00:00:13.479 - 00:00:31.649

Sleep. Chill. Uh, good morning again, Mr. Avery. Good morning. We're glad to have you come out and, uh, on behalf of many, many people, I wanna thank you for participating in this, uh, program that we're going to have in celebration of many of the people of,

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uh, of Westport. Uh, I'm gonna start by asking some questions, uh, which is, uh, might be called personal data. Uh, your name and uh where you were born and uh when you came to Kansas City. I was born General Hospital number 2, 1935. And when did,

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and well, OK, and uh when did your uh parents sort of come to Kansas City and where did they come from? When my parents came to Kansas City in 19. 29 from Windsor, Missouri. And what were your parents' names and how many brothers and sisters did

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you have? My parents' names were Floyd and Essie Avery. I had 7 sisters and I was the only boy. And what kind of work was your uh father? Uh, what kind of work did he do? My father first worked in Manor bakery. They used to have

00:01:49.470 - 00:02:12.949

horses that they had to draw the bread wagons and he used to care for them and train them. To draw those wagons. And, and your mother? My mother was a housewife. OK. Now tell me a little bit more about, uh, you were mentioning that, uh, he

00:02:12.949 - 00:02:29.710

used to bring the horses. We were talking about horses a little before and, uh, something about what he was doing at, um, at the bakery. Well, he cared for the horses like feeding, cleaning. He used to have wash rack, and he used to bathe them every

00:02:29.710 - 00:02:50.809

evening after. They would come in off the routes. And did you go down there to, to watch him or help him? No, I used to take him to his lunch every evening. I used to go there and visit. With him, take him to his lunch. OK.

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Did he kind of tell you that was hard work or? Or, uh, just a job? Yeah, it was hard work. You know, he's, Put in a lot of hours there. Now, um, you mentioned that you were the only boy of the, uh, family, so, uh, tell

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me something about the girls in the family. Well, All my sisters, they were very nice. They, they used to take care of me and they would correct me when I was wrong. I used to get away with a lot of stuff. And what street did you

00:03:30.240 - 00:03:56.300

all live on or what streets did y'all live on when you were in the Westport area? Well, we lived on Washington. And Forty-third Terrace. Those were the two places that I remember. And uh what about, tell me about that Steptoe Street that you were talking about.

00:03:57.039 - 00:04:23.339

Well, Steptoe was. When I first started out, we used to uh See Steptoe was. They didn't have a street sign. They had it in the sidewalk. The name was Steptoe. Then they changed it to Forty-third Terrace. Did you ever live on, on Steptoe? Yes, Forty-Third Terrace

00:04:23.339 - 00:04:45.279

was Steptoe. That's right. What was the address? 410 West 43rdd Terrace. And that was the last Places that were before Saint Luke's. Was out. OK. Now, tell me about, uh, your neighbors on the, the right and maybe the neighbors on the left and across the street.

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All right. The, the neighbors on the right were, Mm Ms. Brown, Marcia Brown on the Left side were Ms. Kane. Across the street, there was the Dillard's. And Smith Little John. That's it. OK, now, um, How would you describe um Uh, the community, uh, at this

00:05:19.290 - 00:05:45.730

time. Well, there's nothing really left out there now. Well, let's see, when you were growing up, we Uh, there was for a while, the streets weren't paved. They didn't pave the streets till back, well, let's say in the late 40s. And after that, you know, it

00:05:45.730 - 00:06:15.359

was pretty nice. We used to have, um, Street dances. They'd come off, block off the street and we'd have street dances. Um-hum. What about picnics and barbecues? Well, Back in the day, they Used to have barbecue dinners, the church did and They would sell dinners. That's

00:06:15.359 - 00:06:34.070

the way they built the church, selling those dinners and things. My father used to barbecue. And then uh go up on Westport Road and he'd sell the dinners. I'd pull them up there and a little wagon he gave me, you know. To take the barbecue and

00:06:34.070 - 00:07:05.269

stuff to the people that he has taken orders from. Uh, Now, uh, I've seen pictures of uh children at Penn School. Uh, when did you go to Penn school? Went to Penn school from 1941. To 48. Do you remember some of the teachers and classes? Mhm.

