Moran Place

B.H. Stief Jewelry Co. Nashville TN, founded 1858

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The Moran's enjoyed good quality items including silverware. In 1926, Brud Moran wrote to the B.H. Stief Jewelry Co. of Nashville for some sterling silver tea spoons, to be sent on approval. The price, if purchased, being $12.00 I wonder if anyone these days but the very wealthy are given the opportunity to receive items on approval before deciding if they want to purchase them? No clue if Brud kept them or returned them but here's a bit of background on the company as well as the letter, dated May 5, 1926, from G.J. Fox, the secretary and treasurer of the company.

The B.H. Stief Jewelry Company of Nashville Tennessee was founded in 1858. They are not affiliated with the Steiff Company of the Steiff bear fame. Bruno Hugo Stief was born on March 21, 1845, in Prussia. He was 7 years old when he boarded the passenger ship "Irma" at Hamburg Germany with his father Franz Stief, his mother Susan Helena and his brother Oskar and sister Attelia. They arrived in the United States on August 6, 1852. By 1860 they are living in Nashville. Franz is a "ban-box maker" while Oscar and Bruno are apprentice watchmakers. Bruno married Francies G. Fields on March 3, 1869. It doesn't appear that the couple had any children which would most likely account for the company passing out of the hands of the family after the death of Bruno in 1890.

The following excerpt comes from The Jewelers' Circular v. 78, issue 1, 1919:

A Pioneer in Dear Old Tennessee: Taking a westward direction we reach what was once termed "The Athens of the South," Nashville, Tenn., and pay a visit to the store of the B.H. Stief Jewelry Co. About 50 years ago the then proprietor had the honor of serving Gov. Andrew Jackson and many wealthy southern people whose families resided in Nashville because it was such a great educational city. They bouth the best, and the firm sold only solid gold jewelry and solid silverware. The stock was dispensed from a diminutive establishment 15 x 18 feet, with no employees but Mr. Stief himself. The population of the town was then 25,000, with two daily newspapers. Goods were bought directly from all the large manufacturers of jewelry and silverware.

J.A. Cayce, President
G.J. Fox, Secty & Treas.
The B.H. Stief Jewelry Co.
Jewelers and Silversmiths
Stief's Corner
Church St. & Capitol Boulevard
Nashville, Tenn.
May 5, 1926

Mr. C.H. Moran,
Dresden, Tenn.
Dear Sir:
As per your request of the 3d, we have sent you on approval six Sterling Silver Tea Spoons in our ADAM Pattern, which is one of the finest patterns which we have, and the price of same is $12.00.

Trusting you received them in due time, and that they will prove satisfactory, also, thanking you for past valued favors, we are,
Very truly yours,
B.H. Stief Jewelry Co.

GJF-H It was signed by Gilbert J. Fox.

A Wedding and a Baby 1910

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Vivian was the daughter of Rev. George Thomas Mayo and Ella Savannah McWherter of Dresden, Tennessee. She married William D. Wilson of Mayfield, Kentucky in 1910. For more information about the Mayo and Wilson families check out a previous blog entry entitled Letter from Vivian Mayo Wilson.

Here is the wedding invitation to the marriage of Vivian and William:

Mr. and Mrs. G.T. Mayo
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Vivian
to
Mr. William D. Wilson
on the evening of Wednesday, the second of February
One thousand nine hundred and ten
eight o'clock
Methodist Church
Dresden, Tennessee

And here is William D. Wilson Jr, age 4 months and 12 days, circa 1914.

Seed Packets, ca 1915

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More proof of Uncle Brud's love of the land. He was always looking for new things to plant.

Fishing pole Friday

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We don't know who these people are or even where the photographs were taken but it's a series of three I've found.

In the first photo we see the group seated on the steps. The ladies have fishing poles and the little boy in front with the huge brimmed hat has a gun. He's also the only one with barefeet!

The next photo shows that same bare foot boy toting the fishing poles and his gun. My favorite thing of all though are the ducks waddling around the the corner of the house behind him.

And last but not least a group photo in the great outdoors.

Dresden Enterprise Apr 24 1896 - The Illustrated Edition Part 3 "Weakley County in Brief"

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This is the third in a multi-part series featuring the April 24 1896 edition of the Dresden Enterprise. If you missed the previous posts you can find part one here and part two here

Colored M.E. Church

Weakley County In Brief

Situated on the western slope of the plateau of West Tennessee, and is bounded north by Kentucky, east by Carroll county, south by Carroll and Gibson, and west by Obion. The county has an area of seven hundred square miles, and is drained by the north, south and middle forks of the Obion river. Its tributaries are Mud, Cypress and Cane Creeks. The dividing line of the twelfth and thirteenth surveyor's district runs through the town of Dresden. The western part of the county is generally level: the other portions gently undulating.

The Subsoil being of clay, fertilizers are well retained, Oak, hickory, sweet gum, ash and other timbers, with

some walnut and poplar, are abundant, except the latter two. Evergreen holly is frequently found in the woods.

The first settlers were Uncle Reuben Edmonston (now gone to rest) and his brother-in-law, John Bradshaw and family. The next settlers in this neighborhood were Isaac H. Ward and Wm. Miles. The famous DAvy Crockett once lived in the southeast part of the county, and in our court-house now is a legal document bearing his signature. Lewis Stunston, recently deceased, was the first white child born within the county's limits. He died possessed of much wealth. Dr. J. Almus Gardner was the first white child born in Dresden.

The county was created by an act of the legislature October 21, 1823.

A tract of thirty-nine acres was donated for the town site by John Terrell. For fifty dollars seventeen and one-half acres more were added thereto, making fifty-six and one-half acres in the town site. In April of the year 1825 the first town lots were sold--$5,742 being realized. This sum went towards erecting public buildings. The first courthouse was a brick structure, built by John Scarbrough, of Stewart county. Later Emerson Etheridge, Alfred Gardner and Dr. A.G. Holden, commissioners, let the contract for a new court-house, the old one proving too small, and $16,000 was appropriated. The final cost was $20,000. The present jail was completed in 1875, at a cost of $8,000. It has been added to since, and is a nice two-story brick. $100,000 was subscribed by a small majority vote to build the N., C. & St. L. road, which was completed through the county in 1861. The county has lost the whole amount of its stock.

The following are the first recorded officers: county clerk, Wm. H. Johnson; circuit clerk, Mears Warner;

sheriff John J. Calvert; trustee ? Dodd; register, William Landrum. The latter two are not the first, and their predecessor's names are lost to history. Adam R. Alexander was the first congressional representative. The first term of the circuit court in Weakley county was held November, 1827, John C. Hamilton presiding. The chancery court at Paris had jurisdiction over chancery business here until 1838. Jas. Julian was the first grand jury foreman, and the first indictment was against Wm. Ward for assault and battery, who plead guilty, threw himself on the mercy of the court, and was fined one dollar and costs. The first murder trial was the State vs. George W. McClain and Wm. Price for the murder of one Stunston. McClain escaped from jail while under sentence to hang, and was never rearrested. Price was later acquitted. The first and only judicial hanging in the county took place June 181853. Anthony and Alfred Peck, colored, were hanged for the murder of their master, the maternal grandfather of our present circuit court clerk, Mr. John J. Thomason. Milton Brown was the first chancellor.

The Tennessee Patriot was the first paper published in the county, Jesse Leigh, editor. Its first issue contained the message of President Van Buren. In the newspaper business he was succeeded by Carlton & Whittlesey, and they by Wash Talbert and he by A.W. King, who published a paper about the year 1849. Somers & Guinn published the dresden Spy a short time in the fifties. Henry Massey published a paper preceeding the civil war. The Gossiper was published six months in 1867 by W.F. Hampton.

Weakley County Court House

Bubs Photo Album, ca 1930's

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Nathan Harrell Moran was known as Bub or Nate to his friends. The photo's posted here are from his photo album and date from the 1930's. I'll add more photo's over time. These are by no means all of his photographs, just the one's from his album and include friends, family, things of interest to him. Quite a few of the photographs are of school mates. If you want to try to put names with faces you might try comparing photo's here to the 1936 graduation photo which includes names

Craddock Vaughn was chosen beauty queen at Dresden, Tenn., and Marie Thomas
and Sarah Frazier were selected maids to participate in a revue at the Weakley County Fair

Bub Moran is on the
guy on the right.

Don't know exactly where they are but it's somewhere south by the look of the palm trees and moss.

1908 Soda Fountain Postcard from Fred, Fulton MO

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We have no idea who Fred was but he took a great picture. The postcard is dated Aug. 25, 1908 and postmarked Fulton Missouri. It was sent to Jim Moran of Dresden.

