Oral history interview with Marvin Moon

Marvin Moon, an African American man who was born in 1902, describes what Anacostia was like when he moved there as a young man in 1923 for work. He talks about how the neighborhood was segregated, the long-standing community members he knew (such as John Williams, John Henry Dale Jr., James Smoot, and Emma Smith), and the different shops he would visit, such as Dyson's Barbershop, William's Grocery Store, Miller's General Store, and Dr. Scott's. He lists nearby churches, including Campbell AME Church, Bethlehem Baptist Church, St. Philip's Episcopal, and Macedonia Baptist Church as well as mentioning the police force, the transportation in the neighborhood, and the Anacostia Bank. Moon includes information about sanitation and electricity in Anacostia during the 1920s and 1930s, including having an iceman make deliveries in the warmer months. He discusses his farming in Congress Heights and how people sold beans and potatoes. He recalls playing in Green Willow Park and visiting Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy in Douglass Hall. He ends the interview talking more about transportation in Anacostia, specifically when mules, horses, and wagons were phased out by streetcars and taxies. Marvin Moon was interviewed by Donna Coates on November 4, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.