Interview of Lucille Woodfolk Jones by Ashlin Smith and Kara Cox of the Ridge Street Oral History Project on May 19, 1995. (Oral History)

Biographical Information
Lucille Woodfolk Jones grew up on Raymond Street, which was just off Ridge Street. She still lives in the family home there, which her father designed and built. In this interview she shares some of her many memories of her childhood and of her family, which was one of the original families in the Ridge Street area.

Project Description
Race and Place is a project of the Virginia Center for Digital History and the Carter G. Woodson Institute for Afro-American and African Studies. The goal of the project is to chronicle the life of African-Americans in the Charlottesville, Virginia area during the period of segregation. As part of this project we have conducted a series of interviews with current residents of the Charlottesville area who were alive during that period. The project has also incorporated oral interviews conducted by other Charlottesville institutions which cover the appropriate subject area.

Notes About Our Transcription
The transcripts represent what was said in the interview to the best of our ability. It is possible that some words, particularly names, have been misspelled. Where we did not feel sure of spellings we have indicated this by the use of the term 'phonetically' in parentheses following the word in question. Places where words were unclear are noted by 'inaudible'. We have made no attempt to correct mistakes in grammar.

Q1:This is an interview of Lucille Woodfolk Jones at her home at 922 Raymond Street. It's May 19, 1995. The interviewers are Ashlin Smith and Kara Cox. Mrs. Jones, can you tell us about your mother and father?
Mrs. Jones:My mother and father were two loving parents. They had nine children, and my mother and father were married. My mother was twenty-two years old And my father was in his thirties. And he was from Greene County, my mother was from Albemarle County, but I remember how loving and sweet they were. My parents moved to - it was the three of us (Inaudible). My brother Hall, my nephew James and myself. When we would do things that we weren't supposed to do, he would call us in, set up the living room, and all three of us would sit there and be as quiet as church. However, it was such a wonderful way to punish children.
Q1:Where were you living at the time.
Mrs. Jones:Right here. In this house.
Q1:Did your father build this house?
Mrs. Jones:Oh, yes. This is the second house. The first one burned down. It was next door. And it burned down, and he had this built for, you know, for the family.
Q1:And - and how long had he owned this land? Did he have a farm here?
Mrs. Jones:No. Just had a garden. Trees. And chickens. We always had chickens.
Q1:Did you have any other animals, horse?
Mrs. Jones:Horses. We had three. And no cows.
Q1:Were the horses used for transportation?
Mrs. Jones:No. Plowing the garden. My father owned a transfer truck. He used to haul the University Students' trunks from the station, southern station, to the dormitory. And he also delivered medication for Timberlake Drugstore.
Q1:I see.
Mrs. Jones:Then in the afternoon when my father - when we knew it was time for him to come home, we would come to the top of the hill to get a ride all the way down the road.
Q1:At the top of the hill where? Raymond Road?
Mrs. Jones:Raymond Road began. At that time it used to be called Woodfolk Drive, until we were incorporated with the city, and the city gave its name Raymond Road. Raymond Road came from the name of a man that used to own land not too far from here. And -
Q1:Was that his last name or his first name?
Mrs. Jones:Last.
Q1:His last name. And he owned land south of here?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. Yes. And above us.
Q1:What was your father's full name?
Mrs. Jones:Ollie Thomas Woodfolk.
Q1:And your mother's?
Mrs. Jones:Mary Madeline Truhart Woodfolk.
Q1:How beautiful. Now you said your mother was from Albemarle County originally?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. Right. Close to the city.
Q1:Do you know where she lived exactly?
Mrs. Jones:No. Mostly here in, you know, Charlottesville.
Q1:And what part of Greene County do you think -
Mrs. Jones:My father was from Standardsville.
Q1:Standardsville. And did they come to Charlottesville after they were married?
Mrs. Jones:Yes.
Q1:So they - they -
Mrs. Jones:They moved here. You know, here in Charlottesville.
Q1:In Charlottesville. That was their home as a married couple. And did they - they lived in the house that your father had built?
Mrs. Jones:The one that burned down.
Q1:The one that burned down. Did they live any place before that? Do you know?
Mrs. Jones:No.
Q1:No.
Mrs. Jones:But I don't remember living in that because I wasn't born, and you know, (Inaudible). This is the house that I remember.
