Dubois County: The Interwar Years, 1994-1995
A Guide to the Collection of Oral History Interviews at Indiana University
Bloomington
Finding aid prepared by the staff of the Center for
the Study of History and Memory with a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities Division of Preservation and Access, 2000-2002
Overview of the Collection
Repository
Indiana University Center for Documentary Research and Practice
Indiana University
Franklin Hall 0030B
601 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: 812/855-2856
Fax: 812/855-0002
E-mail: ohrc@indiana.edu
https://cdrp.mediaschool.indiana.edu
Creator
Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory
TitleDubois County: The Interwar Years, 1994-1995
Project No.
ohrc039
Interviews
9 interviews. Audiotapes, transcripts, and collateral
materials.
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030B. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University
Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
This collection of interviews delves into several areas of Dubois
County history between the two world wars. The most spoken of topics are
religion, church events, and the use of German in various locales within the
community. Also discussed are Prohibition and the notoriety of the county's
moonshine industry, the Great Depression, and education in one-room
schoolhouses.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains nine interviews over the course of one year. Interviews range from 47 to 199 minutes. All interviews
consist of audio tapes and some have typed transcripts.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the
history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
Usage Restrictions
The archive of the Center for Documentary Research and Practice at Indiana University is open
to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are available only when such copies
are permitted by the deed of gift. Scholars must honor any
restrictions the interviewee placed on the use of the interview. Since some of our earlier
(pre-computer) transcripts do not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript
(deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Audio files may not be copied for
patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for that
interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the audio interview.
Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use, but excerpted quotes may be
used as long as researchers fully cite the data in their research, including accession
number, interview date, interviewee's and interviewer's name, and page(s).
Preferred Citation
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last
name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University,
Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape
number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].
Interview List
Interviewee
Doane, Lillian
March 15,
1995
Call Number
94-032
Physical Description
Not transcribed, 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 47 minutes; pamphlet
about St. Joseph Church
Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Lillian Doane gives a guided tour of the St. Joseph Catholic
Church in Jasper, Indiana. She also speaks about local history, religious art
and symbolism, and the architecture of the church.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- St. Joseph Catholic Church
-
-
Personal Names
- Kundek, Joseph
-
-
Place Names
- Jasper, Indiana
- Pfaffenweiler, Germany
-
-
Subjects
- church architecture
- local history
- religious art
Interviewee
Eckert, Claude A.
July 20,
1994
Call Number
94-026
Physical Description
Not transcribed, 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 69
minutes
Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Claude Eckert speaks about visiting sister city Pfaffenweiler,
Germany and his involvement with the local German club. He discusses life in
the small German-American community of Jasper, Indiana. He speaks of the area's
German descent and the aspects of that culture which still linger including the
language, and some traditions. He discusses the effects both World Wars had on
the perceptions people had on German pride. Eckert also discusses the
importance of religion and the place it holds in German heritage.
-
Keywords
-
-
Place Names
- Jasper, Indiana
- Haysville, Indiana
- Pfaffenweiler, Germany
-
-
Occupation Names
- mail carrier
-
-
Subjects
- farming
- genealogy
- German-American traditions
- German language
- Great Depression
- religion
- World War I
- World War II
Interviewee
Eckert, Martina; Eckert, Claude
July 20,
1994
Call Number
94-027
Physical Description
Not transcribed, 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 58 minutes
Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko
Scope and Content Note
Martina and Claude Eckert speak about their early life growing
up during the Great Depression, farming, and using German at home. They also
speak about the effects of Vatican II on their church, and the relationship
between Jasper and its sister city, Pfaffenweiler, Germany.
