"Shop Local"

Dear Family Trails readers, 

What thoughts does this week's title, "Shop Local," conjure up for you…a trendy new way of looking at how you shop, where your tax dollars are going, supporting small businesses in a world of big-box stores? That's where my thoughts go when I see the banners around town to remind shoppers to support their home-town merchants. It makes sense, and it has helped me change the way I shop, but honestly, I thought this was a new concept in the past 20-plus years. For many years the local farmers' market has sent this message, and I agreed with the farmers…I would definitely want to eat lettuce grown right here in Alabama than some lettuce picked 2 weeks ago and shipped across the country in a truck. But the retail aspect of this….I didn't give it that much thought-not until, that is, my friends began opening their own businesses. Okay, are you asking yourself, "Where is this week's blog going with all this 'shop local' chatter?" Let me connect the dots…

In last week's "Weaver Wednesday" post, Fifty Years in the Merchantile Business, we read about the closing of "C.S. Weaver and Sons" in 1944. This week I am posting another letter written to Grandfather Weaver about the doors closing to his business.

But first, speaking of taxes…..here is a tax certificate that Grandfather Weaver paid in order to sell tobacco. It is dated October 31, 1939 and the cost was $5.00 tax to the state and $2.50 to Talladega County for a one year license. The probate judge who signed it is D. Hardy Riddle, and it is written in pencil. 

I will retype this letter so it will be easier to read. It is dated October 13, 1944 and is written by John B. Chastain of the "Chastain-Roberts Company."

Gentlemen, 
It is with regret we learn that you are liquidating your business. A business that has continued for fifty-two years through depressions, panics, booms, and what not can be counted upon to be managed by honest, capable people.
Since we began working Talladega we have had three or four different salesmen working that particular trip, without exception they have really believed in your firm. Any claim, shortage or complaint of any kind they knew to be just as your pictured it and your word we feel sure was always accepted without question.
We hate to see you liquidate because, if for no other reason, though there are many, there is a scarcity of good independent merchants. We believe and will continue to believe, until the picture changes far from where it is today, that live wide-awake independents can whip the chain stores, the trouble being there are far too few who will operate and merchandise like you and a few other merchants in this territory have been doing.
If at any time we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to call upon us. Please refer anyone at any time to us that you have occasion offer references to.
We want to wish for you good luck and prosperity in whatever undertaking you may decide to follow, with our very best wishes for you and yours for the future and with appreciation for what you have done for us in the past, we are

Yours very truly,
CHASTAIN-ROBERTS CO.
By: J.B. Chastain

Our Weaver family cookbook, Seasoned with Love, by our very own family member, Lucretia Malone Mount Davenport, contains many recollections about Grandfather Weaver's store. In the next few "Weaver Wednesday" posts, we will look at the remembrances written for the cookbook. Past blog posts have featured our cookbook, so if you would like to know more about Seasoned with Love,  please check out Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary and Cousins and Cookbooks.
Seasoned With Love is available online at Lulu.com. You will be in for a treat when you order your own copy of this very special family cookbook.

Before I close this week's edition of Family Trails, let me just say I am sorry that it did not get posted on our traditional "Weaver Wednesday." We are having some work done on our stairwell at home, and after the stairs were all taken out, I realized that my family history notebooks AND my scanner were at the top of the stairs! So …better planning ahead, I hope!
Thank you for checking out the Weaver family's Family Trails this week.
Love,
Mariellan

Made in Alabama-A State Legacy

In 1994, the Birmingham Museum of Art showcased 

"MADE IN ALABAMA: A STATE LEGACY."

This brochure reads, " A landmark exhibition culminating a nine-year search throughout the state,  in both private and public collections for ceramics, coverlets, furniture, paintings, photographs, metals, and textiles that were made in the 19th century in Alabama."

On the inside of the brochure,  there is a picture of a woven coverlet made by Milittia Elizabeth Haynes Moon in 1875-1876. 

Milittia is pictured above in 1924. This picture shows five generations of her family in order of age: her father, William Dawson Haynes, Sr., Militia Haynes Moon, Lindsay Renfro Moon, Annie Paul Moon Rounds, Glenn Leroy Rounds, Jr.

Milittia Elizabeth Haynes Moon is my great-grandmother-Nancy Antoinette Haynes Weaver's sister. Milittia was born in 1854. Milittia was one of 9 children. Their parents were Lucretia Holland Pace and William Dawson Haynes.  W. D. Haynes fought in the Confederate States' Army in the 25th Alabama Infantry Regiment. This unit was with the Army of Tennessee and was a part of the defense of Atlanta during the spring and summer of 1864. His regiment surrendered, and W. D. Haynes became a prisoner of war. 

There is definitely more to say about W. D. Haynes, but this week, we are looking at this brochure that features his daughter's coverlet. 

Names and dates above were found in this book.

The picture below is the inside of the brochure from the museum's exhibition. Militia's hand-woven coverlet is pictured as an example of coverlets woven in Alabama in the 19th century. 

The caption below the photograph reads, 

"Militia Elizabeth Haynes Moon (1854-1929), "American Centennial" Coverlet, Lineville, (Clay County), 1875-1876. Wool and cotton, 104 x 68 inches. Loaned by Mrs. Jack Sims."

I have retyped what is written below the photograph. 

ALABAMA HAND-WOVEN TEXTILES

Hand-woven textiles made on four-harness looms were commonplace in small Alabama households of the nineteenth century. From the looms, weavers produced towels, tablecloths, counterpanes and coverlets, sheets, carpets, and fabric that was made into clothing. Of all these woven textiles the coverlets seem to have best survived hard use, probably because they were not bleached when they were washed. Coverlets were made of dyed wool and cotton. Counterpanes were all-white, all-cotton, figured textiles. Long before home weavers selected a pattern and began weaving, however, they had a great deal of work to do. Most weavers grew there own cotton, picked it, seeded it, carded it to straighten the fibers, spun it into thread, and dyed the thread. The wool often came from the weavers' own sheep; it was then carded, spun into thread, and dyed. Everyone in the family, including the children, participated in the dreaded job of removing seeds from the cotton. Most of the weavers were women, although men and children knew the skill well.

Below is a picture of a hand-woven family coverlet or counterpane that I have. It is actually older than Milittia's coverlet in the brochure.  This counterpane was spun and woven in another branch of my family,  the C. S. Weaver branch. Now I know this is getting confusing... the Haynes-Moon branch is a part of Nancy Antoinette Haynes Weaver's branch of our family. 

Rebecca Wise Photography

Isn't it fascinating that because of a museum exhibit held in the 1990's, we can continue to learn a little bit more about our family history and about the state of Alabama? I also think it is interesting that Melittia's name underwent many different spelling variations over the generations. Scroll back up to the cover of the book, Dreadzil Evans Pace and Melita Leverett of Talladega County: Some Descendants by W. James Pace. There are several spelling changes to her name in the book, including the spelling on the cover. 

I am crazy about family names and how they are passed down through the generations. When I am reading about family ancestors, I get goose bumps when I see that a baby boy was named for his father's commanding officer in the Civil War, or five generations of girls that carry the same name. There is something slightly akin to "magic" about this. It makes a story become "real" and more understandable-the history becomes more alive, more of a story. 

Have a great week with this beautiful summertime weather, and come back and visit the Family Trails next week. We have two May birthdays of the Weaver children to celebrate. 

Love,
Mariellan