At the time of his interview, James Brown was described as an 84-year-old blind man. He was formerly enslaved to Mr. Berney in Bell County, Texas, in 1853. While still an infant, he and his mother were sold to Mr. John Blair, who farmed four miles south of Waco, Texas. At the time of the interview, Mr. Brown lived alone in a “shack” located at 408 W. Belknap, Fort Worth, Texas

WPA Excerpts