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

Oral History Register
for

OH-VOA H65Ja

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:
Hollifield, Edna
Hollifield, James (Shorty)
Asheville (N.C.) -- History
Depressions -- 1929 -- North Carolina -- Asheville
Flea markets -- North Carolina -- Asheville
Handicraft -- North Carolina
United States. Work Projects Administration -- North Carolina

Subject

Keyword: WPA ; Depression ; American Enka ; Flea markets

Description

Abstract:  Both Edna and James discuss their experience growing up in Asheville during the Depression, describing the harsh conditions of poverty.  James lists various jobs that he undertook in his youth in order to help his family, and describes some of the jobs given to the poor by the WPA.  Edna talks about her family and education, and describes how she and James met and were married.  James talks about various jobs and projects he has been involved in, from selling produce and crafts in flea markets to working at the Enka plant.  Edna discusses her experience working in various school cafeterias, a job she has held for 15 years.  

Publisher

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

Contributor

Date

Electronic Record Issued: 2002-05-08

Type

Sound ; Text ; Image

Format

Physical Description: 1 9-page abstract and 1 4-page abstract ; 1 90-minute audiocassette and 1 copy ; 11 color photographs ; newspaper articles

Identifier

Source

OH-VOA H65Ja

Language

English

Relation

References: VOA Paul (Dusty) Pless, Jr. and Kathy Bowman Oral History

Coverage

Acquisition

Donor number: 146 ;  Date of acquisition: 1998

Processed By

Dorothy Joynes, Ruth Beard and staff

Interview Date

Interview Location

Biography

List of names

Side 1:

On March 7, 1993 Henry Robinson of the Citizen-Times ran a story with a picture of the Open Air Market. He asked for shared memories; "Shorty" contacted him and on April 11 his comments were published - see enclosures). He has given me a tape on his early childhood which I copied and returned (see tape).

[11] As a child he was given one pair of shoes a year which his father half-soled as needed. In the summer he went barefoot. [Barrette Hollifield]

[20] He worked on the Phelps farm with a "turning plow" and a horse for 7½ cents an hour. Phelps also had a café in Asheville. His two daughters worked with him on a "hillside plow." A man was hired to help hoe the corn. He was getting 10 cents an hour but didn’t dig it out right so was fired. Using a 2-man cross-cut saw, he helped cut wood for the winter. [John Phelps]

[53] The children walked to school in a group.

Fast forward to #100 - part deleted

[100] He worked for his father [1935?] who signed him up for work with the WPA [Work Projects Administration]. He had to be certified in Asheville. These were hard times. The Red Cross gave out sacks of flour. There was no money and people got meat by eating robins, thrushes, squirrel, and rabbit. They barely survived. [Franklin Roosevelt]

[126] The family moved to Newbridge when he was 18. He dug ditches around the Hendersonville airport for [noise from heater] $10 every two weeks. Then he worked at Sand and Clay streets for $5 more. He tells a story of the 10 boys he was grading the road with, stealing tomatoes from a near-by field. A man joined then and it turned out that he was the owner! He graded roads to Candler and a quarry off Tunnel Road.

[172] Two of his sisters married and the family moved to Sand Hill Road.

[187] With the WPA he helped grade and slope the land on Lexington Street to be used for an Open Air Market [I refer to Ira Farmer’s Market] (see enclosure). A house was torn down to give space and wheel barrows were used to grade and level cement over the steel girders. The cement was brought from an area now occupied by Pearlman’s on Tunnel Road. [Robie Winters]

[219] Edna was born in Asheville and moved quite a bit. Her father worked with the WPA. Shorty gave her father a lift into town and back after work.

[230] When she was growing up she helped mostly in the house while her parents were outside. They had a pig and cows. There wasn’t much money. The Welfare Department gave them clothes. She had two sisters. [Mary Ward Sprouse, Lucille Ward James]

[244] Her pastor’s wife was good to her. She helped in the house and the pastor’s wife made over clothes for her and bought her a sweater. She also helped another lady with pheasants, chickens, and peafowl. She was living on Monte Vista Road.