"Am working the Kodak one time. This is where I dish slop. Fred"

This is a fascinating moment in time and I decided to dissect the picture and post closeups from the Hire's root beer barrel to the bottles flavoring.

Signs for a Frozen Phosphate 10 cents, Pineapple Rum, and a variety of spigots.

Close up of a barstool.

And a neatly stacked group of mugs.

I don't know if they called them "soda jerks" in 1908 but he looks over dressed and that white suit looks like a great target for stains.

Delightful flavorings to suit every taste.

A Visit with Bose Hutchcraft at Reelfoot Lake, 1936

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Bose Hutchcraft and Jim Moran III, 1936

These two pictures were taken about 1936 at Reelfoot Lake. The tall lanky fellow is Percy Bose Hutchcraft and the other guy is Jim Moran III. On the far right side at Jim's elbow you can see a small boat and that's the boathouse behind the two men.

Bose Hutchcraft was born in 1875 in Kentucky. It appears that Bose and his siblings moved to Tennessee settling in Obion and Lake counties.

Bose married Ida Dickey May 13 1892 in Obion and they had three children: Nannie, Lottie May and Joseph Freeman Hutchcraft. Nannie married Elbert Spicer. Lottie married Johnnie Cochran and Joseph married Mary Earl Bell. In census records Bose's occupation is fisherman. I think Ida died between 1910 and 1920. Bose was living in Hornbeak when he passed away on October 6, 1944. He and several of his Hutchcraft kin are buried at Antioch Baptist Cemetery in Hornbeak.

Pictured below, left to right, are Maibelle Shumate Harris, Jim Moran, Bose Hutchcraft and Virginia Shumate Moran.

Maibelle was one of Virginia's sisters. She had moved to Fort Worth Texas and married Newton Temple Harris Sr., one of the founders of the Fort Worth Warehouse and Transfer Company. It's possible that Newton was the one behind the camera that day. Maibelle and family are interred at Oakwood Cemetery in Fort Worth.

Behind them and to the right are cabins at the Lake and I wonder if that car which can be seen through the boathouse belonged to Jim.

As I Lay Dead One Day, ca 1898

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This clipping was among the papers of James H. Moran III. I was not able to locate an author and the first time it shows up in a google search is in Life Magazine volume 32 issue 816, 1898. It was titled "Afterwards". The clipping compares it to an earlier poem by Ben King ca 1894.

"This one from Life contains some features of Ben King's "If I Should Die To-Night"

As I lay dead one day,
With all the people round,
"Poor boy!" I heard one say;
"He'll soon be under ground.

"He owed me ten, but then"
(He softly smoothed his brow),
"Twill not occur again;
He cannot reach me now."

"How natural he looks,"
Another said. "Poor lad!
He was so fond of books--
He borrowed all I had."

Another: "Poor, dear sould!
He loved my dinners so!
How sad! Yet, on the whole
"Twas best that he should go."

Another: "Ah! so young!
So hard it is to think
His song was left unsung--
They say he used to drink."

Another: "He was bright!
How pitiful to fling
Such gifts away, He might
Have done some clever thing."

And still another groaned,
As in his chair he sank:
"His loss will be bemoaned--
They say he was a crank."

As I lay dead one day,
While waiting for the hearse,
I couldn't help but say;
"This might have been much worse!"

Big Show In Town, Apr 1875

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This is the original advertisement that was posted around town when John W. Moran opened his new mercantile store in Dresden, Tennessee on April 22, 1875. I really like the way he lists a lot of the goods that can be had but my favorite is the "patent Parasols for napping in church."

BIG SHOW IN TOWN

-------

We have just opened our

NEW STOCK OF SPRING GOODS,

And Invite you to examine it.

Silks, Fish-hooks, Lawns, marbles, Ribbons, Traces, Fans, Well-buckets Shirts, fronts, Spades, Hair-pins, Hoes, Linens, Coffee, Gloves, Blacking, Hair-braids, Tinware, Ladies' new style straw Hats, Hoop-skirts, Brooms, Saddles, Augers, Shoes, Shingles, Feathers, Peas, Buggy-harness, Cook stoves, Wall Paper, Meal, Books, Flour, Wheat, Cassimeres, Teas, Cottonade, Rice, Spun-truck, new style Corsets, Broad Axes, patent Gate Hinges, Jewelry, Barlows, Perfume, Hoe-handles, Table Oil-Cloths, patent Parasols for napping in church.

AND A GREAT MANY NEW AND BEAUTIFUL GOODS THAT WERE BOUGHT

Before the late advance.

I Will sell prints at from

8 to 10 cents, 4-4 Domestic 10 Cents, Brogan Shoes $1.50.

A New Stock of

CLOTHING AND HATS

At the VERY LOWEST Cash Prices

I ask you to call and see my Goods,

and I will endeavor to please you on prices.

J.W. MORAN

Frame House West side of Square.

Dresden, Tenn., April 22d 1875

Spinster Dies Leaving Gold-Packed Home, 1924

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I have yet to find a connection between these Shumate's and Virginia Shumate Moran but she saved this newspaper clipping which indicates to me she thought there was a connection. Martha Shumate died in October 1924 in Winchester, Virginia.

GUARD SPINSTER'S GOLD-PACKED HOME
Authorities Protect Fortune Crammed in Nooks and Crannies Before Death.

By the Associated Press.
WINCHESTER, Va., October 22--A bonded caretaker guards the residence property here of Miss Martha Shumate, wealthy spinster, who died last week, following the discovery of a hoarded fortune stuffed and crammed in nearly every nook and cranny of the house.

The guard was established when crowds of persons lured by the reports of hidden treasure threatened to overrun the premises. Bank officials today admitted that the rich woman had drawn several thousand dollars from her account recently to distribute in modest bequests among her friends. It also became known that hardly a receptacle in the house has failed to give up money. Clocks, picture frames, covered plates and cracks and crevices poured out old gold and bank notes. Much of the gold coin is said to be of ancient vintage, many pieces from the California mint, coined while the gold rush was at its height, will command premiums.

Last of Old Family

Miss Shumate was the last of her line, a prominent Frederick County family that had conserved riches through a whole century. It appears that she did not complete the work of writing her will for a document has been found in which only one bequest is made, and that for only a small portion of her holdings.

No mention was made of the disposition of enormous bank stock holdings, bank accounts, farms and city property, all of which her bank here, named as administrator, lists among her possessions.

Near and distant cousins will benefit in the Shumate riches after their appraisal by court orders, it was declared.
---
Martha Shumate was the daughter of Tilman Shumate and Eliza Brown. Tilman was born about 1810 and died in 1847. He was a merchant in Frederick County Virginia. He and Eliza married on September 3, 1836. When he died his wife was left with the task of raising their four small children: Elizabeth 8 yrs old, Rebecca 5 yrs old, Martha (the subject of the article) 3 yrs old and Tilman Jr was just 1 yr. old.

Census records show that Tilman Jr. was a bank cashier. Tilman, the youngest of the siblings, died in 1883 leaving the spinster sisters to fend for themselves. But perhaps they didn't have to fend too hard since they obviously had a hoard of money to rely on. Elizabeth, or Lizzie, the oldest died in 1904. Rebecca survived until 1923 and Martha followed her to the grave in 1924.

With the exception of Tilman Sr, the family is interred at Mt.Hebron Cemetery in Winchester Virginia. At this time it is unknown where Tilman Sr. is resting.

W.J. Sedberry, West TN Photographer

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Moran Place was home to many things including a lot of photographs. Most of the people in the photographs will probably remain unknown to us. Truth be told, it's usually easier to find out who the photographer's were, when there's a photographers mark, than to find out the subject of the photo. That's the case with this charming picture.

On the back someone penciled in "Sydney and her faithful friend Mack." I don't know who Sydney might be. So far the only Sidney in the Moran tree is John Sidney Irvine and this is not him!

We have a few other photographs by Sedberry so I decided to see what I might dig up about him. A brief line appears in the Dresden Enterprise dated April 14, 1893, "W.J. Sedberry, the photographer, invites you to call."

William J. Sedberry was born November 13, 1860 in Lyon County Kentucky. His parents were James Sedberry of North Carolina or Virginia depending on the source and Mary Parmenter. Census sources indicate his wife's name was Nora Belle. When I found the death certificate for "Nora" her name was listed as Clara Belle Scates. Was Nora a nickname or is the death certificate incorrect which happened a lot more than one might think! Her parents were listed as W.F. Scates and Ray Scates, both of Tennessee. I have seen the mother's name listed several ways: Martha Ann Wray, Monica Ann Ray, Mariah Ann Ray, Ann Roy.

In the 1900 Census William and Nora were living in McKenzie, Carroll County TN. It also indicated that Nora had given birth to six children, three were living:
Eric E. b. Oct 1887, 12 years old
Fred C. b. Aug. 1896, 3 years old
Ray (daughter), b. Feb 1900, 3 months old.

