Blasingame, Eleanor 1998-08-15
Eleanor Blasingame, a resident of Claude, Texas, discusses the ranching heritage she grew up in and the different experiences she encountered along the way. She also discusses her family history dating back to her grandfather who was also a rancher.
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Eleanor Blasingame
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: August 15, 1998
Location: Claude, Texas
Interviewer: David Marshall
Length: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Abstract
Tape 1:
Blasingame, Eleanor,
b. May 26, 1914 ,
parents: Wiley Morris and Flossie Morris,
father: ranch owner, b. 1879,
northern part of old JA Ranch,
history behind the ranch,
mother: housewife,
Thomas Jefferson Morris (her grandfather),
Tennessee,
rancher,
Veteran of the Confederacy,
descendants of the two Morris’s who signed the Declaration of Independence,
settled in Silverton, Texas in 1887,
descendants from England,
physical description,
Wiley Morris,
raised as a rancher,
Silverton, Texas,
at age 16 worked for JA Ranch – 1895,
courting of Flossie and Wiley,
personality traits,
Childhood,
four brothers and 1 sister,
brothers were in WW II,
educated by her mother, Flossie,
reading was their only entertainment,
instilled education in children,
later hired a teacher to be home schooled,
Parents Education,
Goodnight College,
Goodnight, Texas,
Nursing,
Molly Goodnight - professor,
stories,
memories,
Charles Goodnight,
professor,
stern,
strict environment,
JA Ranch,
Tom Blasingame,
b. 1898,
age 18 started working at JA Ranch - 1916,
grandmother was a full blooded Cherokee Indian,
Married Eleanor on November 2, 1933,
personality traits,
ranching expertisemoral traits,
worked at Matador Ranch for Mr. Mitchell,
how Eleanor and Tom first met at Matador Ranch,
Richard Walsh – congregated with Mr. Goodnight,
immaculate behavior,
Alamocitas Division,
cattle drives,
Monty Richie – ran Ranch in 1931 – communicated well with Tom,
memories,
growing up in Oklahoma,
Camel Creek,
Pilgrims Creek,
didactic stories of Nancy and Tom,
crossing the Canadian River,
gentle spirited nature,
d. December 27, 1989,
Eleanor Blasingame,
horseback rider,
ranched during the war,
cooked, branded, took care of ranch,
cattle drives,
Different types of horses,
During the war necessities were scarce,
sugar,
clothing
Tape 2:
Accidents at the JA Ranch,
far from town,
roping accidents,
experiences,
Dangers,
rattlesnakes,
water moccasins,
Ranch Work,
troublesome,
hard,
steers,
JJ herd- five pastures,
Angus – late 1950’s,
Work,
stopped working at the ranch,
got a job in town to make ends meet,
House at the line camp,
frame structure,
old – not insulated,
dust storms,
horizontal wood planks,
generators,
Buffalo herds,
problematic,
fences would get torn down,
Grandfather,
stories of her father dragging hide,
finding water when they first settled in Silverton, Texas,
Native-Americans,
artifacts,
description,
stories
Range Dates:
Bulk Dates:
Access Information
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Recording Format Notes:
Transcript:
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