Interview with Arthur L. Dunn, January 8, 1992

Partial Transcript: Okay, this is a, um, Farm Family Oral History Project interview with, uh, Mr. Arthur Lewis Dunn.

Segment Synopsis: Dunn discusses his childhood and his immediate family. He also describes his experience as a farmer.

Keywords: A. B. Burdette; Anna K. [Terry]; Annie Margaret Dunn; Arthur Dunn; Boone's Creek; Boone's Creek Road; Boyle County (Ky.); Buying land; Childhood; Corn; Cousin; Dorothy Dunn; Farming; Fathers; Garrard County (Ky.); Grandparents; Johnny Dunn; Lancaster (Ky.); Land ownership; Landowners; Livestock; Milking cows; Mothers; Moving; Parents; Ruth Jane Dunn; Sharecropping; Siblings; Sisters; Steel mills; Steel workers; Tobacco; Youngstown (Ohio)

Subjects: African American children; African American families; African American parents; African Americans--Economic conditions; African Americans--Employment

Partial Transcript: Could you just give me sort of like a mental picture of what the farm looked like?

Segment Synopsis: Dunn discusses the first farm that he lived and worked on. He also describes the process his father went through to own his own farmland.

Keywords: A. B. Burdette; Apples; Baling hay; Barns; Bull rakes; Buying land; Calves; Chickens; Corn; Cows; Cream; Eggs; Farming; Farmland; Farms; Fathers; Gardens; Garrard Bank and Trust; Grandfathers; Grandmothers; Grapes; Hay; Hogs; Land ownership; Landowners; Machinery; Macy Pollett; Money; Orchards; Peaches; Plums; Round balers; Sharecroppers; Square balers; Tobacco; Watermelons

Subjects: African American families; African American farmers; African Americans--Economic conditions; African Americans--Employment; Farm produce; Livestock

Partial Transcript: Where were you based?

Segment Synopsis: Dunn describes his time in the Army during World War II.

Keywords: Basic training; Belgium; Death; Farm school; Fort Huachuca (Ariz.); Fort McCullough (Ala.); France; Jobs; Lexington Bluegrass Army Depot; Military service; Overseas; Ships; Shooting; Steam; Submarines; Tobacco; Warfare; Wars; World War II

Subjects: African American military cadets; African American soldiers; African American veterans; African Americans--Employment; African Americans--Military service; World War, 1939-1945--Veterans.

Partial Transcript: And when was this? What year is this?

Segment Synopsis: Dunn discusses how he found employment after leaving the Army. He also describes his marriage and family life. He also shares his experience of going to farm school.

Keywords: Army depot; Canning; Carl Burnside; Cattle; Centre College; Children; Daughters; Education; Electronics; Farm produce; Farm school; GED (General Education Diploma); High school diploma; Hiring; Janet Karen Dunn; Jobs; Lancaster (Ky.); Marriage; Mary Brown; Part-time farming; Peyton Brown; Radar; Radio; Raising crops; School integration; Teaching; Veterans Affairs; Wife; Work

Subjects: African American farmers; African American veterans; African Americans--Education; African Americans--Employment; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Farm produce; Livestock

Partial Transcript: Just from what you learned at the, uh, farm school then?

Segment Synopsis: Dunn discusses his time as working on his father's farm. He also describes how he came to own his own farmland.

Keywords: Acres; Beef cows; Buying land; Dairy cows; Debt; Farm school; Farming; Farmland; Fathers; Finances; Frank Bourne (??); Garrard Bank and Trust; Hay; Land ownership; Landowners; Loans; Milking cows; Sharecropping; Tobacco

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Economic conditions; African Americans--Education; African Americans--Employment

Partial Transcript: What sort of thi--what sort of fertilizer would you use then? Or what--how did you--

Segment Synopsis: Dunn describes the type of farming techniques he would use with his own crops.

Keywords: Acres; Buying land; Cattle; Corn; Crops; Farming; Farmland; Fathers; Fertilizers; Fertilizing; Harvest; Land ownership; Plowing; Rotating crops; Soil; Suckers; Tobacco; Topping tobacco; Weeding; Weeds

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Economic conditions; African Americans--Employment; Farm produce; Livestock; Soil fertility

Partial Transcript: Okay. I was wondering if we could talk a little bit about--you've mentioned, you'd mentioned a while ago how your father had, uh, started out with 35 acres.

Segment Synopsis: Dunn discusses all his father's farmland. He also describes his involvement in the church.

Keywords: BYPU (Baptist Young People's Union); Bible study; Boone's Creek; Buying land; Church activities; Church attendance; Church community; Church membership; Churches; Farm school; Farmers; Farmland; Father; Land ownership; Landowners; Pleasant Valley Baptist Church; Segregation; Sharecroppers; Social activities; Social gatherings; Tobacco; Women's auxiliary

Subjects: African American Christians; African American families; African American farmers; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Religion; African Americans--Social conditions; African Americans--Social life and customs; Race relations--Kentucky; Segregation--United States

Partial Transcript: Have you noticed any differences, or--about farm policy from the government?

Segment Synopsis: Dunn discusses the changes he has seen in farming over the years.

Keywords: Arms; Beef cows; Bull; Cattle; Corn pickers; County agents; Cows; Crops; Farm programs; Farm projects; Farming; Farming accidents; Farming practices; Farming subsidies; Government; Help; Injuries; Physical therapy; Plowing; Policies; Soil Conservation Program

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Health and hygiene; Livestock