Dublin Core
Title
Oral history with Elwood Gross 2007
Subject
Elmer Gross' experiences in Lakeland: growing up; school; social life; jobs; building houses; Urban Renewal
Description
An oral history interview conducted with Elwood Gross by Eli Pousson as part of an IMPART funded oral history research project.
Creator
[no text]
Source
[no text]
Publisher
[no text]
Date
15-Jul-07
Contributor
[no text]
Rights
[no text]
Relation
[no text]
Format
digital
Language
[no text]
Type
[no text]
Identifier
egross2007
Coverage
[no text]
Contribution Form
Online Submission
No
Posting Consent
[no text]
Submission Consent
[no text]
Contributor is Creator
[no text]
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Interviewer
Eli Pousson
Interviewee
Elmer Gross
Location
Lakeland/by phone
Transcription
At the beginning of the conversation Mr. Elmer Gross talks about his family coming to and living in Lakeland. He states that 2 generations before him lived in Lakeland. His parental grandparents came from St. Mary’s County/Charles County and lived in Brentwood (?) for a couple of years before building a house at 50100 Pierce Avenue in the 1920s and moving to Lakeland.
His grandmother worked for the University, while his grandfather worked for the Transit Authority, which was operating the streetcars. Mr. Gross's mother was raised in Muirkirk on her father’s farm and came to Lakeland by streetcar (which was at the time going up to what is now Upper Beltsville) to work/sing (?) for the Lakeland choir, where she met his father. They settled in College Park, got married and lived with Elmer’s grandparents for a while (at 50100 Pierce Ave).
Later, a house in what is now the Elementary School area became available and the Grosses lived there for most of their lives until the Board of Education claimed the property. The family negotiated with them to be paid a reasonable price, which was not successful. They still got paid enough to finance building a house by themselves on 54th Avenue. Elmer Gross did most of the building himself and worked with contractors and other people from the community. His parents moved into the house in the 70s and lived there until their death. Today, family members are still living there. (0:00-6:22)
Elmer Gross was born in his parents’ house on December 4, 1933. He remembers Lakeland as being a very nice community, where everybody knew everybody and interacted on all levels. Some of his father’s friends worked for agencies tied to the University while others worked for the federal government, using the existing streetcar from Lakeland to Washington to commute. Some people also worked for the WSSC (Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission). (6:23-8:15)
The children went to the Lakeland Elementary School, which was on the other side of the railroad tracks. Later they went to the Lakeland High School, Junior High School and Elementary School. When it was changed into only a Junior High School, they went to Fairmount Heights High School. (8:16-8:52)
Elmer Gross remembers life in the community as being very social. There were two churches, which would participate in each other’s programs and there were Social Clubs for the Ladies.
Mr. Gross describes the Social Clubs as groups of ladies, who would get together on a regular basis for conversation and dinner. The ladies used these “big occasions†to put out their best silver and linen. Mrs. Gross's and Mrs. Lomax’s Social Club, for example, met once a month.
For the children there were the Cub Scouts and a special Social Club for boys and girls.
Back then there also was a baseball field, where games would take place Sunday evenings after church. (8:53-10:02 / 13:14-15:18 details social clubs & kids’ clubs)
One pastime for the kids was going to the post office in Berwyn to pick up the mail. Also, the boys played baseball or football and spent much of their time outdoors since only a few people in the community had a TV and that kind of entertainment was not available. Basketball was not played in Lakeland until an outdoor court was built at the Junior High School. (10:03-11:52)
Elmer Gross’s family attended both Lakeland churches. His grandmother’s family was Baptist, though records show she made donations to AME church in the 1920s. His mother and Mr. Gross himself attended AME church as did his father when he decided to go back to church in later years. (11:53-13:13)
Elmer Gross then proceeds to talk about the roads in Lakeland. He says that all roads were dirt roads except for Lakeland Road, which was a paved highway. The problem with having only one road coming in to Lakeland was that there was no way out when the road got flooded.
