Rees, Mrs Wade 1972-03-13,14

Mrs. Rees discusses her family background, the Depression, business and community development of Bronte, with emphasis on the automobile business and oil boom. She also reviews several Coke County settlements.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Mrs. Wade Rees

Additional Parties Recorded: None

Date: March 13, 14 1972

Location: Bronte, Texas

Interviewer: Fred Carpenter

Length: 45 minutes

Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Grandfather was Dr. J. F. Clark, Moved to Bronte in 1880s, Father was Bob Knierim, Helped clean up after Galveston flood (1900), Parents’ marriage in 1905, Electric plant and telephone early enterprises, Railroad to Bronte completed, Discusses family automobile business, Automobile parts unavailable, Home Motor Company—Ford Dealership in 1922, Trips to Dallas described, Depression resulted in over-supply of cars, Ford Motor Company kept sending autos, Personalities mentioned, Friends, school and marriage reviewed, Worked at Corpus Christi before marriage, Center Point home built by husband, Mentions daughter’s death, Mother’s family background related, Praises San Angelo automobile testing track, Possesses grandfather’s U. S. citizenship papers, Father’s efforts toward securing area dam stated.

Tape 1, Side 2: Dam realized, Cites efforts to build roads, Tells of lawsuit related to dam, Refusal to use bankruptcy explained, Examines farmers’ economic behavior, Grandfather was a German immigrant, American experiences and genealogy traced, Depression’s cattle killing recalled, Sandstorms described, Reviews oil boom of 1949 in Bronte, Companies purchased oil leases all over town, Housing shortage resulted, Garage work was hectic, Stresses importance of oil drilling to town.

Tape 2, Side 1: Reviews business papers, Mr. Ira Bird, oldest resident, mentioned, Coke County settlements listed, Hayrick was first town, Train depots in area towns now destroyed, Area schools described, Town of Silver is oil ghost town, Ballenger was trade center of the area, Transportation problems cited, Miles and Bronte were matches in basketball games.

Tape 2, Side 2: Blank

Range Dates: 1880s-1972

Bulk Dates: 1905-1949

Access Information

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Transcript:

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