Oral history with Catherine Wells Callahan

An oral history interview conducted with Catherine Wells Callahan during Lakeland Heritage Weekend 2007. Mrs. Callahan is a longtime resident of Lakeland. She was born in Lakeland in 1931. She lived in a house across the railroad tracks until she was 13, when her family moved into the house that her mother lives in now. She attended Lakeland elementary and graduated from high school in 1950. While she was in school she played on the basketball team. After high school she attended Bowie Normal School, and was studying to become an elementary school teacher. Later she attended nursing school at the University of the District of Columbia. It was through one of the other nursing students that she met her husband, Calvin Callahan. Calvin Callahan was from Concord, Virginia, and he was in the Air Force. They were married in Concord. Soon after their marriage they were stationed in Georgia and later in Massachusetts before her husband retired from the service. Mrs. Callahan has two daughters (Kathleen b. 1953 and June b. 1955) from a previous marriage. James Lawson was her first husband, and they married when she was 21. He was from South Carolina and was in the Army. After Calvin Callahan retired, they moved back to Lakeland. Mrs. Callahan was able to purchase the land next to her mother’s home for $8,000. The land was being auctioned off by College Park, and the city gave preference to bids from former residents over those from outside the community. She considers the purchase of the land her proudest accomplishment. It has allowed her to help care for her mother and father, Bernice and Anderson Walls. At the time of the interview her mother was 93 and her father had passed away at the age of 82. Her parents met in Lakeland. Her mother attended Embry AME Church and her father went to the First Baptist Church. Her mother was born in Montgomery County and her parents were Katy William and Glen Lancaster. Her father was born in Lakeland and his mother’s name was Hattie Walls. Mrs. Callahan briefly discussed urban renewal. She thought it was the most significant change to the community. Yet it also allowed her to be able to purchase her property since the city gave preference to her bid as a member of the community. She thought that the people who moved away were most hurt by urban renewal because they lost a lot of money that was tied up in their homes.

Date

2007