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Good morning and thank you on behalf of many people for coming in. Uh, I know your name, but would you please repeat it for me here? Yes, good morning and thank you for allowing me to be here. My name is Beverly Avery Hill. And uh and

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that's your married name now? My married name is Beverly Hill. Maiden name Avery. OK. And now, uh, when did the Avery's, uh, sort of, uh, uh, come to Westport? The Avery's came to Kansas City in about 1931 from Windsor, Missouri. My parents, along with five of

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my siblings, three of us were born after coming to Kansas City, from 1932 to 19937, the last three children of the family were born. In Westport. Yes. Now I think I, I saw a picture of, uh, you maybe when did you all live on Stepsow Street

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in Westport? We lived on what was formerly called Steptoe at the time we lived there. It was West Forty-third Terrace. We had lived in other homes in the Westport area, but most of our lives were spent on Forty-third Terrace. OK. And, uh, uh, what kind of

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employment were your parents, uh, my father worked at Manor Bakery. At the time that horses pulled the carriages to deliver the bread and the sweets, he took care of all of the horses in the barn. Which is now Manor Square in the Westport area. My mother

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was basically a homemaker, but she did spend some time doing domestics, but I would really say that her occupation was taking care of the home. And, um, I know, uh, this is sort of a, a large family, um, where did you all go to school? My

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oldest sisters coming to Kansas City did not attend Penn School, the two oldest. The rest of us attended elementary school at Penn School, 4200 block of Pennsylvania. We later boarded public transportation to go to RT Coles at 18th and Tracy and to Lincoln High School, 2111

00:03:01.850 - 00:03:23.589

Woodland. All of that was at the expense of my father. They did not have what is known as bussing children. We had to ride the public service bus. Do you recall, uh, any of the teachers at Penn School? My 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade teacher. All

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of those grades were in one room, was Miss Garth. I've tried hard to remember her first name, but I cannot. In grades 4 through 7. Those grades were taught by the principal and my first principal was Mrs. Viola Robinson. And the last principal that I had

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there was Mrs. Catherine Thomas Davis. Well, now, at this time, uh, a Penn school was a school for maybe blacks only. It was a school for blacks only. And meaning that there must have been segregation in Westport and maybe throughout Kansas City. There was total segregation

00:04:12.059 - 00:04:39.320

in Westport, even though we had white neighbors that were probably 2 or 3 blocks away around the little area that we lived in. The section that um The Negro families lived in. Extended from. Broadway, Excuse me, Warnell on the east. Up to summit on the west.

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And from 42nd Terrace to 44th Street. And within that, um, those blocks. Uh, we had neighbors who had many different occupations. And perhaps we'll talk about that. Uh, now, uh, during this period of, of segregation in Kansas City and being close to what is now the

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Plaza, uh, was that a place that, uh, African Americans could go and shop? Yes, we could go to the stores and shop there. I don't recall ever going to any of the restaurants there, but we could shop in the plaza, and there was no problem doing

00:05:23.690 - 00:05:39.600

that. Now you mentioned that uh you know, it was, it was, uh, what I've heard it's a wonderful community and uh you had a lot of neighbors. What were some of the, for an example, maybe on the right and left across the street from you, what

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were the names of some of your neighbors? The neighbor to the left of us was Vony Bradshaw and her mother, Mrs. Bradshaw. To the right of us was Clara Kane. Across from us, there was um. A family of Dillard's. Bert Dillard. His wife, Eva May Dillard.

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Their children, Marsha, Bert, and Winston. Also on that street, the presidents lived, Leo and Celestine, and their children were Vera. Ruth and Marion. Uh there was another family, the, um, Little John's lived in that block. Also on the same side of our street, there was a

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Mr. Womack. who lived in the block. There were the Sweeney's who lived. Just to the east of us on the corner. There was a Mrs. Howard, Mr. and Mrs. Howard on the corner of Forty-third Terrace in Washington, so that would have been right in our immediate

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block. Uh, now, uh, did you go to one of the two churches in West Point, the, the African and Methodist AME Church or Saint James? Our family attended Saint James Baptist Church, and our whole family was very active in the church. My father served as a

