Ida Peterson interview recording, 1995 June 22

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Paul Ortiz	Okay. Mrs. Peterson, can you tell me where you were born?	0:01
Ida Herron Peterson	I'm born Tennessee. Gibson County.	0:05
Paul Ortiz	Gibson County. And can you tell me what it was like to grow up in Gibson County?	0:09
Ida Herron Peterson	Life there wasn't too bad to me. We had food and we probably didn't have everything we wanted, but the necessity things, we basically had that.	0:19
Paul Ortiz	And what did your parents do to make a living?	0:37
Ida Herron Peterson	They was farmers.	0:40
Paul Ortiz	And what kind of crops did your family raise?	0:44
Ida Herron Peterson	Tomatoes, corn, peas, beans, cotton.	0:48
Paul Ortiz	And what kind of work would you do as a child growing up?	0:56
Ida Herron Peterson	Mostly babysitting, but my mother didn't like the field and she didn't like the house and I didn't like the field. When I got old enough, I babysit while she would go to field. Most like babysitting, cooked.	1:01
Paul Ortiz	Did you have brothers and sisters?	1:19
Ida Herron Peterson	Yes, I'm the oldest of seven brothers and sisters. Two brothers and four sisters. And I guess you would say I was spoiled by being the oldest one. I mostly had my way to a certain extent.	1:21
Paul Ortiz	Would it be safe to say a lot of responsibility fell on you?	1:42
Ida Herron Peterson	To look after my sisters and brothers? Yes, I would say that.	1:45
Paul Ortiz	Okay. Did your family own the land that you farmed?	1:51
Ida Herron Peterson	No, they were shared crops. What was it? You work on the hay, I think that's the way it was.	1:56
Paul Ortiz	And did you live in one place when you were growing up?	2:07
Ida Herron Peterson	Yes. Most of my life I lived on one place. I would say about 15 years, probably. Yeah, about 15 years on one main place. Maybe the other 10, I might have lived on to other place, but my parents didn't move around a lot. And the main place we stayed on, they treated us like we was his family. But he was Black also.	2:12
Paul Ortiz	Mrs. Peterson, you were saying that the land that you lived on was owned by a Black landowner. And what was his name?	2:48
Ida Herron Peterson	Orange Warren. O-R-A-N-G-E W-A-R-R-E-N.	2:59
Paul Ortiz	Would you say you had a better living conditions on his land than neighboring White land?	3:12
Ida Herron Peterson	Number one, I couldn't say as, I never lived personally that much. From what I hear, some people say they went through it, yes, I had a better one, but not for me saying I couldn't say. But like I say, I was treated real nice by that Black family.	3:19
Paul Ortiz	And had your family always lived in Gibson County or have they—	3:45
Ida Herron Peterson	Yes. Always lived in Gibson County? Well, maybe—	3:49
Paul Ortiz	Your grandmother or?	3:53
Ida Herron Peterson	I think when, my parents grew up in Somerville, Tennessee, in Fayette County. But I never did live in Fayette County. And I sure I used to go visit them and I didn't like there. They had to work there.	3:55
Paul Ortiz	What was different about Fayette County?	4:12
Ida Herron Peterson	They had to work hard to me, I guess. Because I never did have to work that hard.	4:15
Paul Ortiz	What were your first experiences with segregation?	4:26
Ida Herron Peterson	That was, I guess, something. You came to Memphis and riding the bus and you had to go back in the back to get a seat because in Humboldt you rode a wagon, the man would let you use his truck and some of his people would take you out of town. Did pretty good. Life, I guess, was pretty good I'd say. Of course, you can always improve. Always can be better. But like I say, so far I think everything went pretty good.	4:33
Paul Ortiz	Mrs. Peterson, what are your fondest memories about Humboldt as a child?	5:10
Ida Herron Peterson	The Strawberry Festival. Enjoyed going to the Strawberry Festival. We looked forward that to the 1st of May every year.	5:18
Paul Ortiz	Who organized the Strawberry Festival?	5:28
Ida Herron Peterson	I can't remember who did that. Had a paper the other day. But my sister sent me the Humboldt paper with the news and they had all that in there. I don't know. I know it was a White man, it wasn't a Black man. I know that much.	5:34
Paul Ortiz	Was it a celebration that both White and Black farmers?	5:47
Ida Herron Peterson	Yes. White would do you know the most. They let Blacks back then do something, I guess, they didn't want to do. But now they got it better for Black and White. Both participate. The Blacks participate more now, but back then when I came along it was limited to what the Blacks could do.	5:53
Paul Ortiz	How was it limited?	6:15
Ida Herron Peterson	Well, some things the Blacks wanted to do, they wouldn't let them do it. The White would do it. But now the Black and the White all works together, which that is good.	6:18
Paul Ortiz	I see. When you were growing up, Mrs. Peterson, what were some things that Black people couldn't do in Humboldt?	6:27
Ida Herron Peterson	Well, if they went uptown to the shopping center, the place, mostly the White was uptown. The Blacks was what you call at the crossing, you see a few Whites and Blacks, but Whites would come in the front part of the restaurant. The Blacks would have to come in the side door and sit in the back and eat.	6:34
Paul Ortiz	Were there other things that Black people couldn't do in Humboldt?	7:04
Ida Herron Peterson	Back then, they didn't have Black policemen. They had White policemen. Probably a lot of stuff the Blacks couldn't do that the White would do. You know how it always have been. Keep us in the dark back in the back.	7:12
Paul Ortiz	Mrs. Peterson, did you know your grandparents?	7:31