00:07:06.519 - 00:07:45.670

The teachers was, Ms. Robertson Mr. Shelby. And Miss Garth. That's all I know And uh what kind of classes did y'all uh have that you liked? I liked math and history. And Were there, uh, any, uh, uh, playgrounds or, uh, what did y'all do, uh, for

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recreation, uh, at school and maybe, uh, uh, on the weekend? Well, we had a playground there on the school. Then we go down in the park and we had a ball of diamond. Uh, behind Sweet Lumber Company, we used to play ball down there and we

00:08:04.130 - 00:08:23.899

used to play football down JC Nicholson. Right there, Forty-third and JC Nichols. Right in front of it was the cleaners that we used to play right out there in front of the cleaners. Uh, was that a white cleaners or a black cleaner? It's white. Now, the

00:08:23.899 - 00:08:49.890

community has always been surrounded by white people, Italians, and others. Um, were you aware of uh segregation? Uh, at that time, uh, boundaries, places you could go to or you couldn't go? Yes, I was aware of that. We went to Loose Park one night and the

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police told us we couldn't come up there. Kind of disturbing. And what they called me, called us to get back up on the hill. And what about, um, the, um, uh, movie theaters or was the plaza there at this time? The plaza was there, but we

00:09:18.940 - 00:09:41.950

had to go to the Lincoln Theater on, 18th. Lincoln and Jim Theater on 18th Street. Uh, with that, with those good times, uh, now this African-Americans in Westport going down to 18th. And buying. Uh, what kind of, why'd you get down there? By a streetcar and

00:09:41.950 - 00:10:04.369

bus. How much you have to pay? As far as I remember, it was 10 cents. 10 cents. Yes. Now, did you ever go out to, to the zoo at this time, or have you heard, heard of Fairyland and Watermelon Hill? Yes, well, my mother worked in

00:10:04.369 - 00:10:30.020

Sw Park. She was a, a tenant for the ladies' restroom down there by Monkey Island. I used to go out there with her to work. Yeah, Monkey Island. Tell me, Uh, that's a new name for me. The Monkey Island in Se Park, it was across the

00:10:30.020 - 00:10:42.830

street from the zoo. You go down the steps, and they used to have a Monkey Island down there. I don't know what's What they've changed it to, and I haven't been there in a number of years. OK, so that, so this was sort of a, a,

00:10:43.020 - 00:10:56.320

a cage or a island. It was an island where the monkeys were at. OK. Did you ever go to Fairyland Park? Yeah, we was allowed to go there once, once a year. They used to close the school, so we go, but my mother wouldn't let us

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go that day. He couldn't go all the time, you can't go that day. So what, what did your mother and father think about segregation and integration, uh, when you were growing up? Well, I really didn't care for it, you know, my, my mother, she was very

00:11:13.520 - 00:11:35.700

staunch. She didn't, if you can't. Go When you wanted to go. You weren't going at a certain time when they allowed you to go. Now, uh, back to the church, you said that they sold, uh, uh, dinners to help build the church. Is that's, uh, Saint

00:11:35.700 - 00:11:54.770

James? Yes, Saint James Baptist. And, uh, what were some of the things that you did to help in activities you were. Uh, involved with, with Saint James. Like when they had the dinners, I would, uh, Where my father had sold them to, I would deliver them

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to. The people And do you remember any pastor's names? Yes, we had remember Reverend Lillard. And uh Reverend Moorhead. Those are the only two that I remember. Did any of your sisters, um, I sing in the choir or anybody or ushers at the church. Well, my

00:12:25.140 - 00:12:46.140

mother and sister sing in the choir. My mother and oldest sister. Sing in the choir. Now, uh, you were about what age at, at this time when you were going to Penn school and, uh, and all this was going on? I was sick. I started there

00:12:46.140 - 00:13:12.719

when I was 6 years old. I left when I was 1414. What kind of um Uh, After hours, working hours. Uh, recreation does your father like, you know, was it baseball, you and him, baseball, fishing, my father worked mostly night and day, and, uh, we wasn't

00:13:12.719 - 00:13:32.159

too much recreation between me and him because he worked most, a lot of time, you know, all the time. When he was home, he was resting. Do you play cards? No, he didn't play cards. What did he, what about baseball? No, he didn't play any baseball.

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I didn't have very much time for recreation. And what did you do? Well, I played a little baseball, football. You ever get a chance to go down and see the monarchs? Yes, I did. I've seen the monarchs play. And I've seen Edges of Charles. A friend

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of the family took me to see Edge of Charles Box over in Kansas City, Kansas. Uh, ever go down to old Municipal Stadium? Yes, I did. So I've seen, that's where I've seen the monarchs. And the 80s. OK. Now, um, so you went from Penn School.

