HURRY! RUBIE! HURRY!
by Rubie Henderson Holley
Compiled by Anna Lee Nee Holley
Dedicated in memory of Papa whom I adored
Special thanks to my cousin Faye Wilkerson for editing my book
Introduction
When I was a young girl my Papa owned a store in Gaskin, Florida. It was the communication center for the town. Papa had several telephones and he ran the post office. Whenever a urgent message would come in, Papa would call me and say " Hurry Rubie Hurry'- I was his messenger. I can still hear those words he use to say as if it were being said today. I still get told to Hurry Rubie Hurry.
Index Page
My fathers family page - 7
My mothers family page - 8
My parents family page - 9
My family page - 10
Slaves owned by great grandpa Laird page - 11
Parents wedding day page - 13
My parents first home 1899 page - 14
Other places I have lived page - l5
1899 household gadgets and helpers of my ancestors page - 18
Remedies page - 23
Cold remedies page - 24
Part of my tracks page - 26
Music in our home page - 27
West Florida singing convention page - 29
Dinner on the grounds of the all day sing page - 30
1915 - 1924 singing school Sacred Heart Book page - 32
Chapels page - 33
Masons March page - 35
The little red school house page - 36
Flashes of memories page - 38
Snuff page - 42
Siblings and friends adventure page - 43
Gypsies come to Gaskin page - 45
Privies page - 47
Medley of memories page - 49
Bats page - 51
Bald Eagle page - 52
The birth of a lamb page - 53
Dancing page - 54
Grandma Wilkerson's big surprise page - 56
School at grandpa Henderson's summer 1916 page - 57
Tomato club page - 58
My life as a student nurse page - 64
Stopping bleeding page - 67
School begins and I love it page - 69
1907 new 3 room school house page - 70
Unleavened bread page - 72
Animal stories page - 73
Animals I remember page - 74
Gopher or (tortoise) page - 76
Gophers were caught page - 77
My most bazaar fishing trip page - 78
Duvet page - 79
Eliza Rebecka Wilkerson page - 80
People took care of their old relatives page - 81
Plantation school page - 83
My first trip to Freeport oyster fishing page - 85
My last oyster fishing page - 87
Search for an echo page - 89
Ferry boa: on the Choctawhatchie page - 91
Log train ride page - 92
The water tower page - 92
Blueberries, blackberries, figs and other foods page - 94
The buggy salesman page - 97
Share croppers page - 98
Doctors that delivered us page - 99
Fascinating memories page - 99
My first glasses page - 100
Circus page - 103
Different types of mattresses page - 105
Cotton page - 107
Hookworm page - 108
Papa’s Store page - 109
Pellagra page - 110
Pot ash halls page - 111
Gourds page - 112
Wood stove page - 113
Rolling store page - 114
Mail carrier page - 116
Sugar page - 117
The South’s ground slide page - 118
Rickets page - 119
A water mill page - 120
The final chapter page - 121
My Father’s Family
John Wesley Henderson
married
Mallissia Laird
Children:
Pinkey
Henry Jackson page - Born October 11. 1876
Dora
Charley Monroe
Ida
Daniel Preston
Andy
My Mother’s Family
Henry Wilkerson
Married
Eliza Rebecca Wilkinson
Children:
William James
Elisha
Chacy Caroline
Henry Alex
Harriet JoAnna Florance page - Born January 18, 1879
Siness Preston
Mary DuettJoh Edward
Milbra Eliza
Daniel Fletcher
Michael Tommie
My Parent’s Family
Henry Jackson Henderson page - Born October 1876
Married December 3, 1899
Harriet JoAnna Florance Wilkerson page - Born January 18, 1879
Children:
Rubie Henderson page - Born October 28, 1900
Ronie Henderson page - Born January 24, 1902
Obie Henderson page - Born July 9, 1904
Henry Jackson Henderson page - Born July 27, 1907
Gordon A. Henderson page - Born May 29, 1909
Wailon Albert Henderson page - Born June 15, 1911
Henry Jackson Henderson page - Died September 13, 1961
Harriet JoAnna Florance Wilkerson page - Died August 3, 1951
Both are buried at Chapel Hill in Alabama
My Family
Rubie Henderson
Married December 17 1927
Clifton Stanford Scoales
Children: Yuvarn Henderson Scoales
Second Marriage
Rubie Henderson Scoales
married February 24, 1932
Bascom Holley page - Born November 4, 1904
Children:
Franklin D. Holley page - Born December 21, 1932
Anna Lee Holley page - Born December 21, 1932
Martha Newlene Holley page - Born January 1, 1934
Clarice Nell Holley page - Born June 14 1935
Daughter Martha Newlene Holley page - Died March 7 1934
Slaves Owned By Great Grandpa Laird
I only knew one offspring of a slave. He was Broxton by name. His Papa was owned by Broxton. His mother belonged to Grandpa Laird. When the war was over they were free. When Grandpa came hone from the Civil war, he called all the slaves together for a meeting. He promised them as soon as he could he would give everyone that stayed with him 40 acres of land, something to plow with and see to get started. They received a sow, a milk cow, chickens, geese for feathers and food. They all received all of this before they got the land so they would have meat. milk and eggs when they got started.
The man I knew was the same age as my Papa. His 40 acres were at Darlington, Florida, about 4 or 5 miles from where we lived. He would come to see Papa every Christmas eve. He would come before daylight, the dogs would start barking. Papa would get up, light the lamps, and start a fire in the fireplace. Then he would walk out on the porch. Mr. Broxton would then call out, "Christmas Eve Give Massah." Papa would say, "Come on in." He would come in and eat breakfast with us and stay talking with Papa until after lunch. Papa would than load one of his wagons with enough cloth to make all the Broxton women dresses and the men shirts. There were shoes and underwear for all, coveralls fore the men and fruit and food for Christmas Dinner. Then Papa would take him home. We all felt so good because we were taught to divide with our friends. Papa and Mr. Broxton are both dead now, the end of a tradition.
The tradition was started during slave days. The slaves would get up real early before daybreak and circle the Masters house calling out, "Christmas Eve give Massa." They usually circled the house three times all the while calling out "Christmas Eve Give Massah." Then they would line up and file by the Master, who would give them cloth, apples and nuts.
The most moving and tender scene I remember was, when my Papa was quite old I took him to DeFuniak Springs one day and all of a sudden he yelled out, "stop the car." I did and he got out. He started yelling and trying to run and then I saw this old black man running toward my Papa. They threw their arms around each other and cried like babies. It was Mr. Broxton. They sure had a good time talking and reminiscing. I am glad they had that time together. To my knowledge that was the last time they saw each other.
Memories:
Great Grand Pa Laird fought in the Civil War for the south. I remember him as being tall and with a white beard.
Great Grand Ma Laird - maiden name - Long - was born in the panhandle. She was a very strong woman, strong in spirit. She was so strong, that when I was small I thought she was a giant. She was not large, she was petite. You could not change her. She liked a challenge. She was Grandma Hendersons Mother. She had her own slaves to care for the house. She taught her daughters to work hard. They all had to plow the fields during the Civil War. She was a grand old lady. Buried at Gum Creek, near Glendale in Walton county.
Parents Wedding Day
My Mother and Father were married on December 3, 1899. Gifts they received were, a coverlet and two feather pillows made by Grandma. She also gave them a feather bed and a wedding ring quilt. My mother had made eleven quilts for her hope chest. She had also made sheets and pillow cases. The sheeting material at that time was 36" wide. Papa made 2 cotton pillows and 2 cotton mattresses . He also made wooden tables, one dining table, one bedside table, and a cook table. He built a cabinet to hang on the wall. He also made Hickory chairs. Papa worked at a mill in Luanna, Florida near Glendale, They ginned cotton for bales to sell for mattresses. I have the coverlet Grandma made.
My Parents First Home 1899
My Papa was working, running a saw mill on the Choctowhatchee River in the Florida pan handle. My Parents lived in a cabin built on Cypress logs like a raft. It would float when the flood waters cane. The house was tied to trees to keep it from floating away. When the flood waters swelled over the rives banks the house would float and rot drift away. One morning my parents awoke and the river was flooded about eight feet higher than normal. Papa said that was high enough. Papa swam about two miles through a wild raging river, hanging on to trees here and there to catch his breath, until he came to firm ground. He found a boat that was tied up and he took it to go back for Mama. When they got back to the place where he got the boat, the owner of the boat was there, ready to beat Papa Mama started to cry and begged the man to leave papa alone because he had saved her from the flood. Mama never went back to her first home, she had loved it until the flood came.
Other Places I Have Lived
Papa and Mama went to Mama's folks place for a few days. Papa went tack to their first home for their household goods . Papa bought a piece of lane in a virgin pine forest and tried to farm. He could not make a living for his family. When Ronie was born he traded the farm and went back to work at the mill. We lived in Luanna on a sandy creek. Papa ground corn and grits, cleaned rice and hauled logs to cut lumber and shingles. He ginned cotton and made bales to ship to Pensacola. He made cotton mattresses from scraps of cotton not big enough to make a bale. I have whipped many of the cotton mattresses. We would take a broom or stick and beat the mattress to break up the lumps. If you beat it enough you had a fine bed if you didn't you have a lumpy bed.
When grinding corn they took out toll. One seventh of the corn. Ginned bales of cotton was $ 5.00 a bale and pressed in a wooden press.
Our next home was at the king place. A big two story house with a log house kitchen. The kitchen had a big fireplace with an oven. One side of the fireplace had a hook to hang the pots from. There was plenty of room to put a dutch oven, which has three legs, in the fire place and cover with coals, on top and underneath They baked potatoes, cookies and biscuits. Oh boy, that was good eating.
We moved from there to Gaskin. We bad a country store and post office. About this time Papa traded for our farm from his sister and her husband. His sister's name was Pinkie Henderson Davis. She had two children, a son Hobart and a daughter Ertie. Their mother died in childbirth. I can hardly remember her.
Papa bought their cows, hogs, goats, chickens, turkeys and anything they had to sell. We soon had 700 head of cows. We began going in our farm, our summer home. Papa kept store in daytime then came home to us at night. He rode his horse, Molley. We went to school three months, and took care of the stock. The only day we had with Papa was Sunday. During the winter, Papa has an older couple to live on the farm and take care of the house and the animals. They also raised feed for the animals.
In 1915, we left Gaskin and moved to the farm for good. Papa sold the property in Gaskin, Florida. He bought or traded for 1500 head of sheep, and soon after bought more sheep. I enjoyed the days on the farm. I loved animals. I had my own horse. It was free range in the forest. Cows ran free on the range, no fences In winter we would take feed out and scatter it on the ground, in the fields, and pastures. Sheep would be sheered in the summer. Shearer would be at our place for about two weeks, then go to some other place. Two weeks at Sam Harrison’s near Darlington. Another 2 or 3 weeks near Cluster Springs near where 1 was born. Each man that owned sheep helped at each place. All the sheep had ear marks. Papa's mark was registered at the county seat. Two slits in the ear on the top and a bit in left ear.
In 1925 Obie and I went to nursing school for 3 years. I worked around home for awhile and decided to go to work for Mr. and Mrs. George Gibson at Highland lakes near Groveland, Florida. Then I got married. Times were bod, my husband vent north and I went home to the mill Papa and Mama had bought.
We arrived at mill started working at mill grinding corn which was not hard to do, after I learned to raise and lover those huge rocks. We made three grades of meal, coarse, medium and fine. The rocks were turned by water wheel. We built a new mill and added another set of locks, that made 2 sets.
Then we really started a meal sale we had routes most every day. One day we went to Florala, Opp, and Andalusia, another day we went to Freeport, one day to Fort Walton, and another day to DeFuniak Springs and little places like Argyle. Another day to Panama city. We ground day and night we had plenty of water. For awhile we had to stop one set of rocks to cut lumber.
We could not buy enough corn in the next three or four counties, so we had to have corn shipped in to meet the demand. We had a four horse farm. We had to buy a tractor to help out the animals to grew corn. The depression was still here, got some better every year.
I learned to check lumber. I did everything but make feed and clear rice. I even rode carriage and set blocks for saw mill. I refused to plow. I would drop corn or fertilizer. I milked cows, churned butter, canned fruit, vegetables, meat, made Jelly, Jam, Preserved figs. Made pickles, dried beef, some fruit. I had about 75 hens, Mama and I sold 2 cases of eggs each week, sold fryers and old hens. When weather was good not raining, we lived high on the hog.