Q1:Did your father design the house? Did he plan it?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. He did. The only thing that my mother didn't like, and that was going up the front steps because it was so steep. But all in all it turned out fine.
Q1:Do you remember approximately what year this house was built?
Mrs. Jones:No. I don't. I know it's down somewhere, but I just can't find it.
Q1:You can't remember. And you were one of the youngest children.
Mrs. Jones:I was one of the youngest children. And my youngest brother, one of the youngest, he's passed on twenty years ago.
Q1:And which brother was the father of Joan?
Mrs. Jones:My nephew. James.
Q1:Oh, your nephew James.
Mrs. Jones:He was named after his father, which was my oldest brother.
Q1:All right. Where did you go to school? Did you go to the city school?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. I did. Jefferson.
Q1:Jefferson. Okay.
Mrs. Jones:And elementary school was in high school that I graduated in, at the Jefferson High School.
Q1:Oh, did you? All right. Do you remember the principal there, when you graduated from Jefferson High school? Well, maybe some of your favorite teachers, in high?
Mrs. Jones:Mrs. McGuinness, she's the only one that's living.
Q1:Mrs. McGuinness, yes.
Mrs. Jones:Bessie Taylor.
Q1:Bessie Taylor. These - they both taught in the high school?
Mrs. Jones:In the elementary school.
Q1:Elementary school.
Mrs. Jones:And in the high school, we had a Mrs. Brown. This is high school, and (Inaudible).
Q1:Oh, yes.
Mrs. Jones:Yes, indeed.
Q1:Do you remember anything in particular about any of those teachers that made you like them?
Mrs. Jones:Oh, they were just so good. They really made you get your lessons. That's for sure.
Q1:And who were some of your classmates? Who were your good friends in school and in the neighborhood?
Mrs. Jones:Virginia Ross.
Q:Oh, Virginia Ross.
Mrs. Jones:She's the only one that's living here in Charlottesville. Some of my older ones - friends that have passed on. But, Bernice Ford, she lived on Langford Avenue, but she has passed on.
Q1:Bernice Ford? On Langford Ave. And who else do you remember, whether they're still living or not? It's - it's good to -
Mrs. Jones:They you have Charles (Inaudible).
Q1:Where did he live? Do you remember?
Mrs. Jones:On Tenth and 1/2 Street.
Q1:These were classmates?
Mrs. Jones:Mazie Turl, she lives away, she's in New York.
Q1:Who were some of your neighborhood playmates? Were there any children who lived close by?
Mrs. Jones:There was only three houses.
Q1:On Raymond Road?
Mrs. Jones:On Raymond Road. And my brother and my nephew, we used to play together, and had wonderful times. Marvelous. But no children living in the neighborhood. There were a few in the lower house, but even they were younger. Maybe a couple, maybe 3 or 5.
Q1:You speak of the lower house, what do you mean by that?
Mrs. Jones:That is the last house.
Q1:And, does it face the same way that this house faces?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. Her name is Mary Fitch that lives in it now. She and her daughter. (Inaudible).
Q1:Oh, it is now.
Mrs. Jones:This is vacant, but the man is fixing it up for the son of the lady that passed on. He's fixing and remodeling. Martin. Very nice lady. Then you have Mr. And Mrs. William Cabell, they were nice neighbors. (Inaudible).
Q1:Oh, yes. Now, the house up at the top of Raymond Road, I was told, was lived in by, well, Virginia Ross called it her home place.
Mrs. Jones:That's it.
Q1:So, is that where the Swift family lived?
Mrs. Jones:No.
Q1:No.
Mrs. Jones:The Swift family house is facing Virginia Ross.
Q1:All right. So, she was speaking of the other side of her family when she spoke of - but I could - the blue stucco house.
Mrs. Jones:Burton was in there.
Q1:And she showed us a picture of her aunt Virginia Burton in the kitchen. Wonderful picture. So that's the other families name.
Mrs. Jones:Yes. (Inaudible). Thomas. Artie Ward and his family (Inaudible).
Q1:Tell me about Artie Ward. What do you remember about him? Because I associate him with taking care of animals.
Mrs. Jones:Animals. That's correct. Taking care of animals.
