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23 original Pie Town video recordings, copyright Ann Mundy, 1986.

 Item — Box: 1

Scope and Contents

  1. DVD #1: EDD JONES, original cook at Pie Town Hotel, at his homestead: From Texas in 1934. Cooked for HL Craig at the hotel on the hill in Pie Town, made pies. People had nothing, made living from starch. Dugouts without floors, windows. Generally most very self-respecting, tried To help others. People helped build houses, women cooked in the field. Harvest dances-overnights and breakfasts. When he needed work done and Had nomoney, he would trade his surplus food Depression, drought, war. Texas high dry land. ‘’Cowboy and ex-cook-that’s about the size of my life.’’ Grass higher-up to stirrups on a horse. Creek, ankle deep. Road by WPA ’30 or ’30. ’32 or ’43 last bean crop that amounted to anything. Café and Hotel: wood stove, people used to ‘’common food’’, not at hard to please then, Service lousy-he was cook, waitress, dishwasher. ‘’Running water in every room-run to the well and back.’’ Russell Lee-Big husky guy-always seemed to be jolly.
  2. DVD #2: EDD JONES, at his homestead (continued): Mr. and Mrs. Craig made pies and served to cowboys. She wanted the place Named Pie Town-Ben Shavitts (Senator or Congressman) said no at first. Money talks. The big rancher came, thought they were better than the guy Who didn’t have it; things changed. Between ’30 and ’45, if somebody needed Help, somebody would care. Poaching. Video of Edd, his house, dog
  3. DVD #3: Video of moon, Edd Jones. Video of BEULAH THOMAS, house exterior, flowers, Mrs. Roy Mckee arrives: Catron County fair, first organized Farm Bureau in the state. Came in ’26, Lived in a dugout for a year, built a house. Quilt. Russell Lee-had patience, A tall thin man. THOMAS, interior: From Bronco, Texas in a covered wagon. Filed on section, had 12 kids, husband delivered 10. Sewing.
  4. DVD #4: GRANVILLE NORRIS in his house: Russell Lee running around country. The guys ran concession at the first Pie Town fair, dance, fun, eat dinner. Problem today-‘’ain’t got no time to visit’’; Lee would sit down and talk. Model A. Lee, thick chested and wore glasses. Headed west. Arthritis. Garage, old store, hotel was all of Pie Town. Arrived and camped in army tent in open field. Mail run 2 times a week. Mom was school teacher. Walked 10-20 miles, everyone. Nobody had nothing, cleared ground, breaking plow. Church. Every weekend had a ‘’to-do’’, people happier then.
  5. DVD #5: GRANVEL NORRIS (continued): Parents had huge garden. Lee took pictures with a big camera. Mr. Craig, First business was selling pies to cowboys, therefore name for post office. BLM mining claim, track of land, stock drive. WPA-‘’we piddle around’’ Stayed in Pie Town, was a living, going off to big town always bad and getting worse. Younger generation in PT won’t work. OPAL MCGEE, postmistress with rancher husband: No diversions, comforts, TV, radio, refrigerator, electricity. Walked, Horseback or buggy. Hauled water, worked in field. Sunday church after Danced Saturday night. Main worry was raising enough food. A rabbit was ‘’really eating’’. Kinds of food. Well water, buckets, haul home, dump into Tank. Washed clothes with rub board. Correspondence school because no High school. Now, just cattlerasising, no farming. Then and now, visiting, TV Caring, depending on each other. Hard times. Late ‘30s and ‘40s, some left To go to defense jobs, some stayed
  6. DVD #6: REX NORRIS in corn field: ‘’it runs into work all right, but if a feller leaves his feelings at the house, he Can get it done.’’ Moisture, dry land farming, into shock, wind, freeze. Corn And beans. Predictions. Video: working his corn harvest. Ties bundles of stalks REX and Granny on porch Came with everything they owned, Model T Truck, tent, chickens, dogs, tent, ’35 2 feet of snow, knew nobody. ‘’Grubbing for $1 a day plus board.
  7. DVD #7: REX and GRANNY on porch: $32 a section to file. Live on it 3 years and improve, then file for title and it was yours. Wanting a place to call home. Working in the beanery. Work. Sawmill. Homes, dugouts, Determination. Harmony.
  8. DVD #8: REX and GRANNY on porch: Russell Lee-chunky, friendly with everybody, white lightning, parties sun- Down to sun-up, healthy and happy, freedom Video: marine on phone at Brake 21 Café
  9. DVD #9: JACK KEELE at the café: 1933 from Dimmit, Texas. Arrived with 6 cents left. Dust bowl in Texas, Depression. Prioneering frontier, community here. The stage, mail, chicks, Mail order, supplies, clothing. Relationships more profound, closer, happier. The community then and now. MARINE/cook-owner of café: What good is Pie Town without a Pie Festival? People stop for pies now. Story of 1908 wagon of dried fruit and Mr. Craig.
  10. DVD #10 : Video in Café Video of EDD JONES in his kitchen, making a pie for the competition. He talks About learning to cook working on ranches in the area.
  11. DVD #11 and 12: Video fo EDD JONES baking and talking about baking pies, being a cook.
  12. DVD #13: ROY AND MAUDIE BELL MCKEE on their porch: Arrived in 1937. Dugout for 3 years, built house, politicians, school board, land Into cultivation, machinery, irrigation, drilling, lunch programs. War, sold Farms. Drilled well and deeded land to Pie Town. Meridian, correction line, The Continental Divide.
  13. DVD #14: ROY and MAUDIE BELL MCKEE: Highway 60. School and church and farming. Farm Bureau building, fairs Catron county, GI school, vets. Altitude makes good vegetables, moisture. Bean cleaning establishment, trucking thrashing. Russell Lee. Mining claim. Cowboys would go 10 miles out of their way for the pies. Post office name. Midway between Texas and California. Video of the garden.
  14. DVD #15: BEATRICE CRAWFORD on porch: From Abilene, Texas. Husband had TB so they came in ’37 and 5 of them Were snowbound in one room house with no groceries except 150 pounds of corn. Canning. Odd jobs. Shared food. Taught Sunday school. People selfish Now, don’t get involved
  15. DVD #16: JODY, the chariman of the town council: The first Pie Festival. The city is nowhere, you’re one of a mass. Here you Can be an individual. EDD JONES: Nothing like the old fairs. Dull, nothing going on. GEORGE HUTTON: Homesteaded 1930. From Oklahoma. ‘’You name it, I can do it’’ Has a little Machine shop.
  16. DVD #17: GEORGE HUTTON at the Pie Festival: Studied electronics, correspondence course. Filed, farmed. WWII. First electric light plant, REA, telephone co. Nearly all homesteaders gone. Retired. Woodworker. Video of festival. Note: recording is fast speed in beginning
  17. DVD #18: Video of Pie Festival
  18. DVD #19: Video of Night Dance and Pie Auction. George Hutton in his workshop: tools, woods, self educated carpenter but farmer by trade. Plumber card. Union cards. Depression-$1 a day, beans.
  19. DVD #20-22: No description available. Tape 22 video is shaky.
  20. DVD #23: "Pie Town: The Last Pioneers"

Dates

  • 1986.

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research

Extent

From the Collection: 23 video recordings on DVD

Physical Storage Information

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository

https://library.unm.edu/cswr/index.php
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451

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