Harold J. Pugh                                           Special Topic
Editor- in -  Charge.                                    Allen County
                                                        District 1
                                                        Ex-Slaves.



                              Julia Gurdner, Ex-Slave
                                    82 Years of  Age.





               Mrs. Julia Gurdner resides at the home of her daughter at

       1222 South  Main Street, Lima, Ohio.  She was the property of Dr.

       Gurdner.  One is  immediately impressed by the lack of the features

       which are usually found in the colored race.  She is very fair in

       complexion with a thin nose, and very thin lips.  Her hair however

       is very kinky and snow white.  She has an outstanding personality,

       is very intelligent and happy.  She sometimes becomes vexed over the

       fact that her daughter will not allow her to work. The only work that

       she every did was housework, before and after her marriage.




               "I was born in the year of 1855, but I don't know what month or

       what day.  Folks say it must have been sometime in July,  'cause it sho

       was hot and I first seen the light of day on a plantation just east of

       Knoxville in good old Tennessee.

                Yo' all ask me about de times when I was a slave.  Of course,

       I was very young an' don't remembah a whole  lot.  My paw and maw was

       owned by Dr. Gurdner, a well known doctor in those parts.  He was always

       good to his slaves and we worked for him an' I never 'membah only once

       when he got mad and beat one of his slaves. This was a young slave an'

       Lawd, he was mean, The master tole him an' warned him not to do certain

       things.  Dis boy when he got a change he would run away, sometimes as far




			

Works Progress Administration (WPA) Ex-Slave Narratives

Julia Gardner, Ex-Slave Narrative