Thursday, April 3, 2025

Jack Dempsey Namesake

 

Jack Dempsey Tapley
12 Dec 1921 - 04 Nov 1994

 
  Dempsey was my uncle.  He was my father's brother.  It was well known in the family that he was named for the famous boxer, Jack Dempsey.  

  Though I've wondered before how and why my grandmother and grandfather picked the names of their children, I didn't dwell on it.  Certainly had not given it much thought recently.  Then out of the blue today, I read an email from Wiki Tree, and because of the recent death of George Foreman, they were showing their members to what degree they had a connection to famous boxers.  Turns out I am 18 degrees from Jack Dempsey, which means my Uncle Dempsey was only 17 degrees from his namesake!  (In my book, any number under 20 is close.)

  So I turned to my friend, ChatGPT, to learn some information about the boxer, Jack Dempsey, that might explain why my grandparents gave his name to their son.  AI provided this response:

"Jack Dempsey was an American professional boxer who became one of the most popular and dominant fighters of the early 20th century.

Career Highlights:

  • Active Years: 1914 to 1927

  • Weight Class: Heavyweight

  • Fighting Style: Aggressive, relentless pressure with powerful punches

Achievements:

  • World Heavyweight Champion: 1919–1926

  • Famous Fights:

    • Defeated Jess Willard in 1919 to win the title, in a brutal match that left Willard severely battered.

    • Fought the famous “Long Count Fight” against Gene Tunney in 1927, a controversial loss.

    • Known for his epic battles with Georges Carpentier, Luis Firpo, and Tom Gibbons.

Legacy:

Dempsey was known for his ferocious fighting style and charismatic presence, making him one of the first true superstars of boxing. After retiring, he remained a prominent figure, running a successful restaurant in New York City and making various public appearances. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990."

I then asked, "Was he very popular and well known in 1921?" as this is the year my Uncle Dempsey was born.

ChatGPT replied, "Yes, Jack Dempsey was incredibly popular and well-known in 1921. By that time, he had already cemented his reputation as the heavyweight champion of the world, having won the title in a sensational fight against Jess Willard in 1919.

Why Was He So Popular in 1921?

  1. High-Profile Title Defense: In 1921, Dempsey fought Georges Carpentier in what was billed as the “Fight of the Century.” It was the first boxing match to generate a million-dollar gate and was widely covered by the media. Dempsey won by knockout in the fourth round.

  2. Celebrity Status: Dempsey wasn’t just a boxer; he was a cultural icon. His rugged, working-class image and aggressive fighting style made him hugely popular among American fans.

  3. Media Coverage: The advent of radio broadcasts and newsreels helped spread his fame, and newspapers often featured his bouts and personal life.

  4. Symbol of the Roaring Twenties: Dempsey's fame coincided with the vibrant, rebellious spirit of the 1920s, making him an ideal figure for the era.

By 1921, Jack Dempsey was not just a sports figure but a bona fide celebrity, known throughout the United States and internationally."

  I asked ChatGPT if Jack Dempsey was his real name:

"No, Jack Dempsey's real name was William Harrison Dempsey. He was born on June 24, 1895, in Manassa, Colorado.

He adopted the name "Jack Dempsey" early in his boxing career as a tribute to a popular 19th-century boxer named Jack "Nonpareil" Dempsey. The name helped create a tough, memorable persona that matched his aggressive fighting style."

Jack Dempsey
Boxer
June 24, 1895-May 31, 1983


  I personally think this child's naming came mostly from my grandfather.  ;)  

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Wedding Wednesday - Houck & Blackwell

 


I tried to use Transkribus for this transcription, but it did a terrible job.  I then switched to Claude, and it transcribed the Certificate of Marriage almost perfectly:

"CERTIFICATE

THIS IS TO CERTIFY That I, Roy L. Crewes did this day perform the marriage ceremony for the within named persons at {Savannah A.C. Church in Lee County of} South Carolina, this twenty-sixth day of June, A.D. 1937

Roy S. Owens, Pastor 

Savannah A.C. Church

Signatures of Contracting Parties: 

Frances Blackwell 

Calvin K. Hook

When used return to Judge of Probate, Bishopville, S. C., promptly."