And that wraps up what I know at this time about William James Sedberry.

City of Dresden...where you can live and profit!

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Came across a brochure from Dresden, Tennessee. We think it's from the 1950's.

Here are closeups of the different sections:

A City of Shady Streets, Fine homes and Churches, Full Medical Facilities, Excellent Service and other

Clubs

Dresden has many lovely homes along its thickly shaded streets. They give a feeling of serene and peaceful living...an ideal place for a happy family.

This is one of the five friendly churches which are well-attended by the Dresden citizens. They are handsomely maintained, and exemplify the spiritual well-being of the town.

Many new and modern residences have been constructed in and around Dresden. This is one of the newer suburban homes, showing how Dresden is progressing.

The Weakley County Health Center is one of the town's most modern buildings. It houses the county's medical staff, who insure good health for the happiness and continued progress of a dynamic community.

The American Legion and Masonic Building was erected in 1949. It is a tribute to the servicemen of Tennessee Post No. 94, and to the high ideals of Masonry. The building symbolizes the gratitude of the community and the members of each organization for one another. Dresden has excellent service clubs . . Rotary. . . Lions.

The Dresden Manufacturing Co. Producers of the famous Jean Harper coats, is one of Dresden's new industries. Built in 1949, it is one of the plants operated in the West Tennessee Garment Factory of St. Louis.

In 1948 the first big industrial development came in Dresden--the Bay-Bee Shoe Factory. They company employs about 150 people to manufacture shoes for infants and children. Ample labor, harmonious labor-relations, and pleasant working conditions characterize this productive unit.

The story of TVA is well known. this sub-station is about one mile south of Dresden on State Highway No. 54. The nation's lowest power rates are found in the TVA regions.

Dresden Tennessee
TVA Power
Low Taxes
Ample Labor
Rail Facilities
Excellent Highways
Fine Schools; Friendly churches
are the factors that are causing more and more industries to--decide on Dresden.

Management today is critically scanning all business and production costs--because in this period of peculiar economy the spread is narrow between profit and cost factors.

Business today must locate where costs are advantageous. where power is cheap. Where labor is ample an reasonable. Where work stoppages do not hamper production and deflate profits. Business today must have a competitive edge.

Business today also must locate where executives and workers can live pleasantly...where living costs are such that they are afforded the opportunity to save...where children can be educated and reared properly.

The City of Dresden provides these advantages. Businesses and industries that are already located here will testify to these facts. In planning your own business or industrial future, we invite you to consider Dresden--where you can live and profit!

Hand in Hand with Dresden's Growing Industries is Prosperous Dairy Farming. In only Ten Year's Time Dresden Has Become the Fastest Growing Dairy Center in the South!

A well-kept dairy herd...in a Grade A dairy barn...is the goal of all dairymen. The highest degree of sanitation and cleanliness marks the county's fastest growing industry.

This is one of the outstanding Jerseys, which will compete in the Registered Jersey Cattle show. The shows have become annual affairs and attract cattle with the finest pedigrees. Good cattle require good pasture! That's the keynote of soil conservation and better farming practices.

Dresden's City Government has Young, Progressive Leadership
The University of Tennessee Martin Branch which is a part of the University of Tennessee, is only nine miles from Dresden. The school has long been recognized as a leader in its field. It is being expanded to meet the demands of higher education.

The Weakley County courthouse was erected in 1950 at a cost of $698,000.00. Dresden is the seat of Weakley County. It is named Robert Weakley and the County was founded about 1819. Among the famous person who lived in this County is Davy Crockett.

The Dresden Elementary School is Dresden's newest major project. The building is being constructed to provide the space needed for the increased school population of the future.

A lovely scene in any town is a modern well-kept post office and federal building. Murals on the interior walls, depict a story of the early history of Dresden and Weakley County. They are a great attraction to Dresden's visitors.

Dresden--Hub of the Northwest Section of Tennessee Where Southern Hospitality Abounds.

Young Love, Fannie Moran and George Brasfield

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In a previous post I went into detail about George Moore Brasfield. Who his parents were, who he married, his occupation, children, travel and where he died. That post was prompted by a letter he had written to J.W. Moran in 1910 asking for a $5000 loan. If you are interested in more information about George be sure to check out that blog entry!

Today's post is prompted by a school tablet belonging to Fannie Moran, dated about 1889. At first I wondered what the FMB stood for on the front cover.

As I flipped through the pages I could see that Fannie was studying: grammer, latin, french, literature and poetry. This page is about the character of Macbeth.

But then I found a few items that were definitely not school related and the mystery of the FMB became clear to me. It wasn't FMB it was FM GB, Fannie Moran and George Brasfield. Fannie had a crush on George Brasfield. Whether or not it was reciprocated I cannot say but these tidbits of daily life are the things that make family research so much fun.

Moran & Brasfield, Atty's at Law. Cases of Matrimony & love a specialty.

And the back cover:

Fannie Lemira Moran. Geo M. Grasfield, ma chere. Voulez-vous aller au Dresden Noel? My dear, Do you want to go to Dresden for Christmas?

The Original Moran Place

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Before J.W. Moran built the grand Victorian house in 1895 the Moran Family was living in a much more modest one-story home built by his father, James Henderson Moran the first. If you are facing the current Moran Place the original would've been off to the left.

These photographs are from 1947. I imagine they were taken as keepsakes of the old homestead prior to it being torn down.

On the steps are Bump Irvine, Jim and Virginia Moran and their grandson Jim the fifth.

Here they are again but this time Harrell "Brud" Moran has joined them. He's the long-legged fellow on the end.

Bump

Here's cousin James A. "Bump" Irvine.

Jim, Virginia and Carrie

This is Virginia again with her friend Carrie Lou LaFon Pentecost, the wife of Cayce Pentecost, and of course little Jim.

I like the double doors to the house. You can see they have the screen door propped open.

Jim, Jim and Jim.

I like this photo of the three Jim's because you can see the built in seats on either side of them. The screen door is closed in this picture.

Jim, Bump, and Brud

And the last picture in this series shows three gentlemen with their hats. Even in a "casual" setting the men were in suits and the ladies wore dresses. How the world has changed!

Ben and Elbert

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Today's post is about something that is as ephemeral as it gets, a napkin. This particular napkin is embossed with the names Ben and Elbert. In today's society it isn't unusual to see the names of men linked together but I was positive one of these people was NOT a man. I was also positive that I would never know who Ben and Elbert were but actually I was able to smoke them out rather quickly using Findagrave. I searched Sunset Cemetery with the first name Elbert and was rewarded with three hits: Elbert Lee "Skinny" Call, Elbert Hoyt Hutcherson and Elbert Thomas Reavis. A quick look at each profile and I was able to determine that the Elbert on the napkin was Elbert Thomas Reavis whose wife was Benjamin Virginia Loyd! E.T. Reavis opened a dry good store in Dresden in the 1890's. It's still there today. Say hi to them on Facebook.

Elbert (E.T.) and "Miss Ben" were married December 23rd, 1895 by Pastor A.J. Meadows at the Methodist Episcopal Church South. I would imagine that some, if not all, of the Moran's would've attended the ceremony unless mourning customs decreed that it was too soon to be in public. Sophia Moran, the matriach of the Moran family, had died in October of that year.

I'm going to make a guess here and imagine that this napkin was probably from the 50th wedding anniversary party of ET and Miss Ben which would've been Dec 23rd, 1945. Miss Ben passed away the following year.

It just goes to show that even a napkin can be a connection to the past.

And just as I suspected, this napkin was saved from their 50th anniversary party because I just now came across this newspaper clipping:

Mr. and Mrs. Elbert T. Reavis of Dresden, Tenn., observed the 50th anniversary of their marriage at their home Dec. 28. Mr. Reavis is a pioneer merchant of Dresden. Mrs. Reavis is the daughter of the late T.E. Loyd.

Dresden Enterprise Apr 24 1896 - The Illustrated Edition Part 2 "A Dead Town"

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This is the second in a multi-part series featuring the April 24 1896 edition of the Dresden Enterprise. If you missed the previous post you can find part one here. The following segment was written tongue in cheek by an unknown contributor and is entitled "A Dead Town."

Cumberland Presbyterian Church

A DEAD TOWN
{Contributed}
Eleven years ago, when the effort was being made to abolish the charter of Dresden, and thereby drive the saloon from the town, the economics of the movement urged with zeal and eloquence, with argument and invective, that the result of success would be the destruction of the business of the town----a wiping out of all public spirit, and end to progress, in short, that Dresden would soon be a "dead town." In spite of these doleful predictions, in the face of the convincing arguments thus offered, with the certain prospect of ruin before them, a majority of the people rushed heedlessly to their doom, and Dresden ceased to be an incorporated town, the majority, in its blindness, deciding that the absence of a police and no whisky was more tolerable than the presence of both.

