f 9fX- TAPE INDEX List topics discussed in the order they occur on the tape.

Transcription

1 Southern Oral History Program _ ^ A. / Hj? UNC Chapel Hill f 9fX- SOUP SeriesrPiedmont Social History Transcription Priority: (1-Transcribe; 2-May Transcribe; 3-Do Not Transcribe) r Interviewee: Louise Harris Last ' First Middle Date of Interview: Total Number of Tapes: Place: Cassette: C-45 1 C-60 C-90 Interviewer: Helen Bresler Reel: 5" 7" Context of the Interview (e.g., study of a special topic, the interviewer's particular interests, focus of the questions,-anything significant about the setting or circumstances) See attached sheet Tape # 1 Side A List topics discussed in the order they occur on the tape. LH was born in the Hanks Chapel community. Frank Harris was born about 3 miles from Bynum on the MOunt Pleasant chbech road. Both of LH's parents worked in the mill for several years, then her father worked in C.E ' Durham's grocery store for 30 years. Her mother "retired. " Her father died ±in H.LH has no brothers or sisters. K Frank Harris (her husband) worked for C.E. Surham also. They were two grades apart in school. AFter FH les"t school, they started dating. They were married in LH finished high school in FH has one brother and two sisters. Tv,ey live in the country near where FH was born. O^e sister lives in Durham. LH..has, two, hoys..: one i.s 26 and the other is 36. LH is 56. The oldest boy lives in Pittsboro, and I 'I I I ' -' ' I.. M,. I 1.1 I I I I ' I I - - ' l '.»»» - l I III I. I II 1.. I I I. 1 II.1 -LIU.»..I II -I III the other lives in Parkwood, in the Research Triangle area. The older boy.11 I I II. ^ - H II -.III II I T I I ' i.. I I I 'I '. " ' I n M M -!- «l I I II I II I i» I I 111 III.! I i I I W t is the administrative supervisor of the Emergency Room at Memorial,.Hnspifral The younger one works for the University, ki The older son graduated from i - ** *^ II i i 1 UNC. the vounaer went one year to Catawba (?). in Salisbury. LH owns about 110% acres, 60 she inherited from her father. LH and FH own a two acre lot in Bynum, where the school used to be. There were v two sbhools near that site: the old school adjoined, their lot, they built where the new school had been. After the schools were consolidated, the building was sold to a Chenille Bedspread Factory, from Georgia. When FH Interview number H-0078 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection,

2 Tape # i Side A returned from the service in 1946, he went to work for them. Started the I.- II! iw in.. -i. - ' iin» m Will 'fii ' II.. -,. nm II ii- i,.,,,-. - HI.i i.«mi.-. i. in.1.1 -i! - -.l.l.llh.ii. store in ± The factory burned sometime in the fall of k The Harrises bought two of the four acres, and used the water and sewer system which had been used by the school, While FH was in the service, in order to save money and support her 3 year old son, LH worked in the mill. HB So you do know what it's like to work in the mill? LH "Yeah, but now it's so different that I don't know, and they don$t want anybody to V.O going -in* Used to, anybody could go in any time they got ready, but these people people they just don't want, you know, yens, going in." ; LH worked as a winder. Did vou like working there? LH "NO. I just felt like I was doing the > II.... I I I U M M J I I II I III I.. II l. l! I H I. I..... I - l. I..,.. l m! MMI. I., I.1 I I I,, I I W I.!! same thing over and over, and I couldn't see anything that I was accomplishing T dnn'f like production work, either. I'd rather work with people and, I i.ii,,1,,1 I I I l.»..wl«i,i.i. i... in II i.,. i...!.iii.i i,, i..i,... i!.,,ii,.,i I. i i, «..i,.i...n.1 1 wmmmm w W mmm-mk like that better, than doing machinery." LH can't remember what she made. FH will be 60 in about a year and a half. LH is about 3h years younger. i l l " "i ' ' " i ii in. i-. i n i i. i i.. n i..... i i i.1, i,,,.,,,. i. i. i. I M I I. I. M H I mil ip. II! in... She'd like him to retire at 62. "But if ye go out of the store, I'm afraid * i i i i i i i i. i i a i i II i. i i i...,,! i. mi i. HI i i in i * * m g, i in mmmm «T couldn't?pt any kind of work to do. from then until I was 62. and that way my social security would depreciate." Do you like working in the store? i.. i -,..»,.,.,,,. i,. i... i m...i in i.mi.,,.. n i II...,. II!., ' ' "" '» IIM'II-I i n m m I I - ii "Yes. I surely do. I eniov people. I eniov it much better since we don't We used to stay here till 10 and 11 and 12 o'clock work as long hours., =. at k night, and then come back over the next morning." Close now at 6. Business has changed over the years from complete general merchandise I., II. l... I, I. I III.. Ill I II I I I.. I»,.., I,, I II II II..... I,. M I I I - MM 1. to pick-up items. Not as K hard work now. " Used to be more competition when C.E. Durham's store was.running. Ill «I " I " II!' "'! II 'HI lllll I 'I. I -.1. II l -. l M l Ml. -II.11. H I. P» I! I I" ' "' Interview (TVere number is a H-0078 convenience in the Southern store Oral History on Program , Collection up the (#4007) road at The from Southern Harrises.) Historical Collection, After II. I M ^ > > > M p W J J g «H l.l 1 MM»», - M» i I.III. Ml 'Mll^i II Mill I I III I ^ l l l l l» l l l» J

