OHS History on the Lawn

Beth Collins Interview. She lives in Clark County but has ancestors who lived in Oconee. She moved to Athens when she married her husband. She describes Oconee's history with settlement and the American Revolution. She narrates the life of John Andrew. John Andrew was a Patriot during the war, later a Circuit Writer between Georgia and South Carolina, and finally a schoolmaster.

Interview with Beth Collins

Sheriff Scott Berry Interview by Buster Chambers. He first moved to Oconee County in 1978, and after 4 years in Athens, moved back to Oconee in 1982. His interest in law enforcement was fostered by his father's work in the FBI and his first job with law enforcement in high school. He became an Officer in 1978 and became an Investigator for the District Attorney of Oconee County in 1980. He describes how Oconee has changed since he took office to 2016 in terms of population growth, the width of the roads, and its location between Athens and Atlanta. However, he maintains that Oconee keeps its "hometown feel." He also shares the stories of his son's birth and his election as Sheriff of Oconee.

Interview with Sheriff Scott Berry

Dana Anderson Interview by Buster Chambers for the History on the Lawn Oral History Collection. She does Historic Preservation within the county, and speaks on its early history after the American Revolution, Eagle Tavern, and an 1826 folk art painting in Eagle Tavern of Robert Phillips, an Oconee landowner from antebellum times.

Interview with Dana Anderson

Anita Phillips Martin Interview. She was born in Oconee County in 1938 and grew up in Macon. Her father was a farmer and she grew up close to her grandparents. She describes the changes in the county since she was born in terms of the decreasing number of farms and the disappearance of buildings she grew up knowing. She recounts the main features of Thanksgivings and Easters that she loved. She also recounts playing in the schoolhouse her grandfather built.

Interview with Anita Phillips Martin

An interview of Oconee County resident Daniel Johnson Matthews, Jr. conducted in September 2014. He grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, and lived in Athens previously. He moved to Oconee county to work at the Herman C. Michael Gym and at Eagle Tavern in the early 1980s. He worked at the Gainesville State University Bookstore as well. His father went to UGA and published a book on Eagle Tavern in 1954. His mother was influential in popularizing the Iowa Caucus in 1972. His connection to Georgia is mainly on the paternal side of his family, as his father was born in Atlanta and they would visit his grandmother in Georgia. He recalls delivering newspapers when Richard Nixon resigned the Presidency. He ran for several positions within the Oconee County state legislature and ran for Watkinsville City Council in 2014. He has held several occupations, such as article writer and talk show host. He notes changes in Oconee in terms of allowing alcohol in Watkinsville restaurants. He recalls when the Olympic Torch came through in 1996. He would like to see an increase in relations between people from different groups, whether along racial lines or religion.

Interview with Daniel Johnson Matthews, Jr

An interview of Oconee County resident Albert Ward conducted in September 2014. He was born in the county in 1927. He graduated from UGA with a degree in Geograhy in 1950, left to work with the C.I.A. creating maps in Washington D.C., and returned to Oconee in 2008 for retirement. He recalls the safer and less materialistic lifestyle he lived growing up, the education system he grew up with, and his high school graduating class. He also speaks about segregation in public schools and the Watkinsville Cemetery.

Interview with Albert Ward

Interview with Oconee County resident Mary Lillie Foster Chamberlin conducted September 2014. She has lived in the county her entire life. Her mother was a UGA graduate who worked for Chicopee, previously a Johnson and Johnson company, and her father worked at a bank and at UGA. She works in finances and graduated from the Business College of UGA. She remembers riding her bike to and from school and riding her horse across town. She notes that Oconee has changed in terms of traffic and new buildings.

Interview with Mary Lillie Foster Chamberlin

An interview of Oconee County resident Jim Butler conducted in September 2014. While he was born in 1943, his family has lived in the surrounding area since about 1812 and in Oconee County since 1875. He grew up in the county, moved away after college for about 25 years, and returned in 1989. He is a retired accountant, and currently a substitute teacher for the county. He notes how the county has changed since his childhood in terms of new shopping centers. He relates the story of a house that his family lived in that was previously a trading post in the 1700s and later was torn down in the 1990s.

Interview with Jim Butler

An interview of Oconee County resident Edward Kinnaman conducted in September 2014. He was born in the county on December 10, 1928, and raised in Bishop, Georgia. He worked as a musician in big bands until the 1950s and in IBM installation. He has seen changes in the economy, school systems, subdivisions, and people moving for jobs around the country. He has seen changes in the county in terms of decreasing poverty and farmland, and changing ways of food consumption. He would like to see the county pay for teachers' social security.

Interview with Edward Kinnaman

Interview with Oconee County resident Margret Foster conducted in September 2014. She was born in 1927 in Bishop, Georgia, and grew up there. She moved to Athens in 2010 for medical reasons. She appreciated how she grew up because her family house, which still stands, served as a community hub for children to play in, even while everyone was poor. She has seen Oconee change in terms of road construction, traffic, and federal food administration. She worked for 46 years with jewelry alongside her brother.

Interview with Margret Foster

Interview with Oconee County residents Constance Ashford Wright and Virginia Ashford Elliot conducted in September 2014. The sisters were born in the county in 1917 and 1925 but moved to Athens in 1930 soon after their father died. Constance married and moved to Atlanta for 66 years, and later returned to Oconee County in 2013. They speak about their family home and childhood experiences. In fact, the church the interview took place in was built by their grandfather. They also speak about their grandfather and his brothers during and after the Civil War.

Interview with Constance Ashford Wright and Virginia Ashford Elliot

Interview with Oconee County resident Bonnie Montgomery conducted in September 2014. She came to the county as an adult in 1980. She grew up in Macon, Georgia, and went to the University of Georgia for graphic art. She recalls the gender division of schools in Macon and the family environment she grew up in. She worked in graphic design after graduation, and returned to UGA for her Master's in Crafts. She has seen a change in Oconee County in the number of businesses and grocery stores that have moved in and traffic.

OHS History on the Lawn

Items in this collection

Interview with Beth Collins

Interview with Sheriff Scott Berry

Interview with Dana Anderson

Interview with Anita Phillips Martin

Interview with Daniel Johnson Matthews, Jr

Interview with Albert Ward

Interview with Mary Lillie Foster Chamberlin

Interview with Jim Butler

Interview with Edward Kinnaman

Interview with Margret Foster

Interview with Constance Ashford Wright and Virginia Ashford Elliot

Interview with Bonnie Montgomery

2014 History on the Lawn, photo 1.3

2014 History on the Lawn, photo 1.2

2014 History on the Lawn, photo 1.1

2014 History on the Lawn, photo 1.4

2014 History on the Lawn, photo 2.2

2014 History on the Lawn, photo 2.1

2014 History on the Lawn, photo 2.3

2014 History on the Lawn, photo 2.4

2014 History on the Lawn, photo 2.0

2014 History on the Lawn, photo 1.8

2014 History on the Lawn, photo 1.9

2014 History on the Lawn, photo 2.7

2014 History on the Lawn, photo 2.5

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Items in this collection

Interview with Beth Collins