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Calvin Kenneth Houck
b. 16 Apr 1916 in Lee County, South Carolina, USA
d. 18 Oct 1883 in Hartsville, Darlington, South Carolina, USA

and

Frances Marion Blackwell
b. 20 Jun 1920 in McBee, Chesterfield, South Carolina, USA
d. 12 Jul 1990


Calvin and Frances were married 46 years and had one son.

Calvin is my 3rd cousin, 2x removed. Our common ancestors are John Beasley and Mary Anna Pipkin. 

Monday, March 31, 2025

Military Monday - Charles Lewis Lynn

  Military Monday posts are made to honor those in my family tree who have served in the United States military.


Charles Lewis Lynn

b 05 Feb 1945

d 05 Jul 1991


DC3, U.S. Navy, Vietnam


  Charles was my 4th cousin.  Our common ancestors are Zachariah William Claxton and Lincelia 'Lincely' Bush Claxton.




Sunday, March 30, 2025

Black Sheep Sunday - Hugh Dorsey Tapley (1919-2007)

   When my grandfather, Lusion K Tapley died in 1935, my grandmother, Nealie Drake Tapley, was only 40 years old. She had six children to support, ranging in age from 7 years old (my father, Gilbert, the youngest) to 20 years old (my Uncle Lamar, the oldest).  She worked various jobs over the years, from telephone operator to sharecropping.  The oldest boys all worked on local farms to help out. No matter how hard the labor she had to do to make a living, I am sure that raising 5 boys and a girl was harder, especially in their teenage years.  There are so many stories in our family of how the boys would try to get away with something and Grandma's creative kind of discipline to deal with their mischief. To say that Grandma Nealie had her hands full is an understatement.  She had to work hard to keep up with those children, especially the boys.

  Uncle Hugh was the 3rd oldest. He was 15 years old when their father died.  He was wild as a buck the next few years.  It seemed that every time his older brother, Russ, would get into trouble, Hugh would catch the blame and part of the punishment, even when he didn't deserve it.  There is no way of knowing exactly how losing his father at a young age, trying to stay out of trouble with his very religious and tough mother, trying to keep up with his two older brothers, the hard work of farm life, the endless poverty and struggle to have food to eat... how all of that combined in him to form the man he became.  

  Uncle Hugh was a complicated man. Was he a black sheep? Maybe not, but he was definitely borderline scoundrel.  

Arrow points to Hugh Tapley
circa 1942-1944

  There were some signs. He dated a local girl, Annie Lois Gladin, who ended up marrying his oldest brother, Lamar.  He also dated a girl named Blanche Dixon, and because of the events in the story I'm about to share with you, they broke up and she married Hugh's brother, Dempsey.  As soon as he could,  Hugh got a good, civilian job at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida, probably so he wouldn't have to worry about money so much again. Uncle Hugh was very tight with his money; however, he and my father always seemed to be in some kind of contest of who had the nicer car.  If Uncle Hugh went and bought a new car, my father followed suit... and vice versa.  Hugh liked nice cars, especially Lincolns. Uncle Hugh could be abusive to his wife and four children. He had money for nice cars, but didn't always share that money for food or clothes for the kids. 

  Like most everyone, Hugh was not all bad.  He was a scoundrel, but loveable.  He could do something bad and then turn around and do something good.  The following story is an example of this.  I am going to share this story almost exactly as my father always told it, so I am sure there are some discrepancies included.   

  Sometime around 1938, when Hugh would have been about 19-20 years old, he borrowed a mule and a buggy from his friend's, James Burnett, employer (on a local farm), and he and James went out to the  local honkytonk called the Beeline right at the city limits of Kite,  on the road to Swainsboro.  After a night of drinking and good times, the two went outside to get the mule and buggy to head home. They got into an argument over where the mule was tied, and James Burnett called Hugh a "SOB." Hugh quickly told him to take that back or he would cut James's throat.  James refused to take it back. So as any 19-20 year old Southern boy defending his honor would do, Hugh pulled out his pocket knife.  But then he cut James's throat... literally from ear to ear.  Maybe the act sobered him up. Maybe he just realized what he had done, and he wanted to fix it. Either way, he proceeded to carry James Burnett to the doctor's house to have him sewn up, and thus saved his life. 