1895 Household Gadgets And Helpers Of My Ancestors
They made their house brooms of what is called Broom Sage, which is plentiful in fence rows. They cut the broom sage about three feet long, cleared it and shapes it in round bundles that was comfortable to hold in their hand. About half way in the middle of the length of the sage a string was attached. It was tied around the round bundle of Broom Sage. The bundle was rotated spiraling the string like a barber pole until it reached the cut end if the broom. It was securely attached there. The sage broom swept the floor clean.
The yard broom was made the same way but Gallberry bushes were used instead of Broom Sage. People didn't nave grass lawns then as they were afraid of fires, therefore they had no use for lawn rakes. Garden Rakes were made from a piece of wood with nails in it and a handle attached. they were similar to those we have today.
Women didn't have mops like today. They made their own. They had blocks of wood with holes bored in them to which a handle was attached. They soaked corn shucks in warm water then twisted the shucks until they went through the holes in the block of wood. Then, they wet the floor with lye water and used washing powder to scrub the floor. They were proud of their beautiful floors. If the floor was made of rough lumber, they put coarse sand on the floor and really scrubbed it hard.
Bread trays of bowls were made by hand. Hardwood was used. Bread was made from - flour for biscuits, potatoes for yeast bread.
Spinning wheels were made by hand for wool or cotton thread.
The looms used for weaving were made from rope and wood. They picked cotton, cleaned the seeds out of the cotton and combed it until it was clean and soft. They spun it into thread. They tied it into loose rolls for dying and they used roots, bark, and rocks for dye.
They would get together and help one another and especially when a neighbor was in trouble. They banded together for protection and help.
They made their own ropes for plow lines. They made many leather products from cow hides. My Father dried the cow hides (which were on stretcher frames, to keep their shape.) on top of the barn roof, to keep the dogs from tearing the fresh skins after they had been salt cured. They stretched, cured and tanned these hides by hand. They made the leather harnesses for their mules, horses, and oxen teams from cow hides. They also made chair seats out of cow hides. I have three chairs made by hand in 1915 still with the original hides. They made the chair rounds and slats from seasoned Hickory wood, and the posts from green wood which would dry on the seasoned wood. With this method of making chairs no glue was needed. Glue is used in making chairs today.
Papa made most of his tools. He made handles for the spades, hoes, pitch forks, shovels, hammers, hatchets, plow handles, and numerous other tools.
On rainy days, Papa would sit and sharpen his plows, hoes, saws, and other items that needed sharpening. The children were sent to the barn to husk or shuck corn. We shelled the corn by hand for years until we got a corn Sheller. We really had fun. We shelled the corn for many uses, corn meal, grits, corn for the chickens and the pigs and other farm animals. Some of us always had fun working, a few could not enjoy anything that spelled work. I always enjoyed doing a good job, still do at 86 years.
They made their own water buckets out of cedar and used copper bands to keep the cedar stays together like a barrel is made. Gourds were used for dippers to drink from There was also a commercial glass dipper which would turn in your hand and spill water on you. Cedar buckets came on the market also, then zinc and tin buckets. Tin dippers replaced the gourd.
Pinore Beds were hand made of hardwood posts and braces. Ropes were laced for bed support. I was seven years old when I saw my first metal bed springs. We used wood bed slats about four or five inches apart, with a straw mattress next to the slats. A hand made cotton mattress was put on top of the straw mattress. No wonder some of us slept on the floor in the summer time.
Poultice, were made from a lot of things.
I had bronchitis all my childhood. Coughed all winter long and had to wear a chest cloth made by frying bees wax, onion, turpentine tallow and any old thing they could find. It was pinned to my undershirt. Rattle snake oil was very good for chest colds or pneumonia, rub on chest or ribs, for pleurisy.
Roasted onion juice was good for chest colds. Baking soda for infected kidneys and upset stomach, and will induce vomiting if needed. Cane syrup, Baking soda and flour mixture was used for burns.
We thrashed our rice, oats, rye off the sheaves by hand. We would put a ground cloth down then put a log on the cloth, then take a bundle of sheaves and whip them on the log. We liked this job. Then we would pour the grain from the ground cloth into tubs. We would hold the grain up high above the tub and pour slowly, to let the wind blow the chaff and dirt away.
We put dry beans or peas in a sack, then placed the sacks in the sun for awhile. We would then take a stick and whip the sack to loosen the peas or beans from the hulls. It was then simple to pick the hulls out and store the peas and beans. We always had plenty of peas and beans to cook with hog jowls, ham hocks and other bones of hog.
Mama had a green bottle in her kitchen. It had a long graceful neck. Mama used this bottle as a rolling pin when she made pies, dumplings and other pastries. The green bottle also had a cup built in the bottom. Mama used the bottle to smash grapes and other berries for wine. The cup was used to drink the wine. My Grandmother taught my Mother to make wine, brandy and cordials. Mama always had a jug of wine and some rum she used for medicine. She would also make Asafetida of camphour and Spring fever weed for tonics, She would use butterfly root, I think for bleeding of women, all needed Rum. With Jerusalem oak root she made a candy for worms in Children. It was the worst medicine I ever tasted. I always cheated and gave my sister Ronie my dose. I had to drink sassafras tea when I had the measles. I don't drink it now. When I had malaria they gave me Quinine in sweetened coffee. To this day I can't drink coffee.
We made soap to wash clothes and all our other cleaning needs and for our baths. We used every little jib of soap, sometimes we would tie the jibs in a rag or cheese cloth to put in the bath or pan for a bath. The strong soap we melted for laundry or for scrubbing floors. I remember seeing soap powder for the first time. My Papa bought it for his store, about 1906 or 1907. When it came in, women from all around came in to see the soap powder. They bought it to try.
We saved everything, we almost never threw anything away. We saved rags for cleaning and drying floors. The better rags we used to make braided rugs. We dyed the better rags for a colorful rugs.
Remedies
Wounds: Make a solution of salt, Kerosene, turpentine, hot water, all or part of these. Just salt and water will work.
Step on a nail: Salt water and wicks salve.
Pneumonia or Pleurisy: Rattle snake oil will break it up many times.
Arthritis: 1/3 water 1/3 cider vinegar 1/3 raw honey, will stop charley horses and cramps also.
Sprains: Vinegar and clay made in a paste, then bandage up sprain.
Muck poisoning: Wash in cider vinegar or soak a cloth in vinegar for large areas.
Sunburn, Tire burn or prickly heat: Vinegar is good for all, also good for indigestion.
Throwing up: bark of peach tree.
Kidney infection: Take baking soda, 1 teaspoon in a glass of water 3 times a day.
Prickly heat or Sunburn: Put baking soda in the bath.
Baking Soda: is good for brushing teeth and also a douche.
Sore eye or Pink eye: Cut a potato in slices, lay on eyes.
Nicotine sickness: Try sweet Cows milk.
Snuff or tobacco: Try sweet Cows milk.
Some remedies for the sick, split a yellow overgrown cucumber, put on the bottom of the feet for a fever. Large cactus can also be used for fever and boils.
Beef gaul for drawing out splinters, boils and carbuncles.
Step on a nail, soak in a pan of water with turpentine, kerosene and salt for 20 minute intervals all day.
Cold feet, put a hat on, and put a bed warmer next to the feet.
To bring down a fever quick, hot bath then an alcohol rub.
Bites and stings, vinegar for ant bites and deer fly stings. Also garlic oil or cut garlic and rub on the bite or any itch or ground worm. Baking soda and ammonia is used in different medications today for fire ants.
Cold Remedies
# 1 Take as hot a bath as you can stand. Then a nice warm bed. Grapefruit juice with a teaspoon of baking soda. Stay in bed all night.
# 2 Hot lemon tea, add 2 lemons to a quart of boiling water. Let steep for ten minutes. Add a teaspoon of honey to a cup of the hot lemon juice.
3 Hot ginger with milk or water, for a scratchy throat, nasal or sinus congestion. (Do not boil milk.) Heat the milk or water, add two or three slices of fresh ginger. If fresh ginger isn't available, use 1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon of ground ginger. Serve hot with honey to suit your taste. If possible take a dose and go to bed.
# 4 Cup of hot tea sweetened with honey is great old time cold remedy.
# 5 Homemade chicken soup is always good for what ails you.
# 6 Honey and vinegar for colds. Mix equal parts of honey and vinegar. 1 tablespoon of honey (preferable raw honey) 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with enough hot water taste. This is also a good gargle.
# 7 Herbal tea with rose hips (vitamin c ) and essence of peppermint. This is a good drink for coughs. Be very careful when using essence of peppermint, if it is to strong it can take your breath away, so mix with water. Essence of peppermint can be purchased at drug stores.
# 8 For sniffles and stuffy noses, take 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda in warm water 4 or 5 times a day.
# 9 I take up to three grams of vitamin c - per day. Double if I feel a cold coming on.
# 10 Peppermint candy, dried orange peel and honey in rum is very good. You can use wine or brandy instead of rum, for the same results.
# 11 In olden times, I wore asafetida. When someone in the family had a flu, cold or any catching disease, everyone else wore an asafetida. Some people wore garlic or put sulphur in their shoes. Usually the ones who wore these herbs didn't catch the germs unless they were very badly run down. Asafetida, garlic and onions keeps everyone away. HA HA. You can use cider vinegar to kill onion and garlic from smelling on your breath. Take zinc to kill body odors.
# 12 The miracle Herbs. Garlic and vinegar are some of the oldest medications. They were used before Christ. Roman History, Pliny the Elder said "Garlic would cure 61 ailments." It was used for poultice and used for stings. I killed sand worms on my foot with fresh garlic.
Part Of My Tracks
Rubie Henderson Holley Born October 28, 1900
I was born in a small two room cabin with a porch on the front. The cabin was located in a large yellow pine forest in Walton County near DeFuniak Springs, Florida. (Lake DeFuniak The government sold this land for twenty five cents an acre. I was born October twenty eight, Nineteen Hundred.
We moved to Luanna near Glendale in Walton County
Florida. Next we moved to King Place and we lived there until I was four years old. From King Place my family moved to Gaskin, Florida. We lived there until I was fifteen. Then we moved to the edge of Jackson and Britton. In 1927 my parents bought a place on Natural Bridge Creek, they built a new mill there. My Husband and I lived in that area for a few years then we moved to Lake County, Florida. First we lived in Bay Lake then Groveland, Mt. Dora, Eustis, Tavares and finally to the house that become our home. We moved here in December 1941 shortly after Pearl Harbor was bombed.
Music In Our Home
Our family was very musical, We were always going to Sacred Heart Sings, two or three times a month. My Papa, Mama, My Brother Gordon, My Sisters Ronie and Obie, and Myself all loved to sing. My other two brothers didn't care to sing. We sang in Quartets, Duets, and solos for benefits, like during World War I. We helped by singing during War Bond Drives.
At home when we would sing, I played the old Baldwin Organ. It was the old bellows type. I had to pump the pedals to get a sound. Papa sang Bass, Ronie sang Soprano, Obie sang Tenor, Gordon sang Soprano, Mama sang treble and I sang Alto.
Some of our favorite songs were: Amazing Grace (This was my favorite) Jesus Loves Even Me My Mother's Bible
Bringing in the Sheaves The Great Physician
Let the lower lights be burning Rock of Ages
Sweet Hour of Prayer Have Thine Own Way Lord
When the Roll is Called Up Yonder Pass me not
There is a Great Day a Coming Nearer my God to Thee
Faith of our Fathers Shall We Gather at the River
Nothing but the Blood, Nothing but the blood
Every summer we went to two or three weeks of Singing School. My Papa, his brother Charley Henderson and my Mothers Brother were Singing Teachers. I passed the exam but did not teach. I did lead the class at times. These sings were without musical instruments. My Uncle Daniel Henderson could play any instrument he tried. I have heard him play Guitar, Violin, Organ and several horns. He had a band and when someone was out, he would play their instrument. He taught my brother Gordon to play the violin and my brother Wailon to play the Guitar. My older brother H.J. didn't play an instrument but he did beat the straws for dances.
West Florida Singing Convention
The West Florida singing convention was held the forth
Saturday and Sunday of September. Our Family always tried to go.
We didn't go to listen. We went to sing. The music we sang was
from the Sacred Heart Song Book, which was a very old book. It
has been revised several times. No instruments are used in the
singing. Harmony ! We had it all the way.