Access Status
Open
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Adams School
-
-
Place Names
- Jasper, Indiana
- Ireland, Indiana
- Pfaffenweiler, Germany
- St. Meinrad, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- farming
- German language
- Great Depression
- sister city
- Vatican II
- World War II
Interviewee
Haake, Oscar
January 13,
1995
Call Number
94-028
Physical Description
Not transcribed, 3 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 138 minutes;
obituary clipping about Oscar Haake
Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Oscar Haake, born 1916, grew up in Ferdinand where his father
owned and operated the
Ferdinand News. He
recalls speaking German as a boy, riding the "Ferdy" Flyer to high school, and
the hard times of the Great Depression. Prior to World War II, he had received
some instruction on operating printing presses. He, along with his brother,
bought the paper from his mother after his military service in 1945. Though his
previous printing experience was a positive, he still describes being
unprepared to take on other newspaper operating duties. Oscar describes getting
funding and learning the intricate nuances of the business over the next
forty-five years until the paper was sold in 1990. He ends the interview
discussing some of his wartime experiences stationed on a small island in the
northern Pacific Ocean for over ten months and being listed as missing in
action.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- American Legion
-
Dale News
-
Ferdinand News
- Ku Klux Klan
-
-
Place Names
- Ferdinand, Indiana
- Huntingburg, Indiana
- Jasper, Indiana
- Tell City, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- Catholicism
- Ferdinand Flyer
- German language
- Great Depression
- Kitten Engine
- linotype presses
- local politics
- New Deal
- newspaper business
- offset printing
- turtle soup
- World War II experiences
Interviewee
Jordan, Sabine
April 25,
1995
Call Number
94-035
Physical Description
Not transcribed, 3 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 121
minutes
Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Sabine Jordan was born in Germandy and immigrated with her
parents to America where she earned a Ph.D. in eighteenth century German
literature. She speaks briefly about her early life in Germany, and her
academic career before she was hired as humanist in residence by Dubois County.
Her job in Dubois County was to create a plan and awareness for preserving
German heritage in the County. She describes some of the programs she
initiated, specifically her talks, and the various aspects of German
heritage.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Columbia University
- Indiana University Folklore Institute
- New School for Social Research
-
-
Occupation Names
- humanist in residence
-
-
Personal Names
- Kundek, Joseph
-
-
Place Names
- Birdseye, Indiana
- East Germany
- Huntingburg, Indaina
- Jasper, Indiana
- Vienna Austria
-
-
Subjects
- academic career
- Anglo American communities
- German-American folk beliefs
- German club
- German heritage
- German language
- German literature
- German politics
- German work ethic
- preservation
- religious divisions
- turnip kraut
- Vatican II
- World War II
Interviewee
Meyer, Roy
March 23,
1995
Call Number
94-033
Physical Description
45 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 97 minutes; index
Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Roy Meyer, born 1905, was an undertaker and talks about going to
school in a one-room schoolhouse, speaking German at home, and going to German
school in the winter. He also discusses the split over language in St. Paul's
Lutheran Church that led to the establishment of the Christ Lutheran Church.
Meyer also talks about Prohibition, moonshine in the county, and coon hunting
during the Great Depression.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Baseline School
- Christ Lutheran Church
- Ku Klux Klan
- St. Paul Lutheran Church
- Tivoli Community Center
-
-
Occupation Names
- funeral director
-
-
Place Names
- Haysville, Indiana
- Martin County, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- church
- German-American traditions
- German language
- Great Depression
- hunting
- moonshine
- one-room schoolhouses
- Prohibition
- religion
- recreational activities
- trapping
- winemaking
Interviewee
Schaber, Eileen Z.
March 14,
1995
Call Number
94-031
Physical Description
60 pages; 5 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 199 minutes; recipe for
turnip kraut; index
Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Eileen Schaber, born 1924, speaks about her life in Dubois
County, Indiana. She describes her early life, focusing on farming, German
language church, and her education, a one-room schoolhouse and high school in
Indianapolis, Indiana. Later she speaks about married life, religion, and her
involvement in the local craft shows making turnip kraut.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Baseline School
- Jasper
Herald
- Ruritan Club
- St. Paul Lutheran Church
-
-
Personal Names
- Kennedy, John Fitzgerald
-
-
Place Names
- Haysville, Indiana
- Indianapolis, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- Christmas
- church events
- craft shows
- farming
- gardening
- German language
- Great Depression
- high school
- local business decline
- local history
- moonshine
- one-room schoolhouses
- Prohibition
- school activities
- turnip kraut
Interviewee
Seitz, Ralph J.
