Document text
Federal Writorst•Project
Paul Diggs
Lakeland, Florida
JanUary 6th,1939
Threet 4,44 and Amelia
Washington Pak
Lakeland, Florida
DAN AND A.Z.LIA THREET
•(Commonly known as Doc Thret)
Located on the -West side of -0 shington seark -lying between
7th St, in North Lakeland, (commonly known as Teas,000 Hill)
is locted Dan and Amelia Threet, He is known by all as Doc
Threet; They live in a .four room hbuse th:t was once set side
for a uoiikuunity house in the Park,
bome years ago this plot of ground was donat-d to the City
by r. Vine Stephenson, who is known as Judge, be was once a
Justice of 1-eace in LakelLnd, This white'gentlemamid,eded this
track of land to the City of Lakeland to be used as a Park. for
Negroes, In 1910 the City of Lakelan accepted i. in 19680
Louise Rochelle now Louise Diggs) organled a group called,
"The Civic Improvement ,League saw fit to iMprove it. 'In making
their plea to the City Fathers, they were granted the necessary
funds to iliake•the necessary improvIvents,
At that time in 1926, thy erected a bana stand, layed cement
walks, and buiut tennis courtswith lights for Light 1ayi.g.,
sun dial was placed east of the band stand, and a building to. the
west side fur a counity house. The park has numerous ter oaki.
sc_ttered in it, which hi,-„kes it desirable place to relax.
DUring the year. of 1964 theFERAremod_ed the bn st,nd.
In the mean time. through the popularity of this Iealftiful
park, there ;as need for some -31#2 to care for it. L.B. Brown was
first given, the privi.Ledge to live in this cottAce. After he
1,,ft in 1905. Doc, was given.the job as care taker, TLJ.s position
be ilolds tod,4 along with :the res,onsibi,ity of taking care of
other City owned 1.4.4erty built for Negroes in LL_keland, Florida.,
The Colored Auditorium, _nd the Colored Library,.
Doc, was al4xo ched for an interview. He was. sitting on
the .k.orch smoking. Be said, n some in and haveseat.n n Well I
A
am nothing but hard work mg man, L.nd there is not iUcb that
on
I can tolT But I have seen klenty go here in Lake_and.
This .conslActeus ckkabacter is seen a,i4 arund, and is
kn_wn by dll of the older citiens And boys an girls wao
visit the Park. He is very -.pleasant and obliging at A.1 times.
Doc is five feet na Silt inches in height, weigh one hundred
and t.iirty five 1,oun s, clank bro-n in comkiexion, with a few
grdy h, rs visible in his head.
I was born in Valdosta,• Georgia, 4y. *iarents were WaAa Lma
married
-nd Hattie Winn.. After the death ef my father, my mothered A again
to Nero Threet There were ebere-croppers on a large farm
and I remained n the farm -11,: worked part of the time Ducts
faisilitom4 consistd of his t_o sisters, Viola and r.se., docuasecV
if 1. rewrzina on the fLrL until -I was'ten years ,1d, during that
time I attended school, I s taken to Florida by my Uncle
Chariie sillianis. They settled in Layiette County I married
Ay wife Am.. ha hoberson„ August 18, 1898 awl later came to Lake-
land. Fl.,rida, in December 1W.4."
"1 recall the first jail, which was a ene story w,oden
building located in front of the Adair Atheletio Field, on North
Floriva Avenue, near Third Street.. This sot is now the home
tria4ning gr,und for the Detroit Tigers. And is considered one of
the best trailing grouns in Florida."
"There were on4,three houses located this side of Pear St.
They were located in groves and weodland. One of the .houses
kUrcil,_sado,"
in Goorj.a I learned my A B We studied out of
the Blue Back Webster. I liv d in a town called Luraville p
where I was made $o attend school four months out of the ywar.
