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Title	Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Banks, July 21, 1973
Birthdate/Interviewee	Mrs. Banks--1894 Mr. Banks--1895
Occupation/Interviewee	Mr. Banks--Post office Porter Mrs. Banks--Coat Checker
Interview Date	1973-07-21
Length of Interview	52 min.
Listen to Interview	http://content.wsulibs.wsu.edu/flash/?aud=banks-interview&img=bla
Subject	Banks, Mr. and Mrs. A. E.<br>African Americans -- Montana -- Helena<br>Oral history -- United States<br>African Americans -- Social Conditions -- 20th century<br>African Americans -- Employment -- Montana
Type	Interviews
Interview Location	United States--Montana--Helena
Interviewer	Taylor, Quintard
Abstractor	Knight, Margot H.
Abstract	TAPE 1, SIDE A 0 - 6 Mr. Banks came to Helena in 1917 from Alabama. Father a mechanic. Family background. Why he moved to Montana. Cousin in the calvary at Ft. Harrison, Montana. He planned to attend Carroll College but didn't. 6 - 8 Lived in Billings for a while. Also stayed in Missoula for a while but there was no social life. 8 - 10 Attended the Southern Christian Institute in Edwards, Mississippi. Talks about playing baseball for them. 10 - 11 He worked at the post office with his cousin for a while and then worked for the Union Bank and Trust Company. 11 - 17 There were quite a few blacks in Helena when he arrived --many were from the Army. Two black churches in Helena. Many other towns in Montana had black residents. Other forts in Montana. Ft. Harrison was mostly black soldiers. 17 - 22 Recollections of black social clubs in the area. Al Walton was a black U.S. Marshall from Oklahoma. TAPE 1, SIDE B 0 - 3 minutes The Powers family of Helena were quite powerful. He doesn't remember any outstanding black families. Generally the blacks stuck to themselves . 3 - 4 minutes He has one daughter who lives in Portland. He doesn't communicate with any other relatives. Other families in Helena . 4-5 1/2 minutes Not very much in the way of black social activities . 5 1/2-8 minutes Worked as a porter in a hotel. No blacks owned or operated hotels that he knew of. Mrs. Banks thinks the cold weather prevented many blacks from settling . 8 - 11 minutes Mrs. Banks was born in Montana--her father was born in Germany and was brought back to Montana by a Montana family. Her mother was French. Her family background . 11 - 13 minutes Most blacks in Helena were brought as servants by white families. Many blacks left during winter. There was no difference in social life between blacks and whites. Black businesses in town. One black newspaper called The Plain Dealer . 13 - 15 minutes Joe Clark's Tonsorial Parlor and also did charocaty (dentist) work and massage work. More about Al Walton, the marshall . 16 - 17 minutes Prominent blacks in Helena--she remembers the C.W. Dorseys; Gladys Alexander became an opera singer. Taylor Gordon, a black singer from White Sulphur Springs . 17 - 20 minutes She worked checking wraps at the Montana Club. How they met. Black churches in Helena . 20 - 22 minutes She thinks most blacks in Helena now work as bartenders. There is also janitorial work available although there are not many blacks left in Helena . 22 - 26 minutes Generally the blacks voted for whoever they thought the best man was. Doesn't recall any blacks running for office . 26 - 30 minutes Many blacks moved away from Montana. Job opportunities for blacks. TAPE 2, SIDE A 0 - 2 minutes His work for the highway department . 2 - 5 minutes They don't know any blacks in nearby towns. She talks about why blacks don't seem to settle in the area. They knew some of the calvarymen in Billings. No segregation of schools . 5 - 8 minutes Limited contact with Indians. Legend of York, a black settler who came with Lewis and Clark. Pompey's Pillar . 8 - 16 minutes They talk about their feelings about Montana and what their lives have been like. She likes the freedom of the West. He talks about his work at the Capitol Post Office. Cold weather.
Abstract Date	1979-05-24
Identifier	banks-interview.rm
Collection	Black Oral History Interviews, 1972-1974 http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/holland/masc/finders/cass2.htm
Language	English
Format	Interview cassette tapes were converted to RealAudio files with a bit rate of 16Kbps and placed on a RealServer 8.0 streaming server at the Washington State University Libraries. In 2002, graduate students at the University of Washington's Information School described and uploaded these RealAudio files to a CONTENTdm server at the Washington State University Libraries.
Rights	For permission to publish, please contact Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (509) 335 - 6691.
Publisher	Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries http://wsulibs.wsu.edu/holland/masc/masc.htm
Contributors	The Information School of the University of Washington: Eydie Detera, Jon Haupt, Tess Mayer, Margie Miller, Tammara Turner

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