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deacon. My mother worked in just about every capacity of the church. My sisters were active, my brother, I remember being a part of the junior choir, the junior usher board, the youth, um, area of the missionary society. And um we. I remember that we had Sunday

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school picnics, church picnics, vacation Bible school in the summer. And our family was all a part of all of that. We attended every Sunday morning service. Sunday school prior to that morning service, Baptist Training Union, which was BTU and then evening service we spent our whole

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Sunday in church. Mhm. Now do you remember any um So for example, uh, uh, healthcare or social activities, um, such as clubs or, um, maybe, uh, uh, you know, the, the health club or other than the church, uh, activities that were part of the community. No,

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I do not remember any of the social clubs. Especially by name, I think a couple of my sisters, now that you say that were a part of the West Bordettes, I think that's what they call themselves, yes, OK, mhm, and um Uh, now, um, For an

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example, the, um, the life, uh, other than the church, uh, were there any parks or, you know, street, streetcars where you might, uh, go to, uh, 18th and Vine? Was that a part of the, uh, social life of the community? Yes, my family never had a

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car, so we did do all of our, uh, transportation. By streetcar at first and then by bus. We would have to go to the downtown area to shop. To 39th and Main to shop, but we could walk to 39th and Main. We did go to the

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18th Street area because my mother enjoyed buying the fresh fish that was there just about every Friday, she would go and since there was a large family of us, she had to get much fish and she enjoyed very much preparing for us, cooking for us, and

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Um, anywhere that we went, we either walked or we took the, the, um, streetcar at first, and then when they, uh, did away with the streetcars, we would go by. Uh, bus. I remember enjoying the streetcar rides from the Westport area, Forty-third and Main to Swope

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Park. That was just a lovely clickety clackety, clickety clackety ride that we all enjoyed. We also would, um, Go by streetcar to Montgomery Wards. Their largest store was located in the northeast area, and that was a long streetcar ride. We would first have to go from

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Westport to the downtown area and then on out to Belmont Street, which was in the northeast area of Kansas City. Sears is located in that area too, uh, uh, close. Did you go to Sears? Sears was located on the plaza. Yes, and we did go there

00:11:03.590 - 00:11:25.590

quite frequently. Yes. Now, uh, you mentioned that you, uh, your mother and father were quite involved in church and your father worked at the, uh, Manor bakery, um. Did he have to have any type of special training or what did you hear about, uh, you know,

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him and the times that, uh, he was working at the bakery? As far as I know, there was no special training. Perhaps it was just on the job training. He learned to take care of and maintain the horses and, um, he became very good at that

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and worked there for a length of time. Before going to CJ Patterson, which was also another bakery. But they were, uh, did not have horses there. He did the custodial work there. Now when you, when you were growing up, um, did many people, uh, find employment

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at Saint Luke's Hospital? I believe at one time, probably most of the ladies and a few of the men probably worked in some capacity at Saint Luke's Hospital, whether it was in the laundry or as a nurses' aides. One of my sisters said she was a

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file clerk there, so there were many of the residents that worked. At at Saint Luke's Hospital. Now at this time, um, were African Americans, uh, permitted to be patients at Saint Luke's? I don't recall that there were any patients there. That does not mean that you

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could not necessarily go, but generally, Uh, the African-Americans would go to General Hospital #2. Which was down on. Charlotte. Uh, right. Holmes. Somewhere in that area, yes. In, in that area. Right. Uh, now, uh, you, uh, Attended Penn School. Yes, I did. Went to high school

00:13:13.270 - 00:13:38.549

at Lincoln. I went to RT Cole first for 8th grade, and then to Lincoln High School grades 9 through 12. And after graduation, after graduation, I went to Central State College, which is now Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. Yes, and which was quite a sacrifice

00:13:38.549 - 00:14:00.320

for my father to do. Money wise, yes, yes, and, uh, at this time, uh, the importance of, were you the first in the family to go to college? No, I had one other sister who attended. Western Baptist College, and she did do some teaching in Windsor,

