Our Gathering Places Oral History Project: Interview with DeVaughnia Simmons

Titles: Our Gathering Places Oral History Project: Interview with DeVaughnia Simmons (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: DeVaughnia Simmons moved to St. Paul in the early 1920s. Her family ran a series of businesses including a restaurant, grocery store and tavern until her father's death in the mid-1930s. During World War II, she became the first black woman to work at International Harvester, where she made machine guns. She also worked at a mattress factory for more than 30 years. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: The Rondo neighborhood; changes because of the freeway installation; people moving out of area; specific people who lived in the neighborhood; physical changes in the neighborhood due to the freeway; the Credjafawns social club and activities for younger people; work at International Harvester during World War II; other jobs; colored people in unions; surviving the Depression; loss of community; Ringling Brothers circus; the credit union.

Dates

• 05/19/1997 (Creation)

Creation

• interviewee: Simmons, DeVaughnia
• interviewer: Kretsedemas, Philip

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 100
• Accession Number: AV2003.65.16

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, project: 'Our Gathering Places Oral History Project' <OH 100>

Quantity: 1 hour sound cassette 12 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: sound recordings
• Content Category: text

Measurements

• 00:40:20 running time

Subjects

How can we help?

• Help / About Collections Online
• Learn about the Collections
• Contact the Gale Family Library for help with research, orders, and use/licensing
• Have feedback or comments on the new Collections Online system? Please fill in the Collections Online Feedback Form.