George Henderson

In this excerpt, the interviewer recounts formerly enslaved person George Henderson’s memories of Christmas in the first person. 
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Excerpt:

…Our clothes were made of jeans and linsey in winter. In the summer we wore cotton clothes. They gave us shoes at Christmas time. We were measured with sticks. Once I was warming my shoes on a back log on the big fireplace, they fell over behind the logs and burnt up. I didn’t marry while on the plantation…

On Christmas and New Years day we would go up to the house and they would give us candy and fruit and fire-crackers. We were given some of all the food that the white folks had, even turkey. Would have heaps of corn-shuckings, the neighbors would come in and then we’d have big dances and old Master would always have a “jug of liquor”…


Interviewee 
Formerly enslaved person
Birth Year (Age)Interviewer
WPA Volunteer
Enslaver’s Name
George Henderson1860 (age at interview)]Eliza IsonMilford Twiman
Interview LocationResidence StateBirth Location
Garrard County, KYKYVersailles, KY
Themes & KeywordsAdditional Tags:
ChristmasWoodford County, First Person

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