Eleven years have now elapsed and our citizens are able to see the effect of their greivous (sic) error, in the
fact that new residences have been built in the village by only the few persons whose names follow, at an average cost of not exceeding one thousand dollars, towit: Gus Atkins, V H Davis, R T Overton, J F Brinkley, G Landres, Wm McCuan, B Jackson, W.J Reavis, Nat Moore, E H Ayres (e), Joe Nanney, G W Winstead, R G Maloan, the Methodist Parsonage, J A Irvine, G A Dowd, J G Thomason (2), G S Boyd, T A McElwrath, C P Meadows, John McGlothlin, J E Jones, A V Boden, T M Little J W Moran, T L Woods, (3), J B Jolly, C A Bailey (2), Joe Loyd, G I Baxter, J W Killebrew, A E Gardner (2), J R Thomason, T A McElwrath, H W Paschall, W H Riddle (2), W T Mangum, Jeff Harris, H L Hill, C M Ewing and J W Rogers, besides the remodelling and rebuilding of the residences of J A Gibbs, Lea

Harris, W C Holt, and Will Fuller, and among the colored people Cullen Edwards, Nancy Bondurant, Ike Fowler, Bledsoe and Ruffan Rogers, and several others whose names we do not now recall.

The business houses erected are, six iron fronts, one by J.M. Meadows on lot that stood vacant since the great fire here in the 60's, three by J.W. Moran, one each by J.A. Gibbs and B.D. Irvine, and the two-story Brick hotel, on north side of the square.

The brick banking houses of the Henry County Bank and Weakley County Bank, the brick livery stable of J.A. Paschall and the iron roofed and weatherboarded livery stable of E.A. Maloan; while two story frame buildings have been built A.V Boden, B.D. Irvine and E.L. Rogers. The J.W. Rogers frames, The Enterprise Office and T.L. Woods' business house have been remodelled. Wm. McCuan built a business house near the depot, and McCuan's and Fuller Bro's., tobacco warehouses and the spoke factory, giving employment to fifty men and supporting as many families, complete the list of business houses.

Irvine & Scott

The public buildings are limited to two churches, two school houses and the new depot. To be strictly just we must not omit the establishment of the Weakley County Bank and the Dresden Bank, neither of which has during the long continued depression failed to meet promptly every demand, and both of which have paid fair dividends to the stockholders.

As a striking contrast to this doleful record of sloth, inertness and decline, let us now look at the rapid growth, striking progress and marked prosperity during the ten years preceding the suicidal act of its citizens in repealing its charter, during which time residences were erected by the following persons, greatly to the delight of every lover of the town, towit; M.D. Cardwell, R.N. Irvine, S.P. Scott and J.M. Meadows, at an average cost of probably not less than $1,500. The Irvine& Scott flouring mill was also built during this period, but has been entirely refitted with new machinery of the latest construction and most approved styles within the last few years.

Of public buildings, there was built during that ten years, THE JAIL.

In the face of these startling facts, of this record of decline and degeneration, of rapidly approaching death there are, strange as it may seem, men in our town who are not ashamed to admit that

they assisted in the fatal act which has brought such ruin and destruction upon our town, and obstinately assert that they have no regrets for what they have done. There are even some blinded, hard-headed and misguided individuals, who go so far as to say they would like to see the town "ruined some more," on the same lines.

Weakly (sic) County Jail

A Flirtation with Leone Fuqua of Hickman KY

2013-04-24T10:38:00.002-05:00

There are some Fuqua's in the Moran tree but I haven't been able to connect Leone Fuqua. It seems from the tone of her brief note there was a flirtation between her and Charles Moran and that he had a rival. Perhaps the rival was Charles F. Baltzer who Leone married in 1901.

My dear Mr. Moran:

The lovely and very unique present sent to me from you is a little beauty.

How dreadful it is that we all can not conceal the jealousy in our hearts for others.

Lets reverse the little story and make the two rivals the girls instead of boys. Can you read between lines.

With repeated thanks and hoping to see you at the station when I return to Soule---

Sincerely your friend,

Leone Fuqua

Monday a.m.

postmarked Hickman Ky.

Dec. 26, 1898

Wouldn't it be wonderful to know what the "unique present" was? And to be privy to the "jealousy in our hearts"?

And where is Soule? I found a Soule's Chapel in Kentucky which people seem to think is haunted. Surely that isn't what she meant.

I hope to find more letters from Leone to find out what happened between herself and C.H. Moran.

Leone Fran Fuqua was born June 4 1879 in Kentucky. Most likely in Hickman because she appears in the 1880 Hickman census at the age of one year old. She was living in the household with her grandmother Mary P. Fuqua, her parents James Edward and Lenora "Nora" Fortune Fuqua, her Aunt and Uncle Arch and Bettie DeBow and her one year old cousin Ivy DeBow.

A quick search on ancestry shows she married Charles F. Baltzer June 12, 1901. I can only find that they had one child, Ralph, but other trees also list a Leslie and Rebecca. Perhaps those two children did in infancy. The family moved to Clarksdale Mississiippi sometime after 1910 but before 1920. Charles was a bookkeeper and in the 1930 Census Leone is listed as the Organist for the Methodist Church.

Charles died in 1949. Leone survived him almost 20 years dying in 1968. Their son Ralph passed on in 1990. They are all buried in Oakridge Cemetery, Clarksdale Mississippi.

William Albert Shibley

2013-04-22T18:46:00.001-05:00

Surnames: Shibley, Wermuth, Tigrett, Kearney, Davidson, Snell

There are several similarities between William Albert Shibley and James Moran III. They both attended St. Albans School in Radford, VA and the University of Virginia. They both played on the football team. Their fathers served in the Confederacy during the Civil War, both married young ladies living in Newbern, Tennessee. Both had three children: William had two girls and a boy while James had two boys and a girl. William Shibley worked for a time as a Bank Cashier. James' father owned the Bank of Dresden and he would eventually become the Bank President at his fathers death. Neither stayed in the banking business. By 1920 William and his family lived in Memphis and he was working in the automobile industry. After the failure of the Dresden Bank James became a "bond buyer" and eventually found work as a bank examiner for the Federal Housing Administration and for a time he lived in Memphis and Little Rock. William Shibley died in 1926 and was buried in Fairview Cemetery in Arkansas, the same cemetery as his parents. James Moran died in 1968 and is buried in the Moran family cemetery.

That's the connection between William and James. But what about Virginia Shumate, James' wife. Virginia was born in Kentucky but after the death of her parents she and her sisters moved to Newbern and lived with their uncle Quincy Shumate and his family. In addition the Gentry family, relatives of the Shumates were living in Newbern as well. I believe that Virginia was probably friends with Rebecca and the Tigrett family. Rebecca would end up being Williams first wife. So it's very possible that James Moran and Virginia Shumate met through their mutual friends, William and Rebecca.

These items were found among the papers of Virginia Shumate Moran:

The wedding invitation to Rebecca Tigrett and William Albert Shibley's wedding.

Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Tigrett

invite you to be present

at the marriage of their daughter

Rebecca

to

Mr. William Albert Shibley

Wednesday evening January the sixteenth

Nineteen hundred and one,

at eight o'clock

Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Newbern, Tennessee

William Albert Shibley was born October 7 1876 in Crawford Arkansas to William Henry Harrison Shibley and Esther A. Cook. William was married three times. His wives were: Rebecca Tigrett (predeceased him), Marie Louise Wermuth (divorced) and Jeanne T. Snell (divorced).

Rebecca Tigrett was born July 6 1879 in Newbern to A.B.Tigrett and Lucy (Lutie) Parks. Rebecca and William Shibley married in 1901 and had one child, William Burton Shibley. Rebecca died March 27, 1905 and is buried in Poplar Grove Cemetery in Newbern.

Marie Louise Wermuth was born March 3, 1891 in New Orleans. She was the daughter of Charles Ernst

Wermuth and Marie Agnes Pichet/Picket. She married William on January 9, 1910, in New Orleans. James Moran was the best man at the wedding. It's interesting to note that Marie Wermuth Shibley was the organist at the wedding of James and Virginia in 1911 and William Shibley was an usher!

