Toward an oral history of Cape Ann : McRae, Ellen M.

2 sound files, digital, MPEG3 file

Some names and terms used in this interview: Charles Fred Wonson, Fred Wonson, Arthur Wonson, Story Wonson, Crosby, Colonial Arms, Moorland, Niles Beach, Niles Pond, The Little Giant, Captain Cunningham, Jitney, W.G. Brown's, Newberry's, Also Tupper, Ford, William N.S. Wonson, Sophie Wonson (Thebodeau), Montgomery, Gorman, Renton, Strip, Francis Wonson, Mrs. Hudson, Guy Wonson, Finnegan, George Marble Wonson, Swenson, Back Shore, The Nickel, Circus, Armory, The Cut, Hawthorne Inn, Lysles, Isaac Patch, The City of Gloucester, Curley, Parsons, Carroll, Lindberg, Bluing water, gramophone, Tarr & Wonson's Paint Factory.

Linda Brayton and David Masters, principal oral historians; Interviewer: Linda Brayton (3/9/1978)

TRACKS: 1. Mrs. McRae's background, the Wonson family -- 2. Memories of East Gloucester childhood, first automobile, silk stockings, radio -- 3. Hotels, tourism, summer boarders -- 4. The Little Giant ferry boat, jitney, electric cars -- 5. Various stores in the area, Mrs. McRae's work as a piano player in stores, fishing schooners -- 6. Breakwater, harbor frozen over more often, storms and blizzard of 1978 -- 7. Artists --8. Neighborhood, women's dress, comparisons between then and now -- 9. People's attitude towards each other, socializing, dancing school, East Gloucester buildings -- 10. Necessity of leaving school early to work -- 11. Neighbors, The Nickel moving picture house, dances at the Armory, entertainment then and now -- 12. Women's work in early 1900's -- 13. Fourth of July was wilder in early 1900's -- 14. People seemed to help each other more in earlier days, women's work at home, church's role in community -- 15. Hotel fires caused the number of boarders to drop off -- 16. Eastern Point, house moved there, building the houses, families there were mostly newcomers to Gloucester -- 17. Trains, boat named The City of Gloucester, fire engine -- 18. Fire Station, accident with fire truck -- 19. The trestle, Long Beach Hotel, entertainment, Good Harbor Beach, styles in dress -- 20. Mrs. McRae never wanted to travel, happy at home in Gloucester -- 21. Crime in Gloucester a problem where it didn't used to be, feelings about East Gloucester, Wonson relatives -- 22. Memories, especially of school, teachers -- 23. Being a woman then and now, especially types of work done, modern back to the land trend -- 24. Lindberg kidnapping -- 25. Children then and now, recent incident in which two boys tripped an elderly woman using cane -- 26. TV's influence on modern youth, easier to raise children in earlier days -- 27. Whale landed on beach, flake yards and salt fish, waterfront business -- 28. Housewife's typical day in early 1900's, early radios, modern inventions.

Originally issued on sound cassettes and transferred to compact discs.

Institution: Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Library

Massachusetts--Essex (county)--Ann, Cape

Massachusetts--Essex (county)--Gloucester

McRae, Ellen M, Interviewee

Brayton, Linda , Interviewer

1978

audio/mpeg

image/jpeg

eng

[Gloucester, Mass] : Sawyer Free Library

Anecdotes

Manners and customs

Manners and customs

Oral history

Women

sound recording-nonmusical

Sound recordings

1 sound disc : digital, stereo

4 3/4 in.