African American Pioneers in Flagstaff Oral History
Collection,
Inclusive Dates:
1998-2002.
Physical Description
20 interviews
Abstract
The interviews in this collection chronicle the growth of
Flagstaff's African American community. Following World War II, a significant migration
occurred when African American sawmill workers from the southern states found they could
earn a higher income in the southwest. In Flagstaff, they found a small logging town
unaccustomed to their culture. According to their place of origin, some migrants
perceived the city to be relatively accommodating while others did not. Most interviews
include informal discussion of the timber industry, World War II, civil rights, and the
Flagstaff police department. Project funded by the Arizona Humanities Council.
Collection Number
NAU.OH.79
Repository
Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives
Department.
Northern Arizona University
Box 6022
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6022
Phone: 928 523 5551
Fax: 928 523 3770
Email: Special.Collections@nau.edu
Scope and Content Note
The interviews in this collection chronicle the growth of Flagstaff's African American
community. Following World War II, a significant migration occurred when African
American sawmill workers from the southern states found they could earn a higher income
in the southwest. In Flagstaff, they found a small logging town unaccustomed to their
culture. According to their place of origin, some migrants perceived the city to be
relatively accommodating while others did not. Most interviews include informal
discussion of the timber industry, World War II, civil rights, and the Flagstaff police
department.
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of
the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her
transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and
hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for Northern Arizona University, its
officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting
that he or she is an owner of copyright.
The interviews in this collection chronicle the growth of Flagstaff's African
American community. Following World War II, a significant migration occurred when
African American sawmill workers from the southern states found they could earn a
higher income in the southwest. In Flagstaff, they found a small logging town
unaccustomed to their culture. According to their place of origin, some migrants
perceived the city to be relatively accommodating while others did not. Most
interviews include informal discussion of the timber industry, World War II, civil
rights, and the Flagstaff police department
box
folder
79
1
Clarence Brook, Sr., October 4, 1999.
Born in Texas on November 17, 1934, Clarence Brooks, Sr. discusses his
family's former status as sharecroppers in San Augustine, TX and the lynching
he witnessed there as a child. He later describes his experiences in Arizona,
first as a sawmill worker in McNary, Arizona, then as a construction worker at
the Glen Canyon Dam. He relates his perception of African Americans in
Flagstaff and his conclusions in working with people of different races through
the years.
Videotape, audiotape, and electronic and hard copy transcript (39 pp.)
available.
79
2
Daniel Broomfield, August 8, 1999.
Born in Franklin, Louisiana in 1925, Daniel Broomfield moved to Flagstaff with
his mother and stepfather, John L. Williams, in 1945. Broomfield tells how he
illegally sold liquor to Native-Americans before he was able to secure a
position at Saginaw Lumber Company. In addition, he relates many colorful tales
of injuries and race relations on the job, incidents at El Rancho Grande, and
other accounts of the early African American community of Flagstaff.
Sally V. Chapman moved to Flagstaff from Mississippi in the mid-1940s with her
husband, Lloyd, a log sawyer. Chapman's husband eventually owned and operated
El Rancho Grande, the first African American business in Flagstaff. This saloon
was a popular night spot for Flagstaff's early African American community, and,
as a result, is mentioned in several other oral histories of this collection.
Chapman also discusses the small restaurant that she owned and operated and the
boarding house they managed for sawmill workers.
Videotape, audiotape, and electronic and hard copy transcript (61 pp.)
available.
79
4
Ollie Mae Cottrell, October 21, 1999
Ollie Mae Cottrell was born in 1931 in the logging camp of McNary, Arizona and
fondly describes her childhood and adolescence there. In 1944, she moved to
Flagstaff and describes the city as more prejudiced than McNary. Cottrell
recalls acts of racial discrimination in the city at that time and remembers
the sit-in at El Charro Restaurant (date unknown).
Katherine Hickman moved to Flagstaff with her husband, brother, and father in
the mid-1940s. Originally employed by a logging camp in Alco, Louisiana, the
camp's sudden closure led them to seek work and residence elsewhere. Hickman=s
uncle, already employed by McNary's sawmill, encouraged the men to relocate in
Arizona. Seeing an opportunity, her uncle rented a large house in order to
board other in-coming workers. Hickman recalls her part in maintaining the
boarding house, remembers the sit-in at El Charro Restaurant, and comments on
race relations in Flagstaff.
Born in Mississippi October 27, 1930, Mack Jones moved to Arizona in 1951 to
seek a high paying position in the sawmills. He immediately found work in
Williams, Arizona and settled there. Not long after, he was hired by Southwest
Lumber Company in Flagstaff, but didn't move there from Williams until nearly
forty years later. Jones discusses the differences in race relations in Arizona
and Mississippi and describes the details of his mechanical job at Southwest.
He recounts his encounters with Flagstaff law enforcement through the years and
his experiences as a preacher for the Baptist church.
