Seventy Five Years +

Submitted by
Fred McCaleb


What A Difference 75 Years Can Make!

A sure sign that you're getting "up there" is that you can remember back
when things were different . . . A LOT Different!

Consider some of the changes that we have witnessed!!!
We were born before the PILL and the population explosion.

We were born before TV, penicillin, polio shots, antibiotics, frisbees,
frozen food, nylon, dacron, Xerox and contact lenses.

We were before radar, flourescent lights, credit cards, split atoms,
laser beams, and ball-point pens.

For us, time-sharing meant togetherness ... not computers or condominiums.
A "chip" meant a piece of wood, hardware meant hardware, and software
wasn't even a word!

In our time, closets were for clothes, not for "coming out of," and being
gay meant you were happy and carefree.
In those days, bunnies were small rabbits and rabbits were not Volkswagons.

We were before Batman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Snoopy.

We were before DDT, vitamin pills, disposable diapers, Jeeps, and the Jefferson
nickel.

We preceded Scotch Tape, the Grand Coulee Dam, M&M's, automatic
transmissions, and Lincoln Continentals.

When we were in school ... pizzas, Cheerios, frozen orange juice, instant
coffee and McDonald's were unheard of. We thought fast food was what you
ate during Lent and Outer Space was the back of the Riviera Theater.

We never heard of FM radio, tape recorders, electric typewriters, word
processors, electronic music, digital clocks, artificial hearts and guys
wearing earrings.

We were before pantyhose and drip-dry clothes, ice makers, dishwashers,
clothes dryers, freezers, electric blankets, air conditioners and before
Hawaii and Alaska became states.

We were before yogurt, Ann Landers, plastics, hair spray, the forty-hour
week and the minimum wage and before man walked on the moon.

We got married first ...and then lived together afterward. How quaint
can you be?

In our day, cigarette smoking was fashionable, "grass" was mowed, "coke"
was something you drank, "pot" was something you cooked in, "rock music" was
a grandmother's lullaby and AIDS were helpers in the Principal's office.

We were before coin-operated vending machines, jet planes, helicopters,
and interstate highways. "Made in Japan" meant junk and the term "making
out" referred to how you did on your exam.

We were before house-husbands, gay rights, computer dating, dual careers,
and computer marriages. We were also before day-care centers, group therapy
and nursing homes.

We had fountain pens with bottles of real ink. We had stockings made of
real silk with seams up the back that were never straight. We had saddle
shoes and cars with rumble seats. We had corner ice-cream parlors with
little tables and wire-back chairs where we had a choice of three flavors.
We hit the scene when there were 5-cent and 10-cent stores where you
bought things for five and ten cents. You could buy ice cream cones for a
nickel or a dime.
For one nickel you could ride a street car, make a phone
call,buy a Pepsi, or enough stamps to mail one letter and two postcards.

You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600 ... but who could afford one? A
pity, too, because gas was only 11-cents a gallon.

We were certainly not before the difference between the sexes was
discovered, but we were surely before the sex change ... we made do with what
we had.

And we were the last generation that was so dumb as to think you needed a
husband to have a baby! Can you imagine that?

Hallmark Postcard 1877

by
Fred McCaleb

Dear Brother,


In answer to your inquiry of family relations I will give you a few members. My
great grand father came from England. His name was George and grandfather was
named George Father’s name is James. I will give you the names of a few of
grandfather’s brothers names on the back side. Yours, W.H. Hallmark

On the other side of the card were listed these brothers and a sister of George
Hallmark Jr namely Tom (ours), Williiam, Jessie, John, Minet, Cummings,,
Richard, & sister Polly. So at least these and some more were the children of
George Hallmark Sr of England.

I listed part of James Washington Hallmarks children tnat were in the family
Bible on a

previous page. Here is a letter that was written to his sister Polly (Mrs.
Daniel Henderson) at Alto, Cherokee County, Texas by A.J. Hallmark.

