Florida Memory is administered by the Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services, Bureau of Archives and Records Management. The digitized records on Florida Memory come from the collections of the State Archives of Florida and the special collections of the State Library of Florida.
One audio cassette. Interview with fisher Oxendine, recorded at his home. In it, he discusses his family move to Florida; fishing on the St. Johns; fauna and flora of the river, including the effects of the introduction and removal of water hyacinth; fishing methods, folklore, and equipment; hoop nets; shrimping; relations with sport fishers; monkey fishing (using electricity to stun fish); crabbing; and selling fish. In winter 1985, the Bureau contracted with two folklorists to conduct a folk arts survey of the St. Johns River basin in northeastern Florida. The St. Johns River is the largest and most used river in Florida, supporting much river commerce as well as a modest amount of commercial fishing. Folklorists Mary Anne McDonald and Kathleen Figgen conducted the survey from January through March 1985 under the direction of Folklife Coordinator Blanton Owen and Bureau Chief Ormond Loomis. Documentation compiled in the survey was used to prepare and present the 'St. Johns River Basin Folklife Area' at the 1985 Florida Folk Festival.