REMEMBER
WHEN NOSTALGIA
You cut a live Christmas tree off of the farm and the cedar smell in the house
All of the aunts, uncles and cousins were at grandma's house for Christmas dinner. Table setting were men went first, women folks followed and the children last. The cornbread dressing with giblet gravy was the highlight of the meal The afternoons were followed by a good old game of touch football.
When all of the family gathered at grandma's house and cut her firewood for winter.
The old fashion hog-killings usually around Thanksgiving. Fresh pork was abundant.
Going down to the creek to swim or fish.
When mother would go to the chicken pen and select a good fryer and take him out and wring his neck, dress and clean him for the frying pan. (Boy, that chicken was a bug and worm fed chicken without any hormones.)
Petersburg had an annual "Colt Show".
Petersburg had the "Sock Box".
Petersburg had Marsh's Department and Furniture Store.
When the boys had a white sports coat, black slacks, shirt of color and white shoes. (In those days people took pride in their dress appearance.)
When the boys had a "flat-top" haircut.
When you could have a sports idol that was not crooked.
When television was first introduced and maybe one family in the community had a set and if there was something special in programming occurring all would gather at that neighbors.
When the girls had a seam in the back of their hose
When the girls wore the hoop pettie coats.
When each family farm had a milk stand at the head of the entrance to the farm.
When the water source was a country well and if it was within the four county area most likely Jack Sorrells or_________Womble dug it.
When the half-moon outhouse was the convenience.
When there was a gospel meeting in the community with two services daily for ten days, after the crops were "laid by". Mother always housed the guest preacher.
When the old church buildings did not have air conditioning. The windows were pushed up in the summer for the bugs to fly in. There was an old stoker pot stove in the auditorium for heat and the cold souls would add the coal or wood and burn you up in the winter. Usually after this the wasp would come out of the wood work and pester everyone.
When we had the small community schools, usually 1st &2nd grades together, 3rd & 4th grades together, 5th & 6th grades together, 7th & 8th grades together or a one room school with all 8 grades together.
Remember playing cowboys and Indians at recess and yes you usually had a cap pistol
Remember when the little girls made the boys play house with them. Usually this was lined rock area. I always dreaded that, but come to think of it that was not bad after-all.
There was not a rating system on the movies and all were fairly respectful to carry a family to and watch.
When the boys always had their cars with fender skirts, side view mirrors, white wall tires and a great polish job.
Remember the 57 Chevy and the 57 Ford.
Remember the straight transmission with the 3 speed shifter on the column.
The days prior to interstate highways and you went through all of the small towns on the scenic route.
Remember the Old Cake-Walks.
Fresh tomatoes out of the garden, good country fried corn, good hot cornbread.
When as a young teenager some of the rougher boys spoke of smoking some of that "old weed" and innocent boys like me had no clue as to what they were talking about.
When the Korean War was going on and if you had family on the Battlefield in Korea that most of them sent home a jacket with a map of Korea on it. These jackets were pretty colorful.
When the speed limit in Tennessee was a blanket 65MPH on all country roads.
If you were a boy and big enough to reach the foot petals on an old hay hauling truck, you were drafted to steer it through the bales of hay after the hand throttle was set for the haulers to load.
-Bobby Prosser
Bobby those were great memories. I was some what of a city girl, in KY & Michigan, so my memories are a little different
You cut a live Christmas tree off of the farm and the cedar smell in the house
WE ALWAYS GOT OURS FROM THE LOCAL GROCERY STORE. THE TREES WERE GROWN IN CANADA CUT IN AUG. BUT STILL SMELLED OF CEDAR. NOW I HAVE A CEDAR CANDLE FOR MY TREE IS MADE OF PLASTIC.
All of the aunts, uncles and cousins were at grandma's house for Christmas dinner. Table setting were men went first, women folks followed and the children last. The cornbread dressing with giblet gravy was the highlight of the meal The afternoons were followed by a good old game of touch football.
MY FATHER WOULD ALWAYS TELL US THAT IN HIS DAY THE MEN ATE FIRST AND THEN THE WOMEN WITH THE CHILDREN LAST. MY MOTHER THE "WOMEN'S LIBERATOR OF 1925" WOULD GIVE HIM THE EVIL EYE.
When all of the family gathered at grandma's house and cut her firewood for winter.
MY GRANNY USED COAL
The old fashion hog-killings usually around Thanksgiving. Fresh pork was abundant.
CANNOT TOP THAT. WE MAY HAVE LIVED IN THE CITY BUT WE WERE POOR. WE ATE A LOT OF SIDE PORK WITH BEAN, GREENS AND FRIED. I THINK THE ITALIANS CALL THAT PANCETTA. WHO KNEW WE WERE SO CONTINENTAL.
Going down to the creek to swim or fish.
MY GIRL FRIENDS AND I WALKED DOWN TO THE CORNER TO THE CEMENT POND AND FLIRTED WITH THE LIFE GUARD
When mother would go to the chicken pen and select a good fryer and take him out and wring his neck, dress and clean him for the frying pan. (Boy, that chicken was a bug and worm fed chicken without any hormones.)
BEFORE WE MOVED TO MICHIGAN, DURING THE 2ND WORLD WAR, EVEN THOUGH WE LIVED IN THE CITY YOU COULD HAVE CHICKENS. MY MOTHER HAD THAT JOB TOO. THEN SHE WOULD DUMP THEM IN A BLACK IRON POT AT THE BACK OF OUR YARD, FILLED WITH HOT WATER, TO REMOVED THE FEATHERS. I WITNESSED, AT THE AGE OF 3, MANY CHICKENS FLOPPING AROUND ON THE GROUND WITH NO HEADS. NOW DAYS WE WOULD HAVE TO CALL IN GRIEF COUNSELORS FOR ME. THE CHICKENS WERE FRIED IN LARD. YES, THEY WERE GOOD TASTING.
Petersburg had an annual "Colt Show".
IN THE BURPS OF DETROIT WE HAD CAR SHOWS.
Petersburg had the "Sock Box". The Sock Box was a store on what I believe was the east side of the little square. It dealt mostly in foot wear. I bet your mother and grandmother would remember it. I bet they would have some good Petersburg and "Ridge" stories they could pass along.
I KNOW WHAT A SOCK HOP IS AND THE LOCAL CHURCH HAD A SOCK BOX TO COLLECT NEW SOCKS TO GIVE TO THE BUMS ON SKID ROW.
Petersburg had Marsh's Department and Furniture Store.
DETROIT HAD HUDSON'S AND SAMS. HUDSON'S IS NOW PART OF DAYTON HUDSON WHICH NOW IS MACY'S. SAMS WAY BACK THEN WAS A DISCOUNT DEPARTMENT STORE BUT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH SAM'S OF SAM WALTON, WAL-MART, TODAY.
When the boys had a white sports coat, black slacks, shirt of color and white shoes. (In those days people took pride in their dress appearance.)
SEEMS ALL YOU BOYS DRESSED ALIKE, NORTH OR SOUTH. THE YOUNG LADIES WORE WHITE GLOVES AND HATS.
When the boys had a "flat-top" haircut.
WHAT ABOUT A DUCK TAIL?
When you could have a sports idol that was not crooked.
WELL, I JUST DON'T THINK WE HEARD ABOUT IT THEN.
