sought to get Belk to interpret family's rise and role. Focus on father especially.

Transcription

1 Southern Oral History Program UNC Chapel Hill.; JL/-j / TAPE INDEX SOHP Series: Pjedrvym-f Sec. W,\4. Transcription Priority: 3 (1-Transcribe; 2-May Transcribe; /3-%)o Not Transcribe) ntervievee: Belk John Last First Middle Date of Interview: 7-14t-80 Total Number of Tapes: Place: Belk Store Services Bldg, Charlotte,NC Cassette: C-45 C-60 C-90 Interviewer: Tullos Reel: 5" 7" ' > '! I - I II I '.11 - ii Context of the Interview (e.g., study of a special topic, the interviewer's particular interests, focus of the questions, -anything..significant about the setting or circumstances) Some speculations by Belk on family story; growth of g Piedmont. Since the biographical facts can be found in several written sources, this was a get acquainted interview which sought to get Belk to interpret family's rise and role. Focus on father especially. For Biographical sketch see LeGette Blythe's William Henry Belk bootc List topics discussed in the. order they occur on the tape. Tape #'1A Side Scotch-Irish family background; down from Pennsylvania. Disliked English. A different group - from Scotland- came to coast were loyal to Crown. This is mother's side. L Belk = Scotch. Original John Belk buried near Lancaster,SC. Grave marked. Shiloh Church also in Lancaster.. : Orig. Belk came down from PA. Belk gold mine story -- not true. Doesn't know how many slaves grandfather, gr grfather had. Doesn't think family were planters; land was poor. "Indians couldn't make a living out of it." Sees up country being developed by different peaple than low country. Different beeed of Scbotch. Early gold in Cabarrus and Stanly. Not in Lancaster. Belks not like people in Gone With the Wind. Railroad came and things started happening; then Duke Power. Everybody in here was just raising cotton and food. Sees cotton mill boom coming in from New England; from North. Only thing from the East was Duke. Cotton mills followed Duke, from New England. Eraser from Canada developed transmission line. Cramers, Mikliken, Cannon -- all came from New England'. Springs also. Whigs: against Crown, for freedom of religion, lived off land, independent, against heavy taxes; they started first declaration of independence. People here more interested in commerce and economics than in Eastern part. Charleston and Wilmingt-nn -- parly cptifpra- rhpir rivalry is rpaann thflra is a NC and an SC. Piedmont more developed because people migrated in from North, not up river. Fayprt-Pvi lie is as far up as ynu gn -- anrahpllnm _ Presbyterians believe in education; preachers developed education system in Presy. areas. That's why so many educational institutions with a religious base. They believed in educating the young. The Shorter (?) Catechism. Belk grandmother had one of first college educations in Anson Co. area. The second Bapt. church in Charlotte didn't come until ca a much lesser influence than Presbys. _ Lutherans in Hickory. Germans. Presbys believed in education. On the education of Belk family. The Belk land in SC was "several hundred acres." Wm Henry said his store in Monrera wouldn't have amounted to much until Seaboard RR came in, Grandmother -- they tried to sell her out as a widow:. The first time Wm Henry got tied into politics was with Cam Morrison. Wm Henry was only interested in family, store, religion. Wm Henry got stuck in road and then came back and supported Morrison Piedmont cut off from coast, even in Civil War. Separation until after railroads.

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3 TAPE INDEX (continued) I' ie People in Piedmont went west. Meeting a man in Arkansas who remembered Belk's fathe I (end of 1A begin IB) "~ s... father _±_ax_x agx couldn't sing. couldn't carry a tune, he went to camp meetings. everybody did. Father didn't believe in dancing. Puritan viewpoint. Presb. tradition. work ethic. "Mankind is a working animal. Everybody is supposed to work, not loaf." Responsibilities of children. Chores. Check boy at age 8 or 9. Sales in store. ~ No such thing as idle time. Father's houss were unlimited; one reason he HHYKTC got married so late; lived above store; work was life. ^ot k er was disciplinarian; _ farher ran store, mother ran house. "~~ ~ Ben Franklin came from PA. Scottish feature. Unlike _ Africa. _ Wm. Henry supported other Charlotte businesses: Coles, cotton mills -- bought stock in 30/s; Stowe Mills in Gastnnia; not Cramer; Belk helped the local folk; Cannon k. Merchants and Farmers BAnk. Charlotte National Bank. No business ties with Daltons Winston-Salem.None with Duke. Duke like. Charlotte, but wife didn't; she liked NY. Father's idolv John Wannamaker. Father's secret'? trusted fellow man. Daddy never had any contracts with anybody. His word was his bond. He pieked honest people. He gave everybody a dollar for learning the catechism. About the only time Wm Henry left the store was to go to church. Family went together. Respect for elders; didn't galkback. Read Bible at tvome, aloud", daily. Every Sunday we'd have to learn another verse in the Bible; and their parents before them the same thing. ~ ~ Family took Char. 0. The Bible was the main thing. Not many movies as cfrlleren; never had much time to go. V Father was against dancing; (story here about Davidson dance) Greensboro. CoheS. Greenville, SC. Charlotte's leadership and growth. Duke Power made Charlotte.