There is still a Sing on the fourth Sunday in April, that started during my Great Grandma Laird's time. It was to celebrate her Birthday in 1916. She was my Papa's Grandma.
It is a memorial sing now for all her relations. It takes place at Gum Creek Primitive Baptist Church in Glendale, Florida, Walton County, north of DeFuniak Springs, Florida, in the pan handle.
Dinner On The Grounds Of The All Day Sing
At most All Day Sings, the men constructed a table made of four foot wide Hog Wire. The wire was rolled out as long as was required for the length of the table. Dishes of food were placed on the wire. It was always a Pot luck affair. Most of the women tried to out do each other in quantity and quality of food. There was always a big variety of food. There usually was, Chicken and Dumplings, Chicken and Rice, Fried Chicken, Fried Okra, Peas, Butter Beans, Beans, Baked Beans, Slaw, Potato Salad, and other salads, Beef Stew, Pork Chops, Roasts, Turkey and Dressing, Chicken and Dressing, Cakes and Pies. All kinds of food you name it we had it.
Someone always made coffee, starting about eleven. They used a big enamel pot to brew it in. You could smell the delicious coffee for a mile. The smell started everyone thinking about food. Everyone usually brought their own tea, usually in gallon jars.
Papa built a box and insulated it with sawdust. He put ice in the box to keep our drinks cold. We mostly had tea and cool aid. The box also had dividers to hold glasses and jars.
When all the food was put on the table some gentleman would say the blessing. Then everyone would fix their own plate. That was before paper plates and paper cups. We had enamel wear plates and cups with our names on the bottom. We seldom lost any of our dishes, but if we did, when we went to the next sing we would find it, It would have been taken by mistake and returned at the next sing. After fixing our plates we would get our drinks and sit on blankets or stand. Mama said, "The ones that stood never got full."
Mama always carried a bottle of Honey Vinegar Water Mix and made us all drink a glass after eating. We never got food poisoning. 1/3 Honey 1/3 Vinegar 1/3 Water add more water if it is to strong.
We went to a Sing a few times in Samson, Alabama. All visitors were instructed not to bring food. The town's richest people the Faulks furnished all the food. The food was prepared by their cooks. Some of the food was, Prepared meats, Peanut butter and Banana Sandwiches. Slaw, Baked Beans, Cakes, Cookies and Pies. The Pies were fried. There was a mall between divided streets and all traffic was detoured around the street. A table was laid out that stretched the entire block.
1915-1924 Singing School Sacred Heart Book
We always tried to go to Singing School at least two weeks during the summer. Sometimes we were lucky enough to go six to eight weeks. I really liked to sing. Sometimes we would go to singing school by car, other times we went by mule and wagon. We had an old one eyed mule named Patty. One time we couldn't get Patty so we had a yolk of Oxen, we hooked them to the wagon and off we went. One of my Aunts, Papa's sister, was there and she said to me, "Rubie, you would drive any old animal and not be ashamed, Why, most girls would stay home before they would be seen driving Oxen. "I said, " We have a billy goat and wagon, I might drive him one day, but maybe not as only one could ride the billy wagon."
We always had fun. Most of the people that went to the singing school, were people that loved to sing. I learned all the rules and could sing. I could lead the class and enjoyed it. The first song I ever led was "Sweet Bye and Bye." I finally went before the board and passed so I could teach, but I went into nursing training.
Chapels
My Great Grandfather Laird's Plantation was a long way from a church, so he had a chapel built on his plantation. The Chapel was built of logs. The log cabin Chapel had a lean to built along the side of it where the slaves worshiped. I heard tell that the nannies that took care of my Great Grandfathers children, joined the church and was Baptized along with some of the family.
Ministers were scarce when my Great Grandfather built his chapel. One minister would preach at four different Churches. Which meant he would spend one Saturday and Sunday at each church. A real treat was when a traveling preacher would come along.
I remember going to the chapel my Great Grandfather Laird built. Logs were hewed down flat for benches. These benches were on one side of the chapel. The other side had new benches. The first church I went to Sunday School was at a huge barn like building in Gaskin. It was a Baptist Church. The building had wooden shutters, no ceiling, just a roof. It was such a cold place in the winter, although there was a big old time heater. They only had church on the fourth Saturday and Sunday. We went to Sunday school every Sunday.
About 1910, the Methodist Church was organized. They had Church days on the second Saturday and Sunday. They started a Sunday School but there wasn't enough young people in the community to have two Sunday Schools, so they had theirs at three P.M. We all went to their Sunday School. We thought that was great two Sunday Schools each Sunday.
The Primitive Baptist Church was about five miles from Gaskin. It was called Eight Mile Church. They had Church services on the third Saturday and Sunday. When they celebrated Communion it was on Saturday. That was one day our group of kids never missed. We liked to see them wash the feet, drink the wine and eat the bread. They didn't believe in Sunday School. Some Churches still have a preacher come once a month for Saturday and Sunday Services. Generally there was no musical instruments in the churches. All the music was people singing. There was no collection plate passed. Sometimes the people took up a collection for something special among themselves.
Mason’s March
On the 24 of June every year the masons of Alabama elected their officers for the coming year. In Florala, Alabama when they are through with the elections they march down town. I don't know how many years this has been going on. Papa and Mama went to see the masons march when they were young. We went when I was young. We always had a good time. We loved to see Papa march with the Masons.
My husband, Bascom Holley, has been a mason since he was 21. He was raised to Masonry by his father James E. Holley. He has been a Mason at the Hacoda, Alabama lodge since 1925.
I was hoping that one of my Grandsons or Nephews would someday march in Florala. To my knowledge none have. I will try to find out how long the Masons have marched in Florala.
The Little Red School House
There was a little red school house where they taught Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. My Papa's Father, John Wesley Henderson, taught at this school, as well as teaching at the home. There was no County Schools at that time. I remember the little blue back speller. I think it was "Little Richards Speller".
Mama and Papa both went to public school, which was for four months a year. Some of the books they used were: Blue back speller, Arithmetic from Rays fine series, McGuffey's reader. The most important lesson they learned was to use their mind. They developed a fine sense of responsibility and a fine character. They were also taught exquisite table manners.
Some of the teachers were people my Grandpa Henderson taught in the homes. When I started school, we went for six months a year until eight grade.
Mama went to school and got a good 8th grade education. She was good in grammar, math, geography and agriculture. Her desire was to become a teacher, but her parents didn't have money to send her to Palmer College in DeFuniak Springs, Florida, just a short distance from where she was born about 12 miles.
When Papa was 4 yrs. old his parents left by wagons for Texas. When they came back he was about 16 years old. He had very little education, only what he had picked up while traveling. They traveled all over the west but mostly in Texas. Papa drove cows out west. He went to California and Oregon. He told me about a time in California when he was herding cattle, about them in the redwoods. There was a old tree that had fallen and the tree had rotted out so there was only a shell left. The cows got up inside the tree and even into the limbs. When he returned to Walton County ( By Train ) He started his education when he was 17 years old. In two years he had an 8th grade education, and a degree in Business. He was a quickie. He was a whiz in bookkeeping and math.
When Papa took us to our summer home, there was a summer school which was called a strawberry school or cotton school. We attended these schools for two and one half months. These schools were review schools which were a great help. The lumber camp schools were for four months. One room and one teacher. I usually helped by teaching with the first and second grades, if I liked the teacher.
Flashes Of Memories
My first memory of my sister who is 15 months younger than I am. When she was born I could not get to her so I would take a piece of stove wood and throw it at her, in her bed.
I had a rag doll, I discarded it for my sister Ronie. I wanted a live baby to hold.
One day I decided to milk the cow, I took a tin cup and tried to get milk. The cow kicked the cup out of my hand and it went flying.
We lived in the forest near Cluster Springs, not far from DeFuniak Springs, Florida.
At home when my parents wanted something done in a hurry, they called on me. " Hurry! Rubie! hurry!" they would say. I must have been born hyper active. I still, Hurry! Rubie! Hurry.
One time my papa told me to go turn out the cows so they could eat grass. I did it so fast and was back in the same place so quick that Papa didn't' see me go. He gave me a thrashing. when he finished, I said "Papa what did I do." He said, " You did not turn out the cows." I said, "Papa I did." His only reply was " I didn't know."
In 1905 or 1906 - A new chimney was built in our home. Next day after it was finished, my back was hurt for life. A black woman came to clean the house. All beds were put on the fence to sun while she scrubbed the floors and walls. All was going just fine, when we kids decided to play on the mattresses across the fence. We were trying to balance ourselves on top of them, when I fell. I landed on a pile of broken brick bats. I was out like a light for about 20 minutes. It left me with a twisted back, now I am paying for those few minutes of fun. I have arthritis in my back. I did not complain when I was growing up. I was often criticized for some things I could not do. I still get criticized to this day. I had a very bad time when I was caring my babies.
My first memory at two years old, trying to walk a log across a brook. My mother had to take my sister across, laid her on the ground, came back and got me.
I also remember a tree had blown over. The roots had a lot of clay on them. They looked very scary to me. It looked as big as a mountain to me.
Another time I remember my sister and I putting pine gum in each others hair. At that time they use to cut slots in the side of pine trees to get the gum out of the tree. Mama had a very difficult time getting the gum out of our hair as we really patted a lot in our hair. Mama used hot kerosene to wet our heads then had to strip it out of our hair.
I somehow got up in a mulberry tree. I really liked mulberries. I could see ants crawling on the branches. It took both my Grandma and Mama to coax me down low enough for them to reach me. I was about 3 1/2 at this time.
I got under the house and could not get out. Grandma Henderson had to crawl under and get me.
My trip with Grandpa Henderson - Grandpa each year took Gin census or counted the bales of cotton ginned by all the gins in Walton and Okaloosa counties. The trip I loved was when he went to Laurel Hill, Baker and Crestview. His Mother was born and raised in this area.
The brook - We had a beautiful brook close by. In summer on hot days we would play for hours, sometimes till after dark. One night Ronie and Obie found a ghost on the path we traveled to our house. My Papa and I went to bring them home. We could hear them hollering. Next morning they found that the ghost was an old stump that had partially burned. It had been there all the time.
Our parents were very good to us. We made our fun. We were loved by Mama and Papa and taught to love each other. WE DID.
I had two small lakes to fish and play in. We had swimming parties at center pond. Punch Bowl was the other lake. Sometimes I would go to Punch Bowl and look and dream. Punch Bowl was close to Gaskin. Center Pond was about half way between Gaskin and Glendale, close to our summer home. We loved to fish and play there.
Bravery - I was so brave at one time in my life. I got mad at an old milk cow, so I decided to beat her up for kicking me while I was milking her. I sat the milk pail outside of the stable and started to work her over. She had horns, she got these horns under my ribs and pinned me against the wall and held me there. She kept punching me and punching me. I kept the bruises a long time. I never told anyone about it till now. That may be part of what's wrong with me now.
As long as I can remember Papa and Mama always had plenty of farm animals. Mama always had 30 laying hens, a few ducks and turkeys. Sometimes we would raise 100 young turkeys for sale. We always had all the chicken and eggs we needed. Papa always had between 400 to 750 head of cows, 3000 head of sheep to clip the wool for sale. Hogs, we tried to have at least 10 to 12 brood sows, to raise our meat to eat, and some to sell. Sows breed 3 times a year, average 8 or 9 piglets were raised. We usually ended up with 40 to 50 hogs for sale.
Papa and Mama always cured shoulder hams, bacon sides. They canned a lot of scrap meat. We dried beef, canned stew, made sausage from pork scraps, made head cheese from hogs head and feet. We cleaned the beef tripe and canned it. We made tallow for beef fat. We saved all the meat but the squeal from the hog and moo from the cow. We even saved the gall from the beef for drawing out thorns or splinters. Boiled the feet of the beef (not the hoofs) but the bone from the knee to the hoof. Beef foot oil is good to rub on the chest for colds and pneumonia.
Papa and Mama were very humble and polite at our table. A worn sheet hemmed by Mama or myself was on our table. When we were at our place at the table, we laid our hands in our laps. Papa sat down after Mama. They bowed their heads for a minute or more silently then the blessing was said. We were never allowed to dig in like a bunch of pigs. When we were served, we ate politely or we had to leave the table. If we criticized the food, we were requested to leave the table. We were never allowed to laugh at one another mistakes. My Papa and Mama were very humble and they were so thankful for the food we ate and we always ate what was put on the table. No complaints.