In later years a constructor named Wygand Construction built a road from Berwyn, which he kept fenced, but opened up in emergencies. Mr. Gross also notes flood control projects included filling the land up 4-6 feet and opening up branches and waterways. (15:19-19:24)
Mr. Gross then talks about his parents’ occupation. His father worked in the University’s dining hall. He had a car most of the time while Mr. Gross was growing up and therefore drove to work, but also walked sometimes. The pay was enough to get along, but not equal to what other people earned on campus. The health benefits were not equal either, so that when his mother got sick and needed operations they had to pay for most of it themselves.
Mr. Gross's mother worked as the cafeteria manager at Riverdale Elementary School, which was a segregated, all-white school. She either took the streetcar to work or was given a ride by Mr. Gross. (19:25-21:45 / 29:43-30:28 mother getting to work)
Elmer Gross experienced attending a segregated school as “that’s the way it wasâ€, saying that people just existed with segregation and racism. He got to know a different side though, going to non-segregated summer camps in New York and Maine, where he competed with white children in sports and academics. He saw, that they were just as friendly and everybody had their own problems.
He recalls his school teachers being stricter than today’s teachers. He particularly remembers Ms. Till (?) Wills, who got married to a Mr. Weems; Bessy Mack; and Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson at Lakeland Elementary School, who taught sports and “Core†(a combination of English and History) respectively. (21:46-25:45)
Mr. Gross then describes Fairmount Heights, where he attended high school, as a “melting pot†with a great variety of shops and academics, a community that Lakelanders went to by bus quite often to go to restaurants or to dance.
There were also streetcars and busses going into Washington D.C., where people went for ballgames or to see a movie. (25:46-28:25 / 30:29-31:23 further description of Fairmount Heights)
They also went to D.C. to shop for clothing or furniture. There were opportunities for grocery shopping in the Lakeland area though. There used to be a Safeway up on Route 1 and another chain store where the post office is located today. Within the community there were 2 neighborhood stores called “Black Store†and â€Mack’s Storeâ€. (28:26-29:42)
Elmer Gross then talks about his life.
While he was at school, he worked for a drugstore in College Park. After graduating from Fairmount Heights High School he went to study at St. Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Virginia.
A couple of years later he was drafted and joined the Army. There were no ongoing wars at the time and the only thing close to a conflict was the Hungarian uprising against Russia. When he got out 2 years later, he went to Chicago to study automotives at the Institute of Technology.
He got married and worked for an insurance company. Not being happy with his work and living situation he came back to Lakeland, where he had been offered a job. He lived with his mother for a while and moved into his own house at 5110 Pierce Ave with his wife in 1961. He had been given the lot by his father who had inherited the property from his father.
To build the house, Mr. Gross worked with a Philadelphia company that was selling package houses. After they put up the shell of the house on a foundation, he did the rest of the work, cooperating with contractors and other people from the community. It was common for people to build their houses with the help of neighbors, who would give instructions on special work.
The company selling the package house also provided a loan of $10,000. Later, Mr. Gross was able to get a loan from a local bank. The branch’s manager Mr. Readings (?) and his assistant manager Mr. Pue (?) were especially dedicated to provide loans to Lakelanders and other people who could not get loans elsewhere.
After retiring, Mr. Gross worked as a real estate agent for a couple of years and witnessed how a lot of single family homes turned into student houses. (31:24-42:05 / 45:14-46:28 Philadelphia package home company / 46:29-48:20 loans / 51:30-53:00 real estate)
Mr. Gross also talks about Urban Renewal and the effect it had on Lakeland. He says that some people supported the project and others resented it. He mentions the problem of flooding and also the number of substandard houses in the community. He then points out that other financing for construction and building maintenance was hard to get, especially for Afro-Americans and elderly people.
One of the biggest problems of Urban Renewal was that people were condemned in the flood area and were paid a certain amount of relocation money. They were promised to be able to return to Lakeland once new housing was built. That didn’t happen until 4-5 years later, though, and people were forced to find and buy new homes elsewhere.