3 * * ^ i i Interview number H-0078 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, /-/" l& SOHP Series Piedmont Social History -2- ' Interviewee: " Louise Harris ^ J Date of Interview^ \L ~-*\t Place: Rynnm. NC Interviewer: Helen Bresler LTape # 1 'Side A. Durham died, there has been t(double in settling the estate. "To me it's sad, because we weren't interested in that, cause we didn't discourage them a= mmppht-nrs, and we didn't want to be their competitors either, we just wanted to be friends.", _,,. -,,,,., -,, I,,,... I...,,,,. _.., -,.1 I -.1,1. I I..., l..., _, -. _, -.., -. I I,.,,,... _.. -..,.INI. I LH doesn't know a lot of Bynum's history. Knows that there were two I I i.. i i I. - i n W W '» I..i i I II I. -.,,, I- I. I.'ii I I I I.1.1 I I.. I...-IIH. - m ^.. ' I ' i. i «.. i I. I 1 i..mi m...-i- men, Luther and Carney Bynum. There's an old cemembry not far from LH's house where most of the Bynums are buried. buried at Mount pleasant. Thinks the other Bynums are "Especially Mr. Carney Bynum, everybody looked I ' I. I -! M.... I I I I I...II I.1 I.. 1. I.1 I. I.,! _ III I -HI I" I I...» III! I = up to him. And hewas just kind of the master of Bynum, you know just like a I realty don't know a lot about it." -»... T I. II I I..1.., M.II P II M" ", i.,... i-,. i.. I..- I. I l l l l.11 - Ill, II I l» «.IWI...I i II 'I. A lot of new people have moved in around Bynum, not in the town Its&ef. in..,-...i -..., ii... I.I m* I I. n i. Hi i. i...i..! i -i. II i, i M. -. i i. i... i ,i.i.i,.. ' i 'iiiim.ini i i «I I.. in mi - i i..1 i "It used to be just familees that XHXXH stayed together that lived on the.,.,... and now it's changed, there's a lot of different people, mi 11 vi llage, _ Z new poeple that have moved in." LH likes the change, she likes people.!.. I \T I. II.1 I.I II I.I I I II I I IBMI II I. I I I I. I I I "When their parents come to visit them (speaking of UNC students) they bring them to the store for us to meet. I really do like, I like the change." i ' '" i ' _ i,...., ni,i,i. i ,.,.,,i.»ft i..,..-. -,- i...'-, I. i-...ill ' -".- -i - i i.!......» "It's always been real friendly, anybody thfct was in need, everybody'd..,,,.,. W e always thought it was kind of a family* go together and help them out. _ z place." Some people that have left Bynum: a Dean of men at a college in,... i i.,.., _. I.. -,.,,,, ,,.»....1 i.,. m i n.... I... i. i... i.1. i..1. i. i...,.,,.i..- i I.. n.»,...,..,. Pennsacola, FL; a woman who's a teacher; a psychiatrist..»." * * ;.... = -. " -..in ''! '» - I I II i l l i...«,...,,. -I-..I..I i i i i II.I.I.I i! in l i.i i...ii. II. * I I i n II i Not too many activities in Bynum: church as has an acation sale and».»» "*.11.1 II I III I I I. I. II, l. I..I.1!.1 I. II II.1 Ii.1 II II HI. II I..».1. l. a supper. Bynum is located conveniently to Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Greeensboro. Not as many people belong to the church as there used to be. LH i ' - - J - i i - - i - i i r - n 1---.I i.r - ii- "ill i - ii i. I. I. I - i i ii i. i f T ' " II i I i i i L doesn't belong to the church, she belongs to Hank's Chapel. She attends the Methodist Church a lot, howerer, and both of her song belong to it.

