As Told by CELESTIA AVERY--EX-SLAVE
[MAY 8 1937]


Mrs. Celestia Avery is a small mulatto woman about 5 ft. in height. She
has a remarkably clear memory in view of the fact that she is about 75
years of age. Before the interview began she reminded the writer that
the facts to be related were either told to her by her grandmother,
Sylvia Heard, or were facts which she remembered herself.

Mrs. Avery was born 75 years ago in Troupe County, LaGrange, Ga. the
eighth oldest child of Lenora and Silas Heard. There were 10 other
children beside herself. She and her family were owned by Mr. & Mrs.
Peter Heard. In those days the slaves carried the surname of their
master; this accounted for all slaves having the same name whether they
were kin or not.

The owner Mr. Heard had a plantation of about 500 acres and was
considered wealthy by all who knew him. Mrs. Avery was unable to give
the exact number of slaves on the plantation, but knew he owned a large
number. Cotton, corn, peas, potatoes, (etc.) were the main crops raised.

The homes provided for the slaves were two room log cabins which had one
door and one window. These homes were not built in a group together but
were more or less scattered over the plantation. Slave homes were very
simple and only contained a home made table, chair and bed which were
made of the same type of wood and could easily be cleaned by scouring
with sand every Saturday. The beds were bottomed with rope which was run
backward and forward from one rail to the other. On this framework was
placed a mattress of wheat straw. Each spring the mattresses were