Oral Transcript

Interviewee: Lynch, Albert

Interviewer: Nolan, Jane

Subject: Yazoo City, MS in the early 1900s

Date: September 1974

Location: Special Collections at

B.S. Ricks Memorial Library

of the Yazoo Library Association

310 N. Main Street, Yazoo City, Mississippi 39194

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80-63 Albert Lynch

Recollections-Early 1900

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K 80-63 Albert Lynch

Recollections-Early 1900f?*'*

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YAZOO COUNTY BICENTENNIAL

ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

INTERVISlVEEi Albert Lynch

INTERVIE^i/ERi Jane Nolan

SUBJECT. Yazoo City - Period Early 1900-s

DATE. September 197^

TAT Tono Nolan and I am about to interview my greatJKi My ^ Lynch. He was bom May 28, 1903 in Yazoo City,uncle, ^ Anthony S. Lynch and the former Rosa King.He was the °y city all his life and he is the only

TiviS iSr'o/Te^ytS family. He attended St. ClaraArt«/^iaynv in 1911*Academy in 1911*

+VTO+ the St. Clara building now is fairly new.

Could you vexj.

<,4. ri«T-a Academy was an old two-story wooden frameAL. The old St. « large study hall, music room, threebuilding consis^ng quarters, chapel, androoms, girls dormixory,library.library.

... 1. .h«. th. „» St. <;i». 1.on th. ""

JNi Unk, how many ntins were.r. as I can remember, there were seven.AL, Oh. well as near as can

JNi Who was the principal?AL. Sl.t»

were they from?JNi What order w«j.®

qtoters of Charity of Nazareth, Kentucky.v»A from tneALi They we ^ students attended at this time?

JN, Could you ■tell me , + t.r „ remember, I would say approximately 75.

AL, As near as I can. - all Catholic®^

JNi Were theyJNi Were they all. majority of the girls boarding around thereALi No, some.."**^" there were very few Catholics and the majority

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of them were all protestants.

JNi Well, what about the tuition?

ALi Well, the tuition was very small. I don't remember whatit was but the tuition was paid by the parents.

JNi Well, after you finished school, what did you do?

ALi Well, my first job after I finished school, I went to workfor Mrs. Devota.... the Devote Coal and Transfer Companyand then I left there and I was the operator at the YazooTheatre for about three years and then I quit and went intothe electrical business.

Well, how many years were you an electrician?

ALi Oh, all together scattered years, I'd say k5, 46 years.

JNi Well, I know that you are manager of the Elks Club now.

ALi No, secretary.

JNi Well, how many years have you been secretary of the Elks?

ALi Around 15 year®'

JNi l-Jhat was it like around 15 years ago?AT ..^rrrthine there, the furnishing, the building, and

fi" ?a Tike it was 15 years ago. Although the downstairstes Sen remodeled and the kitchen ̂ d the grill room haveTi remodeled, and are now talking of repairing,

® and remodeling the whole rest of the building,thSSiginS furniture first bought is still in the lodgedown there.

JNi Are there men still coming there now that did 15 years ago?ALi Yes There are still men coming there that came 40 and a' few*50 years ago.

me some of these men's names?JNi Could you tell me some■ie Mr Charles Estes, Dr. Grantham, andALi Well, (Billy Perry) who is our oldest living

Mr. W. S. Frank Carson and Mr. Harry Evans

the fire of 1904 damage the Elks Olub?JNi Well, Unk, did tne. aav it burned the club up and it was rebuilt inALi Yes. not mistaken the first part of I906.

1905 and II t

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JNi Well, ya'll had dances and meetings and things, didn't you?ALi The Elks Lodge was the civic center of Yazoo County for

years. We had some of the best dances with the best orchestras.JNi Unk, has it -been much change in Main Street since you can

remember?

ALi Well the street itself and the majority of the buildingsis still the same but I can remember when Main Street...the comer on Main Street and Broadway were McCrory's isand the hotel is and that was a vacant lot. And whereMrs Ula Calhoun lives now was a vacant lot and across onMaiA Street...across from the hardware where the old drugwas the building on the comer was Mrs. Lowery's and acrossfAoA there was Weber's Bakery. And around the corner fromtA; d drus store (now Wards) near the alley was the onlystore on that street was William Thomas' Grocery Store.That whole square, whole block along Mound Street andJefferson Street was just a vacant lot.

JN, X know where the old theatres used to be, but where didthe old jail house used to be?

