The Packing Shed
In the early 1900's, many farmers in Amity would take their crops, such as sweet potatoes and cantaloupes, to the railroad depot, where the crops were packed in crates and shipped away to larger markets. The photo above shows the workers at the "packing shed" near the Amity railroad depot, c. 1919-1920.
Notice how many of the men wore hats in those days. The older men wore more formal hats, or fedoras, while the younger boys favored caps.
The Amity Academy - 1912 or 1913
Teachers, students and staff at The Amity Academy in 1912 or 1913. Unfortuantely, to date, only four people have been identified in this photo. Mr. Keith, a janitor, is in the sweater in the far left arch, and Mr. Whinnery, the school principal, is underneath the arch to the right. Wilmer and Clyde Bardwell are in the second row, eigth and ninth from the right, respectively.
T.B. and Ida Duren, Family and Home
Thomas Byron Duren was born on January 1, 1865 in Pike City, Pike Co., Ark., and died in Amity on October 25, 1915.
-T.B. Duren was the son of William T. Duren and Mary C. Browning. William Duren emigrated to Arkansas from Georgia.
-T.B. Duren was a traveling peddler for a number of years, and eventually bought a general store in Amity, operating it until his death.
-T.B. Duren first married Alma Phillips, who died in 1906. T.B. then married Ida Lee McLean in 1906.
Ida Lee McLean was born on November 17, 1878, probably in Mazarne, Montgomery Co., Ark., and died in Amity on September 25, 1960.
-Ida was the daughter of William and Martha McLean of Montgomery Co, Arkansas.
T.B. and Alma's, and T.B. and Ida's children include Florence, born 1899; William Edward, born 1908; Freddie Lee, born 1910; Paul Clark, born 1911; and Thomas B., born 1916.
The Duren Home in the photo above still stands in Amity, it is the current residence of Leon Smith, across the street from the Amity Elementary School. The photo above had no names on the back, or date, so it would be only a guess that the girl in the wagon is Florence Duren, but it would be almost impossible to identify the baby boy without a date.
Paul and Beda Franks Rowe
-Beda Ellen Franks was born in Pike City, Pike Co., Ark. on June 27, 1899 and died in February 9, 1983.
-Paul married Beda Ellen Franks on February 10, 1916.
-Paul and Beda Rowe are buried in Jones Cemetery in Amity.
Paul Holmes Rowe was the son of Martin and Celia Eliza Miller Rowe. Paul and Beda were the parents of Marie Rowe, who married Ernest Echols, who many of us remember as the long-time postmaster of Amity.
The Rowe Family is an important family in the history of America.
The Amity Rowe's are descended from ancestors who emigrated to Arkansas from Alabama and Georgia in the 1870's, but much earlier, the Rowe family was among the very first English settlers of the colony of Connecticut in the New World. A group of Puritans from England, financed by Owen Rowe, a prosperous merchant in London, emigrated from England to Massachusetts in the mid-1600's. But upon arrival in Massachusetts, the Rowe Puritans found that their earlier-arrived Puritan brethren in Massachusetts might have become too lax in their religious observances. And so, the Rowe Puritans got back on their ship and kept moving. They eventually settled on what is now the Connecticut coastline and founded the town of New Haven. Matthew Rowe, (whose relation to Owen Rowe is undetermined), was one of the leaders of the New Haven colony, and later signed one of the earliest versions of a Constitution which governed New Haven. Therefore, not only are the Rowe's some of the first settlers of Connecticut, but are also numbered among the first English settlers of America. Amity's Paul Rowe is a direct descendant of Matthew Rowe.
Beda Franks Rowe was the daughter of James Ervin Franks and Mary Caroline Wisener. Mary Caroline Wisener was the daughter of Jeptha Jackson Wisener and Nancy Margaret Greeson, the progenitors of a very large and extended Wisener family which still populates Amity and Glenwood, among many other cities and towns.
The Rowe family might have helped to settle the New World, but the 1600's wasn't the last time the Rowe family would make national headlines, as you will see in the next post below.
Truett E. Rowe was born in Amity in 1904. He was the son of Leonidas Rowe, the son of Martin and Celia Miller Rowe. Leonidas was a brother to Paul Rowe, therefore, Truett was a first cousin to Marie Rowe Echols.
Truett made national headlines in 1937 when he became only the 11th F.B.I. "G-Man" to be killed in the line of duty since the formation of the F.B.I. in 1908. In the 100+ year history of the F.B.I., less than 50 agents have been killed in the line of duty, and each of those men is enshrined in the F.B.I. Hall of Honor. Following is Truett's Rowe story as told by the F.B.I. Hall of Honor.