Snuff
In 1906 when I was about 6 years old, Mrs. Simmons came to visit my Mother. She sent me to my Papa's store to get her a box of snuff. I came back with her box of snuff and watched her open it. When she had taken the lid off she proceeded to put her stick, that she had taken off a tree, she had also chewed the end until it had formed a swab. She then dipped the stick into the snuff and she did this several times, she acted like it was so good. My sister Ronie and I went to the store and each got a box of snuff. Then we went in back of the store to the wagon yard and got in a big turpentine wagon . We proceeded to use the snuff the way Mama's friend had. Later a big black man named Bud Richardson, took us to mama who was washing clothes, I can remember him telling Mama " Miss Anna, I brought these children home they sure are sick". Mama said, " Just put them on the porch." We laid on the porch for what seemed to us forever. Mama just kept on washing clothes. We were both throwing up and we thought we were dying. Finally Mama gave us a glass of fresh milk and we did survive. To this day, October 28, 1980, I have not used any kind of tobacco. My sister Ronie never used any in her life time either. What a wise Mama we had.
Siblings And Friends Adventure
My sister Ronie and I were very close. We did things together. We learned to cook when Mama was ill with the fever, Malaria and Pneumonia. Ronie would peel and fry sweet potatoes, which were so big she had to put them against her chest to cut them open. When they were green the tar would get on her dress. I tried to make bread, cook meat, and vegetables.
In 1914-On Sunday afternoons all the the young people in Gaskin would meet and play games. This one particular Sunday we went to Lewis Geoghan's place to play. We walked the railroad tracks for about a mile. Another girl and I were running ahead of the older young people. We were playing hide and seek. We ran behind some gall berry bushes, there lay a big black man with his throat cut. This was the first dead man I ever saw. He was fat so it looked like a gash in fat. We got the older children to come and I ran home to tell Papa, who was the Justice of the peace in Gaskin.
There was a big deal around there for days, trying to find out who had killed the man. It seemed he had been playing cards with someone around a bon fire and they got in a fight and he ended up with his throat cut.
In 1916- I learned to shoot Papa's 20 gage shot gun. I loved to hunt and fish. Every time rabbits began chewing on our garden I had to bring them in for a meal. I also did some squirrel hunting.
We all loved to go camping on center pond. It was such a nice lake. We would take our old one eyed mule named Patty, stubborn old cuss. Sometimes she would balk, stop in the middle of a sand road. Trying to get her to go the way we wanted her to go was something else. So we had to figure out some way to move her. We learned to take along some corn shucks, which we used to tickle her under her tail. When we started home we did not need anything to get her going. She went home without a balk. We took her feed in the wagon along with our food, a slab of bacon, corn meal and lard. If we didn't catch any fish we cooked bacon and corn bread. Sometimes we would catch a turtle. We took quilts along to lay on in the wagon. SOME OF THE BEST OF YOUTH.
It's funny when I now think of my teen years. When young men came courting me, I was shy and so careful. We went to dances and sings in our friends home. Square dancing was the big thing. We didn't have picture shows close by, so our entertainment was church and Sunday School.
Gypsies Come To Gaskin
We always knew when the gypsies were arriving, someone always rode in and told us they were coming. They traveled in a caravan. A caravan consisted of two to three hundred of them. They also traveled with many animals, horses, goats, dogs and once in awhile a monkey.
The women made beautiful linens and lace. They told fortunes with a threat of a scare. When they arrived in a town they were like an invading army. The children were taught to confuse people. While one had a persons attention another one was some place else stealing goods they needed.
When Papa found out they were coming he got prepared. He hired guards to stay on the porch of our store and he kept dogs in our yard. The Women would try and sell their beautiful linen and lace products. While they had a clerk busy others would be stealing anything they could get their hands on. Papa was smart he only let one in at a time and wouldn't let any children in the store at all.
Twenty five or more of the children would set out on foot and scour the countryside for eggs, chicken and strip the vegetable gardens of all the eatable food they could find. The children came to the back of our house trying to get chickens or eggs and I even caught one milking one of our cows. That was to much, I turned the dogs out and they left and went to a place that didn't have dogs.
The Deputies formed a patrol to try and save our village, but that was impossible even one hundred couldn't keep the gypsies from getting what they wanted. They went through the area stealing food and anything good to sell at the next village. They always camped in a meadow and only slept after midnight. People had to be very careful to keep what belonged to them, when the gypsies were around.
I think the gypsies originated in Spain. Each clan of gypsies had a King and Queen. One such clan of gypsies was traveling through Michigan in the Forties and the Queen got sick. The entire clan went to the hospital with her. The hospital wasn't big enough to let them in so they stayed on the lawn. The jail wasn't big enough so they stayed on the lawn there. The halls were full of gypsies at the Hospital and the Queens guards stayed in her room to protect her. When she died they watched over her for three days so she could come back to her body. They wouldn't have her body embalmed so if she came back her body would be ok. The King and Queen did not work only the lower gypsies worked.
There is reported to be an active clan in California at this time. They sell flowers at airports and they claim they belong to a church or charity.
Privies
In 1904 at our place in Gaskin, Papa had a new privy built. I was fascinated at the way it was built. A nice big hole was dug and then the privy was built over it. The privy was built in back of the house. It was real classie. It was so classie that it had three holes. Papa said, "One for Papa bear, one for Mama bear and one for Baby bear." He had two racks built to hold the sears catalog, one up high and one down low. The high rack was to hold the sears catalog for Papa bear and Mama bear, while the low rack was for Baby bear's sears catalog. (Sears was our tissue.) A thirty pound lard can with slack lime in it was kept tightly closed in one corner. The slack lime was used to put down the hole to control odor.
My sisters and I use to use the privy as a playhouse. We would cut paper dolls from our sears catalog, with a pair of small scissors that we hung on a hook by the sears catalog. We had a thirty pound lard can we put the clippings in. Papa and Mama said we could play there as long as we kept it clean. We made a homemade straw broom and kept it there to sweep the f loor. Around the outside of our playhouse privy we planted a flower garden of Phlox, Zinnias and Marigolds.
When I got older Papa got some wall paper samples in the store. Mama made a summer fireplace screen and covered it with the wallpaper samples. That gave my Sister Ronie and myself an idea. We asked Papa's permission to paper the walls of the privy. Our girl friends loved it. I use to keep a book in the privy for reading and would read for hours, unless I was called to do other things, which happen much to often for my way of thinking. I enjoyed this haven until I was 16 years old.
The summer house's privy didn't excite me. We moved to the Summer home in 1916. We begged Papa to build us a new privy, He did. He built two, one for Mama and the girls and another for him and the boys. When he finished ours, we got busy and papered the walls with wallpaper samples and painted the outside blue and pink. We put screen wire over the air vents and hung book racks for our books, we had a rack for our sears catalog.
Our privy looked better than our rooms, which we tackled next. The privy was my refuge, to think, to dream, and to have my time to myself. In 1927 Papa and Mama bought the place at the Mill. The privy there was built over a stream and had two holes. Later we had a bathroom and electric lights. But once a day I would go to the privy to read a story or look at the sears catalog, sears for looking at now as we had tissue.
In 1941 when we moved here, we had planned on building an inside bathroom but the war started. World War Two put a stop to a lot of building. You couldn't buy toilets, tubs or sinks. We paid the County Health Department $10.00 to build us a privy. After the war we built the bathroom in the house and made the privy into a playhouse for the kids. We fixed the seat like a couch. It was nice and brought back memories for me.
I sure miss you Privy, you are still in my dreams.
Medley Of Memories
In 1910 Papa built a barn, with all the family helping. A barn with a loft. We children spent a lot of time there playing. Papa stored Onions, Potatoes, Turnips, and Rutabagas in the loft under loose hay. We children kept a knife and salt in the loft. We had parties with the raw vegetables and sometimes we even had some biscuits to go with the vegetables.
In the spring we would go through the garden gathering tomatoes, green onions, cucumbers, and berries, or whatever was there, and off to the loft for a picnic. In the fall we went nut hunting. We would gather Hickory nuts, Pecans, Black Walnuts, and Chinquapin nuts. All these nuts were stored in the loft of the barn. We used the nuts for cooking and our loft parties.
In 1912 Papa fixed the wagon with straw in it and hitched the six oxen to it and we went to a big camp out and picnic at Cluster Springs, in Walton County, near the cabin where I was born. Mama wouldn't let us sleep on the ground, so Mama and we six children slept in the straw on the wagon.
Our summer home on the farm. We moved to the farm in 1915. I was fifteen years old. Everything we did was fun. I loved to ride in the woods to check on the cows and hogs. If any of them were in trouble or had a problem I either took care of it or reported back home for help. One time I was out looking for a big red cow, when I found her she was having a problem. She had been struck by lightning. I had to get her home because she was acting crazy. I sent my horse home so my folks would know I needed help. I would run and hide behind a tree, because the cow was trying to gore me. Then I would take off and hide behind another tree. When my Papa came he said," Why didn't you leave her in the woods?" I said, "Papa you always said bring them in, so I did." She died the next day.
At the time, we had free range, but some states, Alabama for one, voted in a fence law. People had to build pastures. About 1920 Florida voted a Fence law.
Bats
When I was a young girl I rode a horse. Our nearest neighbor lived about a mile away from where we lived. They lived on the other side of Eight Mile Creek and neither family had a telephone. We hadn't heard from them in a couple of weeks so my Parents asked me to go check to make sure they were all right. I rode my horse through the creek swamp to get to their place. I stayed longer at the neighbors than I had intended for it was getting quite late when I headed for home. I wasn't afraid of animals for in those days they were quite plentiful. As my horse and I headed back through the creek swamp, bats started attacking my head. I thought oh! My! They are after my white felt hat. I got frightened and so did my horse. My horse started for home. I had to hold on tight. That was surely some kind of a wild ride home. My horse ran under tree branches and made such a noise that my folks came out to meet us. They knew my horse had never done anything like that before.
Bald Eagle
When I was a young girl, someone came to my Papa's store with a Bald Eagle, he had killed. He wanted to measure how big he was. Papa measured it from wing tip to wing tip, with two yard sticks. It was six feet across. The Eagle had killed a baby lamb and was caring it in its claws up in the air.
The Birth Of A Lamb 1915
One Saturday morning Papa told me to go to a low area about one mile from our house, where he kept a flock of sheep. He wanted me to watch for new born lambs. I saddled my horse, Dixie. I rode to the valley where the sheep were. On horseback, I could see the entire area. When I arrived, I saw an Eagle circling one area. I went to investigate. I found a sheep getting ready to lamb. The Eagle didn't want me around she started screaming and circling the area. I waited about an hour and finally the lamb was born, I waited until the mother had cleaned the lamb, then I picked the baby lamb up and carried it in my arms to our house. His mother and my horse, Dixie, followed. Papa had an old log shed we put new lambs and their mothers in until the lambs got big enough to run. The Eagle could take one new born lamb a day.
My Papa could call the eagle off by imitating the mate.
Dancing
About 1912 when I was twelve years old, Papa took us to a square dance. Mama had never been to a dance, it was against her parents religion. Since we had never been to a dance, it was a real treat. Papa danced a couple of sets then he came and took me on the dance floor. At first I was scared, then I calmed down. Next Papa took my sister Ronie on the dance floor. She was so scared that she fell down and then she started crying. Papa brought her back to Mama and he took me back for another dance. I had calmed down and this time I was able to dance quite well. Ronie got jealous and went back on the dance floor and did much better that time.
That started us dancing. I really liked Square Dancing. A few years later I learned to Two Step then Waltz and Tango. Square Dancing was always my favorite. Ronie learned to dance but she never learned to love it like I did.
My sister, Obie, learned to dance later. She learned the Charleston and liked that dance best. Papa could do the Virginia Reel. We tried to learn it. I could go through the motions but did not have a chance to dance the Reel very much. None of the young wanted to learn it. Papa got tired of trying to teach them and quit. If my Brothers ever learned to dance, they didn't let me know.
When I went to Chattahoochee, we had one or two dances a week. We had two sets of Square Dances going at once, one set going in one direction and the other going in reverse, It was a beautiful sight to watch, which I didn't watch much I was on the floor dancing. We danced with patients and male attendants. My sister Obie could Square Dance but she loved to do the Cross and the Charleston. Sometimes her group would put on a show for us.
