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INTERESTING PEOPLE of OCEAN SPRINGS
Index
Anna Louise
Benjamin (1848-1938)
Brother Isaiah
(1847-1934)
Jefferson Davis
Holloway (1861-1938)
Roy Lamar Bland
(1878-1970)
Dorothy Dell
(1914-1934)
Parker Earle
(1831-1917)
John Aloysius William O'Keefe (1891-1985)
Schuyler Poitevent (1875-1936)
Lillian 'Trilby' Grenet Welton Steimer (1896-1960)
John Martin Tracy (1842-1893)
ANNA LOUISE BENJAMIN (1848-1938)
If you reside in the Seapointe Subdivison on Fort Point, you may know that your lot was
once part of the spectacular Benjamin Estate. On this terrain
today, there still remain some physical evidence of the Benjamins'
presence. The most obvious sign is the Calongne drives that still
exist in staccato fashion on the present day landscape. A submerged
bulkhead, which is exposed only on a very low tide on Biloxi Bay, is
also believed to have been constructed by the Benjamin family.
Anna Louise Fitz Benjamin (1848-1938) known as Annie was born
in South Hampton, New Hampshire on April 21, 1848. She was the
daughter of Captain Andrew J. and Eliza Pillsbury Fitz (Fitts).
Anna Louise Fitz married David M. Benjamin (1834-1892) in June
1869. The Benjamins had a son, Frederick Washburn Benjamin (1879-
1945), and a daughter, Catherine Chase Benjamin (1889-1958).(History
of Milwaukee, 1895,Vol. II, p. 367)
(l-r)
Anna L. Benjamin (1848-1938)and friend at Ocean Springs (circa 1915)
David M. Benjamin
David M. Benjamin was born at East Livermore, Maine on the land his
grandfather, Samuel Benjamin (1753-1827), who served as a sergeant
and lieutenant in the American Revolutionary War, had acquired.
After a few years in the lumber camps near the Penobscot River in
Maine, young Benjamin went west to Muskegon, Michigan. Here in
1862, he joined with O.P. Pillsbury and Daniel W. Bradley to form
the O.P. Pillsbury & Company, a lumber venture. The lumber business
was very rewarding to David M. Benjamin. It grew exponentially and
soon reached most of Michigan and Wisconsin with branches at Chicago
and Milwaukee. The company’s extensive sawmills were located at
Muskegon. After residing at Muskegon, Big Rapids, and Grand Rapids
in Michigan, Benjamin moved to Milwaukee in 1887 to be closer to his
large Wisconsin timber holdings.(History of Milwaukee, 1895, Vol.
II, p. 365-366)
Milwaukee
At
Milwaukee circa 1890, David M. Benjamin built a medieval Rhenish
castle at 1570 North Prospect Avenue on Lake Michigan. It became
known as the "Benjamin Castle". The first floor comprised the
library, dining room, sunroom, and three parlors. Seven bedroom
suites were located on the second floor while the ballroom, music
room, and billiard room were positioned on the third floor. The
Benjamin art collection was considered by connoisseurs as one of the
finest in the Midwest. It included paintings by Leonardo da Vinci,
Teniers, Nattier, Lely, and Romney.(The Milwaukee Sentinel, March
8, 1938)
Shore Acres-Ocean Springs
Nearly a decade after the death of David M. Benjamin in 1892, Annie
L. Benjamin now in her mid-fifties discovered Ocean Springs in the
early years of the 20th Century. She began buying land in April
1902, when she purchased the former twelve-acre estate of Parker
Earle (1831-1917), called, "Bay View", from Sarah Deuel Cooke
(1839-1904), the great grandmother of Agnes Grinstead Anderson
(1909-1991). It appears that Mrs. Cooke and her daughter, Agnes
Cooke Hellmuth Earle (1862-1919), changed the name to “Shore
Acres”.(JXCO, Ms. Land Deed Bk. 24, p. 319)
In May
1902, while at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, her permanent home, Mrs.
Benjamin described “Shore Acres” her new acquisition at Ocean
Springs as follows:
My new home is a typical southern residence, roomy and
picturesque, and one story high, with family rooms, reception rooms
and bedrooms in the front, and the kitchen, dining room and servants
quarters detached form the main building and connected by a covered
gallery. On the grounds is a large stable, and down at the water’s
edge is a pier, with bath and boathouses. The grounds, which front
on the water of the sound, are eight acres in extent. Part of the
grounds at one time cultivated in oranges, but frosts have destroyed
the trees.* The grounds about the house are covered with grand old
oaks, fragrant pines and gum trees and beautiful magnolias.
“Shore Acres” has been the home for many years of
Mrs. Helmuth (sic) Earle, and sold by her to Mrs. Benjamin. Mrs.
Benjamin has one of the costliest homes in the city, but like other
Milwaukeeans, spends the winter south to escape the severity of the
cold season. Mrs. Benjamin was more pleased with Ocean Springs than
any other place she has visited, although she had not intended
purchasing a winter home, decided that in view of the many
attractions of climate and scenery she would buy “Shore Acres,”
where she and her family could spend each winter. (The
Biloxi Herald, May 2, 1902, p. 1)
*On
February 13, 1899, the mercury fell to one degree Fahrenheit on the
Mississippi Gulf Coast.
In the midst of this
magnolia, oak, palm, and pine shaded peninsula surrounded by over
one and one-half miles of shoreline and marsh of the Back Bay of
Biloxi and Fort Bayou, Annie Benjamin created a park and garden
atmosphere. Over one mile of Schillinger paved driveways were built
through the naturally landscaped manor, which is believed to have
included a miniature railroad. A bird sanctuary was located in a
forested area near the main gate. Many people considered Shore
Acres the finest estate on the Gulf Coast.
Mrs. Benjamin was not a
permanent resident of Ocean Springs. She usually arrived from
Milwaukee in the fall and "wintered" here usually journeying north
in the late Spring. Her interest in the community was genuine and
philanthropic. Annie Benjamin was a vocal opponent of the Ocean
Springs Packing Company, which built a shrimp cannery south of the
L&N Railroad bridge in 1915. Her feelings were that the factory
would be a menace to the beauty and purity of the town. (The
Ocean Springs News, January 14, 1915, p. 1, and p. 5)
After the Great Fire of
November 1916, destroyed the Hall of the Volunteer Fire Company No.
1 on Washington Avenue, Mrs. Benjamin donated $500 for the erection
of a new fire hall in March 1917, This new building is our current
Senior Citizens Building just north of the Community Center.(The
Jackson County Times, March 17, 1917, p. 5)
Schillinger walks and roads
The original
Schillinger walkways and drives on the Benjamin Estate were replaced
by Calongne Brothers in the summer of 1915. The Schillinger was not
effective and had to be removed. B.F. Joachim Jr. (1882-1970) was
awarded the gravel hauling contract, which required approximately
forty carloads.(The Ocean Springs News, June 3, 1915, p. 1)
The Calongne Brothers, Sidney E.
