Browse Items · Decatur Public Library Local History Photo Collection

Mrs. Marie G. Baker's Oral History

This is the oral history of Marie G. Baker. She was interviewed by Betty Turnell in March 1977. The interview includes her childhood, the NAACP, and discrimination in Decatur.

Tags: 1977, 4-year scholarship, A.H. Mills, A.M.E. Church, African Methodist Church, Betty Turnell, brother, C.L. Livingston, childhood, College Street Chapel, Decatur High School, Decatur IL, discrimination, Dr. Ellis, Edward Jacobs, family life, First Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church, housing discrimination, Howard Shaw, Howard University, Huron Place, injunction, interview, James Millikin University, job discrimination, John Reagan, Lake Decatur, Lincoln School, March 1977, Marie G. Baker, Marietta Street School, Mary White Ollington, Mrs. Buster, Mrs. Eugenia Bacon, Murfield Storey, N. Union St., NAACP, National Civil Rights Law, national meetings, Niagara movement, oral history, Pennsylvania line, Physician's and Surgeon's College, Pugh School, race discrimination, Railway Postal Service, recording, Rev. E.M. Antrim, San Tucker, Singleton's Restaurant, Springfield Race Riots, swimming beach, swimming pools, truck garden, Warren Hardy, William English Walling

Mrs. Erma Wait Cook's Oral History

This is the oral history of Erma Wait Cook. She was interviewed by Betty Turnell on August 14, 1985. The interview covers her family's businesses in Decatur, and her childhood.

W.T. Layton's Oral History

This is the oral history of W.T. Layton. He was interviewed by Betty Turnell in May 1982. The interview includes his time working for Wabash and Norfolk and Western.

Dean Mesnard's Oral History

This is the oral history of Dean Mesnard. He was interviewed by Betty Turnell on April 9, 1986. The interview includes his childhood, career in insurance, and changes to Decatur.

Tags: 1986, accounting, April 1986, Avon Theater, Bazley's Meat Market, Beach House, Betty Turnell, Bijou Theater, Brintlinger Funeral Home, broken home, Bryn Mawr PA, business major, C.L.U., changes to Decatur, Chartered Life Underwriter, childhood, College of Life Underwriters, contractor, Dean Mesnard, debit company, Decatur Club, Decatur High School, Decatur IL, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Dr. Beadles, Empress Theater, Fairview Park, family life, financial planning, G.I. Bill, Great Depression, heating engineer, inflation, insurance office, interview, Lake Decatur, life insurance, Life Underwriter's Training Council, Lincoln Apartments, Lincoln Hotel, Mary W. French School, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Millikin University, mow lawns, mutual companies, old gravel pit, oral history, painter, Piggly-Wiggly, Prof. Glen Smith, Pythian Home, rake leaves, recording, Roosevelt Junior High School, salesmanship, Shinner's Meat Market, shovel snow, Steven's Creek, stock companies, swimming, Texaco Light House, Texaco Tower, Transfer House, Williamson Heating Company of Cincinnati, Woodrow Wilson Junior High School, workmen's compensation, World War II

Lee D. Pigott's Oral History #2

This is the second oral history of Lee D. Pigott. He was interviewed by Betty Turnell in June 1982. The interview includes his time as a minister.

Clarence Sowers' Oral History

This is the oral history of Clarence Sowers. He was interviewed by Betty Turnell. The interview includes his career in construction.

Bob Strongman's Oral History

This is the oral history of Bob Strongman. He was interviewed by Betty Turnell. The interview includes his career as a photographer for the Herald and Review.

