Remembering Freedom

Interviewer: Chavonté Wright

Tera: I know a lot about my grandmothers family from Longtown. Her maiden name was McCown; her parents were Almina and Chalmer Okey. Almina’s maiden name was McCown. I haven’t researched a lot. That’s one of the reasons why I am here and hope to learn more from all of the objects everyone else brought. My great grandfather Chalmer Okey created a lot of rag rugs, which we brought–that’s one of the items that we brought–and a couple of articles. My grandmother was interviewed several times by the local newspaper about Longtown, so we brought those articles to hopefully help other people with questions that they have.

C: Why were they being interviewed?

Tera: I just think the local people of Longtown, they recognized a lot of the original people of Longtown are passing away, and that history is going with them. And for me it was important to pass on the history to my children. I became very interested when I started having children of my own about how important this history is to our community.

C: How long has your family been here? Where did they come from before here if you know.

Tera: I don’t know. My grandfather, Leonard Crawford, came from Kentucky. That is really all I know. His family had a big tobacco farm in Kentucky and my grandfather worked on the railroad. I’m trying to find out what brought them here. My guess is farming, but I’m not 100% sure on that.

C: If you could describe this community, how would you, and what places stand out in your mind. Maybe the church is one of them.

Tera: The church definitely stands out in my mind. Being someone of mixed race this community has just been unbelievable. I think the world can learn a lot from this community. How to live in harmony, and race and color don’t matter. And I would like just the history to be known for just people in Greenville, Ohio. Many of my friends have no clue when I mention Longtown. During black history month, I was just talking to my sister about it. I would like that Longtown to be taught in our local school. That’s why this information is so important, because they need to. People, local residents, don’t even know about Longtown. So hopefully that’ll change.

C: I want to know more about the objects that you brought I know you wrote a little bit about them on this form but you said like a rag rug in the newspaper clippings from interviews and I thought maybe you had some photos.

Tera: The photos I brought were of my dad. He is the son of Martha and Leonard Crawford. My grandmother Martha her maiden name was Okey. My dad passed away June 1, 2019, but he restored cars here. He restored a 1938 Chevy Coupe and we brought a picture of that, my dad’s obituary. He wanted it mentioned in his obituary that he was a proud Longtown descendant so that’s why we brought it.

C: What do you feel freedom has meant for your family in the past, and what does it mean to you today? You alluded to this a bit, about the kids knowing…

Tera: Coming here is just a good reminder of, if the Longtown didn’t exist, I would not be here. My father is African-American–of course, mixed race being of descendants of Longtown–and my mother is Caucasian. That they were married in the early 70s, that wouldn’t have been accepted, I think, if Longtown hadn’t been such a thriving community, and I’m very grateful for it.

C: What are some of your childhood memories?

Tera: Going to my grandparents’–Leonard and Martha Crawford–home, and they lived in Palestine Ohio. And my grandmother Martha Crawford used to take me to visit Chalmer Okey and I would see his big loom that he made the rag rugs from. I remember visiting him quite a bit.

C: Is that home still there?

Tera: He lived in Ansonia In a one room apartment. I don’t think it’s still standing.

C: So making those rugs: is there a traditional skill that you know and who taught it to you? Is it part of a tradition?

Tera: I wish I knew how to make those rugs. I wish I knew what happened to his loom. It makes me sad that we lost that. I do have–he was in a band, also, Okey and the Yellow Jackets–and I have his fiddle. I wish I would have brought it but I still have that.

C: So do you know how they met?

Tera: I don’t. I wish I knew.

*C: Can you describe these annual homecomings or reunions that you all have? *

Tera: It’s just a great way to come together and celebrate our community and how color has no boundaries when it comes to Longtown. Just a lovely melting pot, and I think the world can learn a lot from this place.

C: Are there any holiday traditions that you celebrate with your family which are most important to you?

Tera: I think just being together this last year with my dad’s illness has been a good reminder of how important spending time with family is.

C: Are there any ways that you commemorate your ancestors or grandparents?

Tera: Coming here. To the home… homecoming. That’s what we like to do, and there’s a cemetery around here around here that has lots of headstones that my sister and I would like to start research on and help related to them. The Clemens cemetery. My grandparents are buried there.