Baby Boomer Oral History Project

“When an Elder dies, it’s like a library has burned to the ground.”

This proverb (possibly African in origin) is a powerful reminder of the importance of preserving invaluable knowledge collected through life experience, especially knowledge of a place and the way a community has changed over a lifetime.

The Westport Historical Society has gathered many oral histories over the years. Inspired by the archive created in 1976 for the Bicentennial and to mark the 250^th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, as well as the work of Betty Slade and Claude Ledoux, we now seek to recruit volunteers to reinvigorate and strengthen our oral history program, with a focus on gathering life stories of the baby boomer generation 1946 – 1954 and Generation Jones (1954-1965). Our goal is to create an archive that will be used by future historians.

LISTEN!

Russell Walters interviewed by Susan Montgomery

We are also interested in hearing from individuals who would like to be interviewed. 

Are you a Westport resident born between 1940 -1964? Have you spent most of your life in Westport,  from childhood to the present day either as a full time resident or summer resident? We would like to talk to you! The Westport Historical Society seeks to collect the life stories of Westport’s baby boomer generation (1946 – 1964) before it is too late!

If you are interested in being interviewed, please contact Westport Historical Society.

Topics of interest include: Your memories of going to school, home life, entertainment, making a living, changes in the community, and your hopes for the future.

The process will include:

• A pre-interview meeting
• An interview approx. one hour at a location convenient to the interviewee.
• All interviews will be edited and then archived in the Westport Historical Society’s collection and will be made publicly available with permission of the interviewee.