[264] She went to a Presbyterian Church School in Weaverville. She has lived in West Asheville 19 years.

[287] Her mother was a "field-person." She didn’t sew much. Her father tried to work odd jobs to get a sack of flour. When he rode with Shorty they met, were married within 5 weeks and married in 1938. Albert was born in 1939 and went to Sand Hill school in 1944. The youngest son, Virgil lives in Woodfin. Albert was in the Air Force and lives in New York. He has two children, divorced and remarried. [Albert Hollifield, Virgil Hollifield, Allen Hollifield, Amy Hollifield]

[351] She makes quilt tops in a church group and describes the procedure. He makes frames for sale but there is no room to set up in their house.

[374] She helps him sell things he makes. He makes frames in 3 sizes.

[390] She was president of a women’s group at the State Street Baptist Church (WMU women’s missionary union) where the 19 or so members put on suppers and bake sales to raise money for needy members. There was a problem with some of the male members regarding the minister and she doesn’t go anymore. She misses it.

[454] He has been involved but the men don’t get along. Some people are leaving. They watch preachers on TV.

[476] They moved to Florida for a while where he drove a gas truck servicing 200 school buses. At Christmas, people gave him presents. He still misses it.

[525] She really didn’t want to go to Florida but said, "I'm cold. I’m going to Florida," and he took her up on it! She worked in an elementary school cafeteria and then the Orlando First Union Bank (now Sun Bank). She enjoyed the work but was homesick on weekends. Her Florida friends hated to see her leave.

Side 2:

[2/4] He tells about working with his father and mixing cement for the market. [Glen Weaver, Reed and Abe (Co.)]

[2/46] He was transferred to a Colored park behind the police station. His supervisor said he was to "take charge and work everyone." He said he wouldn’t work people who were not physically able.

[2/77] Farmers from all over Buncombe and Haywood Counties rented space on Lexington Avenue. They were charged by the day.

[2/89] In back of the old jail grapefruit was given to the people.

[2/99] Poor people who qualified were given work by the WPA in the grammar schools canning vegetables, which were given to the needy.

[2/143] She gave me an old-fashioned can opener. She uses a twister now.

[2/162] We discuss the model privy on the TV - "Little Brown Shacks."  He made one as a bird house and sold it at a flea market for $10. He would have taken $1.50.

[2/180] They advertise items he makes and glassware he has gathered in the Iwanna and on the radio - then they have a yard sale. He has done well.

[2/197] It costs $3 a day to rent a space in the Flea Market near him, which has been in operation for 40 years. Dreamland is a big market and there is one at Enka. People come from all over. [dog just came in] The Penland Auction on the river (see Lucius Ingle tape) does not set prices. The seller takes what they can get.

[2/224] The Open Air Market had spaces lined off for sellers who paid rent to men in a small space on the property. Trucks came in with furniture, guns and tools as well as vegetables and honey.

[2/244] He has sold produce from a wagon, driving up and down the streets with no specified route. While there was an ice plant (see Harmon Lee tape) few could afford ice boxes. It took three hours to drive the 10 miles from Weaverville with the crated chickens and vegetables.

[2/298] When it snowed, he didn’t go to Asheville. His father worked for Hal and Welden’s father sometimes. He might stay for a week. For snow, the horses had "ice nails" (big heads) put on by the blacksmith. [H.M. Weir, Fabe Hyatt]

[2/374] He worked in the filter shop at Enka. He tried the spinner but didn’t like it because of the acid.

[2/421] There was a strike at Enka and, since he was not working he was called to Fort Bragg to be enlisted. However, he was deferred and told he was needed at Enka. The army took over and he got his job back.

[2/450] Their house burned and he built a room in his father-in-law’s house.

[2/491] She went to work at Enka after she got some clothes following the house fire. She was in the combing department. She has been in food service for 15 years - the William Randolph School and Hill Street School. She started in Weaverville Elementary Cafeteria when the kids were small.

Return to Top         Oral History Collections