Florence Dove
Life Histories
Race: White
Sex: Female
Nationality: American
Industrial Classification: Silk Mill
Occupation: Spinner
Florence Dove lives at home with her father and mother, at number 476 West Wolfe Street, Harrisonburg, Va. There are three other children besides herself in the family—one sister and two brothers, making a family of six including father and mother.
It was five o’clock in the evening when I called at the home and all the family were present, including also some of the neighbors. Supper was in course of preparation and the appetizing odor of fresh sausage made me hungry.
Everything stopped when I entered and was seated, and all the family assembled to see and hear "what it was all about" I had been at the home earlier in the day but Florence was asleep, here work at the mill being from eleven p.m. to seven a.m. consequently they were all curious to know about my visit.
The father, a plumber by trade, was seated just within the entranceway into the dining room, smoking his evening pipe while supper was preparing. The mother came in and sat down on the sofa or davenport. Mrs. Dove is above the average in height, somewhat angular in physique but rugged, and evidently a good worker with the power of endurance if necessary. On the lower part of her jaw on the left side and near the chin, is a reddish-purple wen about the size of a chestnut. It never changes color nor does it ever interfere with her household duties, tho I think it does become a little embarrassing at times when strangers are present. Their home was formerly at Timberville, Virginia about fifteen or eighteen miles north of Harrisonburg, where Florence was born. Some years ago the family moved to this city where work in Mr. Doves line as a plumber was more in demand, and here they have lived since that time.
Judging from what I saw I think the family live happily together, not boisterously, but by no means in an overquiet way; mingling freely with their neighbors and being neighborly. The other children of the family are now going to school and are likely to have better advantages in education than were possible to Florence, she not being able to reach the high school. Mr. Dove is not by any means in affluent circumstances, and consequently all must work and do their bit in maintaining the home. The rented home in which they live is one of a number of such homes in a row along this street and not far from the silk mill where Florence works. These homes while similar and of the bungalow type, are yet not all-alike and are very comfortable, and I judge are not company houses. The rooms are not large, but they are heated by furnace, usually hot air.
The rooms I saw in Mr. Dove’s home were plainly but comfortably furnished and certainly kept warm enough with the hot air furnace. The dining room adjoins the sitting room and is entered through an archway; the table was being prepared for the evening meal. Of course they have a radio. This instrument now seems to be an indispensable household necessity and not simply a luxury; and this is the case wherever I go.
Florence is eighteen now, and likes living in town better than country life, the advantages in many ways being much greater. She likes company too, and parties, and likes to mingle with her friends in social intercourse. She is not strong and robust looking, being rather slender, but her health is good. Her work at the mill is that of a spinner, tho she is sometimes shifted to re-drawing. Her work is an all the year job, altho it is sometimes necessary that some employees are laid off for a time, and she sometimes is among the number. She likes her work and working conditions in the mill, and while she would like to have more pay and no doubt needs it, yet she is not a complainer, but a steady willing worker. I doubt not that among our silk mill workers and workers
Florence Dove
Life Histories
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in other industrial plants in this city, there is more real contentment, happiness and real enjoyment of life in their simple ways, than is all too often not found among those in larger places who are high placed and surrounded by every luxury that money can buy.
Florence started to school when six years of age. She did not pursue her studies beyond the grades and now feels the loss of high school advantages. But she is intelligent and has improved by association and observation. She likes to read but of necessity hasn’t much time for it. She likes the movies and prefers pictures with plenty movement and excitement, tho not of the westerner type. She attends the Baptist church, tho she is a member of the Reformed church.
December 29, 1938 Geo. W. Fetzer
Harrisonburg, VA