By Vanesa Brashier, editor@bluebonnetnews.com
Cleveland Historical Society and Bluebonnet News are partnering on a project to compile video interviews of Cleveland and Tarkington-area residents. The compilation is titled “Conversations.”
“We are looking for anyone who has lived here most of their life, knows the history of the area and has information on what influenced the direction of the town,” said Cleveland Historical Society President Pat Mange. “We don’t know a lot of this history and the only way we can get it is by talking to these people. We have some of our history written down, but people seem to want video and audio recordings of the history.”
The desired interviewees are aged 70 and up. Bill and Jean McAdams, longtime residents of Cleveland, were the first to be interviewed for this project.
“We want any old-timer who has a significant view of our history,” Mange said.
The video interviews, which will take less than an hour of time, will be conducted by appointment in the relaxed setting of the Cleveland Historical Museum, 203 E. Boothe St., Cleveland.
Interviewees need not worry that they do not know the entire history of their community. The goal is for various people to share their knowledge to compile a more complete history and to preserve that history for future generations.
The videos will be uploaded to a YouTube channel, a link for which will be shared as soon as several people have been interviewed. The future goal is to have a viewing area set up inside the museum where the videos can be displayed on a television.
Mange and other historians are compiling a list of potential interviewees. Anyone with an interest or suggestion should contact Cleveland Historical Museum at 281-659-2200.