Wetumpkia, Ala. Sept. 25, 1859 Dear Sister and Bros

I have just received yours, of the 9th inst I was truly glad to see it for it is
the first letter I have got from you since you left here. I wrote you three
letters and received no answer. Since you left here we have passed through
severe series of affliction. The tenth of October was a year ago our only
daughter Bettie died. She was just grown. Beautiful and intelligerit---wel1
educated. We had spent most all we made upon her, but its God knows what is
best and I try to submit to his providence. We have only two children. They are
boys, one about 15 and the other about 13 years of age both very well educated
good English scholars and now studying "Latin". I am getting along tolerable
well so as to live very comfortable. As you see I am living in Wetumpkia
keeping a large hotel, the principal one of the place, but I have been selling
goods most of the time since you left. Business is good here. Crops are
generally good. Well, you wanted to know where all the connections were in the
first place I could say that I am here all alone from connections. They are all
gone from this country but Claiborn he is still livinagCoosa. Fatherr living
louisaia up on Red River near a little place by the name of Montgomery, La,
near all of his wifes relations asc there too. Uricle Evans Gaskills family are
all living in Louisiana at a post office by the name of Rose Hill in Union
Parish except Sarrah. She married a man by the name of Williams and lives in
Memphis,. Tenn. Uncle Charles & Ryan and aII their family are out in Texas Some
where about the Basos River-there is but fear of the old settlers about
Sylacauga now all gone. My wifes motner and father are both dead.Wm. Bulgar is
preaching. He is at this time President of the Louisiana Conference of the
Protestant Church . He is married, he married very well. I was at Dr. Elisha
Wlilsons a few days ago he is livin g in Shell County near Wilsonville but is
now fixing to move West to Louisiana. Has a farm and some hands there now. I
saw aunt Sally. She looks well for her age. Several of their family are living
in Bibb about the same old places. Uncle John Cottingham and his family are
living in Lowndes Co of this state down below Montgomery –Have not seen any
of them for some time. Uncle Elisha and a part of his family are still living
in Bibb at the same old place that Grandfather used to live at. So you se we
are very much scattered and no probability that we will ever live so close
together again as we once did (all of us). My dear sister and brother and
family there is a place where we may all meet again that place is Heaven and by
the Grace of God I am determined to try and go there when I leave this world. I
hope you all enjoy religion, live so that at last we may meet in that Happ
World if we never see each other here. I would like to seel you still hope that
I may. Jane and the boys send their loves,

Your brother,

A J Hallmark

Application for land in Madison County Ala 1809

George Hallmark Sr No 206 Aldreds Creek 1 R 54 150 205 8 George Hallmark Jr,
Indian Creek 100 27 150 228 8

The 1809 census of Madison Coumty, Ala (Mississippi Territory) Jan 1800

George Hallmark 3r 3 white males imder 21 and 1 over 21 2 white females over 21
George Hallmark Jr 2 white males under 21 and I over 21, 4 white females under
21 and 2 over 21

William Hallmark 3 white males under 21 and 1 over 21, 3 white females under 21
and 1 over-21

Richard Hallmark I male over 21 , and I female over 21 Must have just got
married

The last 3 Hallmarks are Georae Hallmark Sr children and brothers of our Thomas

Letter to Dr. Howell ll

Plastic Surgery, Dr. Howell II

Dear Sir,

All the cancer tests I have ever taken have turned out positive. The Dr. here in
Fayette gave me a PSA test for prostate and it registered 12 about 15 years ago
and said I better come in and get it treated before it killed me. I came in
and he sent me to Tuscaloosa and I got it tested and they said it was OK. He
tested 3 or 4 more times and it was always positive. And tried to send me
again. I didn’t go. Test worthless on me.

I year or two ago he tested a bump on face for skin cancer. I believed that test
and let him cut it out. Then there was a spot on head he tested. I went back for
treatment and he said wait and see what happens. Nothing happened.

I scratched a place and went to him again this year. He tested me for skin
cancer. I told him I didn’t need the test but he paid me no attention. The
place he tested was trying to bleed me to death that night and the nurse here
at Morningside assisted living called an ambulance to take me 1 ½ miles to
Fayette Hospital. Dr there got blood stopped with gauze and bandage around
head. The place healed up in about a week. It seems to be completely healed.

I have been waiting on younger sister to come and take to different Dr. and see
if I need operation. I am determined not to have it myself. If it kills me I
will just die happy and go on to the great beyond. I am 91 years old and have
lived mostly a long and happy life. Sorry If I have inconvenienced you. But I
am not coming unless someone drags me.

