Austin History Center

Listen to the accounts of what it was like to attend Austin's public schools before 1950 from the memories of the students themselves.

Listen as the accounts of 7 former slaves are brought to life through the voices of talented local actors. These recordings make up just a portion of the full stories recalled by James Grumbles, Marry Anne Patterson, Rosina Hoard, Sallie Johnson, Sallie Wroe, Sam Mason, and William Owens. Today their full recollections and those of 63 other former slaves from Austin and Travis County can be found at the Austin History Center. The stories were collected by Alfred E. Menn in 1937 as part of the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration. Today the clippings are featured as part of the current exhibit at the AHC, “Divided City: The Civil War and Reconstruction in Austin”. Full transcripts of the entire 70 interviews and photographs of many of the interviewees can be found at the AHC.

Listen as the accounts of 7 former slaves are brought to life through the voices of talented local actors. These recordings make up just a portion of the full stories recalled by James Grumbles, Marry Anne Patterson, Rosina Hoard, Sallie Johnson, Sallie Wroe, Sam Mason, and William Owens. Today their full recollections and those of 63 other former slaves from Austin and Travis County can be found at the Austin History Center. The stories were collected by Alfred E. Menn in 1937 as part of the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration. Today the clippings are featured as part of the current exhibit at the AHC, “Divided City: The Civil War and Reconstruction in Austin”. Full transcripts of the entire 70 interviews and photographs of many of the interviewees can be found at the AHC.

Listen as the accounts of 7 former slaves are brought to life through the voices of talented local actors. These recordings make up just a portion of the full stories recalled by James Grumbles, Marry Anne Patterson, Rosina Hoard, Sallie Johnson, Sallie Wroe, Sam Mason, and William Owens. Today their full recollections and those of 63 other former slaves from Austin and Travis County can be found at the Austin History Center. The stories were collected by Alfred E. Menn in 1937 as part of the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration. Today the clippings are featured as part of the current exhibit at the AHC, “Divided City: The Civil War and Reconstruction in Austin”. Full transcripts of the entire 70 interviews and photographs of many of the interviewees can be found at the AHC.

Listen as the accounts of 7 former slaves are brought to life through the voices of talented local actors. These recordings make up just a portion of the full stories recalled by James Grumbles, Marry Anne Patterson, Rosina Hoard, Sallie Johnson, Sallie Wroe, Sam Mason, and William Owens. Today their full recollections and those of 63 other former slaves from Austin and Travis County can be found at the Austin History Center. The stories were collected by Alfred E. Menn in 1937 as part of the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration. Today the clippings are featured as part of the current exhibit at the AHC, “Divided City: The Civil War and Reconstruction in Austin”. Full transcripts of the entire 70 interviews and photographs of many of the interviewees can be found at the AHC.

Listen as the accounts of 7 former slaves are brought to life through the voices of talented local actors. These recordings make up just a portion of the full stories recalled by James Grumbles, Marry Anne Patterson, Rosina Hoard, Sallie Johnson, Sallie Wroe, Sam Mason, and William Owens. Today their full recollections and those of 63 other former slaves from Austin and Travis County can be found at the Austin History Center. The stories were collected by Alfred E. Menn in 1937 as part of the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration. Today the clippings are featured as part of the current exhibit at the AHC, “Divided City: The Civil War and Reconstruction in Austin”. Full transcripts of the entire 70 interviews and photographs of many of the interviewees can be found at the AHC.

Listen as the accounts of 7 former slaves are brought to life through the voices of talented local actors. These recordings make up just a portion of the full stories recalled by James Grumbles, Marry Anne Patterson, Rosina Hoard, Sallie Johnson, Sallie Wroe, Sam Mason, and William Owens. Today their full recollections and those of 63 other former slaves from Austin and Travis County can be found at the Austin History Center. The stories were collected by Alfred E. Menn in 1937 as part of the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration. Today the clippings are featured as part of the current exhibit at the AHC, “Divided City: The Civil War and Reconstruction in Austin”. Full transcripts of the entire 70 interviews and photographs of many of the interviewees can be found at the AHC.

Listen as the accounts of 7 former slaves are brought to life through the voices of talented local actors. These recordings make up just a portion of the full stories recalled by James Grumbles, Marry Anne Patterson, Rosina Hoard, Sallie Johnson, Sallie Wroe, Sam Mason, and William Owens. Today their full recollections and those of 63 other former slaves from Austin and Travis County can be found at the Austin History Center. The stories were collected by Alfred E. Menn in 1937 as part of the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration. Today the clippings are featured as part of the current exhibit at the AHC, “Divided City: The Civil War and Reconstruction in Austin”. Full transcripts of the entire 70 interviews and photographs of many of the interviewees can be found at the AHC.

Listen as the accounts of 7 former slaves are brought to life through the voices of talented local actors. These recordings make up just a portion of the full stories recalled by James Grumbles, Marry Anne Patterson, Rosina Hoard, Sallie Johnson, Sallie Wroe, Sam Mason, and William Owens. Today their full recollections and those of 63 other former slaves from Austin and Travis County can be found at the Austin History Center. The stories were collected by Alfred E. Menn in 1937 as part of the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration. Today the clippings are featured as part of the current exhibit at the AHC, “Divided City: The Civil War and Reconstruction in Austin”. Full transcripts of the entire 70 interviews and photographs of many of the interviewees can be found at the AHC.