Ida Herron Peterson	I knew my grandfather. He passed when I was about 16. One of my grandparents. For my grandparents, my father's mother passed early and my mother's mother passed when she was about two years old. I never did know them, her parents.	7:35
Paul Ortiz	Did your grandfather talk about his life or did the family talk about it?	7:56
Ida Herron Peterson	No. See he lived in Somerville and we lived in Humboldt. And he came there just for a few days. He wasn't talking about that one.	8:00
Paul Ortiz	And Mrs. Peterson, did you attend school in Humboldt?	8:17
Ida Herron Peterson	Yeah. Well, where I was living was still, we got the mail on Humboldt. But this is Gibson County right here. Right here is Crockett County. Just crossed the line. I attend school in Crockett County. It seemed funny, but that's the way it was. This is Gibson. Right here is Crockett. Just a little line from us.	8:21
Paul Ortiz	And which school did you attend?	8:48
Ida Herron Peterson	Porters Grove.	8:53
Paul Ortiz	Porters Grove. Was that a public school or a church?	8:53
Ida Herron Peterson	It was an elementary school. It was elementary school. Three room.	9:04
Paul Ortiz	And about how many months out of the year would you attend?	9:07
Ida Herron Peterson	We probably attend I think it was supposed to be about nine months. But we would start in the summer, then stop to pick cotton and then go back. Between eight and nine months.	9:26
Paul Ortiz	But you would leave school to help out with cotton crop?	9:37
Ida Herron Peterson	Very, not too often, but see where they had range that you would be out of school, but help gather. Most of the time, I loved school. And if I had to leave school, I would cry.	9:41
Paul Ortiz	What did you like most about school?	10:05
Ida Herron Peterson	I loved arithmetic and I loved English. I loved reading. I loved spelling. History and geography, I despised. I didn't like that and I regretted today because I didn't learn more about history and geography. But the other subject, I was an A student.	10:09
Paul Ortiz	Did Porters Grove's school have one teacher?	10:31
Ida Herron Peterson	No, we had three teachers. A teacher for each room.	10:35
Paul Ortiz	Okay. It was different grades?	10:38
Ida Herron Peterson	One teacher had a problem from the first—Anyway, we had three teachers most of the time, unless one got sick or something. But we mostly had three teachers.	10:44
Paul Ortiz	Were they Black teachers?	11:00
Ida Herron Peterson	Yes, they were.	11:02
Paul Ortiz	And do you know, Mrs. Peterson, where they had come from originally? Were they from Humboldt?	11:11
Ida Herron Peterson	No, when I met them they were living in Humboldt and coming out into the country to teach. They wouldn't—Some of them probably had. I know one lady stayed with a family that had a big house. She stayed there from Monday till Friday and go home.	11:23
Paul Ortiz	And looking back on your educational experience, how would you compare your schooling with your parents' schooling?	11:51
Ida Herron Peterson	I was able to learn how to read and write. My mother could read and write, but my father couldn't. I was glad of that. I could improve my life and education, while they didn't.	12:05
Paul Ortiz	Mrs. Peterson, were there events or times when you were a child, that brought the Black community together under one roof such as church?	12:25
Ida Herron Peterson	No, I can't even remember that. Only time I can remember Whites was coming to church is when they would be for, our churches right next to the school, would be when it'd be a funeral. The Black would be well thought of whatever, who that family they worked for or something or a friend, they would come there then. But a regular service, I can't remember that.	12:49
Paul Ortiz	What about events that would bring Black people together during that time?	13:17
Ida Herron Peterson	I can't even remember. We had a White doctor and he would take care of us. We got sick and everything. But even from, we have a picnic—I can't remember. After going to, I'm sure I did but, no.	13:31
Paul Ortiz	And Mrs. Peterson, which church did your family attend?	13:57
Ida Herron Peterson	Porters Grove. Same name of the school. There was a lot of porters in that neighborhood and they named the school and church after them.	14:03
Paul Ortiz	Okay. And what denomination was Porters Grove?	14:11
Ida Herron Peterson	Baptist.	14:18
Paul Ortiz	And what was Porters Grove Church like?	14:23
Ida Herron Peterson	It was a nice size church and it wasn't big as the school, but it was a nice size church. And building was pretty good. Everything seemed back then had coal and wood and we had somebody to go and make the fire. When we got there, the church was warm. So when they had baptized, they baptized the White man in a pond, so that was it.	14:30
Paul Ortiz	Where were they baptized people at?	15:03
Ida Herron Peterson	In a pond. White man pond. He had a pond. The deacon and the preacher would go out and measure the water and that's where they baptized at.	15:06
Paul Ortiz	Would you have revivals?	15:20
Ida Herron Peterson	Yes, we had revivals.	15:20
Paul Ortiz	About how often would you have them?	15:27
Ida Herron Peterson	Have service? We had preaching every first and third and every Sunday we had Bible school, Sunday school.	15:29
Paul Ortiz	Okay. Would you have visiting preachers?	15:35
Ida Herron Peterson	We had one preacher would be our minister. Every first and third Sunday. And then certain Sundays, we'd have a revival or whatever. We'd invite visiting preachers and churches in.	15:42
Paul Ortiz	I see.	15:58
Ida Herron Peterson	I hope you about through.	16:04
Paul Ortiz	Mrs. Peterson, what kind of values did your parents teach you?	16:09
Ida Herron Peterson	They taught me how to take care of myself and manage. They told me how to manage money, figure and reading, writing told me so I'd be able to take care of myself and don't let people run over you.	16:15
