The purpose of the Main Street Association's Oral History Project is to collect anecdotal stories about people, buildings and residences that are of historical interest or exist in Louisville's historic Main Street district. In October 2003, the Main Street Association began a collection of oral narratives about the history of Main Street and its surrounding neighborhood. Because this was where Louisville's economic, social, political and cultural history began, MSA felt it was especially important to record the memories of business, residential and building owners or their descendants, especially those who have had access to primary sources. After a period of physical and economic decay and emphasis on suburban development, Main Street and its surrounding downtown streets have come alive again, and that makes it even more important to preserve its colorful history.
All existing interviews are stored on archival quality compact discs in the University of Louisville's Archives. Compact discs of the interviews are available through the Main Street Association's offices and will also be available at the MSA Visitor and Information Center on West Main Street; they are also available at the University of Louisville's Archives and Records Center, located on the fourth floor of Ekstrom Library. The interviews are currently being transcribed with support from the Kentucky Oral History Commission.
If you would like to order a copy (CD or, when available, a transcript), please contact Carrie Daniels, co-director of the Oral History Center by email, or by telephone (502-852-6674). Audio copies cost $10 per interview.
| Interviewee | Date | Interview Number(s) | Summary information | Transcript? | Interviewer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker, JoAnn, with Mary Shearer and Linda Luster | Jan. 3, 2007 | 2007-22-14 | The daughters of Joseph Shearer, a vice president of Belknap Hardware and Wholesale, share their memories of the business and its culture from the 1940s to the 1970s. | No | Foley, Susan | 60 min. |
| Benovitz, William | Feb. 22, 2007 | 2007-117-3 | Son of the founder of a wholesale bag business located on the north side of Main Street between 7th and 8th Streets, recalls what it was like to work on Main Street from circa 1936 until 1956. | No | Foley, Susan | 60 min. |
| Berry, K. Norman | Oct. 2, 2004 | 2005-87-21 | Main Street Association - owner of the building at 611 W. Main St. | No | McGarrah, John | 23 min. |
| Berry, K. Norman | Jan. 24, 2008 | 2008-28-1 | Architect who designed the renovation of a number of historic buildings on Main St., including Slugger Field, 21C and the Doe-Anderson Buidling. Describes the structures, their histories, and the challenges of updating the structures | No | Foley, Susan | 61:04 min. |
| Biesel, Andy and Jack Guthrie | Nov. 26, 2007 | 2008-33-1 | Business owners on West Main Street and former presidents of the Main Street Association, discuss Biesel's acquisition and restoration of property at 621 W. Main Street and the revitalization of Main Street from the 1970s to the present. | No | Foley, Susan | 92 min. |
| Broecker, Brad | Dec. 20, 2005 | 2007-22-6 | Descendent of the original owners of Klarer Packing Co. describes the meatpacking business in the East Main neighborhoods and its relationship to the Stock Yards. (Bourbon Stockyards.) | No | Foley, Susan | 48 min. |
| Broecker, Carla Sue | Mar. 3, 2006 | 2007-22-2 | Granddaughter of the original treasurer of the Fischer Packing Co. recalls the lives of several of the Fischers, her visits to the Stock Yard and to the Stock Yards Bank as a child. | No | Foley, Susan | 60 min. |
| Brown, Gordon | Oct. 1, 2004 | 2005-87-10 | President and CEO of Home of the Innocents, located on the site of the Bourbon Stockyards. | No | Yu, Meng | 27 min. |
| Burke, Frank W., 1920- | Oct. 1, 2004 | 2005-87-3 | Former mayor of Louisville and son of an employee of Carter Dry Goods, which is now the site of the Louisville Science Center. | No | n/a | 34 min. |
| Burke, Tricia and Kelly Burke | July 12, 2007 | 2007-117-13 | Present owners of Office Environment Company (formerly Office Equipment Company), give some history of the company and describe their experiences at the 4th and Main store when they were very young and what it is like to run the business today at 11th and Market. Covers the period from 1934 to present. | No | Foley, Susan | 45 min. |
