May 29, 1904, late afternoonChipley Florida After Walter and Frank Mayes left the house, I picked up my satchel, put a book and an apple in it, and took a walk downtown. I didn’t expect anything to be open late Sunday afternoon; I wanted to get away from the house, […]
In the early 1900s, if you got your name in the newspaper, it was a big deal. It indicated prominence in your community. In Pensacola, these columns were mostly found in the Society section of the paper, with little headings over each news blurb; if you were a businessman or […]
May 29, 1904Chipley, Florida No one met me at the depot in Chipley when my train pulled in right before 11 am, but I didn’t expect anyone to on a Sunday morning. Most everyone around here is in church at this time. The few who are milling around are here […]
May 28, 1904Marianna, Florida When I got home to Marianna, Cephas and Lula had a congratulatory supper at the house, just family members. At the table, Lula insisted on hearing about the ceremony, the speeches, and the celebration afterwards at the President’s house. After dinner, when we gathered into the […]
May 27, 1904Jacksonville, Florida Oh, God, my head. I awoke gripping my head between my hands, in a fetal position on the bed. Somewhere, there was this loud pounding that was echoing and resonating on the inside of my skull. The pain was so intense; I opened my eyes a […]
May 26, 1904Jacksonville, Florida Two days after the ceremony at Stetson, on May 26, seven of our eight-member, freshly graduated class went to Jacksonville to be admitted to the Florida Bar. After we were sworn in at the Duval County Courthouse by Judge Locke, and were officially lawyers, we decided […]
June 4, 2020Chevy Chase, Maryland I want to share with you the story of this research and why it is coming together across different dates, places and times: It took several years to assemble the information I have — I neither have a research assistant, nor the budget for one […]
May 23, 19049:15 pmJohn B Stetson University AuditoriumDeland, Florida The auditorium was crowded, hot and stifling, with guests in finery and suits, students, and graduates wearing three-piece suits under silk robes. Even though it was after 9 pm, men were fanning themselves with their straw hats and ladies who had […]
Another anniversary — 102 years ago today.
May 10, 1903East Hall, Stetson UniversityDeLand, Florida Grandfather died on May 5, 1903. I was there. I ran all the way home from the depot as soon as I got off the train, not waiting for a carriage. The house was full of family and friends. My mother’s brother, Uncle […]