I've transcribed the wedding information:
A pretty wedding was that of Miss Marie Louis Wermuth, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Wermuth, to Mr. William Albert Shibley of Newbern, Tenn., which was celebrated at 5 o'clock in the afternoon yesterday at the Prytania Street Presbyterian Church. There was a large gathering of friends entertained for the ceremony, and there were several attendants on both the bride and bridegroom. The church was decorated with a profusion of plants and tall ferns and numberous clusters of white cut flowers and loops of tulle. "Lohengrin's" wedding march was played as the bridal party entered. The attendants at the wedding were the bridesmaids, Misses Rita Kuntz, Ethelyn Reuss of Louisiana and Alma Spiller of Whitecastle, La., and the maid of honor was Miss Malissa Radetzky of Houston. The groomsmen were Messrs. Aleck Leonhardt and howard Pattison and Dr. S.J. Muller, and the ushers Messrs. Walter Gerault, Jr., Oscar Catoire, John McCloskey, Jr. and H.G. McCall. The best man was Mr. James H. Moran of Rudderford (sic), Tenn. Jest preceding the bride were the little flower girl, Miss Aline Casanas, and the little ringbearer, Maxwell Hughes. The bride was given away by her father, with whom she entered. She wore an elaborate bridal gown of cashmere de soie over satin, trimmed with duchess lace. It was made in princess effect, with a long train, and worn with the conventional veil of illusion. She carried lilies of the valley and orchids. The bridesmaids' gowns were of pale pink messaline over satin, and they carried shower bouquets of La France roses and asparagus vine. The maid of honor wore white sating and carried bride roses. During the signing of the register Miss Marie Norra sang an "Ave Maria" very beautifully. There was a reception later at the home of the bride's parents in Nashville avenue, which was a largely attended and elaborate affair. Mrs. Wermuth was assisted in receiving by Mrs. O.H. Simpson, Mrs. Benj. Casanas and a few other guests, besides members of the bridal party. Mr. and Mrs. Shibley left for a bridal tour in the Middle West, after which they will make their home in Newbern. The bridegroom is a native of Tennessee and is an alumnus of the University of Virginia. There was a large number of beautiful gifts sent to the bride.

Marie and William had two daughters: Evelyn Wermuth Shibley and Marie Esther Shibley. Marie and William divorced sometime before 1920 because she and her daughters appear in the 1920 Census living with her parents in New Orleans and her marital status is divorced. Marie died in 1970.

Mrs. H. Crawford Davidson, the former Miss Evelyn Shibley,
devotes her spare time to various activities of the New Orleans
Junior League including the Children's Playhouse Company

Their daughter Evelyn married Hugh Crawford Davidson in 1934. This picture is probably from the 1940's. In the 1940 Census Hugh is listed as an executive. They had no children at that time.

Miss Marie Esther Shibley, one of the beauties
of the younger set, whose engagement to
Mr. William J. Kearney, Jr., is announced
today by her mother, Mrs. Marie Shibley.

Their daughter Marie married William James Kearney Jr sometime about 1936. His occupation was listed as lawyer in the 1940 Census. At that time they had two children: William age 3 and Michael, 8 months.

The final marriage of William Albert Shibley, that I'm aware of, was to Jeanne T. Snell on June 30, 1923 in Arkansas. The marriage lasted less than two years as the couple divorced in January 1925.

In the span of 19 years William Shibley had married twice, been widowed, and then divorced and had three
children. The 1920 Census has him living in a boarding house with his 18 year old son William B. Shibley. His daughters are living in New Orleans with his second wife. It's very possible that his son had a place of his own and William is living alone in Memphis in 1922 when he sent this Christmas greeting to Jim and Virginia Moran. In six months he would be married for third time and divorced again in a year and a half. William died in 1926.

There is one other item I recall seeing but can't put my hands on it and that is a calling card for William. When I do I'll scan it and add it here.

For now that's all of the Shibley family information I've located but I also haven't been through all of the items from Moran Place which means there could be more!

At this time I can find no family connection between the Shibley and Moran Clans except that they appeared to be very good friends.

Gardening Club of Dresden TN 1939-1941

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In addition to growing their own food the Moran's enjoyed growing flowers, big shade trees and at one time they had a grape arbor. Or more specifically the grape arbor was an agricultural experiment of Uncle Bruds which didn't produce many grapes but it did provide a lovely addition to the grounds.

Uncle Brud was very much ahead of his time in terms of farming and being green. He was constantly trying to improve the land, looking for crops that improve soil conditions and all in all being a good steward of the planet. He loved planting trees and was given the nickname Johnny Appleseed. One of his projects involved planting pecan trees along Highway 22 for which he received approval from the county highway department. But later when the highway was widened the trees were all cut down.

Virginia and Jim Moran loved traveling and along their travels they would visit places like Cypress Gardens and Ash Lawn. Virginia particularly enjoyed the cultivation of flowers.

So it was no surprise to come across a folder full of brochures about growing flowers and plants from the USDA, Farmers bulletins, and newsletters from gardening societies and guilds. The really interesting booklets came from the Dresden and Union City Garden Clubs because they tell us who was a member and what the club was involved in.

We have four Dresden Yearbooks from 1939 to 1941. We also have a Union city Garden Club Yearbook 1939/1940. The first page of each yearbook tells who the book belonged to, in our case each one says Mrs. J.H. Moran (insert year), Dresden, Tennessee. It explains what a woman's club is, when it was organized and the club motto. There are lists of members, past officers, committee assignments, by-laws, minutes of meetings and more.

I particularly like the 1941 yearbook because the cover is hand printed with artwork. So, I've selected 1941 as the edition to showcase here. At some point I will transcribe the entire yearbook so that the content is searchable.

So far I have transcribed through page 10.

page 2

What is a Woman's Club?

"A meeting ground for those of purpose

Great and broad and strong;

Whose aim is in the stars; who ever

Longs to make the listening world resound

With sweeter music, freer tones.

A place where kindly lifting words

Are sailed; kindlier deeds are done;

Where hearts are fed; where wealth of

Brain for poverty atones; where hand

Grasps hand and souls find touch with

Souls."

page 3

The Garden Club of Dresden, Tennessee

Organized March 9, 1936.

Flower..........The Rose

Shrub.............Crepe Myrtle

Evergreen.......Boxwood

Bulb................Daffodil

Motto..................."Watch Us Grow."

page 4

The Collect.

Help us O God, to grow in Spirit and

in truth; Lead us in thought, word and deed.

Let us be kindly one toward another reserving all

hasty judgment.

Save us to be straight-forward and unafraid.

May we grow calm, serene, and become

gentlewomen willing to work and wait for

the fullness of our plans.

Remembering always that we are as one in the

big things of life.

O Lord God, give us love and understanding

as a key to unlock the hearts of womankind

and bestow our gifts of truth and beauty.

page 5

Club Membership

Charter Members

Mrs. I.L. Banks Mrs. Mary Irvine

Miss Ida Baxter Mrs. J.E. Jones

Mrs. J.N. Brasfield Mrs. H.E. Jones

Mrs. W.D. Brasfield Mrs. R.E. Maiden

Mrs. Roy Brasfield Mrs. L.D. Maiden

Mrs. Lee Brasfield Mrs. J.H. Moran

Mrs. Allen Brasfield Mrs. W.G. Nall

Mrs. Claud Brock Mrs. Warren Pettigrew

Mrs. H.O. Cashon Mrs. Peter Porch

Mrs. M.E. Chandler Mrs. W.H. Pritchett

Mrs. R.A. Elkins Mrs. J.E. Shannon

Mrs. H.C. Frazier Mrs. F.G. Smith

Mrs. Tom Grooms Mrs. Raymond Smith

Mrs. Pete Harris Mrs. Ruben Taylor

Mrs. S.L. Hastings Mrs. J.W. Thomas

Mrs. J.C. Holbrook Mrs. A.G. Thomason

Mrs. M.D. Ingram Mrs. J.C. Vaughn

Mrs. King Webb

Honorary

Miss Lettie Clement Mrs. Fred Mayo

Mrs. W.E. Mischke Mrs. Cayce Pentecost

Mrs. G.T. Mayo Mrs. A.D. Stubblefield

Mrs. A.N. Walker

page 6

In Memoriam

Mrs. J.E. Jones . . . . . . Died December 7, 1938

Mrs. M.E. Chandler. . . Died April 23, 1939

Our Gardens

"The little worlds all set apart,

So loved by many a wistful heart,

Our gardens fair and green and still,

Where lovely flowers their sweetness spill.

So Sweet are they the soul forgets

All fear and longing and regrets;

For in these gardens worlds apart

The seeking one finds Peace O'Heart."

"Go make thy garden as far as thou cans't

Thou workest never alone.