Grandma Wilkerson's Big Surprise
My Grandma Wilkerson had Eleven Children. She had never seen all Eleven Children together. When her youngest son was eighteen years old, My Papa and some of her Children planned a surprise for her. They decided the anniversary of her birth, May 4, 1914, was to be her special day. On that morning all eleven of her Children and their children met about three miles from where Grandma lived. They came in all sorts of wagons and buggies. There was even one Ox Cart. We headed for Grandma's . The caravan was over a mile long.
The wagons started pulling in at her place around ten O'clock. She was cooking turnip greens in a big black pot. Grandma was so surprised she sat down and cried. She was so happy.
Everyone brought food. An impromptu table was made of fence wire, that was four feet wide and forty feet long. Grandma's pot of turnip greens was put on a pedestal at the center of the table. There was enough food to feed an army.
We danced in the big yard and played ball with Grandma. We stayed overnight. Some of us slept in the wagons that had mattresses in them. They were comfortable.
The next year we all went back for another big reunion. That was the last time all eleven of her children were together. By the next reunion one of her sons and Grandpa had died. The chain was broken. "One spoke was out of the wheel"' Grandma died on Christmas night in 1918.
School At Grandpa Henderson's Summer 1916
Summer of 1916 we went to Grandpa Henderson's Summer School. About fifteen of his students were his grandchildren, the others were poor children. I'm not proud of what we grandchildren did. If one of us giggled all fifteen giggled. We gave him such a hard time. He was good to us he never told our parents what we did. Someone else told our parents what was going on and Papa wouldn't let us go back. He should have taken a limb to us. When I talked to Grandpa later, I found out he had taken our side.
Grandpa was the wisest and best read person I have ever met. I loved to talk to him. He explained so much about the universe and the weather cycles. The Hurricane patterns move west for fifty years then they start back east. That is the way it is, watch the cycles.
Tomato Club
In 1912 in Walton County's Tomato Club was organized. This was the club that later became the 4 H club. My sister Ronie and I joined. Each girl was suppose to have 1/4 acre each. Men came out and measured each plot. Some of the girls had less and some had more, my sister and I both had the correct amount. We planted our tomatoes and when they were ready for harvest, Papa bought a can sealer and a big box of about 200 cans. We got busy and filled every can with big beautiful red tomatoes. Some of the girls put one large tomato per can. When it came time for the county fair the tomato club girls all took some of their cans to exhibit and have judged. The home agent checked the cans some were heavier and some were lighter and Papa said they should open one can of each girls tomatoes. My sister and I were the only ones to have full cans of tomatoes no water. We were proud that we had more tomatoes than the other girls.
In 1914, I believe the date to be correct, the 4 H Club followed. My sisters and I became involved in sewing , canning and home improvement. We won first prize for decorating our room. We did our room in blue and pink. We found old bottles and painted flowers on them and put them on the mantle of the fireplace in our room. We bought muslin and tie died it then we made window curtains, sheets, bed spreads, closet door curtain and cushions for the chairs in our room. Next we tie died strips of old sheets and braided the strips into rugs which we made one to go in front of the fireplace and one to place beside each bed. We made hangers for our closet to hang our clothes on. We used wood and wire to make the hangers. We learned a lot that year.
Along about 1915 or 1916, we started going to DeFuniak Springs each summer for a short course in many different things, that included: canning, preserving, baking, cooking, sewing and learning to become complete homemakers.
One year we learned to make hats. We made different styles of hats. We made some Turbines, off the face hats and some with beautiful trimmed brims. We made some with buckram, which is a material that is stiff and is used to make hats, some we made from velvet, some from silk, some from plain poplin, and some from a single rose with ribbons. There sure was an array of beauties at our house that year.
I learned to Crochet baby sacks, sweaters, booties and bonnet sets. I also made summer bonnets using white thread to crochet the bonnet and then lined them with blue, pink, yellow or green satin. They were beautiful.
One year we made Table Cloths and Napkin sets. We hemstitched the white cloth with colored thread and put flowers in the corners.
In the summer Papa and Mama went to a wholesale house and purchased bolts of material for our use and for sale in our store. They purchased muslin for sheets, pillow cases, and underwear. Grey or blue chambray for work dresses or shirts for the boys and Papa. Sometimes they got Hickory shirting, which was in stripes for rough shirts for tough work. They would get checked Gingham for dresses, aprons and sometimes curtains. We would cross stitch the Gingham in different colored thread like red, blue or black. Or black on yellow. Many different combinations. We would smock some of our clothes. Checked gingham was beautiful smocked. We always made bonnets for Mama, my sisters and Myself. We always saved all the scraps for making Quilts. Or to, make a mattress or two. When I was 15 I had made 11 Quilts.
We made feather pillows from chicken, duck and geese feathers. We always had feather ticking around for making pillows, new mattresses and for covering old mattresses. We made almost all our clothes.
We canned a lot of our food: beef, pork, chicken, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, pears and grapes. We also made jellies and jams. We dried beef some years. We dried peaches and apples for pies.
we made our own vinegar. We used the vinegar in our pickles. We made pickle relish, pickle cabbage, and pickle peaches. Pickle peaches is spiced peaches today. We usually canned 100 Quarts each of tomatoes, chili sauce, and corn, okra and tomato mix.
We also ground cane for syrup which we used some to sell. Each year we killed 15 or 20 hogs. Some of the meat we cured, some we made into sausages, and some we canned to make stews the next summer. We killed 2 cows a year which we usually sold 3 quarters.
We killed a goat about every two months, to have a change in food. We canned some for stews or hash which was very good. Papa was a good hunter and when he went hunting he would bring back Quail, duck or Squirrel. At least once a year we had venison. We usually had wild turkey for Thanksgiving. We raised turkeys also. Sometimes they would leave home when the acorns began to fall. Some would not come back as we lived at the edge of the forest, which offered them plenty of shelter. We hand picked about 80 acres of corn each fall, we also dug about 8 to 10 acres of Sweet Potatoes. We usually had about 2 or 3 acres of rice that we thrashed. We took our rice to a mill in Covington County Alabama, (Which we later bought) to be cleaned. We also took our corn to the same mill to have ground into corn meal or grits.
We hand picked dry peas by the wagon loads. We used them for seed for the next years crop and the rest we used for cooking. They were good to eat with smoked meat in the winter time. In the fall Papa bought 100 lbs of lima beans, 100 lbs. of sugar for canning, 1 case of salmon, a hoop of cheese, a caddy of salt mullet, a caddy of fish roe. Once a month he bought 48 lbs. of flour.
Papa always hired men to help with the planting and shearing the sheep. There were always one, two or three hired hands depending on the need of the farm. We grew our own hay for our stock. We picked velvet beans in the winter time for our cows. Each Saturday if it wasn't raining we picked a one horse wagon body full.
We did all this plus homework. Papa and Mama never kept us home from school to work. We never were sick enough to stay home from school but two times. One time, in 1919, we had the swine flu. Then another time the boys had small pox.
Yes we had fun, we made our own fun while working. We mended fences, cleaned yards, washed and ironed clothes. We scrubbed floors the hard way. I have an old scrub broom. It was made out of wood with holes in it to put wet corn shucks which you twisted tight and put in the holes. We cut sage to make brooms to sweep the house with. We cut gall berry bushes to make brooms to sweep the yard with. We only had the garden rake at that time, the lawn rake came along later. So did the rag mop. Some floors were so rough a rag mop couldn't be used even when they did come out.
We always had a dog or two with us when we worked in the fields. If a cotton tail rabbit happened along the dogs would chase him. Sometimes the dog would chase him into the swamp. Sometimes they would tree him in a hollow log. Some one would cut a switch or bamboo vine and twist him out. If he was young we would kill him and clean him. Sometimes we would fry the rabbit and make gravy and other times we would make hash out of the meat.
We picked blueberries in June and July. We used some but we sold hundreds of pounds each year. We took orders. We sold butter and milk in the winter. We also sold chickens and eggs when we had a surplus. Most every fall before school started we took three or four wagon loads of watermelons to the labor train in the forest. With the money we made from selling our watermelons we bought our shoes, coats, sweaters and school supplies. We had to buy our books for school.
Just before school started we got our stove wood for the winter. We cut it green and let it cure before we used it. We would cut down several oak trees for fire wood to be used in our fireplaces. We also cut down some yellow pine trees to be used as light wood or some times called light wood knots. The light wood was used to start the fire going under the oak logs.
We took daily baths in the summer time in a beautiful brook. It wasn't deep enough for swimming but it was perfect for bathing. In the winter time we had to pump water or bring water from the spring for our baths. If we brought the water from the spring we usually used a wagon to bring two or three barrels full, which we covered to keep the mosquitos out of our bath water.
We always had clean clothes and bodies. Some people didn't take a bath but once a week, others didn't bath at all in summer or winter.
Any job I did I enjoyed it. I never grumbled about what had to be done. Some girls would stay at home and never learn to do anything. They never learned to cook or keep house, they were losers when they got married for they didn't know how to be a good homemaker.
Yes I enjoyed the Tomato Club and the 4 H club and the Demonstration Club. They all helped me become a better person.
My Life As A Student Nurse
I started nurses training at Chattahoochee, Florida, in June 1925. Chattahoochee Hospital has Mental Patients there.
One of my first patients was a very excitable woman who had Pneumonia. I was told to beware around her because she was dangerous. I was scared. Then I decided that being scared would never do. I convinced myself not to be afraid of her. What she needed was love and understanding. I made up my mind that, that was what she was going to get from me. From then on whenever I could I showed her that I cared. When she got better she needed help to sit in a chair. When she gained more strength I helped her walk. Her recovery was very slow. Finally she was well enough to return to her ward. When she was ready to leave she hugged and kissed me. She thanked me for all I had done to help her. When ever she saw me afterwards she had to hug and kiss me. I had lots of patients but somehow she was my special patient.
All Nurses, attendants and floor staff ate in the dining hall with the patients. We went to lunch at different times. The patients of the wards lined up and walked down the covered walkways to the dining hall. There was always a nurse or attendant there to assist the patients. Sometimes a patient would have a grand mal seizure while standing in line. We always had pillows ready to put under their heads, so they wouldn't hurt themselves. Occasionally a patient would have a seizure in the dining hall. They would jump up and turn the table over and spill food all over the people at the table. Sometimes a patient would start hallucination and start a fight with another patient. Then we would have to separate them and put them in straight jackets. For some strange reason they were always worse during a full moon. Some would start cursing, some hollering, some singing, and others would start preaching. Anything could happen. As a student nurse, I was taught to take care of the patient first and I always tried to make them as happy as possible. What we were suppose to do was to get the patient to want to get well. Some of the patients were mental patients. We were taught to treat each patient as an individual and show them love and respect. When treated with love, respect, and kindness, they usually responded in a positive way. Some of the patients were dope addicts. Some of the patients had Diabetes, these patients were doomed. They were prone to gangrene. I saw some lose their toes one joint at a time. The toes would just drop off. We used epson salts as a relief, there was no cure. Most of their diet had tomatoes in it. Insulin came in about this time but only experience would tell. Another problem that patients came to the hospital to be treated for was Syphilis. The Syphilis could be arrested with 101 shots, which were given twice a week to these patients.
Then there was the Epilepsy patients. Not much could be done for them. Their beds were about 6 inches from the floor. Their dormitory held 120 patients and the beds were very close together. I worked this word for three months.
There was a big hall that was used for dances. It was large enough for two twelve couple squares to dance. One group would square dance going one way and the other group would square dance in the other direction. It was a beautiful sight. We had a big brass band.
When I started nurses training, I was given a sheet of paper with a list of doe's and don'ts. We could go to the village Saturday nights and Tuesday nights. We had to stay in groups. We were not suppose to talk to men. We could date Sunday nights and Thursday nights. We could sit in the lounge with our boy friends.
When we had a day off we could go to the village or go for a drive if we had a car. My sister, Obie, and I had a ford coupe. When we were off at the same time we would go for a drive in the country. Sometimes we would go shopping at Mariana or Quincy. When we got a weekend pass we would go home or sometimes we would get a room in town and rest and have fun. Sometimes we would go on a boat or large barge and spend the weekend on the Chattahoochee River.
