Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Oral History of Katherine Kirkland |
Collection |
Oral History |
Scope & Content |
In this oral history interview, longtime Tennessee Valley resident Katherine Kirkland recounts tales an active life as part of a close-knit community. Kathy spent her childhood on her grandfather's dairy farm in Tennessee Valley, part of the community of Portuguese families that worked the land both in the valley and beyond. With a practical mindset, she relays some of the challenges of farming, from the rationing days of World War II to the high cost of feed today, and touches upon land use in the area and its evolution. Kathy's heartfelt and often humorous personal stories convey a picture of a vibrant childhood experienced not just in Tennessee Valley, but in Sausalito, Marin City and downtown Mill Valley. Kathy describes her dedication to baton twirling, the multiculturalism of local drum corps and the food-filled celebrations of the Portuguese community. She also recounts some wild local stories, including one about a ghost in Tennessee Valley and a more tangible tale of murder and Mafia in Sausalito. With fluid, easy-going recollection, Kathy describes a tenor of life that was at once very grounded and just a little surreal. |
Audio and Transcript |
Click here to hear recording. Click here to read the transcript. |
Dates of Creation |
2014-04-25 |
Interviewee |
Kirkland, Katherine |
Interviewer |
Fisher, Robin |
Extent and Medium |
Transcript: 34pp Recording: 01:33:11 |
Search Terms |
"I Want It All Now" (CBS Special) Christmas Coyote Jersey Farm Dairies and livestock raising Drum corps Food, traditional Portuguese Ghosts Grocery stores Haypress Holidays and Festivals Holy Ghost Festival Immigration Irmandade do Divino Espírito Santo e Santíssima Trindade Mafia Marincello Mill Valley Mill Valley shops Multiculturalism Native Sons Corps Oral history - Discrimination, segregation, racism Pimentel, Joseph Cordoza Portuguese families Ranches Safeway San Francisco Sausalito segregation Teaching Tennessee Valley Tiburon Wooly Egg Ranch World War II |
Object ID |
2017.035.001 |
Object Name |
Recording |
Copyrights |
Transcript and recording copyright Mill Valley Public Library, 2014. Materials are made available for research purposes only; all rights are reserved to the Mill Valley Public Library. Requests for permission to quote for publication or for any other usage must be obtained from the Library. |