Last time I checked, I realized that I’ve collected over 500 individual newspaper articles about Emmett Wilson. That’s pretty good, considering that when I started this project, I didn’t expect to find more than a few dozen, given his obscurity in Florida politics. Granted, most of these newspaper articles aren’t […]
Emmett’s story is still moving forward; as reported a few weeks ago, I’m nearing the end of the first installation of the book, which covers 1899-1906. At present, I’m deep in the last half of 1905, around Labor Day. It wasn’t a big, last-summer-hurrah vacation for Emmett, because in 1905, […]
This is 211 W. Cervantes Street, in Pensacola, Florida. Emmett lived here with the J. Walter Kehoe family from 1911 to early 1913, right up to when he left for Washington, D.C. to serve as U.S. Congressman for the third congressional district. The Kehoes rented this house, and it is […]
It turns out that I’m not the only one who has sought out information on Emmett Wilson. The letter was sent to Emmett’s sister, Katie. The writer of this letter, Joseph Gregoire de Roulhac Hamilton, was an impressive fellow. He was a professor and historian, and his big project was […]
As of this afternoon, I was able to take down one of the road map wall hangings. Hooray! Writing progress! My office already looks a little neater, too. I’ve been rather quiet and slow with the posts this month. I’ve directed most of my time and energy to the second […]
This was an interesting find the other day. Yes, this is the veritable “Who’s Who” of Florida’s legal and political leadership as of 1899. If you were ANYBODY of importance, your mug was here, in this eye-test of a montage. I went through every single doggone one of these images. […]
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 […]
One thing that stands out to me in getting to know Emmett’s closest friends is that his inner circle was consistent and remained close to him all his life. Emmett’s true inner circle were: Walter Kehoe, Big Brother Cephas, Paul Carter. Emmett wasn’t a snob. He seemed to make friends […]
Back in the mid-1980’s, when I was a year or so out of journalism school with some experience writing for daily newspapers under my belt, I got the itch to move on to a bigger newspaper market, with a more interesting beat, and more exciting stories to write. Columbus, Mississippi […]
It has been a really good year. I’m thankful to be here, thankful you are here, and thankful for Emmett finding a way into my life, because I (for sure) was not looking for him. I have to admit that I thought I’d be a lot further along in the […]
Tell my story. 