00:14:00.500 - 00:14:24.390

Missouri for a few years. I had another sister who attended CJ Walker beauty school. But the first to leave home. To go to college. Yes. Now, after graduation, uh, from college, and one of the things that, uh, uh, I'm pleased to find out that you are

00:14:24.390 - 00:14:49.349

a member of a, uh, of a, uh, Greek society, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Yes, I am, and, uh, that happened while you were in college, right? I, I was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha December 1956. I served as Basilis. Of our undergraduate chapter, Beta

00:14:49.349 - 00:15:12.179

Pi chapter at Central State. And um, It was just a wonderful experience for me social wise there. Now, now where did you meet your husband, who you mentioned is a member of Kappa Alpha? Out the side. Yes, I met my husband the summer of 1954 on

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a hay ride with Ward Chapel. Church. He attended Lincoln High School also. But we officially met on the hayride. And Uh, he went on to Lane College, as I mentioned, but we managed to keep in touch by letter and every summer we looked forward to spending

00:15:38.229 - 00:16:01.989

time together. And, um, When I returned to Kansas City because I was offered a job in Kansas City, Kansas at Hawthorne, Hawthorne Elementary School as a second grade teacher. I taught there for 2 years. And in 1962, My husband and I decided that we would get

00:16:01.989 - 00:16:26.309

married, but at that time in Kansas City, Kansas, you could not be a female. African-American and work in the school system. So I came to Kansas City, Missouri School District. And uh what was your career like in the Kansas City, Missouri School District? I had wonderful

00:16:26.309 - 00:16:51.669

experiences. I worked in Kansas City, Missouri until 1996 when I retired from elementary education. I was a classroom teacher. I was also a basic skills teacher. I was a math specialist in the Title One program. During my career. Now, uh, I've read several, um, articles in

00:16:51.669 - 00:17:12.808

the newspaper and talked to people, um, many, uh, uh, people who grew up in, in Westport seem to have gone on and made great contributions to the community such as Doctor Jeremiah Cameron. Uh, and, um, others, do, do you recall some people who have, uh, become

00:17:12.808 - 00:17:32.619

professionals that grew up in Westport? Yes, I do. As a matter of fact, it's, it's absolutely amazing to me as you think about it, considering the conditions that we went through in Penn school, you know, the older textbooks, the older desk, the two-room school. I don't

00:17:32.619 - 00:18:06.060

remember anyone who did not learn to read. We have several people who have gone on. To to be professionals, there was um In the neighborhood there were. Several teachers. There was a dentist. A medical doctor. A librarian. I think most recently about um William Miles Junior.

00:18:07.270 - 00:18:28.650

Who is a part of the athletic department at the Ohio State University. He attended Penn School and has done very well. One of his brothers, Phil Miles, is a lawyer. So we pretty much run the gamut of professions of people who lived in the Westport area.

00:18:29.130 - 00:18:50.930

Well, well, let me ask this question. Uh, who sparked in you the desire to, uh, want to become a teacher, and it seems like when you recall all these people. Was it the families who, you know, said we want our children to become somebody? Was it

00:18:50.930 - 00:19:14.369

the teachers or what was the atmosphere in the community that's sparked everybody wanting to I think that one thing that made uh Westport really very special was that As far as I can remember, all of the parents were involved in our education at Penn School. My

00:19:14.369 - 00:19:33.869

mother was very active. She even held offices in PTA. And along with other parents who were very active. And I think that because they showed an interest in us, we wanted to do the very best that we could. And they just inspired us to go on

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and on, knowing that most of them had limited. Educational backgrounds and we were able to Just go on and pursue and My father always said, the Lord will make a way. And he did. For us to be able to do the things that we did. Um,

00:19:57.380 - 00:20:19.180

We live in some times now that uh sometimes we're up and sometimes we're down. Uh, based on, you know, growing up in Westport and appreciating all that the families uh there uh did for their children, um. What are some of your concerns today about, uh, uh,

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where we are, uh, as a community, uh, when it comes to the desire for wanting to better ourselves. My basic concern is from the family aspect because I do not think that many children. have been encouraged by parents. Sometimes parents are very limited in what they're

