“They’s so much gingerbread work goin’ on now.  Our most prominent people come from the eastern part of the United States.  All wise people come from the East, just as the wise men did when the Star of Bethlehem appeared when Christ was born.  And the farther east you go, the more common knowledge a person’s got.  That ain’t no Dream Boat.  Nowadays, people are gettin’ crazier everyday.  We got too much liberty; it’s all ‘little you, and big me’.  Everybody’s got a right to his own opinion, and the old fashioned way was good enough for my father, and it’s good enough for me.

“If your back trail is clean, you don’t need to worry about the future.  Your future life is your past conduct.  It’s a trailer behind you.  And I ain’t quite dead yet, efn I do smell bad!”

Story and Photo by Frank M. Smith

Ex-Slaves
Mahoning County, District #5
Youngstown, Ohio

The Story of Mrs. Melissa (Lowe) Barden, Youngstown, Ohio.

[Illustration:  Melissa Barden]

Mrs. Melissa (Lowe) Barden of 1671 Jacobs Road, was “bred and born” on the plantation of David Lowe, near Summersville, Georgia, Chattooga County, and when asked how old she was said “I’s way up yonder somewheres maybe 80 or 90 years.”

Melissa assumed her master’s name Lowe, and says he was very good to her and that she loved him.  Only once did she feel ill towards him and that was when he sold her mother.  She and her sister were left alone.  Later he gave her sister and several other slaves to his newly married daughter as a wedding present.  This sister was sold and re-sold and when the slaves were given their freedom her mother came to claim her children, but Melissa was the only one of the four she could find.  Her mother took her to a plantation in Newton County, where they worked until coming north.  The mother died here and Melissa married a man named Barden.

Melissa says she was very happy on the plantation where they danced and sang folk songs of the South, such as "Sho’ Fly Go ’Way From Me", and others after their days work was done.

When asked if she objected to having her picture taken she said, “all right, but don’t you-all poke fun at me because I am just as God made me.”

Melissa lives with her daughter, Nany Hardie, in a neat bungalow on the Sharon Line, a Negro district.  Melissa’s health is good with the exception of cataracts over her eyes which have caused her to be totally blind.

Ohio Guide
Ex-Slave Stories
Aug 15, 1937

Susan Bledsoe
462-12th St. S.E., Canton, Ohio.

“I was born on a plantation in Gilee County, near the town of Elkton, in Tennessee, on August 15, 1845.  My father’s name was Shedrick Daley and he was owned by Tom Daley and my mother’s name was Rhedia Jenkins and her master’s name was Silas Jenkins.  I was owned by my mother’s master but some of my brothers and sisters—­I had six brothers and six sisters—­were owned by Tom Daley.