00:14:27.080 - 00:14:57.190

Then where? I went 1 year at RT Cole's, I was in the 8th grade, and then I went to Lincoln High School from 9th through the 12th. And uh you remember any teachers at Lincoln? Yes. So. Uh, K I had Mr. Summers. Coach Banks. And Up

00:14:57.190 - 00:15:27.169

in Lincoln High School there was Coach Mason, Coach White. Coach Lee. Teacher was Mr. Washington. Chester Anderson was industrial arts. And he's also lived in Westport. Uh, Anderson lived in Westport? Yes, he did. What street? Well, he lived on 42nd. Street and then one time while

00:15:27.169 - 00:15:53.609

he was building his house he lived next door to us there on Forty-third Terrace. Which at one time was step toe. Yes. Uh, now, after, um, High school, uh, You Got married. What did you do after high school? After high school, I, uh, Went to Flint,

00:15:53.659 - 00:16:23.869

Michigan. I lived there with my sister and when I worked for Buick Motor Division, General Motors there. And then I, Came back to Kansas City for a while. I work for, We buy grocery. Fred Wolfmos. And I was a manor man for one year, 1957. And

00:16:23.869 - 00:16:52.880

I, Worked on construction and I went back to Michigan and I, and that's where I retired. Flint Metal Center. In Flint, Michigan. Now, your family life has been, uh, marriage, children, grandchildren. Tell me about that. Yes, I was married. I have three children. 1 girl, 2

00:16:52.880 - 00:17:34.839

boys. And I have 9 grandchildren and. About 7 great-grandchildren. And they are all over Kansas City, Michigan, or the Midwest? Mostly Kansas City and Flint, Michigan. Uh I'm looking back upon the time of um of maybe uh remembering when Steptoe was in the concrete. Um, street

00:17:34.839 - 00:17:59.560

name and And, um, Penn School. What are some of your fondest memories of, uh, this time? Well, The street dances. I remember just. They used to have street dances and they would take pictures. And then the next year they would show the pictures, you know, everybody.

00:18:03.180 - 00:18:28.140

Like I said, Mr. Smith, Leslie Smith, he would take those pictures and, and the following year they would show them to us. What were, uh, uh, what kind of street dances were y'all doing? Maybe not to help a bug, the jitterbug. OK. And name one more.

00:18:29.750 - 00:18:56.760

Well, at least, uh, that's about it. I all I can remember. And what were some of the uh uh rhythm and Blues people that you remember from this era? Joe Turner BB King. That's Domino. Did they, did any of them ever come to Kansas City? Yes,

00:18:56.880 - 00:19:25.280

they did. They, yes, they came to Kansas City. They used to have dances. At the auditorium. Name Entertainers would come We go to the dances at the auditorium. When I became old enough. Mhm. OK. Now, um, Kansas City is a, uh, jazz town. Uh, were you,

00:19:25.420 - 00:19:49.199

uh, all over jazz, or what about a little rhythm and blues? Well, my favorite is rhythm and blues. I didn't. Cared too much for the jazz. Uh, any good time memories from 12th and Ryan, 18th and Ryan? Well, I remember The orchid Room on 12 and

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Vine. I went there a couple of times. Before it was closed. Now, what about I know you say you liked uh history. Was history a good subject and uh uh they delivered the call paper in uh Westport. I was, I delivered a call paper in Westport.

00:20:17.619 - 00:20:44.780

At that time it would cost 10 cents. So, uh, you, on Friday, tell me how you did, picked it up and delivered it. My sister and then we would Catch the bus and streetcar and go down to the call office and pick up the papers. And

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we would deliver the papers. Uh, how, how, how many would you probably pick up? Maybe about 25 or 30. Do you remember some of the headlines in the call? No, I don't. Uh, now, uh, In the history of your family. You mentioned that, uh, Windsor was

00:21:14.530 - 00:21:35.500

coal mining country. And that's where y'all were from. Your parents were from. Yes. Do, do you remember any stories your father or your parents told you about, uh, why they were in this part of Missouri? No, I don't remember anything about the history, you know. Well

00:21:35.500 - 00:22:03.969

I'm coming. Father being a coal miner and then moving to Kansas City. That's the only thing I can remember. Was the move from, um, From Windsor to Kansas City, supposed to be better. Uh, for, for pay and job opportunities. Yes, uh, that was better for my