Calongne (b. 1883), Wilford F. Calongne (1885-1967), and Ashely
Calongne (1890-1953), were born at New Orleans, the sons of Sidney
Auguste Calongne (1855-1911)and Sally A. Forschee (1853-1942). The
Calongne family built a home in the fall of 1909 at present day 204
Washington Avenue. It was called, Hillside, and cost $3000. The
contractors were Wieder & Friar. Hillside burned in the 1930s, and
was rebuilt.(The Ocean Springs News, November 27, 1909, p. 1 and
W.F. “Bill” Calongne Jr., April 1997)
More land
Annie
Benjamin continued to purchase the surrounding lands until 1917 by
which time she had consolidated the holdings of Christian Hanson
(1845-1914) called "Breezy
Point", Charles Tracy Earle
(1861-1901), and May Staples Poitevent (1847-1932) known as "Spanish
Camp" to form her "Shore Acres". This seventy-acre estate became
known as "Benjamin Point" to the locals.(JXCO, Ms. Land Deed Bk. 28,
p. 440, Bk. 29, p. 566, and Bk. 43, p. 433).
Domestic staff
At Shore
Acres, Annie Benjamin employed a domestic staff. In the early
years, Marguerite Boes (b. 1889) was her maid, Randolph Douglas (b.
1896) the gardener, and Epsham Cobb, the chauffeur. In later years
Adolph Wieder (1879-1931) was the estate caretaker. His tenure was
followed by Ed Sterken (1893-1979) as caretaker with Percy Goldsmith
(1919-1991) working as the gardener and grounds keeper.
Demise
After an extended illness, Annie L. Benjamin died at
Milwaukee in March 1938. She left an estate valued at $2,235,464
primarily to her son and daughter. At Ocean Springs, recipients of
her legacy were Edward J. Sterken and Agnes M. Bourg (1874-1955) who
received $500 and $400 respectively.(Wisconsin Necrology, Vol.
39, pp. 228-230)
Frederick W. Benjamin
Annie
Benjamin's bachelor son, Frederick Washburn Benjamin (1879-1945),
often accompanied her to Ocean Springs. His interests lie in boats,
automobiles, and trains. In June 1903, Mr. Benjamin launched his
fifty-foot, George L. Friar (1869-1924) built, yacht,
Alexandra. Will Ryan, Friar, and Benjamin sailed the vessel
up the Mississippi River to Milwaukee in July 1903.
Circa 1914, Fred W. Benjamin
designed and had built a new yacht, called Nevermind.
It was seventy-five feet in length with a fourteen-foot beam. The
Benjamin watercraft was powered by a seventy-five hp Wolverine
engine, which could propel the vessel at least twelve miles per
hour. The boat had cypress ribs and planks attached to a solid pine
keel. Amenities included electric lights, eight berths, and
convenient sanitary facilities. The Benjamin yacht was repaired at
Brander's Shipyard in Biloxi while on the Mississippi coast.(Ocean
Springs 1915, p. 35 and The Daily Herald, September 13, 1916, p. 1)
Fred W. Benjamin was one of the
first to own an automobile at Ocean Springs. He and Colonel Newcomb
Clark (1836-1913) eagerly awaited their new vehicles in October
1906. There is some question as to whether Orey Young (1868-1938)
or Dr. Henry Bradford Powell (1867-1949), both Canadians, owned the
first auto (an Oldsmobile) at Ocean Springs, which is reputed to
have arrived here in 1905. In late February 1915, Fred W. Benjamin
took his new yacht, Nevermind, on a duck-hunting
outing to Horn Island. Local gentlemen George Friar, George Dale,
T.J. Ames, and E.S. Davis were aboard. The hunters brought down
seventy-five ducks and poule d’eau.(The Ocean Springs News, March
4, 1915, p. 1)
After his mother died in 1938,
Fred W. Benjamin lived alone in his lakeshore castle at Milwaukee.
There in solitude Benjamin spent the remainder of his life in his
Medieval castle content to read the books in his library, watch the
moods of Lake Michigan, carve wooden locomotives, and take care of
his black cat. He quitclaim his interest in Shore Acres to the
Lindsays in 1940. Fred W. Benjamin died alone in his "Castle by the
Lake" about 1945.(JXCO, Ms. Land Deed Bk. 74, pp. 44-46).
After the demise of Fred W.
Benjamin in 1945, the Benjamin Castle on Lake Michigan was vended to
the Shore View Homes. It was utilized as a housing complex for
senior citizens. In 1964, the former opulent structure was razed to
erect a high rise apartment building.(Knippel, 1984, p. 75)
Walter S. Lindsay
Mrs.
Benjamin’s daughter, Catherine Chase Benjamin (1889-1958), was
married briefly in 1910 to a New Yorker, Marion McClellan (b.
1885). In 1917, she married Walter S. Lindsay (1888-1975), a
Scotsman, who came to Milwaukee in 1911. The Lindsays had three
children: Alexander Duncan Lindsay (1918-1962), Lorna L. Mayer
(1919-2002), and Donald Benjamin Lindsay (1924-1984). Mr. Lindsay
founded the Lindsay-McMillan Oil Company, a business that he vended
to Cities Service in 1931. Lindsay served on the board of directors
of Briggs & Stratton, and the financial committee of the
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company.( The Milwaukee
Journal, March 28, 1975)
New Shore Acres
In
September 1923, the Lindsays bought and refurbished a Colonial
Revival home at 305 Lovers Lane adjacent to the Benjamin manor.
They purchased it from the Adeline A. Staples (1829-1902) Estate. (JXCO,
Ms. Land Deed Bk. 53, pp. 340-342)
Unlike Mrs.
Benjamin, the Lindsays would often summer here with their children
enjoying water sports and fishing. Mary Choyce Rouse (1895-1952)
from Vancleave was the governess for the Lindsay children while they
were at Ocean Springs. Miss Rouse later married Philip J. Weider
(1887-1985).(Dixie Ann W. Gautier, May 1993)
In
December 1958, while on one of their Southern sojourns, Catherine
Lindsay died at Ocean Springs. Walter Lindsay married Lorraine K.
Bauer (1885-1993) in 1960. J.K. Lemon purchased the Lindsay home at
Lovers Lane in 1971. After the Benjamin estate was dismantled in
the late 1940s, Walter Lindsay began calling his place "Shore
Acres". The Lemons have retained this name for their
homestead.(JXCO, Ms. Land Deed Bk. 417, p. 87 and J.K. Lemon, June
1993) Walter S. Lindsay died at
his home in Palm Springs, California in 1975. He also owned a
residence at River Hills near Milwaukee. The Lindsay estate was
valued at over $11,000,000.(The Milwaukee Sentinel, January 17,
1976)
For years after her death, the
opulent Benjamin Estate was maintained by Ed Sturchen and his crew.
