- Playing
- StoryCorps: George Lengel
- From
- StoryCorps
George Lengel was born in Roebling, NJ, where his entire family made steel wire at the John A. Roebling's Sons Company.
Here, Lengel remembers growing up in Roebling and the influence his father had on his future.
Also in the StoryCorps series
StoryCorps: Harrison Wright and Sean Guess
(00:01:56)
From: StoryCorps
Harrison Wright tells his grandson, Sean Guess, about serving in the Army at the end of World War II.
StoryCorps: Van and Shirley Harris
(00:02:17)
From: StoryCorps
Van Harris and his wife, Shirley, remember being young in Brooklyn during the 1940s.
StoryCorps: Theresa and Dennis McLaughlin
(00:02:16)
From: StoryCorps
Theresa McLaughlin speaks about raising her son, Dennis, who was born with spina bifida, leaving him unable to use his legs.
StoryCorps: Ricardo Isaias Zavala and Ricardo Javier Zavala
(00:02:32)
From: StoryCorps
Ricardo Isais Zavala remembers his grandfather, Vicente Domingo Villa, in an interview with his son, Ricardo Javier Zavala.
StoryCorps NTI: Kate Musick and Harleé Patrick, Jose Catalan and Carlos Vizcarra
(00:02:50)
From: StoryCorps
Two stories about teachers who went beyond the classroom to help their kids.
StoryCorps: Marco Ferreira and Wendy Tucker
(00:01:54)
From: StoryCorps
Marco Ferreira talks to his wife, Wendy Tucker, about surviving a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2008.
StoryCorps: Lisa Combest and James Hanson-Brown
(00:02:25)
From: StoryCorps
Lisa Combest and her ex-husband, James Hanson-Brown, talk about how their marriage ended.
StoryCorps Griot: Karen Slade, Eric "Rico" Reed and Arthur "Sonny" Williams
(00:02:28)
From: StoryCorps
Karen Slade, Eric "Rico" Reed, and Arthur "Sonny" Williams of radio station KJLH remember the 1992 Los Angeles Riots.
StoryCorps: Kenneth and Gaye Honeycutt
(00:02:03)
From: StoryCorps
Kenneth Honeycutt tells his wife Gaye about witnessing the New London School Explosion of 1937.
StoryCorps: David Plant and Frank Lilley
(00:02:34)
From: StoryCorps
Frank Lilley interviews his stepfather, David Plant, about approaching the end of his life.
Related Pieces
Piece Description
George Lengel was born in Roebling, NJ, where his entire family made steel wire at the John A. Roebling's Sons Company.
Here, Lengel remembers growing up in Roebling and the influence his father had on his future.
Broadcast History
NPR Morning Edition 4/08/11
Transcript
George Lengel (GL): Every weekend, dad would drag me along everywhere he went. We walked to an area known as "The Row". And it was called "the row" because it was a row of bars. I was eight years old, sitting on bar stools and listening to the stories of the men. They were so proud to work in that mill.
My father when we would go over a bridge he'd say, "See those wire ropes, boy? We made those ropes." And there was no doubt in my mind, I was going to work along side of my dad, my granddad, my uncles. But my father determined my future.
We had a discussion one time. I mentioned that at sixteen I wanted to quit school. I told him that I wanted to work in the mill. Well, my father decided to introduce my back to the living room wall. He placed his nose about six inches away from my nose and told me that I was NOT going to quit school. I was NOT going to work in that mill. That I was NOT...
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO:Time now for StoryCorps… the project that collects stories from Americans across the country.
Today, we'll hear about a company town.
TEASE (0:05)
"My father, uncles, cousins, grandmother and mother worked in the mills."
That's George Lengel (LEN-gell) remembering Roebling (ROW-bling), New Jersey...
Where the Lengel family helped produce wire ropes that support the Golden Gate Bridge and the elevators at the Eiffel Tower.
Here, George talks about growing up in Roebling in the 1940s…
And one man who stood above all others in a town full of tough men -- his father.
OUTRO:George Lengel went on to become a history teacher, and he taught in New Jersey public schools for more than 30 years.
This interview will be archived with all the others at the Library of Congress.
The podcast is at NPR Dot Org.
Additional Credits
The Corporation For Public Broadcasting, Joe and Carol Reich
Related Website
Of 1 purchasers of this piece...
- 1 also bought:
Laughing without an Accent (00:18:02) - 1 also bought:
A Cook's Notebook: Cold Soup (00:03:08) - 1 also bought:
The Hula Lesson (00:57:26) - 1 also bought:
Life Stories - Friendship (00:59:05) - 1 also bought:
The '63 March: Going to D.C. (00:07:03)
