Two Tempe neighborhoods create oral history book

Contact: Shauna Warner

Neighborhood Services Specialist

Telephone: 480/350-8883



Two Tempe neighborhoods create oral history book



TEMPE, Ariz. - The Escalante and Victory Acres Neighborhood Associations
will be celebrating the completion of an oral history book at 2 p.m. on Oct.
2 at the Escalante Community Center, 2150 E. Orange St. Councilmember Ben
Arredondo will be the keynote speaker.



"I am pleased to see the Neighborhood Grant Program used to help preserve
the history of one of Tempe's oldest and finest neighborhoods, "
Councilmember Arredondo said.



In 2002, the two long-time neighborhoods applied for and received a grant
from the city of Tempe through their neighborhood associations to create an
oral history book. The project was conducted through a collaboration of
neighborhood residents and the Community Documentation Program of the Braun
Sacred Heart Center, a non-profit research organization. The purpose was to
document the history of the communities through oral interviews of long-term
families. These oral interviews were transcribed and then summarized in the
oral history book.



Several neighborhood residents were involved in interviewing, transcribing
and writing summaries. A unique aspect of this project is that one book will
be made available for each home in the two neighborhoods. Others books will
be distributed to museums and schools.