It is believed that after the 1947 Hurricane, the Benjamin house was
demolished. Some of the wooden materials may have been used to
build the Phil Weider service station at 1019 Government Street (now
B&H Auto Service). Walter Lindsay sold the remaining Benjamin land
on the Fort Point peninsula to E.M. Galloway in 1963. Galloway with
local entrepreneurs developed the Seapointe Subdivision which exists
here today.(JXCO, Ms. Land Deed Bk. 245, p. 20)
All that remains currently of
that opulent showcase at Fort Point, the Benjamin Estate, are the
memories of older citizens, old postcards, and a few photographs.
On the former grounds, the seemly indestructible remaining Calongne
drives are still utilized by a few residence of the Seapointe
Subdivision.
REFERENCES:
Books
Howard Louis Conrad,
History of Milwaukee County From Its Settlement to the Year 1895,
Volume II, (American Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago and New
York). John A. Gregory,
History of Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
Volume III, 1931.
Joyce L. Knippel, “Redefining
Progress: A History of Historic Preservation in Milwaukee,
1964-1984, (The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: 1984).
Mississippi
Gulf Coast Yesterday & Today
(1699-1939), (Federal Writers Project in Mississippi
Works Progress Administration: Gulfport-1939), p. 92.
Ocean Springs 1915
Wisconsin
Necrology,
“Annie Louise Benjamin, Once a Reigning Beauty of Midwest, Dead at
89; Fortune Goes to Children”, Vol. 39.
Chancery Court
Causes
Jackson County, Mississippi
Chancery Court Cause No. 6007, “Last Will and Testament of
Anna Louise Benjamin”-August 1938.
Journals
The Biloxi Daily Herald,
Southern Home”,
May 2, 1902.
The Daily Herald,
“Biloxi Shipyards are being pushed”, September 13, 1916, p.
1.
The Jackson County Times,
“Local News Interests”, March 17, 1917.
The Jackson County Times,
“Local
and Personal”,
March 9, 1935.
The Milwaukee Journal,
"Mrs. Benjamin Is Dead at 89", March 7, 1938.
The Milwaukee Journal,
"River Hills Pioneer Dies at 87", March 28, 1975.
The Milwaukee Sentinel,
"Castle Broods Silently As Mistress Is Taken", March 8, 1938.
The Milwaukee Sentinel,
"W.S. Lindsay Dies; River Hills Founder", March 28, 1975.The
Milwaukee Sentinel,
"Walter Lindsay Estate Listed At $11,314,004", January 17,
1976.
The Ocean Springs News,
"Proposed Shrimp Cannery Meets Unexpected Opposition",
January 14, 1915, p. 1, and p. 5.
The Ocean Springs News,
“Local
Nimrods Have Good Hunt”,
March 4, 1915.
The Ocean Springs News,
“Alex
Lindsay”,
February 15, 1962.
The Pascagoula Democrat-Star,
“Ocean
Springs Locals”,
October 17, 1902.
The Pascagoula Democratic-Star,
October 26, 1906, p. 2.
Personal Communication:
J.K. Lemon
George E. Arndt
Dixie Ann Weider Gautier
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_small.jpg)
BROTHER ISAIAH
Possibly no other event in the history of this region, other than
the founding of Gulf Hills in 1925, has left an indelible mark on
the settlers along the placid waters of Bayou Puerto and the Back
Bay of Biloxi, than the arrival of Brother Isaiah in June 1922. With
the assistance of Martin Fountain Jr. (1882-1963) and his son,
Wallace Fountain (1903-1958), Brother Isaiah came to the Mississippi
Gulf Coast with his entourage from New Orleans. After arriving at
the Biloxi harbor with his “fleet” of seven vessels, which included
houseboats, Brother Isaiah and followers, settled on high ground
near the mouth of Bayou Puerto, a small, estuarine stream situated
west of Gulf Hills, a resort community. Here they lived in tents
and houses. Isaiah's group consisted of about twenty-five people.
They dressed in the fashion of the time, but the men wore long hair
and grew heavy beards. Women of the cult wore no facial
enhancement. The sexes lived separately.(The Daily Herald, June
10, 1922, p. 3 and June 24, 1922, p. 1)
Isaiah’s disciples tilled the land, primarily growing vegetables,
for their livelihood, while Brother Isaiah preached and practiced
his art of healing. Brother Isaiah drove a limousine. It was a
Hudson Super Six purchased in 1922, at New Orleans by a man who had
followed Brother Isaiah from California. The anonymous donor
claimed that a life long intestinal ailment had permanently
disappeared after he received a handkerchief touched by the hands of
Brother Isaiah.(The Times Picayune, January 25, 1922, p. 1)
The
Albert E. Lee (1874-1936), the editor of The Jackson County Times
related the following on July 1, 1922, p. 5:
"Brother Isaiah" continues to attract hundreds of visitors to his
camp on Back Bay, many of whom go to him to be healed of their
mental and bodily afflictions. There is a conflict of opinion as to
the ability of Brother Isaiah as a healer. Some say he performs
miracles and some say he is just an ignorant old man with a deluded
idea that he is endowed with supernatural power. The editor of the
Times has not visited the camp nor attended any of the meetings
being held by Isaiah.”
Also in early July 1922, The Daily Herald
reported that: “Ocean Springs people still continue to visit
Brother Isaiah nightly. Some for treatment others to witness
meetings.”(The Daily Herald, July 8, 1922, p. 2)
Texas
In
early October 1922, Brother Isaiah left his St. Martin retreat to
visit Beaumont, Texas. He planned to treat a lady patient there.
Members of his cult have been traveling to and fro Lumberton and
other venues in south Mississippi. Those who remain in the camp at
St. Martin are farming.(The Daily Herald, October 10, 1922)
John Cudney
Brother Isaiah (1847-1934) was born John Cudney in Ontario Province,
Canada near Niagara Falls, New York, he believed that he was the
88th reincarnation of the Prophet Isaiah. Brother Isaiah with his
mother and sister, Amanda Coldberg (1843-1920+), landed at New
Orleans circa 1916. Here they subsided on a houseboat moored to the
Mississippi River levee near Audubon Park. In a few years, Brother
Isaiah was drawing thousands to the batture to hear his sermons and
be "cured" by the "miracle man", as he became known.(The Oroville
Mercury-Register, February 23, 1985)
In
September 1857, Amanda Cudney and John Cudney with Abel Cudney
(1850-1900+) and Caroline Cudney (1842-1857+), their other siblings,
were living in the household of Charles Rosel (1830-1857+), a
farmer, domiciled in Filmore County, Minnesota Territory. This
census gave Michigan as the birth place for the Cudney
children.(September 1857 Minnesota Territory 1849-1905 Census, Roll
MN 1857.2-Line 3)
The peripatetic Brother Isaiah had "colonies" at various
places in the United States. Between 1922 and his demise in July
1934, the Cudney Cult had lived or visited in California,
Washington, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida. His short
tenure on the Mississippi coast was in western Jackson County,
primarily in the area today, which is called St. Martin. Here
Cudney and his faithful lived in tents and houses off of LeMoyne
Boulevard in the vicinity of Bayou Puerto and on the Rose-Money Farm
north of Ocean Springs where he preached and cured the afflicted.
