Hanging with a BFTA (Benjamin Franklin Tribute Artist)
at Colonial Williamburg
My family and I just returned from Williamsburg, Virginia where we enjoyed the traditional "colonial" tourist experiences at Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown along with the rides at Busch Gardens and Water Country USA and the history of The College of William & Mary.
Being a fan of historic road trips as I am, and still trying to sort out that possible family connection with the college, it was a fun experience and we all learned a thing or two. However, one of the more interesting discoveries took place on the way home when we took a shortcut to avoid some of the notorious I-95 traffic.
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Historic Marker at King William County Courthouse
We stumbled across the King William County Courthouse. Originally constructed in 1725, it's the oldest courthouse still being used in the United States. Prince William County and the surrounding area was once part of the land used by the Algonquian tribes and led by Powhatan, the father of Pocahontas.
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In addition to being the oldest courthouse, it's also said to be the oldest public building in use in Virginia.
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When we returned home, I spent a little time online and learned the building was built of brick laid in Flemish bond and is considered one of the best examples around of colonial masonry still in existence.
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In the middle of the lawn is a Civil War monument dedicated "to our soldiers of the confederacy."
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Commemorative plaque dedicated to Henry Fox
In 1702 Henry Fox and Richard Littlepage donated two acres for the courthouse and Fox later became the first sheriff. According to "Genealogies of Virginia," the home of Fox and his wife, Anne West, was a plantation called Huntington on the Mattaponi River. Although the original location of the house is known, no remnants remain and even the tombstones in the family graveyard are gone. Fox may be gone but he is not forgotten. A commemorative plaque was placed at the courthouse by his descendants at the 250th anniversary celebration of King William County on April 27, 1952.
I was recently working on a project and needed a little Haywood County, Tennessee history lesson so Sonia Outlaw-Clark helped arrange an afternoon at the Haywood County History Museum with Lynn Shaw, the official county historian. Sonia runs the must-see West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center just off Exit 56 in Brownsville and we also share several mutual Haywood County ancestors.
I wasn't sure what to expect at the Haywood County History Museum but left blown away.
Of course, it helped that I was exploring my own personal heritage about which I have an obvious interest, but anyone fascinated with the history of West Tennessee could spend hours exploring the rooms of the museum.
Open since 1991, it's operated by the Haywood County Historical Society and is managed by volunteers. Below is just a small sample of what's inside.
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The Haywood County History Museum
The museum is located at 127 N. Grand Avenue in Brownsville in a building that was originally the Brownsville Baptist Female College. It later became the Haywood County High School.
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Previous graduating classes from Haywood County High School
As you enter the second floor of the museum where the actual artifacts are on display, you can check out framed photos of graduating classes from the high school. I recognized many family friends and relatives, including my own parents.
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My mother and father, Shirley Lovelace and Bobby Williams
(center left and right) in their Haywood County High School senior pictures.
Sports has always been an important part of the culture and history of Brownsville, Tennessee and is well-represented in the museum with photos, newspaper articles, and actual artifacts from generations of Haywood County athletics.
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Sports Memorabilia at the Haywood
County History Museum
Yes, Haywood County is the home of Tina Turner and Sleepy John Estes but it's also where Tony Delk and Rockey Felker learned to play.
During his career, Delk was a professional basketball player and a college assistant coach. He was team leader of the 1996 University of Kentucky Wildcats team that won the 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. After college, he played for seven NBA teams over ten seasons and he's currently the president of the Taylor Delk Sickle Cell Foundation.
Felker was the quarterback of the 1974 Mississippi State University football team which defeated North Carolina in the Sun Bowl and is currently director of player personnel for Mississippi State.
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1929 Haywood Highschool Basketball Team
Top row, l to r : Robert Smith, Leslie Cain, Clarence Berson
Glen Scott, and Charles Sherman
Second Row, l to r: Marshall Mulherin, Milton Wilson, unknown,
and Joe Mulherin
Bottom row, l to r: John Chambers, Jr., John Woodson Keathley,
Bob Berson, and Craig White
The young Haywood County High School players in this photo look like they could have been hitting the court last week. However, if any of these players were alive today, they would be a little over 100.
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Gas pump from Mr. Lawrence
Cobb's Grocery Store
This artifact also has a personal connection for me. It's the first Stewart and Sons gas pump in Haywood County and was installed at Mr. Lawrence Cobb's grocery store in 1947. It was just down the road from my Lovelace grandparents' house and many times I walked or rode a bike with my aunts, Darlene and Dawn, to his store to get one of those sour, powdery suckers. An avid television watcher, I remember always being struck by how much being in that store made me feel like I was on The Waltons.