Special Agent Rowe was born in Amity, Arkansas, in March of 1904. He received his appointment as a Special Agent of what was then known as the Division of Investigation and began training in 1935. During his time as an agent, Special Agent Rowe worked in the Nashville, San Antonio, and El Paso field offices.
Truett made national headlines in 1937 when he became only the 11th F.B.I. "G-Man" to be killed in the line of duty since the formation of the F.B.I. in 1908. In the 100+ year history of the F.B.I., less than 50 agents have been killed in the line of duty, and each of those men is enshrined in the F.B.I. Hall of Honor. Following is Truett's Rowe story as told by the F.B.I. Hall of Honor.
Truett E. Rowe
1904-1937
On June 1, 1937, Special Agent Truett E. Rowe was shot and killed by Guy Osborne, who was sought by the FBI in connection with his April 22, 1937, escape from the Eufala, Oklahoma, county jail. Osborne, a fugitive, was wanted in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where a complaint charging him with violation of the Motor Vehicle Theft Act was outstanding. Special Agent Rowe and the local police chief located Osborne at his brother's ranch in Gallup, New Mexico, late on the afternoon of June 1, 1937. Osborne was gathering some of his possessions when he unexpectedly drew a concealed revolver and fired at Special Agent Rowe. The Gallup police chief then attempted to shoot Osborne, but his gun misfired and Osborne escaped. Special Agent Rowe died while the police chief was rushing him to the hospital. That evening, the police chief and another officer succeeded in recapturing Osborne. He was tried in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the murder of Special Agent Rowe, and was found guilty of first degree murder. On October 5, 1937, Osborne was sentenced to life imprisonment and was sent to the U.S. Penitentiary, Leavenworth, Kansas, on October 6, 1937.1904-1937
Special Agent Rowe was born in Amity, Arkansas, in March of 1904. He received his appointment as a Special Agent of what was then known as the Division of Investigation and began training in 1935. During his time as an agent, Special Agent Rowe worked in the Nashville, San Antonio, and El Paso field offices.
(left) Fred Somervell Watson / (right) Fred and his brother, Fenton Watson
Frederick Somervell Watson grew up in Amity and attended The Amity Academy. He later became a doctor, served in World War I, and married Gelene Nichols in Franklin County, Arkansas in 1922. Fred and his wife moved to Okmulgee, Oklahoma where they raised a family and spent the remainder of their lives. Fred Watson died in 1981.
-Fred Watson was born in Kirby, Arkansas on May 7, 1891, to Willis S. Watson and Mary Etta Palmer.
-Fred's grandfather was Benjamin Watson, a Methodist minister who in 1849 headed the Soulesbury Institute, a Methodist school in Batesville, Arkansas. In 1852, he became the principal of the Tulip (Arkansas) Female Collegiate Seminary, an offshoot of the Arkansas Military Institute in Tulip. Before the Civil War, the two Tulip schools were considered two of the finest schools in the state of Arkansas. By 1860, Benjamin Watson had transferred to the Hamburg Female Seminary.
-Benjamin Watson's son, Willis, became a physician and moved to the Antoine community in Pike Co., Arkansas, where he lived for awhile with the Robert Tolleson family. While in Pike County, Willis met and married Mary Etta Palmer, whose family lived in the nearby Clark Township in Pike County. Later, Willis and Mary Etta moved to Amity, where they lived for the remainder of their lives, Willis practicing medicine and for a short time, running a pharmacy. Willis and Mary Etta Watson raised a large family, among them Fred and Fenton, and two daughters, Edna and Gussie, who taught school at The Amity Academy. Willis and Mary Etta Watson are buried in Jones Cemetery in Amity.
-Fred Watson's mother, Mary Etta Palmer Watson, was a member of the very large Palmer family of current day Amity. Mary Etta's father was Augustus H. Palmer, Jr., son of Augustus Henry Palmer, Sr., who was born in 1806 in Litchfield, Connecticut. The elder Augustus Palmer moved to Georgia after he won land in the 1832 Georgia Land Lottery. He later moved his family to Talladega County, Alabama, and some of those family members eventually emigrated to Amity.
-The elder Augustus H. Palmer, in addition to having Augustus H. Palmer, Jr., had another son named Alexander M. Palmer, who had a son named Patrick Alexander Palmer, who raised a large family in Amity, among whom was Carl Palmer, (1916-1996). Carl Palmer served in World War II, for which he received a Purple Heart and two Oak Leaf Clusters; his children and grandchildren are numerous in current day Amity.