00:22:03.969 - 00:22:25.510

father. I, I wasn't born. I was, I wasn't born until they after they moved to Kansas City. So I think for his betterment of life, that's the reason why he moved to Kansas City. Uh, now, after, um, what, what would you like to say about, uh,

00:22:26.130 - 00:22:54.969

the, um, I, I know. You worked for General Motors and then what manner of man. Uh, what would you like to say about your own career, uh, from, um, maybe uh Penn school to where you are now? Well, I enjoyed ah. Mostly when I moved to

00:22:55.119 - 00:23:19.150

Michigan, it's something that experience for me. I want to buy me working, you know, first real job I ever had. And the type of money that I made, I remember the salary was $1.86. When I started For General Motors. And when I retired. It was almost

00:23:19.150 - 00:23:54.530

$30 an hour. OK. Uh, And um uh um you mentioned a number of, of children and grandchildren, um, uh, just to Ma pick out several. Ones that have been outstanding and making contributions. Who do you want to. Well, my son, Russell. Junior. He He was quite

00:23:54.530 - 00:24:24.650

a good athlete. He also graduated from the High School. 1977. Other than that, that's, that's it. And some of your grandchildren? One of the most, uh Grandchildren do you? Know too much of what they have done. OK. Um, Let's see, uh, what would you just like

00:24:24.650 - 00:24:46.859

to tell me? Uh, some of the, some of the things about, uh, uh, living in Kansas City now you. Where do you live now? I live in Independence, Missouri. I know when I retired, uh, my wife was living there and I had asked her, when I

00:24:46.859 - 00:25:07.260

retire, I'd like to move back. To Kansas City, and she told me to hurry up and get her out of Flint. She had been there most of her life. And I used to enjoy coming back to Kansas City with Star. Family reunion, the first weekend of

00:25:07.260 - 00:25:31.449

August, and I, that's what I lived for, to come back home to family reunion. And you plan to be at the family reunion this coming? Sunday, that's the church family reunion, not our, that's, that's the church reunion, not our family reunion. Uh, where's the family reunion

00:25:31.449 - 00:26:03.449

going to be? Well, we don't, uh, have it anymore, you know. Our family reunion, we don't have it anymore. Now, uh, uh, where was your first wife from? My first wife was from Tyler, Texas. And how did y'all meet? At the school, Lincoln High School. And

00:26:03.449 - 00:26:29.810

the courtship was Long, short? It was It was dissolved in 1965. Yeah, I mean, in high school, did you go over there for, A long time ago you all just fell in love, got married, and, Well, we recorded for. A few years and then we got

00:26:29.810 - 00:26:58.329

married in 1954. OK. Um, Well, tell me, uh, something about the, the family reunions that you used to have and the places that, uh, y'all had them. Well, we used to have. On Saturday would be a welcome night. We'd have it. At different places and then

00:26:59.150 - 00:27:19.369

Sunday was a big day, dinner with. Was either in Seoul Park or. And one year we had it at. The Southeast Community Center. Most of the times it was either the shelter houses in the whole park. Did you have a chance, get a chance to go

00:27:19.369 - 00:27:49.560

back to Lewis Park to have a family reunion? was the first Westport community. reunion was held in Lewis Park. Did you think of anything about it? Yes, I did. But like I said, I didn't remember. I, Remember when we couldn't go there. And so, uh, You

00:27:49.560 - 00:28:14.109

know, how have things changed in Kansas City since you were growing up in Westport? Uh, it changed tremendously, you know. As far as looks I miss the old neighborhood. But there was something for progress. Now, when you were living in uh the, in the Westwood neighborhood,

00:28:14.329 - 00:28:45.380

um, people, most, everybody was working. Did you know anyone who worked at Saint Luke's Hospital? Yes. I do. Um, my sister, at one time they had a nurse. Nursery. It was in the uh nurses' dormitory. And, uh, she used to work there in the nursery. For

00:28:45.380 - 00:29:08.430

the Nurses that had children. And then they had the laundry. A lot of some of the ladies out of the neighborhood worked at the laundry and then they worked in the hospital. And I remember the Yellow and white uniforms that they used to wear. Yellow and

00:29:08.430 - 00:29:33.449

white. Yes, they were yellow with the white. Let's see. Did, did, uh, people seem to enjoy the work or sort of being proud of having a job and working at the hospital? Well, it's, it's, to me it seemed like they were, you know, satisfied. And, you

00:29:33.449 - 00:29:52.939

know, it was close to home and had to worry about catching. Public servants to get in to the job. Um, Now, did you ever hear of any, was there any black doctors over in Saint Louis at that time? Could black people go to Saint Louis? I