Lawrence Cobb was a son of Simeon Amherst Cobb who was a brother of William Thomas Cobb, my second great grandfather. Lawrence Cobb was included in a blog entry from February 2011 that featured photos of a previous Cobb Family Cemetery clean up day.
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The Post Office at Jones Station
Another small exhibit that was really fun to see in person was the Jones Station Post Office. Because of so many family connections, I have blogged about the town and post office many times so it was especially fun to see a bit of it in person.
Many of my Booth and Castellaw ancestors in the late 1800s and early 1900s lived at Jones Station. It was located next to the Holly Grove Community on the north end of Dr. Hess Rd. The post office was opened in 1869.
The exhibit was donated to the museum by Marilyn Booth in memory of Vernon C. Booth who was the postmaster from 1914 until his retirement in 1945 and Olive M. Booth, who was the postmaster from 1946 until it closed in 1953.
Photo/Harrell Clement
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R. A. White and "Doc," 1904
Included in the Jones Station exhibit is a photo of R. A. White in 1904 delivering the mail on his horse, Doc. The White and Booth families became connected through marriage when William G. "Billy" Booth married Mary Elizabeth "Eliza" White in the mid-1850s. They were the parents of my second great-grandmother, Lena Booth Brantley.
Photo/Harrell Clement
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Vernon C. Booth and Jim Watridge, 1904
It's likely the Jim Watridge included in this photo in the exhibit with Vernon Booth, was the son of William Henry Watridge and his wife, Zilpha Elizabeth Castellaw and the grandson of James Watridge, my third great grandfather.
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Official Haywood County Historian, Lynn Shaw
It was especially fun getting to tour the museum with Haywood County historian, Lynn Shaw. He has been instrumental in preserving the history and stories of the county and in the creation of the museum.
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A portion of the Wilmot School
The Wilmot School, named after Wilmot Curlin, was a one-room school house on Estanaula Road in the southeastern part of Haywood County near the border of Madison County. In the list of teachers I quickly recognized several names from my family tree including Mary Bond, Jessie Mae Reid Castellaw and Eunice Joyner. The school closed in 1949.
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Bust of Hiram Bradford sculpted by Tommy Lynn
Of course, the Civil War was a big part of the history of Haywood County. The museum currently includes an exhibit of busts created by photographer and sculptor, Tommy Lynn.
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A reunion of The Bridge Company, C. S. A., around 1900
Another interesting photo that caught my eye was from a reunion of The Bridge Company that took place around 1900. In 1861, early in the Civil War, this company was formed to guard the railroad bridge over the the Big Hatchie River which was very close to Brownsville. This bridge was the primary connection between Memphis and the Confederate army so it was crucial for both supplies and information going back and forth.
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Men of the Bridge Company
The men were mostly older or married so were not among the first to join the actual fighting. They furnished their own horses, uniforms and rations and protected the bridge until the route was no longer used by the Confederates. In June 1862, the men burned the bridge down and disbanded.
According to a notation with the photo in the museum, an article about the company written around the time of the reunion in 1900 concluded with the lines, "They were well worthy of the honor and respect accorded to veterans of the lost cause."
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Neon sign from the Ritz Theater
Ask my father about the Ritz Theater and he'll tell you about one of the few times his family spent the money to go to a movie theater when he was a boy. The theater had advertised a rare personal appearance by Lash LaRue.
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Lash LaRue
LaRue was a popular cowboy star famous for tricks performed with a whip. Apparently, LaRue didn't bring his A game to the Ritz Theater in Brownsville that day and my Dad remembers being disappointed. At the very least, he had hoped to see the cowboy cut a cigarette in half while in someone's mouth. He had to leave without even getting an autograph.
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An assortment of Haywood County artifacts
I really appreciate all those who worked so hard to preserve the history of the county for future generations. I believe you currently need an appointment to see the museum for yourself and, according to the Tennessee Tourism website, you can get more information by emailingThe Brownsville Chamber of Commerce or by calling (731) 772-4883.
I highly recommend you check it out for yourself if you can.
My niece and her fiance are visiting us for the week so we decided to celebrate Independence Day with a family road trip to find the grave of Dr. William Beanes. He is a very distant ancestor who played a role in the writing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." His story was one of my very first blog entries back in 2010.