Stopping Bleeding
One day, in 1934, My Mother came to my door and handed me a piece of paper and said, "You can stop bleeding." I was stunned and dismayed. I sat down with weak knees and read the note. It read (Ezekeil 16-6), the first thing I did was to learn the bible verse.
My daughter Anna was a nose bleeder. I had to watch her closely so when her nose started to bleed I had to stop it. After learning the Bible verse I decided to try stopping the blood by repeating the verse three times, It worked. She kept me busy for about three months that summer. You bet I was stunned. Her nose bleeds let up in the winter but were back again in the summer, each year until she was about 13. Word soon got out that I could stop Blood, and then it seemed like everyone who had a cut or injury would come to my door seeking help. I thought that I had to see or know the person that I was helping. One day I closed the car door on my hand and got a bad cut, the blood was pouring from my hand. I thought ( I can stop blood on others, why not me?) I tried and it worked.
One day a woman came to me and said, " My brother is in the Orlando Hospital, and is being given blood around the clock. He is getting weaker. Will you please come and see what you can do?" I said " Wait 10 minutes and let me try to stop it from here." It worked , and I didn't even know or see him.
When Ton's baby was in Gainesville dying, He was bleeding, and they were giving him blood to no avail. I asked to see him and when I left the room they followed me out saying , "He has stopped bleeding."
Don't get me wrong, I do it through the Master. I have ministered in Gods name all these years. Anyone who tries to pay, I refuse.
School Begins And I Love It
In 1906 I started school in an old church building in Gaskin, Florida. A missionary Baptist Church which had church every 4th Saturday and Sunday. I t had big wooden shutters for the windows, no lights, a dark hole, no ceiling, just a high roof over our heads. A big wood heater was up front. The Papa's brought wood, sometimes we would hunt wood in the woods near by. That was fun. Pine burrs were used for starter wood.
Some of the kids I went to school with in first grade. All born in 1900.
Maryanna Rayborn Henry McNeil
Fay Preachers
Christian Davis Robert Prescott Ruth Wilkerson my cousin Eula Prescott
Lee Wilkerson my cousin was born in 1898
Ruth Wilkerson was Uncle Elisha Wilkerson and Aunt Ellen's daughter and Lee Wilkerson was their son.
This was the same building that we went to Sunday School et every Sunday. Weather permitting. You know what I loved, every thing about it. I loved to learn.
1907 New 3 Room School House
A new school building was built, it had three rooms for classes and a big room for an auditorium. It had a fresh coat of white paint, we were so proud of it. It was on a side of a hill within a yellow pine forest. Plenty of pine needles around for all kinds of exciting games. One game we played was to slide down the hill on the slick pine needles. Other games we played were, roll down the hill, roll down the hill in barrels. We acquired barrels from the cooper shop from the turpentine still. We sure had fun rolling down the hills in these barrels.
We put curtains on the windows of our school. And a new teacher was added about 1909.
At that time the schools were built by the town or community. When we needed money for our school or some other activity, box suppers were the thing. Every girl or woman would make a box or basket covered with tissue paper and tied with ribbon. Some were very beautiful, heart shape, oblong, round, and square. Others had beautiful rosette . Some of the boxes were so beautiful that I believe the candy people copied our boxes for Valentine day and Christmas to boost their sales. The boxes had enough food for two people. You were suppose to eat with the person that bid the highest on your box. I have seen them sell for twenty five to thirty dollars a box. A lot of them sell for two to three dollars. The men tried to find out who the boxes belonged to, but sometimes they were misled. In the winter time we had coffee and hot chocolate, in the summer we had cake and home made ice cream.
In those days teachers were paid by the county. It was very little pay for the work. When I finished 8 th grade I taught first grade and received $40.00 dollars per month. I was 16 years old. The next year I went to DeFuniak Springs to High School. I sure was lonely for none of my friends were fortunate enough to go. Sure was rough on me. I went to summer school to help me bone up with my classes.
Unleavened Bread
My Grandmother Henderson made unleavened bread and the grape wine used in communion. During the communion they ate the unleavened bread and drank the grape wine in the traditional manner. Then they washed the members feet.
When feet washing time came , the pastor washed the feet of the deacons, then the deacons washed and dried the feet of the pastor. Then the members washed each others feet. Men washed Men's feet and Women washed women's feet. They used those beautiful bowls and pitchers, that are now antiques. They washed their feet in the same water as their partners. They hugged and kissed each other before they washed their feet and then again after they had washed their feet. The men hugged and kissed their brothers on one cheek and then the other. Some were crying and laughing at the same time. When I was young I loved to go to these meetings. They were so happy.
Animal Stories
Rabbit Dance
The graceful part of nature is the dance of the rabbits when courting. I can't explain, it is so graceful. The male walks on his hind feet swaying and bowing around the female. She doesn't seem to care. He would take off running, then come back and continue his swaying and bowing routine. It looked like a ballet or like a balloon that was twirling.
When we first moved to the farm we could hear the panther scream. We were sure it was a woman screaming in the night. The next day our folks called us in a conference and told us that was a panther calling its mate, that they would not hurt us. Those screams went down my spine.
I found out later that during the civil war they had a very bad winter so bad that the sheep died all over. Rabbits died also as it snowed in the panhandle. There was no food left for the animals. Grandma and her sister were going home from plowing the fields. They were riding donkeys and the animals got frightened when a panther started chasing them. Grandma and her sister threw pieces of clothing at the panther. The male panther would tear up the clothing and then scratch the bark of a tree. Somehow they beat the panther to a slave shack. They went in and fastened the door and windows. The Panther went up on the roof. Grandma built a fire in the fireplace so the panther wouldn't come down the chimney. Fast thinking and not becoming confused saved their lives.
Grandma was Martha Mellisa Laird who married John Wesley Henderson about 1870.
Animals I Remember
One morning I was sent to bring in the calves. I was a mile from the house when I found a dead alligator across the road. I was so scared I ran all the way home. Even to this day I can see that monster in my child's eye. It seemed to be as big as a horse.
Animals I saw - Opossum caring its babies in a pouch. There habits are a nuisance. They catch chickens and eat eggs. Climb trees and hang by their tails, swing like a monkey, bite and play dead. They are good eating as the meat has a sweet taste. Makes a good roast with gravy and sweet potatoes.
Raccoon is very clean and attractive animal. Their meat is very good roasted or in hash. Their movements are graceful, however they are poor pets. They are always into anything and everything around. They eat most anything. They like to fish in the streams. They wash their food. They love corn on the cob, they go through a corn field tearing down bushels of corn in one night. They go into the fields only when the corn is in the best milk stage.
Bob Cats- are beautiful animals. They catch rats and rabbits, when food is short they will kill lambs or pigs. They eat some vegetables like green tomatoes. Will kill kittens and eat them. If you live near then in the country beware of your kittens if you left it outside at night. I had a beautiful one out at a ranch, forgot to bring it in, never saw it since. Nights I would see all kinds of animals roaming around.
The skunk is the most attractive animal I ever saw. Don't sneak up on them or frighten them, if you do you better plan on burying your clothes and get the tomato juice out to wash in.
Deer and wild turkey were plentiful. We always had turkey for Thanksgiving, and perhaps deer for the New Year. Duck or geese for Christmas.
Snakes- Skunk oil is suppose to scare off rattlesnakes. They hate skunks. Black snakes called runners or racers, will kill rattlesnakes. I watched one do just that. It took the black snake about 3 hours. I was about 16 or 17 which was on my cooking day for the family, others were in the field. I kept hearing some whipping noise outside about 50 feet from the kitchen. I took a walk behind a big pine log. What a sight, when he was finished he was so tired he just lay there for a long time. It was a marvelous sight. I never killed another black snake.
Gopher Or (Tortoise)
When I was young we lived in a small village in Walton County, Florida, near the Alabama line. My Papa had a Mercantile Business there and he sold everything from Tobacco, shoes, cloth, hardware, fertilizer, and many other sundry items. He would buy eggs, butter, berries, fruit and vegetables, in exchange for goods.
One day a man came in a wagon from Pensacola and stopped at Papa's store. He built a pen for gophers. Then he asked boys to collect gophers. When the boys brought the gophers to Papa he paid them, they were so happy to make a few cents that they really got busy and soon had the pen full. The man returned and took a wagon load of gophers and a keg of water back to Pensacola to some hotel. There they made gopher gumbo, a fine dish and expensive dish at the time. The man came back every week for a long time.
Gopher fight
One day about 25 or 30 years ago I heard a noise similar to two ram sheep fighting. I walked out across the yard where the sound came from. To my surprise two gophers were backing up then charging each other locking front feet and shells together. They were making a terrible croaking noise. They fought about four hours after I discovered them. Then they finally stopped and one just turned around and walked away. I guess the one left was the winner.
Gophers Were Caught
Gophers were caught by many means. Some were snared by string traps. Others were run down in the woods. The orange grove owners hated them because they would scratch and peel the bark around the orange trees, then the trees would die.
They were hunted so much that they almost became extinct. The government put them on the protected species list.
My Most Bizarre Fishing Trip
One day I went fishing on what we called mud pond, a rotten pond full of muck. I walked on a tree which had fallen in the pond. I walked a long way out on the tree. I found the perfect perch and settled down to some serious fishing. Then caught about five nice perch when Mr. Alligator politely jumped gracefully in the pond and went over the log between me and the shore. Then another Alligator went over the log going in the opposite direction. I was so scared, I almost died. This was their play ground. When they finally stopped leaping the log, I got my pole and made it back to the bank fast. My brother who is 7 years younger than I am came along. He wanted to know what was wrong and where my fish was. I told him my story and explained that my catch and bait were in the tree top. He went and retrieved my catch. I went home. I could not stand being fenced in by mating alligators. Alligator mating season is spring, March and April. The year this happen was 1916.
Duvet
A duvet is a comforter made of down from geese or duck. Down is on the fowl after the feathers have been picked. The down is so fine, if you clean a chicken there is very little down. Ducks and Geese have plenty of down to make a (bucket) or Duvet. Duvets or down comforters today cost a lot of money about $200.00.
Today they make polyester comforters. Both down and Polyester comforters can be ruined if laundered incorrectly. They become lumpy. Therefore if you want to extend the life of an expensive comforter, it is wise to make a cover, to take off and laundry.
I have a coverlet made by my Grandma Henderson. She picked up wool from dead sheep. During the Civil War there was a bad freeze, A lot of sheep died. Grandma Henderson would gather the wool and then clean all the sticks and twigs out of the wool. Then she washed the wool and make bats or little balls. To make bats she would card the wool. To card she would use two pieces of wood with a handle on them and stiff wire or little nails embedded in them. Then she would place the wool between the wood combs and pull the combs back and forth until the wool was soft and fluffy.
She also used this method when she was going to spin the wool into thread. She would spin the wool and roll it in big balls and tie loosely. Then she would dye it using bark, roots and teas or coffee.
Eliza Rebecka Wilkerson
Henry Wilkerson my Grandpa died in 1916. He was a diabetic, he had high blood pressure, and arthritis as well. He was bad to have nose bleeds. They did not give blood transfusions at that time. There was a man that heard about him bleeding so bad, he came to see him and stopped him from bleeding. So he was on call. He did not have to come every time, he could stop Grandpa bleeding from his home. To build up a persons blood they were fed beef liver and they drank blood. Pensacola was the nearest hospital about 90 miles away.
After Grandpa died, Grandma had two sons at home so she was not alone. They took care of her . When World War 1 came along my Uncle Daniel went to war. So Uncle Tommie was left to take care of Grandma. Papa would take Mama by to see Grandma when he went to DeFuniak Springs every week. They would spend the night with her. Some of the others lived close by so they would pass around and see about her.
She was always well and never spent a day in bed from sickness. My Uncle Daniel came home a few days before Christmas in 1918. The war was over. Grandma, Uncle Tommie, and Uncle Daniel, all had Christmas dinner with My Aunt Milbra, and her family. After Dinner Grandma and Uncle Tommie went home and Uncle Daniel went to a party given in his honor. While he was there he received the call that Grandma had died. My Uncle Daniel ran the three miles home when he heard that his mother was dead.
Then I only had one Grandma and two Great Grandma's left. My Grandma Winnie Henderson lived in Texas to be 107 years old.
People Took Care Of Their Old Relatives
Grandpa Laird died when I was 2 years old. I can remember he had a beautiful white beard. They took me to the funeral. I screamed when they began to throw dirt in the grave, to cover him. It was quite different in those days, they buried their own. They kept the dead in their homes on a board in the front room, if they had a front room. Nickels were put on their eyes to keep them closed.