As
part of his legacy, John Cudney left a book, The City of New
Jerusalem. It was published at Los Angeles, in March 1932.
The 900+ page volume contains more than 600 pages of sermons. Many
of these were delivered at Fort Meyers, Florida. The work also
contains 110 pages of testimonials and many letters.(The Oroville
Mercury- Register, February 23, 1985)
Death
John
Cudney passed in late July 1934, near Oroville, California. Unlike
the followers of Jesus who waited at the tomb and witnessed his
Resurrection on Easter Sunday, there is no miracle here.
Dejectedly, the disciples of the dead man, Brother Isaiah, placed
his remains in the earth completing the cycle as told by St. Paul,
"man dust thou art and dust thou shall return".(The Jackson
County Times, July 28, 1937, p. 2)
The
return
In
April 1937, The Daily Herald reported that "The Camp of the
Saints" has located on the M.R. Davis place on the Meunier property
in North Biloxi. The followers of the late Brother Isaiah, which
numbered about twelve and were primarily men, decided that the
Biloxi area was an ideal location. They were seeking a large farm
to share crop. The disciples of Brother Isaiah believed in making
their livelihood from agriculture, not from donations. They did not
plan to practice any form of healing like their deceased leader.
The religious cult had disbanded in 1936, in northern California.(The
Daily Herald, April 20, 1937, p. 10)
There
are many octogenarians in this area who were taken to the tent of
Brother Isaiah by their parents. Children and grandchildren of
these people might inquire of them and get their own vicarious
vision of Brother Isaiah.
REFERENCES:
John M. Fletcher,
The American Journal of
Psychology,
The Miracle Man of New Orleans, Vol. 33, No. 1
(Jan., 1922), pp. 113-120.
Journals
The
Daily Herald,
“Brother Isaiah Arrives”,
June 10, 1922.
The Daily Herald,
“Brother Isaiah works ‘miracles’ in Jackson County with Colony”,
June 24, 1922.
The
Daily Herald,
“Brother Isaiah goes to Texas”,
October 10, 1922.
The
Daily Herald,
“Brother Isaiah in California”,
August 8, 1929.
The
Daily Herald,
“Brother Isaiah’s followers return”,
April 20, 1937.
The
Jackson County Times,
“Local
and Personal”,
July 1, 1922.
The
Jackson County Times,
“Local
and Personal”,
September 16, 1922.
The
Jackson County Times,
“Brother Isaiah is touring the States”,
September 16, 1922.
The
Jackson County Times,
Death
occurs in Isaiah’s tent”,
November 24, 1923.
The
Jackson County Times,
“Brother Isaiah en route to Biloxi”,
August
30, 1924.
The
Jackson County Times,
“Local
and Personal”,
April 4, 1925.
The
Jackson County Times,
“Faith
works wonders”,
October 29, 1927.
The
Jackson County Times,
“Isaiah dies”,
July
28, 1934.
The
Jackson County Times,
“Brother Isaiah dies in California”,
July 28, 1934.
Jambalaya-The Crescent City-Coast Connection, "Once Upon a
Time-The Miracle Man: Brother Isaiah (1847-1934)", April 1998.
The Times Picayune,
"Strange faith cures laid at door of tiny houseboat",
March 11, 1920, p. 1.
The Times Picayune,
"Blind
hope, aroused to passion, forces army of lame, weak, and sick to
healing of new 'Isaiah'",
March 12, 1920, p. 1.
The Times Picayune,
"Disbelief
creeps in to discount triumph of 'cures' by healer", March 13,
1920, p. 1.
The Times Picayune,
"Police
declare 'hands off' for Brother Isaiah", March 13, 1920, p. 4.
The Times Picayune,
"Healer's
declined funds are sought",
March 13, 1920, p.
4.
The Times Picayune,
"Wars of
bloodshed decried and those of righteousness extolled by 'Brother
Isaiah'",
March 15, 1920, p. 1.
The Times Picayune,
"Aged
'Healer' spends Monday in Pujol home",
March 16, 1920, p. 1.
The Times Picayune,
"Patrolman
says 'Brother Isaiah' gave him relief",
March 16, 1920, p. 2.
The Times Picayune,
"Blind
workers desert shop and rush to 'Brother Isaiah'",
March 17, 1920, p. 1.
The
Oroville, California Mercury- Register, "Brother Isaiah
founded 'New Jerusalem' here", February 23, 1985.
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JEFFERSON DAVIS
HOLLOWAY (1861-1938):
"The
Jeff", L&N No. 35 and No. 36
Coming round the wide rail curve in Gentilly was always exciting to
the young engineer. It was probably a high created in the brain by
the centrifugal force. Suddenly ecstasy turned to terror. "Capn…..Capn
Jeff. Look out!" cried the fireman. All hell was about to break
loose. The day was April 25, 1900, and the Coast train from Ocean
Springs was in the eastern suburbs of New Orleans. Ahead speeding
onto a collision course was an eastbound work train. Captain Jeff
Holloway quickly shut off the steam, slapped on the breaks, and held
firmly on the lever. With the loudest of shrieks, the two iron
horses skidded on their thin rails to an abrupt halt. To the joy
and relief of all aboard, Captain Jeff's train had stopped just as
the engines locked. No one was injured, but the massive locomotives
were wedged tightly together. This was one of many exciting
adventures that Jefferson Davis Holloway had experienced in a
career, which spanned fifty-six years with the L&N Railroad.
Jefferson Davis Holloway (1861-1938)
New Orleans
Jefferson Davis Holloway (1861-1938) was born in New Orleans on July
7, 1861, and joined the L&N when he was just seventeen years old as
part of the section force. He was the son of John B. Holloway
(1817-1892), a native of Ireland, and Maria Theresa McDonnell
(1833-1901) from New York. In 1870 at the Crescent City, John B.
Holloway made his livelihood as a beef and pork inspector. At this
time, there were seven children in the John B. Holloway
household.(1870 Orleans Parish, Louisiana Federal Census, M593_519,
Ward 1, p. 170)
Jeff Holloway joined the L&N Railroad in 1878 at New
Orleans. He learned to fire the steam shovel, worked as a "striker"
in the blacksmith shop, fired on the road, and became a "hostler" at
the rail yards handling engines after the regular engineer left the
cab. His career progressed to switch engines, freight trains, and
then advanced to freight and passenger trains between New Orleans
and Mobile.
