Skip to main content

Mesa Historical Society

 Organization

Found in 4 Collections and/or Records:

Mesa Leadership talk with Angy Booker, Celia Burns, Susie Sato, 2003 November 1, 2006 March

 Item
Identifier: MHM2005-027-042-1
Abstract Booker, Burns, and Sato ? all from well-known families who helped settle Mesa ? participate in a panel interview to talk about Mesa in the early 1900's. They each tell how their families came to Mesa and what they did for a living, including farming and cooking at a downtown armory. They discuss everyday life ? doing laundry by hand, swimming in the canals for recreation, and keeping cool without air-conditioning. Booker talks about being part of the first African-American family to live in...
Dates: 2003 November 1; Digitization: 2006 March

Oral history interview with Ms. Veora Johnson, 2001 April 19, 2006 March

 Item
Identifier: MSAoh-j638a-V01
Abstract

Johnson details her education in Texas and tells of her move to Mesa, Arizona, to teach public school. She discusses the history of the Mesa school system during segregation and after. She describes when the schools were integrated and what it was like being the first African American teacher at the Irving School. Johnson also gives some history of the Washington area and talks about race relations in Mesa.

Dates: 2001 April 19; Digitization: 2006 March

Oral history of Angy Booker, 2002 June 15, 2006 March

 Item
Identifier: MSAoh-j638a-V02
Abstract Booker, born in Naco, Arizona, talks about her family's history and her experiences as an African American woman in early Mesa. Her great-grand parents were slaves, and her grandfather and father were Buffalo Soldiers in the army. Her mother did laundry for a living, including for the O.S. Stapley family. She describes early downtown Mesa and mentions some businesses such as Everybody's Drugstore, the post office, J.C. Penney's, the hospital, and some churches. Booker discusses race...
Dates: 2002 June 15; Digitization: 2006 March

Oral history of Louetta Freeman, 2002 September 7, 2006 March

 Item
Identifier: MSAoh-f877a
Abstract Freeman tells the story of her families move to Arizona in 1927 in a covered wagon. She talks about her father's experience as a school bus driver driving relatively long distances to pick up kids for school and mentions the homes where her family lived. She recalls that her family had one of the first phones in Mesa and that many people stopped in to borrow it. Freeman describes downtown Mesa and mentions several business including Molly's, J.C. Penney's, Woolworth's, and Everybody's...
Dates: 2002 September 7; Digitization: 2006 March

Filtered By

  • Subject: African Americans -- Mesa (Ariz.) -- Interviews X

Additional filters:

Subject
Mesa (Ariz.) -- History -- 20th century 3
Race relations -- Mesa (Ariz.) -- History 3
African American women school principals -- Mesa (Ariz.) -- Interviews 1
African American women teachers -- Mesa (Ariz.) -- Interviews 1
Agriculture -- Mesa (Ariz.) -- History 1