Document text
E•.eJ AA -7
These details about the 3ronx a generation ago are in-
terestinE, but I doubt that they have sufficient merit
to stand by themselves. 1.wobd
Earl Bowman: "Louisa G. Dawe's tcry"
Aeminiscences recorded too sketchy for use.
But references in copy indicate possible IKE
fund of 4ermantAmerican material as well
as material on horse-drawn trolley cars
and the medicine show which remained in the
neighborhood for three years.
.-rao..4.••••••••.•*base...
FORM C
FOIKLORE
MOM
.5-27(
WORKER:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
EARL BOWEAM
86 West 12th St
New York City
August 29, 1938
LOUISA G. DANE
981 Tinton Ave
The Bronx, New York
City
LCVISA G. DAWN'S STORY:
NEW YORK
'Yes, I was bona in New Yoilt, on the lower East Side.
liken I was very young I went to Fetehneris Sohool skid' was
a very good training place and I received there a good
eckleation in German. Hours were from 4 to 6 in the afternoon
and from 9 to 12 on Saturday mornings, so as not to conflict
with public school hours.
"We always had cur Christmas festival at Geib's Hall, on
170th street and Third Avenue, studying hard to give a good
performance. One one occasion one of the girls bowed
backwards at the and of her recitation and made the audience
laugh. Eke burst into tears an she realised her error.
'We moved from the Lower East Side to take charge of
the hall and saloon owned by His. Zeltner, and all the
German Societies cane map to the country* an a Stuiday to
enjoy the spot cheese' and sweet butter, freak from the farms.
"Opposite us was an old-fashioned dry goods store owned
and operated by Mrs. Awn, the nether -in-law of Al Smith. Her
daughter and I were playmates for a good many years. Many
a good tine we had playing with the Kerrigan boys, "hos* fattier
LOUISA G. DA.WE, P.ZE 2
.-Earl Bowman
was manager of the Third Avenue surface car line. The
oar barns were only a block away, where they changed horses
for the rest of the trip to Forcham.
"There was a skating pond at the rear of Zeltneris
Brewery on Milton Avenue. It wask.a lovely place, and
crowds would come there every wining.
"Buser's blacksmith shop stood at the northwest corner
of 170th Street and Third Avenue. He was a robust man and
was liked by all.
lie used to shoe lots of horses.
"At Jefferson Street and Boston Road, was Genees
Schnetzen Park where the German societies went for picnics
and practise at shoot/Al. The park had a rifle range
about 200 feet long.
"From Zeltner's we used to go down to Grove Hill Park
at 161st Street and St. Ann's Avenue. It was a beautiful
paik built on terraces and with immense shade trees. On
Sunday b the different societies would each occupy a terrace
of their own and sometimes there were as many as four clubs
on a single day.
"Then there was the Merry Circle Oak Bowling Club, all
of whose members were prominent men and what pranks they
were up to on their meeting nights:
"I remember when 161st Street was cut through. Prospect
*venue was beautiful with its large shade trees on each side
of the street. Among the beautifUl residences was alines
on the southwest corner of 163rd street., with its sightly
flower garden. On the northeast corner was their vegetable
LOUISA G. DAVIE, PAGE 3
--Earl Bowman
garden which extended to Stebbins Avenue.
"Wakelinges Nursery was located on the east side of
Tinton kvenue between 163rd and 165th Streets. He certainly
had beautiful plants for sale.
"After he sold the place the empty lot was taken over
by an Indian Show for three weeks...but it remained for two
lizzaz years: It was popular and sold lots of medicine.
"Right opposite was an evangelical tent to which we
would often go after having had a good laugh at the Indizu
Show:
"Things have changed in Iihe Bronx since then, but we
enjoyed ourselves and I'm not sure that it woulthit be
a happier place now if it was still like it used to be...."
WORKER'S COMMENT:
Louisa G. Dawe is itmerican born of German descent. Ske has
lived at the house 981 Tinton Avenue for thirty-five years.
A rather difficult person to interview. Her first
reaction when told that I would like to hear some of
memories of early New York days, was: "How much will
get paid for it?" A bit of explaining, however, induced
her to forego the idea that it was a paid interview."
The most interesting bit in her interview seemed to me
to be the referrence to the Indian Shows (Medicine) and
the nearness of the shows to the evangelical tent...giving
the youro people of that day rarelsopportunity to enjoy
"worldly amusement and "spiritual exhiliration quite
freely and inexpensively:
She could recall any of the songs sung either in the
religiouemeetings, or the Indian &now. This was rather
disappointing to me, as that might have been a bit of
real folklore.
However, she did the best she could.
--Bowman