One of the advantages of Urban Renewal was the fact that property in Lakeland had always been valued at the minimum rate and is now being valued at the same rate as the rest of College Park. Mr. Gross sums it up as “discontinuing Lakeland as being a separate part, the Black community in College Park, for the good and badâ€. (42:06-45:13 and 48:21-51:29)
The conversation ends with a talk about Elmer Gross’ involvement in the local government. He says he was part of the civic association and the Urban Renewal project and involved in meetings and public feedback. He states that 90% of the community was actually involved with the civic association, speaking their minds and voting on community projects. (53:01-55:43)
His grandmother worked for the University, while his grandfather worked for the Transit Authority, which was operating the streetcars. Mr. Gross's mother was raised in Muirkirk on her father’s farm and came to Lakeland by streetcar (which was at the time going up to what is now Upper Beltsville) to work/sing (?) for the Lakeland choir, where she met his father. They settled in College Park, got married and lived with Elmer’s grandparents for a while (at 50100 Pierce Ave).
Later, a house in what is now the Elementary School area became available and the Grosses lived there for most of their lives until the Board of Education claimed the property. The family negotiated with them to be paid a reasonable price, which was not successful. They still got paid enough to finance building a house by themselves on 54th Avenue. Elmer Gross did most of the building himself and worked with contractors and other people from the community. His parents moved into the house in the 70s and lived there until their death. Today, family members are still living there. (0:00-6:22)
Elmer Gross was born in his parents’ house on December 4, 1933. He remembers Lakeland as being a very nice community, where everybody knew everybody and interacted on all levels. Some of his father’s friends worked for agencies tied to the University while others worked for the federal government, using the existing streetcar from Lakeland to Washington to commute. Some people also worked for the WSSC (Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission). (6:23-8:15)
The children went to the Lakeland Elementary School, which was on the other side of the railroad tracks. Later they went to the Lakeland High School, Junior High School and Elementary School. When it was changed into only a Junior High School, they went to Fairmount Heights High School. (8:16-8:52)
Elmer Gross remembers life in the community as being very social. There were two churches, which would participate in each other’s programs and there were Social Clubs for the Ladies.
Mr. Gross describes the Social Clubs as groups of ladies, who would get together on a regular basis for conversation and dinner. The ladies used these “big occasions†to put out their best silver and linen. Mrs. Gross's and Mrs. Lomax’s Social Club, for example, met once a month.
For the children there were the Cub Scouts and a special Social Club for boys and girls.
Back then there also was a baseball field, where games would take place Sunday evenings after church. (8:53-10:02 / 13:14-15:18 details social clubs & kids’ clubs)
One pastime for the kids was going to the post office in Berwyn to pick up the mail. Also, the boys played baseball or football and spent much of their time outdoors since only a few people in the community had a TV and that kind of entertainment was not available. Basketball was not played in Lakeland until an outdoor court was built at the Junior High School. (10:03-11:52)
Elmer Gross’s family attended both Lakeland churches. His grandmother’s family was Baptist, though records show she made donations to AME church in the 1920s. His mother and Mr. Gross himself attended AME church as did his father when he decided to go back to church in later years. (11:53-13:13)
Elmer Gross then proceeds to talk about the roads in Lakeland. He says that all roads were dirt roads except for Lakeland Road, which was a paved highway. The problem with having only one road coming in to Lakeland was that there was no way out when the road got flooded.
In later years a constructor named Wygand Construction built a road from Berwyn, which he kept fenced, but opened up in emergencies. Mr. Gross also notes flood control projects included filling the land up 4-6 feet and opening up branches and waterways. (15:19-19:24)
Mr. Gross then talks about his parents’ occupation. His father worked in the University’s dining hall. He had a car most of the time while Mr. Gross was growing up and therefore drove to work, but also walked sometimes. The pay was enough to get along, but not equal to what other people earned on campus. The health benefits were not equal either, so that when his mother got sick and needed operations they had to pay for most of it themselves.
