Clifton and Cora Haney Davis

Clifton Lanier Davis, pictured above, was the oldest son of Joab Washington Davis. Census records indicate that he was a blacksmith and a preacher, and in his father's 1946 obituary he was living in Pocahontas, Arkansas. Clifton was married to Cora Isabell Haney, and after Clifton's death in 1951 Cora remarried to another Davis fellow, Sheriff Morgan Davis. Morgan was the son of Samuel McGee Davis. Samuel and Joab were half-brothers, sons of Jesse B. Davis, a Georgia native who moved his family from St. Clair County, Alabama to Itawamba County, Mississippi around 1870. Joyce Blue, granddaughter of Clifton and Cora, shared these photos with me. Joyce lives in New Hampshire and is interested in any information about the Joab Davis family. There is some indication that Joab was married to Amanda "Mandy" Cantrell but have found no support for that conclusion. She may have been a Tharp, based on early census records, but that is inconclusive too. Thanks, Joyce, for sharing the photos with us.

Rachel McNiece Dulaney

This is a familiar picture that accompanies most Dulaney family histories. It has appeared alongside the Dulaney family history in the Itawamba County Times as well as the historical society's publication Itawamba Families. Rachel McNiece was married to Alfred Dulaney, one of the original three Dulaney brothers who arrived in Itawamba County in the early 1830s. She was born in 1812 in South Carolina, the daughter of Henry and Polly McNiece. [This surname can be found spelled also as McNeece, McNeese, and even Macknese. ]

Rachel and Alfred had ten children, all but one who lived and died in Itawamba County. Their son Thomas moved to Arkansas, and his descendants are scattered throughout Arkansas and Texas.

I think the reason that we so often see Rachel McNiece's photograph alongside Dulaney family histories, aside from the fact that she married a Dulaney, is that this is one of the oldest, if not THE oldest, photograph from that generation of Dulaneys. Yesterday, I had the occasion to the see the original 8 x 10 inch tintype photograph of Rachel and meet its owner: Charlie Dulaney, son of Vecil Dulaney and great-great-grandson of Alfred Dulaney and Rachel McNiece. Cousin Charlie was gracious enough to meet with Don and me yesterday at his lovely home in Batesville during a busy Saturday afternoon. In addition to Rachel's photograph, he shared original Civil War-era letters from the Dulaney and McNeiece families - true treasures to be sure. Just to hold and read letters from that era was amazing. Vecil Dulaney, Charlie's father, was an early family historian and his collection has been a wonderful resource for johnny-come-lately genealogists such as myself.

The scanned version of Rachel's photograph, above, certainly looks fresher than the other copies I've had or seen, and I'm grateful for Charlie Dulaney's spirit of sharing.

That's some fish

It's time for a fish photo. Several in my family have been fishing lately, although none have a caught a fish nearly this big! Elby William Davis, center, is holding what appears to be a prize catfish in this circa 1950s photograph. Elby was the son of James Kelly Davis and Queenie Victoria Clayton, and brother to my grandmother Beck.

Bridge over the River Tombigbee

Fulton News Beacon
February 16, 1933

The "new road" appears to be what is now known as Highway 278, although today Highway 278 veers up toward Tupelo and bypasses Okolona. It also travels west out of Oxford toward the Mississippi Delta instead of north to Holly Springs.

Luke, Pearl and James

The occasion could have been Daddy's (James) graduation from Fulton Grammar School. Or it could have been made before church one Sunday. In any event, it appears that the Robinson family was dressed up for something. I don't recognize the background or the building. Note that Luke has his right hand behind his back? Probably holding the ever-present, but not usually lit, cigar. What a flashy tie he has on!

John Gainey Sloan homeplace

John Gainey and Dora Sloan lived in this house with their family of eight children. The house, built in 1935, was located along the Carolina-Van Buren Road in the Peaceful Valley community. Within hollering distance were the homes of some of Gainey's siblings: Luther, Dee (my great-grandmother), Zadie, and Cliff. Gainey's house burned in 1952, a couple of years after he died. Today, there remains a couple of Sloan descendants within hollering distance of the old homeplace: Zadie Sloan Blake's grandson, Bobby Joe Blake, and Ethel Dee Pennington's granddaughter, Brenda Pennington Gilmore.

If you click on the photo, you can see a woman standing in the bottom left-hand corner, probably Aunt Dora, and there are a couple of children sitting on the front steps.