Paul Ortiz	And when did you come to Memphis?	16:38
Ida Herron Peterson	1946. I got married.	16:43
Paul Ortiz	And you came to Memphis to get married?	16:45
Ida Herron Peterson	Yeah, I got married here.	16:45
Paul Ortiz	Okay. And why did you originally come?	16:45
Ida Herron Peterson	My husband's originally from here.	16:45
Paul Ortiz	Okay.	16:45
Ida Herron Peterson	And he came to Humboldt and I met him and we decided to get married. By him living here, he wasn't going to come to Humboldt, that little country town. I agreed to come here.	16:51
Paul Ortiz	Mrs. Peterson, what were some of the differences between Humboldt and Memphis?	17:18
Ida Herron Peterson	I had to get used to a city life. That's something I wasn't used to. A city life. I had to get used to coming from a country town to a big city made a big difference. Had to get used to it. Back then, you had to getting used to riding the bus, getting used to going to work on a public jobs. It was just a lot.	17:27
Paul Ortiz	And what was your public job?	17:50
Ida Herron Peterson	Working at Manassas School cafeteria.	17:53
Paul Ortiz	Okay. And your husband was working?	17:59
Ida Herron Peterson	He was a labor for CF Works & Son.	18:06
Paul Ortiz	Which company was that?	18:14
Ida Herron Peterson	CF Work. C-F-W-O-R-K-S and Sons.	18:15
Paul Ortiz	Sons. Mrs. Peterson, what neighborhood did you live in Memphis?	18:25
Ida Herron Peterson	When I first came to Memphis for 16 months, I lived over down there. They call that, what do they call that? New Chicago.	18:28
Paul Ortiz	New Chicago. Do you know how that neighborhood got that name?	18:38
Ida Herron Peterson	No, I don't.	18:50
Paul Ortiz	The 16 months you lived in New Chicago and then where did you live after that?	18:54
Ida Herron Peterson	For maybe three years, I lived on Lewis Street, 1017 Lewis Street.	18:58
Paul Ortiz	Mr. Peterson, was there any difference between the neighborhoods?	19:14
Ida Herron Peterson	I know the neighborhood was real nice. Neighborhood was real nice.	19:19
Paul Ortiz	And was there a place that you eventually lived for a number of years in Memphis?	19:33
Ida Herron Peterson	Yes. Where I am right now. 2028 Pratt.	19:38
Paul Ortiz	Pratt. And what part of Memphis is that?	19:42
Ida Herron Peterson	It's almost a White—They call that the Prospects. You know where Norris and Elvis Presley? I'm in that neighborhood right there.	19:49
Paul Ortiz	And you've lived there since the fiftie or?	20:00
Ida Herron Peterson	'61.	20:02
Paul Ortiz	'61. And were you working for Manassas School all that time?	20:03
Ida Herron Peterson	No, I wasn't. After I started raising a family, I started doing private homework. I would work the way I wanted to and the days I wanted to.	20:16
Paul Ortiz	Okay. And how would you get your jobs when you were doing private homework?	20:34
Ida Herron Peterson	The first somebody I worked for was a nurse that was coming out there checking on me when I was having my children. And she got married and she asked me did I want to work for her because I had not worked for anybody. She hadn't never had nobody, so I worked for her. And then from then on different ones would hear about my work and they would call and ask me did I want to work for them, so that's through reference.	20:43
Paul Ortiz	I see. And did you mainly work for Black families or White?	21:09
Ida Herron Peterson	No, I worked for White and they were real nice. I found one, she wasn't too nice, but I worked for her for years. But I understood her and she understood me, so everything went real good. I don't have no regret.	21:12
Paul Ortiz	And which church did you and your family attend?	21:32
Ida Herron Peterson	Klondike Church of Christ there in North Memphis at Vollintine and Alaska.	21:35
Paul Ortiz	Mrs. Peterson, if you could look back on your life, what were some of the things that inspired you to raise your family and to make it through those years?	21:53
Ida Herron Peterson	My parents didn't teach me to work because I didn't go to field until I probably about 14. And that was a sad mistake when you get that. You don't enjoy going to work. And I always taught my children started working early. Sweeping the floor, they couldn't sweep it good but you was teaching them how to work. And I told them. They first started, the oldest one, he wanted to go to cotton field and pick cotton. And I told him because he started out picking cotton, I wouldn't say he'd be picking cotton all his life. Now he's an airplane mechanic. And my daughters, they started working in church selling donors or either they would babysit and I told them because during back then, they wouldn't do all. I'm not bragging, but all my children got some real good jobs and I'm proud of them. I taught them to work, so they would be independent, wouldn't have to depend on nobody to take care of them.	22:12
Paul Ortiz	I see. Would you ever talk to them about the segregation customs in Memphis?	23:16
Ida Herron Peterson	I told them they had to obey the laws of the land. Sometimes it's better not to say something than to say something. But you can mess yourself up sometimes by saying the wrong thing. The best thing is people's going to talk about you and call your coward, but still, just do that and keep going. And I always remember to take God along and if you do that, everything will be all right. I'm a firm believer in God.	23:25
Paul Ortiz	Mrs. Peterson, were there other things that you wanted to share?	24:00
Ida Herron Peterson	No, I think everything. I think everything. But like I said, I didn't have a life like some of the people I hear them talking about and I'm glad I didn't. Like I say, I think everything went real good with me.	24:05
Paul Ortiz	Okay.	24:20

