Interview with William C. Bibbs, August 11, 1986

Project: Black People in Lexington Oral History Project

Interview Summary

According to Mr. Bibbs, waiters classify patrons in four classes. The wealthy received extra service, and sometimes cheap whiskey was substituted for more expensive brands. Lafayette Hall was known for the excellence of its prime beef, and Lexington had a reputation as a good gambling town. He refers to the 1930s as the "Dirty Thirties" and recounts tales of off-track gambling operations with their "board boys", "servicemen", and "hand books." Mixing with the wealthy at the restaurants at which he worked, Mr. Bibb learned how to eat good food, drink fine liquor, and wear well-made clothes. He recalls his employment at Watermelon John and African American restaurateur, Holloway Fields.
He discusses the difference between white and African American schools and his educational background, the role of the African ministers and churches within the society, his reaction to the civil rights movement, and his dislike for and involvement with politics. Mr. Bibbs also remembers buying his first house, and his employment as a janitor at the University of Kentucky.

Interview Accession

1986oh242_kh369

Interviewee Name

William C. Bibbs

Interviewer Name

Emily Parker

Interview Date

1986-08-11

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.

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Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

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Bibbs, William C. Interview by Emily Parker. 11 Aug. 1986. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.

Bibbs, W.C. (1986, August 11). Interview by E. Parker. Black People in Lexington Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.

Bibbs, William C., interview by Emily Parker. August 11, 1986, Black People in Lexington Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.





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Persistent Link for this Record: https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7v9s1km19v