By Ray L. Bellande

 

 

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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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.

 

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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.

 

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.

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                                                                                                   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.

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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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