Oral history interview with Effie Beall

Effie Beall, a white woman who was born on November 19, 1896, talks about growing up near Capitol Hill and the stories her father, James Beall, would tell her about Anacostia, including about the Bonus Marches and the malaria epidemic. Beall mentions different community members who bought property in the area and could be helpful for these interviews. She describes how the neighborhood was "like a village" and how close the various families and community members were. She remembers Dr. Bury's Drug Store, and how Dr. Airs, a female pharmacist, took over his practice. She also recalls her father speaking about the nicknames the community gave several policemen, such as "Baby Snatcher Brown" and "Bulldog Jones." Beall talks about the friends she grew up with, reading the newspaper with her father, and the various recreational activities she enjoyed as a child. She speaks about the three different communities that made up Anacostia: Congress Heights, Hillsdale, and Uniontown. She includes information about how these communities were segregated and divided by streets and about how integration drastically changed these communities, creating issues with crime and housing. She ends the interview talking about important Anacostia residents and what their lives are like now. Effie Beall was interviewed by Wanda Dickens on November 14, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.