Yours Truly Fred McCaleb

My Daughter called this afternoon and said she would go by my decision.

Hymn Designations

Submitted by Fred

The Dentist's Hymn: Crown Him With Many Crowns
The Weatherman's Hymn: There Shall Be Showers of Blessings
The Contractor's Hymn: The Church's One Foundation
The Tailor's Hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy

The Golfer's Hymn: There is A Green Hill Far Away
The Politician's Hymn: Standing On The Promises
The Optometrist's Hymn: Open My Eyes That I May See
The IRS Agent's Hymn: I Surrender All
The Gossip's Hymn: Pass It On
The Electrician's Hymn: Send Out Thy Light
The Shopper's Hymn: Sweet By And By

For those of you who drive, if you must speed on the highway, please
sing these......
45 mph: God Will Take Care Of You
55 mph: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
65 mph: Nearer My God To Thee
75 mph: Nearer Still Nearer
85 mph: This World Is Not My Home
95 mph: Lord, I'm Coming Home
Over 100 mph: Precious Memories

Letter from Fred

Dear Clancy & Tom, Jean & Ardell,

I am lazy today and am making this letter cover more than one address. I hope no
one minds. You asked if I got over my skinned forehead in January. I did do
that. It seemed to heal faster than usual and the bad looks of it was gone in
about a week or little over. The Psychological effects of the fall are not
gone yet however. I have been fearful of walking for fear of falling again.
Seems I have just about got my courage back. Probably about ready for another
fall. It is bad to have to try to walk again. I never realized I would get in
the position of 2nd childhood.

My second eye operation turned out to be 20/30 vision. Not quite as good as the
first which turned out a perfect 20/20. I was a little disappointed in that. But
I shouldn’t complain since 20/30 was as good as I ever had before. The costs
of the 2 eye operations was approximately $10,000, $4000 for the doctors 40
minutes work, and $6000 for 4 hrs outpatient stay at the hospital. Somebody is
as great an expert stealing as Clinton’s expertise at lying. The 2nd eye was
a little red when you were here but cleared up OK. Clinton has done lyed twice
in last 2 wks, once about dope peddling from Mexico and once about bombing
Cosovo or whatever Yugoslav fighting is called. Trying to tell rest of world
what to do and its none of our business. Let them kill each other and settle
their troubles themselves.

Bettie is up in the world now. She got an 80th birthday card from Hillary and
Billary Clinton. Am sure she really has their sympahies. I got one from them 2
½ years ago. I saved it in my miscellaneous notebook and labeled it “from
the champion liar of the world”. How cruel to treat a beloved president that
way!

We have had 2 letters from Jean since her and Ardell went to Fla. to spend the
bad part of the winter. They’re down there eating oranges and grapefruit and
basking in the sun. Enjoying living in their mobile travel home whichever spot
they choose to live. Sound like aristocrats.

This is Tuesday and it has been cold here for a couple of days. 21 degrees
yesterday morning and 35 this morning and spit a little snow. Guess the
roughest part of winter is coming up. Pear trees are starting to bloom and
ready for som 10 degree weather to kill the blooms. Then after that the spring
tornado blow away.

I am on the internet now and my e mail address is n4eb@fayette.net. Got a
little genealogy about the daughter of 1st Hugh of Fayette County, Barbary
McCaleb Lauderdale. Got it from a girl in Ca. I may become addicted to this
internet mess. You can even find out what your latitude and longitude is.
Pretty well got one placed. I even find my own name on there in the
genealogical field. Billary knows all about you. Got your number.

Jean Ellen, Timm & Brooke are coming to see us March 20th. Grandson Bradley
Boswell is coming to see us by himself on his spring break Mar.7th. So I guess
we will have a little Company in March. Will be glad to see anyone that comes.

We are still taking aquatic exercise. I try to walk and do the equivalent of
about a mile of exercise on other days. Am not sure its worth anything. Have
arthritis of the neck and right arm. I guess this is enough of my complaints.
Hope everybody is well and will write me if they ever get time.

