Interviewer
Sarah E. John
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Resident of El Paso, Texas.
Summary of Interview
Born near Dona Ana, New Mexico, in Shalam Colony (home for orphan children run by his family): family history; childhood and school recollections in El Paso (came to El Paso in 1903); experiences as a paper boy in South El Paso, later as a messenger boy for BH&SA railroad; Diaz-Taft meeting in 1909; brief comments on the Mexican Revolution; Juarez during Prohibition; experiences on railroad and as a caddy; comments on some prominent El Pasoans of the early years; Garrett; shootouts in El Paso; early voting procedures; George Ashley; former high school classmates; comments about his wife; inter-ethnic marriages; Harry Mitchell; floods in the early years in El Paso.
Date of Interview
8-20-1979
Length of Interview
1 hour 15 minutes
Tape Number
No. 366
Interview Number
No. 366
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Richard C. Vandewater by Sarah E. John, 1979, "Interview no. 366," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.