Telluride Oral Histories
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Harry Wright's Oral History Interview
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Harry B. Wright's oral history interview, which took place on 6/12/1992. Davine Pera interviewed Harry Wright about his life in Telluride, Colorado and the surrounding areas.
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Helen Chaney's Oral History Transcription
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Helen Chaney's oral history transcription, from her oral history, recorded 7/13/1990, by Davine Pera:
Chaney, Helen
OH29
1043 Ridge Rd. Montrose, Co. 81401
July 13, 1990
San Juan Living Center
Davine Pera
728-3632
OH29
OH File
74:54 min.
86 Tracks
Marantz
Track1
Intro
Track2
Tells her full name, birth date.
Track3
Place of birth
Track4
Tells about her father.
Track5
He was married in Philadelphia in 1905. He’s buried in Telluride.
Track6
Tells about her mother.
Track7
Helen has one sister.
Track8
She speaks of Ralph, her husband.
Track9
They were married in Yuma, AZ. Ralph died in San Francisco.
Track10
Tells of her parents coming to the United States.
Track11
The dates and reasons they came to Telluride. Speaks of father working at Tomboy Mine during the strike, and leaving to go back to Philadelphia where he met his wife and they were married.
Track12
They were from the same country but never met until Philadelphia.
Track13
Her father worked for $8 a week in Philadelphia, and felt he should move where he could make more money, so moved back to Telluride.
Track14
He went to work at the Smuggler Mine.
Track15
Helen remembers seeing the snow for the first time when she arrived in Telluride at the age of 3. Her father met her at the train depot.
Track16
They rode out to Pandora in a surrey with fringe on top.
Track17
They lived with her grandmother and uncles all in one big house in Pandora.
Track18
She describes the minature toys her uncle carved.
Track19
She doesn’t know what happened to the toys her uncle made her.
Track20
Continues talking about the things her uncle made.
Track21
Helen attended school in Telluride, kindergarten through the 12th grade.
Track22
She was excited for school because she wanted to learn to read. She was an excellent reader.
Track23
Names all the teachers she had, starting in kindergarten, up through the 12th grade. 1st Mrs. McKnight, 2nd Stodard, 3rd Kennedy, 4th Winn(Waldo), 5th Priest, 6th O’Kelly, 7th McCray, 8th Mathews. In H.S. Ames, Lamb, Phillips, Mackin.
Track24
Speaks of different subjects she took in school. Haywood.
Track25
She studied history at home during the summer and the teacher tested her on it during the year.
Track26
She graduated with the class of 1924, in a class of 12 boys and 6 girls.
Track27
Speaks of the school reunions.
Track28
She names some of her old classmates.
Track29
Speaks of one reunion in Placerville.
Track30
After graduating she attended Parks Business School in Denver.
Track31
Later she worked for the Oil Company.
Track32
She traveled back and forth to Denver for Christmas vacations on the train.
Track33
She came back for two holidays.
Track34
She quit her job in Denver and moved back to Telluride.
Track35
She worked for C.D. Waggoner at the Bank of Telluride.
Track36
She worked there until the bank closed, originally hired temporarily.
Track37
Tells what she did at the bank.
Track38
She started at $75 a month, but was soon raised to $100.
Track39
She speaks of the bank closing and her feelings about it.
Track40
She and her parents both lost money when the bank closed.
Track41
Speaks of the closing of the bank.
Track42
Speaks of Mr. Waggoner.
Track43
Continues talking about C.D. Waggoner.
Track44
The location of the bank and describes the building.
Track45
She worked for the receiver of the bank after the bank closed. Jack Lamb.
Track46
She moved to California after the bank closed.
Track47
Speaks of her many years (56) she lived in California.
Track48
She prefers northern California.
Track49
Met her husband there at a ballroom dance.
Track50
Continues story about meeting her husband.
Track51
She lived in California most of her marriage.
Track52
Memories of living at Pandora as a child.
Track53
Names some of her childhood friends. Carrieres, Irvings.
Track54
They rode a horse pulled sleigh to school in the winter, and a horse drawn buggy in the spring and fall.
Track55
The canvas top of the school (bus) buggy was terrible, she thinks the horses slept on it.
Track56
Sunday school. The kids put on performances.
Tracik57
Tells the story of the snow slide that killed Mrs. Hicks and one other lady, but the baby survived.
Track58
Speaks of her memories of the Trout Lake Flood in 1910 when the dam went out. The mules pulled the empty ore cars as the train tracks were out.
Track59
The train tracks ran right past her house.
Track60
Speaks of the different Carrier children and remembers when Alex and Chick were born.
Track61
Only Alex is alive still, and he lives near Cortez now.
Track62
One of the Carriers ran the mule train.
Track63
The boys were always very polite.
Track64
She speaks of her brother, Albert.
Track65
Continues talking about her brother, and how she misses him.
Track66
Talks about what she’s reading these days.
Track67
He helped her uncle who was working for Mr. Hicks until 1928, at which time he left Telluride and moved to California.
Track68
He moved back and forth to Telluride several times before moving here to work in the Telluride Mine. Florence was his wife.
Track69
Her nephew, Albert Jr., was killed in the mine at the age of 26.
Track70
Albert Jr.’s son just had a birthday.
Track71
He worked at the mine a long time.
Track72
She joined the O.E.S. at age of 23 in May of 29 and belonged for 50 years.
Track73
She held office in the lodge in northern California when she lived there.
Track74
She also belonged to the Commonweal Club.
Track75
They went to dances in surrounding areas in a horse and buggy. She loved to dance.
Track76
They had dances in Pandora.
Track77
She and group of friends walked into town from Pandora to go to movies.
Track78
Recalls some stories when she was young.
Track79
Helen could not speak English when she first moved to Pandora, but learned very quickly. She spoke an Alsatian Dialect.
Track80
She was shy when she was very young.
Track81
Memories of home life.
Track82
She sang songs in German.
Track83
She spoke English by the time she went to school.
Track84
She learned English from Sunday school and from playing with friends.
Track85
She remembers how deep the snow was, and watching the train go by as it plowed the tracks.
Track86
Times up.
End
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