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

Oral History Register
for

Lucius "Craggy" and Esta (Liz) Ingle

OH-VOA I54 Lu

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:
Ingle, Lucius (Craggy), 1903-
Ingle, Esta (Liz)
Asheville (N.C.) -- History
Railroads -- North Carolina -- History

Subject

Keyword: Railroads ; Reems Creek ; Craggy Mountain ; Rattlesnake Lodge ; World War II ; Weaverville College ; Riverside Park ; Richmond Hill

Description

Abstract: Lucius discusses his experience working for the railroad before and during the Depression.  His work with steam engines came to an end with the development of the diesel engine.  He was laid off and later became a railroad car inspector.  He describes the various duties and responsibilities that his job entailed.  Esta discusses her early childhood and education, her experience working for the telephone company, and her first marriage to a man who was killed falling out of a tree.  They both discuss changes they have seen in the area over the years, and Lucius describes changes he has seen in the railroads.

Publisher

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

Contributor

Date

Electronic Record Issued: 2002-05-13

Type

Sound ; Text ; Image

Format

Physical Description: 10-page abstract ; 1 90-minute audiocassette and 1 copy ; 16 color photographs ; newspaper articles and brochures

Identifier

Source

OH-VOA I54 Lu

Language

English

Relation

References: VOA Phillip Merrill 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

[1/508] Ambler, Dr. Chase P.
[1/25] Anderson, Mr.
[2/441] Blomberg, Harry
[2/4] Hemphill, John
[2/4] Hemphill, Mrs. John
[2/64] Horney, Jake C.
[2/64] Horney, Julius T.
[2/515] Ingle, Billy
[2/515] Ingle, Donald
[2/515] Ingle, Kenneth
[2/515] Ingle, Maxine
[2/334] King, Selwyn
[1/25] McCorn, Mack
[2/441] Merrell, Phillip
[2/344] Pearson, Richmond
[2/27] Tingle, Alvis M.
[2/249] Vanderbilt, George
[2/114] White, T. Miller. 

Side 1:

[1] "Craggy" got his name from the area where he was born in 1903. He went to work on the Railroad in 1923 and was lucky to get a job. He worked as a machine helper (learning on the job) and retired as car inspector in 1968. 

[16] He usually worked on engines in the roundhouse but went out when there was a breakdown. In Inman, South Carolina an engine went off the track and he went over to repair it.

[25] He tells of a boiler that had to be repaired. The throttle was still inside and he had to take off his clothes to squeeze in.  [Mr. Anderson, Mack McCorn]

[36] In 1952 the cars were "dieselized" and he was laid off. He went to Knoxville and then to Spartanburg as car inspector. He then returned to Asheville.

[51] He describes the car inspectors' duties - to look for connections, breaks and flat tires (that's what all that banging is about!)

[62] The first roundhouse on Depot Street held 12 engines. This was torn down and replaced with one that could hold 25 at one time. Trains came in for repairs, greasing, and oiling. There is one track in use by Champion Paper today. The rest of the space is used for paper storage. (See enclosure)

[74] Railroad men meet for lunch the first Tuesday of every month in the Biltmore Mall, following a 10:30 program.

[82] Another group of railroad men have started a small museum on Meadow and Short McDowell Streets. A small leaflet is published. Some men belong to both groups. Engine 722 is on a bank by the museum and a canopy has been constructed to cover it from rain. (See enclosed).

[85] He helped put the rods in the tank so that engine 722 and 630 could be towed to Tennessee when they were sold. Later when they were returned to Asheville the pistons were removed - an easier job. They had, for a while, been used by a trucking company.

[118] Items are being sold in the museum to raise money. His sister-in-law bought a cap for $10.

[125] Excursions on the train take place around Bryson City, Murphy, and Old Fort. An "old timer" drives it for the day trip. Once in a while there is a trip from Asheville to Spartanburg. (See file).

[135] He hasn't had anything to do with the museum group. He is the only man left of the group he worked with.

[144] "Liz" said she hasn't been involved in railroading (they were married about 2 years after he retired). She was born on Reems Creek, 2 miles from Vance cemetery. The school she attended (2 rooms) ran for only 6 months a year. In the 7^th grade she took an additional three months, passed the county examination, and went to the Weaverville High School. This school was not accredited so the county paid for the students to go to Weaverville College for the remaining 2 high school years, and she won a scholarship for 2 years of Weaverville College. She won an award.

[173] Because of the Depression it was hard getting a job. However, she, by moving into Asheville and boarding, was able to work with the telephone company. This was housed on Lexington Ave in the same building as T. S. Morrison store. [1936 Asheville City Directory: T. S. Morrison & Co. 39-41 N. Lexington Ave., Southern Bell T & T, 45 N. Lexington Ave.]  She had difficult hours at first - 9 to 6 - and was ultimately able to work the quieter hours.

[188] When she married she stopped working. She stayed off 6 years and went back, giving her a total of 34 years.

