Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Anthropology Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Linguistic Anthropology

Skidmore College

Black-owned businesses

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Anthropology

Anthony, Mabel “Biddie”. 1999. “An Oral Narrative Recorded By Courtney Reid.” West Side Oral Narrative Project: Transcribing Discourse And Diversity In Saratoga Springs, New York, Annotated Transcript No. 5, April 28, 2021, Skidmore College Apr 2021

Anthony, Mabel “Biddie”. 1999. “An Oral Narrative Recorded By Courtney Reid.” West Side Oral Narrative Project: Transcribing Discourse And Diversity In Saratoga Springs, New York, Annotated Transcript No. 5, April 28, 2021, Skidmore College

Transcribing Discourse and Diversity in Saratoga Springs, New York

Mable “Biddie” Anthony (1916-2015) moved from Pittsburgh to Saratoga Springs in 1940, when her husband, Marvin “Butch” Anthony began managing the Hill Top Inn on Congress Street. Biddie poignantly reflects on sweeping changes she saw in the city over her lifetime. She recounts her first impressions of Saratoga’s winters, the summer crowds, and how she learned about the city’s sporting district, which included musical entertainment, bars and restaurants, dancing, gambling, and brothels. From her experiences of living and working on Congress Street, Biddie creates a mental map of homes and businesses, including Hattie’s Chicken Shack, the Golden Grill, and Jack’s …


Turner, Anita Skinner. 1999. “An Oral Narrative Recorded By Courtney Reid.” West Side Oral Narrative Project: Transcribing Discourse And Diversity In Saratoga Springs, New York, Annotated Transcript No. 2, March 15, 2021, Skidmore College Mar 2021

Turner, Anita Skinner. 1999. “An Oral Narrative Recorded By Courtney Reid.” West Side Oral Narrative Project: Transcribing Discourse And Diversity In Saratoga Springs, New York, Annotated Transcript No. 2, March 15, 2021, Skidmore College

Transcribing Discourse and Diversity in Saratoga Springs, New York

Anita Skinner Turner (1937- ) was born and raised in Saratoga Springs. She shares memories of Black residents and business owners in the Congress Street area, which she calls “Little Harlem.” Anita recalls as a child observing a lively neighborhood from the screened porch of her grandmother’s business, Mrs. Georgia Jackson’s Boarding House. Anita’s grandmother rented rooms to wait staff, racetrack workers, chambermaids, housekeepers, and other local workers. She recalls the twenty-four-hour entertainment district that included Jack’s Harlem Club, Hattie’s Chicken Shack, and other places displaced by Urban Renewal in the 1960s. She remembers entertainers too, including Duke Ellington, Peg …