Granny's Charlotte Street Neighbor: Miss Bessie

During the early 1970s, my grandmother lived at 203 North Charlotte Street in Dickson. The home, which was originally a duplex, was owned by the Shelton family. One of my grandmother's neighbors was Miss Bessie. I'd written about several other of the Charlotte Street neighbors' families, and I'd intended to write about her at some point, but I had to wait until I could find out her surname.  

The Tax Books for Dickson County(TN) are online at FamilySearch and cover the years 1831-1965. My plan was to use the tax book and the 1950 Census together to see if I could locate anyone on Cullum. 

In the 1950 Census, the entry for 100 Cullum(Dickson TN) was that of Ben F Mason, a 74-year-old widower.  The only other person enumerated with him was his niece, Bessie Holt, a 37-year-old divorcee. That entry and the 1965 tax entry for Bessie Holt showing that Charlotte Street bordered her property on the north gives me enough confidence to conclude that she is the same lady who was my grandmother's neighbor.

I found several other records in the Dickson Co TN records at FamilySearch that contained information about Bessie's life.  In December 1962, she took out a loan and used her household furniture for collateral.  The loans from the finance company were recorded in the county books which give a detailed list of the furniture.

• 1-4 pc. Living Room Suite
• 1-17" Philco Television Set
• 1-5 pc. Dinette Suite
• 1-G.E. Refrigerator
• 1-Gas Kenmore Stove
• 1-Speed Queen Washing Machine
• 1-Mahogany Hollywood Bed
• 1-Lt. Mahogany Chest of Drawers
• 1-Lt. Mahogany Dresser

While researching Bessie's life, I found that she had folks from her Holt and Mason sides who went to Indiana(Marion and Vigo Counties) between 1920 and 1930. Bessie must have visited her family there, as I found a marriage record for her there to Harley Hardiman, an older widower, in December 1930.  There is also some question about whether or not she married a Davis man in the 1960s as her Social Security Information records indicated a name change during that period.  By Bessie's passing, Granny had been gone from the Charlotte Street area for over 15 years and I had moved out of state.  I was heartbroken to learn that she had died as a result of a housefire at her residence. How very sad.  She was laid to rest in the East Dickson Cemetery.

Sources:

Dickson County Tax Records, 1962-1965, Tax year 1965, p 38, entry of Bessie Holt; browsable image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C39N-C4YQ?cat=93578&i=782 : accessed 20 November 2024), IGN 8474065, 783 of 906.

1950 US Federal Census, Dickson Co. TN, Enumeration District 22-7, Household #269, sheet 23, Lines 5-6(Ben F Mason & Bessie Holt) 100 Cullum St; FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6FSQ-ZTCN : accessed 20 November 2024), Entry for Ben F Mason and Bessie Holt, 1 May 1950.

Dickson Co. Tennessee, Trust Deeds Vols 86-88(1961-1963), Vol 88, p 343, Chattel Mortgage of Bessie Holt to Hickory Finance of Dickson; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C39N-8BPR : accessed Nov 21, 2024) IGN 8475046, image 818 of 958.

"Home fires in Montgomery, Dickson fatal to father and son, elderly woman," The Tennessean, Fri 6 Jan 1989, p B-1, col 1; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-home-fires-in-montgomery/159449321/ : accessed 20 Nov 2024).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/215756933/bessie-holt: accessed November 21, 2024), memorial for Bessie Holt (12 Feb 1904–5 Jan 1989), Memorial ID 215756933, citing East Dickson Cemetery, Dickson, Dickson County, Tennessee, USA.

Charles Brandon To Daniel Williams --Bedford Co TN(1817)

Charles Brandon to Daniel Williams for $150

When:  13 Sept 1817
What:  tract or parcel of land lying in the county of Bedford on the waters of the Clems Creek bounded as follows  Beginning at a Cedar marked CB in William Hills East boundary line of his 320 acre tract on said creek about thirty-one chains south of the North East corner of the same running thence south eighty poles to an Elm thence east one hundred poles to a stake by a walnut tree thence North Eighty poles to a post  oak thence west one hundred poles to the beginning fifty acres

Witnessed by Elias Brandon and John King

Bedford County, Tennessee, Deed Books, Volume Q, p. 362, Charles Brandon to Daniel Williams; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKX-S3W5-M : accessed 13 November 2024), IGN 8150799. image 651 of 931.