00:29:52.939 - 00:30:29.040

don't remember. But, you know, But, uh, Is any black. Patients being there or anything. Now, you were born, you say, at General General Hospital number two. Number two. And that was because? Of the segregation. And that just meant that There were places, uh, In town in

00:30:29.040 - 00:30:57.329

hospitals that black people were limited to going to. Yes. Now, um, I know you said your parents, especially your mother had some concerns about that. Uh, what about your, uh, brother, and your, your, um, sisters? Growing, how did they feel about growing up in this, or

00:30:57.329 - 00:31:16.560

did y'all ever talk about it? Well, we talked about it some, you know, we knew what we could do and what we couldn't do, and And that's the way we just took it like that. Now, uh, who have been some of the Um, people, maybe black

00:31:16.560 - 00:31:38.160

or white in your life that's inspired you to want to be a good family man, uh, just do good in the community. Well, I'd say my mother and father. They always wanted us to do the right thing. And I never, Mr. Anderson, uh, he was our

00:31:39.099 - 00:32:08.150

One of my teachers that I really looked up to. And I admired and he didn't. He didn't take any. Nonsense. He didn't take any nonsense. Now, you went to, went from, uh, Uh, Kansas City to Flint. Uh, for a job opportunity. Uh, but, uh, If you've

00:32:08.150 - 00:32:50.459

been able to make $30 an hour. Doing something else in life, what would you like to have been doing? Mostly, I would probably have been in. Sales That's about it. What would you like to, Cell. Automobile. Fords. No, Chevrolets. Chevrolets. I'm, I'm sorry. OK. GM. OK.

00:32:50.750 - 00:33:09.329

Now, uh, uh, working at, uh, uh, did you ever think about, now we have some automobile factories here. Did you ever think about a transfer back to Kansas City? Yes, I did. I, at one time I put in a transfer. Um, to come back to Kansas

00:33:09.329 - 00:33:30.719

City and I changed my mind. I'd rather stay there. Now, how did you know from Missouri? Uh, to Michigan. It's a little cold up there. How'd you deal with that? Well, it, it took a little while to adjust to it, but it wasn't bad. It wasn't

00:33:30.719 - 00:33:58.500

as bad as a lot of people. Say it is. It's not that bad. You dressed for it. Uh, now, as a salesman, uh, And, and, and you're gonna be selling uh uh Chevrolets or whatever. What about Cadillacs? Uh, Cadillac's all right. I'm not a Cadillac man.

00:34:00.010 - 00:34:28.590

And I think if I had all the money in the world, I'd still buy a Chevrolet. OK. So now, what was your first car? First car was a Chevrolet. The first new car was a Chevrolet. 1960. Chevrolet. And you drove it from Flint down here one

00:34:28.590 - 00:34:55.128

time? No, I bought it here. I was living here, I was back, I was back here in 1960. Well, um, When we think about, uh, again you growing up in Westport and now, uh, in retirement, uh, enjoying life, what would you kind of like to say

00:34:55.128 - 00:35:20.159

to, uh, people of Westport, Kansas City, and especially your children and grandchildren about, uh, Uh, Kansas City. Well, can't see a whole. Uh, we had some good times and bad times, and we, and in the Westport neighborhood, we was like a close knit family. And, uh,

00:35:21.780 - 00:35:40.899

We had a lot of fun. We had our ups and downs, but we had a lot of fun out there in Westport. And so this is a community that should be remembered. Very much so. Now, tell me, uh, other than what we're doing now, What other

00:35:41.050 - 00:36:05.209

kind of ways do you think we should try to remember? Westport. That's a tough one. I think what you're doing now is a very good way, you know, Um, let people know how the ones that have lived in the neighborhood. And show how we appreciated it.

00:36:06.239 - 00:36:36.310

And what is Then happened to it And they can look back and see how far. We've come along. So And um, This is one thing. Anything else you think that maybe Saint Luke's City or anybody else should do to help? Um, keep the memory of the

00:36:36.310 - 00:37:12.040

African-American family alive there. Well, like, Saint Luke has bought most of the property and And uh I appreciate what they're doing. For us by doing this video and Let it see how we feel about our own neighborhood. That's, that's it. Oh. Uh, anything else you would

00:37:12.040 - 00:37:23.479

just like to say before we close? No, that's all. Um, but, that's all. It's about it.