There are still quite a few old timer's alive who as children met Civil War veterans. Figure an 18 year old (some were as young as 10) in 1865 was born in 1847. Those 18 year old's in 1865 would have been in their 90's between 1937-1947. A person born in 1937 and had chance to meet some of those veterans would now be 85.
Many baby boomers had the chance to meet former slaves since the youngest former slaves were in their 90s between 1955-1965.
Meetings with persons alive during the Wild West era were possible through the early 1990s.
Times have changed and a lot of history has happened in a relatively short period.
President John Tyler had a living grandson.
When I was a kid I struck up a friendship with an old man named John who lived across the street. He was anWorld War I combat veteran.
He told me stories about the 40 and 8 transport train cars. That’s all I remember.
When my son gave me attitude about white people of the past I pointed out to him that he seemed to like the people he met from the 1800s, to which he went WHAT???
I pointed out to him that some of those old folks who were so sweet and caring when holding him on their lap or cooing at him when he was a toddler were indeed born in the 1800s.