Oral History Interview with Carl Smuck

Object Details

Names: Anacostia National Bank; Bonus Expeditionary Forces; YMCA of the USA; Bradshaw, John; Koontz, Wilbur Ledru, 1902-1982; Marbury, Cabell Bayne, 1902-1985; Smuck, Carl, 1905-1989
Collection Creator: Anacostia Community Museum

Place: Anacostia (Washington, D.C.); Congress Heights (Washington, D.C.); Barry Farms (Washington, D.C.); Anacostia Community Museum

Topic: Community Organizations; Banks and banking; Segregation -- United States; Anacostia Neighborhood Museum; exhibit

See more items in: Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records; Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records / Series 2: Interviews

Sponsor: Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).

Extent: 1 Sound recording ((1 data disk DVD-R digital, 24-bit 96kHz WAV.))); 1 Sound recording ((1 sound disk CD-R (00:26:07). digital, 16-bit 44.1 KhZ)); 1 Sound recording ((1 sound cassette (00:26:07)))

Type: Archival materials; Audio; Sound recordings; Oral histories (document genres)

Collection Citation: Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Collection Rights: Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Scope and Contents note: Carl Smuck, a white man born around 1905, describes what Anacostia was like when he moved to the area in September 1926. He discusses the demographics and how Anacostia was made up of three communities: Uniontown, Congress Heights, and Barry Farm (which includes Garfield). He explains how everyone did business together at the Anacostia Bank (now the Anacostia National Bank) and at Smuck's own law firm, but African American residents attended different churches, schools, and parks. He provides information on the history of Anacostia Bank (now Anacostia National Bank), where he also worked, and the previous bank, the Farmers Bank, which went out of business. Smuck speaks about the Anacostia Citizens Association, Anacostia Businessmen's Association, the local Y.M.C.A., and the Home and School Association. He discusses important community members who were a part of these associations, including Ledru Koontz and C. Bayne Marbury. He concludes the interview by talking about the recent spike in crime, the Bonus Marches, and the pressing issues regarding sanitation in the neighborhood. Smuck was interviewed by John Bradshaw on January 7, 1971. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.

Restrictions: Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.