Lafayette Archival Oral History Collection 1968-2001
In the mid-1970s, Effie Amicarella and Carolyn Connaroe obtained a grant from the Colorado State Library to begin a series of taped oral history interviews to record and preserve early resident's recollections of the history of Lafayette. This collection features these oral histories and many more, altogether spanning from 1968-2001. These interviews highlight Lafayette’s mining history, agrarian history, history of commerce and more. Included here are digital copies of cassette recordings and transcripts that are physically located in Lafayette Public Library's archives.
Pages
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- Oral History with Willametta "Billie" Miller
- Willametta “Billie” Miller’s oral history interview conducted on May 12th, 1975 discusses her life within the growing city of Lafayette. The main themes of this interview surround Mrs. Miller’s family, including her and her husband’s (Frank Miller) respective ancestry and their children. Billie comments on the personality, interests, and legacy of her grandmother-in-law, Mary Miller, also reflects on her influence on contemporary Lafayette. Miller also described changes to the many businesses, schools, and overall infrastructure within the community. She spoke about her involvement in local community events and how her friends and family entertained themselves in Lafayette and throughout northern Colorado.
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- Oral History with William & Anna Barrowman
- The Barrowmans shared the history of the house in which they lived and provided recollections of the area around the house and a history of her family- her father worked in the mines. Anna spoke of the school on Baseline Road and provided rich descriptions of the various businesses in town. Anna touched on rationing during WWII, gypsies in town, and of the trouble of getting around during the winter due to the severe weather.
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- Oral History with William Moon
- Bill's family moved from Louisville, CO to Lafayette, CO when he was 6 years old. In this interview, he talks about how he got his start as a butcher. Bill discusses many things about the town of Lafayette such as the train service to Boulder and Denver, the Millers, the fire house, the schoolhouse, clothing, and activities for young folks – skating, sleigh rides, dances.
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- Oral History with Winston and Helen Morgan
- In this oral history interview with Winston and Helen Morgan, there is discussion of coal mining, the rail system in the area, and the local government of Lafayette, CO in the 1940s and 1950s.
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- Oral History with the Historical Society Tea
- Members of the tea society reflect on the old homes and buildings of Lafayette and the growth of the town in their lifetimes. As they look at pictures of old buildings, they tell stories about the buildings, including who owned them and how they operated, and how they have changed. Audio available in the collection is incomplete.
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- Oral History with the Moon Family
- In this interview, Elmer “Buzz” Moon is being interviewed by an unknown interviewer. Also included on the tape are many female voices that are sisters and cousins in the Moon family, some of which appear to be Buzz’s daughters. This interview includes discussions of coal mining, millwrights, Rocky Flats, the flu epidemic, and farming. The family members look at photographs and discuss who might be in the photos and this prompts more discussions of other family members. Unfortunately, this interview has a lot of crosstalk that makes understanding and transcribing the conversation difficult. When a speaker change could be identified, it was noted as such.