"Perchance he whose plot is next to thine

Will see it and mend his own."

page 7

Members for 1941

Mrs. J.O. Alexander Mrs. H.E. Jones

Miss Ida Baxter Mrs. R.E. Maiden

Mrs. O.W. Beard Mrs. L.D. Maiden

Mrs. J.N. Brasfield Mrs. Hobson Mayo

Mrs. W.D. Brasfield Mrs. J.H. Moran

Mrs. H.O. Cashon Mrs. Cayce Pentecost

Mrs. H.W. Davis Mrs. Peter Porch

Mrs. R.E. Ellis Mrs. W.H. Pritchett

Mrs. R.A. Elkins Mrs. J.E. Shannon

Mrs. S.L. Hastings Mrs. H.A. Taylor (Maggie Fisher)

Mrs. Joe Hilliard Mrs. A.G. Thomason

Mrs. M.D. Ingram Mrs. J.W. Thomas

Mrs. King Webb

Miss Elsie Henderson

Mrs. John Smith

Honorary

Miss Lettie Clement Mrs. G.T. Mayo

Mrs. Fred Mayo Mrs. J.B. Underwood

Mrs. Harold Watson Mrs. Lyn Claybrook

page 8

Officers

Ex-Presidents

Mrs. J.E. Shannon. . .1936, 1937, 1938

Mrs. H.O. Cashon. . .1939, 1940

Officers for 1941

President. . . . . . . . . . .Mrs. R.A. Ellis

1st Vice-President. . . .Mrs. R.E. Maiden

2nd Vice-President. . .Mrs A.G. Thomason

Secretary. . . . . . . . . . Mrs. L.D. Maiden

Treasure. . . . . . . . . . . Mrs. L.D. Maiden

Reporter. . . . . . . . . . .Ms. A.G. thomason

Historian. . . . . . . . . . .Miss Ida Baxter

Time of Meeting

Second Friday in Each Month

"Give fools their gold and knaves their power,

Let fortune's bubble rise and fall.

Who sows a field or trains a flower

Or plants a tree is more than all.

For God and man shall own his worth

Who toils to leave as his bequest

An added beauty to the earth.

Page 9

Committes

Program and Year Book:

Mrs. Joe Hilliard

Mrs. J.W. Thomas

Mrs. H.E. Jones

Mrs. O.W. Beard

Nomination:

Mrs. L.D. Maiden

Mrs. J.E. Shannon

Mrs. H.O. Cashon

Membership:

Miss Ida Baxter

Mrs. J.N. Brasfield

Mrs. M.D. Ingram

Publication:

Mrs. A.J. Thomason

Telephone:

Mrs. H.O. Cashon

Mrs. Hobson Mayo

Mrs. H.W. Davis

Courtesy:

Mrs. R.A. Elkins

Mrs. R.A. Taylor

Mrs. King Webb

page 10

Flower Show:

Mrs. H.E. Jones

Mrs. R.E. Maiden

Mrs. H.W. Pritchett

Mrs. S.L. Hastings

City Beautiful:

Mrs. J.H. Moran

Mrs. J.O. Alexander

Mrs. Peter Porch

Mrs. Cayce Pentecost

Mrs. W.D. Brasfield

Mrs. J.N. Brasfield

Rules for the Flower Exhibit

Cut Flower exhibits shall be classified

into two groups:

I. Arrangement--Consisting of Same Kind of Flowers

or mixed varieties

Rev. James Ashley Moody, 1854-1928

2013-04-18T13:00:00.001-05:00

The search for Rev. Moody began with an annotated photograph in an old cdv photo album belonging to the Moran family:

Rev. Moody

A quick google search for "Rev. Moody" and Weakley County didn't bring up anything. So I tried different combinations, again with zero results. And then I remembered we have a copy of the history of the Dresden First United Methodist Church 1833-1983 and on the inside front cover I found an entry for a circuit rider named J.A. Moody, 1884.

Back to google I went and found an entry in the Dresden Enterprise, April 29 1892 that said "Rev. J.A. Moody of Sharon circuit visited the family of Mr. J.L. McGlothlin last week" and with that information I was off to the races.

Rev. James Ashley Moody was born to D.S. Moody and Caroline Midget/Midyett in Brownsville Tennessee on April 22, 1854. That much is listed on his Texas Death Certificate. In the 1880 census he is a boarder at the home of Ike Bell in Henderson TN. His occupation is listed as D.D., Doctor of Divinity, his age was 26. His mother Caroline died in 1903 according to the Christian Advocate: "wife of D.S. Moody born Mar 25, 1827; married Nov 27, 1851; died Oct. 26 1903; 2 daus., 1 son (Rev. J.A. Moody, Memphis Methodist Conference)." A year later his father passed away, "David S. Moody born May 19, 1826, married (1) Eleanor Mydgette, Dec. 21, 1848; (2)Caroline Mydgette; died Oct 26, 1903 had 2 daus and one son, Rev. J.A. Moody."

I thought his first wife was Elizabeth McGlothlin because I found the marriage record which says Lizzie McGothlin and James Ashley Moody were married in Weakley County on July 21, 1885. But then I came across a death notice in the Christian Advocate dated August 25, 1883:

"Fannie Moody, nee Young, born Louisiana, Sept. 27, 1860; about age one year moved with family to Miss. where her mother died when she was five years old; moved with her father to Fayette Co., Tenn. where he married his first wife's sister. She married James A. Moody, Sept 27 1882; died in home of her father-in-law, D.S. Moody, Crockett Co., Tenn, July 13, 1883."

So it seems that James was perhaps not so lucky in love. His first wife died less than a year after they were married. His second wife was Elizabeth McGlothlin. Elizabeth was the daughter of Henrietta M. Fonville and Judge Joseph L. McGlothlin of Dresden. Elizabeth died a year and a half after the couple were married. From the Christian Advocate: "Mrs. J.A. Moody born Jan 19, 1862; died Jan 15 1887.

After the death of Elizabeth James married Mary Susan Cason. Although I wasn't able to confirm the marriage year family trees on Ancestry.com say they married in 1888 and they do appear in the Newbern Tennessee 1900 Census. The couple had five children: Cason Ashley, Carrie , Margie Nell, DAvid Shelton and Marion Lee. By 1910 they have moved to Morris County Texas. The 1920 Census has them living in Alvin County Texas and in 1928 the Reverend James Ashley Moody passes away on March 31, 1928, in Houston Texas. His wife passes away in 1953.

Sophia Gunn Moran was a deeply religious woman and very active in the Methodist Church of Dresden. It's possible we have the photo simply because Rev. Moody was a good friend of the Moran family. Or possibly, was a distant relative through his marriage to Lizzie McGlothlin. Her mother was a Fonville and there are Fonville's in the Moran tree. I haven't explored that branch very much but perhaps now I have a reason.

Rebecca Leonore Carpenter

2013-04-16T18:34:00.000-05:00

I think that Rebecca might have been a possible sweetheart for either Brud or Jim Moran and I'm sure they had friends and some relatives in the area which would've given them the opportunity to meet her. But that's all speculation. All I know for sure is that the picture was in with some of their papers and that it was taken while she was still living in Columbia TN.

Here's what I do know about Rebecca Leonore Carpenter. She was born April 18, 1881 in Maury County Tennessee and she died there on May 2, 1957. Rebecca was just one of nine children born to J.E.R. Carpenter and Jane Wilson. She, her brother Richard and sister Mary moved to Los Angeles California sometime after 1910 but before 1920 as the three appear in the 1920 Census living together. Richard was a mining engineer and Mary was a teacher. Rebecca would've been almost 40 in 1920 and her occupation is listed as "none" which is the same as it was in previous census records.

Rebecca married Myron McClellan Milice sometime after the 1920 census but before 1923 because she appears with Myron as husband and wife in the Riverside CA. City Directory for 1923.

Myron McClellan Milice was born August 15, 1868 in Indiana and died December 14, 1940 in Riverside California. He was the son of Captain Andrew Staley Milice and Mary A. McClellan. There is a great New York Times write up about Andy Milice and his service in the Union Army entitled "Andy Milice's Second Chance" if you're interested.

Myron owned property and was an assistant cashier at a bank in Riverside. The city of Riverside purchased some of his property in 1909. Myron was a member of the Elks Lodge no. 643 and served as Exalted Ruler from 1908-1909. He and Rebecca had no children. In the 1930 Census Rebecca's sister Mary is living with them. After the death of Myron in 1940, Rebecca and Mary returned Columbia Tennessee. Both are buried along with their parents and other siblings in Rose Hill Cemetery.

1897 VMI loses to St. Albans

2013-04-16T10:38:00.000-05:00

Jim Moran III
St. Albans, Radford VA

Jim Moran was a football player for St. Albans College at Radford Virginia, left guard. He's writing to his brother, Brud, about the VMI/St.Albans game and he included a newspaper clipping. Jim gets chatty and mentions the death of uncle Johnnie although I haven't been able to identify who Johnnie is. He talks about his lack of money and how the captain of the football team is out to get him.

