Robert Potter (1873 - 1959)

Born 17 Sep 1873 in Russellville, Pope, Arkansas, United States

Husband of Julia (Pless) Potter — married 19 Jun 1895 in Pope, Arkansas, United States

Descendants

Died 22 Aug 1959 at age 85 in Russellville, Pope, Arkansas, United States

Biography

Bob Potter is a part of US Black heritage.

Bob Potter was interviewed in Russellville, Arkansas about 1937 about his life and his time as an enslaved person. Bob was born after freedom.

"I was born de seventeenth of September, 1873 right here in Russellville. Daddy's name was Dick and mudder's was Ann Potter. Daddy died before I was born, and I never seed him. Mudder's been dead about eighteen yeahs. Dey master was named Hale, and he lived up around Dover somewheres on his farm, but I don't know how dey come by de name Potter. Well, now lemme see - oh, yes, dey was freed at Dover after dey come dere from North Ca'liny. I think my pa was born in West Virginia, and den dey went to North Ca'liny and den to South Ca'liny, and den come to Arkansas. I raised seven boys and lost five chillen. Dere was three girls and nine boys. All dat's livin' is here except one in Fresno, California. My old woman here, she tells fortunes for de white folks and belongs to de Holiness church but I don't belong to none; I let her look after de religion for de fambly."

"No suh, I used to vote but I quit votin', for votin' never did get me nothin'; I quit two yeahs ago. You see, my politics didn't suit em. Maybe I shouldn't be tellin' you but I was a Socialist, and I was runnin' a mine and wo'kin fifteen men, and dey was all Socialists, and de Republicans and Democrats sure put me out of business - dey put me to de bad. Dat was about twelve yeahs ago when I run de mine. I been tryin' to git me a pension but maybe dat's one reason I can't git it."

Interview: Bob Potter was interviewed in Russellville, Arkansas, by Thomas Elmore Lucy as part of the Federal Writer's Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The results are made available by the Library of Congress. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ [1] Library of Congress - WPA - Slave Narrative - Bob Potter - Vol. 2, Arkansas, part 5; pages 364-366, images 369-371 of 373.

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWK-DQJ : 13 January 2022), Bob Potter in household of Ann Potter, Russellville, Pope, Arkansas, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .

• "Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NMYM-9PD : 9 March 2021), Robert Potter, 19 Jun 1895; citing Marriage, Pope, Arkansas, United States, county offices, Arkansas; FHL microfilm 1,034,013.

• "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3X9-D3S : 11 March 2022), Robert Potter, 1900.

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKVP-4YH : accessed 5 November 2022), Robert Potter, Illinois, Pope, Arkansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 87, sheet 1A, family 6, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 61; FHL microfilm 1,374,074.

• "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDF4-CFM : 31 January 2021), Robert Potter, 1920.

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMGQ-Y5L : accessed 5 November 2022), Bob Potter, Illinois, Pope, Arkansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 21, sheet 2A, line 50, family 36, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 89; FHL microfilm 2,339,824.

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQKY-7S4 : 8 January 2021), Robert Potter, Illinois Township, Pope, Arkansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 58-24, sheet 2A, line 36, family 30, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 164.

• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #75135524 (accessed 24 November 2022)
  Memorial page for Robert Potter (17 Sep 1872-22 Aug 1959), citing Dwight Cemetery, Pope County, Arkansas, USA; Maintained by Marilyn Morris (contributor 47207326).