Q1:Did people bring their animals to him, and he would board them, or make them well?
Mrs. Jones:He would, you know, just keep them..
Q1:I'm told he made animals well too. He had a way of doing that.
Mrs. Jones:Yes. Then we had Mrs. Hopkins.
Q1:Where did she - was she on Ridge Street?
Mrs. Jones:On Ridge Street. Then we had Mrs. Lewis, Mr. Hall, Mrs. Carie. Then the Page family used to run the (Inaudible). Then we go up to the Pupperdites (phonetically).
Q1:Oh, yes.
Mrs. Jones:Pupperdites knew the policemen, and Brown (Inaudible).
Q1:Did you, when you were growing up, did you have certain duties around the house or garden that you were supposed to do?
Mrs. Jones:I used to wash the dishes.
Q1:You were the dish washer.
Mrs. Jones:Yes. And my brother, he had to bring in wood for the night, you know, for the stove. We had a wood kitchen stove.
Q1:Do you still have that stove?
Mrs. Jones:No.
Q1:Too hard to handle now? Was there anything else that you did around the house that -
Mrs. Jones:I helped to clean the kid's things. Our room had to be (Inaudible).
Q1:Yes. Did your mother work outside of the house?
Mrs. Jones:No. She didn't until after my father passed.
Q1:All right.
Mrs. Jones:Then she went to work after that. He died in 1929.
Q1:In 1929?
Mrs. Jones:There were a lot of children. She never remarried again.
Q1:What - tell me a little bit about your nephew, James Woodfolk. What were his duties around the house?
Mrs. Jones:He and my brother Hall, they both had to do the same thing. He helped out in the garden. But my father would have men come and do the garden for him, because by him working, he would get home so late. So men would come and help him, do the garden for him.
Q1:What was - you spoke of your father having, sort of a, truck, a truck that he helped to carry baggage for students.
Mrs. Jones:Oh, yes. A transfer-truck.
Q1:A transfer-truck. Right. What was the - did he have his name on it?
Mrs. Jones:No. Nothing like that. But everybody knew him.
Q1:But it was horse-drawn?
Mrs. Jones:No.
Q1:No? It was a motor truck?
Mrs. Jones:Yes.
Q1:And everyone knew him?
Mrs. Jones:Yes.
Q1:I guess he was there. He knew the train schedule?
Mrs. Jones:Oh, he knew the train schedule. This is with the fellows that were coming in, or else they would leave, you know, when it was time for them to leave.
Q1:Certainly.
Mrs. Jones:But he just -
(Pause in interview while door is answered)
Q1:Mrs. Jones, after you finished Jefferson High School, did you go on to higher education, or did you begin working, or were you married at that time? What happened?
Mrs. Jones:Well, after I finished high school, I went to Connecticut, season jobs. And I would go there in May, and come home in the fall around Thanksgiving time. Then I stayed in New York one year, which I didn't like. One year, then I came back to Charlottesville. And these friends that worked in upstate New York, I went to work for a doctor, psychiatrist and his wife. She was an artist. She had a little shop on Madison Avenue. I used to work in that little shop. And that was lovely. There just had been a lot of jobs.
Q1:When you spoke of season jobs, did you work in a hotel?
Mrs. Jones:Motel.
Q1:Hotel. Sort of a summer hotel?
Mrs. Jones:Summer resort.
Q1:And when did you meet your husband, and how did you meet your husband?
Mrs. Jones:Through a friend. And he was in the service. WWII.
Q1:Was he in the Army, Navy, the Marines?
Mrs. Jones:He was in the Army. He was a PFC. And then we were married. After he came out of the service because he didn't want to - he felt he should wait until after he came out of the service. And we have a son.
Q1:Were you married at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, or was that -
Mrs. Jones:No. At my uncle's house.
Q1:At your uncle's house.
Mrs. Jones:Yes. He lived on Oak Street.
Q1:On Oak Street. So you had family in this neighborhood for a long time. So, we'll go back to your mother. Did she live on Oak Street too early on?
Mrs. Jones:No. Here. Always here.
Q1:So then you began to have a family?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. Only one. (Inaudible) My son is a technician in a nuclear plant. In Pennsylvania.
Q1:Now, speaking of Pennsylvania, I noticed that your mother had gone to school in Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Jones:That's where she finished her school.
