This photo first appeared on my blog in 2012 in a post about my grandparents magical yard. I used that post again in June of 2017. This time I am only posting the picture of my sister looking glamorous and me looking worried as we stand next to our trusty mounts. Neither of us can remember where we went on those horses. I remember a pillow/saddle that was made of some shiney purple fabric. That may have been the one I am leaning on.
You can read the original post at “Poppy’s Garden 1953”
This book has seen much use. It is held together with masking tape. It is full of the old standards of the day. It was published by “The Cable Company, Manufacturers of the famous Cable Line of Pianos and Inner- Player Pianos.” Click all images to enlarge.
My grandmother Fannie Turner Graham wrote on the cover of the book “Mary Virginia and Doris Graham. 1933. From Aunt Daisy who died suddenly 1961”
I chose this poem by James Whitcomb Riley because I was feeling rather nostalgic, thinking about my sister and me back in the olden days.
One of my uncle Henry Cleage’s photographs from the porch of our house at 5397 Oregon in Detroit. Below is a photo of the house and porch from which he took the photos. They were developed at Cleage printers, where Henry and Hugh had a full dark room.
I do not know who the little girls are. I have memories of riding bikes when I lived here, but no photographs. I remember going bike riding all around the neighborhood with my cousins, Dee Dee and Barbara. We rode in the street, which I wasn’t supposed to do. My sister and I used to go bike riding too but we usually had a destination – the library or my grandmother’s house. I lost that bike when I left it unchained outside of a store on W. Grand Blvd. We were on the way home from the Main Library.
You can read more of my memories of my bicycles in this post – “Biking at Old Plank Road, 1962”
This was the fourth and final inventory of the estate of Wiley Turner, deceased, formerly of Lowndes County Alabama. In the spring of 1865 the people enslaved in Alabama were emancipated by the presence of the Federal Army. This list was made in March of 1865. Emancipation followed shortly thereafter. Columns are Name, Age (approximate and if known) and Value. Number 27. Joseph, was my great great grandfather. He was my maternal grandmother Fannie Turner Graham’s grandfather.
State of Alabama}
Lowndes County}
Probate Court March 14th 1865
Personally came before me James W. Graham Judge of Probate of Lowndes County John A. Tyson, Thomas E Gully and William J Garrett appraisers of the personal estate of Wiley Turner late of said County – deceased, who being severally sworn that the foregoing sheets contain a full and complete appraisement of all the personal estate of Wiley Turner, exhibited to them the said appraisement by James W Turner the administrator on the 13 day of March 1865.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 14th day of March 1865 James W Graham Judge of Probate
John A Tyson
Thomas E Gully
W.J. Garrett
______________________________________
Related Links:
Joe Turner in the 1852 Estate File of Wiley Turner – The first list which was made in 1853 when all of the property of Wiley Turner was valued. It includes names, ages and valuations for all the enslaved before any divisions were made. My 2 X great grandfather, Joe was about 15 when this list was made.
Second Inventory of Wiley Turner’s Estate – 1856 This list was made to determine the division so that the oldest daughter of Wiley Turner could receive her share of the estate.
Third Inventory of Wiley Turner’s Estate – 1858 This list was made to determine the division when the next child, James, came of age.
Measuring Worth – An article about valuation of the enslaved. It includes several charts about valuation of enslaved people, at various ages and in various years, showing that (as I saw in these lists) values soared from 1852 to 1861.
3/18/10
My dear Sweetheart:-
How did you spend St. Patrick’s day? It was a lovely day sure and also has today been beautiful. How are you? Have you gotten entirely well. I hope that pains and aches with you are now “past history.”Does your mother seem to be improving?
These are busy days with me. Examinations for the close of the winter term begin Monday and will last one week after which comes a ten or twelve day’s vacation.- What can I do with so much time all by my lone self.
Do you remember that last year we planned a day’s outing in the country and I thinking the day appointed, too bad did not show up? And also how you got angry with me? See how well I remember. That has been one year ago but it to me certainly does not seem so long. You did go to Brookside with me, which was the beginning of several very pleasant trips which will always be sweet sweet memories to me. My vacation is about 10 days off and it may be yet that you will be able to take that trip which we planned last year.
Mrs. White, I believe goes to Lincoln Hospital tomorrow to be operated upon Monday. Mrs. Brady – Little Marcum Mitchell’s grandmother died at the City Hospital this morning.
Of course I selected that negative which you liked better, others whose opinion I asked were about equally divided. I send you the other which is fast fading.
Be careful for yourself. The things you said in your last letter were surely the product of a melancholie mind – such moods are not good for you. Cheer up!! Of course, God in His wise providence might call your mother home, and ’tis he alone who can cause me to cease loving you. So wake up from your dream – you shall nurse, not patients for someone else, but (__?__) for yourself – Won’t you like that better. Yes, I believe you will – Ha! ha!
Your Albert
{Had better burn this letter up}
My grandparents, Pearl Reed and Albert Cleage, exchanged letters for several years while they were courting. The letters go from 1907 when they met to 1912 when they were married, my father had been born and they were moving from Indianapolis, IN to Kalamazoo, MI. Unfortunately I do not have copies of my grandmother’s letters, just my grandfather’s. You can read more of Albert’s letters to Pearl and what else was going on when he wrote them, by looking at the Index of blog posts I wrote for the A to Z Challenge in 2014. Scroll down past the posts for 2017, 2016 and 2015 until you reach 2014. Perhaps I should give each year’s index a separate page.
At one point, this letter refers back to a letter from a year ago. You can read it here at K is for Kenwood.
From 1976 to 1984 I lived in Mississippi and raised some goats, children and chickens. These are four of the goats. They needed their hoofs trimmed. I could talk their language. Recently I realized that it would have been a lot less trouble to go buy a couple of gallons of milk instead of milking all those goats twice a day, buying their feed and trying to keep them confined before I gave that up and just let them wander the area, losing garden after garden as they figured out how to break in and eat it. However, it was an experience for the whole family that would not have been replicated by buying milk.
You can read more about those years in these posts:
Rt 1 Box 38 – The Luba Project
R Is For route 1 Box 173 & 1/2
1978 – Mississippi Shoes and Film
My sister Pearl interviewed me in 2010 about my interest and findings in family history research. I talked about some of the stories I’ve blogged about – Dock Allen’s Escape, finding Eliza in the 1860 census and slave documents. I have found more information since the time of this interview – court records about the land case between the Turners, newspaper articles, and several Wills from slave holders who owned my Cleages and Turners.
It gives you a chance to hear my voice and my thoughts about how to start your research. I highly recommend being interviewed. I am enjoying listening to myself talk, for one thing. If you can’t find anyone to interview you, interview yourself! I think it makes a great addition to the legacy we are leaving for those following us.
2010 Story Corps interview with my sister Pearl asking me about my research and findings.
My father and his brothers and perhaps a sister and some cousins and an aunt. My grandfather took his family back to his home town, Athens, Tennessee every summer for many years to visit his brother and his brothers family and his mother.
Wiley Turner died in 1851 in Lowndes County Alabama. The first inventory of his personal property, including those enslaved on his plantation, took place in 1852. You can see a list of names, ages and “values” in this post – Joe Turner in the 1852 Estate File of Wiley Turner. The second inventory was taken in 1856 when the oldest child came of age – Second Inventory of Wiley Turner’s Estate – 1856.
The third inventory was taken when the second child, James Mosely Turner, reached the age of 21 and wanted his share of the estate. #63. Yellow Joe, was my great great grandfather. Click on any image to enlarge.
The State of Alabama}
Lowndes County}
To the Honorable E.H. Cook, Judge of Probate for said county The undersigned commissioners under and by virtue of the accompanying and foregoing commission by your Honor made and directed to them to divide the personal Estate of Wiley Turner deceased so as to set off one fifth thereof to James Turner one of the Heirs and distributees of said deceased shows that in conformity with said order after first having taken an oath before a Justice of the Peace to make such distribution fairly and impartially if the same can be made the proceeded on the 21st of December 1857 and continued and continuous until the 8th of January 1858 to divide and value the personal property of deceased as follows ______
Valuation of entire slave property of deceased – names of
James Wiley Turner’s Lot consisted of:
Related Links:
The first list which was made in 1853 > Joe Turner in the 1852 Estate File of Wiley Turner
Second Inventory of Wiley Turner’s Estate – 1856
An article about valuation of the enslaved. It includes several charts about valuation at various ages and in various years, showing that (as I saw in these lists) values soared from 1852 to 1861 – Measuring Worth
Wiley Turner died in 1851 in Lowndes County Alabama. The first inventory of his personal property, including those enslaved on his plantation, took place in 1852. You can see a list of names, ages and “value” in this post – Joe Turner in the 1852 Estate File of Wiley Turner.
The second inventory was taken in 1856 when Wiley Turner’s oldest daughter Mary J Hunter had reached the age of 21. She picked lot #6, which is highlighted in red below. Click the images of the inventory on the right to enlarge for reading.
The State of Alabama
Lowndes County
To the Hone. E.H. Cook Judge of Probate for said County.
“The undersigned commissioners appointed by your honor to divide the real and personal Estate of the late Wiley Turner deceased under an order of the 20 January 1856 so that Mary J. a daughter and heir at law of said deceased now the wife of Clinton Hunter could get her part set off to her under said order. Beg leave to report that they met at the plantation of said deceased. and after first being duly sworn accepted to said ? and valued said slaves separately and then placed them with same other property in six lots of as nearly equal value as possible as follows,”
Lot #1
Lot #2
Lot #3
Lot #4
Lot #5
Lot #6
_________________________
The pages from Wiley Turner’s file included here came from Ancestry.com.