Stagecoach Mary

Mary Fields was born into slavery around 1832 in Hickman County, Tennessee southwest of Nashville.  Most famously home to Hurricane Mills, where Loretta Lynn has her home.  Following the Civil War Mary worked her way up the Mississippi River working as a servant and laundress on the boats.  She finally stopped in Toledo OH, where she worked for the Ursuline Convent of the Sacred Heart.  It is believed that the Mother Superior of the order, Mother Amadeus Dunne was the child of Mary’s former owner and the 2 were companions in their earlier lives.  At the convent Mary performed heavy labor.  It was said that she had a fierce temper and a rough personality and she liked her hard liquors.

Several years later Mother Amadeus was called to mission in the Montana Territory working with Jesuits to establish schools for Blackfeet children.  She became ill and sent for Mary to come to her.  Mary didn’t hesitate she hopped on the stage coach and went west.  After nursing Mother Amadeus back to health, her foul tempers and rough behaviors would come to bite her, when the Bishop began to voice his concerns about Mary’s suitability to be a part of the convent.  Following an armed disagreement with a man who also worked at the convent, she was dismissed from her position.  She worked her and was able to handle many difficult situations.  One of her duties had been supply runs to Helena for the convent.  There was story circulated that on the route her horses were overwhelmed by hungry wolves.  It was said that she held the wolves off until daybreak with her revolver, rifle and a camp fire. 

It wasn’t long after her dismissal that she acquired a contract at a star route carrier, or independent contractor who used a stagecoach to deliver mail for the US Postal Service.  Here her rough exterior would serve her well.  She was a woman, a black woman at that, in a male dominated world where she excelled.  She was so dedicated that she was the embodiment of the postal carrier’s motto (not official motto) “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” For 8 years she ran her stagecoach efficiently, her demeanor discouraged bandits and thieves but she was also known to have a kind and generous nature when she wanted with a special soft place for children. Her age and lifestyle took its toll and she retired.  During her retirement she took in laundry and did odd jobs around town. She was also known to babysit the town’s children so that the parents could have a break.  She was a beloved figure in Cascade and often was given her meals at local restaurants at no charge and could spend time in the saloons passing time with cowboys or at least she could until the local government put restrictions on who patronize the saloons. 

Her death in December 1914 from liver failure was one of the saddest events in the town with her funeral being one of the largest the townspeople had ever seen.  She and her story were larger than life, she made friends with actor Gary Cooper, was beloved by an entire town and would go down in history as a tough and rugged woman who lived her life on her own terms.  In an era where women didn’t have rights and black women had even less, she made a way.  She took the hardest path imaginable and rode it smooth.  If you want to learn more about Stagecoach Mary Fields, check out the websites below.

www.history.com

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/fields.html

https://www.blackcowboys.com/maryfields.html

https://americacomesalive.com/2014/01/05/mary-fields-ca-1832-1914-known-as-stagecoach-mary/

Bass Reeves

Born as a slave in Arkansas, there was no future at the time for someone like Bass Reeves.  He would not only find his way to freedom, he went on to make history.  He became the first black U.S. Marshal in history and one of the greatest lawmen to ever ride the Indian Territories. Although largely illiterate, he learned enough letters to be able to present the correct warrants when approached his fugitive.  His reputation was such that Belle Starr chose to surrender herself rather than to have him pursue her.  He always got his man and although he was forced to retire under the Jim Crow laws of the early 20th century, he couldn't let his sense of justice retire.



When the Civil War broke out, George Reeves (master) joined the confederacy, like many young and idealistic hotheads in the south
and dragged Bass right along with him.  It was said that during one intense battle that Bass was able to escape into the western Indian territory, where he learned the cultures and languages.  Hiding in the territories allowed him to wait out the period of time from his escape until the Emancipation Proclamation became effective.  Once he discovered that he wouldn't be returned to the the Reeves family, Bass settled in near Van Buren, Arkansas and became a farmer.

Following the Civil War, there was a great deal of unrest in the western territories, you had the western push of settlers and the fact that those areas were an excellent place to hide from the law.  In May 1875 the Western District Court was moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where Judge Isaac Parker employed Marshal James Fagan, to find and hire those individuals with the best knowledge of the territories to track down fugitives.  Bass Reeves came to Marshal Fagan's attention because of his time spent in the Indian Territory.  It would turn out that his time there would become invaluable to Bass as a lawman.