Q1:Can you tell me more about that? Was it a secondary school?
Mrs. Jones:A secondary school. She just finished the elementary school here.
Q1:Probably there wasn't any school to go to.
Mrs. Jones:No.
Q1:Do you know the name of the school?
Mrs. Jones:No. I do not.
Q1:But it was in Baltimore, Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Jones:Baltimore.
Q1:And then she came -
Mrs. Jones:She had a brother lived there.
Q1:I see.
Mrs. Jones:So that's how she got there. To Pennsylvania.
Q1:And what led her brother to Pennsylvania?
Mrs. Jones:I don't know. But she did have a brother to go to Arizona. First he went to California, then he went to Arizona. But we never heard any more from him. At the time they were working on the railroad. And building that.
Q1:Oh, yes. That does carry a person far away. So her father's name, no, her husband's name was Truhart?
Mrs. Jones:No. Her maiden name was Truhart.
Q1:What do you recall what her mother's name was?
Mrs. Jones:Kimble. Yes. Sally Kimble.
Q1:How do you spell that?
Mrs. Jones:K-I-M-B-L-E.
Q1:What a lovely name. And was she from Charlottesville also?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. And she lived with us. She helped to raise us.
Q1:How nice to have a grandmother in the home.
Mrs. Jones:It was lovely. It wasn't always lovely at the time when we were young growing up, but when you realize what a loving family you have, you just cherish that.
Q1:What were your favorite memories for special occasions, let's take Christmas for instance. What was Christmas like in the Woodfolk home?
Mrs. Jones:Christmas was wonderful. Always, everybody just had loads of gifts. And my father would always had plenty of food. That was just a lovely time. Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Q1:Did you have a Christmas tree? Did you go out and cut your own tree?
Mrs. Jones:Cut our own tree.
Q1:From close by?
Mrs. Jones:From close by.
Q:Was it what I call a blue cedar or a juniper?
Mrs. Jones:It was a cedar. Sometimes we had a - used a pine. But the cedar is what we used.
Q1:Did you make some Christmas tree ornaments?
Mrs. Jones:Oh yes, beautiful ornaments.
Q1:How did you do that?
Mrs. Jones:With popcorn. We did that. And berries, and then we made little ornaments, you know, out of paper. Always had Christmas streamers coming from one end of the room to the other.
Q1:And what about Christmas feast? Did you have turkey, or ham, or both?
Mrs. Jones:Turkey and ham. Because my father used to raise pigs. And he would slaughter them.
Q1:He didn't raise them here though did he?
Mrs. Jones:Yes.
Q1:Yes. So he had pigs.
Mrs. Jones:(Inaudible)
Q1:So he cured his own ham. Did you ever watch during the hog-slaughtering process?
Mrs. Jones:No. Couldn't stand it.
Q1:I had read about that, and that's why I asked.
Mrs. Jones:I just couldn't stand it.
Q1:Where did he cure his hams? Did he have a special shed, a curing shed in the back?
Mrs. Jones:Oh, yes. We did have one in the back. And my grandmother used to wash clothes in that little shed.
Q1:In the same shed?
Mrs. Jones:It wasn't a shed. It was more like a house. The shed was where he would cure the ham.
Q1:Were there any other outbuildings? Did you have a spring house?
Mrs. Jones:We had a stable. For horses.
Q1:And did your father take care of the horses, or did he have some help?
Mrs. Jones:The older boys.
Q1:The older boys did that. Did they exercise the horses too?
Mrs. Jones:Oh, yes. We had a field. You know, at that time, it was closed in, and he could lead his horses over into the field in front of us, because it was fenced in at that time.
Q1:And that was his field?
Mrs. Jones:No, it wasn't. Mrs. Elliewood Keith. She used to have horses.
Q1:But it wasn't her field.
Mrs. Jones:No.
Q1:She used it also. What about Easter?
Mrs. Jones:My mother made Easter bonnets.
Q1:Oh, did she really?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. But she would buy the hats, but then decorate them, you know, with streamers and flowers. We always had nice little things to wear. Always went to Sunday school every Sunday.
Q1:Oh did you? Did you go to Mt. Zion?
Mrs. Jones:Mt. Zion. Yes.
Q1:Do you remember your Sunday school teacher? Or anyone?