He also mentions the wedding of "Holbrook" and Lillian Gardner. Lillian Louise Gardner was the daughter of Alfred Emmitt Gardner and Annie Payne Edwards making them cousins of the Morans. Holbrook was Joseph Landis Holbrook, the son of Frank M. Holbrook and Buena Vista Hill. Joe was the editor of the Dresden Enterprise. Lillian and Joe had three children, Louise, Forrest (who was a girl, she married Guy Smith), and Joe Carmack Holbrook.

Radford, VA

Sunday '97

Dear Brud:
Haven't very much time in which to write you this letter but will write enough to let you know I got back from Lynchburg safe and with very few injuries. I will inclose (sic) what one of the papers had to say about the game.

Page 1

Thank you very much for the stamps. I am sure they came in at the right time for I was broke and not a stamp did I have. Tell Papa I received his letter with money and thank him very much, will write to him in a few days.

It looks as if a fellow can spend more money in this town than any place I ever saw. It looks like it cost me a quarter every time I turn around. I saw in the American where Holbrooks and Lillian Gardner were united in the holy bonds of matrimony. I suppose it was a very swell affair for as you know the young man has a very large income. I was very sorry to learn of Uncle Johnnies death-'but every dog has his day", "the good and bad must die alike".

Your last letter was a letter like I like--something long and newsy. Don't be surprised if I ever write and tell you that I have had a fight and have been bruised up to some extent. There is a fellow here from Memphis (the captain of our foot-ball team) who has got it in for me for some unknown cause. I suppose it was/is because we both go to see the same young lady. I can't think of no other reason. Miss Myrtle has give me the "S.B." it does not grieve me much. I would like to be with you a few hours for I have a whole lots of things to tell you. I will have to stop as it is late, write soon and another long letter.

Give my love to all.

I am your brother
Jim

----------Enclosed Clipping------------

November 26 1897
VICTORY FOR THE CRIMSON
-----
St. Albans School Defeats the V.M.I. in a Close Contest
---
A Touchdown in the first Half made the Radford Boys the Winners--The Cadets Fought Gallantly to the End, But Were Unable to Score--A Fast Game.

Under lowering clouds and in a damp cold wind, the boys of St. Albans School, of Radford, and of the Virginia Military Institute, battled for supremacy on the football field in the city yesterday afternoon. Despite the threatening weather, a large crowd went out to the grounds in Rivermont to witness the game, and as everybody was charged with the electric enthusiasm of the occasion, there was enough yelling and shouting to satisfy anybody. Many of the young men carried large horns and other instruments for making a loud noise, and when one side or the other seemed to have an advantage, there was a din that would have made the old baseball rooter green with envy. Efforts were made to keep the crowd within bounds, but during the last half of the game, and in fact before the first
half was finished, the ropes around the grid-iron had been broken down and hundreds of people were streaming over the field. At times the players were closely surrounded by a multitude of people, which to some extent handicapped them, but, as it happend, was about as bad for one side as for the other.

When the battle was over, it was found that the casualties among players were of no consequence. Hoss, of St. Albans, who played at left tackle, had to retire from the field in the second half, but he was lame before the game began. His place was taken by A.L. DeLong. The most serious accident happened to a spectator, Mr. Stith Floyd. He was standing at one side watching the game, when one of the players fell against his knee. He was very painfully injured, and it was feared that one of the bones in his leg had been broken.

V.M.I Kicks off
It has been announced that the game would begin at 3 o'clock, but it was 3:20 o'clock when the V.M.I. who had the kick off, sent the leather sphere whirling into St. Albans' territory.

The boys from Radford took the aggressive from the very start, and by steady gains carried the ball down into V.M.I. territory. Their crowd of admirers went wild and danced up and down the lines, shouting encouragement. They made steady gains, and when finally checked were close by the V.M.I. goal. Bronston, Izard and Fife made fine runs, and worked with might and main to win victory for their team. Time and again these three men broke through the V.M.I. line for good gains, and finally Bronston, getting the ball, ran around the V.M.I. right end for a touch-down, but as he went some distance outside of the line, it was not counted, and the ball went to V.M.I.

Several punts were exchange. Izard made a try for goal from the field but

missed, and the ball was brought back to the twenty-five yard line. V.M.I. struggled desperately to advance the ball, but on the third down were compelled to resort to a punt. fife fell on the sphere, and agian the boys from Radford made a fierce onslaught on their opponents. After the exchange of several punts, in one of which Steger tried for goal, the ball went to St. Albans on downs. Then it was that the young men from the mountains seemed endowed with extraordinary strength. They fairly plowed through the ranks of the enemy. Bronston made a brilliant run around V.M.I.'s left. Izard and Fife both added fine runs to their credit. When within two yards of the V.M.I. goal, the ball was snapped back to Izard, who plunged through left tackle for a touch-down. Izard failed to kick goal, and the score stood 4 to 0 in favor of St. Albans. When time for the first half was called, the ball was on the V.M.I's forty yard line.

The Second Half
After ten minutes play was resumed. In this half, the St. Albans boys played on the defensive, evidently not being willing to run any risk of losing the advantage they had gained over their formidable opponents. From the moment that the whistle sounded the men to their places, the V.M.I. boys got the ball and kept it almost entirely until the end of the game. Time and again, they had the leather sphere within a yard or two of the St. Albans goal, but just when the coveted victory seemed to be almost within reach, the Radford team would make a stubborn resistance, get the ball on downs, and put it out into the open field.

The punting of St. Albans was, with few exceptions, very poor, and once or twice nearly proved disastrous. Shaner, who played left half-back for V.M.I., won the plaudits of the crowd by his brilliant and aggressive work. He was a regular steam engine, and when he struck the St. Albans' line something had to give way. He made repeated gains.

The second half of the game was one of the finest spectacles ever seen on the football grounds in this city. The teams were almost evenly matche, and St. Albans seemed to have a little the advantage in weight. Only once or twice during the second half was the ball in V.M.I.'s territory. On the contrary, it was nearly all the time within a few yards of the St. Albans goal, but when time was called for the close of the game, the score stood 4 to 0 in favor of St. Albans, being just what it was at the end of the first half.

Particularly noticeable in the V.M.I. playing was the quarter-back trick and the flying wedge, by both of which the ball was repeatedly advanced.

It was fine game, and taking everything into consideration, was as clean and orderly as any ever played in the city. There was considerable squabbling, but so far as noticed there was no evidence of violence.

W.R. Abbott, Jr., of Bedford, was referee; Phillip Meade, of the Alleghany Institute, Roanoke umpire; Robert Groner, time keeper, and R.P. Clapp, of St. Albans and Dexter Otey, of the V.M.I., linesmen. The game was played in thirty-minute halves, with an intermission of ten minutes. The lineup was as follows:

The Line-Up
Albans. Pos. V.M.I.

R.H. Fife.......left end..........S.H. Meem
E.E. Hoss......left tackle...J. Harding
J.H. Moran....left guard.......C. Rice
W.M. Miller....center.........A.C. Crump
F.Chumbley...right guard....Derbyshire
W.G. White...right tackle....W.D. Scott
H. Bronston...right end.........Briscoe
W.A. Shibley...quarterback...Montgomery
W.B. Izard.....left halfback.....H. Shaner
Mallery.........right halfback......Marshall
S.N.Keller........full back.....J.O. Steger

The St. Albans team and the large crowd that accompanied them left for Radford on a special shortly after the game. The V.M.I. boys missed their train and had to remain over in the city until today.

Jennings Business College Ephemera

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Charles Harrell Moran attended Jennings Business College. For more an in depth look at the College, his diploma and more be sure to look at the Jennings Business College Nashville TN post.

This is a piece of education ephemera celebrating Ratification Treaty between the Confederate States and the United States. Side one is facsimile of a $500 CSA note.

Side two is entitled "Strong and Pointed" and has endorsements by various prominent Nashvillians.

Bishop Holland Nimmons McTyeire, while President of the Vanderbilt University, who never gave an opinion without careful study, said to a mother, whose son wanted a position: "Send him to Jennings' Business College; a certificate from R.W. Jennings to your son, recommending him for a position, will be of more benefit to him than all other influences, he could have."

Gen. William Hicks Jackson the distinguished proprietor of Belle Meade, says "Having known Mr. R.W. Jennings for a number of years, and being satisfied as to his business methods and efficiency as an educator of youth, to prepare them for practical business, I sent my son to his college, and it affords me pleasure to commend him to all who are contemplating the sending of their sons and daughters to such a school."

Judge Thomas H. Malone, Chancellor of this division and Dean of the law department of Vanderbilt University says: "I have known Mr. R.W. Jennings, of the Jennings Business College, for about thirty-five years. Both as a practicing lawyer and Chancellor, I have had occasion to examine critically his statements of complicated transactions and his expositions of erroneous bookkeeping. I always rely with great confidence upon his expert opinions, and believe that he, as an expert, has no superior among us. I think he is eminently qualified to be at the head of a business college, and his success proves it."

