The next round of oral histories from the 2018 oral history project are now available. In this blog post, find the oral histories of Jacqueline Pitts, Barbara Williams, Linda Stark, and James Schweppe.
Jacqueline Pitts. Jacqueline Pitts, born in Montclair in 1937 to parents from the South, grew up in several neighborhoods, was active in school and community life, and attended both St. Marks United Methodist and Trinity United Presbyterian churches. She fondly recalls Girl Scouts and Camp Madeleine Mulford, earned a scholarship to Boston University with her counselors’ support, and later worked as a teacher and social worker. Her family also faced significant prejudice, including housing discrimination on James Street, segregation in Montclair, her father being denied postal work because he was Black, and the DAR withholding a writing award from her. Read more and listen here.
Barbara Williams. Barbara Williams was born in Montclair in 1944 and lived on Montague Place, known as “Irish Hill” for its many Irish immigrant families, until age 15, remaining closely connected to Montclair through Immaculate Conception High School and Church. Her Irish immigrant roots ran deep on both sides of her family, and she grew up in a lively neighborhood with as many as 60 children on the two-block street. She fondly recalls a “simple time” filled with biking, roller skating, ice skating, and easy access to Bloomfield Avenue for shopping. Read more and listen here.
Linda Stark. Linda Stark, born in Montclair in 1939, grew up on College Avenue near Montclair State in a then-sparsely developed neighborhood where she spent her childhood exploring woods, biking, sledding, and thriving in school and scouting. Inspired by supportive teachers and a lifelong interest in education, she became a teacher, spending 32 years at Montclair Kimberley Academy, and maintained deep ties to the community, faith, and local organizations and clubs. She remained active in numerous Montclair groups and volunteer organizations such as theMontclair History Center,book clubs, the Presby Iris Gardens, Van Vleck, the College Women’s Club and others. Read more and listen here.
James (Jay) Schweppe. Jay Schweppe grew up on Warfield Place in Upper Montclair, where his parents founded a successful real estate firm in 1960. He recalls both struggles with dyslexia and supportive teachers at Bradford School, along with an active childhood spent biking and playing in local parks. After college in Tampa and various jobs, he joined the family realty business, remembering the small Upper Montclair shops and the challenges of selling homes during periods of school unrest and widespread redlining. Over time, he saw Montclair’s integrated community shift from being viewed as a drawback to becoming a major draw for many buyers. Read more and listen here.
In honor of the 150th anniversary of Montclair, the Montclair History Center compiled oral histories from people who grew up in Montclair and/or lived here prior to 1960. The project recorded the stories of people who grew up in Montclair in a wide variety of neighborhoods and decades, creating a multifaceted snapshot of Montclair in the early to mid 20th century.
This project was funded by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities). Interviews were conducted with the assistance of Montclair resident and Professor Dr. Christopher Matthews from Montclair State University.
These oral histories are an expression of the views, memories and opinions of the interviewee. It does not represent the policy, views, or official history of the MHC.