  Then self-preservation kicked in. He left James, at the doctor's supposedly, and returned to the bar to get the mule and buggy. He went to the home of his older (half) brother, James (or Fella as the family called him), and told him what happened.  I think all of the kids went to Uncle James at one point or another for help or advice.  He was the type to give you the shirt off his back.  Anyway, Fella must have told Hugh to go to Wrightsville and see their Uncle Jim (James L "Jim" Tapley [1868-1941]), who was a long-time Johnson County Sheriff's Deputy.  

  So Hugh rode to Wrightsville, a distance of about 10 miles, in the middle of the night by mule and buggy.  He told Uncle Jim what happened, and Jim's first question was "Do you have a gun?" Hugh said he did not.  Uncle Jim's advice? Get a gun and watch his back as far as Burnett goes. So it was then that Uncle Hugh left town and went to Jacksonville, Florida in order to give James Burnett some time to calm down.  

  I don't know how long he was gone, but eventually Hugh came back home.  The funny thing?  He and James Burnett ended up working side by side at the farm again.  

  Several years later, my father, Gilbert, moved to Jacksonville, and he was working at the shipyard.  A new guy came in and kept staring at him. Gilbert finally had enough and asked the guy what his problem was. The guy asked him, "Are you Hugh Tapley?" My dad replied, "No. That's my brother." It was none other than James Burnett.  He showed my father his scar, and Gilbert knew exactly who he was. They got along just fine from that point on.

  Scoundrel, I said.  But Uncle Hugh seemed to always get away with it.

  He was my favorite uncle.  We were close right up until he passed away.  We could make each other laugh.  And he loved cats.  No one who loves cats is all bad.  

Saturday, March 29, 2025

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - The Occupations of Your 2nd Great-Grandfathers

 From Randy (my cousin) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night 
time for more Genealogy Fun!!!


Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1)  Our ancestors had to work to support themselves and their families. Do you know what occupations your 2nd great-grandfathers had?  Tell us about them. If one intrigues or mystifies you, ask a free Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to tell you more about the occupation in that place and time.

2) Tell us about the occupations of your 2nd great-grandfathers (and any AI created description of those occupations) in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

Here's mine:

I went about answering this question by hand-drawing a spreadsheet with census years down the left side, and the names of my 2nd great-grandfathers across the top.  Then I checked every census each one would have been enumerated in after becoming an adult to the end of their life.  I filled in the squares with what the census listed as their occupation for each year.  So the census years ranged from 1850 - 1910.   

My eight 2nd great-grandfathers and their occupations are as follows:

    *  George Washington Tapley (1814-abt 1880), Georgia, occupations included blacksmith, carpenter, and farmer.

    *  Solomon Page Jr (1800-1860) was a farmer in Georgia.

    * James William Drake (1829-1908) from Georgia was a farmer most of his life until 1900 when he is listed as a Preacher. (Of course, he could have been doing both the whole time.)

    * William Robert Harrell (1838-1908), Georgia, was a farm hand, farmer, and a merchant.


*  
James Madison "Jim" Tapley (1847-1912), Georgia, was a farmer most of his life. In his later years, he was a laborer on a farm.

    





* George W. Schwalls, Sr. (1837-1908), also from Georgia, was a farmer and then a day laborer in his later years.  Of course, he is missing on two censuses!
   
 * Comfort Ranney (1838-1920) was a farm laborer before he became a lumberman and ran a mill with his brother-in-law in Ohio.  Then during the last 30 years of his life, he was a farmer, first in Ohio and then in Michigan.

    *  Charles Kelso Carter (1843-1916) was a farm laborer and machinist in Ohio. Then he moved to Iowa and became a jeweler.  

