Howard Herron Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield
Howard Herron Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield Howard Herron Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield
Howard Herron 5 guess Jesse James wanted to make it right with them, that they didn't have to depend on anybody after that. This McNab told me that story and I know he used to work in a grocery store here when they moved up here to Auburn fr>om Hamburg. And they just didn't get them all right then, that they'd get them, so they just, none of them would do the job. Q: But he actually did see Jesse James? A: Yes, he told me several times the same story and I know it was true because every time he told the story the same time, three times, you know it was right and he was telling the truth because you can't remember how you tell it. Q: That's good. So your uncles were cowboys, farmers . . . A: My uncles and my father. Q: Your father was also a cowboy? A: Yes, when they wanted food they would just go out and kill ducks or rabbits or anything, Their log cabin is still right there, still on Birds' farm where they were born and raised. Q: Is that right? A: Still stands there. Q: Isn't that close to here? A: Oh, yes. Down here just south of Hamburg, Illinois. Right next to, our family cemetery is there too. Q: Is that where most of your family is buried? A: We 11, not most, I wouldn't say most but there is quite a few buried there, cause as they grew older they scattered. They were like quail you know. Q: But you did get together and have family reunions? A: Oh, yes, we do, we have one every year. Had a Herron family reunion, was held here the first Sunday in October and there was about forty some here. Q: Do you still do that? A: Oh, yes and there was some from Detroit, Chicago, Centralia and they come from all over. Q: What are some of the things that the people grew up to do? A: Oh, getting back to my Grandfather Herron, his sister was the second wife of President Howard William Taft. She was the second wife of his and she was, now this is, I'm quoting family history they have and I know
Howard Herron 6 b- it's a fact because when Governor Green was inaugurated, he was governor of the State of Illinois, they had the governors of all the states invited to the inauguration and they was to wear the dress in the olden times. And my father's, my grandfather's sister, she wore the, the governor's wife of Ohio if I can get it right, wore the same dress that Emily Herron Taft wore when she wore that gown to the inauguration of Governor Green. Q: That's interesting. Do you have pictures of those? A: No, I don't. No, all that was just history traced back. We have a historian. I got a cousin that used to be a school teacher. She got all this stuff. Q: Well, that's very good. A: They have to read most of this a time or two. hat's where I got this. She read this at the reunion. Q: That's interesting. Was there anyone else in your family that was important? A: No, no. I was the first Chevrolet dealer in Auburn. Q: Where was your Chevrolet Company? A: Right, I started that business right over there. Q: That's Fifth and Adams? A: First day of August, first day of October, 1926, I started the Chevrolet business. Q: How did you get into that business? A: Well, I used to work in the coal mine, and my mother was sick, and I quit school, and I went to work in the coal mine to help my father pay the doctor bills and my mother, then she died. Q: How old were you then? A: I was about, she died on the 17th of December, 1917, now when she died I volunteered to join the navy. I figured well, I was working in the coal mine in Divernon and I moved back over here and so I said to the boys up there after the War was over I went through the navy all during the War and then when I got discharged I didn't go back to the coal mine. I was sitting in the barber shop and I said to Bill Hooks, the barber, "I'm going over here and get a job selling Fords," and he said, "You can't even run one, how are you going to get a job?" I said, "I can learn." Finally I went over and I shook hands and I shook hands with Mr. Latham and I said, he just purchased this agency, chis Ford Agency, and I said, "I always thought you needed a good salesman." He said, "What makes you think we need a good salesman?" I said, "Well, I looked around here and I don't see, I see a lot a sharp cars and tractors around here and nobody taking them away from you," and he said, "I'm going to give you a job just
- Page 1: University of Illinois at Springfie
- Page 5 and 6: Table of Contents (cont.) Auburn Bu
- Page 7 and 8: Howard Berron 2 A: I wouldn't know
- Page 9: Howard Hexron 4 A: Eighteen hundred
- Page 13 and 14: Howard Herron 8 started in and I ha
- Page 15 and 16: Howard Herron 10 Q: When you were a
- Page 17 and 18: Howard Herron 12 kid in school had
- Page 19 and 20: Howard Herron 14 always been gratef
- Page 21 and 22: Howard Herron 16 A: Oh, pumpkin pie
- Page 23 and 24: Howard Berron 18 father bought this
- Page 25 and 26: Howard Herron 20 eleven inches in c
- Page 27 and 28: Howard Herron 2 2 Q: A rod or a gui
- Page 29 and 30: Howard Herron and he had these pink
- Page 31 and 32: Howard Herron 2 6 A: Oh, about ten,
- Page 33 and 34: Howard Herron 2 8 Q: Where was the
- Page 35 and 36: Howard Herron Q: Like the bank does
- Page 37 and 38: Howard Berron 32 A: Open and shut t
- Page 39 and 40: Howard Berron 3 4 about 8:00 in the
- Page 41 and 42: Howard Herron 36 Q: What was your f
- Page 43 and 44: Howard Herron 38 Q: Straight in? A:
- Page 45 and 46: 1 Howard Herron 40 Q: Did you read
- Page 47 and 48: Howard Herron 4 2 of it and put abo
- Page 49 and 50: Howard Herron 44 It was below zero
- Page 51 and 52: Howard Herron 4 6 A: When I got hom
- Page 53 and 54: Howard Herron 4 8 Q: Do you want to
- Page 55 and 56: Howard Herron 5 0 A: That was at Lo
- Page 57 and 58: Howard Herron 5 2 building and we b
- Page 59 and 60: Howard Herron 5 4 A: Yes, mostly, t
<strong>Howard</strong> <strong>Herron</strong> 5<br />
guess Jesse James wanted to make it right with them, that they didn't<br />
have to depend on anybody after that. This McNab told me that story and<br />
I know he used to work in a grocery store here when they moved up here to<br />
Auburn fr>om Hamburg. And they just didn't get them all right then, that<br />
they'd get them, so they just, none <strong>of</strong> them would do the job.<br />
Q: But he actually did see Jesse James?<br />
A: Yes, he told me several times the same story and I know it was true<br />
because every time he told the story the same time, three times, you know<br />
it was right and he was telling the truth because you can't remember how<br />
you tell it.<br />
Q: That's good. So your uncles were cowboys, farmers . . .<br />
A: My uncles and my father.<br />
Q: Your father was also a cowboy?<br />
A: Yes, when they wanted food they would just go out and kill ducks or<br />
rabbits or anything, Their log cabin is still right there, still on<br />
Birds' farm where they were born and raised.<br />
Q: Is that right?<br />
A: Still stands there.<br />
Q: Isn't that close to here?<br />
A: Oh, yes. Down here just south <strong>of</strong> Hamburg, <strong>Illinois</strong>. Right next to,<br />
our family cemetery is there too.<br />
Q: Is<br />
that where most <strong>of</strong> your family is buried?<br />
A: We 11, not most, I wouldn't say most but there is quite a few buried<br />
there, cause as they grew older they scattered. They were like quail you<br />
know.<br />
Q: But you did get together and have family reunions?<br />
A: Oh, yes, we do, we have one every year. Had a <strong>Herron</strong> family reunion,<br />
was held here the first Sunday in October and there was about forty some<br />
here.<br />
Q: Do you still do that?<br />
A: Oh, yes and there was some from Detroit, Chicago, Centralia and they<br />
come from all over.<br />
Q: What are some <strong>of</strong> the things that the people grew up to do?<br />
A: Oh, getting back to my Grandfather <strong>Herron</strong>, his sister was the second<br />
wife <strong>of</strong> President <strong>Howard</strong> William Taft. She was the second wife <strong>of</strong> his<br />
and she was, now this is, I'm quoting family history they have and I know
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