Interview with William Frederick Lynch, 1956 October 5 [audio](part 2)

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  • Buying his home; Getting to work in the powder yards; Taverns and saloons; Wards of Wilmington
    Partial Transcript: "Not worth $2,000 that house, in that condition..."
    Synopsis: Lynch talks about buying his home and describes his commute from his home in Wilmington, Delaware to his job at Hagley Yard. He used the trolley and walked. He says that he had plans for a home in Brandywine Hundred, but he dropped those plans after his children died. He says that most of the other powder yard workers lived near Hagley, not in Wilmington. He talks about local taverns and saloons. Lynch sketches out the boundaries of Wilmington's wards and talks about politics. He talks about inter ward rivalries and violence directed toward a mostly African American ward.
    Keywords: African Americans; Blakeley's tavern; Brandywine Hundred, Wilmington, Del.; Commuting; Hagee's tavern; Henry Clay (Del.: Village); Homes; Lawless' tavern; Politics; Property; Real estate; Rising Sun Lane; Sam Frizzell's store; Squirrel Run (Del.: Village); Street-railroads; The Blazing Rag; Toy's tavern; Trollies; Wards; Wilmington, Del.
  • Powder men politics; Wakes and funerals; Working for different members of the du Pont family;
    Partial Transcript: "One time, Wilmington was nothing but Democrats..."
    Synopsis: Lynch talks about politics in the powder yards how discussion of politics was avoided in the yards. He talks about participating in Irish funerals and wakes. He talks about icing bodies because embalming was too costly and attending a wake where the family hired a professional mourner. Lynch recalls having worked for many members of the du Pont family and describes his friendship with Henry du Pont. He talks about the people who lived in Eleutherian Mills after Henry du Pont's death.
    Keywords: Democrats; du Pont family; Du Pont, H. A. (Henry Algernon), 1838-1926; Du Pont, Henry, 1812-1889; Eleutherian Mills (Greenville, Del. : Estate); Embalming; Funerals; Hagley Yard; Ice; Keening; Poltics; Republicans; Wakes
  • Shopping and peddlers; Flooding on the Brandywine Creek; Contact with members of the du Pont family; Celebrating holidays; Work after the powder yards closed
    Partial Transcript: "Bob Blakeley, he had a horse and wagon and delivered the stuff...and there was a man at Ninth and Madison - I can't think of his name - an Irishman..."
    Synopsis: Lynch talks about how the powder men purchased their groceries and describes flooding on the Brandywine Creek. He talks about what happened in the powder yards after they closed. He talks more about Henry du Pont and what he looked like. He talks about Alfred I. du Pont. Lynch describes celebrating the Fourth of July at DuPont. He says there was now much of a celebration for Christmas. He talks about Alfred I. du Pont's failed attempt at building a steam powered tractor to replace horse drawn wagons. He says that after the powder yards closed he worked for Lammot du Pont Copeland
    Keywords: Brandywine Creek; Celebrations; Christmas; Copeland, Lammot du Pont, 1905-1983; Du Pont, Alfred I. (Alfred Irenee), 1864-1935; Du Pont, Henry, 1812-1889; Flooding; Fourth of July; Groceries; Ice; Merchants; Peddlers

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