Interviewee: Edward Fell
Date of birth/age at interview: April 2, 1917/90
Interviewers: Sally Jagoe, David Benner
Interview date: October 19, 2007
Interview location: Fell residence
Interview length: 84 minutes
Time span discussed: Late 1920s through war, later years to 2000
Summary: Ed was a 90 year old Penobscot Indian descendant who lived in Solebury for 83 years after being adopted by a Quaker family following his mother’s death in Maine. He reviews his early school, his army history, and ends with a few comments about Solebury artists.
Time markers:
00:00:06 – born 1917, Penobscot and Abenaki origins; early life in Maine
00:01:00 – Fell family had Maine summer home; brought to Bucks County; thought he was adopted until attempt to get passport
00:03:54 – Buckingham Friends School experiences, Leddie Betts, teacher for all eight grades
00:06:32 – he lived and worked at Edward and Anna Fell farm, no natural children
00:07:40 – earlier Ed Fell, Chief Justice, State Superior Court in late 1800s
00:10:01 – Ruth Fell, school teacher, related to Edward; family Quaker
00:11:48 – attended Doylestown High School; rode to school, walked home to Solebury
00:13:11 – dairy farming in Solebury
00:15:30 – Fell female cousins sign up as World War I Army nurses
00:16:20 – signing up for service in December 1941 before Pearl Harbor; Morocco, Tunis, Rommel’s army
00:17:49 – Italian invasion and service in Italy and Austria
00:24:39 – Claire Booth Luce, congresswoman in Italy
00:26:16 – war experiences
00:29:56 – Ed’s house
00:33:38 – marriages and family
00:38:00 – discussion of current doctors and illnesses
00:42:33 – employment; Bob Holbert and race driving experiences
00:49:38 – Native Americans; Native American Alliance of Buck County
00:53:05 – Aquetong (Ingham) Spring; Conkey Hole; scuba diver Conkey Hole to Ingham Spring
00:59:08 – Native American spirituality
01:13:00 – local artists including George Sotter, Edward Redfield, George Booz, Chris Willet