Perhaps you have the same question that I did:  "What is the difference between a farmer, farm hand, and farm laborer?"  They sounded about the same to me.  However, ChatGPT educated me and explained why they are all very different.

My query:  "In the 19th century in south and middle Georgia, what was the difference between a farm laborer, a farm hand, and a farmer?"

ChatGPT replied:

In 19th-century South and Middle Georgia, the terms "farm laborer," "farm hand," and "farmer" had distinct meanings, reflecting social and economic differences:

1. Farmer:

  • A farmer was typically the owner or manager of a farm.

  • They usually owned the land and resources and made decisions about planting, harvesting, and managing livestock.

  • Farmers could range from small subsistence farmers to large plantation owners.

  • They often had a higher social standing compared to laborers and hands, especially if they were successful landowners.

2. Farm Hand:

  • A farm hand was an employee who worked on a farm.

  • They were typically hired laborers who lived either on the farm or nearby.

  • Farm hands were usually paid wages or received room and board in exchange for their work.

  • Their tasks were diverse, from plowing and planting to feeding livestock and performing general maintenance.

  • Unlike laborers, farm hands were often semi-permanent workers and might work on the same farm for many years.

3. Farm Laborer:

  • A farm laborer was generally a temporary or seasonal worker.

  • They often performed manual, unskilled labor, such as picking cotton, harvesting crops, or clearing fields.

  • Farm laborers could be tenant farmers, sharecroppers, freedmen, or migratory workers (especially after the Civil War).

  • Laborers were typically paid by the day or task, and their employment was more unstable compared to farm hands.

  • Socially, farm laborers were considered at the bottom of the rural economic ladder.

Key Differences:

  • Ownership and Control: Farmers owned or managed the farm; farm hands were hired workers; laborers were often temporary or hired by the day.

  • Stability: Farm hands had more stable and possibly longer-term employment than laborers.

  • Social Status: Farmers held the highest status, followed by farm hands, then farm laborers.

  • Economic Relationship: Farmers profited from production; farm hands earned steady wages; laborers were often paid per job or task.

In summary, the distinctions reflected both employment stability and social hierarchy, shaped by economic realities of the region, especially in the context of agricultural practices and labor systems of the time."

So I definitely learned some things about the social hierarchy of farming and my 2nd great-grandfathers doing this exercise!

Sympathy Saturday - Barb Sawyer Claxton 1955-2025

  Sympathy Saturday will be where I share the obituaries and my condolences for members of my family tree who passed recently.  When you get to be a certain age, you begin to read the obituaries every day.  As the days go by, you read about more and more of your friends and family members who have died.  You compare their age to your own and get a jolt. "That could have been me."
 
  For genealogists, checking obituaries and visiting cemeteries is as normal as breathing. I learn so much from an obituary, i.e., maiden names, parents' names; children's' and grandchildren's' names, funeral and burial locations, sometimes even a cause of death.  I want to learn these things not for any purpose but to put it on the family tree for future generations to see and learn about the family that went before them. I admit, most of these relatives I have never met, but I think it is important to share that they were here on this Earth, and they were important.

  So I am signed up with at least three funerals homes from Swainsboro, Vidalia, and Wrightsville to get daily notices of obituaries sent to my email.  Every day, I peruse them and with the help of the family tree, figure out who is related to me and add any new information to the tree.    Some weeks there are several, and some weeks there are none.  This week, there was one.        

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦


 Official Obituary of

Barber Sawyer Claxton

August 27, 1955 ~ March 21, 2025 (age 69)

Mrs. Barber Sawyer Claxton, 69, of Kite, passed away Friday, March 21, 2025, at her residence following an extended illness. She was born August 27, 1955, in Albany to Donald Jack Sawyer, Sr. and Sara Barber Sawyer. She is preceded in death by her parents.