Mrs. Jones:Mrs. Brown. I think she was about the only one (Inaudible).
Q:She is still living. She must be. That's interesting. I bet the music was wonderful at church. Were you able to go to the main service too?
Mrs. Jones:I used to sing on the choir. And my father was a deacon of the church. We'd go to practice every Wednesday night. My mother had a very beautiful voice.
Q1:Was it soprano?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. And we all used to sing in the choir. We organized a quartet.
Q1:Did you? Oh, that's interesting. And did you sing in other places? I'm sure you sang in your church.
Mrs. Jones:We sang in our church. And when they - when the Paramount theater first opened up, we sang on the stage.
Q1:I see.
Mrs. Jones:Oh, many, many years ago.
Q1:And it was a quartet you say.
Mrs. Jones:Yes. Three sisters - The Woodfolk Family Singers.
Q1:And can you give me their names?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. Evelyn, Carrie, Marion, and myself.
Q1:And which part did you sing?
Mrs. Jones:Alto.
Q1:Alto. What were some of - do you remember any of the songs or hymns that you sang? Any favorite, I guess, that comes to mind?
Mrs. Jones:We used to sing "Oh, Danny Boy." We sang that, and we clapped. (Inaudible).
Q1:That's wonderful. Do you remember any other events in Charlottesville? You mentioned the opening of the Paramount Theater. Does anything else come to mind that was exciting for you at the time?
Mrs. Jones:Our church would give a concert. And there were four men that worked at the UVA hospital, they formed a quartet, and they would (Inaudible). To me, that was just an occasion to hear Mt. Zion give their concert, and my mother singing. And then the quartet was singing.
Q1:So you had a lot of music. Different people, groups and individuals singing. Do you remember any parades in Charlottesville, or circus parades? Were there any circus parades?
Mrs. Jones:Oh, yes. When we were younger, our father would take us to the circus. And it was held over in Belmont section. But I can't remember where. We always (Inaudible).
Q1:Do you have a memory of the Depression - what we know as the Depression?
Mrs. Jones:Never phased me.
Q1:Didn't phase you.
Mrs. Jones:We weren't aware of it. Because we always had.
Q1:So it was all the same. And, of course you remember WWII. Of course that was when you met your husband. And did any of your brothers serve?
Mrs. Jones:My brother. My youngest brother.
(End of first half of interview. Second half has been transcribed, but has not been proofed because second half is not available digitally at this time)
Q:This is the interview of Lucille Woodbrook Jones, continuing on May 19th, '95 at her home on Raymond Avenue. You were telling us about your brother.
Mrs. Jones:It seemed that this young fellow in the foxholes, and he happened to look up and he said, are you (Inaudible), and he said yes. He said, well, I'm Ollie Woodfolk, and I'm from Charlottesville, Virginia, and he said, well I'm from Stony Point. And they were just so happy to see each other. (Inaudible) amazing.
Q:And they were serving in the same company? I wonder if there were any other local boys in that company?
Mrs. Jones:I really don't know. It could have been. We have a book, but everything's been so misplaced, you know, you move one thing from another, and I know it's all packed up. It's about WWII, Charlottesville service. (Inaudible).
Q:What do you remember about Ridge Street? You probably went up and down it when you went to church, and school? Well, let me ask you, did you walk to school?
Mrs. Jones:We walked to school.
Q:And you walked to church?
Mrs. Jones:(Indicates yes). If we didn't walk, my father would take us in the T model Ford.
Q:How wonderful. Would that be on a rainy day?
Mrs. Jones:But we always mostly walked to church. That was a must. We always had to go to Sunday school.
Q:What do you remember about Ridge Street? Did it have big trees?
Mrs. Jones:Lots of big, beautiful oak trees. Lovely homes. (Inaudible).
Q:Did you have any favorite houses? Were there one or two houses that you just thought -
Mrs. Jones:They all were.
Q:They were all beautiful in (Inaudible).
Mrs. Jones:(Inaudible) daughter had a little kindergarten, between Oak, Dice and Ridge, facing Ridge Street.
Q:I think I've heard of that. I think it was called Ridge lawn preschool or kindergarten or something like that. Yes. Do you know anything about the Janie Porter Barracks daycare center? So you have any connection with that or have any memory of that at all?