4 Tape #1 Side _A_. ^ *L After her father died, they would bring LH's mother to Hanks Chapel about three Sundays a month. "If we don't go every Sunday, it looks k like we're I ' 'I M..!,.. _.,.. -I I. -, I.I I., -, 1, I II I - I I I., _, -... I I.1... II.,.,. 1. 1,,.. *.,.!.. I..II I,,.,, not going to church at each one of the churches." k Doesn't seem as if there are as many children in Bynum as there ini ' '.... I. «-.... H. -. J I i i.._...ii i i. i i.,i.... i i. i.. i i.' -mi ". i.n.. - H i. in.i i, i p n.. I I in M.I 11!...i. i HI.i II Hum. i. i.i m used to be, but it's hard to tell. Not everyone in Bynum still works in the mill. Many work at the i " ' III II i II i m _,,... i i i n i. - i n i. i i. i. 11, I,..,...,. i..,1. i i i i m... i.i i i. i i i I I Hospital and the University, some work at the label mill in Pittsboro, I.' 'I ' '" I " I " - '.'. '.I.I.. I'...'I Ml I 1 HI I I.1»$ I '. ' " '.11 I"" I " ' I P - II '-.. ' ' I I I I -Ml I '!.. I I I I. -. I I - - "". Ill..... Mil I. II. I I -I ' l ll.l_ml and the hosiery mill in pjttsboro, LH doesn't know whether the hosiery mill pays more. Says they fapay good at the mill now. %. Il.l.ll.! - * " - - ~ *... _... _. *. J II... III II..,. _._J ' M ' ' Is there any part of Bynum that's considered "bad"? "No, I don't H " ' I I I»' I ' '."" II ' " ' ' I ' I" I ' HI I ,.,.,.., II.1 I. _..1, i.... I l l - I.- I.II I _ i.mil I I II II I. II! III think so. A lot of people kind of think of the mill village, and I think it's mostly those people that feel that way, cause we surely don't. They feel like that we that live up on the highway feel like we're better than thev are, but I. and I talked a minister about that, and he says that a lot of times that they just feel inferior, or feel that way, you know.. But, you know, I don't feel like I'm any better than they are, if they try to live a decent life. But they kind of have that feeling, some of them do." LH feels that London hated to ask people to move out of the village II " ' I..... i i.. I... I. i. I.. I... M., Ii. I l. l. I I, l. l III. I. II! - I.HI-. i,. "I I.. l. l " I! I because he had had no retirement plan for them. ' I I I I I. I I.. I I. I' l..,.,. I _ Ml., I I. l _. _., _,.,., _ ,, I.,.,,.. I..... I I. - I II.. I.. II-. II > II "Years ago they used to have a doctor, and he would come every mormmng, you know, and if you were sick, I guess he just gave you sawdust, or alum. or something like that, you know. They'd take Hout so much out of a person's H ^ i. I. I i Ii ml ii. n -..,-,--, i,i.. i _,i i m _... i i I i I I - II II. 1 i i. i..i - ^. i, i. i. I -. II! > > ii - i - I check. That was all when I was a child. And, it was kind of like socialieed medicine, you know." - II...II 1. I.1. Mil II I.II, _. -. Ill..1 I II I. II. Mil. I. I..HI. II II I I. I..IHn.l..1,. I... II I -HI.... _,. -III.,..,.! I! I I I,. I _. I I.11 i mil M M I.I..I lll l.ll There's only oee doctor in P.ttsboro now. LH goes to a doctor in Chapel Hill. A lot of people use the emergency room as their doctor. i There is no law enforcement officer in Bynum. Only one elderly black Interview number H-0078 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection,