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Although our family connection to Dr. Beanes is distant, it's still a fun way to explore and learn more about our national anthem. Our connection is through the Marbury family in my maternal line:
My mother was Shirley Lovelace Williams
Her mother was Virginia Brantley Lovelace (1917 - 2007)
Her mother was Allie Marbury Brantley (1898 - 1995)
Her father was Hardy Joyner Marbury (1872 - 1932)
His father was Benjamin Franklin Marbury (1849 - 1884)
His father was Robert Green Marbury (1809 - 1904)
His father was John Marbury (1783 - after 1850)
His father was Leonard Marbury (1759 - 1839)
His father was Francis Marbury (around 1730 - around 1800)
His father was Leonard Marbury, Sr. (1708 - 1794)
His father was Frances Marbury (around 1663 - 1734)
Two of Frances Marbury's sons were Leonard Marbury, Sr. (my eighth great grandfather) and Luke Marbury, Sr. (my eighth great uncle), who was a Colonel in the Revolutionary War.
Leonard and Luke Marbury are said to have been first cousins of Dr. William Beanes (January 24/25, 1749 - ) and his sister, Elizabeth Beanes (although I have not yet found proof they were cousins).
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The Beanes and Marbury families were very close and Luke Marbury eventually married Elizabeth Beanes.
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Small cemetery containing the graves of
Dr. William and Sarah Beanes
Luke Marbury commanded the Lower Battilion of Prince George County's Militia during the Revolutionary War and he and Dr. Beanes fought together. They both engaged with the Maryland troops at The Battle of Long Island and were among the few soldiers from Maryland who survived. They escaped by “swimming across the sound of Long Island.”
Dr. William Beanes performed the duties of a physician during the Revolutionary War and was married to Sarah Hawkins Hanson (August 12, 1750 - August 15, 1822). She also has an interesting connection to American History as she was the niece of John Hanson who became the president of the First Continental Congress of the newly-formed United States.
In 1814, during the War of 1812, the British army passed through Upper Marlboro, Maryland, the town in which Dr. Beanes was living. The officers used his home as their headquarters because it was "the best in the village." According to "The Bowies and Their Kindred," the officers described Dr. Beanes as "a man of polished manners and high literary attainments."
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Headstones of Dr. William and Sarah Beanes
After burning the United States Capitol, the British soldiers who were passing back through Upper Marboro heard that Dr. Beanes had led a militia that captured some of the British soldiers who had been looting. They beat him, took him prisoner, and held him on one of their ships.
Because he was held in such high esteem in the community, a group which included Frances Scott Key was sent to negotiate his release. The British were about to attack Fort McHenry when the group reached the ship and, although the British agreed to release Dr. Beanes, no one was allowed to leave until after the battle ended. It came to be known as The Battle of Baltimore.
The rest of the story is well known – how in the dawn’s early light, Key, discovering the American flag still floating over the fort was inspired to write what has become our national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner."
Star-Spangled Banner performed by The Isaacs
As William L. Marbury wrote in an article titled "The Seizure and Imprisonment of Dr. Beanes" in the Patriotic Marylander in 1914:
"If Dr. William Beanes, of Upper Marlboro, in Prince George's County, had not been a rather choleric old gentleman, and at the same time a man who by reason of his character and high attainments commanded in a remarkable degree the admiration and affection of his fellow-citizens, the great war song of the Repoblic, the 'Star-Spangled Banner,' would never have been written." The Patriotic Marylander, 13.
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Historic markers mounted to the columns at the cemetery.
Finding the cemetery was a little difficult because we weren't sure specifically where it was located. If you decide to check it out, I can now help you. Head to Upper Marlboro and go to the corner of Elm and Water Streets. It sits next to an old abandoned house on which Dr. Beanes' house was originally located.
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Map of Upper Marlboro and the location
of the grave of Dr. William Beanes
Upper Marlboro is a historic town which makes for a very fun visit, especially if you are interested in the Revolutionary War period.
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Prince George's County Court House
It's the seat of Prince George's County and was first settled around 1695. In addition to the graves of Dr. Beanes and his his wife, you can also explore other historic sites like Darnall's Chance.
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School House Pond, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
You'll also want to be sure to save time to explore School House Pond which is right behind the cemetery. This 12-acre man-made pond includes a boardwalk that's nearly a mile long and is filled with all sorts of wildlife.
