Memories From Smith Hill

Bernadine Oliphint talks about growing up in the 1930’s in a community known as Smith Hill:

 “There were eleven children born to my parents, Tom and Alice Oliphint.  We grew up in the Smith Hill Community…Growing up on Smith Hill was very natural.  What I mean by that: you were entirely free; there were no restrictions except that you didn’t leave Smith Hill without the permission of Mother and the neighbors.  You were so cohesive that if you did anything or you were out of place, your neighbors knew where you were.

 My grandmother’s house was on the highest point of Smith Hill…so, consequently, if you ever tried to leave Smith Hill as a child, she saw you or somebody saw you, and you had to give an account of yourself.”