AT TT n « as I can remember, the old jail house —a little before my time — was on Washington Street

built the new jail on the comer of Canal Street and North St.DUIXX —

JN mv, 1 Tink You have been very helpful to me and it was' ve^i^tere^ing listening to your stories.-END OF INTERVIEW-

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YAZOO COUNTY BIC3NTBNNIAL

ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

INTSRVIElVSSi Albert Lynch

INTSRVIHW^ERi Jane Nolan

SUBJECTI

DATE I

Yazoo City - Period Early 1900's

September 197^

_ Nolan and I am about to interview ray greatJN. My He was bom May 28, 1903 in Yazoo City,uncle. Albert L^c^ former Rosa King.He was the son of totnony

?lvJng iei Sf the Lynch family. He attended St. ClaraAcademy in 1911-nu£iu.oiujr *** —'

4.»,-+ the St. Clara building now is fairly new.255L'ySl''?.J5*~"S.» th. .w 1".'v^uuxu.

Academy was an old two-story wooden frameALi The old St. Clara Aca ^ study hall, music room, three

building sisters' quarters, chapel, androoms, girlB dormitcry,library.XX Ui. CLL Jf •

, where the new St. Clara building is now?JNi Was it located where ^■c-cnnertv as the new St. Clara building.ALi On the same property a

JN. unk, how many nuns were there?-r. as I can remember, there were seven.AL. Oh, well as near as can

JN. Who was the principal?SLtK — ""

were they from?JNi What 0 qiaters of Charity of Nazareth, Kentucky._ -ft*om wh6 wv*ALi They vf« students attended at this time?

JN, Could you tel j say approximately 75.AL, A3 near as I c®"

all Catholic®^JNi Were they majority of the girls boarding around thereALi No some.*"*''"® there were very few Cathollca and the majorityat'that timo---'

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of "them were all pro*tes"tants.

JNi Well, what about the tuition?

ALi well, the tuition was very sm^l. I donU remember whatit was but the tuition was paid by the parents.

JN. well, after you finished school, what did you do?AT .r in inh after I finished school, I went to workALi Well, my oevoti) Coal and Transfer Company

for tos. ?®;f°|?-;i;5^®aSrrwas the operator at the^S^oo^heaSffor a2ut three years and then I quit and went intothe electrical business.

JN, Well, how many years were you an electrician?=oa+tared years. I'd say 46 years.AL, Oh. all together scatterea

+>,«+ vou are manager of the Slks Club now.JNi v/oll. I taiow y

ALi No, secretary*

have you been secretary of the Slks?JN, Well, how many years

AL, Around 15 years.

, + 1 ike around 15 years ago?™, V)h.t ™. It anything, th. building, jnd

the origiJ^al i^rndo». tber.. ^ 15

dUi At. there nm w «id •

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tell .. •— ■"d». oeuld you o».rle^et„. S5lng«•' JJ^'i.'Iflerry S Oereon end W. Hemr 2v«ie

member ^stei*^^®*^®*and f-hr* w* • . loo^ damage the EDca Club?

t, did the fire or xyJNi Well* j +jxa club up and It was rebuilt in

Yee. Ihey ■•y.VSetrten the llr.t pert of 1906.1905 and if

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JNi Well, ya*ll had dances and meetings and things, didn't you?

Jelr8^^^We°hld soL^ol the^besmScef witrtKest'orohestrasJN, Unk, has it been much change in Main Street since you can

remember?

* Itself and the majority of the buildingsALi Well, the 1,+ t can remember when Main Street...is still the J^+pget and Broadway were McCrory's isthe comer on Main ^ vacant lot. And whereand the hotel is md ^ vacant lot and across onMrs. Ula Calhoun liv hardware where the old drugMain Street...across gomer was Mrs. Lowery's and acrosswas, the Bakery. And around the comer fromfrom there was rfeber near the alley was the onlythe old drug store vno ',^miam Thomas' Grocery Store,store on that streer wa street andThat whole^u^e^ ^ vacant lot.Jefferson Street was joeiiei.»w** ,, ,

^ .. theatres used to be, but where didJN. I know where ̂ ^e old theatre^^the old jail house ueoxne OJLU •— j ii V

ALi Well as near as I was on^ashington StreetwM^h f litSe l>efo'="®.yJ3iLnoe is now and then theywhiS Mr. Billy Po'W ̂ hrcomer of Canal street and North St.built the new jail onw -

va-n verv helpful to me and it wasJN. Thank you unk. your'^stories.

very interesting.£ND of interview.

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