Gainey's granddaughter, Acel, shared the photo with me. I found the following newspaper item which indicated a fine Sunday dinner at the John Gainey Sloan home in 1946.

Itawamba County Times
March 21, 1946
New Bethel News

Sunday dinner guests in the J. G. Sloan home were: Mr. and Mrs. Woodford Grace and son, Tomasette of Memphis, Mr. and Mrs. Coy Bean and sons, Joel and Charles and Mrs. Nancy Bean of Cardsville. Others visiting were: Miss Clara Nell Pennington, Mr. and Mrs. Luther Sloan, daughters, Ruth and Maecile, Mr. and Mrs. William Newton and children, Mrs. Boyd Allen and son of Aberdeen, Mrs. Elva Burdine, Miss Audie Neal, Mr. J. E. Newton, Mrs. Lawrence Cox, Miss Jessie Ellen Sloan, Mrs. Shellie Lindsey, Mrs. Ogal Sloan and Mr. Aqulis Sloan.

Wedded Couple

Henry Mills and Glader Johnson were married November 5, 1933. The above picture of the couple was photographed in December, just one month later. That is a mighty fine suit that Henry is wearing, probably his wedding attire. And doesn't Glader look beautiful? Click on the photo for a closer look.

W D Suggs Jug

Rebekah and I came across this W. D. Suggs jug, labeled as a "Mississippi whiskey jug" although I don't know if that is exactly right. Although the jug could have been used to store whiskey, I'm sure there were other more likely liquids. Water? Milk? Sweet tea!

It is unusual to see such a jug with an intact handle. First, there weren't that many of these jugs made, relative to the production of more popular churns which is what is primarily found in antique shops and private collections. And, the looped handle is intact which is very nice to find. The price for this jug? $375 Mr. Suggs would be astonished, I'm sure.

Singing Thorntons

Thornton siblings - Nora, Ira and Thomas - were caught on camera singing at church, probably Sandy Springs Baptist Church, and the picture was shared with me by Glenda Johnson, Nora Thornton Johnson's granddaughter. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a video tape, or even an audio tape, of this trio's performance? The Thorntons were a musical family, and Nora was said to have had a beautiful alto voice. Nora's children were also musically talented. Click here for a previous post about their musical talents.

Luke and Mona

That's me as a baby, or toddler I should say, in the lap of my grandfather, Luke Lee Robinson. We are sitting on the front porch of the Robinson house on East Main Street in Fulton (formerly Highway 78). Not sure what Granddad was holding in his other hand, but it was usually the stub of a cigar.

Easter 2010

A few scenes from the Easter gathering at Peaceful Valley yesterday. Next year we hope to have some little ones toddling around, something that we haven't had in quite a while. Penningtons have been gathering to hunt eggs for centuries (!) in Peaceful Valley, but this year we had the pleasure of the visit of the Easter Bunny.

Happy Easter, Y'all!

Beck Pennington, a few Easters ago,
with one of her special cakes

Grandchildren

Grandchildren of Napoleon "Poley" Johnson and Mary Elizabeth Lester

From left to right: Mary, Mauvilla, Mauvillene and Cora Williams (daughters of Mittie Anne Johnson and Randolph Williams) with Lawrence Tucker (son of Ollie L. Johnson and Thomas Arlandgo Tucker). Seated in front is Olun Dulaney, son of Arvilla Johnson and Porter Gainsville Dulaney.

Terry Wilemon shared the photograph and Mary Williams Dulaney identified those in the picture (including herself!).

Abbie Dulaney

Don Dulaney met a new cousin this past week, and she shared a photograph of her father with him. Marjorie Adams is a descendant of John Dulaney, one of the original three Dulaney brothers who came to Itawamba County in the early 1830s, and she still lives in Baldwyn where Don tracked her down. Marjorie's father was Alfred Guy Adams, nicknamed Abbie, and he was known for his fish ponds as evidenced by the above picture.

Abbie Adams was the grandson of old John Dulaney, born in 1803 in South Carolina and died in 1889 near Baldwyn. Abbie's mother was Flora (sometimes found as Florida or Florinda) Dulaney and his father was John W. Adams.

There were only four children born to John Dulaney's second wife, Martha Patton. One son died young, and the other son had no children. Both of the sons are buried at the Masonic Cemetery at Baldwyn. Of John's two daughters, Mattie moved off to Texas with her family, but his daughter Flora stayed in Baldwyn where many of her descendants can be found today. The descendants of John Dulaney and his first wife, Margaret Martin, are scattered about Itawamba County and beyond.