5 Interview number H-0078 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, Tape I 1 Side A -3- SOHP Series piedmont Social Hi star? Interviewee: Louise Harris Date of Interview: Place: Bynum. NC Interviewer: Helen Bresler woman. "Somebody said, 'well, that's the place I want to move." LH unwilling to speculate on who the most important people in Bynum are. There were mixed reactions to the *»? redevelopment. Cost people in the village more to live there after redevelopment. "It's a help in a way, and in another way, financially, it isn't." LH had mixed emotions,,! iii. i.-4. i ii M i -- - II in... f ii 1 - v --ir- didn't know what it would be like, and What class of people would be coming in. Concerned for people on social security. Wishes they could have spent more on the J8X_JJ_K houses and less on the streets. LH isn't sure how many people work in the mill. Somebody said about 75 on each shift. More blacks work in the mill now. A lot of the people who work in the mill now live in the country. Before blacks only worked at yard work around the mill. END OF SIDE A Tape #1 Side B " - '"'.i.n I-I.I.»I.II..I... II i,. - II. i II " i... i. II --" -' "» ' I-...in..1 I il.ii.,,1.ii.. ' " ". -.. I- I. I.11 nun.1 II. II, i-, -,,... When LH worked in the mill, there were more women than men "because the women did the winding, and did the spinning. And the men usually worked in what they called the card room, upstairs on the third floor. They had a few men, a boy, that would wind. That was in my mother's time. I don't think I kniew any bovs to wind. They didn't when I worked there. But when my mother worked there I think there was two boys that would wind.x I know one, said, saidm my mother just worked him to death. He would try to beat her, and get more than she would." I "I I " I!. Ml «..l L I U H-JI I I ' I. I. I I I I III Hll I I '.11 I II I I.. HI I l,.,.,.., II.III I... * * l. ^. l. l J I I I There are still a lot of white women in the mill, still in the winding and spinning room. "There's a few women that work now in what they call the Card Room upstairs on the third floor." before? "It was horrible." Why didn't women work there

