March 15, 1908, Plaza Ferdinand VIIPensacola, FL Frank Mayes enjoyed visiting the Plaza Ferdinand VII park, especially on this pleasant Spring day. A soft breeze rustled the new leaves in nearby trees; the sun was warm, birds twittered here and there on nearby benches. An occasional passerby nodded greetings as […]
September 16, 2015The Library of CongressWashington, D.C. I admit it was a surprise finding this tidbit when I was scrolling through the archives on a recent visit to the Library of Congress research rooms: And here I was thinking — up until now — Emmett was basically an unknown, unconnected […]
August 12, 2021Chevy Chase, Maryland I offer a summary of Emmett’s life, in the context of what was going on with different members of his family, and the friends he kept in 1907. I do this because I have very little primary documents about Emmett’s life; however, the context of […]
July 24, 2021University of MarylandCollege Park, Maryland It’s interesting to note that Emmett’s comings and goings, specifically after mid-March, 1907, are turning up more often in The Pensacola Journal, the Pensacola Evening News, and any other West Florida newspaper (at least, the West Florida newspapers that a) are still in […]
February 26, 1907306 Brent BuildingPensacola, Florida Right now, I’m cleaning up my desk; organizing a few files at the end of a rather boring Tuesday. Most of the firm’s staff have gone home already, and I like this part of the day, when the office is empty, things are quiet, […]
October 16, 1906John Kehoe House221 W. Cervantes StreetPensacola, Florida The old man had a nice setup here, that’s for sure. I’m staying John Kehoe’s old room with Minnie and Fannie Kehoe. Even as the Kehoes were mourning their father, it all seemed serendipitous — at least that’s what Fannie said […]
June 10, 2021Chevy Chase, Maryland Before we jump into the next chapter of Emmett’s life, let’s set the scene: In September, 1906, we know that Emmett moved to Pensacola. He moved in with family friends; specifically, the John Kehoe family, at 221 West Cervantes Street in Pensacola. John Kehoe was […]
June 5, 2021Chevy Chase, Maryland Knowing what I know about Emmett’s life, it’s ironic (or maybe, a kind-of foreshadowing) that Emmett moved to Pensacola, Florida, on September 26, 1906, merely one day ahead of one of the most devastating hurricanes in history to hit the Florida Panhandle. I suppose he […]
September 11, 2020Chevy Chase, MD I suppose Emmett could be considered lucky — in his life, he had at least three mentors looking out for him, shepherding him during his career, impressed by Emmett’s intelligence and potential. Emmett had a lot of potential, energy, charm, and those who know him […]
April 30, 1905Cephas and Lula Wilson’s HouseMarianna, Florida7:25 pm I’m standing outside of Ceph’s house, in the front yard, looking up at the huge oak tree near the sidewalk. The tree has curtains of gray moss dangling, drifting with the soft wind. The sun’s set already, and it feels like […]
Tell my story. 