With love, from Fred McCaleb

Letter to Clancy from Fred 1997

4146 county Rd.51
Fayette,Al. 35555
November 8,1997
Dear Clancy and Tom,
I got your nice letter today. I wish I could write one that good. As far as I
can tell you do a perfect job of writing letters. We were glad to have all of
you here, and enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks for all your nice comments.
You will be welcome to come here for another reunion next year if I am alive
and welcome to come visiting any time you wish.
I am trying to take Lucille’s advice and not talk of being old and disabled
but find it sort of hard to do. The general trend of my thinking has been to
assume that tomorrow will be just the same kind of day as today, but that is
somewhat false thinking. Tomorrow can bring most anything to one, good or bad.
I try not to worry much about the future and find absolutely no reason to worry
about the past. We have only today, and have to do the best we can with it.
We went to the genealogy society meeting in Winfield Monday night and to
Tuscaloosa Thursday morning. We ate lunch with some of the old ladies at
Tuscaloosa. I told one I hoped to make it to 2000. She said she didn’t know
if she wanted to make it that long or not. Said they would have the world in
such a mess by then that she didn’t know if she would want to be around. So
some people have my kind of young outlook or worse. Poor things. Ha!
I have been searching the other CD rom disks I have for our genealogy and have
found a few pages more.
I am about fed up with genealogy. Need to get my mind on something else. About
as far or further than anybody has ever got anyway, and its very hard to find
the ancestors of wives of husbands where their only last name is their
husband’s. I will just have to pat myself on the back and admit I have done
the best I could. Some of it may not be exactly right, but I will let others
prove the mistakes. I have put? marks in most all places where unsure.
Momma told me I might find something I didn’t want to know if I went too far
with the ancestors. She was right on that. I guess none of them have measured
up to being perfect as I might have expected, but one has to take them as they
were. There is no changing of the past. Momma might have meant I might find
something about daddy we didn’t want to know. Best I can find out he was at
least a better man after he got momma but not perfect. I haven’t found faults
with momma except she did some extra worrying that was probably unnecessary.
Their combination produced good children. We are proud to be who we are.
Dad’s favorite song was “Love Lifted Me.” He used to try to sing that
sometimes when we were plowing. He may have been lifted by momma’s love and
Christianity. Lets hope so.
Guess I had better quit rambling around in my thoughts and quit for this time.
With Love,
Fred McCaleb

Fort Hollingsworth-White House

Send to Fred McCaleb about his Ancestors

Fort Hollingsworth-White House is located in the community of
Hollingsworth, on Wynn Lake Road, about two miles off US Hwy
441 between Baldwin, Ga. and Homer, Ga.

Hollingsworth Fort was first shown on a map of the Defensive Plan
Western Frontier, Franklin County in 1793.

Georgia's boundaries in the 1700's can best be described as the
wild frontier. Between 1782 and 1797 various treaties were made
with the Indians to define Georgia's boundaries. Forts were built
to protect the settlers who lived on the frontier. Indians were
likely to be incited by misunderstandings. Horses and farm animals
were frequently stolen, and families had to be protected in fortress-
type buildings surrounded by wooden fences.

The first settlers of Franklin County whose lands granted by the
State of Georgia between 1783 and 1788 lay north of the Indian
Boundary fixed by the treaty of 1785. These lands were granted
under the impression that they lay south of the agreed Indian
boundary line. When this line was surveyed it was found that
these lands lay north of the boundary line and in the Cherokee
Nation, which demanded their removal.

William W. Wofford and Jacob Hollingsworth both moved from North
Carolina to Franklin Co., Ga. before l792. Wofford's fort appeared
on the map in 1792 and Hollingsworth's in 1793. This area was known
as Wofford's Settlement.

When Col. Wofford found out that their settlement was considered to
be in Indian territory after the line was surveyed, he along with
the other settlers in this area petitioned Georgia Governor James
Jackson to have the line re-run or to take such other action as
would protect them and the possessions of their homes.

Legend has it that he mounted his horse and rode to Washington to
talk with the authorities about his land holding in Georgia. This
resulted in the "Four Mile Purchase" of 1804 when the Indians ceded
a strip of land 4 miles wide (from the Habersham and Banks County
line on Baldwin Mountain to the Line Baptist Church on Hwy. 441)
and 23 miles long (extending from Curahee Mountain to the head waters
of the South Oconee River) which included the Wofford Settlement. It
was originally marked by a line of felled trees at least twenty feet
wide which became a sort of no man's land. The United States agreed
to pay the Cherokee Indians $5,000 and $1,000 per annum for the
property rights.

