Author Archives: Ryan Burke

Contextualization

From the Working in Carlisle oral histories, Stephen Gesemer interviewed Cassius Mullen. The interviewer frames his questions well, adding context to the question. Mr. Cassius responds in an equally thorough manner, adding depth to the interview. For example, when Gesemer … Continue reading

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West High Health

When interviewing Mr. Jeff Wood at Whistlestop Bookshop, he commented about the health of High Street near his store. The business fronts are usually full and there is a quicker turn around of empty ones. He noted that West High … Continue reading

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Interview with Mr. Seras, owner of Back Door Cafe

My interview with Mr. Seras taught me new and interesting things about Carlisle. This interview allowed me to see Carlisle through the eyes of Mr. Seras who was born and raised here. He comes from a family of business owners … Continue reading

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Charities of Carlisle

A 1901 article by Robert H. Humphreville titled “Charities of Carlisle”describes the towns’ five different charitable facilities. They include a hospital, an Old Ladies’ Home, a Children’s Friend Benevolent Society, and the County Poor House and Insane Asylum. Humphreville gives a detailed … Continue reading

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How are “Others” viewed?

In a 1901 Sociology class at Dickinson College, Jessie Houch, explained how some higher class (White) Calislians viewed “coloered people.  Houch states, “[Carlisle colored community ranges] from the queit unobtrusive colored gentlemen, of course, vulgar, loud, ‘coon’ who loafs on … Continue reading

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Changes in Carlisle’s Retail Industry

John Banco’s 1999 interview with John Dutrey of Dutrey’s Shoes reveals Dutrey’s opinion of how Carlisle has changed since he was a child. As Dutrey is in the retail business in Carlisle, he emphasizes how commercialization negatively influenced small retail … Continue reading

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The Battle of Carlisle: Did it affect the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg?

The Battle of Gettysburg, fought over three days (July 1-3, 1863) was a bloody and horrific turning point for the outcome of the American Civil War. Yet little is known about the Battle of Carlisle that took place on the … Continue reading

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Newspapers

J. Perry Wood, a Dickinsonian who wrote a paper on the local news establishments in Carlisle in 1901, had many opinions about the various newspapers of the time. The three main papers that he discusses are the “Herald,” the “Volunteer,” … Continue reading

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Militia, Fire Depts., and Police

According to Bonner in 1901 the town of Carlisle boasted a 58 man Militia. Each man was only paid for time in service and that lasted three years. The initial pay was $1.50 but, if they reenlisted they would be … Continue reading

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1999 Interview

While reading the interview of Margo McCrae by Lauren Bell Thomson, I picked up on something that we had talked about during our interviewing workshops in class. The first thing I noticed was that Bell Thomson allowed McCrae to answer … Continue reading

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