Oral History Interviews and Written Memories: A Complete Compilation of Transcripts with Index

Available to download - a copy of the official archived transcripts of all oral history interviews and written memories of the A Look Back At Braddock oral history project, compiled in a single, searchable document and indexed.

The memories recorded in these transcripts, compiled in 2005, provided the primary source materials and inspiration in developing the book, "Braddock's True Gold: 20th-Centery Life In The Heart Of Fairfax County" (2006) and this companion website.

The file, ALBB_All_Transcripts_With_Index.pdf, is large - almost 4 MB.

Oral History, Part 2: Lee Hubbard

Part 2 of two parts. Lee Hubbard's family can trace its roots in Fairfax County to the 1700s. He discusses his childhood and milestone events. Lee Hubbard became a member of the police department and he talks about criminal cases, traffic, and the growth, administration, and operation of the police department.

Oral History, Part 2: Delbert (Bill) Sheads and Elsie Sisson (1921 - 2008)

In Part 2 of two interview sessions, Bill and Elsie (Sheads) Sisson, brother and sister, reminisce about their family, which came to the Braddock District from Culpepper, Virginia, in 1903. They talk about people and places, schools, lumbering and saw mills, and church life.

Oral History: Rosemarie Schelling

Rosemarie Schelling and her family moved to the Braddock District when her husband was stationed at the Pentagon during the 1960s. Their five children joined a neighborhood of large families. Rosemarie Schelling remembers family activities, outdoor sports, rural roads, and holiday celebrations.She traces changes in daily life.

Oral History: James Roland

James Roland was born in northern Virginia. His parents had moved to the area from Tennessee after World War II because of the better job market. James Roland learned carpentry and dry wall from his father, joined him in business, and then turned to carpentry and building. As a boy, he delivered papers on horseback. He remembers retrieving Civil War artifacts on local property, raising farm animals and distances traveled on rural roads for shopping, schools, and medical care. Railroads and hobos are among his early memories.

Oral History: Dennis Howard

Dennis Howard traces part of the history of African Americans in Fairfax County from the nineteenth century. He recreates the story of his own family from slavery to the present day. His ancestor, Horace Gibson, and fellow former slave Moses Parker established a blacksmith shop and purchased land near the intersection of Little River Turnpike and Prosperity Avenue after the Civil War. The partners eventually expanded their holdings to 400 acres, and the area later became known as Ilda.

Oral History: Bill Wrench

Bill Wrench came to the Braddock District in 1957 as the Director of the Economic and Industrial Development Committee (later, the Economic Development Authority). Lack of development in the county surprised him then, but his job was to integrate industrial development with residential growth. In 1960, he left the government and opened his own business, an oil distributorship and then a gas station. His family became part of the new Ravensworth Farm subdivision. Bill Wrench looks at roads, gas station management, and what brings people to live in the area.

Oral History: Helen Winter

Helen Winter moved to Annandale in 1969. She comments on the positive effects of immigration on the growth of the community and the development of community spirit over the years. Helen Winter became active in the local civic association and the planning commission. She discusses volunteerism and Annandale revitalization.

Oral History: Valerie Vahouny

Val Vahouny and her family moved to a new home in the original Kings Park development in 1963. Like many families in the 1950s, she and her husband first lived in an apartment until their growing family required more space. She talks about family and community life, daily activities, and celebrations, Valerie Vahouny remembers Braddock Road as a two-lane street with no traffic lights and a half-hour commute into the District of Columbia where her husband worked. She talks about physical growth and neighborhood changes over time.

Oral History: Mayo Stuntz

Mayo Stuntz is a descendant of the Fitzhugh family who came to the area in the 1600s. Born in 1915, he traces his genealogy, childhood, and county history. He talks about growing up in the county and its historic sites. Mayo Stuntz is a founding member of the Fairfax County History Commission and he discusses the work of that body.