Material Type

Recording

Date Range

1991

Physical Condition

Excellent

History Biographical

The interview was done in conjunction with the Galt museum's video production depression years. Sydney womack appears in the video.

Acquisition Source

Sir Alexander Galt Museum

Scope and Content

2 cassette tapes. Tape 1 - 55 minutes. Tape 2 - 90 minutes.interviewee: sydney womack.interviewer: lori jarokosky, museum program leader.date: tape 1 - 19 September 1991. Tape 2 - 3 October 1991. Side A - Talks about a college in England. - He moved to Canada in 1919 from the States. - He was a guest speaker at the college or U of L and asked to speak about schooling in England. - Talks about working for the city in 1927, getting laid off, and going to work as a mixer on the construction of the new Marquis Hotel and new hospital. They lived at 114 16 Street North. He bought a farm near Kipp about 1930. The first year he planted a crop all he got back was the seed so he decided to open a blacksmith shop on the farm in 1931. He didn't have much work until sugar beets came in. - Talks about a windmill he constructed. - Talks about his business - kinds of jobs he did and bartering for pay. - Talks about his garden and helping his widow neighbor Mrs. Church (she later married Bob Jones). - Talks about other neighbors in the Kipp area. - Talks about his neighbor in the States who had died and how community members pitched in to help the widow and family. - Talks about a car he worked on and bartering for pay. - General information about the depression and dust storms. SideB - Talks about the birth of his daughter in 1928 and how she won the perfect baby contest held that year during the fair. - Talks about a trip he took to England. - Talks about his wife. Tape 2 - 90 minutes. Interviewed 3 October 1991. Side A - Talks about his childhood in England and his family members. - Talks about his wife and their courtship. They were married 62 years. - Talks about moving from England to the United States in 1911, then to Canada in 1918. His father was going to homestead in Canada, but got a job with the City of Lethbridge as a teamster. He remained with them until he retired. - Talks about his and his wife's school days in England. - When he came to Lethbridge his first job was with a gas company drilling gas wells. He worked for them for a couple of months then opened an auto garage in north Lethbridge with his neighbor. At that time there were not enough autos in Lethbridge to support two business partners so Sydney went to work for the City. - Talks about working for the city and the equipment he operated. - Talks about converting an automobile into a floating weed cutter used at Henderson Lake. - Talks about his job with the city. SideB - Talks about Henderson Lake and the weed cutter he built. - Talks about the various jobs he had with the City. - Talks about building a truck box for a chassis the city had purchased. - Talks about auto mechanics and automobiles. - Talks about the farm he purchased at Kipp in 1930. The first year all he got back from the crop he planted was the seed. He built a windmill that supplied power to the house. During the depression he recharged batteries for neighboring farmers for $1.00 per battery. - Talks about life on the farm and the blacksmith shop he built. - Talks about dust storms. - Talks about the crops.

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

19971068014

Collection

Archive

Less detail