Bass was imposing figure standing over six feet tall with his handlebar mustache and a physique honed by years of hard work.  He rode a large white stallion and was a master of disguises.  The rule handed down by Judge Parker was to bring in the fugitive alive or dead, but bring them in.  Bass spend 30 years tracking down fugitives before the states took control of  law enforcement.  Once that happened Jim Crow laws made it impossible for Bass to continue as a Marshal and he was forcibly retired.  Settling in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Reeves joined that police force walking a beat.  The section assigned to him had one of the lowest crime rates in the city.  When Reeves died in January 1910 he would be remembered in the newspaper:

       


               “Eighty miles west of Fort Smith was known as “the deadline,” and whenever a deputy marshal from Fort Smith or Paris, Texas, crossed the Missouri, Kansas & Texas track he took his own life in his hands and he knew it. On nearly every trail would be found posted by outlaws a small card warning certain deputies that if they ever crossed the deadline they would be killed. Reeves has a dozen of these cards which were posted for his special benefit. And in those days such a notice was no idle boast, and many an outlaw has bitten the dust trying to ambush a deputy on these trails.” – Oklahoma City newspaper article, 1907.



Today a monument stands in memory of this legendary frontier lawman. If you would like to learn more about Bass Reeves please check out the following websites.

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bassreeves/

https://www.history.com/news/bass-reeves-real-lone-ranger-a-black-man

https://www.nps.gov/fosm/learn/historyculture/bass_reeves.htm

http://www.blackpast.org/aaw/reeves-bass-1838-1910

The Infamous Molly Hatchet

No this isn't about the band, although I do enjoy their music, what can I say I am a southern girl with a rock and roll heart.  I wanted to make Molly Hatchet my topic this time because I thought it was pretty interesting that a band would name themselves after a prostitute.  Guess what? I couldn't really find anything but speculation.  Absolutely nothing but a blog from Dale Young.

Now Mr. Young relays that Molly Hatchet was a serial killing prostitute who would behead those customers who were desperate enough to visit her.  I don't know how true this is and as with all legends there may be a grain of truth.

One legend says she was a prostitute in Salem Massachusetts during the 17th century but that doesn't jive, because then she would most likely have been accused of witchcraft.  I mean she her sole purpose would be to provide leisure for the men of the town.  I don't think that really works.

She is found again during the Civil War outside of Cold Harbor, Virginia. Where soldiers were told to keep away from her, but supposedly one soldier disappeared from his billet and was later discovered beheaded. 

She resurfaces again in 1879 in Beaufort, South Carolina, where unwary sailors lose their heads to her wiles.

There were 5 victims attributed to Molly in and around Boone, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Mr. Young says that many attribute Molly being a ghost or a demon sent to punish men for their wickedness and many believe that she can be summoned even now.  It is said that she enjoys long quiet stretches of road and railroad tracks, so beware of who you talk to in some of those places it might just be the last conversation that you have. 

This is just a fun post where I couldn't find any actual facts about the person I saw mentioned in something that I was reading.  Do you know anything about Molly Hatchet?  I would love to hear more, I have added a few of Mr. Dale Young's books and articles to my Kindle to read later, I love a good story.

Until next time...

Tanasi and Chota

     I am proud citizen of the great state of Tennessee, the 16^th state the join the union.  The last state to secede from the union during the Civil War and one of the first to rejoin following the surrender at the Appomattox Courthouse, known as the Volunteer State thanks to a people who are always ready to lend a hand. Tanasi was once the de facto capital of the Cherokee nation, an overhill settlement that led its people and those connected through a series of difficult and sometimes tragic circumstances.

An Overhill settlement was exactly what they sound like, settlements built on higher ground but along trade routes.  Tanasi wasn’t the largest or the most prolific but it is historically significant.  After all it is where we got the name of our home state.  The most prevalent Overhill settlement was Chota and it thrived eventually absorbing the settlement of Tanasi.  Chota and Tanasi produced some of the more well-known Cherokee people such as Sequoyah and Nancy Ward. 

   

 Prior to the French and Indian War in the later part of 18^th century the Cherokee Nation had a trade relationship with the British, who were using trade routes in the southeastern parts of the United States in what is now Tennessee, Georgia, North and South Carolina.  This evolved into essentially joining the side of the British during that altercation.  This choice was the beginning of the end for the Native Americans in the region.  Not long after the French and Indian War, America entered into the Revolutionary War in order to gain freedom from oppressive British rule.  This marked the natives as potential enemies.  Following the Battle of Kings Mountain in October 1780 and the Battle of Boyd’s Creek in December 1780 Col. John Sevier marched his Washington Company into the villages and set them to light after taking supplies for his troops.  Later the settlement was rebuilt, but it would never again be what it once was. 

     After the Revolutionary War, Ft. Loudon was established near Chota near the present day Vonore in Monroe County, Tennessee.  This fort was strategically placed to monitor trade routes, settler migration and had a mission to convince the natives to cede their tribal lands to the government.  I believe the John Finger said it best when he wrote “Frontier whites did not want Indians civilized.  They wanted them out.”  In the end the settlers and the government got exactly what they wanted and an entire people lost their historic lands.  As our history books reveal the anglo traders, hunters and settlers were greedy, they wanted more and viewed the Cherokee as a threat by the time natives were forced off their lands, the feeling was mutual.  The final solution became known as the Trail of Tears. 