March 23,
1995
Call Number
94-034
Physical Description
62 pages; 3 tapes, 1 7/ 8 ips, 131 minutes;
index
Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Ralph J. Reitz, born in 1917, discusses his early life and
education, growing up on a farm in Haysville, Indiana. He recalls the great
amount of work that that went into farming, the widespread use of German
language and traditions, and one room schools. He recalls life during the Great
Depression and Prohibition and the prevalence of moonshine and winemaking.
Seitz discusses his family, the importance of religion in his life, and his
hobby of fishing. He discusses how farming and economics have changed over
time, and how Haysville has changed but remained isolated.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- St. Paul Lutheran Church
-
-
Occupation Names
- factory worker
- farmer
-
-
Place Names
- Daviess County, Indiana
- Haysville, Indiana
- Martin County, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- butchering
- family
- farming
- German-American traditions
- German language
- Great Depression
- moonshine
- one-room schoolhouses
- Prohibition
- religion
- sausage making
- wheat threshing
Interviewee
Songer, Hugo
January 14,
1995
Call Number
94-029
Physical Description
39 pages; 3 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 133 minutes; index
Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko
Scope and Content Note
Hugo Songer grew up in Dubois County, Indiana and attended the
Indiana University School of Law after his military service during the Korean
War. He speaks about his family history, childhood, and experiences in
attending one-room schoolhouses. He also discusses the history of the county in
terms of the various German communities and their differences (primarily
religious) and other characteristics associated with the German residents, such
as farming, religion and moonshining.
Access Status
Open
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Duff Primitive Baptist Church
- Indiana University School of Law
- Ku Klux Klan
-
-
Personal Names
- Kundek, Joseph
- Lincoln, Thomas
-
-
Place Names
- Bretzville, Indiana
- Duff, Indiana
- Ferdinand, Indiana
- Huntingburg, Indiana
- Jasper, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- community rivalry
- Dubois dew
- ethnic discrimination
- farming
- German-American communities
- German language
- German work ethic
- Korean War
- local business decline
- moonshine
- one-room schoolhouses
- Prohibition
- religion
- World War I
Interviewee
Tredway, Gilbert R.
January 14,
1995
Call Number
94-030
Physical Description
Not transcribed, 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 90
minutes
Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Gilbert Tredway, born 1922, grew up in Cuzco, Indiana, and
speaks about local history, community rivalry, and his schooling. He also
speaks briefly about his experiences as an aircraft gunner on a B-17 during
World War II, where he was wounded. His wounds and partial disability entitled
him to federal funding (similar to the GI Bill) to continue his education,
eventually earning a Ph.D. in history. He taught High School, and later, at
Campbellsville University. His scholarly and teaching interests changes from
European military history to American history, specifically the United States
Civil War and Reconstruction. He discusses his research for his dissertation,
which he eventually published as
Democratic Opposition
to the Lincoln Administration in Indiana
, and discusses how he got
interested in writing a fictional book about the Civil War in Dubois
County.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Campbellsville University
- Indiana University
-
-
Occupation Names
- aircraft gunner
- professor
-
-
Place Names
- Campbellsville, Kentucky
- Cuzco, Indiana
- Jasper, Indiana
- Mitchell, Indiana
- Panama Canal
- Pueblo, Colorado
-
-
Subjects
- B-17 airplanes
- community rivalry
- German-American stereotypes
- Indiana politics
- local history
- personal education
- scholarly research
- teaching
- temperance movement
- United States Civil War
-
The Way it Was: A Novel of the
Civil War
- World War II experiences