When television was first introduced and maybe one family in the community had a set and if there was something special in programming occurring all would gather at that neighbors.
TUESDAY NIGHT WITH UNCLE MILTIE, AT MY HUSBANDS FOLKS HOUSE. THE ONLY ONES THAT HAD A 10 INCH TV OR A TV FOR THAT MATTER. MY HUSBAND, FRANK, AND I GREW UP TOGETHER.
When the girls had a seam in the back of their hose
OH BOY, REMEMBER THE ONES WITH THE LITTLE JEWELS ON EACH SIDE OF THE SEAM AT THE BACK OF THE HEEL?
When the girls wore the hoop pettie coats.
HOW ABOUT THE ONES WITH 40 YARDS OF RUFFLES?
When each family farm had a milk stand at the head of the entrance to the farm.
OUR MILK MAN LEFT THE CHEESE, MILK, CREAM ON THE STOOP. IF WE WERE NOT HOME HE WOULD COME IN AND PUT IT IN THE FRIG. SAME WITH ICE CREAM. SAME WITH THE EGG WOMEN. BACK IN THE 50'S EGGS CAME IN 3 SIZES SMALL, MID., AND LARGE. NOW THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SMALL & MID. THEY ARE LARGE, EXTRA LARGE AND JUMBO. THEY ARE STILL THE SAME SIZE AS BACK THEN JUST NAMED DIFFERENT.
When the water source was a country well and if it was within the four county area most likely Jack Sorrells or_________Womble dug it.
WE HAD A WELL, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS CITY WATER AT THE STREET. IT WAS IN THE 1940'S BEFORE WE HAD INDOOR WATER, THEN ONLY COLD.
When the half-moon outhouse was the convenience.
HAD ONE OF THOSE TOO. CIVILIZATION CAME SLOW TO THE BURGS OF PADUCAH, KY
When there was a gospel meeting in the community with two services daily for ten days, after the crops were "laid by". Mother always housed the guest preacher.
WE HAD NO PREACHER AT OUR CHURCH, JUST READERS. REMEMBER I SAID MY MOTHER WAS A WOMAN'S LIB AND SHE WAS BORN IN 1903. WE BELONGED TO ONE OF THOSE, AT THAT TIME, NEW AGE RELIGIONS.
When the old church buildings did not have air conditioning. The windows were pushed up in the summer for the bugs to fly in. There was an old stoker pot stove in the auditorium for heat and the cold souls would add the coal or wood and burn you up in the winter. Usually after this the wasp would come out of the wood work and pester everyone.
OUR CHURCH, IN KY, HAD FANS AT EACH SEAT.
When we had the small community schools, usually 1st &2nd grades together, 3rd & 4th grades together, 5th & 6th grades together, 7th & 8th grades together or a one room school with all 8 grades together.
WE HAD GRADES TOGETHER ALSO. IT WAS BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE MOVED FROM THE SOUTH TO MICHIGAN TO WORK AT WILLOW RUN TO MAKE AIRPLANES FOR THE WAR THAT THE SCHOOLS WERE OVER CROWDED.
Remember playing cowboys and Indians at recess and yes you usually had a cap pistol
MY FATHER WOULD NOT ALLOW TOY GUNS. HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT KIDS SHOULD PLAY AT KILLING. HE HAD GIRLS, MAYBE IT WAS A BOYS THING.
Remember when the little girls made the boys play house with them. Usually this was lined rock area. I always dreaded that, but come to think of it that was not bad after-all.
There was not a rating system on the movies and all were fairly respectful to carry a family to and watch.
I SPENT MOST WEEK ENDS AT THE MOVIES. ON SAT MORNING THERE WOULD BE A WHOLE HOUR OF CARTOONS. WHEN THE MOVIE "JOHNNIE BELINDA" CAME OUT, LATE 40'S OR EARLY 50'S, ONLY THOSE OVER 16 COULD GET IN TO SEE IT. MY MOTHER TOLD ME IF I WAS NOT LET IN TO COME BACK AND GET HER. WOMEN'S LIB REMEMBER. "jOHNNIE BELINDA" WAS ABOUT A BLIND GIRL THAT WAS WITH CHILD FROM A RAPE.
When the boys always had their cars with fender skirts, side view mirrors, white wall tires and a great polish job.
NOW YOU ARE TALKING DETROIT!
Remember the 57 Chevy and the 57 Ford.
BOBBY ARE YOU THAT OLD???????? OH! YOU MUST BE TALKING CLASSIC'S. :-)
Remember the straight transmission with the 3 speed shifter on the column.
LEARNED TO DRIVE IN A CAR LIKE THAT.
The days prior to interstate highways and you went through all of the small towns on the scenic route.
NOW THAT I AM OLDER AND LIVE IN CALIFORNIA, I ALWAYS TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE EVEN TO AND FROM THE GROCERY STORE. THE DRIVERS OUT HERE ARE SOMETHING ELSE.
Remember the Old Cake-Walks.
WASN'T THAT A DANCE OF THE EARLY 1900'S?
Fresh tomatoes out of the garden, good country fried corn, good hot cornbread.
DOES ANYONE HAVE A GOOD RECIPE FOR FRIED CORN AND CORNBREAD THAT DOES NOT HAVE ANY SUGAR IN IT BAKED IN AN IRON SKILLET?
When as a young teenager some of the rougher boys spoke of smoking some of that "old weed" and innocent boys like me had no clue as to what they were talking about.
COME AGAIN!!!!!!! WHAT DID YOU SAY???????????
When the Korean War was going on and if you had family on the Battlefield in Korea that most of them sent home a jacket with a map of Korea on it. These jackets were pretty colorful.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE "UNITED NATIONS POLICE ACTION"?
When the speed limit in Tennessee was a blanket 65MPH on all country roads.
THAT IS THE SPEED ON SUBDIVISION STREETS IN CALIFORNIA.
If you were a boy and big enough to reach the foot petals on an old hay hauling truck, you were drafted to steer it through the bales of hay after the hand throttle was set for the haulers to load.
I HAVE SET HERE FOR AN HOUR TRYING TO THINK OF SOMETHING IN MY LIFE TO COMPARE. I CANNOT, YOU WIN!!!!!
-JULIA MOLITZ
Painting sweetgum balls silver and gold and stringing popcorn for decorations on the cedar Christmas tree.
Heating a stone or brick by the fireplace to take to bed on cold winter nights.
Sleeping on feather beds in the winter time.
Didn't know what weed was back then but we tried smoking rabbit tobacco, corn silks and cross vine and made our own corn cob pipes.
Playing "Rook" during the winter time and playing "Spin the Bottle" at parties.
Helping Mama make lye hominy in the old wash pot using hickory king corn.
-Jack Towry
Yes, I remember the ducktail. I always wanted a flat top, but I never was afforded the opportunity to have one. In our family there was an uncle that always cut the hair of the "younguns" <grin>, and guess what, he could not cut a flat top. Someone mentioned bryl creme. I remember the vitalis. I wonder what happened to all those hair oil and tonic companies.
As a country boy do you remember the old farmers setting around an old stove on a winter day talking crops and cows?
Do you remember getting a cola drink and pouring peanuts into the drink?
Do you remember making a concoction of mixed peanut butter and banana into a sandwich?