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Olde Towne Inn, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
For the ultimate Marlboro experience, be sure to stop by the Olde Towne Inn. We just stumbled upon it and happened to be hungry so we went in for lunch. This is one time when taking a chance paid off. In addition to great food (be sure to order the Maryland crab cakes), the restaurant itself is also a historic site which was recently profiled in "The Washington Post."
Our little Independence Day road trip paid off big. We found our family connection to the national anthem, hiked along a nature trail, discovered a good restaurant, a spent some family time together; a great day of celebrating our nation's freedom.
The only thing that could almost top my friend and family-filled Tennessee Christmas this year was returning home to discover one of my relatives sent a photo of an ancestor I had not yet seen.
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With the addition of this photo of Lewis M. Fowler (my second-great maternal grandfather), which was sent to me by his great-grandson, William Leslie Fowler, Jr., I now have photos of all but four of my second-great grandparents.
Some people collect baseball cards, I collect family photos.
I'm still searching for a photo of George and Martha Jane Watridge Williams, Mourning Adeline Cobb Watridge and Sarah E. Patterson Fowler.
Of course, if you have a lead on anyone who may have a photo of one of these, please let me know.
I sent a copy of the photos to William Leslie Fowler, Jr., a Fowler relative I tracked down with the help of my mother. Leslie is the son of William Leslie Fowler, Sr., who was the son of Samuel Dalton Fowler, who was one of the sons of Lewis Fowler.
Samuel Dalton Fowler was a brother of my great-grandmother, Ruby Fowler Lovelace.
According to Ancestry.com, that makes Leslie Fowler, Jr. my second cousin one times removed. I still have a hard time figuring that out so I'm glad Ancestry.com does it for me.
Our mutual ancestor, Lewis M. Fowler, was born 14 July 1848 in McNairy County, Tenn.
His father, Oliver Fowler, died when he was just ten years old. I assume in later years he was not close to either of his parent's families because his death certificate listed the name of his parents as "unattainable."
Lewis married Sarah Elizabeth Patterson in McNairy County on March 27, 1868 when he was 19 and she was 16. It's crazy to think this was only four years after the Civil War.
Sometime between 1880 and 1890, Lewis and Sarah moved their family to the north section of District Four in Haywood County.
They were the parents of nine children: Lula M. Fowler
1873 - 1960
Oliver Wilson Fowler (Jenny's great-grandfather)
12 Jan 1875 - 9 Jun 1951
Mollie F. Fowler
Sep 1876 - 1931
Thomas Monroe Fowler
26 May 1880 - 19 Nov 1937
Samuel Dalton Fowler (Leslie Fowler's grandfather)
16 Jan. 1882 - 2 Oct 1913
Ruby Fowler (My great-grandmother)
12 Aug 1887 - 29 Jan 1952
Daisy Fowler
Jun 1893 - Dec 1976
Elender M. Fowler
1884 - after 1900
Mary C. Fowler
1871 - must have died as young child
In addition to the photo, William L. Fowler was also able to share some memories of our mutual ancestor. In the letter that accompanied the photo, he wrote:
"This picture of Lewis Fowler was taken in about 1933...it was taken at his old home place that backed up to old Highway 70. I don't remember the name of the road it fronted on.
We had family reunions there for many years. As a child, I well remember Mollie's (Lewis' daughter) cakes and pies.
There were times when Grandpa Fowler rode in the car with my Dad and I. He always kept both hands on the door as if he was ready to jump out if anything went wrong.
I'm not sure if he ever had much faith in automobiles."
In the 1920 census, Sarah had recently died and Lewis was 68 and living with his daughter Ruby and her family. Also in the household at the time was three-year-old Guy Lovelace who would grow up, later to become my maternal grandfather.
In the 1930 census, Lewis was living with his daughter Mollie and her family.
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Lewis M. Fowler's death certificate
Lewis Fowler died on Aug. 8, 1938 at the age of 90 after a stroke. He was buried next to his wife in Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Haywood County, Tenn. Now added to my "list of things to do" is finding his obituary, which I know must exist somewhere.
Photo/William L. Fowler, Jr.
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l to r: Littie Fowler, William L. Fowler, Sr. and
Clyde Lorene Mann Fowler in the early 1950s.
Leslie Fowler also sent a photo and some additional information about his immediate family.
From a little research online, I discovered his grandfather and Lewis' son, Samuel Dalton Fowler, died Oct. 2, 1913 when he was just 31 years old. His grave can also be found at Zion Baptist Church Cemetery. According to family history, he took his own life. The reasons or other details were never discussed.
In addition to three young children, Dalton left behind his wife, Clyde Lorene Mann.
