Emmett’s best legal education came not at Stetson University (where he was the valedictorian of the 1904 law class; it came not at the hands of his esteemed and experienced older brother, Cephas Love Wilson, Esquire. It came when he was, essentially, fired from his dream job in Sterling, Illinois […]
The higher you climb, the more ye shew your arse. Alexander Pope The Dunciad, 1728
I’m back after a brief hiatus. I’ve been deep into the writing for over a week; also, I’m teaching three classes at the moment, so I’ve let the poor blog wither a little. Sorry about that! The good thing is that Emmett’s manuscript is making excellent progress. The not so […]
In one of the Wilson family genealogies, there’s a curious statement recorded by Emmett’s nephew. It says: “…my mother always said that Emmett fell in with some rich Northern lumberman who started him drinking, and he drank himself to death.” Hm. A rich Northern lumberman. Who could that be? Over […]
One of the reasons why Emmett left Florida and moved to Illinois in January of 1906 (in the middle of a blizzard) is because he was desperate. He wanted to get away from his family, because his loved ones were in his face about his life — and especially his drinking. Emmett […]
Emmett’s law office in Sterling, Illinois, in January 1906, was located at 102 East Third Street, on the second floor of the two-story Wolf Building. The law firm was located atop the Killen & Peters shoe store, which also did a brisk business in boots, according to ads in the […]
Get a load of this. A man still alive — allegedly born BEFORE Emmett, in 1870. I often fantasize what it would be like to talk to someone who knew Emmett. I certainly wouldn’t expect to find anyone still around who is 130+ years old who might have known him. […]
Even if you are ten times that much. Happy 134th, Emmett!
Earlier today, a reader emailed me about a photo of pharmacy bottles embossed “Hargis Pharmacy”. The photo originated from a historic bottle collection website, http://www.mrbottles.com; unfortunately, the website hasn’t been updated in awhile. So, I referred the reader to my colleague, the excellent archivist Jacki Wilson, of the Pensacola Historical […]
When Emmett lived in Sterling, Illinois from January to June, 1906, he boarded at the home of Mrs. Luella Snow Anning, widow, 802 West Third Street. Emmett’s best friend in Sterling was Nicholas Van Sant; a wealthy, prominent 50-something who considered Emmett the son he never had. Emmett’s closest-age friend […]
Tell my story. 