DYER (intro): This tape recorded interview is with Mr. Munsell V. Brooks on the John S. Cady home in Sonora, CA.  Built in the early 1850’s by John S. Cady, this outstanding example of early Greek revival architecture has been preserved in its original state; with exception of replacement of earlier oil lambs with electric illumination.  The home of Mr. Munsell V. Brooks has remained in the ownership of the descendents and the collateral relatives of the builder during the succeeding eleven decades.  Plans of this unique home are on file in the National Park Service archive in Washington, D.C. where photographs are retained by the Historic American Building Survey.  In addition, records are also on file in the Division of Fine Arts in the Library of Congress.  Dr. Elliot Evans, curator for the Society of California Pioneers, who made a study of East Texas hom-er-houses on art professor at Samuel F. Austin College in Texas declares, “I do not think there is now, or ever was in California, a house as distinctly Greek revival and in such excellent condition.  This is absolutely unique, I’m sure there is no other.” 

            This tape recorded interview is being conducted by Richard L. Dyer, the first interview is on the thirteenth of July, 1973 in Mr. Brook’s home.

DYER: Well Mr. Brooks why don’t we spend a little time this morning and talk about the John S.C. family.  If you could just take a moment and sort of identify who John Cady was for the people listening to this tape? 

BROOKS: Well, he was, he said he was in one place in Massachusetts and came here because he wanted to visit, came around the horn.  No wait, he said he crossed the Isthmus of Panama.

DYER: Oh the Isthmus?

BROOKS: Yeah, and then he got shipwrecked off the coast of Mexico.  [Unintelligible words] and then came to California and then he came directly to Sonora.  And he took up mining, upon Bull Mountain, mined there for some time, and then he took a job at a hardware store down there.  And then we went back east and married his wife and brought her out here.

DYER: Had he known here from…?

BROOKS: [Interrupting] Well evidently because they’re both from the same place.  He hadn’t gone anywhere, you see, and uh, he brought her out here and uh, they had two little girls, and they both died when they were babies.  So they adopted my wife’s mother when she was a baby.

DYER: Oh I see now, Mrs. Cady’s name was, was it Mary?

BROOKS: Mary, yeah, Mary.  Her maiden name was Mary Curtis. 

DYER: And then they had their two…?a

BROOKS: Two little girls, yeah.

DYER: And they passed away...?

BROOKS: When they were babies yeah.  They are buried up in the old cemetery over here.

DYER: I’ve seen the Cady stones over there.  And that’s C-A-D-Y isn’t it? 

BROOKS: C-A-D-Y yeah.  And then uh, then he decided

4:00:00 incomplete

General Information:

Interviewer: Brooks, Munsell V.

Interviewee: Black, Agnes

Name of Tape: The Home of John S. Cady (brooks_m_1_0)

When: 1973

Transcriber: Judy (date?)