00:20:45.520 - 00:21:11.250

able to do in order to help the children. And I think that um If, if the family isn't. Tight, tightly knitted, shall we say. I, I think that many children just fall by the wayside in our neighborhood. Everyone was friendly, as I remember, all of the

00:21:11.250 - 00:21:32.969

adults. were respected. They respected the children. We felt safe. And I think that's important to feel safe in your neighborhood. I don't think many children feel very safe today. Now, on, on that subject as a youngster, can you recall some of the playtime activities or maybe

00:21:32.969 - 00:21:53.189

some of the, uh, uh, little employment, uh, little work jobs that you had? Well, some of the play activities that I remember always in the summer we had the playgrounds which were sponsored by the Parks and Recreation, and most of those playgrounds were. Um, tended to

00:21:53.189 - 00:22:13.699

by teachers who were not paid in the summer during that time. So their jobs were generally the Parks and recreation. In our neighborhood, there was a little area across from Saint James Baptist Church that was called the Tot lot. There were swings there, there was a

00:22:13.699 - 00:22:32.770

seesaw there, and our neighbor to the east of us was responsible for getting that little area set up so the children can play, could play. I remember the street dances that were held. They would block off certain streets. Still, again, this was the uh Parks and

00:22:32.770 - 00:22:55.760

Recreation doing this, and we would dance the night away. It was just wonderful. Yes. Um-hum. Um, Now, um, You, you mentioned uh the, the play in the summer now, uh, when it's hot, uh, uh, air conditioning wasn't almost in the picture that they sort of open

00:22:55.760 - 00:23:13.160

up the fire hydrants and uh let water out and all that type of they would open the fire hydrants and you're right, there was no air conditioning. In fact, our family just felt. Jubilant when we were able to get a window fan to cool our home.

00:23:13.859 - 00:23:36.369

Yes, that was a big thing. And what about, what about telephone? We did have a telephone. And, um, television, I think I was probably about 12 or 13. Before we got a television. Yes. Do, do you recall anyone, um, uh, Westport, uh, is a, is a

00:23:36.369 - 00:23:58.359

community that goes back to 1830. Uh, there were some African-Americans who, uh, uh, were slaves soon after the founding. Uh, do you recall anyone in the community? Having relatives who may go back to the early 1900s in Westport. No, I do not. I don't recall anyone

00:23:58.359 - 00:24:25.810

who ever talked about having relatives that lived during that time. And, um, Uh, well, you tell me if there's something that you would really like to. Uh, say about Westport that um is going to inspire youth, uh, people of all ages to want to be proud

00:24:25.810 - 00:24:46.800

of this community that's in the heart of Kansas City and produce, uh, some great people. I think that anyone who ever lived in Westport. can be proud of that neighborhood. I don't know what I can say to youth who live in other areas of the city.

00:24:47.849 - 00:25:08.630

That would make them want to make their neighborhoods just as proud. I think that I would have to be more in touch perhaps with their parents. To get them to understand that it is the parental role. That really makes the ball roll. That's the way I

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feel because my parents were, were just Strong parents. My father, as I said, was a very hard, hard working man. He spent many hours away from home just to feed and clothe all of us. He was um Pretty much the philosopher, very biblically. Well grounded He

00:25:41.949 - 00:26:04.859

knew scriptures. He read them. He lived by them. He was able, he was a gentleman and a very gentle man. Those are the things that I would like to see in the family. My mother was the homemaker, the nurturer. The kind of in your face person,

00:26:04.869 - 00:26:27.969

if need be, when it came to her children. Because she was very proud of us and she wanted to make sure she was kind of a hat glove, kind of mama. Very well groomed, kept us very well groomed. Um, as I said, well-fed, always a linen

00:26:27.969 - 00:26:52.989

tablecloth on the table. Sunday dinner was always prepared on Saturday because we knew that we would be in church all day. They were very unique people with quite different personalities. And just my inspiration. Well, those are your, your mother and your father, father appeared to have

