What is an oral history?
When a reporter or author writes a story, article or book, he/she will investigate the material. He will interview people, record what her sees and may report on previous written information found in books, journals, letters. Interviewing people create a live report of the story. It is an oral report of an event. An oral history is the same thing. It is the documenting of history through what people remember and tell to a reporter/recorder. There is a process to documenting history through oral reports. Centreville Settlement has an Oral History booklet that tells you how to collect information for history. Every person has stories to tell of the past. It is the old timers in the community that can tell the stories of history….when the railroad first came through, when the dam was built, what it was like when all the boys went off to WWI, what people did for entertainment when they were children, what were the favorite recipes of the time, how were holidays celebrated. They can also
