《Helen Frances Shepard Merrill (1914-2003) 1979 Oral History Interview》 - 免费有声读物

Biographical note:

Helen Frances Shepard Merrill (1913-2003) was born in Boynton Beach, daughter of farmer and first principal of the Boynton School (1913) Welcome Stuart (W.S.) Shepard and Alice Losee Shepard. She graduated from Boynton High School in 1931. She then earned a B.S. from Florida State College for Women (now Florida State University) in 1936 and had a career in the Federal Civil Service, retiring in 1978. Married Richard Merrill (USAF MSgt) in 1943, they had three children together and lived chiefly in Colorado.

Interview summary:

Interviewed 4 April 1979 by James Nichols for the Boynton Beach City Library Oral History Project. Topics discussed include the family's experience losing everything during the 1928 hurricane; the original location of the Black community; growing up in Boynton swimming and having picnics at the old casino; her life and career; and her family, including her siblings and Uncle Alfred Clayton Shepard. Also mentions the Cecil Upton murder and seeing signal lights from rum-runners in the 1930s.

Transcription available in Word and PDF formats from menu.

Interview details:

FILE 1 (42 minutes, 22 seconds)

• 00:55 Family background, including father

• 04:08 1928 hurricane

• 18:10 Black section of town location

• 19:40 Alice and Alfred Clayton Shepard

• 22:55 1928 hurricane recovery

• 25:18 Spanish River

• 26:20 Siblings

• 29:00 Education and career

• 38:40 Cecil Upton murder

FILE 2 (18 minutes, 37 seconds)

• 02:48 Swimming at the inlet

• 07:40 Original thatched roof casino

• 12:15 Communication slow

• 15:15 Seeing signal lights from rum-runners, smugglers in 1930s

Technical note:

Finding aid by Georgen Charnes, October 2019

2 digital files

• hmerrill1a.mp3 (42 minutes and 22 seconds)

• hmerrill1b.mp3 (18 minutes and 37 seconds)