Mrs. Jones:No.
Q:Did you ever - you've mentioned people that you knew who lived on Ridge Street, you mentioned their names and so forth, did you get together with them from time to time, your family and their family?
Mrs. Jones:No.
Q:So it was just passing?
Mrs. Jones:Just in passing.
Q:And I'm sure that just about everyone who lived on Ridge Street knew your father as he came and went.
Mrs. Jones:Everybody knew him.
Q:Probably knew him by name.
Mrs. Jones:Ollie T.
Q:Ollie T. Ollie T. Right. I think that name has come up in some of our interviews, come to think of it.
Mrs. Jones:(Inaudible).
Q:Well, I don't know, they could be. I'll have to think about that. Mrs. Jones, what can you remember about Woodfoolk lane? That was the name of the street before it became Raymond Road. Did your father give this road that name or did someone else?
Mrs. Jones:No. The County.
Q:The county.
Mrs. Jones:I'm sorry, the City is the one that gave it the name Raymond Road, but before that, it was called Woodfolk lane.
Q:And it was in the County at that time?
Mrs. Jones:It was in the county at that time.
Q:Right. Right. And it was named for your father?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. Yes. I thought it would have been. This road. You see, Woodfolk Drive is on the next little small street.
Q:I'll note that. But is that a new street or -
Mrs. Jones:That's a - it was an unnamed street, just like Daly Lane.
Q:I'm not familiar with that.
Mrs. Jones:Runs right into Woodfolk Drive. It's just a little small street. And it was unnamed. And they thought it would be nice to name it after one of the long - people that have lived down this way a long time. So they called and asked if they could name it after (Inaudible). My mother had (Inaudible).
Q:But certainly as it should be since this had been originally Woodfolk Lane.
Mrs. Jones:Lane. Yes.
Q:That there should be another road by that name.
Mrs. Jones:(Inaudible) Woodfolk Drive.
Q:Now, did your father make this road?
Mrs. Jones:Yes.
Q:He did it?
Mrs. Jones:He did it himself.
Q:All right.
Mrs. Jones:His friends and men that helped him on his truck come and straightened and rolled out like when we had rain, would make trenches on both sides so the water could run down. Otherwise, it was so rocky and muddy back then, but he took care of all of that. It was nice afterwards, my father would (Inaudible) take care of the road before the city - before the county - before the city took it over. Yes. They paid us. Well, we asked if they would pave the road, what is the man's name that wears the turban?
Q:Mr. Fuschia.
Mrs. Jones:Yes. He said that they couldn't do it because the city didn't have enough money to accommodate us, so we would have to put up money to do it. Of course, we had to fight it, I'm sorry.
Q:Yes. Of course, and they found the money. Very interesting. Now, did your father own, I think you might have told me this before, but I want to make sure that I understand, did he own land that started up at the top of the hill, or did his land start (Inaudible) down -
Mrs. Jones:His land start where this house is right here. Next door. Yes. That's where he used to have his garden and water in the back. We had land on the other side of the last house too.
Q:I see. But the last house, it was never your property.
Mrs. Jones:No. No. No. No.
Q:His property wrapped around.
Mrs. Jones:Wrapped around.
Q:And were they - the Burtons in their house already?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. They were already in there.
Q:They were already in there when your father bought his property.
Mrs. Jones:Yes. His property had been (Inaudible) father was a really young man.
Q:So he held this property for many a year before he moved on to it. Do you know who he bought it from? Do you know who the original owner was?
Mrs. Jones:I really don't know. No I don't.
Q:I'm sure that's in the city records. All land transfers are there.
Mrs. Jones:We had a cousin to come here from Baltimore, and he wanted to find out where his father was born, which was the nephew of my father, and he went up to Greene County, and, let me see, what - he found something, I don't know whether, like a city hall they have up there or wherever they - and he went to see the name of all the Woodfolk. And, of course, they had him on the registry, and he said he was coming back. They gave him about five books to go through, which he didn't complete, but I'm sorry he didn't. But there were some that were unnamed in this record.
Q:I see.
Mrs. Jones:But he said maybe one day, if he got the chance. But he traveled so he doesn't. He takes people on tour. Greece, Italy, and all. (Inaudible). He enjoys it.