I went to school often and on for sixteen years. I went as far
in the ,i.ithmetic as the United States 4oney. At that time
that w. s considered good. Prof the princikal
uf the Elementary Department at shingcon krk High School
teuiJrt me for a couple of years in Lauraville. He ,as,ponsidered
a fine teacher at that time.. Through my schooling Ahat little
.1 had, it has made me see what I could do for my childrens-Some
have finished the High School, and-om, the grades. All of them
1.(3 able to know right from wrong,"
"Lottie liae and Farabelle live with me, they both have fin.
ishocithe .,ashington Park High School. Lottie mae ,orks Wn the
Y A1 assisting in the recreation deartment. Farabelle remains
at home an,L takes care of her mother who had stroke in Dec-
ember/ 1967. Farabelle is' not a very well:girl, ,t times she
sufiers with her heart." Farabello u_s sitting on the fr nt
porch in a rocking chair. She is very .led ant and sees to be
very datiful aron& the house, Lottie ,Mae s sitting in her
mother's bed room talking to her -lether. Both girls were netly
dressed, Lottie Mae asked how the keopIe liked the Pageant th t
was heid at Bethel i A I Chltrch, She wos one of the ,artici, /ICS
in he play. Those away from home are Nero, ,ho is married ,nd
live:. in iorehead, a color,d section of Lakeland.) Alice, she is
married arid. on 6th Sty) K. Cs -Hattie and Rosa are away from
home and art: still s ngle.
Wben I was sixteen I began working in the gip mill, gin-
ning cp.,ton. I stayed ast, this job until I became boss man. At
that time there w -s klenty of cotton growlng in the northern
kart pf the State. My first job in Lakeind ws -with the
AmericAl ...acpress eouL,any. I was a belker.during the Christl&s
Holidays. Afte_w rd they kept me' because I was a good worker'*
Later they put hell, an. kept the,old.heikers. I looked ar*d
and found a job with the i,akeland ,Armufacturing Cny, hai;ling
lumber. On this job I received. 1.50 per day,
nftr wt:L-king for sevral years, I beg.ja carkenter worlp„
aid taking contracts for grubbing. This I followed Until I
aceepted a job with Ole hington Park High SchiJol, as janitor.
I began working on 4bis job in 1960 ,Lnd remained until 10.,5.
They void. me .60.c0 a month. I learned a great deal on this job
by cng in contact with the teachers, of course I lost out on
this job due to colored foks out, A lie was told on me and
I could never straighten it out's
if During this time I became ills and nearly lt my health'
after going la reli-f. You remember whenyeu oit me orireliefl,when
you h:d charge at the Old Colored Hospital. Well soon afterw-r s
they Se116 you away, and the tretments I took kut me bac_ on my
feet. J,fter I was able to work again,, the City gLcve me more work
taking c. re of the ground.s and the building for our keokle.n
I clean uk the Auditorium and Ale Library ZIJ take care
of the grounds, They kay me :44.00 a month. Of course this amouLt
is mkt enough to take care offamily. What little bit- Lottie
Aae ma es goes for :Ler clothes,, You see she is young, and nee s
pretty -t.lings like other girls to wear. I try hard to leek Lfter
everything in connecti,A1 with my work. What I am thankf. in
that I have a good'boss eign r,„Ldman, wh. is the Director of
the hecreation .-olpartment of the City of Li.kelan, FloricL.
n $,eaking of voting.. tbats something that a man has to
know what 11,: is doing!' use to vote regulir in the city ei c-
tions p but of late I baTe only registered. I workt:fdr the city
folks and if I go messing in ,olitic I might vote forAhe wrong
man, and off goes my head. Fa areel I don't fool with voting.
You kbow a nalf loaf of bread is better than no loaf. I mn
it is better for folks to be satisfied with what they have
sone-
time than to be grabbing ,and miss out, You know what them old
onets will du, but you have no guarantee on them no, one wh„n
they get in ofiloW
st I need my job now, with tay wife sic i„ in there. She is
helplss and we have to tote I her fr,im ilaes to piace. Now that
woLld I look like fooling around AOW. Huhl all I can de is to
attend to AY own business."
All of my life I have bad good jobs, and made a living
for my -family!" Amelia, who can hardly talk,.expressed hixseif
at this remark, and sad:, be certainly has taken care of his
family -and is doing a mants part now." Amelia its. in a rocking
chair during the day time, when the weather is good she i moved
to the front kordif and ailowed t, sit in the sun. it Yu
ui
I hought I w -s a goner when I virs stricken down --.A.th
1.0.o.," Doc said. 0 I wolTieL.1 more than I should, but th_nks
th,- good Lord I m still able to work L,nd take•care of my wife."