By about 1796 the Indian troubles were about over and the need for
the string of frontier forts was no longer pressing. The forts,
after the need for defense subsided, became log farmhouses.

The Wofford's and the Hollingsworth's traveled together to new
frontiers in the west using passports to travel through Indian
territory. As the years passed many of their descendants would
pack up their belongings, taking wives, children, slaves and
animals and move west, as genealogy records show. Fort Hollingsworth
was left on these vacant lands.

In Habersham County Inferior Court setting as a land court May
Term 1855, William B. Wofford, son of Nathaniel Wofford, grandson
of William W. Wofford, petitioned the court for a head right warrant
for vacant lands. He received a grant from the state on Oct. 2,
1855. He sold this property to Col. Robert McMillan on April 18,
1857. Fort Hollingsworth was on this property.

Col. Robert McMillan came from Ireland in 1831. He put his heart,
soul, and money into the Confederate cause and raised and commanded
the 24th Georgia Regiment. Although nearly sixty years old he was
noted for his bravery. When General Thomas R. R. Cobb fell, mortally
wounded at Fredricksburg, Col. McMillan was placed in temporary
command and would have been made Brigadier-General but his health
failed and he came home to die.

On March 1, 1861, Robert McMillan sold the property to John Lane.
He had owned the property little more than a month when the Civil
war started. He went off to the war, Co. D-43 Regiment-Ga.
Volunteer Infantry-Army of Tenn. CSA-"Middle River Volunteers",
and never returned. He was shot by his own men as he returned
from getting water from a spring in Tennessee. Until this day
no one knows where he is buried. He was killed in the summer of
1862. He never got to live in the house, in life, but his ghost
still haunts the place. He has been seen by those who have lived
in the house and they all describe him in the same way, a somber
face and dressed in clothing of the 1860's. Canon blasts are
heard occasionally that rattles the windows. His property was
divided among sisters.

On December 9, 1862, Joshua White bought the "Upper Leather Tract",
from the John Lane estate, and he and Katharine Lane White made the
fort their home. They built the addition to the two story single
pen that had been the fort and made it look like any other farm
house of the mid 1800's. The addition was linked to the original
structure by a covered walkway, known as a dogtrot. Dogtrots
allowed the inhabitants to work outside in pleasant weather and
protected the entire house from burning if one side caught on fire.
The air flow through the dogtrot helped to cool the house in the summer.

The old wagon road ran through the yard of the fort, past the barn,
down through the fields and across Mountain Creek. It continued on
to the old Hollingsworth Store (which was across the road from where
Irvin's Store now stands) and crossed US Hwy 441 near Harmony Church
and continued on to the Wofford Fort on Broad River. It is still
visible today, in places.

Water was always a problem on the site. Several wells were dug
but had to be filled in because of caving. Water was carried
from a spring located southwest of the house. Water flowed into
a stone bowl just deep enough for a bucket.

Also, located near this spring was a wash place. Laundry was carried
from the house to the water instead of carrying the water to the house.

Across the branch from this wash place was a hole in the bank that
contained pure white clay. It was called the white mud hole.
This white clay was used to polish the fire-places during spring
cleaning. It was also used for the chinking between the logs in
the fort.

Near the spring was an Indian ceremonial ground. This area was de-
stroyed in the 1930's when timber was cut and dragged across the site.

March 21, 1903 - The Fort-White House was passed to the children of
Joshua & Katharine Lane White.

The Hollingsworth Fort/White House looks very much today like it
did in the 1860's. Beacher White who acquired the house in 1936
knew the historical value of the fort and would not allow it to be
painted or changed much. He wanted to preserve it as much as possible.

Due to beacher White's foresight, it is still possible to see the
tiny window in the side of the house which was used to watch for
Indians, the original fireplace mantels, and the 18 inch baseboards.
It is very easy to imagine what life must have been like in those
early days of Georgia.

In 1980 the Fort/White House was passed to Beacher & Mellie Segars
White's children. They too recognize the historical value of this
property and wish to share it with the public. Efforts are currently
underway to restore the Fort/White House. The Friends of the Fort
organization has been formed to manage the house and its preservation.