| Byrd, Janet | Aug. 22, 2006 | 2007-22-24 | Main Street Association | No | Foley, Susan | 70 min. |
| Cates, Harold | Feb. 28, 2007 | 2007-117-5 | Realtor and real estate investor, talks about the revitalization of Main Street and his role in the process from the mid-1970s until the present. | No | Foley, Susan | 43:10 min. |
| Churney, Edith | May 26, 2006 | 2007-22-15 | Descendant of a family that owned Weinstein's, a family clothing store that carried new and used clothes in the 100 block of East Main St., recalls her memories of the family's living above the store, the neighborhood and their loss of the business after her grandfather became blind and the Great Depression occurred. | No | Foley, Susan | 37 min. |
| Clarke, Kate | Oct. 2, 2004 | 2005-87-16 | Resident of 323 East Market, Louisville. | No | Noah | 15 min. |
| Clarke, Kate | Mar. 20, 2008 | 2008-055-01 | Resident of 323 E. Market tells the history of her residence and the neighborhood from when the dwelling was built in 1843 until the present. | No | Foley, Susan | 59:55 min. |
| Cochran, Lee | Oct. 1, 2004 | 2005-87-12 | Daughter of the late Archibald Cochran, who was one of the people who redeveloped Louisville's waterfront. | No | unknown | 26 min. |
| Cook, Kristi and Don | Nov. 16, 2007 | 2008-33-2 | Owners of the Normandy Building at 101 N. 7th Street and 641 W. Main Street discuss the history of those properties. | No | Foley, Susan | 27 min. |
| Courtenay, Whitley H. | Jan. 11, 2007 | 2007-22-12 | Whit Courtenay, a descendant of the original owners of the Fulton-Conway Co. at 805 W. Main Street and the building's current owner discusses the history of the business and the building. | No | Foley, Susan | 60 min. |
| Cull, Martha | Oct. 2, 2004 | 2005-87-17 | Early member of the Preservation Alliance and, at the time of the interview, director of the Main Street Visitor's Center on historic West Main St. | No | Noah | 18 min. |
| Doninger, Eric | Oct. 1, 2004 | 2005-87-11 | Architect at Brown-Forman, on the history of the buildings at 626-634 West Main St. | No | n/a | 22 min. |
| Eckhart, Frederick | Mar. 19, 2007 | 2007-117-7 | Volunteer for Main Street Association talks about his interest in the revitalization and preservation of Main Street, 1980-present. | No | Foley, Susan | 46:30 min. |
| Frazier, Owsley Brown | Sept. 12, 2007 | 2007-148-1 | Majority stockholder of Bittner's on East Main and the founder of the Frazier International History Museum at 9th and West Main Streets, discusses the background of his ownership of Bittner's, Louisville's oldest continually-operating cabinetmaker and design firm and his founding of the Frazier International History Museum. | No | Foley, Susan | 58 min. |
| Frederick, Mia | Oct. 2, 2004 | 2005-87-2 | Owner of the building at 121 West Main St. | No | Wilson, Jennifer | 25 min. |
| Friedberg, Edward L. | Dec. 26, 2006 | 2007-22-17 | Son of the founder of Friedberg Bros. and Falls City Tobacco at 1806 W. Main St. discusses the history and nature of the business from circa 1920 until the 1970s. | No | Foley, Susan | 70 min. |
| Glass, Raymond | June 20, 2007 | 2007-117-12 | A descendent of the original owner of V.C. Glass Carpet Co. and current owner of the business and a former owner of Arctic Ice Co., describes doing business at 11th and Main and in the 100 block of East Main from circa 1927 until the 1990s. | No | Foley, Susan | 60 min. |
| Glick, Bill and Rita | Dec. 16, 2005 | 2007-22-10 | Son-in-law and daughter of the Grossmans who owned Grossman Toy Co. at 624 W. Main St. and who ran it for many years themselves, describe working on Main St. from the 1940s until the 1970s and the demise of wholesale businesses. | No | Foley, Susan | 60 min. |
| Goldberg, Julian | Oct. 2, 2004 | 2005-87-20 | Owner and descendant of owner of building at 639 West Main St. | No | Foley, Susan | 29 min. |
| Goldberg, Julian S. with Arthur Lerman | July 13, 2006 | 2007-22-22 | Owners and descendants of owners of Main Street wholesalers reminisce about the past 50-75 years on Main Street and the people who did business there. | No | Foley, Susan | 65 min. |
| Goldberg, Stuart | Sept. 30, 2004 | 2005-87-13 | Owner of Baer Fabrics, 515 East Market St. | No | unknown | 75 min. |
| Goodwin, Jim | Sept. 30, 2004 | 2005-87-6 | Owner of buildings at 125-129 South 6th Street, and 119 South 7th Street. | No | unknown | 32 min. |