Understanding Errors Made During Microfilming

 Bedford County Tennessee deed books O-R were microfilmed by the Tennessee State Library and  Archives and are digitally available via FamilySearch in Image Group Number 008150799.  I'm so thankful to have these records and others like them available to access from home.  

The IGN 8150799 images might be confusing to some because of errors in the target images.  Target images are documents added that give additional information about the item being microfilmed. Some examples are: End of roll, End of item, Tight Binding, Smeared Ink, etc.  Volume O contains deeds for 1821-1822 and has an index for those deeds at the front of the book.  While the dates covered are correct the book is more than an index.

Volumes P, Q, and R are also listed incorrectly as Index Books on the target images but now we have an additional error.  The person who created the handwritten target pages wrote 19 instead of 18 for the first two numbers of the year. 

 

Volume P

Volume Q

Volume R

Thankfully, FamilySearch has it listed correctly on their site. It is essential that you know what records you are using. A citation is more than just a road map back to the source, it requires understanding the why and when of the record creation as well as recognizing any errors made in the transferring of that record to a different format. This is just one example of errors you might encounter while researching.

Notes:  

Bedford Co TN Deed Books(w/ front index) IGN 008150799

Volume O   Images 6-227
Volume P    Images 229-457
Volume Q   Images 459-659
Volume R   Images 661-931

Falling Back an Hour and Buttons

Some of my favorite buttons

It's the time of year when we set our clocks back one hour.  What to do with that "extra" hour?  I decided to sew on a few buttons that needed replacing. I'd put that off as long as I could. Procrastination--a word for another day.  This was an easy task except when it came to my blazer.  There were no extra buttons on it. That prompted me to look through my button jar to find one that might match.  Do you have a button jar or a button tin?  I have one full of the buttons that my family saved over the years.  It contains buttons saved by my Mom's family and those saved by my Dad's family.  My Grandparents raised their families during the Depression so buttons, like many other items, were saved and repurposed.

In looking for a replacement button, I found buttons that sparked childhood memories.  A few buttons leftover from a jacket that had been made for me when I was about 5 or 6.  Buttons from the dresses that Mom and Aunt Bobbie wore to a wedding.  At one time, I had a button from Daddy's old brown corduroy coat. I didn't see it this time.  Hopefully, it's not lost. and I've just overlooked it. 

It is interesting how different things spark a memory--songs, flowers, scents, textures, fabrics, and buttons.  

W L Acuff Released from 1882 Poll Tax--Van Buren Co. TN

W L Acuff mentioned in the above image is my 2nd Great-grandfather, William Leon Acuff. He was a Christian Church minister. According to family stories passed down, he met my 2nd Great-grandmother, Sarah McElroy when he came to the McElroy community in Van Buren County to preach.

orderdered(sic) by the Court that W L Acuff 
be Released of his poll tax for 1882 he being 
a minister of the gospel and the trustee and 
tax collector have a Credit the same

Source:  Van Buren County, Tennessee, Court Minutes 1872–1886, p 532, April 1883 Term, W L Acuff released from poll tax 1882; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C39N-BTYH : accessed Oct 18, 2024), image 482 of 612; IGN 8478553.

Wm T Hale--Road Hand Van Buren Co. TN March 1845

Wm T Hale my 3rd great-grandfather was among the hands appointed to take care of the road under the direction of Dixon Hillis at the March Term of Court in 1845 Van Buren County Tennessee.  I have very few records for him which makes this find all the more exciting.  

Van Buren Co TN Court Records 1840–1866

IGN 8151146  Image 82 of 635

FamilySearch https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKX-3QZ4-C
County Clerk's Minute Book April 1840- May 1855 p 144

March Term 1845

Ordered by the Court that Dixon Hillis be appointed 
Overseer of the road from the forks of the road at Squire 
Yorks new field to the foot of the mountain and keep the same 
in repair as the law directs it being a road of the second class 
And have the following bounds of hands Wm McDaniel Archibald 
Hillis Jackson McCarver Dixon N Hillis Wm T Hale Francis 
A Hale Thos Russell & John Boyd