Wilmette Public Library Local History Digital Collection

Anna Kathryn Witt (1895-1988) oral history

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Track 3, Transcript p. 4-6: Track 3, Transcript p. 4-6
Transcription: Track 3 AW: Yes. The name of the dairy farm was called the "Fred H. Witt Jersey Dairy." And we had several milk wagons drawn by horses and the house in which we lived was an old frame farm house and it had no heating facilities excepting stoves. And then no electricity or plumbing. M: Did you use kerosene lamps? AW: Yes. We used kerosene lamps. And my mother had a big cook stove and she cooked all of our meals. There were seven children. And then we had three or four hired men who lived in a little shack outside of our house. And she cooked their meals and she washed for them and did all of that work by hand. Anna Witt, cont. 5 M: Did you do all of this together? Did the family eat separately? AW: No, the family lived in this farmhouse and the hired men had a kind of a bunkhouse. Out on the property. M: They ate their meals there? AW: My mother cooked for all of us. I think there must have been about twelve all the time, you know-- --with our family of eight and then three or four men who helped with the farm work in the diary and the cows. And she did all of that by hand and I just marvel at how much work she really did. M: Yes, must have been -- -- that was three big meals every -- -- AW: You should see the table. And she was a very good cook, too. And we didn't think anything about it at that time, but of course we grew our own vegetables and sweet corn and we had chickens and turkeys and -- M: Oh, I see, so you raised a lot of your own food. AW: Yes. We raised a lot of our food, but for the supplies that we couldn't raise ourselves, my mother would take the horse and a little buggy and drive into Evanston to get supplies. I suppose it would be sugar and flour and things like that. And I don't remember how often she did that. But I can just see her now in that little buggy. One time on the way home from a shopping trip the horse became frightened of something and he ran away with her and the buggy tipped over and she fell out in the ditch and Anna Witt, cont. p.6 all of the groceries went. I believe that the horse ran home by himself. But the next day, all the youngsters went down to this place that was really Harms Road, and we picked up the groceries. And she'd always buy us a big bag of candy and we all went down there and got the groceries and the candies the next day. It was really one of the most exciting things of our lives out there in the country, you know. M: Well, yes. You didn't get candy from the store too often? AW: It was always this red candy that comes in squares. What is it called? Anise. I hate the stuff to this day! (Laughter) That's one of the things that I remembered very well. There probably were loads of interesting things that happened that I did, but I just can't remember. I do remember going to school. My first year of school -- -- and my brothers and sisters went to the country school on what's Waukegan Road now. And I think the new school is on the same property. It was...
Creators: Witt, Anna Kathryn, 1895-1988, Interviewee; Maselli, Briggs
, Interviewer
Media Type: Audio; Image; Text
Item Type: Audiocassettes
Description: Interview with Anna Witt by Briggs Maselli in Wilmette on December 9, 1975.

Abstract:

Sold milk from 800 block of Forest Avenue
Moved to Harms Road on Lake Avenue farm (Wilmette Golf Club grounds)
Returned to Wilmette — bottling plant — ice house eventually sold to Bowman Dairy Co.
Mother’s role — horse and buggy — run away!
School at Lake/Waukegan Road
German background of Mother
Central School experience
East-west Wilmette rivalries
Clothing of children around 1910
Violin lessons for a milk bill
Marriage — Plochman’s mustard
Tornado — Palm Sunday- 1920
“New library” - 1950
Miss Siniff — 1953 — Mrs. Witt and her work for Wilmette Library to present — 1981
Place of Publication: Wilmette, Illinois
Date of Original: December 9, 1975
Subject(s): Librarians
Milking
Oral histories
Wilmette Public Library
Wilmette (Ill.)--History
Personal Name(s): Witt, Anna Kathryn
Local identifier: R977.31 WI
Language of Item: English
Copyright Statement: Protected by copyright: Uses other than research or private study require the permission of the rightsholder(s). Responsibility for obtaining permissions and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Copyright Date: 1975
Copyright Holder: Wilmette Public Library
Copyright Holder Contact Information: 1242 Wilmette Ave.
Wilmette, IL 60091
U.S.A.
Recommended Citation: Witt, Anna Kathryn, and Briggs Maselli. Anna Witt. Wilmette, Ill: Wilmette Public Library District, 1975.
Contact: Wilmette Public Library
Email:refdesk@wilmettelibrary.info
Website:
https://www.wilmettelibrary.info/

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