Do you remember a pineapple sandwich?
As a country boy have you ever raised a pet orphaned lamb on a bottle and when it came time to send the lambs to market you had an attachment to the pet lamb, although in most cases he was as mean as a snake?
Betty Flo, The Petersburg Colt show also had an accompanying 4-H Club dairy show, with the Jersey Cattle as the dairy breed of popularity at that time. Bedford, Lincoln Marshall and maybe a distant county or two always had competitors. That is where I competed.
I remember in my early days of living in Bedford County and the early years of the Walking Horse Celebration. Shelbyville was always lively at that time of the year.
Do you remember when the flour sacks were salvaged and used to make shirts and other garments?
We were in discussion about vehicles, do you remember that old Jeep station wagon that they built in the late 40's early 50's? I believe that was the ugliest thing that was ever on the road. It seems like they ran when they felt like it. The garages always had one in for repair.
Do you remember when the politicians came to the courtyard at the courthouse and made their big promises if elected? Of course there was always a few around the audience that had partaken of some type substance and this added to the flavor.
-Bobby Prosser
Along with all these memories of cornbread, hog-killing, petticoats, and colt shows, I'd like to share some nostalgic information about the cost of veterinary care-as well as a veterinarian's income in olden times. My dad, Ross Whitaker, a veterinarian, practiced in Lincoln County from 1919, after his discharge from the cavalry at the end of World War I, until his death in
July 1944.
My mother kept most of his daybooks and ledgers with entries from 1936-1944. For us today, when taking a cat to the vet may cost $99-or more-the prices he charged in those days, even when the Depression was beginning to lessen, sound unbelievable.
Until 1938, my dad practiced from a rolltop desk in the Yearwood mule barn on West Market Street in Fayetteville. In about 1938, he and a WWI colleague, Dr. Horace Anderson, built a small hospital, now torn down, beside the mule barn on Firehall Hill. Dr. Anderson, in the Army reserves, was called to active service in about 1940 or 1941.
After that, my dad practiced alone, answering calls throughout Lincoln County-and beyond. He had been on calls on opposite sides of Lincoln County the night he died from a heart attack at age 54. Dr. Cecil Byrd bought the practice in the summer of 1944.
Several years ago, I gave my dad's daybooks and other ledgers to the Tennessee State Archives in Nashville, keeping copies of a few pages. Here is a sampling of the handwritten entries, with my notes in [ ], from those
pages:
9-29-1936 Roy Himebaugh, med. for cow, $1.00
12-4-1936 Moore Holman, trip to mare, $4.50
2-9-1937 Mrs. Clyde Rawls, cutting mare's tail, $12.50
4-12-1937 C.N. Bates, two trips to hog, $3.50
7-25-1937 Rob Askins, trip to horse, colic, $5.00 [These charges were paid "in kind": 3-25-39, gasoline by Mack, $2.00; 8-7-40, grease and oil by Mack, $2.50; cash, $.50]
4 & 5-1938 Will Washburn, 2 visits to mule, cow, $ 8.50 [Paid "in kind": 5-38, $2.00 credit by load wood; 12-39, credit by $2.00 cash; 10-26-40, $1.00 credit by apples; 11-4-40, $0.50 credit by apples; 2-13-42; $1.50 credit by cash]
1-1-1940 Frank Rambo, 2 dogs 25cc each, distemper serum , $2.50
1-1-1940 Thornton Taylor, visit cow ,$5.00
1-1-1940 Wm. Lee Yearwood, visit cow, mastitis & med, $ 4.00
1-2-1940 Lawson Myers, 2nd dose [illegible] to pig Whitey [no charge entered]
2-2-1940 Marion Wright, visit cow, $6.00
1-2-1940 Henry Terry, visit cow, indigestion , $3.50
8-1-1942 Tom & Rob Sumners, cow P.P. [post-partum] ,$7.50
8-1-1942 Mrs. Whitsett, Del [Delina?] operator, med , [illegible]
8-2-1942 H.B. Warren, 1st dose rabies vaccine to 15 cattle, 2 horses $5.00 [Three additional rabies doses were given to "17 head," the last on 8-5-1942, as well as "T.A. (tetanus antitoxin), and med, $2.50" to bay mare.]
8-3-1942 Robt. Tate, cow, ret. pla. [retained placenta], $5.00
8-4-1942 Mrs. Lula Stone, visit mule, $10.00
-Carolyn Whitaker Crowley
Cornbread
l 1/2 Cup yellow corn meal 3 Tblsp flour
2 Cups buttermilk 1 tsp salt
1 Egg 1 tsp soda
2 Tblsp bacon drippings
Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Add buttermilk and egg until combined (stir in by hand-no mixers).
Put your bacon drippings in your iron skillet and get it very hot and add your batter. Bake at 450 - 20 to 30 minutes. (I usually bake 25 minutes.) This will give you a nice crusty top and bottom.
Fried Corn
I take the fresh uncooked corn on the cob and take my knife and go down the ear, cutting off the corn into a bowl. Then I take the back of my knife and scrape the ear to get the "milk" from it. I repeat this for as many ears as I want. I put bacon drippings in my iron skillet and heat it until it's warm and put the corn and juice from the ears in the skillet. Salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 20 minutes. Stir often so not to let it stick.
Halloween - when we soaped windows, threw corn on porches, actually dressed up (no such thing as treat or trick) and went all over the neighborhood and once, turned over the outhouse.
Speaking of outhouse. I was raised in Southern Illinois and got pretty cold sometimes. Our outhouse was a bit away out and when one of my sister's or I had to go at night, we all 3 went because we were afraid.
Remember when it was a family affair on Memorial Day to go to the cemeteries and decorate the graves of our family, and always had a picnic lunch.
Lunch on the ground at the old country church and service lasted all day and into the evening.
Having no refrigerator or ice box, running milk, butter, cheese, and etc. down into the cistern to keep it cool.
Smoking ham, turkey and chicken in your own smokehouse.
Butchering the hog and making use of ever part of it--even rendering lard. (Don't miss that.)
Being able to listen to the radio only 30 minutes at a time because it was battery operated; no electricity.
Carrying candles to the attic bedroom, where it was dark and cold.
Playing games like hide-n-seek, kick the can, red-rover come over and telling ghost stories on the side of the road and getting scared and afraid to walk to the house.
-Betty Young
One wonders - how did they re-charge the battery?
I remember our battery-powered big console radio, too. (But we had electricity - I guess the radio was just an older one, too valuable to get rid of and no money to replace it anyway.)
My memory of ours is for a very different reason, however: Ours was powered by a big six-volt car battery. When I was about three years old, (1932) a man came to repair the radio and set the battery out onto the living room floor. Curious to a fault, I managed to tip that battery over, spilling acid on me, my overalls and the rug. I remember the mad dash to the kitchen in my mother's arms for a fast plastering with soda, a bath and change of clothes. By that time, of course, the rug had a big hole all the way through it.
That (patched with a *sort-of* matching pattern) moved with us through several residences until about 1945 - each time the rug had to be placed just so, to put that patch under the sofa.
-Edward Chapman
You cut a live Christmas tree off of the farm and the cedar smell in the house
All of the aunts, uncles and cousins were at grandma's house for Christmas dinner. Table setting were men went first, women folks followed and the children last. The cornbread dressing with giblet gravy was the highlight of the meal The afternoons were followed by a good old game of touch football.