She is survived by her husband, Jimmy Claxton of Kite; son, Jimmy Claxton, Jr. (Kim) of Danville; daughters, Karen Claxton Barry (Chris) of Eleville, Sandy Claxton Clayton (Anthony) of Cordele; brother, Donald Sawyer, Jr. of Atlanta; sister, Lynne Sawyer Travis (David) of Atlanta; grandchildren, Ben Barry, Will Barry, Brooke Glover, Cade Glover; great-grandson, Zayne Glover; nieces, Stephanie Patterson (Robert), Claire Kahn (Yaamer); great niece, Lucy Patterson; special people, Gina Copeland (Nate), Maibree, Mack, Brianna Heuett (Noah Way), Aria, Michael, Megan Wood, Alison, McKenzie, Skylar, Michael, Jr.

Services will be planned for a later date. 

Chapman Funeral Home of Swainsboro is in charge of the arrangements for Mrs. Barber Sawyer Claxton, 69, of Kite.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

  Barb was the wife of my 2nd cousin, Jimmy Claxton. Our common ancestors are James Madison "Jim" Tapley (1847-1912) and Elizabeth Rebecca "Becky" Page (1844-1924). 

  Please join me in offering condolences to Barb's family and holding them in the light.

Friday, March 28, 2025

Friday's Faces from the Past -- Unknown photo

  Some of my readers may have noticed this photo on the sidebar of the blog for the past couple of weeks.  This is yet another photo from my Grandma Nealie's (Nealie Drake Tapley (1895-1970) collection that I have no idea who the person is.  I have had several people try to help me with this, especially in trying to figure out what type of uniform the man is wearing.

   

  With the rise in the use of AI in genealogical pursuits, I decided to ask ChatGPT about the man in the photo.

  I asked, "Please define the year of the photograph and describe the man and his clothing in this photograph of an American living in probably Adrian, Georgia. How old do you think he was in the photo? What occupation might he have?"

  ChatGPT answered:

Estimated Time Period:

  • This appears to be a tintype photograph, which was popular from the 1860s to the early 1900s.
  • The clothing style and photographic backdrop suggest a timeframe between the 1870s and 1890s.

Description of the Man:

  • He is wearing a dark-colored, collared shirt with a row of buttons, possibly military or work attire.
  • band or stripe on his upper arm may indicate a uniform rank insignia or mourning band.
  • His mustache and hairstyle were commonly seen in the late 19th century.
  • He is leaning against what looks like Spanish moss, which suggests a Southern U.S. location, possibly Georgia (as you mentioned Adrian, Georgia).

Estimated Age:

  • He appears to be in his 30s or 40s based on facial features and posture.

Possible Occupation:

  • The band and structured uniform suggest he might have been a military veteran, law enforcement officer, railroad worker, or a firefighter.
  • If not in uniform, he could be a laborer, farmer, or tradesman, given the relaxed but proud stance.

  Those that helped me in the past had brought up firefighter, since it appears the man is wearing a uniform, and it didn't have any insignias indicating a military uniform.  But AI mentioned an occupation I had not even thought of - railroad worker.  Unfortunately, so far, I have been unable to locate any railroad workers among her immediate family members. 

  In looking at my grandmother's relatives, I found the following:

    Her father, William John Drake (1857-1927) would have been in his 30s and 40s between 1887-1907. However, he was a preacher and thus would not have been wearing a uniform.  

    Her uncle, Francis Richard Drake (1859-1933) would have been in his 30s and 40s between 1889 - 1909.  Unfortunately, I have no occupation information for him, but he was probably a farmer.

   Grandma's uncle, James Thomas Drake (1861-1959) would have been in his 30s from 1891-1901. Possibly during this period of time, he was the postmaster for Odomville, Emanuel County, Georgia. At this time, though, postmasters were not wearing uniforms yet.  Later, around 1910, he was the Warden at the Macon County Work Camp. And after that, he was a police officer in Adrian for 25 years.  However neither of those time frames line up with the predicted date of the photo.

  Her other two uncles on the Drake side were younger and therefore would not have been in their 30s or 40s prior to 1900.

  Grandma had one uncle on her maternal side and he, too, was too young to be in his 30s or 40s before 1900.  

  So I still have no idea who the man in the picture could be.  However, ChatGPT gave me some insights and things to investigate.  

  Do any of my readers have any suggestions on how to identify this man?  I would be most appreciative of any and all feedback.