Born in Sand Hill, Mississippi November 3, 1914, Sarah Knight moved to
Flagstaff with her husband in 1941. In this interview, Knight relates a
detailed description of rural life in Mississippi. In addition, she recalls her
husband's alcoholism and infidelity, but fondly remembers her experiences
working as a housemaid for Flagstaff residents Dr. and Mrs. Fronske.
Videotape, audiotape, and electronic and hard copy transcript (41 pp.)
available
79
8
Ben Shird, August 12, 1999.
Ben Shird moved to Flagstaff, in 1945, to work for Saginaw Lumber Company. At
times he lived at Happy Jack logging camp. Shird was also involved in
bootlegging and recalls the lively atmosphere of El Rancho Grande.
Videotape, audiotape, and electronic and hard copy transcript (31 pp.)
available
79
9
Alfred (Okie) and Ruby Taylor, September 30, 1999.
Originally from Oklahoma, this couple moved to Flagstaff from Tulsa in 1953.
They discuss the advantages of growing up in Tulsa's large, segregated African
American community and the challenges of moving to a small, integrated town. In
addition, they compare their schooling in a segregated system with their
children's experiences in Flagstaff's integrated system. They share opinions on
Flagstaff's police force and legal system, remembering an incident where a
white officer killed a Black man. The Taylors speak of their youth, in
particular of Okie's service in World War II and his brief career with the
Negro American Baseball League.
Born April 13, 1910 in Columbia, Mississippi, John L. Williams moved to
Flagstaff in 1946 to become a log sawyer. After boarding at Lloyd Chapman's,
Williams eventually saved $750 for a lot on the corner of Lone Tree and Butler
and built his own house over the course of several years. In addition, Williams
discusses the El Rancho Grande, bootlegging, his service in World War II, and
his perspective on race relations in Flagstaff.
Videotape, audiotape, and electronic and hard copy transcript (51 pp.)
available.
The interviews in this collection chronicle the growth of Flagstaff's African
American community. Following World War II, a significant migration occurred when
African American sawmill workers from the southern states found they could earn a
higher income in the southwest. In Flagstaff, they found a small logging town
unaccustomed to their culture. According to their place of origin, some migrants
perceived the city to be relatively accommodating while others did not. Most
interviews include informal discussion of the timber industry, World War II, civil
rights, and the Flagstaff police department
box
folder
79
11
Ollie Marion Dorsey Hawkins,
Videotape, audiotape copies available.
79
12
Grady Graham, April 22, 2002.
Grady Graham was born in Carthage, Mississippi on March 24, 1913. Mr. Graham
talks about his life with his family growing up in Mississippi and his eventual
move to Flagstaff, Arizona.
Raymond Flemings was born in 1922 in Pineland, Texas. He described his
upbringing in his community and some of the persecutions of his fellow church
members. He joined the army and served in the South Pacific during World War
II. He then went to Los Angeles where he received his desire to serve his
church. He came to Flagstaff in 1946 and eventually became a pastor.
Melton Williams was born in Greenville, Mississippi on March 5, 1942. He moved
to Flagstaff with his family a few months after his birth. He talks about his
life growing up in Flagstaff.
Videotape, audiotape, and electronic and hard copy transcript (45 pp.)
available.
79
15
Robert Joe and Jack Peters, May 1, 2002
Robert Joe was born in Williams, Arizona on September 28, 1939 and Jack Peters
was born in Columbia, Mississippi on September 23, 1938. They both moved with
their families to Flagstaff where they eventually met and became friends in
elementary school. In this interview they recount their lives and experiences
living in Flagstaff during and after the segregation and civil rights era.
Videotape, audiotape, and electronic and hard copy transcript (48 pp.)
available.
79
16
Jonnie Lee Egan, April 29, 2002
Jonnie Lee Egan was born in Louisiana on February 15, 1929. Jonnie Lee talks
about his life growing up in Flagstaff and his experiences with various
Flagstaff residents.
Videotape, audiotape, and electronic and hard copy transcript (39 pp.)
available.
Felton Combs was born in Bienville Parish, Louisiana on November 28, 1938. He
grew up in Louisiana and after high school followed a friend who had already
moved to Flagstaff. He moved around a bit to various places before settling in
Flagstaff.
Videotape, audiotape, and electronic and hard copy transcript (42 pp.)
available.
79
19
Darlin Peoples, November 14, 2002
Darlin Peoples was born in Jonesboro, Louisiana on March 7, 1943. His family
moved to the Las Vegas area when his father went to work on the Hoover Dam but
the family soon moved to Flagstaff when the job didn't work out. He talks about
his life in Flagstaff with reflections on desegregation.
Videotape, audiotape, and electronic and hard copy transcript (46 pp.)
available.
79
20
James W. Williams, May 13, 2002
James Williams was born near Brookhaven, Mississippi on July 8, 1914. He grew
up on a farm in the country. He worked for a public works timber project and
moved to Arizona in 1937 to work timber. He ended up on Flagstaff in 1942. He
talks about his experiences living and working in and around Flagstaff.
Videotape, audiotape, and electronic and hard copy transcript (42 pp.)
available.