6 Tape # 1 Side B Never has been a union in the mill. "I think maybe one time they laid off a foreman, that was up in the card room, what they call the card room, I I. _..... II I.. 1. I I I II... II. I i I.! i.l ,,. l.. I..1 _., I., I II I II, I..III I..II I J I I I. I I. and they walked out. So the superintendent came out and wanted to know what was wrofag. And they told him. And he said, 'well, he can go back to work.' So, he went right back to work and that's all there was to it." Interruption. m I II i., - n. i.,. ii. I.! I.... I, ii i I.11 I ill nil..,.. II.,....i...i. i. i, i 1. I! I I i - in. II I in. in mi. Mill work isn't considered dangerous. "They say it's right hard I I I. I I I I. I.. _ I,1 - I. I -.. II. I I I " I I ' II... I.. I.. 1*1.11 I I.I I I I.I II I I. I.I " II I I I.!. ' I I now. I think they have to work harder now than they used to have to work, II I' I - "I II! " II.1 H I P M l.iii ll.li... I... I -I" 1.1. I I. I I 1. M. I. I I I! I I I I I I but they make more. And that's the natural thing, if therere going to make '" * * " ' " " "" ' I '. i l l..i.11 i,- _ I..-,... _ _ _ _ J f c P I.. J C. I. _. I. I. I. I I I - any money, they've got to put out more yarn, yoy see, so, for their. ii* - i.,*i,.. - i. II in I I I i i. i i i n. i. «i.i i i i..,.. i i. i i!, i. n.. i i i i. i. I.I. i,,.. _... And I think that's true in a lot of them, production to be, high. I guess. Z cause I hear about stuff like that in the hosiery mill." "If their wages m. i. ii.,. I.I i i. i H I. i... i I... in.. i i i m I I -. I I i.in i...! i -,. II.I.III.M., i.i i i I, m i n in»»n i j i. - i i I... i i go up, they have to get out more work." Still no pension. Medical insurance taken out of paycheck. N n accidents in the mill lately. One boy once a lost his arm. "There was one II «... I II - i il...i. «I..1 I.,. I. I.1.1 ' I I....- I M..I I...I. IIIII.I..I.. I...11 I.I.... I I I II I -.I.I - I- I bov thaa lost his arm. And eventually he died from it. but I think it was the condition that he was in. Maybe once in awhile one'11 lose their finger.ni-i in... ii 1 1 in i,_.. '..*, i. ii,... i. i i ii i». i. i. -.n.i i.i i i.....ii m i i i i i i i II II i. i an»i. i» * i l i.i-.. or something like that." Card room is where these accidents have happened. I" I. «I Ill.. i. I.II.1. II,. -..-II. I I.... I.... I.., I, i -..,. II _ _ _. -.. «. ii. I II,!.,,. - I.I I- I ^ M - > -» Doesn't think there's a hieractahy of jobs in the mill, aside from...ii... i i i - ' * mm i i - -..,.- I, _, "They're all about the same.", l ^* i _ Til _ Ti ^QQ M f^^ i 8V^IT _ The old winding room was in the basement. "And that wasn't very good II! II II l. l I ' I I 1 '- I. I-... II* '. II I Mill. " I. I.I I I ' II!. I I.. I - II... Ill. I..11 I I II. II..I I «-«M II working conditions." They built a new winding room. "Which was real nice,.in.ui i i H I i i.. i II i in. I I. ii. n M I i i.i i.i.ii i. i - M.. i i. i i. i - i I mi I. -i I.I.in. n-1 -II i.,-..,..i, -., i i and the floor was nice. The basement bad, it was an old floor, but this was hard wood., and,, really, prettier, and.nicer, cleaner, T guess. I' "There's a lot of dust, and there's beeen a lot of talk about brown lung. And we've had many people that have had emphysema, but a lot of them M mlmm MM! ii, aimwmiiwp i wwimiw «ini i -n i w i.-. am 1 _ ^ _ < smoke. And I feel like maybe the smmke aggravates it, maybe the dust in Interview number H-0078 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection,

7 Interview number H-0078 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, Tape #J B ide " 4_ p *0 SOHP Series Piedmont Social His tor Interviewee: Louise Harris 11 \,-<y Date of Interview: $ H - \f I v Place: Rynnm. NC Interviewer: Helen Bresler the mill. They did a study, I believe it was College, about the dust. And I don't know what kind of conclusion they came to with that, but they did do one." "I didn't like the dust at all, and on Mondays, those would be, you know, after being out for the weekend, then you'd go back on MOnday, it would always kind of irritate me. But I guess people that worked their a long time, you know, got used to it." Doesn't know wheterfe there's i.i..i ,i,,.!! M -... i i mm. " * *!. ^. * # ^ ^ =.. in. iin ^^^- III i III * * i i - ^.,.,,,.,.1..M..^.i,. *. ^ *... i....in i.. i.. II^UI..I..MI i ^ m n M ^ I I as much dust with new synthetic fibers. "I don't see as much lint on _ m * M * ^ W ^ * ^ *... "... I. I I I I dfc.1^. II.. M ^. I.. I I. Ill.,^ I I -I. 'I I. ^ 1....i." I I I l f c ^ H. T - 1 f ^ 1 " M." " M..11 ' I people that come out as it used to be.x _ C A use I think they have a blower il. ' ' -.ill II II I i i. I I I...-.! - I.1.ill.l...i i. Ii I I I. i..i III -.i......ii il I..1 I!!! - II II il ! you can &&1&1 blow off, you know, blow yourself off, so they might b_ow themselves aff before they come out. I just don't know." I '-» I.., I.,I II...,,.,, --,.,. _ I I, I I *, _,..,....,.., l., - I I I.1 i Mill I I I..Ill -.. Isn't sure whether peop&e in Bynum as are as proud of Bynum as they I"..I. -i.1.i,,..._ i i..ii.1 I I I. II I I _ ' I II' I I I I I I I I I l l I 1 1 ^ ^. I I! ' H.. LI used to be. Thinks they probably are. LH's mother is still living. END OF INTERVIEW

8 Interview number H-0078 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, Tape # Side