Cecil A. Partee Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

A: Mixed crews, yes.
Q: Do you remember any of the foremen on those jobs?
A: No, I do not. I really don't.
Q: Since it was an agricultural conrmunity, there must have been an interest in
the county fair type of thing. Was there a county fair each year?
A: Oh, yes, we had county fairs there and they had . . . sewing, preservation
of vegetables, mostly canned vegetables. And they got very fancy, like
shingle-pack peaches, and all kinds of jellies and jams and best ham, best
shoulders, and the best live animals, you know, hogs. They had, Duroc Jerseys
and Poland China hogs, basically. Those were the big brands in that area.
Chicken production, turkeys and--a regular county fair. But there was a lot
of competition from the people in the area as to who had the best green beans
and who had the best tomatoes and peppers and all that kind of stuff like
that.
Q: Did you make any entries at any time?
A: No, never did make any entries. My mother used to put, you know, fruit and
jams and jellies and stuff like that.
Q: Did Mr. Sebastian have any entries in the fair?
A: I don't know whether I ever remember--remember Mr.--I just don't remember
that--I'm sure Mrs. Sebastian did; particularly, probably; in the sewing
because she was a seamstress, too. (pauses) And they would have things like,
you know, quilts and all that kind of thing. People did a lot of things for
themselves in those days. The government wasn't giving everybody everything,
you know, nor did people expect it, which is the other side of the question.
Q: Did you have a particular family doctor there?
A: Yes, we had Dr. Green and Dr. Roberts. Dr. B. E. Roberts.
Q: Was he black?
A: He was black. Both were black.
Q: Where did he get his training?
A: Meharry Medical College. As a matter of fact, I was delivered by a black
doctor whose name was Dr. Joe Armillo Banks. As a matter of fact, I have my,
second name from him. My second name is Armillo. Dr. Banks was the doctor 9ho
delivered me. In my hometown, we have always had black doctors and black
I
dentists. As a matter of fact, in my hometown, the first liquor store that
came in after prohibition was owned by two black gentlemen, the first in the
town.