TX BIOS:  Mrs. William W. Green
   Selected and converted.American Memory, Library of Congress.
   
   Washington, 1994.
   
   Preceding element provides place and date of transcription only.
   
   This transcription intended to be 99.95% accurate.
   
   For more information about this text and this American Memory
   collection, refer to accompanying matter.
   
   U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project (Folklore
   Project, Life Histories, 1936-39); Manuscript Division, Library of
   Congress.Copyright status not determined.
   
   00011
   
   Field * Folkstuff Life Histories
   
   Robertson, Mrs. Wyndam
   
   December 16th 1936 1341W
   
   Lubbock County
   
   District 17
   
   250
   
   Pg.1
   
   BIBLIOGRAPHY: Mrs. Wm. W. Green Interview with Mrs. Mary Green
   
   The other day I was visiting with Mrs. [?] N. Green "Aunt Mary" Green
   as she to affectionately known to many.
   
   A/ dear little green cottage which overlooks the canyon, north of the
   city, [DEL: stnds :DEL] stands in a garden, which in the spring and
   summer [DEL: is :DEL] forms a charming background for the [house?]
   which shelters Mr. & Mrs. Green. Protected by a fence, a brick walk of
   irregular pattern leads to the front door.
   
   Upon entering the little gate, I was surprised to see that the lilac
   bushed had sprouted a profusion of new buds, and when I [expressed?]
   my astonishment, Mrs. Green smiled and remarked that it was not
   unusual for the lilac bushes to be loaded with beautiful blossoms in
   December or January.
   
   Upon entering the little house, one is aware of an air of peacefulness
   and happiness. The neatness and comfort of the house indicates that
   even att this time of her life, Mrs. Green believes in doing a thing
   well. The odor of fresh [soapsuds?] prevailed still. She ushered [me?]
   to the most comfortable chair, [DEL: and :DEL] an ancient rocker, well
   provided with quilted cushions. I noticed an old print depicting Mt.
   Vernon, and it was this picture which started us to talking, going
   back over the years, the civil war, the trek west, the new home on the
   "Staked Plains", the hardships and pleasures, life and death.
   
   As "Uncle Green", who is hard of hearing, said in his gentle voice,
   mellowed with age, 'We've had a full life and [we?] don't regret any
   of it"
   
   He went on to tell how he was born in Overton county, Tennessee on the
   31st day of August 1847. and how he grew up there. How at the tender
   age of 15 years, hearing the call of the leaders, such as [Albert?]
   sidney Johnson and Stonewall Jackson, and believing that they were
   right, he enlisted in the "Eight Tennessee Cavalry" under
   
     NOTE: C12- Texas
     
   00022Interview with Mrs. Mary Green
   
   the leadership of General George Dibrell in April 1863, remaining in
   the service till 1865, and merged from the conflict safe and sound. In
   1870, owing to conditions in the old Southern states, he immigrated
   with his father and brothers and some friends, to Texas, locating in
   Johnson county, near Alvaredo. Later they moved over to Parker county,
   settling on Bear Creek,where Mr. Green met a fairhaired, blue eyed
   girl,who was also born in Tennessee, where the home of the S. P. [?]
   had been in Warren county.
   
   The first years of her life the romped with her sisters and brothers
   along the banks of Rocky River, where wild grape vines grew so rank,
   their vines being strong enough for swinging and where beautiful trees
   gave pleasant shade. There she learned to love the [beauties?] of
   nature. A large spring gushed from the rocks in the hills feeding the
   stream with pure, sparkling water, providing also a place for wading
   swimming and fishing.
   
   Her home was a large log house, plastered inside with white lime, and
   its comforts and conveniences were everything desired at that time,
   when conveniences such as we know today were unheard of. The rooms
   were high and wide. The heating arrangements were a " stacked
   chimney", built of rock and this was located between two rooms, with a
   grate or fire place on either side, and " dog-irons", also called
   "andirons" upon which were laid the logs of wood. These firplaces
   afforded such convenience and pleasure, since all the cooking for the
   family was done here. Tall "pot racks" held pots and kettles made of
   iron, copper and brass, which were used for boiling foods, and a
   built-in oven with coals of fire heaped upon it, was used for the
   baking of many delicious morsel.
   