Tags: 35 ml film projector, aerial photography, algebra class, Assistant Boys Secretary, Assistant Sales Manager, background check, Betty Turnell, Bill Summer, boat races, Bob Hope's State Fair trip, Bob Strongman, Bread Salesman, Buckmeisters Grocery Store, changes at the Herald & Review, changes to photography, childhood, Coal Mines, Decatur Camera Club, Decatur Herald & Review, Decatur High School, Decatur IL, disasters, E.J. Muffley, Enterprise School District, freelance work, Governor Ogilvie, grammar class, Great Depression, Gunhill Johnson Crippled Children's Room, Harry Truman, horse plow, ice skating, ice wagon, industrial photography, interview, Kennedy Campaign, Lee Pigott, Lincoln School, Marietta School, mid-year graduate, Model T pickup truck, N. Union St., neighborhood grocery stores, one room school, oral history, Parkview Motel, Pfile's Camera Shop, photography, Piggly-Wiggly, polio, Presidential Candidate Whistle Stops, press credentials, processing, Pugh School, recess, recitation bench, recording, retirement, Richard Nixon, Roosevelt Junior High School, Russell Shaffer, Russian Missile Crisis, snow sled, street hockey, student-built boats, swim therapy, Tasty Bread, Truman's visit to Decatur, Truman's Whistle Stop, Victor Borge, weddings, Wooden Shoe Fire, YMCA, YMCA Boys Department

H.G. "Skinny" Taylor

This is the oral history of H.G. "Skinny" Taylor. He was interviewed by Betty Turnell. The interview includes his political career.

Mrs. Frank M. Ware

This is the oral history of Mrs. Frank M. Ware. She was interviewed by Betty Turnell on August 31, 1984. The interview includes her childhood and career.

Tags: "speedys" letters, 1984, A.G. Webber, Absolum Newland, accounting department, August 1984, automobile tires, bank failure, Betty Turnell, bookkeeping machine, brother's surgery, Brown's Business College, cactus, cafeteria, carbon paper, Caterpillar Co., Caterpillar Military Engine Co., changes to Decatur, Chautauqua, choir, cottonwood tree, crystal radio sets, Decatur High School, Decatur IL, Decatur Lumber Co., doctor's office, Dr. N.D. Meyers, Dr. William Barnes, Dune School, education, electronics courses, Fairview Park, Faries Manufacturing Co., First Lutheran Church, Flood, Florida, Forest Grove School, Frank Ware, general labor, George W. Keller, Great Depression, greenhouse, grocery store, hauling coal, Helen Harder, Hilltop Greenhouse, interview, Jackson St. School, Jasper County IL, Johns Hill, lap rugs, Leader Iron Works, Lincoln Coop Apartments, Lincoln Flower Shop, Log Cabin, Louisa Newland, Madam Corolla Lous Tuca, McKinley assassination, mortgage, Mound School, Mr. Barber, Mrs. Frank M. Ware, neighborhood picnic, Nelson Park, new pews, oral history, Payroll, perpetual inventory, Postal Service, pottery, purchasing department, radio diagrams, raising plants, ready-made radios, receptionist, recording, retirement, sales department, short-hand, Signal Depot, singing, small business, Snake Hill, St. Mary's Hospital, Staley Company, Streetcars, succulents, T.T. Springer, toolmaker, Transfer House, truck barn, voice lessons, Warren St. School, Weber Fill, William Shorb, World War I, World War II, WWI, WWII

A.G. Webber III's Oral History: Mueller Story

This is the oral history of A.G. Webber III. He was interviewed by Betty Turnell in 1982. This interview covers the history of the Mueller Company.

Tags: "Lost 40", "Old Black Joe", "The Mueller Story", 1982, A.G. Webber, A.G. Webber III, Adolf Mueller, apprentice, Benito Mussolini, Betty Turnell, Canada, Chamber of Commerce trip, counsel for Mueller Co., Decatur IL, Division of labor, double desks, Duke Mueller, employee recreation, Everett Mueller, Frank Mueller, Fred Mueller, gardening, gas piping, grandfather, Great Depression, gun shop, Henry Mueller, Hieronymus Mueller, hiking club, immigrant, interview, Inventions, Jack Banton, judge, lawyer, machinist, Millikin Place, Mueller Company, Mueller factory, Mueller lawyer, Mueller Lodge, Mueller Picnic, Mueller village, office space, oral history, Oscar Mueller, patents, pay phone, Phillip Mueller, Plant, Port Huron MI, prairie forest, Public Relations, railroading, recording, Robert Mueller, Rockford IL, Rome Italy, sales, Sarni Ontario, South Shores, straw hat, tomatoes

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