Thomas D. Fite, Sr., a retired merchant of Nashville, and who was identified with the wholesale trade of the South for half a century, says:" "R.W. Jennings, the proprietor of Jenning's Business College, was my partner in the wholesale dry goods trade for six years,he having exclusive charge of the counting room, and it is needless to say his work was in the highest degree satisfactory; in fact, he has been for a long time considered one of the most scientific bookkeepers this country has ever produced. I sent my two sons to his college for the reason that I knew the man, and knew that he had the entire confidence of the business community for thoroughness and reliability."

Mr. J.H. Fall, of the firm of J.H. Fall & Co., Nashville, one of the largest wholesale hardware houses in the South says: "I have known Mr. R. W. Jennings, president of Jennings Business College, quite well for many years. His long identity and close connection with the mercantile and banking world enables him to conduct a business college based upon actual experience, and this feature gives his school, in my judgment, a decided advantage. Several of our employees were trained by Mr. Jennings, and all, without a single exception, are methodical, painstaking and reliable, I therefore, unhesitatingly endorse and commend this college to all who are seeking a business education."

For a catalogue of this noted school address Jenning's Business College, Nashville, Tenn.

Obituary and Funeral Notice of J.W. Moran, 1912

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Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the death of John W. Moran. Since last years anniversary blog post I have come across more items relating to his death which I would like to share today on the 101st anniversary of his passing.

Although I've posted this picture of him before it remains my favorite and so I wanted to share it again for those who may have missed it in the past.

Here is the Funeral Notice of John W. Moran. I have included a bit of information and links when possible about the pallbearers.

Funeral Notice

C.H. and J.H. Moran request the

presence of the friends of their father,

J.W. MORAN

at his interment on the afternoon of

Sunday, April 14, 1912.

Services at the Methodist Church in

Dresden, at 2 o'clock p.m., by Revs. J.W. Irion and R.C. Douglas.

PALL BEARERS

Active Honorary

J.E. Jones E.C. Lyon

G.S. Boyd S.P. Scott

Shobe Smith J.J. White

W.R. Bobbitt T.E. Loyd

W.A. McCuan G.W. Martin

T.A. McElwrath Elbridge Wright

The Active Pallbearers:

Joseph E. Jones was the judge who presided over the famous Night Rider Trials in Union City.

George Scott Boyd was a relative of the Moran family and a farmer and the cashier at the Bank of Dresden.. In 1928 he moved to Kingsport TN.

Shobe Smith was a dentist in Dresden. W.R. Bobbitt was the druggist in Dresden and also was the proprietor of the Smith Hotel which he acquired in 1905. He was also a one time suitor for the hand Fannie Moran, the eldest daughter of J.W. Moran. I'm not exactly sure about W.A. McCuan yet. I believe he may have been a tobacco farmer due to some correspondence I found relating to that topic. I do know he owned The Kozy moving picture theater in Dresden but sold it in 1918. Thomas Allen McElwrath owned a dry goods store in Dresden. He eventually moved to Mayfield Kentucky.

Honorary Pallbearers:

Edward Coleman Lyon served as a Registrar in Dresden in 1904 and had served in the Confederate States of America. Stephen Preston Scott served in the CSA and after the war was a miller in Dresden. He was also a relative by marriage and I did a post on his daughters Cecile and Farrar sometime ago. J.J. White had served in the CSA alongside S.P. Scott in Company H, Russell's regiment. T.E. Loyd was the Mayor of Dresden. G.W. Martin has many accomplishments but the one I'll mention here is that he was the President of the Bank of Martin. Elbridge, which might actually be Eldridge, Wright also served in the Confederacy and was a farmer in Weakley County.

The following tribute was published in vol. 20, no. 6, 1912, of the Confederate Veteran.

John W. Moran

That no worthier man wore the Confederate gray than John Moran will stand all tests. He was born in Dresden, Tenn., March 20, 1840; and died in a Nashville hospital April 12, 1912. His father, James Moran, was a merchant of Dresden, and his mother was Miss Harriet Harris, of McLemoresville, Tenn. He was educated in the schools of his neighborhood. He was of philosophic temperament; and while performing the duties that were incumbent upon him, his humor was proverbial and he was entertaining to his associates.

He was about ready for business life when the War of the States began, and he, together with a younger brother who soon surrendered his life in the cause of the Confederacy, enlisted in Company I, 31st Tennessee Infantry, in the brigade gallantly commanded by Brig. Gen. O.F. Strahl. His first battle of importance was that of Perryville, Ky., in which the army and his company suffered heavily. It had perhaps the largest percentage in killed and wounded of any company in that sanguinary battle. He was wounded in the battle of Chickamauga. He was again severely wounded in the battle of Franklin, and was long a sufferer in the hospital. He frequently told a good story of his experience in the battle of Resaca. he had captured a rabbit, which he secured in his shirt bosom, and of course had fond anticipations of a feast after the fight. The battle waxed so hot, however, and his heart became so generous toward "Molly Cottontail" that he gave her freedom. He may have been author of the Zeb Vance story in saying: "Go it, Molly Cottontail! If I had no reputation at stake, I'd run too." At all events, when the battle was over he regretted not having the rabbit for supper, as he had more appetite then than during the battle.

The funeral was conducted by Rev. J.W. Irion, assisted by the regular pastor of the M.E. Church, South, Rev. Mr. Douglass, and Rev. G.T. Mayo, pastor of the Baptist Church of Dresden. It was largely attended.

Joseph E. Jones in an interesting sketch of Mr. Moran states that "he succeeded along all the lines of life that are worth while. His business methods were open and above suspicion. As possessor of a large fortune at his death, there was not in it all an unclean dollar."

Mr. George W. Martin, a life-long friend and a man who has long given liberally of his time and his means for the cause of education, paid high tribute to the deceased at the funeral and complied with the request of the Veteran in sending the manuscript that follows:

"The late John W. Moran, who died recently at St. Thomas Hospital, Nashville, on his way from Florida to his home in Dresden, Tenn., was one of the most prominent and best known citizens of his county. His father was one of the early settlers of Dresden, and for many years was a leading merchant of the place. John spent his entire life where he was born and reared, with the exception of four years in the Confederate army. When not at school he was in the store assisting his father, and had just arrived at manhood when the War of the States began. He volunteered early in the struggle, remaining throughout the entire war, and from the record given by his comrades no one performed his duties with greater fidelity and bravery than he. He spoke often of the war, but claimed little for himself. He took great pleasure in commending the noble acts of others, as he was accustomed to do through life. He was a man of remarkable courage, but he used it with great discretion and justice. He had excellent self-control and possessed decided opinions on all subjects, but expressed himself reasonably and rationally and always with a view of being just and truthful.

"As a successful merchant and banker his integrity was above reproach and never questioned by any one who had business relations with him, and he performed every duty put upon him with noble fidelity. His integrity was of such high order that if I had met him in the most remote part of the world and he had been on his way to Weakley County I would have been willing to intrust (sic) my entire fortune, great or small, to him to deliver in Weakley County without the slightest fear of his failing to comply with my request literally. His individual wants were few and easily supplied, but he spent his life in honest toil to supply the wants of his family and to fulfill his duty to the public, which he did admirably.

"John Moran was a well-developed and an 'all-round' man. As husband, father, citizen, soldier, neighbor, he contributed well to all these relations. He had the misfortune to lose his wife when his children were young, and his devotion to rearing and training them cannot be commended too highly. If there is anything that can lighten the grief and sorrow for the loss of this valuable man it is to know how well his life was spent and all his duties performed. The influence of his life will long remain a benefit and a blessing to many."

While frugal in his personal affairs, he was diligent for the public, and served most efficiently as chairman of the Democratic committee of his (Weakley) County as well as publicly in many other usefull ways.

In his early thirties Mr. Moran married Miss Sophia Gunn, whose fatehr, Dr. Gunn, formerly lived in Nashville. She preceded her husband to the better land seventeen years. Their five children are, Fannie (Mrs. J.B. Ezell (sic)), Ida (Mrs. W.G. Timberlake), Marion (Mrs. C.H. Cobb, Harold (sic), and James. The latter of the two sons succeeds as president, while Harold (sic) takes the place of their beloved father on the directorate of the Bank of Dresden. He is survived by an aunt, Mrs. Virginia Wood, and a sister, Mrs. Aggie Irvine. Not only those loved ones but the entire community sorrowed in his death as if all were of close kin to him. The testimony at his funeral of a life devoted to uprightness and love for his fellow men was well worth his struggle for seventy-two years.