They made their burial clothes as well as the coffin which was usually black for grownups, and white for children. Some coffins were pretty when they were made right and lined with pretty material, trimmed with lace and pretty pillows. The shroud was usually homemade.
I lined caskets in the 30's. I could pleat the insides, I put pleats in on the sewing machine and then put it in the casket.
My dads Mother had down dropsy a heart disease. She was swollen so bad she had to sit all day long. She could not walk she had to be carried by two men to the table to eat or carried to bed. They built her a special pottie chair, which she had to be carried to. Our family took care of our own old folks. We could not put them in an old folks home. Grandma was loved by her Grandchildren. they helped take care of her. I know that I really loved to care for her. She did not complain or gripe, she was a loving Grandmother. She would stay three months at our house and then she would stay at her two daughters house for three months each. When she left our house we were sad to see her leave. Papa and Mama bought material and we made her clothes. We also made her stockings which she could seldom wear. We made her leg covers which we could wash. When she Died we sure mourned her death. She was such a joy to have around, always telling us kids jokes, and telling about her life as a child, which I cherish now. We not only did for our own, we went into others homes to help with the sick. We took food, helped with the washing, mending or what ever was needed. I remember, in 1918, the Flu epidemic that killed so many people, whole families. I was grown so I helped all I could. I made burial clothes for 5 or 6 people in a week I also lined coffins at night. Papa would buy cypress and cut it in a wad (bundle) for coffins. He would plane the wood until I begged him not to. I showed him how I lined the caskets and with the rough wood made the material stick to it and it looked good. We helped take care of the sick and the dead all the way.
Plantation School
About every 3 to 5 miles there was a school, one room. County furnished the teacher. One of these Schools was located about three miles from Gaskin to the North, at Rabbit Head (Big Swamp). Another about 5 miles South East of Gaskin at Limestone settlement. At a Methodist Church and a 1 room school.
When Navel Stores moved in to Gaskin it was a place with Baptist Church with a Circuit Preacher who came there to preach on 4th Saturday and Sunday and a 1 room school.
When the turpentine still and about 50 cabins were built. The cabins were built for the workers ( blacks) , they worked the turpentine still. The area they worked was a Virgin Forest. The timber was a virgin forest for miles on all sides. Britton Lumber Co. Naval Stores came to build Gaskin into a thriving Big Little Town. We got a Doctor and his family in 1907, a Dr. John David Raborn. We needed a bigger school. Papa was on the School board, so he and some others put in for a bigger school, a three room school house. That is what we got. Papa bought a double desk for Ronie and Myself and some of the other parents bought triple desks for their children. There were not enough desks for all the children so some had to sit on long benches and work on their laps. Next year the County furnished desks for all. We got pupils from Rabbit Head swamp, and they were wild. They were very hard to get settled in a bigger school. In a couple of years we needed another teacher which was no problem as the building was put up there was a long room for auditorium so they put up curtain in the middle and made another room. We were growing up. Part of Limestone pupils came to our school and we had a problem as they tried to adjust to a bigger school.
When Britton lumber co moved near our farm we walked 1 mile to another 1 room school in the summer as they had a school for four months. We migrated to farm every summer. We entered School at Yawkee another lumber village
My First Trip To Freeport Oyster Fishing
In 1916, we had moved to the farm which we called Happy Home. We decided to go to the gulf. We went by 2 horse wagon. We started way before daylight. We had plenty of quilts to keep us warm. We carried a good supply of bacon, corn meal, grits, lard, and some canned goods. We packed a lot of cooking utensils, and supplies for sleeping out.
We rode all day and were half starved when we made camp that evening. We built a big fire and started cooking something to eat. I remember roasting sweet potatoes, frying bacon and cooking hoe cakes (corn bread). After our long trip we slept very well that night. The next morning we got up and Papa went out and brought in some oysters. He roasted them in the coals of our fire and they were sure delicious. I was very anxious to try my hand at oyster hunting. We got a boat , put our brogan shoes on, took our potato fork and away we went. We only took what oysters we wanted to eat that day. They were sure good. We had loads of fun.
We went to a fish house, which was about a half mile from our camp. Papa bought kegs of salt cured mullet and kegs of fish roe. My Papa sure liked fish roe. We would wash the roe and then soak the roe over night in clear water. Then the next day we would fry the roe very slowly. We all soon acquired a liking for this very delicious food.
On the evening before we were to leave the next day, we went oyster fishing. We got loads of fresh oysters, some for our use at home and some for neighbors. After we gathered them we put them in (croker or gunny ) sacks. They were packed real tight and the bags were wired closed. The bags were then packed in water barrels, to keep the oysters wet. The water barrels were wired to the outside of the wagon, so our bedding would stay dry. The next day we started our long trip home. When we got home there was a large group of people waiting for us. They wanted the oysters. We sold them by the bag full, for a dollar. Some had ordered kegs of salt mullet and fish roe. We had also brought in 200 pounds of ice. We had a underground ice box. Our underground ice box was made by digging a big hole. This hole was then lined with tin or brick, sawdust was put all around a cypress box built to fit the hole. The ice was then put in the box to keep our food cold. We could go to Yawkee, Florida near our Happy Home, to meet the train and get more ice. This way we could keep oysters for about a month in our ice box.
We ate the best but it was a task to get the good life at all times.
My Last Oyster Fishing
In 1936, I went on my last oyster fishing trip. It was not as romantic as my first trip. A big group of us gathered together and went to Freeport in a big truck. My brother Gordon, his wife Pearly and their children Henry, Helen and Austin. My sister Obie, her husband Lavoy and their boys L H and Carlton. My brother Wailon, his wife Ivory and I think their daughter Mable. My husband Bascom, our children Yuvarn, age 8, Franklin, age 4, Anna, age 4, Clarice, age 1 1/2 and Myself.
It was a Sunday morning, and we left very early. With the truck we made better time than when we traveled by wagon. We got to Freeport about 9 A.M. The men went out in boats and got all the oysters we could take care of. The children had a lot of fun but they were quite a chore. They were so wild with the whole group turned loose at the beach, we could not rest for one minute. We were so busy taking care of the children that we could not cook. We went to the boat house and bought lunch meat, bread and other things for a picnic. While we were at the boat house we also bought Mullet and Fish Roe.
When we started home we got very cold because we were in an open truck and the wind was really blowing. The men had been drinking and most were trying to sleep. My brother in law, Lavoy, was trying to pull a blanket over him, when his arm came out of its socket. We had to stop and get him on the ground. I sat down beside him and pulled his arm while pushing him with my foot in his arm pit. His arm slid back in place.
People were going by screaming and making fun of us but I got the job done. We got home and were all tired. I went to bed and was fast asleep when my sister, Obie, came to my house about eleven O'clock. It seemed that Lavoy had a problem with his arm out of socket again. Obie kept apologizing for waking me up. I went to their house and got him on the floor and used the same procedure as before and got his arm back in place. Then I went back home and my nice warm bed. About three O'clock in the morning Obie came back to my house crying, it seemed that Lavoy had his arm out of socket again. This time when I got his arm back in place I bound him up with a piece of old sheet. Lavoy could not drink without getting his arm out of it's socket, He relaxed too much. After I bound Lavoy so he could not turn over in bed, I went home. Of course, it was time to get up and start the days work. Thanks to my dear Mother, who came and fixed breakfast and took my children for awhile. I was then able to get some sleep.
That was my last oyster fishing trip, too much trouble for my liking.
Search For An Echo
In my childhood we lived in the Florida panhandle. One day I was sent to bring home the calves. We had open range at that time, so the cows and calves could graze anywhere. They liked the wire grass best.
While I was out looking for the calves, there was a strange voice that said " who are you." I answered back " Who are you". The voice answered me again "who are you". I got so scared. When I got home I told my Papa and he explained it was just an old hoot owl. I was not scared the next time I went to find the calves. I would talk to Mr. Hoot Owl and he would talk to me. Mr. Owl and I became friends. I could walk right up to his old stump of a tree. We would talk to each other and listen for our echo's to come back to us. He seemed to like our game because he never flew away. The echo was better when the air was still and on frosty or foggy mornings. I can remember hearing echoes when the turpentine men were dipping gum from the trees. They put the gum in big barrels, then roll the barrels and hit them like a drum. This is the way they made their day go faster. They made their own music with hitting the barrels as they rolled them. Each barrel had a different amount of gum in them so they sounded different. Many different barrels and many different men hitting them made for some wonderful sounds. You could hear the men singing from the hills and valley's starting about 4 A.M. This made a good start for the day because the dogs started barking and the roosters started crowing. It sounded good to me. When we moved to our Happy Home I found other Hoot owls and other hollows where the echo's were but I still missed Mr. Hoot Owl. I went back later after the timber was cut and houses had been built. No Mr. Hoot Owl and no echo. I couldn't find the echo even on foggy mornings. I went to the farm and found owls but no echo. The only place I have found the echo since then is in tunnels. The last echo I heard was in Los Angeles Air Port tunnel, in 1968, when Bascom and I went to see Anna for Christmas. I had to run ahead to the Airplane so we wouldn't be left behind. I tried to talk in the tunnel but the echo deafened me. The echo was not pleasant when it was created by man made tunnel.
Ferry Boat On The Choctawhatchee
There was a ferry boat on the Choctawhatchee river between Westville and Caryville. The ferry was built with large timbers for the floor on logs with large hemp ropes to keep it in place. The ferry was pulled across the river by pulling on ropes. When you got to the edge of the river if the ferry was on the other side you could pull on the ropes and maneuver the ferry back to your side.
You could drive your horse and buggy, wagon or automobile on the ferry and take them across the river. On my first trip, I was afraid to get out of the buggy. I remember getting brave and walking across the ferry. It was long enough to take two or three teams and wagons, and cars too.
Choctawhatchee had 5 runs as well as River. There is one big bridge for the river and smaller bridges for the runs now. The ferry was on the north side of L. & N. railroad trestle. I walked across the trestle sometimes. We use to go to Marianna with Papa when he had business over there. Once in a while we would go to Marianna in the country to a singing convention. We would stay at a Hotel and eat in a Restaurant next to the hotel.
The Ferry Boat was about two miles north of where Mama and Papa lived in their cabin on a raft.
Log Train Ride
Most every week Papa rode the log train to Lakewood, Florida. Sometimes he would ride it to Florala, Alabama. These trips were for him to visit supply houses to buy supplies for his store. He could bring his freight back on the log train as they brought back empty cars after unloading their logs. They would be full the next time they went to town. The logs were sent to Lakewood, Florida, for the lumber mill there. Britton Lumber Co. Mill made all kinds of lumber. The log train also hauled off spirits of turpentine and rosin from the still in Gaskin, Florida, where we lived.
Papa always rode in the train locomotive, so did I, when he let me go. They made steam with wood burner which was quite different. The train did not have a caboose like today. I loved to ride in the engine car. Sometimes they would have a car like we ship fruit in today which they shipped fertilizer, seed corn, cotton seed and peanuts for the farmers. Sometimes they loaded a car with people to go to 24th of June Masonic celebration. This was a big day for all, they had shows and all kinds of political speeches (in years there was an election). The candidates all kissed the babies and talked to the men. When the women got to vote they talked to the women then. When I became 21, I voted.
I remember one time we went to Darlington on the train, to see Mama's sister. Her husband worked in the woods cutting logs for the lumber co.
The Water Tower
The train stopped for water at Gaskin. There was a labor train that hauled workers back and forth. There was a log train that hauled logs from the forest to the saw mill. There was a train that stopped for water each day.
There was a spring at the top of a small hill. It had a pretty good stream. They put a pipe into the stream and installed a ramp to carry the water to a water tank. The stream had enough pressure to fill the tank. The tank had a float in it to shut the water off. Sometimes the tank overflowed. This is where I saw my first Ice Icicles, They were sure beautiful. I was about 12 years old.
The water had frozen running down the side of the tank. The ice was all the way to the ground. It was so beautiful, I just had to play with it. We did not go to school that day so all the kids showed up to play with the ice. We all got frozen, Mama had to wash my hands with cold water then rub them good to get the circulation back. That was my worst day ever.
Blueberries, Blackberries, Figs And Other Foods
When I was a child, My sister and I went to visit Grandma Henderson. We went Blueberry picking. Grandma helped us can berries, we did some for her and some for us. We helped her a lot by bringing in the wood for the stove.
