Struve, Arno 1982-09-17

Arno Struve, longtime resident and storeowner in Abernathy, discusses life growing up in Hale County and the various business and agricultural enterprises his family operated.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Arno Struve

Additional Parties Recorded: None

Date: September 17, 1982

Location: Abernathy, Texas

Interviewer: James Senseney

Length: 2 hours

Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Family background, German ethnicity, Heinrich Struve (great-grandfather) served in Russian army, Farms in Poland (1840s), Moves to Texas (1948), Galveston, La Grange, Armand Struve (grandfather), Logging activities, Injures foot, Rejects organized religion, Serves in Confederate army during Civil War, Moves to Marble Falls in Burnet County, Texas, Marries Christiana (1871), Hired hands, Blacksmith shop.

Tape 1, Side 2: Blacksmith shop (continued), Fighting, Frederick William Struve (father), Moves from Marble Falls to Hale County (1901), Lived in dugout, Speaking German, Roads in West Texas, Moves to Abernathy, Texas (1912), Begins grocery business, Hermana Richter (mother), Buys hardware store, Dry goods business.

Tape 2, Side 1: Using cow chips for fuel, Arno Struve born 1912 in Abernathy, Struve home, Description of, Frederick and Hermana Struve’s relationship and marriage, Making lye soap, Garden, Vegetables grown, Fruits grown, Wine making, Canning fruits and vegetables, Slaughtering farm animals, Making sausage, Making cheese, Selling cheese (1928), Goes out of business (1951), Relationship between Struve’s and business competitor.

Tape 2, Side 2: Division of Struve business, Grocery store, Men’s Department, Implement store, Dry goods, Hardware, Property, Cheese factory, Sheep raising, Pigs, Cotton farming, Irrigation, Frederick Struve dies (1959), Self-subsistence in Abernathy, Frederick Struve builds dance hall, Arno Struve joins Army (1930), Bands.

Range Dates: 1840-1950

Bulk Dates: 1900-1950

Access Information

Original Recording Format:

Recording Format Notes:

Transcript:

---

Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.