Oral History
Oral history records the living memories and feelings of all kinds of people, many otherwise hidden from history, and creates a more vivid picture of our past. It is not necessarily a practical means of determining dates and hard historical facts but more geared to the practical observation, memories and feelings of individuals who lived during the era of our project.
“Oral history is a discipline and method within history, that consists primarily of the recorded interviewing of those who experienced certain historical events first-hand by a trained historian. Contemporary oral history involves recording or transcribing eyewitness accounts of historical events”. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Objective & Scope
Greenville Textile Heritage Society will use the oral history concept to obtain much of the information needed to “Tell the Story of our Heritage.” This information will be used in book form, on website and in our Textile Heritage Archives. Our approach will be less structured than most as our goal is to capture the voice, the memories and experiences of those otherwise missing in history. Our questions will be more centered around “How” and “Why” rather than a list of questions with yes or no responses. Those who we interview first of all will be the most senior citizens from the surrounding area including the following:
- Mill Workers
- Mill Village Residents
- Teachers, Ministers, Scout Leaders
- PHS Alumni
- Textile Sports League- avid fans, players, coaches, STBT officials, and game officials.