This is the only known recording of O. Henry. Hear his secrets for writing short stories, as well as his shout out to all of us here in the future. You can also find the full text to this recording on the Portal to Texas History here: http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139311/m1/1/ PiCB 07171

Interviews from the Austin Archives Bazaar on October 19, 2014. Listen to 8 oral histories and discover stories such as Mike Carlson's memories of the day of the Whitman shooting, Charles Lockwood and Marvin Hecker's recollections of Austin's vibrant music scene, or James Maness III's retelling of his harrowing move to Austin and the city's subsequent development. You can also hear Rebecca Fendley recount her family's unique adventures in central Texas, Jennifer and Elizabeth Peters share the history of Pease Elementary school, Gaylon Finlea's memories of former Longhorn band director Vincent DiNino, and the story of love inspired by the Alamo Drafthouse as told by Jessica Tucker.

Interviews from the Austin Archives Bazaar on October 19, 2014. Listen to 8 oral histories and discover stories such as Mike Carlson's memories of the day of the Whitman shooting, Charles Lockwood and Marvin Hecker's recollections of Austin's vibrant music scene, or James Maness III's retelling of his harrowing move to Austin and the city's subsequent development. You can also hear Rebecca Fendley recount her family's unique adventures in central Texas, Jennifer and Elizabeth Peters share the history of Pease Elementary school, Gaylon Finlea's memories of former Longhorn band director Vincent DiNino, and the story of love inspired by the Alamo Drafthouse as told by Jessica Tucker.

Interviews from the Austin Archives Bazaar on October 19, 2014. Listen to 8 oral histories and discover stories such as Mike Carlson's memories of the day of the Whitman shooting, Charles Lockwood and Marvin Hecker's recollections of Austin's vibrant music scene, or James Maness III's retelling of his harrowing move to Austin and the city's subsequent development. You can also hear Rebecca Fendley recount her family's unique adventures in central Texas, Jennifer and Elizabeth Peters share the history of Pease Elementary school, Gaylon Finlea's memories of former Longhorn band director Vincent DiNino, and the story of love inspired by the Alamo Drafthouse as told by Jessica Tucker.

Interviews from the Austin Archives Bazaar on October 19, 2014. Listen to 8 oral histories and discover stories such as Mike Carlson's memories of the day of the Whitman shooting, Charles Lockwood and Marvin Hecker's recollections of Austin's vibrant music scene, or James Maness III's retelling of his harrowing move to Austin and the city's subsequent development. You can also hear Rebecca Fendley recount her family's unique adventures in central Texas, Jennifer and Elizabeth Peters share the history of Pease Elementary school, Gaylon Finlea's memories of former Longhorn band director Vincent DiNino, and the story of love inspired by the Alamo Drafthouse as told by Jessica Tucker.

Interviews from the Austin Archives Bazaar on October 19, 2014. Listen to 8 oral histories and discover stories such as Mike Carlson's memories of the day of the Whitman shooting, Charles Lockwood and Marvin Hecker's recollections of Austin's vibrant music scene, or James Maness III's retelling of his harrowing move to Austin and the city's subsequent development. You can also hear Rebecca Fendley recount her family's unique adventures in central Texas, Jennifer and Elizabeth Peters share the history of Pease Elementary school, Gaylon Finlea's memories of former Longhorn band director Vincent DiNino, and the story of love inspired by the Alamo Drafthouse as told by Jessica Tucker.

Interviews from the Austin Archives Bazaar on October 19, 2014. Listen to 8 oral histories and discover stories such as Mike Carlson's memories of the day of the Whitman shooting, Charles Lockwood and Marvin Hecker's recollections of Austin's vibrant music scene, or James Maness III's retelling of his harrowing move to Austin and the city's subsequent development. You can also hear Rebecca Fendley recount her family's unique adventures in central Texas, Jennifer and Elizabeth Peters share the history of Pease Elementary school, Gaylon Finlea's memories of former Longhorn band director Vincent DiNino, and the story of love inspired by the Alamo Drafthouse as told by Jessica Tucker.

Interviews from the Austin Archives Bazaar on October 19, 2014. Listen to 8 oral histories and discover stories such as Mike Carlson's memories of the day of the Whitman shooting, Charles Lockwood and Marvin Hecker's recollections of Austin's vibrant music scene, or James Maness III's retelling of his harrowing move to Austin and the city's subsequent development. You can also hear Rebecca Fendley recount her family's unique adventures in central Texas, Jennifer and Elizabeth Peters share the history of Pease Elementary school, Gaylon Finlea's memories of former Longhorn band director Vincent DiNino, and the story of love inspired by the Alamo Drafthouse as told by Jessica Tucker.

Interviews from the Austin Archives Bazaar on October 19, 2014. Listen to 8 oral histories and discover stories such as Mike Carlson's memories of the day of the Whitman shooting, Charles Lockwood and Marvin Hecker's recollections of Austin's vibrant music scene, or James Maness III's retelling of his harrowing move to Austin and the city's subsequent development. You can also hear Rebecca Fendley recount her family's unique adventures in central Texas, Jennifer and Elizabeth Peters share the history of Pease Elementary school, Gaylon Finlea's memories of former Longhorn band director Vincent DiNino, and the story of love inspired by the Alamo Drafthouse as told by Jessica Tucker.

Excerpt from Oral History interview with Foo Swasdee.

Excerpt from Oral History interview with Sister Ane Nguyen.