Tbats the reason why,I try to keep faith with GA. I have
always been religious.- I beve been a member of Bethel a
Church ,located on North Dakota Avenue, ILr twenty seven Years.
whole fami_Ly belongs to this church. I have serve; in every
office in this church, I have been SuLday School Superintn,,ent
for thirteen years dealt go te,01.11I'as regular as I should.
I hate to say its but if you don't have-Mbney no th,re is no
'need of going to church* donst get that old t.Lme religion
any'wore.*.
I.need all the money I can rake an scrape. Ay medical
bills is awful high4 Every time 'you coil a Doctor it takes your
weekly salaryk to say nothing about the cost of the •xescriptioL.
I still fee„, the effects from my rhumatisms and take sme little
pills now and th,a,,, Farabellesbasto 11,1re medicine too. All of
this expenses fa:.1 un me."
The little cottage contains four rooms, very badly in
need of painting on the exteriors the rooms ar,_ very small and
the wall.S are:43,11 d with beaver boards two of the rooms are
used fr bed r amps kitchen nod a- bathroom that is modernly
e.iuipped. They have Mho use of electricity furnished by the
City frees and their rent is likewise! Doc has built on the
north side of the house a small stand from which he sells snow..
balls, candy, soft lrinkss and eta. This kriviledge- is granted
by the City.
In frnt of the b,uSe there are Lenches scattereu around
under the -Jater oak that give shade to the plLce. There are
flowers and shTubbery growing in fr nt of the house In the back
of his house he 111-.s wire in a large sp ce use for chickens.
1
*-enned up in a small box was a coons that was ctureo when be
was small. Doc has tamed him, on taking him out of the box be
climbed alt over his bed and shoulders.
Does, in talking drifted back to his childrenss stating
that one as drowned while swi,“41 rig in a clay holes :noher..was
accidently shot by a boy ,laying with a gun. The rest died natural
deaths fr,-m illness,
Amelia -said. wthat she was a good women wher ah.Iti;4s WP11-
I was a mother of thirteen childiens, only seven living new. Xf
all of 4v children b Cl -married I don't know what would have
happened to ma* Since I got this fix Amelia is very small
and her lower limbs lo k like they have asted away since she,
has been unable to walk* Amelia said, that her apet was
very good, ana she likes plentk of chicken,"
The geberal appearance of the interior wi,os olear.. the
.bed roo.as were furnished oito inexpensive furniture*
hottie Aae begged to be exoused, and ent into the
kitchen -bp pre are dinner. She as asked what good thiegsHshe
was preparing* She said„ttmy mother has to have sae special things
cooked* But we like most anything. My father is a great moat eater,
but we don't give him very much since he had that sick spell, 'we
use a ilenty oi vegetables with cornbread aria biscuits* We
eat very little sweets because we can't afibrd them* I studied
home economics while in HIV* School, and I understand what is good
for people to eat. I ad a pretty coo cook if I must say so* Hal.
lal. ,klaybe I will get a goo a husband SO NO dt.y.
Duo said, you alight to get a good husband** Lottie ae
replied, n Changing her attitude -about a good husband, what for?
to starve. to deth. Lleu now of days can hardly take care of
them selves*. Auchless trying to take care of a wife** As the con-
versation ran on ab,ut marrying, Doc L,aid,At a1i youn girls should
marry before it is to late,*
Doc is very handy aroun," the hose„ most of the articie built
ar,2una his pl ce was made by him. Be showed me a chair that was
bulitp which .,as durable and well built. He is considered a home
man* ben not busy rouno the park attending to the lawilo and
shruhoery, he can be found sitting on the front porch nor his
little shop chatting ,Ith,friends who constantly visit the place,
Farabeile is considered a'good tennis idLyer, axa.t she makes use of
the tehrkis court thet is about fiftY feet from the house. LotLie
mae is A,Ausical and hap a nice voice,oand some what interested in
ar_matics, Sne recently asAsted with a laiA plaP.
This sees to be the way th,,,t they firm kleasure_in their .iesure