper. And as they got to growing, she would have to go to these other places they bought and close out their books and do all that, you know. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh so they bought out other local services, exchanges. [Mrs. Campbell]:All over the United States. [Mrs. Cole]:Do you know when she started working for them? [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh gosh. [Mrs. Fosty]:When did it start? [Ms. Coyle]:From the very beginning. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:So she was their first bookkeeper. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:And then she traveled? [Mrs. Campbell]:Well, she'd go to different states when they'd buy new companies. They had, I think at one time he was the 10th largest independent operator in the United States. And if you've never seen his office in Monroe, I said it looked like a winged hospital. It was huge. But it's a new generation running it now. [Mrs. Cole]:But they were pioneers. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh yes. [Mrs. Cole]:I mean, we're real interested in that. In fact, we were just talking about that. "Oh, you need to talk to someone who knows something about the phone company." So, how long did she work? She worked her entire career. [Mrs. Campbell]:She worked there, yes, until she died in '86. [Mrs. Fosty]:No she died in '82. She probably worked until about '80 'cause she _____________________________________________. [Mrs. Cole]:So did she have a family? Did she marry? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Fosty]:She had four children. [Mrs. Cole]:So they lived in Monroe? [Mrs. Campbell]:No they lived in Marion. That's where the office originated in Marion and then it just moved to Monroe several years before she died. [Mrs. Fosty]:Who's that lady we visited over there that used to work for the telephone company? She could tell 'em what want to know. [Mrs. Campbell]:Dawn Gulley or Louise. I want to say her name is Williams. (Note, her name is Jones.) [Mrs. Fosty]:The Spinster we went to see. [Mrs. Campbell]:Louise. I don't know whether her last name was Williams or what. She was a switchboard operator at the time over there. [Ms. Coyle]:The only one I remember was Annie Bell. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh really. [Ms. Coyle]:You remember Annie Bell Moore? [Mrs. Fosty]:No, no. [Ms. Coyle]:She's the one I remember when I was a little girl knew everybody's business. (laughter) [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh Louise was like that. (laughter) [Ms. Coyle]:I've often wondered what happened to her. [Mrs. Campbell]:But they said when Clark opened his office there in Marion after a few years, the post office became A-1 post office or whatever they rank 'em. And said they had to send somebody down there to check it out because, oh gosh, they didn't have probably a thousand people in town. But they had so much mail going out, you know, after the business settled down. [Mrs. Cole]:That's just amazing isn't it? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes it is. [Mrs. Cole]:Now you had a brother. What was his name? [Mrs. Campbell]:James Ray King. Everybody knew him as "Bo" in Plain Dealing. He went to school there for several years. [Mrs. Cole]:Did he live in Plain Dealing after that? [Mrs. Campbell]:No. He moved around. He was in the oil business. He built plants. He went over to England and built an oil refinery over there and then to Holland. He was in Mendenhall, Mississippi when he died but he had retired from the oil field, the oil business. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. Tell me about when you went to school. Where did you first go to school? [Mrs. Campbell]:There in Plain Dealing. [Mrs. Cole]:Right there in Plain Dealing. [Mrs. Campbell]:Right there. (laughing) Ms. Keoun was my second grade teacher. [Ms. Coyle]:Mine too. (laughter) My mother's too. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. Esther Boggs was in there. [Ms. Coyle]:Taught me. [Mrs. Campbell]:Mrs. Wisenhunt, I don't know whether she was there when you were or not. [Ms. Coyle]:No, I didn't have her. [Mrs. Campbell]:Ok. The Gleasons - Maurice and Lillburne Gleason. [Mrs. Fosty]:Mrs. Dexter. (laughter) [Mrs. Campbell]:And Mr. Phillips. [Mrs. Cole]:Mr. Phillips. What was your favorite subject? Tell me what you like about school. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well, I think my favorite subject was probably typing and then English. And of course we didn't play any of the sports because we lived out in the country and… [Mrs. Cole]:You had to go home. [Mrs. Campbell]:You couldn't participate, you know, 'cause you had no way to get back to town. [Mrs. Cole]:And that's a shame since your mom was a basketball star. (laughter). [Mrs. Campbell]:I know it! I know it! And she was a certified lifeguard after she moved to Cotton Valley. She taught nearly all the young people and a lot of the adults. We had a big Olympic sized swimming pool there in Cotton Valley. And she taught and everything over there how to swim. [Mrs. Cole]:So she's very athletic. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. And then she was librarian there at the Webster Parish Library in Cotton Valley. [Mrs. Fosty]:She was a substitute teaching also. She was just __________________________. [Mrs. Cole]:Yes. So she wasn't a homebody then. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well, in a way I guess she was because she never did want, but after dad retired, she took the job as librarian there in Cotton Valley and thoroughly enjoyed that job. [Mrs. Cole]:Now was she a big cook? Did she enjoy cooking too? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes, she really did. [Mrs. Cole]:Did she tend to garden like her mother did? [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh yes, yes. (laughing) [Mrs. Fosty]:She'd rather work outside than in. [Mrs. Cole]:Yes. [Mrs. Fosty]:I'm the same way. (laughter) [Mrs. Campbell]:Not me. (laughter) [Mrs. Fosty]:When I was in school it was an understood, an understanding I guess. She'd work outside and I'd clean house and cook a little. (laughing) But she'd much rather be outside. [Mrs. Cole]:Well, did she sew? [Mrs. Campbell]:No, no. [Mrs. Cole]:No, not at all. (laughter) Did you grandmother sew? [Mrs. Fosty]:Quilted. [Mrs. Cole]:She quilted. [Mrs. Campbell]:No I don't guess Nanny sewed either. I never did know of her sewing. [Mrs. Fosty]:She had a sewing machine. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well. (laughter) She didn't sew though. [Mrs. Cole]:So she didn't make… [Mrs. Campbell]:No. [Mrs. Cole]:…she didn't make all of her clothes. Your grandmother didn't make all of her clothes. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well I guess they had to of make 'em. I just never did see her doing it. [Mrs. Fosty]:Could have been Della or Dora might of made 'em. [Mrs. Campbell]:(laughter) I don't know. [Mrs. Cole]:Now did your grandmother go shopping frequently or was she just at home all the time? [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh no. At home. They never owned a car until… [Mrs. Fosty]:Wasn't anywhere to go shopping. [Mrs. Campbell]:…oh gosh, I was nearly, I guess I was a sophomore or junior in high school before they ever owned a vehicle. [Mrs. Fosty]:Went to town in a wagon. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes 'cause we used to ride out there on the belt on the wagon of cotton, you know, early in the morning - so much fun. But then coming back up in the day… [Mrs. Cole]:Hot. [Mrs. Campbell]:…without any cotton under us. (laughing) Because it took a long time to ride those seven miles in a wagon. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh, I bet it did. So tell me about what was Plain Dealing like when you, I mean, you're living out in the country. [Mrs. Fosty]:Well it was thriving! (laughter) Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. Good. [Ms. Coyle]:Especially on Saturdays, huh. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well that was the day everybody liked. [Ms. Coyle]:I told her about how Saturdays you go into town all day. [Mrs. Campbell]:We had all kind of clothing stores and grocery stores, a theater, skating rink… [Ms. Coyle]:Hat shops. [Mrs. Campbell]:…drug stores. Just a real good place to live. [Ms. Coyle]:Two car dealers. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. It was a wonderful place to live back then. [Mrs. Cole]:So you didn't feel any need to have to go into Shreveport or into Bossier City. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh, I didn't get over here twice in my entire life. (laughter) No, gosh, we had no business over here. (laughter) [Mrs. Cole]:So if you rode the cotton wagon in on the morning and obviously your granddad is gonna be, you know, over at the gin and selling the cotton… [Mrs. Campbell]:That was my granddaddy. [Mrs. Cole]:…your granddaddy. What were y'all doing during the day? [Mrs. Campbell]:Hanging around with him waiting for him to give us a penny or a nickel too. (laughter) Oh, it was a lot of fun. [Mrs. Cole]:And then you'd go and spend your penny and go buy some candy or something like that. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Fosty]:We went up there Saturdays. Freida made the comment when you turn off of the highway that goes to Sarepta, it used to be a little store right there. She would walk that quarter of a mile with a penny. (laughter) [Mrs. Campbell]:A penny used to buy a lot of candy! (laughter) [Ms. Coyle]:Yes that's right. They called it "penny candy." [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes and get a sack full. [Mrs. Fosty]:Went to the little store and got a sack full of candy and walk back home. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well we, __________________ you know you just had to make your own entertainment. We rode bicycles a lot and there was one guy out there. You might remember him, Willie B. Martin. [Ms. Coyle]:Oh yes. [Mrs. Campbell]:He was the only one that had wheels back in those days. (laughter) And we'd beg him to take us all into town. There'd be about 10 or 12 of us on the back end of that old truck, you know, coming to town. (laughter) That was a big deal then for us. [Mrs. Cole]:Yes. So going to town then was kind of a highlight… [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh yes. [Mrs. Cole]:…of the activity. Did you date a lot when you were in high school or was someone willing to go out seven miles to pick you up or did you come in to dances? [Mrs. Campbell]:The only thing I remember coming to was our prom at graduation because we just didn't have any way to go. We didn't have a vehicle other than the school bus. Daddy would bring that in on the Saturdays and load up everybody that wanted to come to town, you know. [Mrs. Cole]:So what would you do if you're not coming in town, what would you do on the farm? [Mrs. Campbell]:Just play outside until it got completely dark and then go in and take one of those old tub baths. (laughter) [Ms. Coyle]:That's what we did too. [Mrs. Campbell]:Made your own entertainment. [Ms. Coyle]:You were outside unless you were eating or going to bed. [Mrs. Campbell]:You just played. [Ms. Coyle]:Yes, you just played. [Mrs. Fosty]:With cousins. [Mrs. Cole]:Did y'all read a lot? Did your family own a lot of books? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes and the book mobile that used to come through there that was a big highlight. [Mrs. Cole]:How often would they come? [Mrs. Campbell]:I guess about once a week. [Mrs. Cole]:Once a week, twice a week? [Mrs. Campbell]:I don't remember. But, oh that was so much fun to go in there and pick out your books. And other than that really and going to the little church there having the preacher down for Sunday dinner. [Mrs. Cole]:Now what was Sunday dinner like? [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh it was that fried chicken, you know. (laughter) [Mrs. Cole]:Now did you raise your own chickens I would guess. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes, yes. [Mrs. Cole]:So it was start to finish. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes and back in those days the adults ate first and then if there was any left, the children got it. (laughter) It has kind of changed over the years. [Mrs. Cole]:What about holidays? Tell me what was Christmas like out in the country. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh it was wonderful. 'Course we didn't have anything but it was back during the depression. [Mrs. Cole]:Did you have a tree? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:What kind of tree would you have for your Christmas tree? [Mrs. Campbell]:Well, we'd cut down a little cedar or a pine. Now grandmother always had a holly that she made her snow out of flour and water, you know, and put on the leaves… [Mrs. Cole]:Oh my goodness. [Mrs. Campbell]:…and wrap sweet gumballs in foil for little ornaments. [Ms. Coyle]:I've seen that. [Mrs. Campbell]:And then have string cranberries… [Mrs. Fosty]:Popcorn. [Mrs. Campbell]:…and popcorn and we'd put real little candles on ours one year but that's kind of dangerous. [Ms. Coyle]:A lot of people had holly trees. [Mrs. Campbell]:And I know one of the best Christmas's, I guess, me and my sister, oldest sister, got a used bicycle together. (laughter) Oh gosh, we thought we had died and gone to heaven, you know, to have a bicycle. And we'd let the little colored boys ride when they come and rake the yard for us. Instead of us having to do it, we'd let them ride the bicycle (laughter) if they worked hard. [Mrs. Cole]:Did you have just a paved highway, I mean, where would you ride? [Mrs. Campbell]:It was dirt. It was dirt. [Mrs. Cole]:Yes, ok. [Mrs. Fosty]:There was no gravel, pavement out there. [Mrs. Campbell]:No, gosh. [Mrs. Cole]:Then you mentioned that your grandmother would bake for Christmas. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Would you all go to her house? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes because we all lived right there, you know, and it was wonderful. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh it did sound great. Now, what about Fourth of July or other holidays? Did y'all celebrate? [Mrs. Campbell]:No I don't…oh now Fourth of July granddaddy always dug a pit and had a pig, you know, but I think the men got down there and kind of got in their beer while they was digging. (laughter) [Ms. Coyle]:They used to do that. They'd stay up all night _______________. [Mrs. Campbell]:Watching that pig. (laughter) [Ms. Coyle]:My family did that too. [Mrs. Cole]:Somebody had to keep an eye on it, huh? (laughter) [Mrs. Campbell]:We would ___________________________ on peach liquor. (laughter) We would go down to Bodcau in the wagon and camp out every once in a while and our granddaddy would swim with us. I can remember how the women had to stand over that open fire, you know, and fry the fish. I don't know how they did it. [Ms. Coyle]:I don't either. [Mrs. Campbell]:I don't know how they did it. [Mrs. Cole]:But it taste so good. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh it was so much fun. [Mrs. Fosty]:____________________________ wash pots that they put fire under to wash clothes. (laughter) And then Bo got real sick swimming. When was that? [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh that was in '45 when I was in college 'cause I can remember mama saying that they used… [Mrs. Fosty]:Was penicillin in? When penicillin was first discovered. Mrs. Cole]:Used. [Mrs. Fosty]:Maybe not discovered but…and they used more penicillin on him than had ever been used on anybody. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh my goodness. [Ms. Coyle]:Well did he have typhoid? [Mrs. Fosty]:He had septicemia from swimming in Bodcau I guess. [Mrs. Campbell]:He was in a coma four or five days. We were in college, me and my older sister and they hadn't told us anything about it. And when we came home on the bus to Shreveport, cousin Molly picked us up and then he started driving and he was going the other way. We wanted to know where he was going and he said, "Well we're going to see Bo." He said, "He's dying." That's the first we knew about it. [Mrs. Cole]:Now was he a cousin? [Sisters in unison]:No he was our brother. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh, you called him "Bo." [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. And he got that name (laughter) mama said when he was born. Daddy look at him and he said you know Earl Long had a bodyguard by the name of Bo and he used a few little choice words and he says, "Another Bo." He thought he was so ugly. (laughter) But he made a good looking man. (laughter) [Mrs. Cole]:Oh, bless his heart. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. He said he made a promise to God that if he let him live he wouldn't smoke, drink or curse and I don't guess he ever did now. [Mrs. Fosty]:Well he smoked one of my cigarettes when mama died. (laughter) [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. But when he was down in south Louisiana at one of the plants down there, one of the men told his wife said, "Mr. King just never cusses." And he was going to get on 'em. So he went home one day and he said, "Well I heard him cuss." He mashed his finger and he said the "S" word. (laughter) That was the cuss word. (laughter) [Mrs. Cole]:Now, you graduated in '44. Is that correct? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Tell me about the war, World War II. How did that affect the town? [Mrs. Campbell]:Well all the boys, you know, left. We had, I don't know maybe four or five in our graduating class because most of 'em were gone. [Ms. Coyle]:Did they get drafted or they volunteered? [Mrs. Campbell]:They volunteered and then when I went on to college, I don't imagine there was oh maybe 20 civilian boys down there. And our football team was made up… [Mrs. Cole]:Where did you go to college? [Mrs. Campbell]:Northwestern. Our football team was made up…we had 2,000 sailors and marines stationed at the college at the time and they made up the football team. We had one as a drum major. If it hadn't been for them, we wouldn't have had any activities on the campus. [Mrs. Cole]:During the war, did you, your brother wasn't old enough to serve. [Mrs. Campbell]:No, no. [Mrs. Cole]: What about any of your cousins? Did you have anybody from your family? [Mrs. Fosty]:Daddy had a brother, Uncle Ed. And Uncle Rupert, mama's brother, was a medic. [Mrs. Cole]:So it was close to home then. [sisters in unison]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:And particularly, I mean, if those boys you had gone to school with. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh yes, and the Wikes. I don't know if you remember them or not. Wayne Wikes he was about our age. He volunteered and he was one of the first ones killed at Iwo Jima right off the bat, you know. [Ms. Coyle]:Your brother, did he have to leave? [Mrs. Campbell]:He was not old enough. [Mrs. Fosty]:He was too young. [Mrs. Cole]:So they volunteered while they were still in high school then and gosh and they took 'em. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Ms. Coyle]:I remember before it was over, they were drafting 17 year olds before then. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well my husband's brother was 15 and he lied about his age and joined the Navy. [Mrs. Fosty]:Look at Audie Murphy. And he had, you know, his sister give him permission to join. But he was only what 15. He turned out to be the most decorated soldier in history. [Mrs. Cole]:So after you graduated from college…did you graduate from college? [Mrs. Campbell]:No. [Mrs. Cole]:You just went down for… [Mrs. Campbell]:I went a couple of years and quit. [Mrs. Cole]:…a couple years. Then did you marry? [Mrs. Campbell]:Well I came back and worked here in Shreveport a while out at Barksdale. [Mrs. Cole]:What did you do in Shreveport? What was your first job? [Mrs. Campbell]:Out at the, oh gosh, I think it's called "Beaird" now. It's a plant way out south past down below Cedar Grove. It was an ammunition depot at the time. I worked out there and did the typing, you know, office work. Then I went to Barksdale and worked as a key punch operator at the SAC (Strategic Air Command) division. And then I quit that and went home and slung hash a little while - married. (laughter) I worked in a little restaurant there in Cotton Valley a while and got married. [Mrs. Cole]:Now, when did your family move and why did they move to Cotton Valley? [Mrs. Campbell]:Well they moved there in '45. I think dad wanted to go back into the oil field business. [Mrs. Cole]:Were your grandparents still at Mott? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Fosty]:Not Nanny. When did Nanny die? [Mrs. Campbell]:Nanny died when Shiela was a baby. That's still there. [Ms. Coyle]:Wonder how they felt about y'all leaving and how your mom felt about it. [Mrs. Campbell]:I don't imagine she liked it at all (laughter) 'cause before she died she always kind of wanted to go back over there to live. [Ms. Coyle]:That a shame, isn't it? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes because gosh it was just too far from anything, you know, and she was in bad health. So there was no way she could go back. [Mrs. Cole]:So what was it like in the 30's and the 40's that after you came back from college and now you're working, I mean, that's a very different lifestyle than growing up on a farm. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. But, I don't know everybody was still just really close, you know. Back in those days everybody so close to one another. [Mrs. Cole]:So you kept in contact with the family? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. And I'll tell you this. I thought it was funny when we had our first class reunion after so many years. A bunch was sitting around talking and I said something to one of 'em. I said, "Oh I always thought y'all were so rich 'cause you had store bought bread, you know, in your lunch." And they said, "Well Freida we thought y'all were rich 'cause you had biscuit and ham." (laughter) I thought oh gosh. [Mrs. Cole]:Well the biscuits and ham probably tasted a lot better than that old store bought bread. (laughter) [Mrs. Campbell]:I don't know. Not to this kid it didn't. [Mrs. Cole]:I've had a lot of people tell me that that they would envy what they call that "white bread" that sliced bread. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Coyle]:Did y'all live in town in Cotton Valley? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. Oh yes. (laughter) We lived two doors from the school. But it was a good little town back in those days. [Ms. Coyle]:It's almost gone now. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh gosh it makes you cry when go back up there. [Ms. Coyle]:I do, too. [Mrs. Fosty]:It's like we had theater, we had a car dealership and now there's nothing. [Mrs. Cole]:Like Plain Dealing. [Mrs. Fosty]:They don't have a grocery store anymore. [Mrs. Cole]:Were there other people that lived in Mott besides your family, I mean, were there neighbors? [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh yes, yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Did you see them often? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Can you remember the names of some of the families? [Mrs. Campbell]:Well the Casons, and the Lynns, and the Matlocks, and the Andersons, Gordons. [Mrs. Fosty]:Who's going with Benny Matlock now? [Mrs. Campbell]:Eloise Cason. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh Mrs. Cason, I met her. [Mrs. Campbell]:And I see her brother the other day. [Mrs. Fosty]:McKenzies lived there. The McKenzies and the Cal Casons. [Mrs. Cole]:You seen her brother passed away. [Mrs. Campbell]:Eloise's brother was buried. I believe he was buried, gosh I don't know, the first of the week maybe. I don't remember. [Mrs. Cole]:Was it in The Times? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. I sent her a card, but I didn't get to go to the funeral. [Mrs. Cole]:And you say you brought some other pictures. What did you bring? [Mrs. Campbell]:Just, well that high school picture there and then these receipts and bills from the family. [Ms. Coyle]:When did y'all first get electricity? [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh Lord it was after we left home because we had those Aladdin Lamps they called them back then. [Mrs. Fosty]:Coal oil. [Mrs. Campbell]:The Aladdin Lamp was just a little mantle thing in it. [Ms. Coyle]:I remember when we didn't have electricity. [Mrs. Campbell]:Now here's one I thought was interesting. Back in '29 the Shreveport Journal for $5 a year. (laughter) Grades from college that mother got. And this is the old letter that the Negro wrote wanting to get out of school, I meant out of the army. (He wrote a letter asking to come home.) [Mrs. Cole]:This letter is from Pvt. Smart R. Robertson, Camp Rucker, Alabama. [Mrs. Campbell]:A thing from Dr. Keoun. Oh no, this is…do you remember J. H. O'Daniel, Eloise's father. Her dad wrote that poem when our granddaddy died. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh how nice! "In Memory of Mrs. Dock Kilgore." [Ms. Coyle]:Isn't he the one that used to write poems all the time for the paper? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Ms. Coyle]:A lot of people. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well that one is tearing all to pieces. [Mrs. Cole]:We can repair that for you. We've got some document repair tape. [Mrs. Campbell]:Where is the one from Dr. Keoun? That's the one that I thought was down…there it is. "Redland, December 31, 1902, received on account from Dr. Keoun." (laughter) [Mrs. Cole]:Ten dollars. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes, yes. [Mrs. Fosty]:"Pay to the order of A. J. Logan." "Claude Rogers" What are we doing with that? [Mrs. Campbell]:And here's some poll book registration certificates. [Ms. Coyle]:My goodness and they wrote it in pencil. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. (laughter) I don't know whether you interested in such as this or not. [Ms. Coyle]:What is this? [Mrs. Cole]:Oh yes. We'd love to… [Mrs. Campbell]:Poll book registrations. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh yes. [Mrs. Fosty]:Who's Claude Rogers? [Mrs. Campbell]:I don't know. [Mrs. Fosty]:What are we doing with it? [Mrs. Campbell]:Don't ask me. [Mrs. Cole]:Paid cash. Mattie Allums. [Mrs. Campbell]:See where her daughter was buried the other day. [Mrs. Fosty]:Check $224. [Mrs. Cole]:And Mrs. Kate Kilgore. Here's a note. Yes, there's a note for $100. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well I said mother was smart. This book grade from Normal doesn't look very smart. (laughter) Those grades don't look good at all do they? [Mrs. Cole]:1924, - English II, Penmanship, Art, Music, Education, Library. (laughter) Well she got a "B" in Library. (laughter) Yes she loved that. [Mrs. Campbell]:Physical Ed - a "B". None of 'em look really good. (laughter) [Ms. Coyle]:I'm sure those things were real hard in those days. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh yes. [Ms. Coyle]:I remember coming across her name a lot in the…I'm indexing the old Plain Dealing Progress on the computer. Her name is so beautiful and there are a lot of things in there about her 'cause I remember putting her name in since I started indexing it. [Mrs. Fosty]:It is? [Ms. Coyle]:It really is. [Mrs. Cole]:We'll tape that back together. If you wouldn't mind leaving that stuff here, we'll tape it back together for you. [Mrs. Campbell]:Keep it because I've got no use for it and I'm sure my kids…and this is one of our grandmother's old purses. I don't know if you'd want anything like that or not. [Ms. Coyle]:Does anybody else in your family use that name? [Mrs. Fosty]:I never heard it before. [Ms. Coyle]:I never have either, but if that were a family name of mine, I sure would use it. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh look how cute that is with the little _________. (laughter) [Mrs. Fosty]:I want to think it was probably an Indian name. [Mrs. Cole]:That's looks like a little silver plated buckle on it. [Ms. Coyle]:It sure is pretty though. [Mrs. Campbell]:It sure has seen its day. [Mrs. Campbell]:We have a framed photograph we brought. It's out in the car. It's one of those big pictures like you have hanging on the wall there. [Mrs. Cole]:And it's the Kilgores? [Mrs. Campbell]:But it's mother and her youngest sister. But I don't know whether you'd be interested in that or not. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh yes, absolutely, absolutely. [Ms. Coyle]:Is that her name? (laughter) [Mrs. Campbell]:It looks kind of bad. I'll get it and bring it back in and if you want it, keep it. And if not, well just call me and I'll pick it back up. [Ms. Coyle]:You don't hear that anymore do you? [Mrs. Fosty]:Uncle Buddy, mama's brother was ________________________. [Mrs. Cole]:This is the (photo of) Plain Dealing school from 1923 and 24. [Mrs. Campbell]:Let me see if I can spot mother in there. [Mrs. Cole]:That's the whole school. Now is this the graduating class? Is that her graduating class? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. And one of 'em is Willie Waggoner. [Mrs. Fosty]:______________________________________________ Uncle Rupert's youngest son or middle son lived there. But it's just ___________________ [Mrs. Cole]:Maybe Kitty can help identify him. [Mrs. Campbell]:I'll tell you who used to could tell you every one of 'em on there as far as that goes - Maurice Gleason. [Mrs. Cole]:Did you hear that? She says Morice Gleason can tell us. This is the graduating class. [Mrs. Campbell]:Just about who everybody is on there. [Ms. Coyle]:I bet she could, yes. [Mrs. Campbell]:She could. [Mrs. Cole]:If you got any sway with those two sisters (laughter) …we run into 'em in Annie Lou's on Fridays all the time and they wave to me, you know and I say, "Come on Mrs. Hudgens. [Ms. Coyle]:What year was this? 1924? [Mrs. Fosty]:'24 I guess. Is that when mama graduated? [Mrs. Cole]:Yes. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:This is the '23-'24 school year. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well I haven't seen Morice in maybe a year, but… [Ms. Cole]:Ok. Now I found out for you that the portrait is John R. Matlock that's hanging up there at Plain Dealing and one of our Board members, Mike Montgomery, that's his great grandfather. [Mrs. Fosty]:Well my cousin is coming in. [Mrs. Campbell]:Now this is… [Mrs. Fosty]:Oh her grandfather? [Mrs. Campbell]:…Marteel Anderson. Marteel Miller is who she used to be from Plain Dealing. It's her granddad, she says. [Mrs. Fosty]:The Matlocks? [Mrs. Cole]:J. R., yes. [Mrs. Fosty]:___________________ Aunt Myrtis's ________________. [Mrs. Cole]:Also the photo that you saw of the Plain Dealing womens' basketball team was donated by somebody named Virginia Crawford who lives in Jackson, Louisiana and I don't know what her maiden name is. [Mrs. Fosty]:Coach Crawford. [Mrs. Cole]:I don't know what her maiden name is. That was back in '97 before I was here so we don't have a telephone number. We only have an address. [Ms. Coyle]:That's the same building I went to school in. [Mrs. Cole]:If you wouldn't mind that we would photocopy the back of it. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh yes. [Mrs. Fosty]:We also have an old picture of the school bus drivers. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Fosty]:What happened to that? [Mrs. Campbell]:It's there in one of my picture albums. [Ms. Coyle]:That would be good. [Mrs. Cole]:Well if you wouldn't mind bringing your album in, we have a 35mm camera. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well I just have the school bus driver's pictures - the only one that was used. [Mrs. Cole]:But do you have any other pictures of Plain Dealing? We were always looking for pictures of Plain Dealing. [Mrs. Campbell]:No, I don't think so. [Mrs. Cole]:Or of Mott. [Ms. Coyle]:Do you remember Dr. Bell? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Ms. Coyle]:Tell us what you remember about him. [Mrs. Campbell]:Now he was from Benton. Wasn't he? [Ms. Coyle]:No. Dr. Hall was from Benton. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh Dr. Hall. Well maybe I don't remember Dr. Bell then. Dr. Keoun the only one I've ever known. [Mrs. Fosty]:Who was the dentist? [Ms. Coyle]:Addington. [Mrs. Campbell]:Dr. Acton. [Ms. Coyle]:Dr. Bell came early in early 1900's and died in the 30's or maybe in the early 40's. Do you remember the hotel, the Bell Hotel? 'Course it was downtown and you didn't go downtown that much. [Mrs. Campbell]:No now I did work downtown when I was in high school. [Mrs. Fosty]:Downtown what? [Mrs. Campbell]:We worked at… [Mrs. Fosty]:There was a hotel there? [Mrs. Campbell]:…Leon Sanders Grocery Store. [Mrs. Campbell]:Worked all day for a dollar and a half on Saturdays. I mean (laughing) [Ms. Coyle]:Actually, Mrs. Gray's house was ____________ the Bell too. [Mrs. Cole]:That was working, wasn't it. [Ms. Coyle]:The Bell Hotel was built in the 30's and it burned down in 1946. [Mrs. Fosty]:I started __________________________________________. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. 'Cause you pushed the buggy around and the customer would say, "I'll take 10 pounds of that. I mean they didn't do anything. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh my goodness. So you shopped essentially. Kitty did you hear that. Excuse me. Did you hear what she just said? [Ms. Coyle]:No. [Mrs. Cole]:She worked at Leon Sanders and she said back then she pushed the buggy around and people pointed to what they wanted. (laughter) [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh yes. If they wanted 10 pounds of potatoes you got it and just picked up everything they wanted. [Ms. Coyle]:Yes. I remember when they did that. They had clerks that waited on everybody. [Mrs. Campbell]:Madge Strayhan worked there… [Ms. Coyle]:That's my aunt. [Mrs. Campbell]:…and Kenneth and then Seth Arnold. (laughter) He was a bag boy back in those days. [Ms. Coyle]:That's Maxie's husband. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Ms. Coyle]:He died not too long ago. [Mrs. Cole]:She said $1.50 a day for all day Saturday. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh yes. END SIDE A [Mrs. Fosty]:…buy a bag of popcorn. (laughter) [Mrs. Cole]:Were you big movie fans? I mean, did you… [Mrs. Campbell]:Well in a way. On Saturdays, the school bus driver's children got in free so we did get to go to a movie. [Mrs. Cole]:Yes, that was, yes, yes. [Ms. Coyle]:Did you see the cowboy movies? [Mrs. Fosty]:Oh and Tom Dodson (laughter) Don't forget old Tom. Where is he? Is he dead? [Ms. Coyle]:He died not all that long ago - several years ago. [Mrs. Fosty]:Somebody's redone that old house. [Ms. Coyle]:Isn't it pretty. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Ms. Coyle]:It looks great. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. It's real pretty. Well let me get that old picture out of the car if you want to look at it. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok. Alright. Yes, we'd love to. [Mrs. Campbell]:And if you don't want it, we'll take it back and I'll slide it back up under the bed. (laughter) That's where I had it. [Ms. Coyle]:Freida, do you remember Mrs. Gray? You remember Mama Gray? [Mrs. Fosty]:Give me the keys. I'll get it. [Mrs. Campbell]:The name sounds familiar. But you know back then living in the country and town, it was worlds apart. [Ms. Coyle]:I know. It was real different. It was. [Mrs. Campbell]:Worlds apart. [Ms. Coyle]:There was the town people and the country people. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh yes. [Mrs. Cole]:And as a child you don't necessarily know the adults in town. [Mrs. Campbell]:And I said Lord when they'd kill the pigs on the farm, you know, grind the sugar cane. And we had it one time, the home demonstration people came around and helped you, well you slaughtered it the cows I guess, but they helped you "can it" in cans. [Mrs. Cole]:Where was the canning factory? Was it sent down to… [Mrs. Campbell]:You did it right there in, they had the, as well as I can remember, they just had the cans and the stuff to do it. And I guess… [Ms. Coyle]:They came out to your house? [Mrs. Campbell]:No they met at old church up there and they'd can all day long. I don't know, I guess they had to cook it or something. [Ms. Coyle]:You remember Ms. Van, Lettie Van Landingham? [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh yes, yes! [Ms. Coyle]:Tell us about her. I'm real interested in her. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well I don't remember much about her except she was a home demonstration lady and everybody thought that woman "hung the moon," you know. Yes, her word was the law. [Ms. Coyle]:She must have been a hard worker. [Mrs. Campbell]:I guess so. [Ms. Coyle]:She was really - must have been. She started all those home demonstration clubs, you know. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Ms. Coyle]:And just did everything under the sun. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well, y'all really got an interesting place to work here. Don't you? [Mrs. Cole]:Oh yes. Thank you. [Ms. Coyle]:You probably don't wouldn't recognize these people 'cause this was 1939. You were I think kind of young then. But, I'd just love to know…they have this picture in here but they don't tell you who they are. And I can't do a very good copy of it. [Mrs. Campbell]:I probably wouldn't know 'em anyway. [Ms. Coyle]:It was their senior play that year. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh, oh yes. [Ms. Coyle]:And they had, these ladies… [Mrs. Fosty]:The senior play… [Ms. Coyle]:The chorus I think. I just wish I knew who they were. I wish there was someway to get that old picture. That is the cutest thing. [Mrs. Campbell]:Woodrow Holland. Now that, he was killed in the war. [Ms. Coyle]:Yes. [Mrs. Campbell]:And Pershing and Woodrow. [Ms. Coyle]:And he was one of the ones that, they were twins. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. His sister still lives up here in Mooringsport, Meryl. [Ms. Coyle]:She does. [Mrs. Campbell]:Meryl Plaisance. [Ms. Coyle]:We ought to interview her. I wonder how old she would be. Do you know? [Mrs. Campbell]:Well she'd be a year older than I am. My mother told a fib about my age so I could start to school with my cousin. (laughter) And Rita Keoun caught up with me in the second grade. (laughter) So I was the baby when we graduated. But anyway they didn't stick to all of that. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes here it is. I don't think it's worth anything. (Bringing in the framed portrait of Sea Willa and Dora Kilgore.) [Mrs. Cole]:Oh no, but it's beautiful! Oh my goodness. [Ms. Coyle]:Oh look at that. [Mrs. Fosty]:It's coming apart in the back. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes, it's coming apart. [Mrs. Cole]:Ok now who…Is this your mother? [Mrs. Campbell]:That's our mother standing and her sister, Dora. [Mrs. Cole]:Dora. [Mrs. Campbell]:And she died at a real early age. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh, but it's beautiful. We'd love to have it. [Mrs. Campbell]:It looks almost like it was hand painted. Doesn't it? [Mrs. Cole]:It does. [Mrs. Campbell]:The flowers and everything. If y'all can do anything with it, gosh, keep it. [Mrs. Cole]:We'll give it a whack. It is just absolutely beautiful. Now you said your mother was born in 1905, right, probably 1906 or 1908 or something. She looks real young. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Mrs. Fosty]:One or two, huh? [Mrs. Campbell]:Same old frame that it's been in all these years. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh I'm so glad. (laughter) [Ms. Coyle]:Do you have any idea who took it or anything? [Mrs. Campbell]:No I sure don't. I sure don't. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh it is hand-colored. I mean the flowers had to be painted on. [Mrs. Campbell]:They look like it. [Ms. Coyle]:I believe they are. [Mrs. Campbell]:I don't know where you could…it's just so faded looking. [Mrs. Cole]:I think it's just beautiful. [Ms. Coyle]:I do, too. [Mrs. Cole]:Thank you so much. We are so happy to have that. [Mrs. Campbell]:But now Meryl is listed in the phone book if you want her. [Ms. Coyle]:Her brother was one of the ones The Legion is named for…one of the ones killed in the war. [Mrs. Fosty]:Who? [Mrs. Campbell]:Meryl Holland's brothers, Pershing and Woodrow. They were some good looking boys. [Mrs. Cole]:If we can, we'll try to put it up at Plain Dealing in the bedroom exhibit, if we can find a space. [Mrs. Campbell]:Ok. Yes. [Ms. Coyle]:Did you come to that (the Plain Dealing Library opening)? [Mrs. Campbell]:No we didn't come to the opening. We were there Saturday. [Mrs. Cole]:They came Saturday. [Mrs. Campbell]:And we didn't go back, but it was really nice. [Mrs. Cole]:'Cause it would look beautiful in that bedroom if we can get the light to show. [Ms. Coyle]:It would look so good there. [Mrs. Campbell]:Well that's what I thought, you know, since they had the man and the woman. I said now they got a family. (laughing) [Ms. Coyle]:Yes. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh and they're just beautiful. [Mrs. Campbell]:Thank you. [Mrs. Fosty]:You know Jerry may have, he has, if you were buying it today it would be a hutch, I guess that it has to be as old as the house at least. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes, but it's just falling apart. He's not taking care of anything [Mrs. Fosty]: It goes with the house. But I mean he might have some interesting things at the house. [Ms. Coyle]:Whose child is he? [Mrs. Campbell]:Our mother's youngest brother. [Mrs. Fosty]: Rupert Kilgore. They all went to school and graduated from Plain Dealing, the Kilgore kids. All of 'em. [Mrs. Cole]:And they're still up there at Mott? [sisters in unison]:Jerry is. [Mrs. Fosty]:There was four - Jo Ann and Rupert, George, or Jerry and George. I don't know who the baby is. [Mrs. Campbell]:Do you ever read Wiley Hilburn? [Mrs. Cole]:Yes. [Mrs. Fosty]:And the two oldest are dead. [Mrs. Campbell]:Now he wrote an article on George Kilgore the other day about "Leave My George Alone" or something. (laughter) [Ms. Coyle]:I saw that. I didn't read. I thought… [Mrs. Campbell]:That was George Kilgore. [Mrs. Fosty]:He graduated from Plain Dealing. [Mrs. Campbell]:That was George Kilgore. (laughing) [Ms. Coyle]:I be darn. [Mrs. Fosty]:Oh shoot, smart, smart. They were smart. [Ms. Coyle]:Sometimes my mother saves those columns. [Mrs. Fosty]:Got an attitude. We're not recording are we? [Mrs. Cole]:Well we can turn it off. TAPE TURNED OFF [Mrs. Fosty]:She had a stroke. [Mrs. Cole]:Your grandmother had a stroke. [Mrs. Fosty]:And she was in bed, what, six years. [Mrs. Campbell]:Six or seven years. [Mrs. Fosty]:And there was two black women, Dora and Della, took care of her and I don't think she ever had a bed sore or nothing. [Ms. Coyle]:They took real good care of her. [Mrs. Fosty]:Yes. That's more than you can expect for one being in the hospital now and days. [Ms. Coyle]:That's right. You're absolutely right. [Mrs. Campbell]:Now that article on George, I'm gonna go down at the library and shoot a copy of it to send my daughter in Alabama so I'll shoot you one if you want it. [Mrs. Cole]:Oh yes. Thank you. [Mrs. Campbell]:It was in last Tuesday's paper, I believe. (June 16, 2003) [Ms. Coyle]:I saw the headline on it and I meant to read it and then I never did. [Mrs. Cole]:I gonna give y'all each a card. [Mrs. Campbell]:Thank you. Yes. It was real cute. [Mrs. Cole]:I love him. He's such a good writer. [Mrs. Campbell]:Wiley Hilburn. Yes I do to. I do to. He had written another article on him several months ago and George went to Florida with somebody and, oh gosh, he was 'course acting real countrified, you know, down there amongst all that high fallutin' stuff (laughter) and Wiley had a good article about that. [Ms. Coyle]:When you married, did you live in Cotton Valley after that? [Mrs. Campbell]:I lived in Cotton Valley until 18 years ago and I moved over here. [Mrs. Fosty]:It's been that long? [Ms. Coyle]:Bossier or where? [Mrs. Fosty]:Mama been dead 18 years. [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Ms. Coyle]:How come you been to Bossier? [Mrs. Campbell]:My mother died and I didn't have anything left. I got a divorce and all the kids lived over here. [Mrs. Fosty]:Did Karen live over here? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. [Ms. Coyle]:How do you like living over here? [Mrs. Campbell]:Love it. [Ms. Coyle]:Do you? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes. And we go to Asbury Methodist Church, a wonderful church. [Mrs. Cole]:Well I'm so glad y'all went into the library up there and saw that picture. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh, listen, listen. [Mrs. Cole]:Very fortuitous for us. (laughter) [Ms. Coyle]:I know some people that go to Asbury Methodist Church. [Mrs. Campbell]:It's a young person's church. [Ms. Coyle]:Do you know Michael Brandao and Jill? [Mrs. Campbell]:Yes, yes. [Ms. Coyle]:You know, that's Steve. That's my cousin. [Mrs. Campbell]:They're from Plain Dealing. Their family. Yes. [Mrs. Fosty]: We've got a fantastic preacher. [Ms. Coyle]:Who's your minister? [Mrs. Fosty]:Barry Hughes. [Mrs. Fosty]:Jerry Hilbun. [Ms. Coyle]:I knew him in Mansfield. I used to work for him in Mansfield. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh did you? [Ms. Coyle]:Yes. They thought the world of him. I know his son had that horrible accident. [Mrs. Campbell]:Oh I know it. I know it. That was devastating. [Ms. Coyle]:How long has he been gone? Jerry? [Mrs. Campbell]:Two years. [Mrs. Fosty]:They live in Slidell. [Mrs. Cole]:Thank y'all very much. We enjoyed hearing about your family. END TAPE |
People |
Campbell, Freida King Fosty, Peggy King |
Search Terms |
Oral history Christmas Electricity Farming Sports, Football Genealogy Plain Dealing |
Lexicon category |
6: T&E For Communication |
Interview date |
2003-06-26 |
Recording media |
Cassette Tape |
Lexicon sub-category |
Sound Communication T&E |
Inventoried date |
2025-06-12 |