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Herrington, Harriet

1(A) Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Scarber, 1116 East North Street, Indianapolis, Indiana.

2(B) Anna Pritchett, Federal Writer, 1200 Kentucky Avenue.

Harriet Herrington, grandmother of Mrs. Scarber, was a slave in Alabama; she served under a very mean master,lived and worked on his farm for years. After freedom she came north. (A)Her grandfather was taken from her grandmother and sold to someone in Memphis, Tennessee. (A)Her father was owned by old man Heron, who was very mean to him. Mr. Heron got tired of him and sold him to a

Mr. Lindsay; he was very happy to be away from his former master, as he was so very unkind. It was some better atthe Lindsay home. (A)The mother lived in Middle Tennessee with a family by the name of Donnell, who did not believe in slavery. (A)

The negroes, who worked on the Donnell farm, were treated most kindly. (A)In some way the father came to Middle Tennessee and married the mother from the Donnell home. To this unioncame three children. (A)

The Donnells were very fond of them and would not permit the family to be separated. (A)

The Donnell daughter married a man by the name of Phillip, who owned many slaves and wanted to make MaryElizabeth's mother a slave, but old Mrs. Donnell would not consent. (A)Before old Mrs. Donnell died, she exacted a promise from the daughter (Mrs. Phillips) to never allow the

Herrington family to be separated. (A)After the Civil War, Dutch Trice came north. He brought the father with him, promising him a log cabin in whichhis family could live. He got his family north and they lived together in this log cabin, on Spri Creek, until one

spring, there was so much rain, the water rose so high the children were put in the loft to keep from drowning. After the wat receded, the family left the cabin, as they were fearful of another flood. (A) Dave Young owned a farm, but had not enough help to run it; he offered Heron one-third of everything they raised

if he would work for him. So the family went to the farm, worked there until they had saved enough to get to Indianapolis. "That was 61 years ago." (A)

Mrs. Scarber and one son live together. She has worked very hard until about four years ago, when her eyes failed her. (B)

She has quilted for a number of people, but her eyes are "not so good," so she just does her housework. (B)

She has the birth dates of all the negroes born on the Donnell place.

Hicks, Dr. Solomon Madison, Indiana (Grace monroe Jefferson County, Indiana)

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