Nan Ramey – Jacksonville Blogger

New Life for Harriet Beecher Stowe, Son and New Neighbors

Harriet Beecher Stowe is said to have found her new life in Florida in 1883 when she visited Mandarin along the St. Johns looking for a possible place to invest in helping her alcoholic son. Frederick William Stowe was the fourth of seven children. According to the Harriet Beecher Stowe House writing, he was twelve when his mother published the famed Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

First Edition of Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Stowe

That article writer noted that Frederick had the “Burden of Fame”. There are many a parent who in today’s environment would send their child to a rehab center. Apparently, Frederick had that experience but it did not take. Stowe sent Frederick to Florida to manage a citrus farm very prominent in the Mandarin area at that time. It was believed that he could begin a new and get “healed” of this disease of alcoholism.

Harriet Beecher Stowe bought thirty acres along the St. Johns River of the Fairbanks Grant in Mandarin, Florida. They wintered in their cottage there from 1883-1884. The original intent was to give her son something to do while he fought his battles with alcoholism but upon her coming, she fell in love with the flora and fauna and purchased land. It is not known how Frederick did regarding his problems however, Stowe and her husband worked with local Black children with education.

There is a marker at the Mandarin Community Club in the vicinity of the 30 acre grant. It reads the following:

In 1867, Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe and her husband Calvin bought thirty acres of the Fairbanks Grant in Mandarin which served as their winter home until the winter of 1883-1884. The move to Florida was due to plans for philanthropy among the Negroes and a desire to benefit her son’s health. While in Florida, Mrs. Stowe, author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, wrote sketches called “Palmetto Leaves”. The Stowes were active in local charitable and religious activities.”

Stowe became a force in the area. It was a new life for not only her and her husband, but their son, and other children. They all gained new neighbors who benefited by her philanthropy as she wintered for some 17 years in Mandarin along the St. Johns River.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Markers, Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Wikimedia.

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Category: Mandarin | LEAVE A COMMENT

February 4

The Journalist in Me

Sometimes I think I missed my calling. While in graduate school we were told to get an interview in a place that if we could choose to work, we would seek employment. My choice was the Florida Times Union. In my mind…If I could have any job in the world, it would be a reporter/writer/photographer for the Florida Times Union. I made an appointment with an editor and sat in her office for about an hour at 1 Riverside Avenue( now demolished-2022) discussing the possibilities.

I never pursued that job and for almost 40 years loved being a teacher, administrator and for a few years, adjunct professor at UNF teaching a teacher’s course. Looking back, I was so happy in the education field. On the side and in my free time, I spent hours photographing, writing and publishing stories. That continues to this day. There has always been a journalist inside of me even as a youngster.

Having an interest in writing causes one to save stories, old documents and collect memorabilia related to writing. My files are many and it is a constant thing to keep up with what has been collected such as unique items, pens, pencils, letters, documents, photos, old newspapers and the like. There are five things that are especially unique that I’ve saved over the years: 1. Two authentic bound huge newsprint books from the early 1920 Florida times Union years. 2. A collection of vintage, old and rare ink pens. 3. Unique historical items, letters, documents, related to America and her people including Presidents, Royalty and Rosa Parks; a personal favorite. 4. Literally thousands of photographs. 5. Jacksonville stuff in general.

There is no way of knowing how differently my life would be if I had gone the path of a newspaper girl but I am grateful that I got the life of both.

Still, I wonder what life I would have had as a full time reporter? In the meantime, I’ll see you tomorrow as I report from the sidelines.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Category: About, History, People, Random Posts | LEAVE A COMMENT

July 25

Eelbeck Sells to Martha White

Emily Carolyn Mehaffey was a long time First Baptist Church of Jacksonville member and director of youth and adults over her 40 some years at the church. She worked in various places in the fellowship including church training, the ladies department, with young people and as a director in the Women’s Department under the leadership of Miss Guinell Freeman. In her young adult career, she worked at the Eelbeck warehouse on Beaver Street in Jacksonville, Florida. Later, she became a real estate agent with fine skills of order, and detail. Mehaffey had a lot of satisfied home buyers.

Emily was born October 30, 1918 in Eelbeck, Chattahoochee County, Georgia and died in Duval County on August 21, 2012. She was buried in Columbus, Georgia.

She was preceded in death by her parents and many of her siblings including Clifford, E. L, Hubert, William, Madeline and Lucile.

It was her parents who built the Eelbeck Grits and Pancake company in Columbus, Georgia. The name Eelbeck was derived from the homeplace of Henry J. Eelbeck, the postmaster, who married Sarah Cook whose father owned the property. Over the years, it became a milling business and called “Eelbeck”. Mr. Cliff Mehaffey leased the property and Eelbeck Milling became a house-hold name.

Note: “Jacksonville” on the Eelbeck packaging. Courtesy of Jason Wittkopp

“The mill is a large wooden structure which age has blackened but notimpaired its sturdy longleaf pine timbers and weather-boarding. The lumber was cut on the site which once had many beautiful bodies of original timber. Every beam and every board in it was dressed on both sides by hand. This was done mostly by slave labor. Every piece of it appears today as sound as it was theday it was put in place. Inside the mill are parts of the original equipment, such as the meal bins and elevator. The former are made of solid pieces of long leaf, pine twenty inches wide, which gives an idea of the size of the timberonce foresting the section.”( Chattahoochee Cty GaArchives, 1922)

The actual plant site was sold to Fort Benning Military Reservation. The family moved to Jacksonville and the Eelbeck name continued on with warehouses on Beaver Street in Duval County. Emily worked in the office on Beaver Street before retiring and taking up the real estate business.

The Beaver Street warehouse in Jacksonville, Florida for Eelbeck Grits, and pancakes.(Photo 2022)

Until 1941, the site was filled with all of the workings to make grist but that year, it was absorbed by Fort Benning. Military Reservation. The Eelbeck Mills complex was dismantled in 1943.

Eventually, Eelbeck sold to Martha White, an American brand of flour, cornmeal and mixes. It was established in 1899 in Nashville, Tenn.

Andrew L. wrote on Emily Mehaffey’s “Find a Grave listing”, “You are loved and missed by your First Baptist Family.” We can all make a difference. Right?

See you tomorrow,

Sources, Find a Grave, Sarah Cowie, H. G. Mehaffey, photo, Chattahoochee County GaArchives History-Eelbeck 1933, N. K. Rogers, Google Books, Kenneth, Jr.,J.M. Land, Jason Whittkopp Collection (photo).

Category: Buildings, Business, People | LEAVE A COMMENT