     Franklin D. Roosevelt is considered one of the greatest Presidents of the United States.  He led our country through the Great Depression and World War II.  He made it possible for people in the more rural areas of America to have electricity.  He put millions of people to work through his initiatives. We forget sometimes that there is a cost to progress and advancement, we are happy to have the electricity but forget that there were families who lost their land to the necessary flooding to create dams and reservoirs.  I would even go so far as to say that we take it for granted. 

Today in order to see these once great settlements you will need to rent some scuba gear.  It is unfortunate that these sites are now lost to necessity but you can see some of the relics and stories at the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore, Tennessee.  Just so you know, Tanasi and Chota were inundated by the Tennessee Valley Authority as part of the development of the Tellico Dam and Tellico Reservoir.  Prior to flooding the area, archeologists spent several years excavating the sites in order to preserve as much history and relics as possible.  

     A monument, erected about 300 yards due east of the original settlement of Tanasi, now stands in remembrance of a people and a place who helped to shape our nation.  There are so many more pieces of history that can be told, the stories passed down by the ancestors both native and white.  This is just one of many such stories.

Dr. Percy Julian 1899-1975

It is hard to imagine in this modern age having the restrictions that so many felt under Jim Crow.  It wasn’t fair and it wasn’t right, but at the time it was the reality.  Imagine being an intelligent young man who wants to see how things work and only be allowed to attend school until 8^th grade and then told that’s it.  This is what happened to Dr. Percy Julian.  He was born in Montgomery, Alabama on April 11, 1899, the son of a railway clerk and grandson of slaves he grew up and grew beyond the restrictions his era held for African Americans.  Thanks to an insatiable desire to succeed he made history and went on to provide a way for many of our modern medicinal needs.

In 1920, Percy Julian graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana serving as the class Valedictorian.  Given the 8^th grade education he acquired, this feat alone is amazing.  He received the prestigious Austin Fellowship from Harvard University as well, this made his determination all the more amazing.  He spent several years teaching primarily at African American universities such as Howard and West Virginia State College.  For an African American, and although he more than qualified, he was often passed over for professorships and private sector positions.  Travelling to Austria, Dr. Julian received his doctorate from the University of Vienna in Chemistry of Medicinal Plants where he met Josef Pikl. 

Drs. Julian and Pikl worked together creating the first total synthesis of physostigmine, which is used to treat glaucoma and is found in the Calabar bean.  It was extremely expensive to try and extract certain substances such as hormones and steroids from animals tissues.  The task of finding a way to mimic these same or similar substances from plants would be revolutionary, allowing for easier extractions, production and in the end making these medication available to the masses as a more affordable cost. 

After working for several years teaching at the universities, he accepted a position at Glidden Company in their Soya Division.  He was the head of research.  During his tenure there a vat of soy oil was contaminated by water, when it was brought to his attention he identified the white growth as being stigmasterol, which is used to produce the hormone progesterone.  For those who don’t know, progesterone is a female sex hormone, it is necessary to ensure pregnancy and to maintain pregnancy in women.  This accidental contamination revolutionized the way progesterone would be produced.  The problem wasn’t that the hormone couldn’t be reproduced, it could and easily, but there was no way to mass produce the hormone.  Dr. Julian developed the innovative process of extraction and was able to produce 5 to 6 pounds of progesterone daily.  This process led to the later synthesis of cortisone and testosterone as well as a bunch of other hormones and steroids that make living a little bit easier for people. 

He paved the way to make medications that were cost prohibitive to make and even more so for people to purchase, more readily available.  I imagine suffering with the pain and discomfort of arthritis, which I do, and having no access to anti-inflammatory and corticosteroids for reliefs.  Thanks to this man and his colleagues we have these treatments and they are affordable.  His work provided the foundation for chemical birth control and immune suppressant drugs.  He applied for and held hundreds of patents. 

Although so much of his most notable work was in plant chemistry he did develop a soy based foam Aero-Foam that was able to douse oil and gas fires.  This was quickly picked up for use by the military.   He and his family were also the first African Americans to own a home in Oak Park, Illinois.  Initially, his reception wasn’t welcoming and his house was fire bombed twice, but now the town celebrates his birthday, adopting him as a hometown here. 

Although Dr. Julian has more accomplishments and was part of important work in the medicinal and organic chemistry fields he was also a humanitarian working hard to try and help give disadvantaged populations a helping hand.  He sat on the boards of several notable organization and universities, he also contributed to the NAACP legal and economic funds. 

His death on April 19, 1975 was a great loss not only to the scientific community but to society as a whole.

Sources:

https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/percy-lavon-julian

https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00981.

http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/deceased-members/20001466.html

http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/julian-percy.pdf

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bmjuli.html

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Percy-Julian