I'm going to take a slight detour here...
Clyde was a daughter of Henry Allen Mann and Alice Elizabeth Hall.
The name rang a bell since my paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Castellaw Williams, had a sister (Irene) who married a guy with an unforgettable name: Bear Mann. His actual name was Bertheerus so you can see why they shortened it.
Bear was a son of Grover Cleveland Buster Mann who was a son of Seth Henry Mann.
Clyde was a daughter of Henry Allen Mann who was another son of Seth Henry Mann so she and Bear were first cousins.
Leslie let me know that, in addition to the two children I had already identified for Dalton Fowler and Clyde Mann Fowler -- William L. Fowler (16 Feb 1909 - Nov 1994) and Jesse Thomas Fowler (21 Oct 1906 - 19 May 1952) -- there was another daughter. Her name was Littie Fowler and she is pictured above.
She was the youngest of the three siblings.
When Dalton Fowler died in 1913, Jesse was 6, William was 4, and Little was 3 or younger.
Sometime before 1917, Clyde married Ben Hilburn. They had three sons together: Morris (8 Feb 1917 - 7 Jun 1991), Bernard (7 Feb 1919 - 1 Jun 1993) and Elvis (12 Aug 1924 - 9 Oct 1989).
In the 1940 census, the Hilburns operated a packed house with lots of family. In addition to Ben (50) and Clyde (49), living in the household in Memphis were their sons: Morris (23), Bernard (21) and his wife, Irene, and Elvis (16); Clyde's son, Leslie Fowler, Sr. (31), his wife, Mary Francie Trout Fowler (29), and their son, Leslie Jr. (11); Clyde's cousin, John Mann, Jr.; Ben's niece and nephew, J.W. and Lucille Cobb Trout (Lucille was the daughter of Harry and Bessie Mann Cobb and Bessie was Clyde Mann's sister) and their infant daughter, Johnny Sue; and finally, Leonard Trout who was Mary Francie Trout Fowler's father.
I'm used to seeing the occupation "farmer" in most of my genealogy research so it was nice to find something different for a change. They all had '40s-era "city-jobs." Ben worked in the toolroom at the railroad, Morris and Ben both worked for Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. Morris worked in the machine office and Bernard was a splicer. J.W. Trout was a pipe fitter and Leonard Trout worked for the Memphis Utility Company. Leslie Fowler, Sr. was the owner of a "Filling Station," while his wife, Mary Fowler, was a stenographer for a wholesaler. John Mann, Jr. was delivery boy for a bookstore.
It's really helpful for other researchers to be able to add photos and details like this to my ancestry research so if you have additional information about these or any other families, please let me know so I can share them here.
The Claiborne and Martha Gunter Family, Likely mid-1890s
Being able to use social networks to connect with others researching the same family lines is such a significant part of my genealogy addiction, I have a hard time imagining what it would be like now to work without it.
Last year, I blogged about a photo of the Claiborne and Martha Gunter family I received from a cousin, Janet Marbury.
At the time, I was trying to figure out the identity of Rush Marbury's first wife and the exact connection between Andrew Francis Marbury and the Claiborne Gunter family.
Rush Marbury was the brother of my 3rd great-grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Marbury (who was the father of Hardy Joyner Marbury, who was the father of Allie Ern Marbury Brantley, who was the mother of Virginia Brantley Lovelace who was the mother of my mother, Shirley Lovelace Williams).
This week I received an email from Karen Hunter who has also been researching the Gunter family and she provided both the identity of the individuals in the Gunter photo above AND a photo of Rush's first wife, Alice Gunter Marbury.
Included in the photo above are:
Back row: John Wesley Gunter (some in family think he may be Lafayette), Robert Joshua Gunter, Arch Fiddler (a neighbor, 1900 census lists him as an "orphan" living with Claiborne and Martha), Isiah (sic) Lafayette Gunter, and Perry Oliver Gunter.
Seated: Tommye (possibly a nickname) Gunter, Claiborne Gunter, Martha Dallas Gunter, and Netta (possibly Jeanetta) Gunter.
Photo from Karen Hunter
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Siblings John Wesley Gunter and Alice Gunter Marbury
It was also great to get confirmation of Rush's first wife and actually get to see a photo of her.
What I now know about Alice Gunter Marbury is that she married Rush Marbury then they had a son, Andrew Francis Marbury, on 5 May 1883. It appears they were living in Arkansas after their marriage.
