Interview with Edythe Silverthorn, December 2, 2014

Partial Transcript: My name is Leigh Anna Wood and I am here with Edith--Edith Silverthlo--Silverthorn on December the third, two thousand and fourteen in Lexington, Kentucky.

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn discusses her childhood in Harbor Beach, Michigan, where her family lived in an old, rented house near the beach. She describes the "castle-like" school she attended and her early love for literature, aided by her older sister.

Keywords: Books; Library; Schools; Siblings

Subjects: Childhood.; Harbor Beach (Mich.); Michigan.; Reading.

Partial Transcript: Oh, it's a small town, but the library was pretty big.

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn delves into the opportunities for entertainment in her hometown during the Depression. Many activities (such as dancing and the "movie house") could be found in the public library, the center of the community, where she spent most of her time.

Keywords: "Bookworm"; Cinema; Community center; Fred Astaire; Ginger Rogers; Harbor Beach community house; Library; Literacy; Public library; Small town life

Subjects: Communities.; Dance.; Great Depression.; Literature.; Tap dancing.

Partial Transcript: 'Course, uh, cars were very, very new when I was little.

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn discusses her father's car and taking it to visit family in Grind Stone City, Michigan. She describes several of her relatives and depicts her discovery that a woman she believed to be her grandmother's sister was actually her illegitimate child. She also reminisces on summer days and how the dirt roads were watered so they wouldn't blow dust everywhere.

Keywords: Dirt roads; Extended family; Ford; Ford Model T; Grind Stone City; Model T; Old cars; Relatives; Visiting; Visits

Subjects: Cars; Cousins; Family.; Illegitimate children.

Partial Transcript: And we had--uh it was a small town, and I was like, uh, I'd say about, I don't know, it must have been three-quarters of a mile to school every day. I had to walk it.

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn discusses her school experience as a student and later as a teacher. She remembers fondly a teacher reading Secret Garden to the class and the requirement that teachers be unmarried women. She mentions her education at Central Michigan University in earning a teaching degree, and the subsequent "practice teaching" she was able to complete in her hometown. She also relays that during World War II, teachers became scarce and so the rules for hiring became more relaxed, and several teachers were married.

Keywords: College; Secret Garden; Student teaching

Subjects: Central Michigan University; Education.; Teachers.; Teaching.

Partial Transcript: I had, uh--we had three churches or more--well four or five churches, but uh...

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn discusses the variety of churches contained in her small town, and her attendance of two: the Free Methodist Church (with her grandmother) and the United Methodist Church (with her parents). Although self-described as shy, Silverthorn was specifically asked to aid in the Sunday School program. She also participated in the Christmas program despite her dislike of performing. Her father acted as the custodian at the church in addition to look-out for submarines, which he did from the top of the steeple.

Keywords: Christmas pageants; Christmas programs; Lighthouses; Praying; Recitation; Submarines; Sunday school

Subjects: Church.; Methodist Church.; Religion.

Partial Transcript: It was really nice, 'cause, uh, with, with the, the, the school being at one end of town and my house being at the other end of town...

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn depicts her journey to school and the various scenic routes she could take. She also reminisces on how nice it was to know everyone in the small town, and the overlap of communities between school, Girl Scouts, and church. She mentions some locals of Harbor Beach, including the former governor-general of the Philippines and governor of Michigan, Frank Murphy (though she states his name as "George" Murphy). She played with who she thinks was Murphy's granddaughter, Sharon.

Keywords: Community; Electricity; Frank Murphy; George Murphy; Governors; Michigan; Oil lamps; Small towns; Walking

Subjects: Church.; Girl Scouts.; Michigan. Governor (1937-1938 : Murphy); Murphy, Frank, 1890-1949; Philippines. Governor General (1933-1935 : Murphy)

Partial Transcript: Down below--we lived on Water Street, and down below the, uh, by the railroad tracks were now there was a park, great big huge park.

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn describes her first experiences with work. She first helped her cousin, who worked at a resort for the wealthy, in preparing appetizers. Her mother also volunteered her to babysit the young daughter of a couple who was often out of town.

Keywords: Playing; Summers; Working

Subjects: Babysitting.; Child care.; Resorts.

Partial Transcript: But anyway, the, uh--I was, was trying to tell you our school was built like a castle and in 1952, uh--was it fifty?

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn remembers the day she witnessed her school burning (well into her adult life) as the result of a faulty boiler. She then goes on to further reminisce on her school experience and mischief caused by classmates. The school librarian encouraged Silverthorn to go to college.

Keywords: Burning; College; First generation; School buildings; University

Subjects: Education.; Fire.; School.

Partial Transcript: And my sister Betty, she just wanted to get married or go down to Detroit and work and get married, that's all she wanted to do.

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn discusses further places of interest in Harbor Beach and a few fond memories of local businesses. She also recalls fondly the small town doctor. She speaks of her time leading Girl Scouts during the war.

Keywords: Bakery; Dancing; Doctors; Entertainment; Ice cream parlors; Iceboxes; Mailman; WW2; WWII; World War 2; World War Two

Subjects: Girl Scouts.; Physicians.; Small business.; Small cities.; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: But anyway, there was one thing that was nice about my brother though: when I was little, he and my, uh, Cousin Archie...

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn talks about her relationship with her brother and cousins. They created a great dollhouse made of found materials and would invite her to search for pollywogs.

Keywords: Outdoors; Playing; Pollywogs; Rural life; Siblings; Tadpoles

Subjects: Brothers and sisters.; Childhood.; Outdoor recreation.

Partial Transcript: And going to the store and stuff was so different in those days, 'cause everybody knew everybody else, and uh...

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn remembers being able to shop at the dime store with a whole dollar and how inflation has really changed standards. She talks about going to the cinema, with friends or an adult, never alone.

Keywords: Christmas gifts; Church communities; Churches; Communities; Community; Dime stores; Films; Heidi; Movie theaters; Movies; Paper dolls; Small town life; Small towns

Subjects: Christmas.; Church.; Great Depression.; Motion Pictures; Nostalgia.; Temple, Shirley, 1928-2014

Partial Transcript: But, uh, anyway, they--that's another thing, none of my--my brother went to the service. Bill, he went to the service.

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn's brother, Bill, delivered magazines and used Silverthorn for help. She made the runs up to the houses and was paid fifty cents a week.

Keywords: Employment; Magazine sales; Newspaper delivery; Salesman

Subjects: Brothers and sisters.; Periodicals.

Partial Transcript: Yeah like this English teacher I had, Molly... oh, I wish I could remember her last name. Highland! Molly Highland.

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn speaks of the teacher who encouraged her to go to college despite the fact that neither her parents nor her siblings had.

Keywords: College; First generation; High school; Work

Subjects: Education.; First-generation college students.; Universities and colleges.

Partial Transcript: We--our house was used as the information agency for the telephone company.

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn relays her experience working at the resort in her hometown. She worked as a waitress in the dining area and has fond memories of the residents of the resort.

Keywords: Movie stars; Telephone information; Telephones; Waitresses; Working

Subjects: Hospitality.; Resorts.; Telephone.

Partial Transcript: Mrs., Mrs. Highland, uh, came to, well she did come to see my mother and my dad and she said this is important and she said I want you to go to college.

Segment Synopsis: Silverthorn talks about how her teacher spoke with her parents and convinced them to allow her to go to college. She applied for a Pepsi-Cola scholarship and got a job working the desk at the dormitory.

Keywords: College; Dormitory; Scholarships; Working in college

Subjects: Education.; First-generation college students.; Universities and colleges.