Q:Oh, yes. I should think so. What were some of the things that your mother cooked that you like the most? I bet they were desserts.
Mrs. Jones:Yes. And hotbread.
Q:Yeastbread.
Mrs. Jones:(Inaudible). That was one. She used to cook for this little tea room down on Park Street. It was called the Evergreen Tea Room many, many years ago. And it was on back in. Mrs. Mary Hosmer. Her daughter lives here in Charlottesville, but I don't know where.
Q:It was run by Mrs. Mary -
Mrs. Jones:Hosmer. Hosmer.
Q:Hosmer. And it was on Park Street.
Mrs. Jones:Evergreen Avenue. Excuse me. And I remember carrying Sunday dinner to ex-Governor Battle's, the Governor Battle's parents. And I used to live on Evergreen, and I used to carry them down meals every Sunday, and I used to watch (Inaudible) at the old tea room. And my mother worked at the school room. And Mrs. Battle would give me a nice little apron that she had made for Christmas, you know, it was my Christmas gift. Lovely (Inaudible).
Q:I didn't know so much had gone on Evergreen Avenue, which is not far from where I live.
Mrs. Jones:Oh, really?
Q:I live on Park Street. So, not far from there.
Mrs. Jones:(Inaudible)
Q:That's where I live. Lots of people have lived in that house. Yes.
Mrs. Jones:(Inaudible).
Q:Did you know him?
Mrs. Jones:I didn't know him personally. But he would give lovely gifts to my church.
Q:Oh, did he really?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. Money. You know.
Q:Could you tell me more about that, because we've heard so many nice things about Mr. Walker, and the gifts that he gave that a lot of people will never know about, and I think they ought to know more about the good things he did.
Mrs. Jones:Yes. As I remember, this young fellow came to Charlottesville, his brother was a minister of my church. And he was going into the ministry too, but he used to drive (Inaudible) for Mr. (Inaudible). (Inaudible).
Q:That makes sense. I think that might have been mentioned to me by Donna Reaves. Does that make sense to you?
Mrs. Jones:And he was a nice host.
Q:Well known Baptist minister.
Mrs. Jones:Yes.
Q:Head of the Southern Baptist (Inaudible).
Mrs. Jones:But I think he's retired.
Q:I think that's right.
Mrs. Jones:Mr. (Inaudible).
Q:Do you know of any other individuals that he helped?
Mrs. Jones:No I don't. He is just about he only one.
Q:But he did give a lot to the church, to Mt. Zion Baptist Church?
Mrs. Jones:Yes.
Q:Well, that's so good to know. Are there any other people that you can remember that - that you have helped or done nice things for?
Mrs. Jones:I try to do things for people. You know, even now. (Inaudible) my neighbor. She'd call me, say, we can come and do (Inaudible), I'm having a hard time. About a month ago, she called me, and I was (Inaudible), (Inaudible), she said, I feel like I'm going to faint, I don't feel good, I said, well, all right, I'll be right there. Jumped out of bed, put on my robe and then ran on down there.
Q:You're a good neighbor.
Mrs. Jones:You never know. Just like I look at some of the elderly people in the nursing homes. You know, if they could be at home, they would, but they have - some of their families have no other choice but to put them in there.
Q:That's true. It's wonderful that you have this life. Have you always lived here, or when you were married, did you live someplace else?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. I lived away.
Q:Away from Charlottesville?
Mrs. Jones:In Elkton Maryland.
Q:Oh, in Elkton Maryland.
Mrs. Jones:That's where my husband was from. He's passed on now. (Inaudible). It's just three of us left. Our oldest brother lives in D.C. We just saw him this past weekend, me and my sister (Inaudible).
Q:And so you, one by one, came back to this house to live?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. When my - one of my sisters was married here, and I knew that I was needed here in Charlottesville. So I came back to live.
Q:Were either of your parents living at that time?
Mrs. Jones:My mother was living.
Q:Still?
Mrs. Jones:Yes.
Q:So you lived here with her?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. With her. We moved to our own place (Inaudible).
Q:All right. So you have lived on Langford Avenue once?
Mrs. Jones:(Indicates yes).
Q:Who do you remember from Langford Avenue?
Mrs. Jones:Mrs. Julia Martin, Mrs. Mary Allen, and Mrs. Cooper, she used to have a little kindergarten, and that's where my son Rich started, went to kindergarten.