Alice died when her son Andrew was very young and he stayed in Arkansas to live with her family, Claiborne and Martha Gunter, while his father returned to Haywood County, Tenn.
Rush married Delilah Mann on 17 Oct 1888 so Alice was already deceased when the photo at the top was taken in the mid-1890s. Rush was likely already back in Haywood County living with his father and step-mother, otherwise, he would have been in the Gunter family photo.
Photo from Janet Marbury
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Left to right, back row: Alice Marbury Cobb, Jesse T. Cobb, May Anne
Marbury, Owen Marbury, David Marbury, Juanita Marbury, Janet Marbury,
Mable Ruth Holladay Marbury, May Ethel Marbury, Andrew Earl Marbury
Clarice Marbury Overton, Marcia Overton, and Charles Horace Overton Jr.
Front row: Andrew Frances Marbury, Frances Adien Cain Marbury
and Charles Phillip Overton
Andrew lived in Haywood County for the rest of his life. He married Frances Adian Cain and together they had five children. Andrew named his first daughter, Alice, after his mother.
Andrew, who was referred to as a "substantial citizen" in his obituary, died on 5 July 1955 and was buried in the Zion Baptist Church cemetery.
Also referred to as a "river packet," ferryboats like this shipped cotton grown in the south to northern industrial towns and also ferried residents up and down the river.
The Chas. H. Organ was built in 1897 for the Corps of Engineers and was later owned by the West Memphis Packet Company.
A case argued before the Tennessee Supreme Court, Foppiano v. Speed, in 1905 included a few details about this particular boat.
Companies selling beer or liquor in Memphis were required to pay a tax to Shelby County. James Foppiano leased the bar on the Chas. H. Organ but did not pay taxes because he claimed he was "engaged in interstate commerce and not subject to be taxed by the state." Details in the arguments of this case included:
"For more than four years last past the West Memphis Packet Company had used and employed the steamboat Chas. H. Organ as its regular ferryboat in carrying on the ferry aforesaid...operating a ferry across the Mississippi river from Hopefield Point, in Crittenden county, Arkansas, and other points adjacent thereto in the state of Arkansas...had been making landings regularly, at its dock, at the wharf in the city of Memphis on the Mississippi river and there receiving and discharging freight and passengers transported or to be transported by means of such ferry along and across the Mississippi River."
"The West Memphis Packet Company at the foot of Court Avenue, runs the steamer Charles H. Organ several times daily to Hopefield, Mound City, President's Island and Wyanoke. This boat is much patronized by excursionists and pleasure seekers." p. 394
The copyright for this photo was entered in the copyright office on Dec. 31, 1910 by the Detroit Publishing Company. Started by publisher William A. Livingstone and photographer Edwin H. Husher in the late 19th-century, they took thousands of photos which were used for the production of postcards.
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What makes this photo really interesting is the incredible high-resolution and clarity of events taking place in the background as the Chas. H. Organ was sitting at the dock.
When you first see the digital photo, which was made from an 8 x 10 dry plate negative, all you see is a white horse standing in front of a boat. But when you zoom in the background, you can make out much of the action in surprising detail.
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From the upper-class passengers up top, whose attention is directed at the nervous mule creating a raucous on the dock below, to the working-class African American workers who were only a generation away from slavery, the activity captured in the photo is mesmerizing.
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These three passengers appear to be casually checking out the action taking place behind the dock. They seem bored with it all and have the same look people today have when riding a city bus.
I wonder if that's some of Foppiano's adult beverages in the barrel behind them?
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Slavery had ended only about 50 years prior to this photo so this older lady in the apron could have been a slave as a young girl. She and the lady next to her appear to have some sort of service job at the dock. Perhaps they are cooks? It seems as though she had just finished some chore, wiped her hands on her apron and stepped outside to check out all the action.
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She and the man standing on a pile of lumber are the only two who seem interested in what the photographer was doing. He turned and looked right at the moment the photo was taken.
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Many of those waiting on the dock appear to be dressed for a pleasure trip rather than for work and a lot of them are holding baskets that I assume hold food.
In 1918, the Patton-Tully Transportation Company purchased the Chas. H. Organ from the West Memphis Packet Company and renamed it the Dan Quinn. Their website states it was used to barge logs around Memphis.
The Dan Quinn was dismantled in 1933 and the hull was converted to a barge. The Detroit Publishing Company declared bankruptcy in 1924 and was liquidated in 1932.
Fortunately, most of the existing negatives and prints are now housed by the Library of Congress so through them, we can get a small glimpse into the past.