When all of the family gathered at grandma's house and cut her firewood for winter.
The old fashion hog-killings usually around Thanksgiving. Fresh pork was abundant.
Going down to the creek to swim or fish.
When mother would go to the chicken pen and select a good fryer and take him out and wring his neck, dress and clean him for the frying pan. (Boy, that chicken was a bug and worm fed chicken without any hormones.)
Petersburg had an annual "Colt Show".
Petersburg had the "Sock Box".
Petersburg had Marsh's Department and Furniture Store.
When the boys had a white sports coat, black slacks, shirt of color and white shoes. (In those days people took pride in their dress appearance.)
When the boys had a "flat-top" haircut.
When you could have a sports idol that was not crooked.
When television was first introduced and maybe one family in the community had a set and if there was something special in programming occurring all would gather at that neighbors.
When the girls had a seam in the back of their hose
When the girls wore the hoop pettie coats.
When each family farm had a milk stand at the head of the entrance to the farm.
When the water source was a country well and if it was within the four county area most likely Jack Sorrells or_________Womble dug it.
When the half-moon outhouse was the convenience.
When there was a gospel meeting in the community with two services daily for ten days, after the crops were "laid by". Mother always housed the guest preacher.
When the old church buildings did not have air conditioning. The windows were pushed up in the summer for the bugs to fly in. There was an old stoker pot stove in the auditorium for heat and the cold souls would add the coal or wood and burn you up in the winter. Usually after this the wasp would come out of the wood work and pester everyone.
When we had the small community schools, usually 1st &2nd grades together, 3rd & 4th grades together, 5th & 6th grades together, 7th & 8th grades together or a one room school with all 8 grades together.
Remember playing cowboys and Indians at recess and yes you usually had a cap pistol
Remember when the little girls made the boys play house with them. Usually this was lined rock area. I always dreaded that, but come to think of it that was not bad after-all.
There was not a rating system on the movies and all were fairly respectful to carry a family to and watch.
When the boys always had their cars with fender skirts, side view mirrors, white wall tires and a great polish job.
Remember the 57 Chevy and the 57 Ford.
Remember the straight transmission with the 3 speed shifter on the column.
The days prior to interstate highways and you went through all of the small towns on the scenic route.
Remember the Old Cake-Walks.
Fresh tomatoes out of the garden, good country fried corn, good hot cornbread.
When as a young teenager some of the rougher boys spoke of smoking some of that "old weed" and innocent boys like me had no clue as to what they were talking about.
When the Korean War was going on and if you had family on the Battlefield in Korea that most of them sent home a jacket with a map of Korea on it. These jackets were pretty colorful.
When the speed limit in Tennessee was a blanket 65MPH on all country roads.
If you were a boy and big enough to reach the foot petals on an old hay hauling truck, you were drafted to steer it through the bales of hay after the hand throttle was set for the haulers to load.
-Bobby Prosser
Bobby those were great memories. I was some what of a city girl, in KY & Michigan, so my memories are a little different
You cut a live Christmas tree off of the farm and the cedar smell in the house
WE ALWAYS GOT OURS FROM THE LOCAL GROCERY STORE. THE TREES WERE GROWN IN CANADA CUT IN AUG. BUT STILL SMELLED OF CEDAR. NOW I HAVE A CEDAR CANDLE FOR MY TREE IS MADE OF PLASTIC.
All of the aunts, uncles and cousins were at grandma's house for Christmas dinner. Table setting were men went first, women folks followed and the children last. The cornbread dressing with giblet gravy was the highlight of the meal The afternoons were followed by a good old game of touch football.
MY FATHER WOULD ALWAYS TELL US THAT IN HIS DAY THE MEN ATE FIRST AND THEN THE WOMEN WITH THE CHILDREN LAST. MY MOTHER THE "WOMEN'S LIBERATOR OF 1925" WOULD GIVE HIM THE EVIL EYE.
When all of the family gathered at grandma's house and cut her firewood for winter.
MY GRANNY USED COAL
The old fashion hog-killings usually around Thanksgiving. Fresh pork was abundant.
CANNOT TOP THAT. WE MAY HAVE LIVED IN THE CITY BUT WE WERE POOR. WE ATE A LOT OF SIDE PORK WITH BEAN, GREENS AND FRIED. I THINK THE ITALIANS CALL THAT PANCETTA. WHO KNEW WE WERE SO CONTINENTAL.
Going down to the creek to swim or fish.
MY GIRL FRIENDS AND I WALKED DOWN TO THE CORNER TO THE CEMENT POND AND FLIRTED WITH THE LIFE GUARD
When mother would go to the chicken pen and select a good fryer and take him out and wring his neck, dress and clean him for the frying pan. (Boy, that chicken was a bug and worm fed chicken without any hormones.)
BEFORE WE MOVED TO MICHIGAN, DURING THE 2ND WORLD WAR, EVEN THOUGH WE LIVED IN THE CITY YOU COULD HAVE CHICKENS. MY MOTHER HAD THAT JOB TOO. THEN SHE WOULD DUMP THEM IN A BLACK IRON POT AT THE BACK OF OUR YARD, FILLED WITH HOT WATER, TO REMOVED THE FEATHERS. I WITNESSED, AT THE AGE OF 3, MANY CHICKENS FLOPPING AROUND ON THE GROUND WITH NO HEADS. NOW DAYS WE WOULD HAVE TO CALL IN GRIEF COUNSELORS FOR ME. THE CHICKENS WERE FRIED IN LARD. YES, THEY WERE GOOD TASTING.
Petersburg had an annual "Colt Show".
IN THE BURPS OF DETROIT WE HAD CAR SHOWS.
Petersburg had the "Sock Box". The Sock Box was a store on what I believe was the east side of the little square. It dealt mostly in foot wear. I bet your mother and grandmother would remember it. I bet they would have some good Petersburg and "Ridge" stories they could pass along.
I KNOW WHAT A SOCK HOP IS AND THE LOCAL CHURCH HAD A SOCK BOX TO COLLECT NEW SOCKS TO GIVE TO THE BUMS ON SKID ROW.
Petersburg had Marsh's Department and Furniture Store.
DETROIT HAD HUDSON'S AND SAMS. HUDSON'S IS NOW PART OF DAYTON HUDSON WHICH NOW IS MACY'S. SAMS WAY BACK THEN WAS A DISCOUNT DEPARTMENT STORE BUT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH SAM'S OF SAM WALTON, WAL-MART, TODAY.
When the boys had a white sports coat, black slacks, shirt of color and white shoes. (In those days people took pride in their dress appearance.)
SEEMS ALL YOU BOYS DRESSED ALIKE, NORTH OR SOUTH. THE YOUNG LADIES WORE WHITE GLOVES AND HATS.
When the boys had a "flat-top" haircut.
WHAT ABOUT A DUCK TAIL?
When you could have a sports idol that was not crooked.
WELL, I JUST DON'T THINK WE HEARD ABOUT IT THEN.
When television was first introduced and maybe one family in the community had a set and if there was something special in programming occurring all would gather at that neighbors.