[195] She shows her old hand-crank phone made in 1908 (1 year older than she is) which belonged to her mother who bought it second hand. She and her brother used to play on the phone - an 8 party hookup - when her parents went out. Someone on the line always told on them, and they got punished.

[210] She tells about the party-line system. They had it for 6 years and knew all the people involved. Everyone knew the different rings, and if they wanted to call anyone not on their line, they dialed the operator to get outside. There were 4 operators in Weaverville and to get Asheville the calls would first go through Weaverville.

[267] She explains the plug-in system. It took 8 weeks to be trained - one had to be fast. There were 50-60 operators in a row with supervisors behind (see file for Hilda Sands). In 1948 she was moved to Battery Park Hill and took a course on "routes and rates." Later, when phones used the dial system she had to be retrained. The overseas calls were handled in New York. She went through about 8 changes before she retired in 1970. She took an early retirement so they could travel.

[338] I showed the write-up by Bob Terrell (enclosed) and they told me about the tour 176 people from the Baptist churches took to the Holy Land.

[379] They were on the first flight out of Asheville on a 707. The runway was short and when they returned at night in the rain, they were afraid they wouldn't make it. Later they took a 747 out of this airport.

[415] When she was growing up, Liz and her three siblings had chores to do. She, after school, would turn the cows out or graze the horses. They lived in an old house with a large kitchen built by the Indians. Her great-grandfather owned 2,500 acres on Elk Mountain. He had 11 children and divided the land. Part of the land came to her father.

[508] Her father got a job as day laborer taking care of Rattlesnake Lodge for Ambler. [Dr. Chase P. Ambler]

[601] She did not walk to school. A touring car was hired to take six children every day.

Side 2:

[2/4] Her father had a touring car and on Saturday the family picked up another couple and brought butter, eggs, chickens, and vegetables in to Asheville to sell. Families would gather in Beard's [Baird's?] store (near Morrison's). [1925 Asheville City Directory: T. G. Baird, grocer, 32 Broadway; T. S. Morrison & Co., agricultural implements, 47-49 Broadway] [Mr. and Mrs. John Hemphill]

[2/27] The route from Asheville to Weaverville by streetcar is discussed. Wood and coal cars were hauled by streetcar through what is now Beaver Lake (see enclosure by Terrell). [Alvis M. Tingle: 1941 Asheville City Directory: Tingle's Cafe, 29 Broadway]

[2/57] He used to take his boys swimming in the pool which was part of the lake (see Ryan tape) (see photo enclosed).

[2/64] There was constant building on Kimberly. The lake was created around 1920.  [Horney brothers: Jake C. Horney, Julius T. Horney]

[2/82] Weaverville High School is now a primary school.

[2/114] Liz married her first husband at the height of the Depression. He was laid off with 30 others and when the Central Bank closed, she lost her $400 savings and he lost $2,200. They went back to her mother's for 13 months. They both were called back - she to the phone company and he as a motor man. The system was bought out and later acquired by Carolina Power and Light. Their house on Dallas Street in West Asheville was paid for in 3 years. Shortly after this her husband was killed by a fall while trimming a tree. She remained single until 1970.  [T. Miller White, general supervisor of Carolina Power and Light Co.]

[2/196] World War II took all young men out of the city but both of them were frozen in their jobs.

[2/231] He tells about troop and passenger trains in and out of the city.

[2/249] He stayed in the roundhouse working but told about the Biltmore Station and the track running into the Biltmore Estate.  [George Vanderbilt]

[2/262] Most passengers came to Biltmore but they could get off at either of the two stations. The next stop was Swannanoa. Today there are no passenger trains this side of South Carolina.

[2/276] Champion Fiber runs coal and wood chips to Canton. He went out to work on an engine at Champion once. They own their own engine and tracks.

[2/308] He tells of a time when 164 cars of coal were hauled by 8 engines. The maximum at one time was 100 and trains could not hold up a road crossing for more than 15 minutes.

[2/334] Mr. King loves railroads. He and his wife are in the Baptist Home.  [Selwyn King]

[2/344] Richmond Hill is discussed. He said kids would be run off the property when they waved hello. A well was dug for water and two hills were built with a road around them. The road was built (one mile) in one hour. (See Mathews tape)

[2/384] He describes Riverside Park and the flood.

[2/408] Her mother and father went to the park - it took them from 4 am to 11 to get there.

[2/425] He went to Sunset Mountain by open tourist trolley cars with his Sunday school class.

[2/441] We discuss Phillip Merrell whose house is close by (see his tape) and Blomberg who gave money for the crippled children's hospital in Greenville. They were Shriners together.  [Phillip Merrill, Harry Blomberg]

[2/515] He is the only one living who ran the switch engine up the old logging road in 1919. Logs would be dumped into a lake and floated down between Black Mountain and Ridge Crest.

He names his children and then plays the engine sounds on the phone - a beautiful miniature engine containing a working phone (see enclosed).  [Donald Ingle, Billy Ingle, Kenneth Ingle, Maxine Ingle]

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