Ocean Springs
When Jefferson Davis Holloway arrived in Ocean Springs, he was a
newly wed. He and his bride, Mary Elizabeth Reynolds (1871-1930),
also of New Orleans, were married in the Crescent City on November
29, 1898. They rented a house on West Porter, now 822 Porter, from
George E. Arndt. Here two sons were born, Walter B. Holloway
(1900-1965) and Jefferson Davis Holloway Jr. (1904-1971).
In the fall of 1908, Mrs. Holloway bought property at
present day 306 Washington Avenue from Mrs. Hannah Johnson. Mr.
Johnson was a conductor for the L&N Railroad. This two-bed room
Queen Anne home may have been built by Frederick Wing of New Orleans
circa 1888. A daughter, Roger Elizabeth Holloway (1909-1964), was
born here shortly after the move from Porter. At their homestead on
Washington, the Hol-
loways had a large lot north of their home were they raised goats
and horses. Clem Bellande (1850-1918), renowned catboat sailor and
the bar tender at the Paragon Saloon, lived on the southeast corner
of Washington and Calhoun across from the Shanahan Hotel.(JXCO, Ms.
Land Deed Bk. 34, p. 188)
Mary Joachim writing for The Gulf Coast Times,
presented this pastoral picture of the Holloway property in the
spring of 1951.
On Washington Avenue, you have the lovely Holloway home.
Roger keeps it in the best of condition, the azalea in full bloom,
green inviting lawns, add to this a few goats, horses and a
beautiful colt, just bursting with energy, adds a pastoral scene
seldom found on the main street of any town.(The Gulf
Coast Times, March 15, 1951, p. 3)
Captain Jeff or Uncle Jeff, as the locals affectionately knew him,
was a character of his time. Before the Coast train left for New
Orleans on its eighty-four mile run at 6:30 AM, he would perform the
oiling ritual. This consisted of lubricating the moving parts of
the large locomotive with a big brass oilcan. Needless to say,
Holloway performed the task with the precision of a concert
conductor and his small audience always nodded their approval.
Another idiosyncrasy of Holloway was his unique
whistle rhythm, which was the trademark of "The Jeff", his train.
For all his uniqueness though, Jeff Holloway is best remembered for
his punctuality. The good citizens of Ocean Springs would actually
set their clocks and watches upon his departure and arrival. Those
without timepieces would go to work in the morning and leave in the
evening by the coming and going of his train! An anecdote survives
concerning an important trial at Gulfport. The person on the
witness stand was asked: "What time did the crime occur?" "I don't
remember the time," he replied, "but Jeff had done passed". Jeff
Holloway was literally a legend in his own "time".
Children
Jefferson Davis and Elizabeth R. Holloway could be proud of their
three children: Walter B. Holloway (1900-1965); Jefferson D.
Holloway Jr. (1904-1971); and Roger Elizabeth Holloway (1909-1964).
Walter B. Holloway and Jeff D. Holloway Jr. attended grammar school
in New Orleans as they rode to school on their father's train.
Walter graduated from Ocean Springs High School circa 1917, and went
on to Tulane where he earned a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in the
Mechanical and Electrical course (1923). He pursued an Army career
attaining the rank of Colonel. He worked for the Mississippi Power
Company in later years. Walter never married.
Jefferson Davis Holloway Jr. married Rita Kerry
(1912-1982), the daughter of Thomas D. Kerry and Mary Ellen
O'Meallie. He was a graduate of the Soule Commercial and Literary
Institute of New Orleans (1922). In the military, Jeff became a
Navy Lt. Commander and served eight years in accounting positions at
Pensacola, New Orleans, and Newport, Rhode Island. Post-military he
was assistant comptroller of the Federal Land Bank at New Orleans.
Jeff retired with thirty-five years of Federal service in May 1965,
while an accounting officer at Keesler AFB at Biloxi. He and Rita
had no children.(The Daily Herald, May 5, 1965, p. 22)
Roger Elizabeth Holloway developed polio as a young
girl. She and Jeff were often seen riding about Ocean Springs in a
horse drawn surrey. Although handicapped, this condition didn't
detract from her ambitions as she graduated from Biloxi High School
in 1927. A career in accounting in the Civil Service at KAFB
followed her school days. Roger remained single during her life.
Retirement
Jefferson Davis Holloway retired from the L&N on July 7, 1934. In
his retirement years, Roger would drive him to the depot each
morning in his Packard sedan to watch "The Jeff" pull out for the
Crescent City. An institution to millions of persons in Mississippi
and Louisiana had passed with the retirement of the ruddy faced,
white haired, shaggy browed Jeff Holloway. In New Orleans on
October 7, 1938, Jefferson Davis Holloway went to that "great depot
in the sky". His spouse had preceded him in death expiring at New
Orleans on July 16, 1930.(The Daily Herald, October 10, 1938, p.
3 and July 16, 1930, p. 2)
The Holloway family members are all entombed at St.
Patrick's No. 1 in New Orleans, except Jefferson Davis Holloway Jr.,
who is buried with Rita Kerry Holloway at the Evergreen Cemetery in
Ocean Springs.
REFERENCES:
WPA
For Mississippi Historical Data-Jackson County, (State Wide
Historical Project- 1936 and 1937), p. 473.
The
L&N Employees' Magazine, "The Jeff" And Its Crew”, August
1927, pp. 23-24.
The
L&N Employees' Magazine, "In Memoriam", November 1938, p. 29.
Journals
The Daily Herald, “Mrs. Holloway Dies”, July 16, 1930.
The Daily Herald, “Funeral Conducted For J.D. Holloway Sr.”,
October 10, 1938.
The Daily Herald, “Holloway Retires At Keesler AFB”, May
5, 1965.
The Gulf Coast Times, “The Good Old Summer Time Is here But
For How Long Is Not The Story”, March 15, 1951.
The Jackson County Times, “Jeff Holloway has been with L&N 50
years”, May 12, 1934.
The Jackson County Times, “Jeff Holloway retires after long
service”, July 7, 1934.
The Ocean Springs Record, “Jeff Holloway”, July 8, 1971.
US
Census Jackson County, Mississippi 1900 and 1910 and Orleans Parish,
1870.
Personal Communication:
A.J.
Holloway Sr.-March 1991.
J.K.
Lemon-April 1991.
Saradel Berry-October 1991.
George
E. Arndt-October 1991.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************
ROY L. BLAND (1878-1970)
FARMER and PHOTOGRAPHER
Roy Livingston Bland (1878-1970) was born at Pelahatchie,
Mississippi on December 22, 1878. His parents were George Duncan
Bland (1853-1915) and Lida M. Bland (1864-1915). His siblings were:
George Hall Bland (1882-1981) of Shreveport, La.; Irene B. Hilsman
(1889-1987) of Orange, Texas, La.; Estelle B. Cruthirds (1893-1986)
of Longville, La.; Bessie B. Barnes (1898-1917+) of Bond, and Albert
Davis Bland (1903-1919) of Longville, La.