00:26:52.989 - 00:27:21.800

been some great, uh, role models. Your father lived how be how old? 74. He was born in 1893. And he died in 1970. My mother was born in 1896, and she died in 1980. One. Um, I belong to, uh, several historic organizations, and, uh, and, and

00:27:21.800 - 00:27:43.760

again we're talking about Kansas City. Well, 1973, uh, what, what was he, where you, where was your father buried? My father is buried in, uh, Windsor, Missouri, which was home for him. He's buried there. My mother's also buried there. I have, um, One sister who was

00:27:43.760 - 00:28:10.869

buried there. The very oldest, uh, son of the family. died in 1922 at the age of one day. He is buried there. I have a niece. My father bought a plot. Of burials very, very early on. And um, All of the spaces are taken, but 2.

00:28:11.719 - 00:28:35.729

Yeah. Do you have children? Yes, I do. We have two girls. They live in Atlanta, Georgia. They attended Clark Atlanta University and chose to stay in the Atlanta area. Both of them are married. The youngest daughter, Joy, has 2 children. Jordan and Nia. My oldest daughter,

00:28:35.910 - 00:29:11.010

Jawan, does not have children. She's employed by uh Lockheed Aeronautical. Company there as a business analyst. And my daughter works as a social service worker. In Atlanta. Now, uh, where was the, uh, last family reunion? Our last family reunion was held in. I believe Clinton, Missouri.

00:29:11.449 - 00:29:34.989

That is where my mother was born. And we always celebrated family reunions with the Shockleys, the Avery, and the Parks. Our family was connected in that way, and either we would have family reunions here in Kansas City. In Windsor, in Clinton, or in Sedalia. Outstanding. Um-hum.

00:29:35.349 - 00:29:59.369

Um, I guess one of my, uh, uh, last questions would be, um, Westport, uh, is going, it's a vanishing community. Uh, we're so proud that there's some people still living and uh Saint James Church is still there. Uh, Some things are going to come up this

00:29:59.369 - 00:30:26.369

fall to, uh, rekindle friendships and fellowship. Uh, we are looking forward to that great celebration, uh, and again, what would you like to say to the people who are coming back, um, to celebrate the history of a community that has made a contribution to this metropolitan

00:30:26.369 - 00:30:42.329

area? I would like to say to them, even though our community has just about vanished. And I think I said to you at one point that it makes my heart ache when I go there and I see that. Just about everything is gone, but I would

00:30:42.329 - 00:31:22.630

like to say to them that just because physically, we cannot say, uh, we cannot see our neighborhood, we still have the memories that we can hold on to, that we can cherish, that we can pass on to our children for generations to come. Uh, Just

00:31:22.630 - 00:31:47.400

the, the, um, The question has come up about uh Westwood being called Steptoe. At one time, uh, there was a street, now Forty-Third Street Terrace, uh, but it was, uh, changed before, uh, you were, uh, I think born, you mentioned, right? I think that I had

00:31:47.400 - 00:32:12.680

mentioned perhaps to you that the only recollection that I have a step toe. Is that the street, Forty-third Terrace was once named that. The neighborhood as we grew up was never called Steptoe. It was always called Westport, right, uh, and, uh, as in, in, in doing

00:32:12.680 - 00:32:31.530

research in the community and talking to people, they remembered that step 2 was Carved in uh one I said china in the sidewalk. Yes, but, um, the, uh, I do recall that, um. Uh, I guess you, you, you know Miss Hinton, yes, I do, and, uh,

00:32:31.650 - 00:32:53.089

I, I think when she lived in, well, she still lives in Westport, but I think at one time she lived on the street and it was called Steptoe and then changed, so, um, that's how, uh, many people have come to. Uh, associate, uh, Westport and Steptoetoe

00:32:53.680 - 00:33:13.079

together. Yes, so, um. I'm glad again that you were able to come in and talk to us and give us some valuable information that uh we want to uh be able to share with the community and inspire others to uh become all that they could be.

00:33:13.459 - 00:33:28.339

And I would like to thank you, very pleased to have had the opportunity to share with you just a bit of my history in Westport. Thank you. Thank you. Do.