Mrs. Kathryn Simpson was born in 1913 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When she was three, she was sent to Esmont to live with her grandparents. Simpson's father had abandoned his wife, taking Simpson's one sister with him. Her grandfather was very strict, prohibiting her from dancing in the house and telling potential suitors that "I didn't turn her loose yet". Neighborhood children were wary of visiting her home as a result, but they would often come on Sundays when her grandmother made ice cream. Simpson's grandparents sent her to school early in order to provide her more companionship. She describes the competition in academics between the boys and girls, as well as trips she took to nearby towns through school, church, or social clubs. She emphasizes how the adults in the community kept certain topics from the ears of children; for example, how the church provided aid to the community's needy. Other details recalled by Simpson are the favorite Christmas gifts she received, health remedies, and visits by neighbors. She also recounts a white woman's racist affront to her in a local store. Simpson decided to move to the city after finishing high school, in order to see "the big city" and to have more freedom.

Esmont Oral History Project: Building Digital Communities, Race and Place: African American Community History, Albemarle County, Virginia. Prepared by the Virginia Center for Digital History, Charlottesville, VA, 2001-2002

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