The Bland family moved to Ocean Springs circa 1899. George D. Bland
was born on March 26, 1853, at Yazoo County, Mississippi. He was
engaged in mercantile pursuits probably at Pelahatchie, Mississippi
before he received an invitation to manage the Beach Hotel at Ocean
Springs, which owned by his brother, Dr. Jasper J. Bland
(1850-1932).
Dr. Bland resided at New Orleans where he practiced medicine. He
was married to Agnes Elizabeth Edwards (1868-1936), the daughter of
James Daniel Edwards (1839-1887). Mr. Edwards was the proprietor of
a large iron works at New Orleans. He had a summer home at Ocean
Springs on a high bluff fronting the Bay of Biloxi between
Washington and Jackson Avenues. The Edwards home was the nucleus of
the Beach Hotel established by Dr. J.J. Bland in 1899.
_small.jpg)
Roy
Lamar Bland (1878-1970)
(courtesy of Davis
Bland-Shreveport, Lousiana)
Bradford’s Landing
In early 1901, George D. Bland (1853-1915) left the hotel and on
January 30, 1901, he purchased the Louis Roquevert (1845-1890)
place, an approximately eighteen-acre tract on Old Fort Bayou from
New Orleanian, Blazine Penne Roquefort Barthe (1843-1916), the widow
of Louis Roquevert. This was the former site of Bradford’s
Landing.(Jackson County, Ms. Land Deed Book 24, pp. 77-79)
Here George D. Bland, established a truck farm and poultry
business. The Roquevert place was located today in the vicinity of
Bayou Cove and Ray Street east of Vermont in Section 19, T7S-R8W.
On February 19, 1904, The Progress reported on the farm of
G.D. Bland:
The Blands, father and son, went into the poultry business in a
small way about a year ago. Since then they have accumulated about
150 fine chickens of full blooded Plymouth Rock stock, an din six
months will have over six-hundred laying hens. They have just
hatched over five-hundred young chicks and in two weeks will have
five hundred more. They have three large incubators of over five
hundred capacity and have had splendid success in hatching their
chicks. The Blands are conducting their chicken ranch on a
scientific principles and raising buff, barred, and white Plymouth
Rocks of the best stock obtainable. Although only engaged in the
business one year their success has been remarkable, showing that
intelligence and industry is all that is needed to succeed in the
poultry business on the coast. The average price of eggs in the
local market is 25 cents per dozen and much of the time the demand
is far greater than the supply. In our opinion the Blands and
others engaged in the poultry business have a "cinch".
George D. Bland and his wife succumbed to pneumonia in the winter of
1915. He expired on Christmas Day and she passed on December 27,
1915. Their remains were interred in the Evergreen Cemetery at
Ocean Springs.(The Ocean Springs News, December 30, 1915,
p. 1)
Marriage
Roy L. Bland married Mamie Edwina Davis (1882-1965) circa 1906. She
was the daughter of George W. Davis (1842-1914) and Margaret
Bradford (1846-1920). The Davis family was well respected in the
region having been in the mercantile business for many years at
Vancleave and Ocean Springs. The Roy and Mamie E. Davis Bland
children were: Roy Lamar Bland (1905-1971), Davis Duncan Bland
(1909-1999), Tyler Hutchinson Bland (1912-2003), and Margaret
Wenonah McConathy (1918-1998).
Railroad agent
In 1910, Roy L. Bland was a private stenographer at Ocean Springs.
By June 1910, The Ocean Springs News reported that Roy L.
Bland family was residing at Bay, Arkansas where he was the railroad
agent for the Frisco Railroad. They were still residing there in
April 1911, but returned to Ocean Springs in September 1911.(The
Ocean Springs News, July 23, 1910 and July 30, 1910)
Dairy
Circa 1916, R.L. Bland commenced Bland's Sanitary Dairy at Ocean
Springs. In mid-December 1916, he was completing a new ten-cow
barn.(The Jackson County Times, December 16, 1916)
Mr. Bland advertised in The Jackson County Times, October
13, 1917 as follows:
BLAND'S SANITARY DAIRY
Sweet Milk 12c Quart; 6c a Pint
Delivered Morning and Evening
PHONE 57 R.L. BLAND
Photographer
Roy L. Bland took many photographs of Ocean Springs during his short
tenure here. Many of these black and white images were made into
postal cards and survive to the present. Bland's postcards can be
easily identified from his handwriting, which is usually written at
the base of the card describing the scene. Sometimes, he wrote his
name on the card.
By August 1922, Roy L. Bland and family were living at
Alexandria, Louisiana. He expired here in December 1970. No
further information.
REFERENCES:
Ray L. Bellande,
Ocean
Springs Hotels and Tourist Homes,
(Bellande: Ocean Springs, Mississippi-1994), pp. 98-99.
Journals
The Jackson County Times,
"Local News Items",
December 16, 1916.
The Ocean Springs News,
"Local News", July 23, 1910.
The Ocean Springs News,
"Local News", July 30, 1910.
The Ocean Springs News,
"Local News", April 15, 1911.
The Ocean Springs News,
"Local News", September 23, 1911.
The Ocean Springs News,
"Laid To Rest Within a Week", December 30, 1915.
The Progress,
February 19, 1904, p. 4.
US CENSUS-Jackson County, Mississippi (1900, 1910)
Personal Communication:
Florence B. Young-November 1996.
Sam Kinney-Harry Lucas Jr. Genealogy Collection
(Houston)-January 1997.
***********************************************************************************************************************************************
DOROTHY DELL (1914-1934): OUR FIRST MOVIE STAR
Many of us World War II babies vividly remember the early
1950s. These were the years of the birth of Rock and Roll, the
Korean War, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Mickey Mantle, Elvis, and a
young stage and movie actor named James Byron Dean (1931-1955).
Dean as you may recall died in a fiery automobile crash near Paso
Robles, California on September 30, 1955. Before his demise, Dean
made six flicks. He is best remembered for his last three:
East of Eden (1954), Rebel Without A Cause
(1955), and Giant (1956).
Another later tragedy closer to home was that of Jane
Mansfield (1932-1967) who lost her life on fog shrouded Highway 90
on the east side of New Orleans in December 1967. She had left the
Gus Stevens Club on the beach at Biloxi. If we go back to the
middle of the Great Depression of the 1930s, a analogous situation
to the Dean and Mansfield sagas existed, but with an Ocean Springs
connection. Unfortunately, this is also a tragic story.
Dorothy Dell
(1914-1934)
(courtesy of Virginia
Ames Young)
Dorothy Dell
On
June 8, 1934, a young Hollywood starlet left a party at an inn
located at Altadena, which is northeast of Pasadena, California.
Her escort, Dr. Carl Richard Wagner (1906-1934), a prominent
Pasadena surgeon, drove his sedan off the road, and hit a light
pole. His vehicle came to rest at the bottom of a ditch. Both
people were killed. The very young lady was one of Hollywood’s
rising stars, Dorothy Dell (1914-1934). Dr. Wagner and Miss Dell
had been celebrating the release of her latest movie, Shoot
The Works. The year 1934 began with great promise for
Dorothy Dell. The only three motion pictures in which she would
ever perform for Paramount Studios, Wharf Angel,
Little Miss Marker, and Shoot The Works
were released that year. Another film, Ruggles of Red Gap,
was in the works.