Item Info

Title:

Ida Peterson interview recording, 1995 June 22

Date:

June 22, 1995

Creator:

Peterson, Ida Herron

Contributor:

Ortiz, Paul

Description:

Name: Ida Herron Peterson; Date of birth: 1923-03-10; Place of birth: Gibson Co., TN; Occupation(s): domestic; Residence: Memphis, TN
Informant ID: 862; Interviewed by: Paul Ortiz.

Occupation:

Domestic worker

Location:

Format:

Language:

English

Digital Collection:

Behind the Veil

Source Collection:

Behind the Veil: Documenting African American Life in the Jim Crow South interviews, photographs, and project records, circa 1864-2011, bulk 1990-2004

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Provenance:

The David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library acquired the Records of the Behind the Veil Oral History Project from the Duke University Center for Documentary Studies in 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2002.

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Limited Re-Use

CC BY-NC 4.0

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Copyright for content created by the Behind the Veil project is held by Duke University and made available to the public using a Creative Commons Attribution / Non-commercial (CC-BY-NC) license.

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RL00170-CS-0903
412f46be-e517-439d-aabe-8e4126458f2e
behindtheveil
2de40d37-bcf6-4540-a8ad-98d6d5929ea4
ark:/87924/r4rf5xq6r
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Ida Peterson interview recording, 1995 June 22

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1. Ida Peterson administrative file, 1995

John Hope Franklin Research Center

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Ida Peterson interview recording, 1995 June 22

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John Hope Franklin Research Center

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