TUESDAY NIGHT WITH UNCLE MILTIE, AT MY HUSBANDS FOLKS HOUSE. THE ONLY ONES THAT HAD A 10 INCH TV OR A TV FOR THAT MATTER. MY HUSBAND, FRANK, AND I GREW UP TOGETHER.
When the girls had a seam in the back of their hose
OH BOY, REMEMBER THE ONES WITH THE LITTLE JEWELS ON EACH SIDE OF THE SEAM AT THE BACK OF THE HEEL?
When the girls wore the hoop pettie coats.
HOW ABOUT THE ONES WITH 40 YARDS OF RUFFLES?
When each family farm had a milk stand at the head of the entrance to the farm.
OUR MILK MAN LEFT THE CHEESE, MILK, CREAM ON THE STOOP. IF WE WERE NOT HOME HE WOULD COME IN AND PUT IT IN THE FRIG. SAME WITH ICE CREAM. SAME WITH THE EGG WOMEN. BACK IN THE 50'S EGGS CAME IN 3 SIZES SMALL, MID., AND LARGE. NOW THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SMALL & MID. THEY ARE LARGE, EXTRA LARGE AND JUMBO. THEY ARE STILL THE SAME SIZE AS BACK THEN JUST NAMED DIFFERENT.
When the water source was a country well and if it was within the four county area most likely Jack Sorrells or_________Womble dug it.
WE HAD A WELL, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS CITY WATER AT THE STREET. IT WAS IN THE 1940'S BEFORE WE HAD INDOOR WATER, THEN ONLY COLD.
When the half-moon outhouse was the convenience.
HAD ONE OF THOSE TOO. CIVILIZATION CAME SLOW TO THE BURGS OF PADUCAH, KY
When there was a gospel meeting in the community with two services daily for ten days, after the crops were "laid by". Mother always housed the guest preacher.
WE HAD NO PREACHER AT OUR CHURCH, JUST READERS. REMEMBER I SAID MY MOTHER WAS A WOMAN'S LIB AND SHE WAS BORN IN 1903. WE BELONGED TO ONE OF THOSE, AT THAT TIME, NEW AGE RELIGIONS.
When the old church buildings did not have air conditioning. The windows were pushed up in the summer for the bugs to fly in. There was an old stoker pot stove in the auditorium for heat and the cold souls would add the coal or wood and burn you up in the winter. Usually after this the wasp would come out of the wood work and pester everyone.
OUR CHURCH, IN KY, HAD FANS AT EACH SEAT.
When we had the small community schools, usually 1st &2nd grades together, 3rd & 4th grades together, 5th & 6th grades together, 7th & 8th grades together or a one room school with all 8 grades together.
WE HAD GRADES TOGETHER ALSO. IT WAS BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE MOVED FROM THE SOUTH TO MICHIGAN TO WORK AT WILLOW RUN TO MAKE AIRPLANES FOR THE WAR THAT THE SCHOOLS WERE OVER CROWDED.
Remember playing cowboys and Indians at recess and yes you usually had a cap pistol
MY FATHER WOULD NOT ALLOW TOY GUNS. HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT KIDS SHOULD PLAY AT KILLING. HE HAD GIRLS, MAYBE IT WAS A BOYS THING.
Remember when the little girls made the boys play house with them. Usually this was lined rock area. I always dreaded that, but come to think of it that was not bad after-all.
There was not a rating system on the movies and all were fairly respectful to carry a family to and watch.
I SPENT MOST WEEK ENDS AT THE MOVIES. ON SAT MORNING THERE WOULD BE A WHOLE HOUR OF CARTOONS. WHEN THE MOVIE "JOHNNIE BELINDA" CAME OUT, LATE 40'S OR EARLY 50'S, ONLY THOSE OVER 16 COULD GET IN TO SEE IT. MY MOTHER TOLD ME IF I WAS NOT LET IN TO COME BACK AND GET HER. WOMEN'S LIB REMEMBER. "jOHNNIE BELINDA" WAS ABOUT A BLIND GIRL THAT WAS WITH CHILD FROM A RAPE.
When the boys always had their cars with fender skirts, side view mirrors, white wall tires and a great polish job.
NOW YOU ARE TALKING DETROIT!
Remember the 57 Chevy and the 57 Ford.
BOBBY ARE YOU THAT OLD???????? OH! YOU MUST BE TALKING CLASSIC'S. :-)
Remember the straight transmission with the 3 speed shifter on the column.
LEARNED TO DRIVE IN A CAR LIKE THAT.
The days prior to interstate highways and you went through all of the small towns on the scenic route.
NOW THAT I AM OLDER AND LIVE IN CALIFORNIA, I ALWAYS TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE EVEN TO AND FROM THE GROCERY STORE. THE DRIVERS OUT HERE ARE SOMETHING ELSE.
Remember the Old Cake-Walks.
WASN'T THAT A DANCE OF THE EARLY 1900'S?
Fresh tomatoes out of the garden, good country fried corn, good hot cornbread.
DOES ANYONE HAVE A GOOD RECIPE FOR FRIED CORN AND CORNBREAD THAT DOES NOT HAVE ANY SUGAR IN IT BAKED IN AN IRON SKILLET?
When as a young teenager some of the rougher boys spoke of smoking some of that "old weed" and innocent boys like me had no clue as to what they were talking about.
COME AGAIN!!!!!!! WHAT DID YOU SAY???????????
When the Korean War was going on and if you had family on the Battlefield in Korea that most of them sent home a jacket with a map of Korea on it. These jackets were pretty colorful.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE "UNITED NATIONS POLICE ACTION"?
When the speed limit in Tennessee was a blanket 65MPH on all country roads.
THAT IS THE SPEED ON SUBDIVISION STREETS IN CALIFORNIA.
If you were a boy and big enough to reach the foot petals on an old hay hauling truck, you were drafted to steer it through the bales of hay after the hand throttle was set for the haulers to load.
I HAVE SET HERE FOR AN HOUR TRYING TO THINK OF SOMETHING IN MY LIFE TO COMPARE. I CANNOT, YOU WIN!!!!!
-JULIA MOLITZ
Painting sweetgum balls silver and gold and stringing popcorn for decorations on the cedar Christmas tree.
Heating a stone or brick by the fireplace to take to bed on cold winter nights.
Sleeping on feather beds in the winter time.
Didn't know what weed was back then but we tried smoking rabbit tobacco, corn silks and cross vine and made our own corn cob pipes.
Playing "Rook" during the winter time and playing "Spin the Bottle" at parties.
Helping Mama make lye hominy in the old wash pot using hickory king corn.
-Jack Towry
Yes, I remember the ducktail. I always wanted a flat top, but I never was afforded the opportunity to have one. In our family there was an uncle that always cut the hair of the "younguns" <grin>, and guess what, he could not cut a flat top. Someone mentioned bryl creme. I remember the vitalis. I wonder what happened to all those hair oil and tonic companies.
As a country boy do you remember the old farmers setting around an old stove on a winter day talking crops and cows?
Do you remember getting a cola drink and pouring peanuts into the drink?
Do you remember making a concoction of mixed peanut butter and banana into a sandwich?
Do you remember a pineapple sandwich?
As a country boy have you ever raised a pet orphaned lamb on a bottle and when it came time to send the lambs to market you had an attachment to the pet lamb, although in most cases he was as mean as a snake?
Betty Flo, The Petersburg Colt show also had an accompanying 4-H Club dairy show, with the Jersey Cattle as the dairy breed of popularity at that time. Bedford, Lincoln Marshall and maybe a distant county or two always had competitors. That is where I competed.
I remember in my early days of living in Bedford County and the early years of the Walking Horse Celebration. Shelbyville was always lively at that time of the year.
Do you remember when the flour sacks were salvaged and used to make shirts and other garments?
We were in discussion about vehicles, do you remember that old Jeep station wagon that they built in the late 40's early 50's? I believe that was the ugliest thing that was ever on the road. It seems like they ran when they felt like it. The garages always had one in for repair.
Do you remember when the politicians came to the courtyard at the courthouse and made their big promises if elected? Of course there was always a few around the audience that had partaken of some type substance and this added to the flavor.
-Bobby Prosser
Along with all these memories of cornbread, hog-killing, petticoats, and colt shows, I'd like to share some nostalgic information about the cost of veterinary care-as well as a veterinarian's income in olden times. My dad, Ross Whitaker, a veterinarian, practiced in Lincoln County from 1919, after his discharge from the cavalry at the end of World War I, until his death in
July 1944.
My mother kept most of his daybooks and ledgers with entries from 1936-1944. For us today, when taking a cat to the vet may cost $99-or more-the prices he charged in those days, even when the Depression was beginning to lessen, sound unbelievable.
Until 1938, my dad practiced from a rolltop desk in the Yearwood mule barn on West Market Street in Fayetteville. In about 1938, he and a WWI colleague, Dr. Horace Anderson, built a small hospital, now torn down, beside the mule barn on Firehall Hill. Dr. Anderson, in the Army reserves, was called to active service in about 1940 or 1941.
After that, my dad practiced alone, answering calls throughout Lincoln County-and beyond. He had been on calls on opposite sides of Lincoln County the night he died from a heart attack at age 54. Dr. Cecil Byrd bought the practice in the summer of 1944.
Several years ago, I gave my dad's daybooks and other ledgers to the Tennessee State Archives in Nashville, keeping copies of a few pages. Here is a sampling of the handwritten entries, with my notes in [ ], from those
pages:
9-29-1936 Roy Himebaugh, med. for cow, $1.00
12-4-1936 Moore Holman, trip to mare, $4.50
2-9-1937 Mrs. Clyde Rawls, cutting mare's tail, $12.50
4-12-1937 C.N. Bates, two trips to hog, $3.50
7-25-1937 Rob Askins, trip to horse, colic, $5.00 [These charges were paid "in kind": 3-25-39, gasoline by Mack, $2.00; 8-7-40, grease and oil by Mack, $2.50; cash, $.50]
4 & 5-1938 Will Washburn, 2 visits to mule, cow, $ 8.50 [Paid "in kind": 5-38, $2.00 credit by load wood; 12-39, credit by $2.00 cash; 10-26-40, $1.00 credit by apples; 11-4-40, $0.50 credit by apples; 2-13-42; $1.50 credit by cash]
1-1-1940 Frank Rambo, 2 dogs 25cc each, distemper serum , $2.50
1-1-1940 Thornton Taylor, visit cow ,$5.00
1-1-1940 Wm. Lee Yearwood, visit cow, mastitis & med, $ 4.00
1-2-1940 Lawson Myers, 2nd dose [illegible] to pig Whitey [no charge entered]
2-2-1940 Marion Wright, visit cow, $6.00
1-2-1940 Henry Terry, visit cow, indigestion , $3.50
8-1-1942 Tom & Rob Sumners, cow P.P. [post-partum] ,$7.50
8-1-1942 Mrs. Whitsett, Del [Delina?] operator, med , [illegible]
8-2-1942 H.B. Warren, 1st dose rabies vaccine to 15 cattle, 2 horses $5.00 [Three additional rabies doses were given to "17 head," the last on 8-5-1942, as well as "T.A. (tetanus antitoxin), and med, $2.50" to bay mare.]
8-3-1942 Robt. Tate, cow, ret. pla. [retained placenta], $5.00
8-4-1942 Mrs. Lula Stone, visit mule, $10.00
-Carolyn Whitaker Crowley
Cornbread
l 1/2 Cup yellow corn meal 3 Tblsp flour
2 Cups buttermilk 1 tsp salt
1 Egg 1 tsp soda
2 Tblsp bacon drippings
Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Add buttermilk and egg until combined (stir in by hand-no mixers).
Put your bacon drippings in your iron skillet and get it very hot and add your batter. Bake at 450 - 20 to 30 minutes. (I usually bake 25 minutes.) This will give you a nice crusty top and bottom.
Fried Corn
I take the fresh uncooked corn on the cob and take my knife and go down the ear, cutting off the corn into a bowl. Then I take the back of my knife and scrape the ear to get the "milk" from it. I repeat this for as many ears as I want. I put bacon drippings in my iron skillet and heat it until it's warm and put the corn and juice from the ears in the skillet. Salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 20 minutes. Stir often so not to let it stick.
Halloween - when we soaped windows, threw corn on porches, actually dressed up (no such thing as treat or trick) and went all over the neighborhood and once, turned over the outhouse.
Speaking of outhouse. I was raised in Southern Illinois and got pretty cold sometimes. Our outhouse was a bit away out and when one of my sister's or I had to go at night, we all 3 went because we were afraid.
Remember when it was a family affair on Memorial Day to go to the cemeteries and decorate the graves of our family, and always had a picnic lunch.
Lunch on the ground at the old country church and service lasted all day and into the evening.
Having no refrigerator or ice box, running milk, butter, cheese, and etc. down into the cistern to keep it cool.
Smoking ham, turkey and chicken in your own smokehouse.
Butchering the hog and making use of ever part of it--even rendering lard. (Don't miss that.)
Being able to listen to the radio only 30 minutes at a time because it was battery operated; no electricity.
Carrying candles to the attic bedroom, where it was dark and cold.
Playing games like hide-n-seek, kick the can, red-rover come over and telling ghost stories on the side of the road and getting scared and afraid to walk to the house.
-Betty Young
One wonders - how did they re-charge the battery?
I remember our battery-powered big console radio, too. (But we had electricity - I guess the radio was just an older one, too valuable to get rid of and no money to replace it anyway.)
My memory of ours is for a very different reason, however: Ours was powered by a big six-volt car battery. When I was about three years old, (1932) a man came to repair the radio and set the battery out onto the living room floor. Curious to a fault, I managed to tip that battery over, spilling acid on me, my overalls and the rug. I remember the mad dash to the kitchen in my mother's arms for a fast plastering with soda, a bath and change of clothes. By that time, of course, the rug had a big hole all the way through it.
That (patched with a *sort-of* matching pattern) moved with us through several residences until about 1945 - each time the rug had to be placed just so, to put that patch under the sofa.
-Edward Chapman
I
do remember Granny taking a chicken in each hand and swinging them
around and around until only the heads remained in her hands. The
headless chickens would flop on the ground until they were still.