Elbert L. Goff
Dorothy Dell was born Dorothy Dell Goff at Hattiesburg, Mississippi
on January 30, 1914. She was the daughter of Elbert Lee Goff
(1891-1961) and Lillian Mae Davis (1895-1967). Mr. Goff was a
native of Escatawpa, Mississippi while Lillian Davis was reared at
Handsboro, Mississippi. At the time of their marriage, at North
Gulfport on November 12, 1912, Elbert Goff resided at Hattiesburg
where his sister, Nona Goff Lynd lived. Another daughter, Helen
Goff Bain, was born to Elbert and Lillian Goff in 1918.
Ocean Springs
Elbert
Lee Goff made his livelihood as a lumber broker. This peripatetic
occupation led the family to several locations in South Mississippi
and Louisiana. The Ocean Springs area was one. At Ocean Springs,
Dorothy Dell and her sister, Helen Goff, lived with her Uncle and
Aunt, Dave and Emma Davis, on Jackson Avenue. Dave Davis
(1883-1957) was born at Handsboro, Mississippi. He moved to Ocean
Springs circa 1908 where he was employed by the L&N Railroad as a
bridge and dredge foreman. He and his wife, Emma Ladnier
(1888-1956), a native of Fernwood, had three children: Clifton Lee
Davis (1912-1976), Lellen Davis Kennady (1907-1993), and Mildred "Micki"
Davis Ames (1923-1989). Lellen Davis was named Queen of the May
Festival in 1925.
In June 1920, Dave and Emma Davis bought a home at present
day 526 Jackson Avenue from Judge O.D. Davidson (1872-1938). They
resided here until April 1928, when the house was sold to Frank B.
Faessel (1870-1953). The Davis Family then moved to the Rose Farm
area of St. Martin.
The Goff girls attended school at Ocean Springs in the
1923-1924 school term. Some of Dell's fellow students in Miss Ina
Ruble's class were: Betty Bradford Milsted, Lloyd Catchot, Wilfred
Beaugez, and Ruth Madsen Mullin.
The first spell of Dorothy Dell's meteoric magic to Hollywood
was cast at Ocean Springs. She was named Queen of the May Festival
circa 1926. The May Festival was an annual event sponsored by the
Ocean Springs Women’s Club and the American Legion Ladnier Post 42.
It was held at Mineral Springs Park on Iberville Drive. Proceeds
from the occasion-helped finance the Community House, formerly the
American Legion-Jaycee Hut, which was demolished in .
New
Orleans
The
Goffs moved to New Orleans circa 1926 where young Dorothy Dell Goff
attended the Sophie Wright School on Napoleon Avenue near Prytania.
Her father, Elbert Lee Goff, was the branch manager for the
Southerland Trading Company. They lived at 1335 Arabella Street.
At New Orleans, Dorothy Goff began entering beauty contest.
She was successful winning the title of "Miss Eagle" in 1928. After
being named "Miss American Legion" at the Ponchartrain Revue, she
bested twenty-one other young ladies at Biloxi on July 4, 1929, to
be named "Miss Elk-Pat" (Miss Biloxi). Mayor John J. Kennedy
(1878-1949) presented her with a cup and cash prize. The Buena
Vista and White House Hotels sponsored the prizes for the event,
which was chaired by Anthony “Tony” V. Ragusin (1902-1997), “Mr.
Biloxi”.
In 1930, Dorothy Goff was named "Miss New Orleans". This
title sent her to Galveston, Texas where on August 2-6 of the same
year she was crowned "Miss America-Miss Universe" at the Fifth
Annual International Pagent of Pulchritude.
New
York
In
1931, New York called, and Miss Goff joined Ziegfeld's Follies.
Here she participated in this famous revue as a singer and dancer.
Miss Dell sang "Stormy Weather". Her younger sister, Helen, was a
chorine with the Ziegfeld's Follies. It is believed that Florenz
Ziegfeld (1869-1932) persuaded Dorothy Dell Goff to drop the name
Goff. The Dell in her name came from Maudie Dell Jones Davis, the
wife of her Uncle Lee Davis.
Dorothy Lamour (1914-1996) who was crowned "Miss
New Orleans" in 1931, also appeared in vaudeville shows with Dorothy
Dell. It is thought that she traveled with Dell and her mother as
they toured the country.
In April 1932, Dorothy Goff's photo had appeared in nine
magazines. She appeared as a guest artist on the Rudy Vallee radio
show that year.
Hollywood
Paramount Studios signed Dorothy Dell to a movie contract in 1933.
Three motion pictures were shot in rapid succession. Her first
Hollywood production, "Wharf Angel", starring Victor McLaglen,
Preston Foster, and Alison Skipworth was dubbed as a "dim little
fogbound melodrama". Little Miss Marke" was a
success. It featured Shirley Temple, Adolphe Menjou, and Charles
Bickford. This Damon Runyon story was about a gambler who was
forced to adopt a
little
girl. The child softens his tough nature and saves him from his
foes. Little Miss Marker was remade in 1980, with
Walter Mathau, Julie Andrews, Tony Curtis, and Bob Newhart.
In her final film, Shoot The Works, Dorothy
Dell played opposite Jack Oakie, Ben Bernie, Arline Judge, and
Roscoe Karns. It was adopted from the stage play, "The Great Magoo",
and told the story of a band leader and a gossip columnist staging a
fake feud.
In her autobiography, Child Star, Shirley
Temple Black remembers Dorothy Dell with fondness. Dell played
Bangles, the warm-hearted gun moll that is Shirley Temple's foster
mother in Little Miss Marker. Temple relates that
with Dorothy Dell she "felt treated as an equal", and
"my special affection for her was based on this positive
attitude, one which made me feel inches taller than I was."
Funeral
After
her death on June 8, 1934, there was some confusion where the body
of Dorothy Dell would be buried. Hattiesburg, Mississippi was first
mentioned by The Daily Herald, but this was apparently
confused with Handsboro, Mississippi. Her maternal grandfather,
Dave Davis (1855-1925), was buried at the Handsboro Cemetery.
By June 13, 1934, Lillian Goff, her mother, who was traveling
by rail with the body from California, had reached Del Rio, Texas.
She wired relatives at Gulfport and announced that Dorothy Dell Goff
would be interred at New Orleans. At the McMahon-Coburn Funeral
Home on Canal Street an estimated 30,000 people paid their final
respects to Dorothy Dell.
On June 15, 1934, funeral services for Miss Goff were held at
the Napoleon Avenue Methodist Church where she attended Sunday
school in previous years. Burial was in a vault at the Metairie
Cemetery. Dorothy Lamour, a close friend, came from a singing
engagement at Houston, Texas to attend Miss Dell’s funeral.