| Greenberg, Norton | Setp. 30, 2004 | 2005-87-9 | Son of owner of properties in 600 and 700 blocks of West Main St. | No | unknown | 19 min. |
| Guthrie, Jack | Sept. 30, 2004 | 2005-87-7 | One of the original officers of the Main Street Association, and its president at the time of the interview. | No | Ashley | 27 min. |
| Guthrie, Jack, Dell Courtney and Roann Victor | Jan. 17, 2008 | 2008-28-2 | Discuss the founding and early years of the Heritage Festivals on the Belvedere from 1971 until 1979 | No | Foley, Susan | 70 min. |
| Hillerich, Jack | Jan. 18, 2008 | 2008-28-3 | CEO of Hillerich and Bradsby describes the long history of the family in the wood turning and sports business from its early days at 100 E. Main until the present at 800 W. Main Street (circa 1830 to the present) | No | Foley, Susan | 51:05 |
| Hubbuch, Glen | Sept. 30, 2004 | 2005-87-5 | Glen Hubbuch, son of and current owner of properties at 324-326 W. Main St. | No | unknown | 31 min. |
| Imhoff, Steve | Oct. 1, 2004 | 2005-87-4 | Board member of the Peterson-Dumesnil House at 301 S. Peterson. | No | unknown | 13 min. |
| Jones, David A. | Feb. 25, 2008 | 2008-28-4 | Co-founder and retired CEO of Humana Corporation discusses the history of the company, its long presence on Main Street and the changes he has seen on Main Street in the last 35 years. | No | Foley, Susan | 63:05 min. |
| Joseph, Alfred (Fred), III | Feb. 4, 2008 | 2008-28-5 | The grandson and great nephew of the founders of Joseph and Joseph, architects and engineers, discusses the history of the firm that was founded in 1908 and its significant projects in Louisville. | No | Foley, Susan | 44:22 min. |
| Kelly, William P., Jr. | June 14, 2007 | 2007-117-11 | Descendent of the original owners of Office Equipment Company and retired officer of the company, relates the history of the company and what it was like to do business at 4th and Main Street from the 1920s until the 1970s. | No | Foley, Susan | 72 min. |
| Lampton, Nana | Feb. 15, 2007 | 2007-117-2 | Daughter and granddaughter of the founders of American Life Insurance Company, recalls the history of the company on Main Street and her father's involvement in the revitalization of Main Street. | No | Foley, Susan | 57 min. |
| Landrum, Baylor Jr. | Nov. 15, 2007 | 2008-33-3 | Retired insurance company exectuive discusses the history of Main Street, the development of downtown Louisville, and the importance of an involved citizenry. | No | Foley, Susan | 56 min. |
| Lerman, Arthur | Mar. 12, 2006 | 2007-22-21 | Son and nephew of the original owners and eventually a co-owner of Lerman's Wholesale Dry Goods at 522-524 W. Main St. recalls the history of his family and their presence there. | No | Foley, Susan | 45 min. |
| Lussky, Fairleigh | Jan. 30, 2008 | 2008-28-6 | An owner of Progress Paint Co. and a descendant of the original owners, recalls Progress Paint's long presence at 9th and West Main and gives some history of the paint industry in Louisville. | No | Foley, Susan | 76:57 min. |
| Mattei, Theresa | Jan. 19, 2006 | 2007-22-4 | One of the original employees of the Louisville Science Center that is located in the Carter Dry Goods building and its current education director describes the evolution of the Science Center and its role in the redevelopment of Main St. | No | Foley, Susan | 60 min. |
| Meyer, Arthur (Artie) Griffin | Oct. 1, 2004 | 2005-87-24 | Grandson and son of owner of the Jos. T. Griffin Co. at 704-706 W. Main St. | No | Foley, Patricia | 36 min. |
| Moseley, Mary and Russell McClure | Sept. 30, 2004 | 2005-87-8 | Main Street Association | No | unknown | 30 min. |
| Moseley, Mary with Russell McClure | Jan. 12, 2007 | 2007-22-11 | Daughter and business associate of Al J Schneider discuss Al Schneider and his role in the revitalization of Main Street. | No | Foley, Susan | 68 min. |
| Motter, Mildred Pohl | Feb. 21, 2008 | 2008-28-7 | Oldest living descendent of the Pohl family, owners of Pohl Iron Works, which was 140 years old at the time of the interview and had been on Main Street for 70 years, tells about her family and the business | No | Foley, Susan | 52:14 min. |
| Mueller, Carl | Apr. 30, 2007 | 2007-117-3 | The owner of Cardinal Insulation describes the business on Market Street, 7th Street and West Main Street from the 1950s to the present. | No | Foley, Susan | 38 min. |