   The wide hearth was always warm and cozy for warming one's feet.
   
   A large compartment was used for stacking the wood supply, and it was
   situated right behind the chimney. The fire was never allowed to die
   down.
   
   When father Lowry heard the call of Texas frontiers, seeing the
   [advantages?] of this great state where land [was?] cheap. he loaded
   [his?] family and household goods and started to Texas in 1872, and
   settled in Parker [county?], about 15 miles west of Ft. Worth, on the
   banks of Bear Creek, where the surrounding territory reminded them of
   their Tennessee 00033Interview with Mrs. Mary Green
   
   This was then a frontier county and neighbours were few and far
   between.
   
   Game was [plentiful?],and the land was fertile. They [prepared?] from
   the first and remained there till all of the children were grown up.
   It was here where Mr. Wm.[W?]. Green met Mary Lowry, and they were
   married in June 1885. The wedding took place at home, with only
   relatives and close friends in attendance,and they were very happy.
   
   [Being?] true descendants of a pioneer people, they felt that they
   must start their new life by going elsewhere. They went to Hood county
   building their new home at [Therp?] Springs, which was an attractive
   and [appealing?] place to them.
   
   The blood of adventure flowing in their veins, and the purple shadows
   calling from the/ north west, induced them to start again to a land of
   better opportunities, and so they with some of their friends, a party
   of 41 people,started on their new move, reaching Lubbock on
   Thanksgiving day and eating their first dinner at the Nicelette Hotel,
   which [was?] at that time located [in?] old north town.
   
   There were only a handful of people here then, but they gave the
   newcomers a warm [welcome?]. The Green's built their home on a section
   of land lying between the present townsite and the canyon, the house
   being where the underpass on Avenue H is now located.
   
   Mrs Green says that Indians were seen here only once, and that they
   were camped at a point where Avenue H intersects [18th?] street. An
   Indian buck, his two squaws and their papoose were just passing
   through,and the settlers / saw very little of them, but were impressed
   by the man's laziness and the [subserviance?] of the women.
   
   [Wolves?] were plentiful and at one time one came to the backdoor of
   the Green's home, [devouring?] the breakfast scraps.
   
   Antelope too, were [plentiful?] and [?], [?] they did much damage to
   the little [graden?] patches, which the [housewives?] had planted,
   until they [contrived?] a way of frightening the antelope off, by
   tying strips of cloth at [intervals?] along the fence and the breeze
   would blow them and [thus?] [alarm?] the animals.
   
   Buffalo still wandered across the prairies, occasionally, but kept to
   the canyon [sentence illegible?] 00044Interview with Mrs. Wm. N. Green
   
   feeding ground for the Buffalo, as there they had some [protection?]
   from the elements [?] as well as from the hunters.
   
   The first Christmas in their new home came and the only place where
   they could hold a public celebration, was a Blacksmith shop,which
   boatsed a dirt floor. Yet, embued with a true christmas spirit, the
   [?] families provided for themselves a merry holiday. Geo. M. Hunt
   acted as the Santa Claus, C. F. Stubbs declaimed, Miss Sylvia Hunt, A.
   J. Clark, Fly Anderson and Mrs. Green furnished the entertainment,
   filling [their?] places with heartiness. Christmas hymns were sung by
   Mrs. Wm. N. Green, alto; A. J. Clark,bass; and Miss Sylvia Hunt
   provided the accompaniment.
   
   Almost all of the gifts were created by the nimble fingers of the
   women.
   
   There were few children to be remembered, however ginger cookies, home
   made dollies and other toys were provided. The old family / trunk gave
   up,many [hoarded?] treasures.
   
   Mr. Green has been in the [DEL: [?] :DEL] [moving and transfer?]
   business [DEL: [?] :DEL] for many years [DEL: [?] :DEL] he was one of
   the men who hauled the lumber for the first [Courthouse?] of Lubbock
   county, from Colorado City.
   
   A visit to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Green gladdens one's heart. The
   home itself seems like a quaint bit of a time that is passed, never to
   return. Aunt Mary Green as she is still called by many, conveys an
   atmosphere of peace, making one feel glad. Her cheerfulness is
   contagious. She says that she knew whem the reached Lubbock that she
   had come to the end of the road in actuality as well as spiritually
   and that here she would settle for life, and she did.

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