Post demise
Dorothy Dell's parents divorced shortly after her death. Elbert Lee
Goff returned to the Escatawpa area and later lived at Mobile. He
married Rhoda Viola Wilson (1911-ca 1982) circa 1936. She may have
been from Bay Minette, Alabama. Elbert and Viola Goff had two
children:
Laura
Lee Ortego (b. 1938) and Elbert "Sonny" M. Goff (b. 1941). The
family moved to New Orleans circa 1953.
Mrs. Lillian Davis Goff, Dorthy Dell's mother, remarried
circa 1937 to Ben Guzik. He was a trumphet player in the Ted Lewis
Band. They resided at New York City. Mrs. Guzik died on August 8,
1967, at Asheville, North Carolina, and is entombed with Dorothy
Dell in the Metairie Cemetery at New Orleans.
Helen Goff (1918-1967+), Dorothy Dell's sister, married a
Bain and lived at Dawson Springs, Kentucky and later Asheville,
North Carolina. She had a daughter, Barbara Dell Glass, who resides
at Bogalusa, Louisiana.
Miss Goff left many close relatives along the Mississippi
Gulf Coast. We can only speculate how far her career might have
gone. It was certainly promising. Like Dean and Mansfield whose
fame dims with each passing year, Dorothy Dell Goff is now but a
distant memory, albeit one that can be shared by the people of Ocean
Springs which was once an integral part of her life. God bless you,
Dorothy Dell, Ocean Springs will always remember and love you.
REFERENCES:
Shirley Temple Black, Child Star, (McGraw-Hill
Publishing Company: New York, New York-1988), pp. 44, 64 and 65.
Leslie
Halliwell, Halliwell's Film Guide, 7th Edition,
(Harper & Row: New York, New York-1989), pp. 605, 914, 1103.
Maggie
Kucifer, Goff-McMillan Family Tree, (Jackson County
Library-Pascagoula, Mississippi), p. 65.
Evelyn
Mack Truitt, Who Was Who on the Screen, 2nd Edition,
(R.R. Bowker Company: New York, New York-1977), p. 115 and p. 119.
Soards New Orleans City Directory
(1928), "Elbert Goff", (Soards Directory Company, Limited: New
Orleans-1928).
Report
of Ocean Springs High School for the Winter Term 1923-1924, Jackson
County Chancery Court Record Room.
Journals
The
Daily Herald,
"Goff-Davis", November 25, 1912, p. 5.
The
Daily Herald,
"Thousands Frolic With Elks In Annual Hospital Benefit", July
5, 1929, p. 1.
The
Daily Herald,
"Dorothy Dell, One Time "Miss Biloxi", Stars In Picture",
April 7, 1934. p. 1.
The
Daily Herald,
"Dorothy Dell Goff Dies in Auto Accident", June 8, 1934, p.
1, c. 4 and p. 3.
The
Daily Herald,
"Goff Funeral To Be Held At Hattiesburg", June 9, 1934, p. 1.
The
Daily Herald,
"Dorothy Dell To Be Buried At Handsboro Friday", June 12,
1934, p. 1.
The
Daily Herald,
"Coast Showing of Little Miss Marker", June 13, 1934, p. 8.
The
Daily Herald,
"Goff Family Changes Plans; Dorothy Dell To Be Buried In New
Orleans, Not Coast", June 13, 1934, p. 1.
The
Daily Herald,
"Body Reaches New Orleans", June 14, 1934, p. 1.
The
Daily Herald,
"David Davis", March 4, 1957, p. 2.
The
Daily Herald,
"Emma Ladnier Davis", August 28, 1956, p. 2.
The
Daily Herald,
"Elbert Goff Rites", September 22, 1961, p. 2.
The
Daily Herald,
"Mrs. Lillian Guzik", August 10, 1967, p. 2.
The
Daily Herald,
"Clifton L. Davis", March 15, 1976, p. A-2.
The
Daily Herald,
"Kenneth F. Ames, Sr.", July 19, 1987, p.
The
Jackson County Times,
"May Festival", May 10, 1924, p. 3.
The
Jackson County Times,
“In
This Weeks News”,
April 21, 1934, p. 3.
The
Jackson County Times,
“Cousins of Dorothy Dell to be entered in beauty contest at
Pascagoula”,
June 23, 1934, p. 3.
The
Mississippi Press,
"Escatawpa actress on TV", May 9, 1969.
The
Morning Tribune (NOLA),
“Crowds Mourn Dorothy Dell”,
June 15, 1934.
The
Ocean Springs Record,
"Sous Les Chenes", June 23, 1994, p. 14.
The
States Item (NOLA),
"Elbert Lee Goff", September 21, 1961, p. 4.
The
States Item (NOLA),
"Rites Slated in Mississippi for Elbert Goff", September 22,
1961, p. 5.
The
Sun Herald,
"Mildred Davis Ames", March 6, 1989, p. A-2.
The
Sun Herald,
“South
Mississippi Neighbor-‘And the new Miss Universe is ….Talented,
beautiful Dorothy Dell Goff of Handsboro’,
May 30, 2003, p. 8.
Personal Communication:
Ina
Goff Clarke-July 1994
Virginia Ames Young (Baton Rouge)-September 1994.
Ollie
Ladnier Newman (Biloxi)-August 1994.
Ruby
Lee Goff (Escatawpa)-August 1994
Dolores Dell Bradley (Wilmer, Alabama)-August 1994.
Else
Martin (Wade)-August 1994.
Sonny
M. Goff (Kenner, La.)-August 1994
Wilma
Dulaney-September 1994.
Annie May Parsley-September 1994.
************************************************************************************************************************
PARKER EARLE
In July 1884, when Parker Earle (1831-1917) acquired the twenty-five
acres on the Fort Point Peninsula at Ocean Springs, Mississippi,
known as the Stuart Orange Grove, from Elizabeth McCauley
(1840-1925) and W.R. Stuart (1820-1894), he was domiciled at New
Orleans as the horticultural director of the New Orleans World
Cotton Centennial Exposition (1884-1885).(JXCO, Ms. Land Deed Bk. 7,
p. 166)
Parker Earle by the 1880s was one of the most widely known
horticulturists in America. He had just become the first president
of the Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society, now the American
Horticultural Society. In 1876, he was a judge at the Centennial
Exposition. At the World Cotton Centennial Exposition in New
Orleans, he organized and was responsible for the horticulture
department. It is interesting to note that W.B. Schmidt
(1823-1900), an outstanding entrepreneur in the Crescent City, was
vice-president of the organization in charge of the Cotton
Centennial. It is highly probable that Schmidt who owned the Ocean
Springs Hotel on Jackson Avenue among other properties in the area
invited the Earles to visit Ocean Springs, then a sleepy village on
the Mississippi coast.
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