Research

The online home of our growing oral history interview collection.

Oral History

Our online award-winning oral history collection consists of more than 350 interviews. They are arranged alphabetically by last name under individual Alpha headings below: A, B, C, etc.  The interviews feature photographs of most interviewees, an interview description, downloadable interview transcripts, and audio files that can be streamed or downloaded. In 2007 we received the Texas Oral History Association's Mary Faye Barnes Award for Excellence in Community History Projects. The History Center recognizes that these interviews are a product of a time and place and the words, ideas, and expressions they contain are the responsibilty of those speaking. The History Center does not condone racism or sexism, but presents these interviews as they were originally recorded and transcribed, because to do otherwise would be the same as to claim these prejudices never existed.

O

Oaks, Bill

Oaks, Bill

October 05, 1978

Interview 17a : In an interview with Ellen Temple, Bill Oaks reminisces about his life as a member of the roads crews for Southern Pine Lumber Company. He worked grading and maintaining roads in the woods and in Diboll during the 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's. He worked with mules in the beginning and then moved up to different types of large equipment. Mr. Oaks lived and worked in White City, Fastrill, and Diboll.

Ordaz, Rebecca

Ordaz, Rebecca

August 16, 1985

Interview 78a : In an interview with Becky Bailey, Rebecca Ordaz reminisces about moving to Diboll in 1969 as part of a Manpower initiative to bring Hispanic workers into Diboll. Her family came to Diboll so her father and brothers could work in the sawmill and fiberboard plant, and they were one of the first families to come with this program. She discusses life in an East Texas sawmill town as a Mexican-American woman and also marvels over how much Diboll has changed.