In 1916, we moved to our farm. There was an old bay there that had plenty of wild Blueberries and wild Grapes. We picked the fruit and canned each year. We canned 100 qts. of Blueberries, 150 qts. of grape juice. We put a few grapes in each jar with small amount of sugar we had a good drink. We also made Jellies and jams. I still like to pick berries.
We had about 25 peach trees. We canned peaches plain, pickled, and made preserves of the over ripe fruit. We had 2 pear trees which we loved to fix the fruit in different ways. We had 3 big fig trees. We preserved all we could and always dried some for winter eating.
We put pumpkins in the corn crib with the corn to keep them from freezing. We used the pumpkins to make pies and puddings.
When the black berries were ripe I would go every day to pick them. I would take an 8 quart bucket along with a smaller bucket to pick in. I would then bring them home for Mama to can. I loved to pick and she loved to can.
One morning when I went to pick blackberries, I didn't notice the storm clouds coming up. I kept on picking until it started to rain. I was about a forth of a mile from the store. I had both buckets full so I headed home. It really started to storm and the hail started to pound my head. I had a hat on and my hands were full of buckets, filled with berries, and water from the rain. The wind was blowing my hat, it sure was a challenge to hold my hat and the buckets at the same time. It hailed so hard I had shiners all over my head. I didn't think to leave the buckets behind. Papa met me and took the buckets away from me. Mama and all the other children were on the store porch waiting for me. I knew what a hail storm was from then on. I didn't have to be told to watch the clouds coming up any more.
We had plenty of pies of all kinds. Mayhaws was another kind of fruit, I picked around old sink holes and ponds. I have always since childhood liked to pick and make jelly and can fruit. We usually put up 1200 to 1500 cans of fruit, vegetables and meat. We dried meat and fruits.
We always had plenty of Sweet Potatoes. We banked them in hills covered them with straw, dirt, pine bark, and tin to keep the hill dry. We have had 6 to 8 one horse wagon loads of potatoes for winter.
We only had to buy coffee, flour and very little white sugar. We made our brown sugar from cane. Sometimes Mama made white sugar by using rum or moonshine to pour over brown sugar to bleach it. She kept the drippings for medicine and to make cough syrup. That was hard work. The only time I remember her doing it was during World War 1. In 1917 we had problems getting sugar and flour. We got some flour that was so bad we could not eat it. We grew our rice and corn so we had our meal and grits. We missed our pies, Mama could make a very good corn meal cake with syrup. We devoured it.
We always had plenty of milk and butter to eat and to sell.
We sold most everything we used ourselves.
About 1912, My sisters, Ronie and Obie, and Myself went to visit some girls. They were very sweet girls, their mother was dead. They lived with their Grandma. Their Pa came home every once in awhile, he worked off.
When lunch time came the oldest girl, Cora had cooked sweet potatoes, corn bread , collards greens and a small amount of bacon and gravy, and pepper grass. The pepper grass was young. I didn't like it. Neither did Ronie, but Obie was young and she ate some. When we got home she was deathly ill all night. So we found out some people didn't have food like we did.
Another place I went to take a message to a man not far from our house. Two little children were sitting on the floor with a pan between them. They were eating cornbread and drinking coffee with a small amount of milk. They were sure glad to have that to eat. I shall never forget that as long as I live.
Strange food eaten by us Possum Sop with sweet potatoes. Roast opossum. Alligator tail steaks, very delicious Wild onions, Poke salad in spring. Good. Pusley leaves, cooked like greens Bamboo sprouts, cooked like asparagus Gopher (tortoise) gumbo, stew with okra Turnip greens with corn dumplings, with pork meat also Leaves of potatoes cooked like greens. (Irish potatoes)
The Buggy Salesman
Buggy salesman and wagon salesman like the medicine wagons came around ever so often. Some of the salesmen had their buggies or wagons fixed up with a cover over them similar to pickup trucks today. They had pots and pans tied to the outside of their wagons or buggies. They traveled all through the country selling their wares. They sold tin or black iron skillets, pots of all sizes. small and big pots to cook in, and bigger pots to boil their clothes in. These were called wash pots. Women really liked to see the buggy salesmen come. They would save their dimes for a new pot or pan.
Then there was the sewing machine agent who came through selling sewing machines, which caused a lot of talk from the men. The women could buy the machine on time. They would save the money for the payment, which he would pick up every three months. I remember hearing the women talk proudly of their machines. They talked about how they sold chicken eggs, butter and dried peas, which was a good seller at the time. He carried cloth also, 10 cents a yard.
Then there was the medicine man who put on shows in the villages and small towns. He was always at the county fairs or any big day in town. When a circus came, the medicine show was always there with his covered wagon . He was always clowning around, said he had the cure all packaged ready for everyone. The packages went like hotcakes.
Share Croppers
Some of the big farms had share croppers. The poor farmers would work a piece of land for the land owner. The land owner would furnish the land, equipment, seed, and stock to work the land. The stock could be mules, horses or oxen. The share cropper worked the land. He tilled the soil, planted the seed, harvested the crop, and hauled the harvest to the land owner. The land owner got half and the share cropper got half. The land owner generally had a store house where he kept supplies. These he traded to the share cropper as credit against the crop to be brought in. The supplies were generally things like coffee, flour, sugar, cloth, and many other things to get by on. Sometimes the share cropper would have some meat, lard, and dry peas. They had a hard time. They didn't know how to manage. They seldom canned or tried to conserve food. Most had no cows to give them milk or butter. When the crop was gathered they usually owed the land owner all they had made on the crop. Sometimes the share cropper moved on to another farm. They generally had nothing but the few needs, stove, table, chairs or benches to sit on. They were sure a sad lot.
Papa tried to help them. He would give them a cow to milk. We had one man stay with us for 7 years. He made money. We bought the mill and left him and his family on the farm. They could not make it without Papa to supervise them. There was plenty of game, fish, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, pears, and grapes, but they didn't can and dry food like we did when we were there. When we canned or dried food, they did, but without us, they didn't do it.
Doctors That Delivered Us
Rubie Henderson Born October 28, 1900
Delivered by
Dr. John F. King
Cost of delivery $2.00
Ronie Henderson Born January 24, 1902
Delivered by
Dr. John F. King
Cost of delivery $2.00
Obie Henderson Born July 9, 1904 Delivered by Dr. John F. King Cost of Delivery $4.00
Henry Jackson Henderson Jr. Born July 27, 1907 Delivered by Dr. Rayborn Cost of Delivery $10.00
Gordon A Henderson Born May 29, 1909 Delivered by Dr. Adams Cost of delivery $10.00
Wailon Albert Henderson Born June 15, 1911 Delivered by Dr. Haggard Cost of delivery $12.00
Fascinating Memories
Before my time, Dr. John F. King was a minister for the Primitive Baptist Church. Aunt Mary Laird, Grandma Hendersons sister married John King who went to Medical College in Louisiana to become a doctor. He became one of the first to treat patients for cancer. He dreamed the treatment and the dream told him to never make a profit from the treatment. Later in life, he tried to give the treatment to two doctors, but they never succeeded with the treatment. Other doctors tried to buy the formula but he never sold it. He had a son who was a druggist. He could use it to cure, but had to have a doctor to sign all treatments. Both Dr. John King and his son were religious men. Now the critics condemn him for not giving the treatment away. He tried.
The Hendersons - 1902 to 1904. We lived at the King place. Grandpa Henderson taught school. Grandma with helpers, farmed. She produced all our food stuff, milked the cows, fed the hogs, chickens, guineas, ducks and goats. What a remarkable woman. We ate in a log cabin, back of a big white two story colonial style home. The kitchen had a big fire place with hooks on one side, for hanging pots on for cooking. An oven was on the other side of the fireplace. In winter Grandma cooked potatoes, bread, pies, and cakes in the built in oven. Peas, beans, collards and other delectable foods were cooked in the pots that hung on the hooks. What a life, I loved every minute of it. We lived in this house for 2 years with Grandpa and Grandma Henderson with their two sons, Daniel and Andy. They picked on me. I 1 oved that, too. We moved away to Gaskin but I always loved to visit this old kitchen.
My papa had a 6 team of oxen which he used to haul timber to the mill to make into lumber. He worked with my Uncles, Daniel and Andy. They cut lumber, ground corn into meal and grits. Cleaned rice with a rubber gadget. A lot of rice was grown in this area, brown, red and white. They ginned cotton and pressed it into bales. Made mattresses from the cotton for their beds.
Grandpa, John Wesley Henderson, was a mill wright. So was my Papa, and my son Franklin D Holley. Grandpa was called a Jack of all trades. He was good at many things. Papa was mill wright and a business man. My son is Jack of all trades, Truck driver, master welder, carpenter, and electrician.
Gaskin was a Naval stores town. There was a Turpentine still there. It was also the home for a lot of blacks who worked the beautiful yellow virgin forest. The forest stretched for miles around. This is the land that the U.S. Government sold for 25 cents an acre to Jackson Lumber Co and Britton Lumber Co.
The turpentine still was a very special place for me. I loved to go to the cooper shop and watch the men make barrels for rosin. The spirits of turpentine was taken out of pine gum from yellow long leaf pine, which left rosin. The pine stumps were taken out later and hauled to the plant where the pine tar was taken out. Pine tar is still used in Black Jack for roofs and to tar the roads. Back in the olden days tar was mixed with meal, lard and other things to make a poultice, to put on back or chest. It was kept as hot as we could stand it.
My brother, Gordon, was burned when he was about 4 years old. He was burned from the waist down. I can remember we had white silk cloth in the store. Mama made a paste of cane syrup and baking soda, mixed with white flour. She covered the burns with the paste and then covered it with the silk cloth. The cloth was washed daily. He recovered with very little scars.
In 1904, we moved from Luanna to Gaskin. I was 4 years old. I remember the store Papa and Mama had. My sister Obie was very small, she started walking at this time. Mama made her a beautiful eyelet dress and she was so cute. The next 5 or 6 years were hard on Mama, she was in bed a lot. She had Malaria, and toxemia.
Some of the talk I heard when I was young came from an Aunt by marriage. She was half Indian. She told how Indian Squaws taught their babies to swim. One Squaw would be on one side of a stream and another Squaw on the other side of the stream. They tossed their papooses across from one to the other until the papooses learned to swim.
On July 27,1907, my oldest brother was born. I was so happy to have a brother. H.J. Henderson married Alma Hart One child a daughter Jree
My second brother Gordon A. Henderson married Pearlie Mae Alberson Had 4 boys and one girl order of birth, Henry, Helen, Austin, Charles and Jerome
My third brother Wailon Albert Henderson married Ivory Boles had 3 girls Mable, Sheena and Donnie, had 6 boys Albert, Robert, Hamilton, John, Steve and Ronnie
My First Glasses
Papa took me to get my new glasses. We went to De Funiak Springs by wagon with two horses. We had quilts in the body of the wagon to rest on when we needed to rest. When we got to De Funiak Springs we took our horses and wagon to the livery stable for our horses to be taken care of. We spent the night at Uncle John King and Aunt Mary's home. Uncle John King was Dr John King. The next morning we went to the train station and got our tickets to Pensacola, Florida. When the train came and we got on I couldn't believe my eyes, It was a fabulous setting. The seats were covered with red velvet, which really impressed me. My Papa let me sit by the window. I was fascinated by the countryside we passed through, the little towns and the waterways. I was afraid when we crossed over a trestle. I thought the trestle would fall in the water. Then we started through Pensacola, I couldn't believe that city was that large. Then we got off the train and low and behold the streets were paved with bricks, beautiful bricks of different colors. I couldn't believe my eyes.
Papa took me to see the best eye Dr. in the area. I was examined, then Papa and the Dr. talked together, then the Dr. talked to me. He told me I had astigmatism. He showed me how my vision was changed by the glasses. I still have astigmatism.
Papa talked to me and it helped me over my fears of crossing over the water on the trestles. I really enjoyed my trip back to De Funiak Springs. On the trip back on the train Papa told me I had to wear my glasses all the time. They were little old time gold rimmed frames. Like Grandpa Jones on Hee Haw. They were heavy on my nose but I had to wear them anyway.
When we arrived at De Funiak Springs, we went back to Uncle Johns House to spend the night. Papa went back to town to visit with his c