Bill's interview pt.2
Title
Bill's interview pt.2
Description
Bill Potvin sits down with interviewers Andy Sistrand and Jacob Reyes to talk about Willimantic, Hosmer Mountain Soda, Anti-War Activism as a Vietnam War Veteran, and his family history.
Creator
Andrew Velazquez
Source
2022 Central Connecticut State University Heritage Fiesta
Publisher
Dr. Juan Coronado and his Spring 2022 History 405: Local History and Community Development class
Date
4/23/2022
Language
English
Interviewer
Andy Sistrand and Jacob Reyes
Interviewee
Bill Potvin from Willimantic, CT.
Location
Central Connecticut State University
New Britain, Connecticut
New Britain, Connecticut
Transcription
Bill’s Interview Part II
Andy:… it’s always been like that y’know. When, when the wars over then they are done with the soldiers y’know and then they’re just a problem.
Bill: I know it
Andy: Going back to ancient times-
Bill: yeah
Andy: it’s always been like that
Bill: But you’d uh hopefully uh uh we want to be able to learn a little from history. Unfortunately the Veterans for Peace are probably one half of one percent of veterans. There’s a little sliver of people who see it that way and a lot of other veterans they tend to be warmongers. Believe it or not.
Andy: So, so the, so the group that, that you belong to, is it Veterans for Peace?
Bill: Yes
Andy: Okay
Bill: Yup
Andy: And uh is that like a national organization?
Bill: yeah, yeah it’s actually uh international
Andy: Okay
Bill: Yup
Andy: How long have you been a member?
Bill: Probably for twenty five years
Andy: So it’s been around for a while
Bill: Yup. It started in the late ‘80s I think it was. I forget the uh thing.
Andy: Okay and um what, what does heritage mean to you? Does it have any meaning for you?
Bill: Well… Heritage would be the, the history of somethin’
Andy: mhm
Bill: y’know just like we – I have a company that’s a hundred – so our, our company has a heritage. Y’know it started before World War One so
Andy: So this is a company started by somebody else in your family?
Bill: No, nope it was started by a certain family, went to another family, and another, we’re the fourth family. We-Our family has now owned it from the late ‘50s through today, which is a longer period than the other three families.
Andy: Oh I see
Bill: Yup
Andy: Let’s see, and um, y’know, what um, what was the name of the company again?
Bill: Hosmer. H-O-S-M-E-R Mountain
Andy: Hosmer Mountain uh soda company?
Bill: Yeah
Andy: and you’re uh an owner?…
Bill: Yeah, I’m one of the owners
Andy: Alright and uh… what’s your cultural identity? You said French Canadian?
Bill: Yeah
Andy: and uh, do you have any uh-uh, strong uh, connection to that uh heritage?
Bill: No, not really, no, it’s just uh, y’know…
Andy: How, how long ago did uh-
Bill: Willimantic has had a wave of different ethnic groups over the years because they had the biggest thread mill in the world.
Andy: right, yeah
Bill: So they would, y’know, the French Canadians came down, y’know, in the late 1800s and then there was uh another wave of uh displaced persons-
Andy: right
Bill: …after World War II.
Andy: right
Bill: And then the Puerto Rican community too. So that when you got that type of a big business it, it draws uh people looking for work.
Andy: Right
Bill: There was five thousand people in one company.
Andy: Right so um so your family came down from Canada in the late 19th century?
Bill: Yeah
Andy: Okay uh… do you? uh… and they came right to Willimantic?
Bill: Yes
Andy: and is this uh both sides of your family?
Bill: Uh no that’s my fathers side, the Potvins. My mother is Scotch-Irish and she, she, y’know she grew up uh… They were both… from the-
END OF BILL INTERVIEW PART II
Andy:… it’s always been like that y’know. When, when the wars over then they are done with the soldiers y’know and then they’re just a problem.
Bill: I know it
Andy: Going back to ancient times-
Bill: yeah
Andy: it’s always been like that
Bill: But you’d uh hopefully uh uh we want to be able to learn a little from history. Unfortunately the Veterans for Peace are probably one half of one percent of veterans. There’s a little sliver of people who see it that way and a lot of other veterans they tend to be warmongers. Believe it or not.
Andy: So, so the, so the group that, that you belong to, is it Veterans for Peace?
Bill: Yes
Andy: Okay
Bill: Yup
Andy: And uh is that like a national organization?
Bill: yeah, yeah it’s actually uh international
Andy: Okay
Bill: Yup
Andy: How long have you been a member?
Bill: Probably for twenty five years
Andy: So it’s been around for a while
Bill: Yup. It started in the late ‘80s I think it was. I forget the uh thing.
Andy: Okay and um what, what does heritage mean to you? Does it have any meaning for you?
Bill: Well… Heritage would be the, the history of somethin’
Andy: mhm
Bill: y’know just like we – I have a company that’s a hundred – so our, our company has a heritage. Y’know it started before World War One so
Andy: So this is a company started by somebody else in your family?
Bill: No, nope it was started by a certain family, went to another family, and another, we’re the fourth family. We-Our family has now owned it from the late ‘50s through today, which is a longer period than the other three families.
Andy: Oh I see
Bill: Yup
Andy: Let’s see, and um, y’know, what um, what was the name of the company again?
Bill: Hosmer. H-O-S-M-E-R Mountain
Andy: Hosmer Mountain uh soda company?
Bill: Yeah
Andy: and you’re uh an owner?…
Bill: Yeah, I’m one of the owners
Andy: Alright and uh… what’s your cultural identity? You said French Canadian?
Bill: Yeah
Andy: and uh, do you have any uh-uh, strong uh, connection to that uh heritage?
Bill: No, not really, no, it’s just uh, y’know…
Andy: How, how long ago did uh-
Bill: Willimantic has had a wave of different ethnic groups over the years because they had the biggest thread mill in the world.
Andy: right, yeah
Bill: So they would, y’know, the French Canadians came down, y’know, in the late 1800s and then there was uh another wave of uh displaced persons-
Andy: right
Bill: …after World War II.
Andy: right
Bill: And then the Puerto Rican community too. So that when you got that type of a big business it, it draws uh people looking for work.
Andy: Right
Bill: There was five thousand people in one company.
Andy: Right so um so your family came down from Canada in the late 19th century?
Bill: Yeah
Andy: Okay uh… do you? uh… and they came right to Willimantic?
Bill: Yes
Andy: and is this uh both sides of your family?
Bill: Uh no that’s my fathers side, the Potvins. My mother is Scotch-Irish and she, she, y’know she grew up uh… They were both… from the-
END OF BILL INTERVIEW PART II
Original Format
Digital Video & Audio Recording
Citation
Andrew Velazquez, “Bill's interview pt.2,” Latino History Harvest, accessed May 10, 2024, https://library.ccsu.edu/latinohistoryharvest/items/show/95.