Sylvia Blackburn's Oral History Recording

Description

An oral history interview, that took place on November 9, 1990 between Davine Pera and Sylvia Blackburn. The interview is about one hour, 13 minutes long. Here is the transcription: OH53 OHCabinet 60 Minutes 2 Marantz No Address: 208 Halto Via Circle, Durango CO 81301 November 9, 1990 Durango Colorado Davine Pera 728-3632 Track1 Intro Track2 Early history of father. Birth date and place. Track3 Served 7 years in Germany in Army in World War I. Parents were married in 1919. Track4 Plans were made to go to America. Arrived in Telluride Dec 1920. Track5 After 1 month in Telluride, they moved to mining camp at Matterhorn, Colo. Track6 Describes the many mines he worked in at Ophir and surrounding area during the 20's and early 30's. Track7 Lost money during the depression on stock he had invested in a Company. Rode horse 6 miles to work. Track8 Worked for San Miguel County Road crew and on the Ames plant flume for West. Colo. Power Co. in 1937. Track9 Worked at Prospect Mine and later at Alta mine loading concentrates from railroad car to tramway at the depot. Joe Oberto. Track10 Father moved family to Telluride in 1945 and started working at the Telluride mine. Worked as carpenter from 1950 to 1955, when he retired due to failing health. He died in 1959. Track11 Memories of father's hard work. Mentions a young miner that visited with them and later died at their house. The wives were also very courageous. Track12 Early history of mother, Speranza. Birth date and place. Track13 History of their parents decision to come to U.S Describes journey here and mother's hard work the first years here. Track14 Arrived 20Dec. 1920. Speaks of first home. Track15 Speaks of mother learning English language from reading comics and learning to write the English language when her oldest daughter started school. Track16 History of 3 daughters birth dates. Track17 History of mother’s activities in various groups. Track18 Speaks of mothers early childhood years in Italy and how hard she worked. Track19 Mother has lived in this area for 78 years. Track20 Speaks of mothers love for Telluride. Track21 She tells the story of mother cleaning the house in Ophir, originally a horse and chicken barn, to make it livable. Track22 Describes original cabin parents lived in at Matterhorn. Mother was very shy, but very happy and a hard worker. Track23 Sylvia describes homes that parents lived in as children in Italy. Houses are same now as when they lived there. Grandfather was a shoemaker. Track24 Describes family life in Italy. Track 25 Continues describing Italy and relatives there. Track 26 Describes her mother and her mother’s strict sisters. Track 27 After they moved to Ophir, mother did washing by hand for miners. Track28 Mother was beautiful seamstress and made all their clothes. Track29 Sylvia's birth in Telluride. Lived in Ophir and attended school there. Track 30 Describes childhood school in Ophir. Used skis or snowshoes to walk over a mile to school. Track 31 Talks about how deep the snows fell. Track32 Describes clothes they wore. Describes school. Merina Patterson. Track 33 Eighth grade graduation, there were three. A. Penasa, M. Bishop, and herself. W. Pele gave a test to see if they were ready for H.S. Track34 Husband, Keith Blackburn's background. His parents lived at Tonioli place and had butcher shop at Ames. Track 35 Talks about Fred, their oldest son. Track36 Grandmother was a Skien, and they had a dairy ranch at Alta. Track37 Continues story of school life. Mentions when her sisters were born. Tells how parents learned the English language. Discusses the Italian dialect they spoke. Track38 Childhood memories. Track39 Holidays celebrated by family. Track40 Memories of hardships during the depression. Track41 Sylvia developed a love of nature. Track42 Rode the train to Lizard Head to pick mushrooms. Track43 Talks of visiting Telluride, and felt like it was going to the city. Track44 Attended high school in Telluride and boarded in town; rode the Galloping Goose home on weekends. Track45 Memories of the trains. Track46 Describes working at boarding house at the Alta Mine after graduation, and talks about the delicious food there, and cockroach races. Track47 Attended business school in Denver. Track48 History of employment years and married years. Track49 Memories of businesses, post office and etc. in Ophir. Names different people that lived there. L. Bishop, E. Waterman, G. Brewer Track50 Community dances and picnics at Ophir. Track51 Her father had a fear of cars. Track52 Speaks of the many bachelors from Tyrol that boarded with their family. Track53 Describes the summer picnics held in Ophir. Memories of growing up in Ophir. The Priest Brothers. Track54 Talks about the bachelors. She enjoyed being in nature. Track55 Names and describes the many Italian dishes mother cooked. Track56 Dairy products were a part of their life. Track57 Christmas dinner and customs. Track58 Parents made their own wine. Describes process. Track59 Santo Luchia and other Christmas memories. Track60 High school memories and names students in her graduation class of 1940. Track61 Sports at school. Track62 Social life as a young couple after her marriage. Track63 Mother taught the girls religion at home, but they were baptized in St. Patrick's Church in Telluride. Track64 Many memories of childhood and school days. Track65 Describes the Sweeney dance band. Track66 There were two theaters in town. Track67 Talks of her years boarding in town during high school Track68 In Telluride and later in Denver while she attended business school. Track69 End