| Nash, Ida Sissy Maney Thompson and Meme Sweets Runyan | Apr. 17, 2007 | 2007-117-9 | Nash and Runyan discuss moving the Junior League headquarters to 627 W. Main in the 1970s and the establishment of the Riverfields office at 7th and Main. | No | Foley, Susan | 48 min. |
| Prizant, Bruce | Apr. 23, 2007 | 2007-117-6 | Son and nephew of the owners of the Hildebrand Company talks about his family's businesses in the 700 and 1100 blocks of West Main from 1943 until the 1970s. | No | Foley, Susan | 22 min. |
| Ramsey, James | Oct. 26, 2007 | 2007-148-2 | President of the University of Louisville discusses the university's presence on and involvement in the resurrection of Main Street (includes the Frazier Museum, Cressman Center, Muhammad Ali Center, Science Center and the U of L arena). | No | Foley, Susan | 37 min. |
| Roberts, Barksdale | Oct. 2, 2004 | 2005-87-1 | Fundraiser for the establishment of the Louisville Science Center. | No | Wilson, Jennifer | 23 min. |
| Roberts, Barksdale | Oct. 6, 2005 | 2007-22-1 | A founder of the Main Street Association and one of the original supporters of the Louisville Science Center recalls the state of Main Street in the 1960s and how it has been resurrected. | No | Foley, Susan | 60 min. |
| Rosenbaum, Ben | Nov. 27, 2006 | 2007-22-20 | Ben Rosenbaum III, great-grandson of the founder of Isaac Rosenbaum and Sons, a wool and hide business at Floyd and Market Streets that was founded circa 1900, recalls family memories of the business in its heyday and its eventual demise. | No | Foley, Susan | 45 min. |
| Sales, Elise | May 1, 2006 | 2007-22-26 | Granddaughter of Joseph Henry Grauman who had a wholesale dry goods business near 9th and W. Main Street recalls the history of the business from circa 1885 to circa 1965. | No | Foley, Susan | 40 min. |
| Sales, Raymond | May 1, 2006 | 2007-22-19 | Descendant of Main Street businessmen recalls stories and histories of businesses on Main St., including the original Galt House, from the 1870s until the 1980s. (The site of the Humana office building / Belknap Hardware / original Galt House.) | No | Foley, Susan | 50 min. |
| Scherer, Phil | Oct. 2, 2004 | 2005-87-22 | Developer of Preston Pointe at Preston and Main Street. Billy Goat Strut. | No | McGarrah, John | 30 min. |
| Schmidt, Paul J. | Mar. 3, 2008 | 2008-28-8 | President of Bridges-Smith Paint Co. at 118-123 E. Main Street describes the history of his company, the second oldest paint company in Louisville, and of the paint industry in Louisville. | No | Foley, Susan | 52:44 min. |
| Schoch, Jack | Mar. 3, 2008 | 2008-8-9 | Former owner of J.C. Schoch Heating Supply Co., Inc. that was at 123 W. Main STreet from 1934 until 2007 describes his family and the business that they had on W. Main for 73 years. | No | Foley, Susan | 56:29 min. |
| Schulten, Bob | May 11, 2006 | 2007-22-25 | The son of the last owner of Schulten Shoe Wholesaler recalls his memories of the business as a child, the building at 530 W. Main St. that still bears the family name, and his father's loss of the business during the Great Depression and the consequences of that loss. | No | Foley, Susan | 45 min. |
| Shapira, Anne | May 9, 2006 | 2007-22-16 | Widow of one of the founders of Heaven Hill Distilleries, Shapira recalls the family history and evolution of their business from the dry goods business to the distillery business, which were located at 657 W. Main and 528 W. Main respectively. The period covered is from circa 1913 to the present. | No | Foley, Susan | 60 min. |
| Shapira, Harry J. | Mar. 22, 2006 | 2007-22-7 | President of Heaven Hill Distilleries, gives a history of his family's presence on Main Street from when they opened a dry goods wholesale warehouse at 657 W. Main St. circa 1930 until they acquired the property at 528 W. Main St. that is currently Heaven Hill's headquarters. | No | Foley, Susan | 30 min. |
| Shavinsky, Don | Apr. 3, 2008 | 2008-055-03 | Former owner of a wholesale warehouse for a chain of "dollar" stores at 607-609 W. Main, describes the business and the causes of its closing. | No | 48:27 min. | |
| Sherman, Paul and Joanne Pfeiffer | Mar. 7, 2007 | 2007-117-14 | Paul Sherman, son and grandson of the owners of a men's clothing manufacturer and wholesaler (Sherman and Sons), recalls doing business in the Snead Building (Glassworks) at 9th and Market from circa 1900 until the 1950s. | No | Foley, Susan | 27 min. |
