University of North Carolina at Asheville
D. Hiden Ramsey Library
Special Collections/University Archives

Oral History Register
for

Margaret Calloway

OH-VOA C351 Ma

Voices of Asheville Oral History Collection
D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA

Title

Creator

Dorothy Joynes for Voices of Asheville Oral History Collection

Subject

LCSH:
Calloway, Margaret
Asheville (N.C.) -- History
Laundry industry -- North Carolina -- Asheville
Baptists -- North Carolina

Subject

Keyword:  Laundry ; Dry cleaning ; Minico Cleaners ; Clayton Street Baptist Church

Description

Abstract: Calloway discusses her experience working with Minico Cleaners, describing the changes that she saw in the business over the years.  She discusses the effect of synthetic fibers, household laundry machines and inflation on business.  She also discusses her experience helping with her husband to build Clayton Street Baptist Church, describing its development over time.

Publisher

D. H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville, NC, 28804

Contributor

Date

Electronic Record Issued: 2002-04-03

Type

Sound ; Text ; Image

Format

Physical Description: 7-page abstract ; 1 90-minute audiocassette and 1 copy ; 9 color photographs ; 1 newspaper article

Identifier

Source

OH-VOA C351 Ma

Language

English

Relation

References: none

Coverage

Acquisition

Donor number: 146 ;  Date of acquisition: 1998

Processed By

Dorothy Joynes, Ruth Beard and staff

Interview Date

Interview Location

Biograph

List of names

Side 1:

She moved from Yancey County to help her sister raise her children. She missed a year of high school and decided not to return.

[18] Her first job was with Swannanoa Laundry on Church Street where she met her husband and then went to Minico Cleaners to work. [Richard Calloway]

[27] Although she did many jobs at the dry cleaning establishment her main position was in the office and waiting on customers.

[36] When she first went to work there were over 100 employees - when Minico closed there were only 3 working on one floor.

[43] At one time the company had 12-13 trucks going all over town - Biltmore, West Asheville and as far as Canton.

[53] She went to the Grove Park Inn once for the March of Dimes program but, aside from going on laundry runs, did not know much about the hotel. The son of a friend of hers works there and told her it had changed a lot. Most of Minico's work came from hotels - the waiters at Grove Park wore white gloves.

[70] Minico used to do dyeing as well as cleaning. Years ago spots could not be cleaned from cotton by washing so they also were spotted and dry cleaned.

[100] With the development of polyester and other synthetic fabrics, people did laundry at home. Today most hotels and hospitals have their own laundries. Sexton did laundry work for Mission Hospital after working for Minico several years. [Frank Sexton]

[116] Forty-four years ago, when she started at Minico, most households did not have machines, collars needed starch. Sheets and table linen needed ironing.

[125] In the past customers could drive up to the curb by the store to drop off laundry or pick it up when it was finished. Losing that parking place hurt business. With women working, the drivers could not leave returned laundry outside the houses because of fear of theft. No one does laundry delivery anymore.

[159] Inflation affected many aspects of the cleaning business - solvents, overhead, even marking tags.

[167] Solvents for cleaning were filtered and reused until they were used up. Certain materials held the odor of the fluid more than others. Mud in the water did not cause problems.

[190] Before the company closed, afghans were wet and cut for a local woodwork company.

[199] She was the only person working at the front desk. The workers who were there before she came were Mary Hunter, Don Irvin, Gina Rohrer.

[215] Uniforms for the police, firemen, and Craggy prison guards were their basic business before closing.

[232] "Mother " Nichols worked there until she died. She had two sons and a daughter. They treated their employees like part of the family. There was no retirement pension. [Mary Gudger Nichols, Herman Nichols, John Nichols, Linda Holden Nichols]

[266] The Karrs ran the plant for 8-9 years with 1 driver. Rohrer drove for 35 years. Customers were different then and drivers, with keys given to them, would pick up and deliver clothes inside houses. She said they "don't trust everybody like they used to." "Wouldn't think of locking your doors around here but now I wouldn't think of going across the street without locking the doors." [Jesse Karr, Harry Rohrer]

[293] She has lived in a number of houses in West Asheville over the past 40 years.

[321] There used to be houses where Westgate is now. Aside from the old A&P, then Ingles and Winn-Dixie, and occasionally May's Market, most of her shopping was done in town. She mentions other small stores in West Asheville but no details. Downey's Diner in Westgate.

[439] There wasn't much traffic in the area until the interstate went through. Houses were bought for roads. Decisions were made in town. She did not go to any community meetings.

[490] The school across the street - Hall Fletcher Elementary - was expanded before she moved to her present house from Swannanoa.

[521] She remembers when the ground was broken for her church on Clayton Ave. next to the Rescue Squad and Hilton Inn. [Preacher Lansey Howe]

Side 2:

She and her husband helped build their Baptist church. (Clayton Street Baptist Church) They attended services before the floor was in and heat came from a pot bellied stove. The Fellowship Hall is where the women meet. The first time she took her daughter out was to church. There is a Wednesday night service, a Sunday school and church service on Sunday and another at night. Her husband worked for Drexel for 23 years. Before that he was with Morgan before Drexel bought it. [Cynthia (Cindy) Calloway]

[2/39] The new minister is 25 and was raised by his grandmother. He started to preach when he was 10. Holder was pastor for 20 years. His daughter worked at Mission Hospital and is now in a doctor's office. [Bruce Robinson (wife Susan, came in 1990), Pastor T.A. Holder, Linda Holder]

[2/54] She went to the old church with her husband before they were married. The new church is on Clayton Street near the corner of Clayton and Hazel Mill Road. There are one or two revival meetings a year which last from 1 1/2 to 2 hours for 4-5 days. They used to last 2 weeks. On the second Sunday in August there is a Homecoming and old members and preachers come back. There are no special Baptist projects but 3-4 missions are supported. There was no Bible school last year as there weren't enough children. The parishioners marry and move away. Members supported the anti-abortion vigil around the abortion clinic near the Merrimon Baptist Church. [Dog keeps sniffing mike!]

[2/117] She met her husband when she was 15 and married when she was 20 and he was in the service. He worked for the Three Mountaineers [just went out of business this year] They used to go into Asheville every Friday night but she hasn't seen a movie for 40 years. Despite the freeway and traffic she does not feel separated from the city. [Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Laurel and Hardy]

Thanks

Return to Top         Oral History Collections