I remember the scalding water and the smell of the feather when she
poured it over the chickens before plucking the feathers. Then
she would take a knife and scrape against the way the feathers grew to
get out what remained. She would clean out the craw to examine
the contents. It always amazed me to see all those tiny
rocks. You don't get chicken in the stores cut up the way the
farm ladies cut them up. The pulley bone was always my piece and
still is. Was I spoiled? Yes and still am when it comes to
the pulley bone. Sometimes Granny would take the axe to the
chicken head. Don't know what determined her method of head
removal but she sure could fry up some good chicken. So can my
mother. After all she learned how from the best.
The Christmas tree? I never knew when they were going to cut it down and bring it home. It went in front of the living room window reaching the ceiling with just the right amount of room for the angel on top. How Granddaddy knew just how tall the tree needed to be I don't know because he had no measuring tape. I remember the popcorn that we strung and put on the
tree. Granny had a string of lights that I remember with much fondness. It was the bubble lights shaped like candles. They started selling those again a few years ago. There was never much money but Christmas was a big thing at my grandparents. Mama and I lived there until I was school age at which time she moved us to Fayetteville so my first memories come from my
grandparents. I remember the oranges and hard candy with designs in each piece. Oh that was so good and a treat for us all. That was the only time we got oranges and hard candy like that. I still associate Christmas with them.
I love cornbread dressing. What is it with stuffing? Don't folks know that cornbread dressing makes the meal? The big old table at both of my grandmother's house would groan with food, plates and glasses, and the elbows of all of us children. We just couldn't seem to keep those elbows off the table. There were no booster seats then so our elbows had to do the job for us. Christmas dinner would be at one of the Grandparents and Thanksgiving would be at the other. The next year it would be switched. At Christmas after the dinner dishes had been cleaned and the men had talked we would load up and head to the other grandparents' house to exchange gifts.
I remember the milk stand that stood by the road. It was sturdy enough to hold all of the full cans with Granddaddy slinging them from the wagon bed to the stand and for the milk truck guy to do his thing. I have one of my step-daddy's milk cans and the numbers that go on it. My grandmother and granddaddy each had their own cows to milk and their own side of the barn to
milk in. Granddaddy did take her milk cans back and forth for her. I guess each had their own numbers on the cans so they each got their own money from the milk. That is a question I need to ask my mother.
The family didn't have much money but we sure did have love and enough to get by on. My grandparents had 6 children and then here I come. Thankfully the oldest son was already gone by that time. I don't remember not having things to play with while at my grandparents. There were the toys of my younger uncles, the dogs, and even a chicken or two. Never a rooster. They were too mean and one loved to flog me and take claim to my biscuit and whatever I had on it. It was usually butter (real butter) and sugar. If you haven't eaten that before give it a try. I am afraid to try it now because things are not always as good as we remember for some reason.
I had can cans made from net and lace. Mama would starch them. If one did not make the skirt stand out enough you simply added can cans until you got the right oomph to your skirt and hoped and prayed that it would not fly up in front of your face when you sat down. Mama always kept a box of starch on hand for her crocheted doilies and my can cans. At one time we put small bells on them which prompted the principal to call a halt to that fad. We also put them on our shoe laces. Needless to say the girls sure made noise when they moved.
You didn't mention souse or lye soap. Granny and Mama both made those. Souse--yuk! They both along with other members of the family seemed to like them. I can remember Granny putting pigs'' feet in a pot of water with the hoofs sticking out. She would leave them on to boil while she went out to slop her hogs at night--and me sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor
with them. I am now the proud owner of that "pigs' feet boiling" pot but you can believe me when I tell you I don't use it for the same reason.
I have to ask you what the "Sock Box" in Petersburg was? I do remember hearing about the Colt Show and Marsh's Department and Furniture Store. I also remember when my Grandmother died and being in the funeral home just
barely off the square. That was the first time that I had seen an embalming table and the last. Unfortunately it was upstairs where the bathroom resided. I won't describe the table to you out of respect for those with weak stomachs. The gentleman who was there was not so thoughtful so my mother and I got a lesson that day.
Well that is part of my memories.- Peggy Coleman
If you lived in the four county
area around the mid - 50's would you
happen to remember the traveling "goat man" (see above) that traveled
through the
area for three or four summers? He had an old wagon and if I remember
he had a team of several goats that pulled the wagon. He had some old
tubs hanging off of the wagon and different things. I know he came
through Bedford and Marshall Counties. If he came through Lincoln
County or not I do not remember.
Other Petersburg memories were the country vet Mr. Jim Baraham, the electrician Mr Fishback Hathaway.
Old Morgan School.
Yes, Peggy I remember souse. Every now and then I will by some commercial souse, put it on cracker and add the hot sauce.
Do you remember when the country women exchanged eggs and lard at the country store? I am like you about the pork lard. I think it would kill me if that was in my food today.
The cemeteries still have decoration day in the Southern section of Middle Tennessee after you get out of the Lincoln, Marshall, Bedford, Moore County area you hardly hear of it. I like the decoration over at Hastings Campground in Bedford County, where my Hastings family is buried. They have a complete program each year with their decoration. It is just sad that some "punk" had to destroy (burn) the old church building and do other destructive acts.
Do you remember summer rain on the old tin roofs?
Do you remember the peddler wagon coming through the countryside?
And when we speak of the Petersburg area, the Petersburg postal delivery ran through about three counties; Marshall, Bedford and Lincoln. The old original farm where I spent my first 12/13 years was on Petersburg, Rt. 1. "Turkey" Warren was the mailman. That area was in southwest Bedford County. I bet he would have some stories to tell. I think Kindred Bledsoe may have been our mailman at one time.
Bobby Prosser
From the book "Fat of the Land" by William C. Edmiston; Chapter 17; page 121
WONDERS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
The first automobile that graced the streets of the little town of Peterburg resembled a buggy. It was owned by the postmaster, MR. RENFRO. The automobile seemed to be operated by chains that ran back to the rear wheel, and often Mr. Renfro had trouble pulling some of the hills surrounding the town. Between town and our home was a nice little hill and frequently three
or four efforts were made by Mr. Renfro before he succeeded in getting over it. Whenever we heard him coming Papa, Mamma and we children lined up on the west porch and watched him in his efforts to get over the hill. Sometimes he had to back down the hill several times for a running start. After passing out of sight, Papa would say happily, "Well, he made it," and
we returned to our duties wondering over the great inventions of modern science. In a short while other automobiles began to appear on the streets of the town and I recalled Papa saying of one young man, ROY BLEDSOE, "That boy is going to kill himself some of these days--turning these corners at fifteen miles per hour."
-Submitted by Bobby Prosser
Just to add a little more about Petersburg and the postmen that serviced her:
From the "Illustrated Magazine Edition" "Lincoln County News Supplement Fayetteville, TN. May 1904" reprint by the LCT Historical Society
"J. M. Renfrow Postmaster at Petersburg"
J. M. Renfrow is a native Lincoln Countian and was born near Petersburg in 1868, his parents being James F. Renfrow , who died a few years ago at the age of 86, and Mrs. EASTER (MOORE) RENFROW, who still lives and is 84 years of age, both numbering among the most honorable people of that good section.
Mr. Renfrow was reared on a farm and received his education at the public schools. He has spent all his life at and near the home place, except for the spring of 1888, when he worked with his brother, now deceased, in the railroad office at McEwen, TN.
His wife, a most estimable woman formerly Miss Fannie Pylant, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. G. G. PYLANT, most excellent citizens. She assists her husband in the office and is almost indispensable in the conduct of same. She understands every detail of the business, and to her we are indebted for the report of 53,899 pieces of mail being distributed on the three rural
routes from that office in 1903, and also the figures for the money order business there, which show that the office paid $2,449.62 for orders last year, an issued them to the extent of $4,881.66
-Submitted by Julia Molitz
The Christmas tree? I never knew when they were going to cut it down and bring it home. It went in front of the living room window reaching the ceiling with just the right amount of room for the angel on top. How Granddaddy knew just how tall the tree needed to be I don't know because he had no measuring tape. I remember the popcorn that we strung and put on the
tree. Granny had a string of lights that I remember with much fondness. It was the bubble lights shaped like candles. They started selling those again a few years ago. There was never much money but Christmas was a big thing at my grandparents. Mama and I lived there until I was school age at which time she moved us to Fayetteville so my first memories come from my
grandparents. I remember the oranges and hard candy with designs in each piece. Oh that was so good and a treat for us all. That was the only time we got oranges and hard candy like that. I still associate Christmas with them.
I love cornbread dressing. What is it with stuffing? Don't folks know that cornbread dressing makes the meal? The big old table at both of my grandmother's house would groan with food, plates and glasses, and the elbows of all of us children. We just couldn't seem to keep those elbows off the table. There were no booster seats then so our elbows had to do the job for us. Christmas dinner would be at one of the Grandparents and Thanksgiving would be at the other. The next year it would be switched. At Christmas after the dinner dishes had been cleaned and the men had talked we would load up and head to the other grandparents' house to exchange gifts.
I remember the milk stand that stood by the road. It was sturdy enough to hold all of the full cans with Granddaddy slinging them from the wagon bed to the stand and for the milk truck guy to do his thing. I have one of my step-daddy's milk cans and the numbers that go on it. My grandmother and granddaddy each had their own cows to milk and their own side of the barn to
milk in. Granddaddy did take her milk cans back and forth for her. I guess each had their own numbers on the cans so they each got their own money from the milk. That is a question I need to ask my mother.
The family didn't have much money but we sure did have love and enough to get by on. My grandparents had 6 children and then here I come. Thankfully the oldest son was already gone by that time. I don't remember not having things to play with while at my grandparents. There were the toys of my younger uncles, the dogs, and even a chicken or two. Never a rooster. They were too mean and one loved to flog me and take claim to my biscuit and whatever I had on it. It was usually butter (real butter) and sugar. If you haven't eaten that before give it a try. I am afraid to try it now because things are not always as good as we remember for some reason.
I had can cans made from net and lace. Mama would starch them. If one did not make the skirt stand out enough you simply added can cans until you got the right oomph to your skirt and hoped and prayed that it would not fly up in front of your face when you sat down. Mama always kept a box of starch on hand for her crocheted doilies and my can cans. At one time we put small bells on them which prompted the principal to call a halt to that fad. We also put them on our shoe laces. Needless to say the girls sure made noise when they moved.
You didn't mention souse or lye soap. Granny and Mama both made those. Souse--yuk! They both along with other members of the family seemed to like them. I can remember Granny putting pigs'' feet in a pot of water with the hoofs sticking out. She would leave them on to boil while she went out to slop her hogs at night--and me sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor
with them. I am now the proud owner of that "pigs' feet boiling" pot but you can believe me when I tell you I don't use it for the same reason.
I have to ask you what the "Sock Box" in Petersburg was? I do remember hearing about the Colt Show and Marsh's Department and Furniture Store. I also remember when my Grandmother died and being in the funeral home just
barely off the square. That was the first time that I had seen an embalming table and the last. Unfortunately it was upstairs where the bathroom resided. I won't describe the table to you out of respect for those with weak stomachs. The gentleman who was there was not so thoughtful so my mother and I got a lesson that day.
Well that is part of my memories.- Peggy Coleman
 |
Other Petersburg memories were the country vet Mr. Jim Baraham, the electrician Mr Fishback Hathaway.
Old Morgan School.
Yes, Peggy I remember souse. Every now and then I will by some commercial souse, put it on cracker and add the hot sauce.
Do you remember when the country women exchanged eggs and lard at the country store? I am like you about the pork lard. I think it would kill me if that was in my food today.
The cemeteries still have decoration day in the Southern section of Middle Tennessee after you get out of the Lincoln, Marshall, Bedford, Moore County area you hardly hear of it. I like the decoration over at Hastings Campground in Bedford County, where my Hastings family is buried. They have a complete program each year with their decoration. It is just sad that some "punk" had to destroy (burn) the old church building and do other destructive acts.
Do you remember summer rain on the old tin roofs?
Do you remember the peddler wagon coming through the countryside?
And when we speak of the Petersburg area, the Petersburg postal delivery ran through about three counties; Marshall, Bedford and Lincoln. The old original farm where I spent my first 12/13 years was on Petersburg, Rt. 1. "Turkey" Warren was the mailman. That area was in southwest Bedford County. I bet he would have some stories to tell. I think Kindred Bledsoe may have been our mailman at one time.
Bobby Prosser
From the book "Fat of the Land" by William C. Edmiston; Chapter 17; page 121
WONDERS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
The first automobile that graced the streets of the little town of Peterburg resembled a buggy. It was owned by the postmaster, MR. RENFRO. The automobile seemed to be operated by chains that ran back to the rear wheel, and often Mr. Renfro had trouble pulling some of the hills surrounding the town. Between town and our home was a nice little hill and frequently three
or four efforts were made by Mr. Renfro before he succeeded in getting over it. Whenever we heard him coming Papa, Mamma and we children lined up on the west porch and watched him in his efforts to get over the hill. Sometimes he had to back down the hill several times for a running start. After passing out of sight, Papa would say happily, "Well, he made it," and
we returned to our duties wondering over the great inventions of modern science. In a short while other automobiles began to appear on the streets of the town and I recalled Papa saying of one young man, ROY BLEDSOE, "That boy is going to kill himself some of these days--turning these corners at fifteen miles per hour."
-Submitted by Bobby Prosser
Just to add a little more about Petersburg and the postmen that serviced her:
From the "Illustrated Magazine Edition" "Lincoln County News Supplement Fayetteville, TN. May 1904" reprint by the LCT Historical Society
"J. M. Renfrow Postmaster at Petersburg"
J. M. Renfrow is a native Lincoln Countian and was born near Petersburg in 1868, his parents being James F. Renfrow , who died a few years ago at the age of 86, and Mrs. EASTER (MOORE) RENFROW, who still lives and is 84 years of age, both numbering among the most honorable people of that good section.
Mr. Renfrow was reared on a farm and received his education at the public schools. He has spent all his life at and near the home place, except for the spring of 1888, when he worked with his brother, now deceased, in the railroad office at McEwen, TN.
His wife, a most estimable woman formerly Miss Fannie Pylant, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. G. G. PYLANT, most excellent citizens. She assists her husband in the office and is almost indispensable in the conduct of same. She understands every detail of the business, and to her we are indebted for the report of 53,899 pieces of mail being distributed on the three rural
routes from that office in 1903, and also the figures for the money order business there, which show that the office paid $2,449.62 for orders last year, an issued them to the extent of $4,881.66
-Submitted by Julia Molitz
