Gretchen Larson Interview, 25 March 2014

Gretchen Larson, Cleveland Native, discusses living in the Eastside suburbs of Cleveland. Born in East Cleveland, it was not long before her father took advantage of the Great Depression and moved them to a bigger, better house in Shaker Heights. She relates many memories about her time growing up on Southington Boulevard. These include how groceries were delivered directly to the house, how she once saw a runaway horse running down the street, and how people would pick the dandelions to make wine. After her time in Shaker Heights, she spent a brief interlude in Boston before getting married and moving back to Cleveland Heights. In Cleveland Heights she saw Martin Luther King, Jr. speak at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and she witnessed the integration of the city.

Participants: Larson, Gretchen (interviewee) / Horan II, John (interviewer)
Collection: Judson Oral History Project
Institutional Repository: Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection

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Judson Oral History Project

These interviews with residents of the Judson Park retirement community focus on personal recollections of the city's history and development. Interviews were conducted with the support of the Unger Family Foundation and the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University and were carried out by staff at Judson, alongside a team of researchers and students from Cleveland State.