Guide to the African Americans Affected by the East Bay Hills Fire Oral History Collection
Carl Schmitz
African American Museum & Library at Oakland
659 14th Street
Oakland, California 94612
Phone: (510) 637-0198
Fax: (510) 637-0204
Email: aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org
URL: http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/locations/african-american-museum-library-oakland
© 2013
African American Museum & Library at Oakland. All rights reserved.
Guide to the African Americans Affected by the East Bay Hills Fire Oral History Collection
Collection number: MS184
African American Museum & Library at Oakland
Oakland, California
- Processed by:
- Carl Schmitz
- Date Completed:
- 2015-06-24
- Encoded by:
- Carl Schmitz
© 2013 African American Museum & Library at Oakland. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: African Americans Affected by the East Bay Hills Fire oral history collection
Dates: 1993-1995
Collection number: MS184
Creator:
African American Museum & Library at Oakland
Creator:
Atkinson, Nicole C.
Collection Size:
.75 linear feet
(1 box)
Repository:
African American Museum & Library at Oakland (Oakland, Calif.)
Abstract: The African Americans Affected by the East Bay Hills Fire Oral History Collection was an oral history project undertaken by
the African American Museum & Library at Oakland. The African Americans Affected by the East Bay Hills Fire Oral History Collection
consists of 10 interviews conducted from 1993 to 1995 with African Americans who were living in the East Bay during the Oakland
hills firestorm of October 1991.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Access
No access restrictions. Collection is open to the public.
Access Restrictions
Materials are for use in-library only, non-circulating.
Publication Rights
Permission to publish must be obtained from the African American Museum & Library at Oakland.
Preferred Citation
African Americans Affected by the East Bay Hills Fire oral history collection, MS184, African American Museum & Library at
Oakland, Oakland Public Library. Oakland, California.
Acquisition Information
Oral history interviews were conducted by the African American Museum & Library at Oakland and retained in the African American
Museum & Library at Oakland archives.
Processing Information
Processed by Carl Schmitz.
Biography / Administrative History
The African Americans Affected by the East Bay Hills Fire Oral History Collection was an oral history project undertaken by
the African American Museum & Library at Oakland. Interviews were conducted by Nicole C. Atkinson.
Scope and Content of Collection
The African Americans Affected by the East Bay Hills Fire Oral History Collection consists of 10 interviews conducted from
1993 to 1995 with African Americans who were living in the East Bay during the Oakland hills firestorm of October 1991. In
addition to interviews with subjects whose homes were lost during the Oakland hills firestorm, the interview with P. Lamont
Ewell documents the experience of the Fire Chief for the City of Oakland. These interviews are preserved in their original
cassette tape format. Also available are a list of the questions used for the interviews and a complete collection of transcriptions.
The oral history interviews are divided into series by subject and organzied chronologically by the date in which they were
conducted.
Arrangement
Series I. Oral history cassette tapes
Series II. Transcripts and interview questions
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Berkeley (Calif.)--History.
Oakland (Calif.)--History.
African Americans--California--History.
Fires--California--Berkeley.
Fires--California--Oakland.
Wildfires--California--Berkeley.
Wildfires--California--Oakland.
Disasters--California--History.
Johnson, Chuck, 1938-.
Oral history cassette tapes
Physical Description: 10 cassette tapes
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by interviewee.
Box 1
Oral history interview with Henry and Leilani Cotten
1993-07-31
Physical Description: Cassette tape
Physical Description: Run Time: 46 (min): 58 (s) Side A
Physical Description: Run Time: 13 (min): 29 (s) Side B
Description
At the time of the fire, Henry and Leilani Cotten lived on Tunnel Road, Henry worked for an insurance company, and Leilani
was co-owner of a pre-school. When the fire started, Leilani was home while Henry was away from home and heard of the fire
on television.
Box 1
Oral history interview with James and Barbara Coleman
1993-09-23
Physical Description: Cassette tape
Physical Description: Run Time: 14 (min): 05 (s) Side A
Physical Description: Run Time: 47 (min): 17 (s) Side B
Description
At the time of the fire, James and Barbara Coleman lived at the Parkwoods Apartments on Caldecott Lane, James worked for the
San Mateo County Juvenile Hall, and Barbara was a mortgage banker. When the fire started, James and Barbara were both at home.
Box 1
Oral history interview with Ida and Percy Williams
1993-09-30
Physical Description: Cassette tape
Physical Description: Run Time: 37 (min): 52 (s) Side A
Description
At the time of the fire, Ida and Percy Williams lived at the Parkwoods Apartments on Caldecott Lane, and both were retired.
When the fire started, they were both in Reno on a trip.
Box 1
Oral history interview with Anna Bush-Hardin
1993-12-13
Physical Description: Cassette tape
Physical Description: Run Time: 55 (min): 12 (s) Side A
Physical Description: Run Time: 07 (min): 48 (s) Side B
Description
At the time of the fire, Anna Bush-Hardin lived on Tunnel Road and owned a beauty salon. When the fire started, she was at
home.
Box 1
Oral history interview with Chuck Johnson
1994-01-18
Physical Description: Cassette tape
Physical Description: Run Time: 44 (min): 09 (s) Side A
Description
At the time of the fire, Chuck Johnson lived at the Parkwoods Apartments on Caldecott Lane and owned Soulbeat, a local cable
television station. When the fire started, he was driving away from his home, but quickly returned.
Box 1
Oral history interview with George, Bonnie, and Angel Abrams
1994-02-08
Physical Description: Cassette tape
Physical Description: Run Time: 94 (min): 53 (s) Side A
Physical Description: Run Time: 46 (min): 43 (s) Side B
Description
At the time of the fire, George, Bonnie, and Angel Abrams lived on Romany Road, George was a banker, Bonnie was an X-ray technician,
and Angel was in grade school. When the fire started, Bonnie and Angel were driving home from church and George was at work.
Box 1
Oral history interview with Deanna Taylor
1994-03-05
Physical Description: Cassette tape
Physical Description: Run Time: 45 (min): 34 (s) Side A
Physical Description: Run Time: 06 (min): 51 (s) Side B
Description
At the time of the fire, Deanna Taylor lived at the Parkwoods Apartments on Caldecott Lane and worked for PG&E. When the fire
started, she was at home.
Box 1
Oral history interview with Warren Widener
1994-03-30
Physical Description: Cassette tape
Physical Description: Run Time: 47 (min): 26 (s) Side A
Physical Description: Run Time: 27 (min): 56 (s) Side B
Description
At the time of the fire, Warren Widener lived on Ocean View and worked for a foundation. When the fire started, he was at
church with his family.
Box 1
Oral history interview with Don Hopkins
1994-07-17
Physical Description: Cassette tape
Physical Description: Run Time: 58 (min): 43 (s) Side A
Physical Description: Run Time: 11 (min): 15 (s) Side B
Description
At the time of the fire, Don Hopkins lived on Amito Drive and worked as District Administrator for Congressman Ronald Dellums.
When the fire started, he was at home.
Box 1
Oral history interview with P. Lamont Ewell
1995-01-20
Physical Description: Cassette tape
Physical Description: Run Time: 36 (min): 43 (s) Side A
Description
At the time of the fire, P. Lamont Ewell was Fire Chief for the City of Oakland.
Oral history questions and transcripts
Physical Description: Three folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Box 1:2
Bound complete transcripts with East Bay Hills Fire bibliography
1993-1995
Box 1:3
Individual transcripts
1993-1994
