OH081 Willie Gream Oral History
Collection Title
Jackson Purchase Oral History Project - Night Riders
Series Number
OH081
Interviewee
Gream, Willie
Interviewer
Jones, Susan
Date Interviewed
November 19th, 1973
Processed by
Sheree Wise
Date Processed
July 15th, 2010
Description
1 sound disc (20 minutes)
Abstract
Willie Gream recalls meeting members of the Night Riders in Calloway County, Kentucky. Not one of them spoke to him but he did notice many of them were riding grey mules. He further discusses the activities of the Night Riders, such as scrapping tobacco plants. He remembers that the Night Riders wanted to raise the price of tobacco and that they tarred and feathered those who opposed their ideologies. Gream also discussed the fact that he was never bothered by the Night Riders since he was a member of the "Association" and worked at an "Association" tobacco farm. He briefly mentioned that the Night Riders did not harass African Americans in Calloway County but offered no reasons why.
Biographical/Historical Note
Willie Gream was born in Calloway County, Kentucky in 1892. He moved away from Kentucky for about forty years to work for the railroad. He returned to Calloway County to become a part-time farmer and brick layer.
General Information
No user access to original recordings. Use audio user copies, digital derivatives, transcripts, and/or tape indexes. This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). Permission for reproduction must be requested from Murray State University.
Subject Headings/Descriptors
Gream, Willie, 1892-
Calloway County (Ky.) - History
Night Riders
Recommended Citation
Jones, Susan, "OH081 Willie Gream Oral History" (2025). Night Riders. 5.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/oh-nr/5
Audio Transcript
