Special Series from the Fall 2006 Germantown Crier – Between the Wars: Life in Germantown Between World War I and World War II
“In the early 1990s the Germantown Historical Society conducted an oral history project under the direction of Louise Strawbridge, in conjunction with the Philadelphia Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta. Older Germantown residents, many of them African Americans, were interviewed on tape about growing up in Germantown between the first and second World Wars. These tapes offer each person’s unique story and highlights shared experiences. Many of those interviewed, for example attended the Hill School, Roosevelt Junior High, Germantown High School, the Wissahickon Boys Club, and the [Black] YWCA. Those interviewed knew the value of their memories of Germantown and generously gave their time and effort to the project. We have selected five interviews, four of African Americans and one of two White sisters. Each interview has been edited and shortened. All the tapes are held at the Germantown Historical Society.
The transcriptions of these interviews have been carried out by various volunteers. The assistance of Jim Moore, librarian of the African American Genealogy Group, has been invaluable–transcribing tapes, doing additional research, including obtaining photographs, and checking each interview.”