T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History Collection

 

ABSTRACT

 

INTERVIEWEE NAME: Albert Domino                                     COLLECTION: #4700.0703

 

IDENTIFICATION: Lifelong resident of South Baton Rouge.  Graduated from the old McKinley High School on East Blvd.  Post office worker (the Audubon office on Government St.)

 

INTERVIEWER: Michael Goods with Rudolph Henry

 

PROJECT: McKinley High School Oral History

 

DATES: 7/10/96                                                                        FOCUS DATES: 1930s-1960s

 

ABSTRACT:

 

Tape 1030, Side A

 

Introduction; interview takes place during riding expedition to see old buildings; born December 1, 1924; feels old when he talks to nieces or nephews; good relationship with niece in Riverside, CA; parents' names and places of birth; both parents from Point Coupee Parish; names of five sisters and one brother; born and grew up in South Baton Rouge; left at 18 years of age to join army; came out of army in 1946; settled back in Baton Rouge; worked at the Audubon Post Office on Government St.; Rufus Shepard (?); worked with one of the interviewers' grandfather and they used to joke around at work; wants to show where the old businesses were and what they meant to the community; benevolent societies more prominent in the past; societies built centers where children could go play; centers meant so much to the children; many early black businesses were small shops; the large warehouses would not deal with them small stores; there were no “good ol' days”, there were hard days; working for seven dollars a week; born in oldest uncle's house on corner of Eddie Robinson and Hickory; talks about old Baptist church; Reverend Hall; societies would sell 14 by 14 lots to families; nephews live in his father's old house but don't take care of it; Carter's Grocery Store; Demoor's (?) Grocery Store; Coach Crabb (?); Borman's (?) Grocery Store; benevolent society set up center for children in a church; before houses and buildings, the area was rural, full of gravel, muddy and had no sewage; Lamott's (?) Grocery; Apex Club; area started building up after War years; prominence of African-Americans; Turner's honky-tonk; Turner's Barber Shop; lack of transportation for African-Americans; Mr. Sterling had buses for transportation; area was a swamp; WPA cleaned area up; certain areas had white-owned businesses; Italian-owned businesses; racial tensions; lake behind McKinley High School was dug out; lake used as swimming pool; Greenup's (?) Repair Shop; Mr. Dodd; LeBlanc Café; white LSU students would throw rotten eggs at the black; blacks would throw bricks at the LSU students' cars in retaliation; more racial tensions; better businesses after War; Texas Street; Chicken Shack; Darensbourg Shoe Shop; old theater; Charlie Cab;  Fleet's Grocery; Dipsey Doodle; Tin Top; Creoles would not associate with blacks; Apex and Lamott's (?); Jimmy Tray (?); Xavier Church; decline of businesses; banks would not loan money to blacks; integration hurt blacks; Dr. Huggins; K.P. Hall; Mr. Isaac's drug store; Keystone Café; territorial fights among youth; Bernard's chicken place; Grand Theater; friends at the American Legion Hall; Mr. Porter; Jack Ferris;

 

 

 

 

TAPES: 1                    TOTAL PLAYING TIME: 45 min

 

# PAGES TRANSCRIPT: 36

 

OTHER MATERIALS: Interviewer Release Forms; Interviewee Release Forms; Catalog Form; See pictures and slides(in control folder at Center)

 

RESTRICTIONS: None