Mr. Gross's mother worked as the cafeteria manager at Riverdale Elementary School, which was a segregated, all-white school. She either took the streetcar to work or was given a ride by Mr. Gross. (19:25-21:45 / 29:43-30:28 mother getting to work)
Elmer Gross experienced attending a segregated school as “that’s the way it wasâ€, saying that people just existed with segregation and racism. He got to know a different side though, going to non-segregated summer camps in New York and Maine, where he competed with white children in sports and academics. He saw, that they were just as friendly and everybody had their own problems.
He recalls his school teachers being stricter than today’s teachers. He particularly remembers Ms. Till (?) Wills, who got married to a Mr. Weems; Bessy Mack; and Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson at Lakeland Elementary School, who taught sports and “Core†(a combination of English and History) respectively. (21:46-25:45)
Mr. Gross then describes Fairmount Heights, where he attended high school, as a “melting pot†with a great variety of shops and academics, a community that Lakelanders went to by bus quite often to go to restaurants or to dance.
There were also streetcars and busses going into Washington D.C., where people went for ballgames or to see a movie. (25:46-28:25 / 30:29-31:23 further description of Fairmount Heights)
They also went to D.C. to shop for clothing or furniture. There were opportunities for grocery shopping in the Lakeland area though. There used to be a Safeway up on Route 1 and another chain store where the post office is located today. Within the community there were 2 neighborhood stores called “Black Store†and â€Mack’s Storeâ€. (28:26-29:42)
Elmer Gross then talks about his life.
While he was at school, he worked for a drugstore in College Park. After graduating from Fairmount Heights High School he went to study at St. Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Virginia.
A couple of years later he was drafted and joined the Army. There were no ongoing wars at the time and the only thing close to a conflict was the Hungarian uprising against Russia. When he got out 2 years later, he went to Chicago to study automotives at the Institute of Technology.
He got married and worked for an insurance company. Not being happy with his work and living situation he came back to Lakeland, where he had been offered a job. He lived with his mother for a while and moved into his own house at 5110 Pierce Ave with his wife in 1961. He had been given the lot by his father who had inherited the property from his father.
To build the house, Mr. Gross worked with a Philadelphia company that was selling package houses. After they put up the shell of the house on a foundation, he did the rest of the work, cooperating with contractors and other people from the community. It was common for people to build their houses with the help of neighbors, who would give instructions on special work.
The company selling the package house also provided a loan of $10,000. Later, Mr. Gross was able to get a loan from a local bank. The branch’s manager Mr. Readings (?) and his assistant manager Mr. Pue (?) were especially dedicated to provide loans to Lakelanders and other people who could not get loans elsewhere.
After retiring, Mr. Gross worked as a real estate agent for a couple of years and witnessed how a lot of single family homes turned into student houses. (31:24-42:05 / 45:14-46:28 Philadelphia package home company / 46:29-48:20 loans / 51:30-53:00 real estate)
Mr. Gross also talks about Urban Renewal and the effect it had on Lakeland. He says that some people supported the project and others resented it. He mentions the problem of flooding and also the number of substandard houses in the community. He then points out that other financing for construction and building maintenance was hard to get, especially for Afro-Americans and elderly people.
One of the biggest problems of Urban Renewal was that people were condemned in the flood area and were paid a certain amount of relocation money. They were promised to be able to return to Lakeland once new housing was built. That didn’t happen until 4-5 years later, though, and people were forced to find and buy new homes elsewhere.
One of the advantages of Urban Renewal was the fact that property in Lakeland had always been valued at the minimum rate and is now being valued at the same rate as the rest of College Park. Mr. Gross sums it up as “discontinuing Lakeland as being a separate part, the Black community in College Park, for the good and badâ€. (42:06-45:13 and 48:21-51:29)
The conversation ends with a talk about Elmer Gross’ involvement in the local government. He says he was part of the civic association and the Urban Renewal project and involved in meetings and public feedback. He states that 90% of the community was actually involved with the civic association, speaking their minds and voting on community projects. (53:01-55:43)
Original Format
[no text]
Duration
57:23 minutes
Bit Rate/Frequency
[no text]
Time Summary
see transcription