Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
James (Jackie) Delaney |
Object Name |
Recording, Audio |
Audio Recording |
Click here to view/hear the file. Click here to view/hear the file. |
Scope & Content |
Jackie(James) Delaney was born on March 26, 1926 in Fernandina, FL. He talks about growing up in FB and said all there was to do was play marbles (at the Trinity Church at 8th & Ash) and baseball and go to school. He said everyone knew each other and everyone (black & white) would play baseball until after dark. He said FB was a dead town growing up except for baseball and marbles. He went to grade school and high school at Peck High and after high school, he worked at Container to earn money to join the Army. He had $154 in his pocket (he said he felt so rich) when he joined the Army at 18. He was first stationed at Ft. Benning and when he was on the train traveling there, he noted all the towns he went through, in case he didn't want to return to FB. He went to Camp Breckinridge in KY for basic training and during that time his Sargent asked the troops if anyone could play the bugle. Jackie said he could because he was in a drum & bugle corp. in FB. He ended up going to band training at Camp Lee in VA and played the bugle from then on. He returned to FB after his service and described the town as "hoppin". He would go to American Beach because it was a lot of fun. There was Evan's Rendesvous and casinos, it was segregated and busses came from all over FL and GA to enjoy the only black beach in FL at the time. He started working with the railroad and said he enjoyed it because he could come and go as he pleased. He worked in South Florida for 5 years. He said he always had a job because he knew all the various aspects of the railroad and could work any position. Women did not work on the railroad so the men would stay on longer. He never worried about having a job. He traveled to cities around the U.S. and would work long enough so he could make some money and travel somewhere else. He returned to FB long enough to see his Mom and to eat a steak. He didn't plan to stay long but as luck would have it, his friend introduced him to a girl he knew from 2nd grade. He got a job at the Mill and had planned to make some money there and move on. He dated the girlfriend for a while and after attending his grandfather's funeral, (since they were both "dressed up") he asked her to marry him. They drove to St. Marys with $18. in his pocket. He had to give the Justice of the Peace $5 to perform the service but his new wife wanted to be married by a preacher, so he paid another $5 to be married by the preacher which left him with $8 in his pocket. He jokes his wife married him for his money! He looks back on segregation/integration in FB and said the dance halls were segregated but when big names would come to town, the blacks and whites would sit on either side of the hall. The doctors in town would see both blacks and whites. During integration, Lockwood's Pharmacy in downtown FB removed the barstool seats in opposition. In later years, Jackie and his wife would sit on a bench in the pocket park downtown and talk to tourists. He said they were so friendly and said they loved FB and he did too. Said FB is the best town he's ever lived in! |
Object ID |
2019.043.009 |
Collection |
AIMH Heritage Keepers Project |
Caption |
Delaney at interview |
Interview place |
219 South 11th Street |
Interviewer |
Gene Kendall |
Length of Interview |
1:45:02 |
Narrator's name |
Jackie Delaney |
Number of images |
2 |
People |
Delaney, James W. III Kendall, Gene |
Recording media |
Digital Recording |
Search Terms |
American Beach Armed forces Civilian Conservation Corps Company 1420 Coin club Container corporation Doctors Episcopal Church Evan's Rendezvous Heritage Keepers Project HKP Lockwood Drug Store McClure's Hill Memorial Methodist Church Mr. Samual Peck High School Pogy Plant Railroads Segregation Sports World War II |
Date |
8/11/2010 |