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5 Southern Oral History Program USE Chapel Hill CAPE INDEX SOHP Series: Pi_-rwm-f Sec. iiisa. Transcription Priority: (1-Transcribe; 2-May Transcribe; fj^po Not Transcribe) Interviewee: Belk John Last First Middle Date of Interview: 7-14r80 Total Number of Tapes: Place: Belk Store Services Bldg, Charlotte,NC Cassette: _C-45 Interviewer: Tullos ~" "L.' Reeir " 5" C Context of the Interview (e.g., study of a special topic, the interviewer's particular intarasts, focus of the questions,-anything.sigaifleant_about the setting or. circumstances) Some speculations by Belk on family story; growth of 8 Piedmont. Since the biographical facts can be found in several written sources, this was a get acquainted interview which sought to get Belk to interpret family's rise and role. Focus on father especially. " - or biographical sketch see LeGette Blythe's William Henry Belk book. Tape # 1A Side List topics discussed in the order they occur on the tape. Scotch-Irish family background; down from Pennsylvania. % A different group - from Scotland- came to coast were loyal to Crown. This is mother's side. Belk = Scotch. _Original John Belk buried near Lancaster,.SC. Grave marked. Shiloh Church also in Lancaster.,,. : : : _ Orig. Belk came down from PA. Belk gold mine story not true. Doesn't know how many slaves grandfather, gr grfather had. Doesn't think family were planters; land was poor "Indians couldn't make a living out of it." Sees up country being developed by different peaple than low country. Different breed of Scbotch. Early gold in Cabarrus and Stanly. Not in Lancaster. Be Iks not like people in Gone With the Wind. Railroad came and things started happening; then Duke Power. Everybody in here was just raising cotton and food. Sees cotton mill boom coming in from New England; from North. Only thing from the East was Duke. Cotton mills followed Duke, from New England. Eraser from Canada developed transmission line, Cramers, Mikliken, Cannon -- all came from New England'. Springs also. Whigs: against Crown, for freedom of religion, lived off land, independent, against heavy taxes; they started first declaration of independence. People here more interested in commerce and economics than in Eastern part. Charleston and Wilmington -- parly r-pnters- thpir rivalry is; epaenn thsra ie a &C and %n ST Piedmont more developed because people migrated in from North, not up river. Faypftpvillp is as far up as ymi go -- anrahpllnm _ Presbyterians believe in education; preachers developed education system in Presy. areas. That_a why so many pdnrat-innal institutions with a religious base. They believed in educating the young. The Shorter (?) Catechism. Belk grandmother had one of first college educations _in.anflon Co. area. : : The second Bapt. church in Charlotte didn't come until ca a much lesser influence than JrT5 _ DyS «.....,., _- _- Lutherans in Hickory. Germans. Presbys believed in education. On the education of Belk family. The Belk land in SC was "several hundred acres." Wm Henry said his store in Monro, wouldn't have "amounted to much until Seaboard RR came in Grandmother -- they tried to sell her out as a widow. The first time Wm Henry got tied into politics was with Cam Morrison. Wm Henry was only interested in family, store, religion. Wm Henry got stuck in road and then came back _aad supported Morrison. Piedmont _aa cut off from coast, even i n Civil War. Separation until after railroads.

6 " " ' ' ' " - - ' " - - ' " ' " ' ' ' - ' I - I.. -,. 1 1 I I I ' - ' " I. 1 I HI. _..,!.. TAPE INDEX (continued) Tapef/ Side People in Piedmont went west. Meeting a man in Arkansas who remembered Belk's father. (end of 1A begin IB) s father 3 b x %gx couldn't sing. couldn't carry a tune, he went to camp meetings. - everybody did. Father-didn't believe in dancing. -Puritan viewpoint. JPresb.- tradition. - - work ethic. "Mankind Is a working animal. Everybody is supposed to work, not loaf." " Responsibilities of children. Chores. Check boy at age 8 or 9. Sales in store. No such thing as idle time. Father's houss were unlimited; one reason he got married so late; lived above _: store; work was life. Mother was disciplinarian; a farher ran store, mother ran house. Ben Franklin came from PA. Scottish feature. Unlike a Africa,at Wm. Henry supported other Charlotte businesses: Coles, cotton mills bought stock in 30/s; Stowe Mills in Gastnnia; not Cramer; Belk helped the local folk; Cannon &. Merchants and Farmers BAnk. Charlotte National Bank. No business ties with Daltons Winston-Salem.None with Duke. Duke likes Charlotte, but'wife didn't; she liked NY. Father's idolv John Wannamaker. Father's secrety trusted fellow man. Daddy never had any contracts with anybody. His word was his bond. He piekfed honest people. He gave everybody a dollar for learning About the only time Wm Henry left the store was to go to church. " Tamiiy went together. Respect for elders; didn't galkback. Read Bible at home, aloud, daily. Every Sunday we'd have to learn another verse in the Bible; and their parents before them the same thing. ~ Family took Char. 0. The Bible was the main thing Not many movies as children; never had much time to go. Father was against dancing; (story here about Davidson dance) Greensboro. Cones. : : ~ Greenville, SC. Charlotte's leadership and growth. ^ : : ' Duke Power made Charlotte.