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Hattie Jane Brown is supposed to be about 115 years of age. The McMahan negro family first made the
acquaintance of Hattie Jane when she and her brother lived at Grandview, Texas; at which time she was well over
90 years old. After several years the brother died, and Hattie, who had no means of support, was taken by the
McMahan family into their home, and has lived with them continuously since that time, a period of about thirteen
years. (A)
Hattie's statement: "I was born near Woodville, Mississippi, March 8, 1822, er somewheres 'bout dat year. I don'
'member de name of my mahster. I'se so ol' I can't 'member things like I used to could. Use to I could tell you lots
things 'bout de ol' slavery times, but it's jes' hard for me to 'member back that fur now. I 'member ol' mahster's wife
wanted him to hang me 'cause she wanted my boy, and he tuk me out in de woods to hang me, but he conscience
hurt him, and he said he wouldn' hang me 'cause he already nearly blind and he 'fraid de Lawd make him more
blinder. I don' like to talk much of slavery times 'cause I wasn' treated ve'y well den. I 'members little 'bout de stars
fallin'. Look like a mist. Dat's 'bout all I 'members 'bout it. I was married and had some chillun, but my husban' and
dem all dead now far as I knows. All de res' my kinfolks, too, I reckon. I ain' ready to die. wants to live a long time
yet, and maybe I will. Ain't no tellin'." (B)
Hattie Jane Brown is supposed to be about 115 years of age. The McMahan negro family first made the
acquaintance of Hattie Jane when she and her brother lived at Grandview, Texas; at which time she was well over
90 years old. After several years the brother died, and Hattie, who had no means of support, was taken by the
McMahan family into their home, with whom she has lived ever since, a period of about thirteen years. (A)
Hattie says she was born at or near Woodville, Mississippi, March 8, 1822, she thinks, but is not positive about the
year. She does not recall the name of her owner. Her memory now being faulty, she is unable to give a clear account
of her experiences as a slave. She told a brief, but incoherent, story of her owner trying to hang her, but, she said, as
he was old and almost totally blind he decided not to hang her as, he said, he did not want it on his conscience. It is
impossible to make a connected account from what Hattie tells as she will speak only a few words intelligently, and
then lapses into muttering and mumbling which the listener cannot hear clearly. She claims that at times she can
recall and tell clearly of her slavery days, but she failed to do so on two visits to her to get her story. She also says
that she does not like to talk of slavery times as her experiences then were bad. Hattie was in bed for the day each
time when called on, but according to members of the McMahan family she is active and in fair health most of the
time, though it seems that after a day or two of activity it is necessary for her to spend a day in bed to rest. On last
Mother's Day she went to three Mother's Day parties as well as to church services and spent the next two days in
bed "sort of restin' up". Hattie does not seem to have become embittered toward white people as a result of
mistreatment she received during her years as a slave. Apparently she is not given to melancholy, and seems eager
to live as long as she can, possibly to set a record; and to get as much out of life as she can. She said that she was
married and had several children, but that her husband and children, in fact all members of her family as far as she
knows, are now dead. (B)Reference; A - Consultant - Viola McMahan (colored), Atlantic street, Cleburne, Texas.
B - Consultant - Hattie Jane Brown, ex-slave, Atlantic St., Cleburne, Tex.
Gauthier, Sheldon F. Tarrant, Co., Dist. #7"
