Oral History Interview with Johnnie Jones, August 27, 1976. Interview H-0273. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007).
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Abstract
Johnnie Jones started working at the Pomona Terra Cotta Factory in Greensboro, North Carolina, when he was fourteen, doing odd jobs despite the objections of his father, an employee there. Jones spent his career in the factory, applying his keen mechanical mind to making sewer pipes and performing maintenance. In this interview, Jones describes some of his experiences at the factory, including some of the details of his tasks, workplace accidents, the arrival of unions, and his relationships with his fellow employees. Jones is an interesting character with a great deal of confidence in his problem-solving ability. Researchers may find useful material in his description of the terra cotta production process and the portrait Jones paints of himself.
Excerpts
An inexpensive rental home courtesy of Pomona Terracotta
Starting work at a young age
Mill workers raise food with help from their employer
Remembering a more lighthearted past
Mother as disciplinarian
Regret for dropping out of school
An independent streak drives a long career
Accidents at work, including a fatal explosion
An abortive effort at unionization at Pomona Terracotta
Courtship and fatherly advice
Staying afloat during the Great Depression
Neither surprise nor discomfort with racial integration
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Subjects
Trade-unions--Textile workers--North Carolina
Greensboro (N.C.)
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