James Oliver Foote
Calvert County Marine Museum Oral History Project
These are audio recorded interviews with residents of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties, Maryland who were connected to the seafood houses of Southern Maryland. Michel and Carrie Kline did this work in 2005 as part of the “Seafood Houses of Southern Maryland Documentation Project” of the Calvert County Marine Museum.
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"At that time, you didn’t buy the oysters. You bought the man and the boat. Now, the white man got from five to ten cents more on a bushel than the colored person got. Same oysters, but that’s the way they worked the system."
James Oliver Foote was born on June 6, 1918, during the end of World War I and the influenza pandemic. He was raised in Coster, a community where his fore-parents were enslaved by the Georges and Tongues families. His great-grandfather, Thomas Foote, was born into slavery and owned by these families. Foote's family history also includes the Johnsons, who originated from the same area, specifically a place called Elms Creek. Foote's father was a tobacco farmer who also worked on the water, particularly during the oyster season. Foote was part of a large family, with twelve siblings, nine boys, and three girls.
Scope and Content Note:
The interview with James Oliver Foote, conducted by Michael Kline on June 16, provides a detailed account of Foote's family history, upbringing, and the socio-economic conditions of his community. Foote discusses his great-grandfather's enslavement by the Georges and Tongues families and the impact of this history on his family. He also provides a geographical description of his hometown, Coster, and the surrounding areas, including Elms Creek. Foote's father's work as a tobacco farmer and seasonal oyster worker is also discussed, providing insight into the economic activities of the community. Foote also mentions the family home, describing it as an old-fashioned A-front building, and shares that he was one of twelve siblings. The interview provides a rich narrative of Foote's personal history and offers a glimpse into the life and times of African American families in the early 20th century.
Keywords: Fishery processing plants--Maryland, Southern; Oyster fisheries--Maryland, Southern; Maryland, Southern--History
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