May 13, 2022Chevy Chase, Maryland On February 4, 1912, Emmett announced to the public his official candidacy in several West Florida newspapers, but his actual platform was not published until March 17, 1912. It’s a big piece, and was expensive to run in several of the state’s newspapers, therefore, Emmett […]
May 3, 2022Chevy Chase, Maryland Between January 7 and 11, 1912, Emmett said he was unsure about throwing his hat into the contest for U.S. Congressman from the third district; at least, that was the official story he told reporters for the Pensacola Evening News in the January 11, 1912 […]
April 17, 2022Chevy Chase, Maryland Now, this was interesting. Just one day after Judge Charles B. Parkhill announced in the same newspaper that he was running for U.S. Congress, he changed his mind? According to the information in The Pensacola Journal, Parkhill issued a written statement to the same paper, […]
April 9, 2022Chevy Chase, Maryland Emmett’s command performance for Whit Kelly in Columbus, Georgia on October 24, 1911 wasn’t solely to placate Kelly. Someone else was watching this play out for a good reason, and it wasn’t Byrd Kelly. It was Frank Mayes. Mayes and the Florida Democratic Executive Committee […]
March 31, 2022Chevy Chase, Maryland Emmett didn’t get away with the ‘engagement’ announcement without consequences. Oh no. Emmett was summoned to Columbus, Georgia, by Whit Kelly. I doubt it was by cordial letter. I also doubt Whit would have telephoned Emmett; a telephone call would have been costly. Also, Emmett […]
March 27, 2022Chevy Chase, Maryland Byrd Farmer Kelly, questionable fiancé of Emmett Wilson and oldest daughter of Matthew Whitfield Kelly and Mary Jane (Also known as Maidie Jane) Farmer Kelly, was born July 18, 1887 in Columbus, Georgia. She lived in the family home at Talbotton Avenue, in the Rose […]
March 24, 2022Chevy Chase, Maryland Though I’ve loved working on Emmett Wilson’s story for (almost) ten years, I’ve had trouble writing up some of the sections of his story. Most of the problem has been a lack of complete information at any one time. The way the pieces of Emmett’s […]
September 29, 20155 pmPensacola, Florida What: Emmett Wilson and Byrd Kelly’s engagement announcement. Where: Walter Kehoe’s annual summer vacation gathering at St. Andrews, Florida; August 1-14, 1911. Why/how: In June, 1911 Emmett was named (not elected) State’s Attorney for his brother Cephas Wilson’s unfinished term as State Attorney. This was […]
September 29, 20154 pmPensacola, Florida Nancy opened a thick folder tabbed “The Kelly Family” on the table. It was full of copies of newspaper clippings, death certificates, funeral service information, and the like. “How the heck did Emmett Wilson and Byrd Kelly got together in the first place.” I pulled […]
September 29, 20153:15 pmPensacola, Florida When Nancy and I returned to the hotel, we found an empty table near the gigantic coffee pot. Nancy made us both two cups of coffee, while I pulled out my laptop and a folder of notes, a spreadsheet, archived newspaper clips, and letters, and […]
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