Publication!
Do you remember when I sent out an essay about Emmett’s boyhood home to Saw Palm: Florida Literature and Art? Good news! They’re going to publish it in the Places to Stand section! I’ll let you know when it runs! Whoo hoo!
The Chipley, Florida Phone Directory for 1906
Did you know that in 1906, Chipley, Florida (Emmett’s childhood home) had a telephone directory? Granted, it probably would not have been much larger than a 5 x 7 inch note card, but it existed. Emmett’s father, Dr. F.C. Wilson’s name isn’t listed, but as one of the town’s three […]
Circle of Family: Percy Brockenbrough Wilson
Emmett’s brother, Percy Brockenbrough Wilson, was born in Holly Springs, Marshall County, Mississippi, on October 25, 1871. Percy was the fourth son of Dr. Francis C. and Elizabeth Maxwell Wilson, only about 18 months after the Wilsons moved from Pensacola to Holly Springs. As discussed elsewhere in the blog, […]
Elizabeth Maxwell Wilson, Part IV
The only information I have about Elizabeth Maxwell Wilson (to date) comes from a narrative written by her youngest daughter, Katie Wilson Meade, and the narrative jumps from the family’s return on a steamer from Belize in 1884 to Chipley, Florida, in 1891. During that eight-year period, Katie gives us […]
A Tragedy of Records
One of the challenges in doing research on an obscure person who lived 100 years ago, as did Emmett Wilson, is that the majority of their correspondence and records might not exist. Time can be tough on historic documents. For instance, colleagues at Stetson University Archives have told me that […]
Studying Stones
Today, I went through some of the photos I took at Glenwood Cemetery in Chipley, Florida, where I visited Emmett’s parents, Dr. Francis C. Wilson, and Elizabeth V. Wilson. I took these two photos the last time I was in Chipley; I didn’t have a lot of time that day […]
In Thanks
Folks, I’m spending a few days decompressing from the road trip to Pensacola. I have to take a few days off from research and writing about our guy because, frankly, I’m beat. It was a great trip, and I enjoyed it, but it was intense and compressed. I can’t get […]
Radio Silence; Headed Home
Apologies for the radio silence. It has been a good trip to Pensacola and I have plenty to report, but frankly, I haven’t slept well the entire week, so I’ve neither heard nor felt the presence of Calliope at all. That, plus I was told on Thursday that — surprise […]
More St. Michael’s Stories
Right now, I’m in Chipley, Florida, staying with my excellent and gracious friend Pam and her family, in a historic old home where Emmett and his family members had certainly visited from time to time. There’s a photo of Emmett’s father, Dr. Wilson, posed in front of this house in […]
Changes!
Remember my visit to Chipley in May, 2014, to see Emmett’s boyhood home? There’s improvements going on! A member of the Myers family shared with me that they are having some work done on that lovely home. I was so happy to hear about that — overall, the house appears […]
Tell my story. 