Shelby County TN

Death of Cyrus Kingsbury

Rev. Cyrus Kingsbury

Early in the year 1820, an English traveler from Liverpool, named Adam Hodgson, who had heard of the Elliot mission when at home, visited the mission, though he had to turn from his main route of travel the distance of sixty miles. He, at one time on his sixty miles route, employed a Choctaw to conduct him ten or twelve miles on his new way, which he did, then received his pay and left him to finish his journey alone. Of this Choctaw guide Mr. Hodgson, as an example of noble benevolence and faithful trust, states: “After going about a … Read more

Biography of Thomas Lowell Mauldin

Thomas Lowell Mauldin, one of the founders and the secretary and treasurer of the Lund-Mauldin Company, Incorporated, was born near Magnolia, Arkansas, March 20, 1873, his parents being Thomas L. and Nancy Catherine (Skinner) Mauldin. The father was born in Hardeman county, Tennessee, and in 1872 went to Arkansas, where his death occurred the following year. He was a farmer by occupation and he served as a soldier of the Confederate army between the ages of seventeen and twenty-one years. His wife was also a native of Hardeman county, Tennessee, and by her marriage became the mother of two children, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lizzie Barnett

Interviewer: Mrs. Rosa B. Ingram Person Interviewed: Lizzie Barnett Location: Conway, Arkansas Age: 100? “Yes; I was born a slave. My old mammy was a slave before me. She was owned by my old Miss, Fanny Pennington, of Nashville, Tennessee. I was born on a plantation near there. She is dead now. I shore did love Miss Fanny. “Did you have any brothers and sisters, Aunt Liz.?” “Why, law yes, honey, my mammy and Miss Fanny raised dey chillun together. Three each, and we was jes’ like brothers and sisters, all played in de same yard. No, we did not eat together. Dey … Read more

Biography of Capt. George M. Jones

Capt. Jones is the son of Henry F. and Mary (Waller) Jones, and was born in Shelby county, Tennessee, Oct. 19th, 1836.His father is still living there, aged eighty-one. His mother died in l856. George M. grew up on the farm, receiving his education at the common schools of the county where he lived. At the age of seventeen he went to Memphis, Tenn., and sold dry goods for the firm of Cossitt, Hill & Talmadge. He remained with them something over three years, receiving for his first year’s service, $75.00 and board; for the second, $100.00, and the third, … Read more

Biography of Earl M. Robinson

Earl M. Robinson is one of the younger business men of Emporia, and his name at once suggests in that section of Kansas the Robinson greenhouses, which have become noted for the perfection of their cut flowers. This is a business which he had built up to extensive proportions, and its product now supplies not only Emporia but a wide surrounding territory. He is an alert and enterprising factor in business circles. Descended from the family of Robinsons that were in Virginia during colonial days, Earl M. Robinson is himself a southerner by birth and was born at Huntsville, Madison … Read more

Slave Narrative of Rev. Wamble

Interviewer: Archie Koritz Person Interviewed: Rev. Wamble Location: Gary, Indiana Place of Birth: Monroe County, Mississippi, Date of Birth: 1859 Place of Residence: 1827 Madison Street, Gary, Indiana Occupation: Wagon-maker Archie Koritz, Field Worker Federal Writers’ Project Porter County-District #1 Valparaiso, Indiana EX-SLAVES REV. WAMBLE 1827 Madison Street Gary, Indiana [TR: above ‘Wamble’ in handwriting is ‘Womble’] Rev. Wamble was born a slave in Monroe County, Mississippi, in 1859. The Westbrook family owned many slaves in charge of over-seers who managed the farm, on which there were usually two hundred or more slaves. One of the Westbrook daughters married a … Read more

Biography of Ward Smith

Ward Smith, secretary of the Hunter-Robinson Milling & Grain Company and manager of the grain department, was born in Tullahoma, Tennessee, May 22, 1888. His father, Dr. J. Crittenden Smith, was a native of Columbia, Tennessee, and is now in business in Chicago. His father, Dr. T. C. Smith, is still living in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee. He and his immediate ancestors in the two preceding generations were physicians. The Smith family comes of English lineage. J. Crittenden Smith was united in marriage to Ella Ward, a daughter of John H. Ward, a wholesale furniture dealer of Nashville, Tennessee. He came … Read more

Biography of William C. Hale

WILLIAM C. HALE. Among the native Tennesseeans who have done good, stalwart work in the cultivation and development of Newton County, Arkansas, we may well mention the name just given, for he has resided here ever since the war and has labored early and late to provide a home for himself and family. He is well known to the citizens of his section and his correct mode of living has gained him a popularity which is merited in every respect. By his energetic and well-directed efforts he is now possessed of a competence which is all that can be desired. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lucretia Alexander

Interviewer: Samuel S. Taylor Person Interviewed: Lucretia Alexander Location: 1708 High Street, Little Rock, Arkansas Age: 89 Occupation: Washed. Ironed. Plowed. Hoed “I been married three times and my last name was Lucretia Alexander. I was twelve years old when the War began. My mother died at seventy-three or seventy-five. That was in August 1865—August the ninth. She was buried August twelfth. The reason they kept her was they had refugeed her children off to different places to keep them from the Yankees. They couldn’t get them back. My mother and her children were heir property. Her first master was … Read more

Natchez Trace

Natchez Under the Hill

In 1792, in a council held at Chickasaw Bluffs, where Memphis, Tennessee, is now located, a treaty was made with the Chickasaws, in which they granted the United States the right of way through their territory for a public road to be opened from Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi. This road was long known, and no doubt, remembered by many at the present time by the name “Natchez Trace.” It crossed the Tennessee River at a point then known as “Colberts Ferry,” and passed through the present counties of Tishomingo, Ittiwamba, Lee, Pantotoc, Chickasaw, Choctaw, thence on to Natchez, and … Read more

Slave Narrative of Dan Thomas

Person Interviewed: Dan Thomas Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Birth: Memphis, Tennessee Date of Birth: 1847 Place of Residence: 904 Jefferson Street, Nashville, Tennessee “I wuz bawn in slavery in 1847 at Memphis, Tennessee en mah marster wuz Deacon Allays. Mah mammy wuz de cook at de big house. Mah mammy d’ed soon atter I wuz bawn, en de Missis had me raised on a bottle. Marster en Missis treatus all dere slaves kindly en plenty ter eat en eve’y one wuz happy. I dunno nuthin ’bout mah daddy er whar he went. I hab no kin in dis worl’. … Read more

Biography of John Daniel Bewley, M. D.

Coming to Miami in 1916, Dr. John Daniel Bewley has thoroughly demonstrated his ability as a physician and surgeon and his professional labors have been attended with a gratifying measure of success. He was born in Dover, Pope County, Arkansas, March 25, 1874, of the marriage of Benjamin V. and Triphenia (West) Bewley, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Arkansas. Her father was a major in the Mexican war and was stationed at old Fort Gibson, Indian Territory. Prior to the Civil war he retired from the United States army and made his home in Arkansas … Read more

Slave Narrative of Emmett Beal

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Person Interviewed: Emmett Beal Age: 78 Location: Biscoe, Arkansas “I was born in Holloman County, Bolivar, Tennessee. Master Dr. Jim May owned my set er folks. He had two girls and two boys. I reckon he had a wife but I don’t recollect seeing her. Ma suckled me; William May with me. Ely and Seley and Susie was his children. “I churned for mama in slavery. She tied a cloth around the top so no flies get in. I better hadn’t let no fly get in the churn. She take me out to a peach tree … Read more

McKenzie, Huela Van Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Huela Van McKenzie, 79, of Baker City, died Dec. 27, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. A memorial service will be scheduled later. Huela was born on Feb. 11, 1926, at Plant City, Fla., to Hulon and Gladys Hamilton Van. After graduating from high school, she attended Florida Southern College at Lakeland, Fla., where she studied music. In June 1948, she married Robert McKenzie at Memphis, Tenn. They moved to Pendleton in 1950. She was a housewife and the mother of five children. Huela later worked in Portland as a receptionist at Physicians and … Read more

Biography of Andrew Jackson Edmondson

Andrew Jackson Edmondson, who since 1919 has had the agency for the Studebaker cars at Muskogee, was born in Memphis, Tennessee, September 16, 1872, and is a son of Edmond A. and Ann (Murell) Edmondson. The father was a planter, devoting his life to the management and development of his agricultural interests. His grandfather served as a soldier in the War of 1812 and kept a complete history of the struggle, being with Andrew Jackson in his operations in the south and at the battle of New Orleans. The manuscript which he prepared, however, was burned when the family residence … Read more

Biography of Hon. Isaiah W. Hope

Hon. Isaiah W. Hope is one of the most prominent men in Malheur County today, and he has been a leader here for many years, having started in the mercantile business with his brother in an early day and building up one of the mammoth establishments of the west, while also in many lines of industry he has brought the fine talent of which he is possessed into play with the gratifying result that he has achieved a general round of success in the realm of merchant, general developer of the country, organizer of the Vale Commercial Company, promoter of … Read more

Biography of Charles G. Royer

Charles G. Royer, whose father was one of the men chiefly identified with the early history and upbuilding of Winchester in Jefferson County, is cashier of the Citizens State Bank of that town. Mr. Royer entered the bank in 1907 as cashier, and had been continuously in that post since the day the bank was first opened for business on August 22, 1907. Throughout the ten years this bank had stood representative of strength and a wholesome influence and helpfulness in that farming community. It had a capital of $25,000 and surplus of $6,000, and its service is such as … Read more

Biography of Rt. Rev. John Patrick Farrelly, D. D.

Farrelly, John Patrick, Rt. Rev. D. D.; Bishop of Cleveland; born, Memphis, Tenn., March 15, 1856; son of John P. and Martha Clay Moore Farrelly; early education in the grammar schools of Tennessee, Arkansas and Kentucky; studied classics for three years at Georgetown University, Washington, D. C.; in 1873, went to Europe, to complete classical education; graduated from the College of Notre Dame de la Paix, Namur, Belgium; from Namur, went to the American College, Rome, to study philosophy and theology; at the conclusion of a brilliant course received the Doctorate in Sacred Theology from The University of the Propaganda, … Read more

Slave Narrative of John Cameron

Person Interviewed: John Cameron Location: Jackson, Mississippi Date of Birth: 1842 John Cameron, ex-slave, lives in Jackson. He was born in 1842 and was owned by Howell Magee. He is five feet six inches tall, and weighs about 150 pounds. His general coloring is blackish-brown with white kinky hair. He is in fairly good health. “I’se always lived right here in Hinds County. I’s seen Jackson grow from de groun’ up. “My old Marster was de bes’ man in de worl’. I jus’ wish I could tell, an’ make it plain, jus’ how good him an’ old Mistis was. Marster … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Henry J. Hill

(See Adair)-Emma, the daughter of William E. and Fannie L. (Wright) Dupree, was born in Tex., Dec. 13, 1888; educated at Willie Halsell College at Vinita, and the Northeastern State Normal at Tahlequah, Okla. She married at Vinita on Dec. 22, 1915, Henry J., son of Frederick W. and Catherine Hill. He was born May 5, 1885, in Asherville, Mitchell County, Kansas. They are the parents of Frederick William, born October 2, 1916, in Birmingham, Alabama; Anna Catherine, born December 25, 1917, in Memphis, Tennessee, and Henry Marion Hill, born January 28, 1920, in Vinita, Oklahoma. Mr. and Mrs. Hill … Read more