Bill Hardt Oral History

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Part OfBill Hardt Oral HistoryIntervieweeHart-Foti, BillInterviewerMcBride, JoyceBrowse TopicBusiness and IndustryCommunity GroupsLaborLand, Environment, and Natural ResourcesSubjectGlobe, AZCivil Conservation CorpsMcNary, AZVallery FamilyDescriptionAthia was 10 years old when her parents, Joe and Annie Carter Vallery and family came by train to McNary, AZ. Joe Vallery was a mechanic working for James G. McNary. At that time, many skilled sawmill workers, mostly African-Americans, were transferring from McNary, Louisiana to start a new timber and milling operations in the White Mountains of Arizona. Athia grew up near the McNary sawmill. She attended school and graduated Valedictorian of her class. Bill Hardt was born in Texas in 1906. His family had lived there for generations. At one point in Bill’s youth his family answered an uncle’s call to work in the mines in Bisbee, AZ. It was a hard adjustment for everyone. After a mine cave-in killed the uncle the family quickly returned to Texas. Bill Hardt graduated from high school during the Great Depression as the Valedictorian of his class as well, but there was no work to be found. The CCC’s promised Bill he’d see California if he joined, but the train stopped at Globe, AZ instead. He worked on the construction of Highway 60 between Globe and Show Low. He was living at the CCC camp outside Pinetop when he happened to meet Athia Vallery in McNary. For 17 year-old Athia love was at first sight, but her mother was determined to separate them because Bill was 10 years older. She was so adamant, in fact, she forced her husband to quit his job and return to Louisiana. Athia vowed to return to Bill as soon as she was of age, so the family resigned to the inevitable and moved back. Bill and Athia married and soon baby Kathy was born. Bill Hardt heard the mines were hiring in Globe, so the young family relocated, settling on Noftsgar Hill. Jo was born in the McNary hospital during a mine strike and while Bill stayed in Globe to work as through the strike as a poker player. Next, August was born. Jo recalls their childhood with their father working as a miner and part time poker player.Audio Length00:21:24Date Original2012-03-15Date Range1930s (1930-1939)TypeSound- NonmusicalOriginal FormatOral historiesLanguageEnglishContributing InstitutionGila County Historical MuseumCollectionOral Histories of Globe High SchoolRights StatementThe opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and interviewer only. They do not represent the views of the Gila County Historical Society of Globe High School. Please contact the Gila County Historical Society Museum, located at 1330 North Broad Street, Globe, AZ 85501; call 928-425-7385 or email [email protected] with questions concerning content or the use and reproduction of this resource.

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City or TownGlobeCountyGila CountyStateArizonaCountryUnited StatesGeoNames URIhttps://sws.geonames.org/5296013

Oral HistoryBill Hardt

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IdentifierPart 1 Hardt Foti, Jo.mp3Date Digitized2012-03-15Digital FormatMP3

1.mp3

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Bill Hardt Oral History