Interview with Gertrude Johnson

Interview with Gertrude Johnson, a long-time resident of Deep Eddy, on her work with the church and school, a 17.5-pound sweet potato she once grew, and her years teaching in the Eanes area. Includes a recipe for 'Mrs. Johnson's unbaked cookies.'

Transcribed text

_The following text was extracted via OCR from the digitized scan held by The Portal to Texas History (UNT Libraries). OCR can introduce errors, especially on handwritten material; the canonical record links to the original scan._

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Mrs. Johnson -- Mrs. Frank Johnson when Mr. and Mrs. Johnson moved to this area after they were married inx on October 26, 1913 they did not have electricity, telephone, they went to the Johnson property and home at Deep Eddy (off Lake Austin Blvd. ) for their,, mail. They did riot receive a paper and used C. O lamps for light (4-)- and cooked on wodd stove . .They raised a garden and sold vegetables from house to house in-town. They raised cattle and nade butter . Often making 50 lbs. a .wee k. The cattle had to be driven to Barton Springs for water. They also raised kheep-an sold the woos. (goa4e) They raised hogs, butchered them and made sausage and sold it and the eat also. They cured their own meathams and sausage.,&-Smoke house- - -i. . fT They raised all kinks of vegestables and canned enough to last all year. They had a peach orchard and a dew-berry: patch They had. a large herd of goats which they sheared eand sold the Mohair. They raised Bily Bronze TurX'eys .. They lost three gobblers in a row -'a panther drug they off at night - one- a week for three weeks. We had box parties at the:school. Each girl brought'a box supper that was auctioned off t? the highest bidder. Then'he could eat with the girl who brought the box . The money was used for dhe school. The'ladies offte church gave me remnents of cloth of which I made shirts and dresses for some of the children who otherwise could not have gone tq school I also did sewing for :some of the ladies-in'the neighborhodd. Mrs. Johrson \ also told of seeing a couple 66 children that needed clothes before school startede. The boy was wearing an old ]air of blue jeans gathered around his waist. The legs had been cut offi and were used as sleeves for a shirt. The legs were pinned in the back Ito make the back of the khirt. The girl was dressed in old clothes. She obtained material and made the girl a new dress to wear to school and a new shirt for the goy so on the first day of schoolhey had something new to wear. She was very proud to report that at one time she had raised one sweetpotato that weighed 172 pounds and a cucumber 16 inches long. Tomatoes often filed a farm wagon.lasidxxx also irish potatoes and onions were raised. She also made her own lye soap and hominy. They used Bear grass to hang bacon 4 and hams from the roof of the smoke house to be smoked. She also made her own sauerkraut in a 10 gallon crock. She baked all of her bread, cakes and cookies. They geperated the fresh milk by using a hand cranked seperator and they kept the cream in an icebox' I)Lsing a barrel churn they turned the handle by hand to make the butter. They used kerosene oil lamps for light. The temporary capitol burned in 1899 and my husband's father bought the tin that was on it and put it on the barn that he was building. The barn is still standing but the tin is nearly worn out. t Frank Grimesas father brought Swedes from $iweden to work for him in his rock uarry Mrs. Johnson has three children - Albert, Randolph, and Chester - Chester livesA in Calif. Doff Tqrleton was a worker for any of the ap people - he could do /4% most anx kind of work and worked around the enighborhodd. Everkone knew him. Hardin Walsh, A Camelite minister, settled on what was known as Brown lane He served the community as their minister . Mrs. Marshall was an Eanes and she was very interested in the walfare of ithe children. At the box suppers ihe often made extra or large boxes and brought Ithmm to be auctioned off. She would in turn buy them back and let the poor childrenhite them to eat. She often found clothes for the children and helped with Sunday School and other services on Sunday. Bill Teague was also a hand -man and was often called upon to help in the community. Mrs. Johnson said they lived on the property that belongv-d to her husbands grandfather - 124 acres. This land was to go with the land that was purchased for the Johnson home near Deep Eddy (a large whitexxk rock house still standing. The property in the country was to be used for gathering wood for khe house in town.

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Franks fthkxxwKix parents were and EllenJohnson. Mrs. Johnson was a Jung and her family owned -operated ? Deep Eddy and khe knew most of the people in town as Deep Eddy was-a popular-place for everyone to come. FrankJfather -. Lilliam (Mrs. Clyde ShippP Bertha The Highschool is'guilt where the Johnson's hadktheir cornfield. The creek behind Eanes school is known as Smith Creek. ften cans Students carried water to school tQ drink. Also carried lunch.1 pail hat lard Some of the teachers that Mrs. Johnson recalls are Eva Mae Hoffman -came in. Beatrice Beyers April 21, 1902- ) Ada Hamilton Many tukcx teachers borded with Mrs. Johnson . The teachers walked to -school They taught from October to March, School started at 9 in the morning and went until 3 in the ifternooo. Mrs. Jo~hnson. recalls that they paid her $20.00 a month foo room and board. Mrs. Johnson recalled one time when most oftie children were .sick and the,, teacher went to school to find that no one came to school. The didtkis several times and they she asked the County Supt. to advise her. He said to go to school on Monday morning and if no one showed up to go back home and stay untiltke nest Mondlay and so on. *gKExxXfmmx9EzgcxddyXdxX ,Near Deep Eddy was the Butler Brick yard. They had a-cable going across the river with a.large, bucket. It was interesting' she recalled to see the buckets going back and forth bringing dirt for the bricks. Mrs. Johnson's unbaked cookies - .c milk, c shortening, oleo, or liquid oil, 2 tablespoons cocoa, 2.cups sugar Bring to boil add cup peanutbutter, Stir until melted - 3 cups quick oatmeal - Drop 'on wax paper and cool. - Sheffer Cookies Quilts

Original record: metapth1065551 on the Portal to Texas History.