| Shircliffe, Raymond A. | Oct. 5, 2005 | 2007-22-9 | A descendant of the owners of a Bourbon Stockyards commission firm and a retired U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector at the Stockyards, recalls memories of working at the Stock Yards from 1936 as a twelve-year-old in the summers until he retired as a USDA inspector in 1980. | No | Foley, Susan | 60 min. |
| Small, V. Benson, Jr. (Ben) | May 18, 2007 | 2007-117-10 | A 38-year designer at Bittner's gives a history of Bittner's and discusses the 38 years that he has been with the firm. | No | Foley, Susan | 66 min. |
| Smith, Marvin | Oct. 2, 2004 | 2005-87-19 | Former owner of a business at 641 W. Main St. | No | Foley, Susan | 29 min. |
| Speer, Alexander | Oct. 1, 2004 | 2005-87-14 | Former executive director of Actor's Theatre at 316 W. Main Street. | No | n/a | 21 min. |
| Speer, Alexander | Feb. 28, 2008 | 2008-28-10 | Retired Executive Director of Actor's Theatre of Louisville discusses the history of the theatre, its national prominence and his personal memories. | No | Foley, Susan | 55:17 min. |
| Spielberg, Alec | Nov. 29, 2005 | 2007-22-8 | Owner of Kentucky Mirror and Plate Glass and son-in-law of Dave Gradman, one of the original family owners, describes the business and Main St. from the 1930s to the present. | No | Foley, Susan | 40 min. |
| Starks, Hollis Hibbs | August 22, 2006 | 2007-22-24 | Current owner and great-grand daughter of the original owner of the Harry R. Hibbs Co., and Janet Byrd, and employee, talk about the wholesale hat business that has been on Main Street since the 1920s. | Foley, Susan | 70 minutes | |
| Tasman, Jerry with Martha Tasman Frockt | June 9, 2006 | 2007-22-18 | Jerry Tasman and Martha Tasman Frockt, the son and widow of B. Tasman who was a partner in a family wool and hide business, give an excellent description of the history and operation of that business from the 1940s to the 1908s. | No | Foley, Susan | 60 min. |
| Topcik, Evelyn with Stan Fleck | Jan. 5, 2007 | 2007-22-13 | Grandchildren of the owners of Dan Cohen stores at Shelby and Market Streets, discuss the nature of the stores, culture and people of the neighborhood from the 1920s to the present. | No | Foley, Susan | 60 min. |
| Troutman, Harry | Mar. 20, 2006 | 2007-22-3 | Former CEO of Stock Yards Bank, describes his career there and the general history of the bank from circa 1905-1989. | No | Foley, Susan | 60 min. |
| Vine, Herbert | Dec. 7, 2005 | 2007-22-5 | The son of the owner of a wholesale grocery business at 720 W. Main St. gives a description of the business on Main St. in the 1950s. | No | Foley, Susan | 30 min. |
| Vories, Martha B. and Rose Ann Stacy | Aug. 29, 2007 | 2007-117-1 | Great-nieces of the original owners of Muth's Candies at 631 E. Market, describe the beginnings and life of the candy company that will turn 87 years old in 2008 and that has always been on East Market Street. | No | Foley, Susan | 63 min. |
| Webb, J. Edw. | Oct. 1, 2004 | 2005-87-25 | Former executive director of the Frazier International History Museum. | No | Foley, Susan | 18 min. |
| Weller, Dick and Cynthia | Jan. 23, 2008 | 2008-28-11 | Former owners and descendeants of the original owners of Burwinkle-Hendershot Co. describe the history of the company and of the buildings that they have occupied at 125-127 W. Main Street for 65 years. | No | Foley, Susan | 57:06 |
| Werst, John J., III | Jan. 14, 2008 | 2008-28-12 | Current owner of Plumbers Supply at E. Main and Wenzel Streets discussses his family's ownership of that business at that location from the 1920s until the present. | No | Foley, Susan | 29:04 min. |
| Wesley, E. Harris & Carolyn | Oct. 2, 2004 | 2005-87-18 | Owners of properties at 213 W. Market and 445 W. Market talk about the histories of their businesses. | No | Wilson, Jennifer | 19 min. |
| Willenbrink, Dick | Apr. 27, 2007 | 2007-117-8 | Grandson and son of the owners of Sutcliffe's and a partner himself until the business was sold, discusses heir presence on 4th Street, 7th Street and Main Street from circa 1910 until 1967. | No | Foley, Susan | 50 min. |
| Williams, Bill | March 13, 3008 | 2008-28-13 | Retired vice-president of Hillerich and Bradsby, gives a colorful background history of the company from the late 19th century until the present. | No | Foley, Susan | 71:55 min. |