Q:Mrs. Cooper. On Langford Avenue.
Mrs. Jones:On Langford Avenue. Dorothy Page, (Inaudible), Mrs. Page. I don't know. And Ford, I don't know of the new people living there.
Q:I'm more interested in the ones who lived there a few years back. Is Julia Martin still living?
Mrs. Jones:Yes.
Q:Does she still live on Langord?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. She's one of the ushers up at my church. Mrs. Allen, she's passed on.
Q:Did you know Melvin Hamilton?
Mrs. Jones:Yes.
Q:We interviewed Melvin Hamilton also.
Mrs. Jones:Oh, you did?
Q:Yes. We did.
Mrs. Jones:(Inaudible). He's always gone on the trips.
Q:Oh, I see.
Mrs. Jones:Yes. (Inaudible). We just don't keep in touch. (Inaudible).
Q:Did you - at the nursing home, is that where you work in the evenings?
Mrs. Jones:Midnight shift. I've been there twenty-nine years.
Q:Which nursing home?
Mrs. Jones:Cedars.
Q:At the Cedars. That's a wonderful place.
Mrs. Jones:You know, it's kind of hard. The original owner was so nice. Mr. Stanley Wilcox. He owned the nursing home up in Crozet. It's called Windham.
Q:Windham. Oh yes.
Mrs. Jones:(Inaudible).
Q:Oh, I'm sure you did. And you're -
Mrs. Jones:(Inaudible) you can't help it. Especially when they pass on. We have a little lady that's 105. (Inaudible). And she's so thankful. She always says thank you so much.
Q:Now, are you a nurse's aide?
Mrs. Jones:(Indicates yes).
Q:(Inaudible).
Mrs. Jones:(Inaudible). They need me here. (Inaudible).
Q:Let me ask you about Oak Street. Did you know a family by the name of Fields there? Dorothy?
Mrs. Jones:Dorothy Fields. Yes. And of course, my uncle lived on that street. (Inaudible).
Q:I remember you telling me that.
Mrs. Jones:And Mrs. Daniels. Margaret (Inaudible), but she is Margaret (Inaudible). (Inaudible) had a slight stroke. I can't think of her married name.
Q:Now, there's some Fields that are still living there.
Mrs. Jones:Dorothy and her husband.
Q:Irving. And Keith. He grew up on Oak Street?
Mrs. Jones:No. He grew up on Ridge Street.
Q:That's nice.
Mrs. Jones:That home place is (Inaudible).
Q:Donna Reaves also mentioned that. But they lived on - and their house was torn down on Ridge Street?
Mrs. Jones:Yes. Home place.
Q:What (Inaudible) do you think (Inaudible).
Mrs. Jones:(Inaudible) Mill Road. Three houses down I would say. On the left hand side coming up this way.
Q:On the east side I guess. Did you know the Slaughter family? Did you know Mr. Harry Slaughter? It would have been right up here at the top of the hill I believe.
Mrs. Jones:Yes. (Inaudible) lives on 7 1/2 Street.
Q:That's when it was still living.
Mrs. Jones:She was much younger -
Q:Than he was.
Mrs. Jones:(Inaudible).
Q:And is that house gone also? Virginia Ross mentioned that to me. And he had a lot of animals you say.
Mrs. Jones:Yes. Dogs.
Q:Just for pets?
Mrs. Jones:Just for pets. He had a truck that he would remove, like, trash from the different stores, like the (Inaudible).
Q:Oh, I see. I see.
Mrs. Jones:And he would take it to the dump. At that time, it was on - out on -
Q:Ivy Road? Or, - that's the new one I guess.
Mrs. Jones:Ivy Road is a new landfill.
Q:Yes. That's what's being used now. Well a lot of the things you're telling me confirm bits and pieces of information I've gotten through other people, putting all of these names together, you begin go get a picture of some of these other people. So that was Mr. Slaughter's work. His truck. And (inaudible).
Mrs. Jones:Cut down trees, and do the yard, cut grass. We got a hold of my man - (Inaudible) -

Copyright Information:
Virginia Center for Digital History, University of Virginia
This interview is publically accessible
Text and images © copyright 2001 by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia.