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Today I write a personal column about the year I got a baby brother for Independence Day. On July 4, 1953 we headed for Maw's house. We, my family, lived in McDavid, Florida. Maw lived on a farm north of Evergreen. Her address was on a route from Garland, Alabama, but we always thought of it as going to Evergreen. We always drove through Evergreen on the way, and, as far as I know, I have never seen Garland. The family, when we began the trip, consisted of my parents, Cecil and Inez Chancery, my 8 year old brother Bobby, my five and a half...
One of the important aspects of the early history of Conecuh County was the hostilities between the settlers and the Creeks. This was a part of the larger Creek War in which some factions of the Creek nation, aided by the British and the Spanish, fought against the US military, state militias and encroaching settlers as well as factions of the Creek nation who wanted a closer alliance with their white neighbors. “The first clashes between the Red Sticks and United States forces occurred on July 21, 1813. A group of territorial militia i...
Conecuh County, Alabama figures prominently in my family history. The book, History of Conecuh County, Alabama, by Rev. B. F. Riley says of my 4th great grandfather, Jesse Baggett, "...Jesse Baggett, father of Richard Baggett, of Castleberry, who was the first white child born in the county of Conecuh." (Riley, Rev. B. F. History of Conecuh County, Alabama. Columbus, GA, USA: Thos. Gilbert, 1881.) My connection to Jesse Baggett is Richard's older sister, my 3rd great grandmother Mary Elizabeth...
I wrote before about the men from our area who formed the 1st Florida Union Cavalry Volunteers. Some names listed in the book as members of the 1st FCUV caught my attention because of having lived at one time or another in Escambia County, Florida, place of my birth and current residence. Others caught my attention as potential family members of my ancestors. The name with a McDavid, Florida (my hometown) connection was Nicholas Baggett. This name caught my eye because through the research of...
I am subscribed to “Northwest Florida History and Genealogy” (https://nwfloridahistory.com/) The latest email I received from them was concerning “The Hidden History of the Florida Panhandle During the Civil War.” This was mainly the story of the 1st Florida Cavalry Union Volunteers, but also gave a lot of information about life in Northwest Florida and South Alabama during the 1850's and 1860's. If I don't do this justice or if you want more information you can check the above website. If it interests you enough to spend a little money,...
Sawmill Day 2020 is canceled. We had to make this decision early due to some orders that had to be made right now. Hopefully, next year will be better. The things we are doing to try to slow the spread of Covid 19 are reminding me of my son's experiences with West Nile Virus in 2012. On August 30th of 2012 my daughter in law called to say my son had been hospitalized with suspicion of West Nile Virus. She said he had told her not to call me, but as his condition deteriorated she thought it best to call. By the morning of August 31st he was...
I greatly enjoyed the article in last week's Ledger by the 4-H agent. It brought back memories of my family's 4-H times. None of my immediate family ever got into raising and showing large animals. My brothers raised and showed chickens. That was an interesting process, not for the faint of heart. In the late 1950's and early 1960's the McDavid, Florida train depot still stood. Trains didn't stop there anymore, but some mail still arrived at and departed from McDavid by train. A mailbag hung from a hook on the track side of the depot. It was...
This was one of the times I was drawing a blank for column ideas. Among the many things I tried while searching for triggers was looking through my picture files on my computer. This picture of a group of men and boys in front of J.R. Parker's Store (I think from the 1930's) brought back memories of my time in McDavid, Florida in the 1950's and 1960's. In my time Parker's Store was ran by Mr. Parker's daughter, known to all of us as Miss Edith. Miss Edith also operated the McDavid post office...
I've always called them gravel lakes. I thought of them as places to swim, boat and fish. The first gravel lakes I experienced were at Mystic Springs (near McDavid), and I've also spent a lot of time at the gravel lakes of Bluff Springs. There are also lakes along Old Flomaton Road in Century and probably other places in the area, but I have little experience with those. As a child and teenager I often walked with friends, brothers and cousins to the Mystic Springs gravel lakes to swim, play in...
It's been dry. On my walk the other day I came to realize just how dry it's been around here this year. As the picture shows, I was able to walk across an area that is usually underwater. The "cypress pond" near the railroad in Bluff Springs was not even boggy. I googled "drought Escambia County, Florida" and found that there have been other dry years lately. A northescambia.com article from December 23, 2016 notes, "Despite recent rainfall that has greatly reduced the risk of wildfires and...
This column is part book review, part remembrances of my hometown, part discovery of things I didn't know about my hometown, and part admiration of a friend's excellent writing and research. I've just re-read If Perfectly Agreeable by Anne Stanton Sims, subtitled “A love story and life in the 1880's and 1890's in Northwest Florida and Southwest Alabama.” If you live in this area and like history, find and read this book. It is the story of a young couple, Frances Rebecca “Fannie” McDavid and Joseph Parmer “Joe” Harrison, as told mostly through...
I spent Saturday, September 8, 2018 at the 4th annual Barrineau Park Gathering. I love the name of that local festival. As a member of a group that has to look for as many sources as possible for the funding of our endeavors, I spend several Saturdays a year helping to man a booth at one of the many local festivals. Whatever else the festival is focused on the main attraction is the gathering of people. I always enjoy the conversations, some with those I have known most of my life, some with those I meet for the first time, have an enjoyable...
Today's column is not so much history as thankfulness for living in a rural area. When my family arrived at Jimmy's Grill in Molino last Friday night we were surprised to learn that a band was playing on the porch. Quite a few people were sitting in the chairs set up just off the porch enjoying the music. We at first thought that was the waiting line, but learned that those people had either already eaten or had just come to listen. We actually had a short wait for a table. The band is one of the bands that participate in the Barrineau Park...
Today I am thinking about the only grandfather I ever knew, my mother's step-father, Herbert Blackwell, known to us as Paw. The fathers of my parents, William Allen Chancery and Christopher Columbus Johnson, had died before I was born, but I had Paw. When I knew him Paw lived on a farm outside Evergreen, Alabama with my grandmother, Mary America Ridgeway Johnson Blackwell (better known as Maw) and my cousins, Willie (Buddy) and Janie Johnson. We looked forward to visits to the farm to see them....
I've been reading lately about this being the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. I'd like to share my memories of the time. In July 1969 I was not quite 20 years old, recently graduated from Pensacola Junior College and working as a summer employee at Monsanto. One of my hobbies that summer was enjoying my first born nephew, who was born in July 1969. As I heard the words, “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” I was reminded that in 1961 John F. Kennedy had committed us to landing men on the moon and bringing the...
The Alger Sullivan Historical Society needs your help as we try to raise funds to pay utility bills, etc. We are having a yard sale at the Historic Park (4th and Jefferson in Century) on Saturday June 8, 2019. We have lots of things for sale. Some of note are: an adjustable drafting table, a rolling microwave table, artwork, books, glassware, dishes, picture frames of all sizes, sheets and other bedding and hobby supplies. We have had donations from several individuals and families. All proceeds...
Over the last few weeks I have participated in the Escambia County HCE Cultural Arts Show, the Blackcat Reunion, Sawmill Day, and the Baptist Missionary Association of America (in Rogers, Arkansas). In a few hours I will be off to the District 1 HCE camp in DeFuniak Springs. Hopefully, after that, I get to stay home for a while with no rushing around to make preparations for upcoming events. This brings me to thoughts of what Ma and Pa (known to non family as Mary and Herbert Blackwell) would think of all this rushing around. During my childhoo...
Sawmill Day 2019 will be Saturday, May 4th. I hope you'll join us. We still have a few spots for vendors or exhibitors. Call Jerry Fischer (850-256-3980) if you are interested. Besides our vendors and exhibitors, all of our museums will be open and staffed. Look around, ask questions and see what you can learn about our area history. Agnes Grant and Jeanne Nolen have some contests which will run all day with cash prizes announced in the afternoon. Bob Page will be in the Boxcar Museum to answer...
I was recently given a copy of an article written by John C Bush about his aunt, former Century Postmaster Eva Vaughn, titled "Miss Eva: Fifty Years in the Century Post Office." Paragraphs in quotes are the words of Mr. Bush. "Miss Eva Vaughn was eighteen years old when she began work at the Alger Sullivan Lumber Company's commissary store in 1902. .... The post office occupied a cubical in one corner of the company store, and she would assist there when her duties as dry goods clerk allowed." A...
I have begun reading An Hour Before Daylight by Jimmy Carter. I’m not far into the book, but something he said about the town where he grew up (It’s not Plains.) caught my attention. “Archery is no longer there, except on the old maps, but it’s where I grew up and lived from when I was four years old in 1928 until the very end of the Great Depression, when I left for college and the United States Navy in 1941.” The same story carries through in the four towns that have played the biggest part in my life: McDavid, Bogia, Bluff Springs and Centu...
I recently spent a few hours in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. I found it a pleasant, friendly town with an interesting history. The following information is from "DeFuniak Springs History" from the City of DeFuniak Springs street map. "On March 4, 1881 the Florida State Legislature incorporated the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad. As the survey party set out from Pensacola to survey the route for the railroad, they happened across an open area with a round lake. The party camped on the shores of...
The picture accompanying today's column is from the 1955 McDavid School annual which was recently donated to ASHS by Ronnie Yaden and his sister Linda Yaden Steadham. Linda does not appear in the annual, being a 1 year old at the time; Ronnie is on the left in the middle row of McDavid's 1954-55 second graders. Ronnie, Linda and the rest of the Yaden family were my neighbors in 1955. We appreciate them thinking of us and we value the donation. I also do not appear in the 1955 annual, as I didn't...
When you read this the Alger Sullivan Historical Society will have already had our first meeting of 2019. Our meetings are the third Tuesday of every month in the Leach House Museum, 610 4th street in Century. Visitors are welcome at all meetings and new members are welcome at any time of year. Annual dues are $5.00. Most months we have a speaker or other type of presentation and a fellowship meal. Again, all are welcome. At our February meeting (February 19th) Judson and Teresa Carden and I...
Judson and Teresa Carden are in the middle of a relic hunt at Bluff Springs and have allowed me to tag along. Judson has been very patient with my questions about the Civil War artifacts he is finding. Based on his finds, this appears to be the site of a temporary camp used by Confederate Cavalry units which participated in a battle just north of Pringle's Creek (also known as Pritchett's Mill Branch) in Bluff Springs on March 25, 1865. Here are his answers to three of my questions. What happened here in early 1865? “On March 12, 1865 Major G...
I have enjoyed some good times lately with Judson and Theresa Carden, a couple I met through the Alger Sullivan Historical Society. They allowed me to accompany them on a relic hunt in Bluff Springs. I'll write more about their finds in Bluff Springs later; today I want to focus on the story of Judson Carden, relic hunter and Civil War buff. Judson grew up in Flomaton, with many visits to grandparents in Century. He told me about trips to Brewton with his grandmother. She always took the back roads, telling him stories of the families she had...