Frederick Somervell Watson grew up in Amity and attended The Amity Academy. He later became a doctor, served in World War I, and married Gelene Nichols in Franklin County, Arkansas in 1922. Fred and his wife moved to Okmulgee, Oklahoma where they raised a family and spent the remainder of their lives. Fred Watson died in 1981.
-Fred Watson was born in Kirby, Arkansas on May 7, 1891, to Willis S. Watson and Mary Etta Palmer.
-Fred's grandfather was Benjamin Watson, a Methodist minister who in 1849 headed the Soulesbury Institute, a Methodist school in Batesville, Arkansas. In 1852, he became the principal of the Tulip (Arkansas) Female Collegiate Seminary, an offshoot of the Arkansas Military Institute in Tulip. Before the Civil War, the two Tulip schools were considered two of the finest schools in the state of Arkansas. By 1860, Benjamin Watson had transferred to the Hamburg Female Seminary.
-Benjamin Watson's son, Willis, became a physician and moved to the Antoine community in Pike Co., Arkansas, where he lived for awhile with the Robert Tolleson family. While in Pike County, Willis met and married Mary Etta Palmer, whose family lived in the nearby Clark Township in Pike County. Later, Willis and Mary Etta moved to Amity, where they lived for the remainder of their lives, Willis practicing medicine and for a short time, running a pharmacy. Willis and Mary Etta Watson raised a large family, among them Fred and Fenton, and two daughters, Edna and Gussie, who taught school at The Amity Academy. Willis and Mary Etta Watson are buried in Jones Cemetery in Amity.
-Fred Watson's mother, Mary Etta Palmer Watson, was a member of the very large Palmer family of current day Amity. Mary Etta's father was Augustus H. Palmer, Jr., son of Augustus Henry Palmer, Sr., who was born in 1806 in Litchfield, Connecticut. The elder Augustus Palmer moved to Georgia after he won land in the 1832 Georgia Land Lottery. He later moved his family to Talladega County, Alabama, and some of those family members eventually emigrated to Amity.
-The elder Augustus H. Palmer, in addition to having Augustus H. Palmer, Jr., had another son named Alexander M. Palmer, who had a son named Patrick Alexander Palmer, who raised a large family in Amity, among whom was Carl Palmer, (1916-1996). Carl Palmer served in World War II, for which he received a Purple Heart and two Oak Leaf Clusters; his children and grandchildren are numerous in current day Amity.
upper left: Dora Garner Davis; upper right: Cora Deaton Garner;
lower left: Cora Garner Butler; lower right: Sina Pledger
The Garner Family in Amity is very large and very confusing to try to sort out, so bear with me, and try to keep up.
-Dora Garner Davis, (1904-1930), was the daughter of George Garner and Nancy Jane Tucker.
-George Garner was the son of Calloway Garner, son of Peter Garner, son of John Garner.
-Dora married William Andrew Davis; they had children Roy Lee, Jessie and Ray, after which Dora died at age 26.
Meanwhile, Dora's mother, Nancy, died, leaving her husband, George, a widower. George married a widow, Mattie Pledger, and when George and Mattie combined their families, their children included Dora, her brother Johnny Garner, and Mattie's daughter, Sina Pledger. Later, step-brother and step-sister Johnny Garner and Sina Pledger married, making Sina and Dora sisters-in-law.
-Sinia Arizona Pledger Garner, (1897-1916), was the daughter of James T. Pledger and Martha "Mattie" Brantley. Like her sister-in-law, Dora Garner, Sina died at a young age, only 19 years of age.
Dora Garner Davis was a cousin to Cora Garner Butler. Dora was the great-granddaughter of Peter Garner while Cora was the granddaughter of Jesse Garner. Peter Garner and Jesse Garner were brothers.
-Cora Garner Butler, (1897-?), was the daughter of William Martin Garner and Alice Jones.
-William Martin Garner was the son of Jesse Garner, son of John Garner.
-Cora married Jasper T. Butler.
-Cora had a brother named Hollis Alton Garner.
-Cora Deaton Garner, (1898-1986), was the daughter of Tillman Deaton and Mary Ann Wright.
-Cora was the granddaughter of Martin Deaton, son of Goodin Deaton.
-Cora married Hollis Alton Garner, brother to Cora Garner, making the two Cora's sisters-in-law.
Therefore, all four girls in the above photo are either cousins by blood or cousins by marriage, and two pairs of them are sisters-in-law.
Both the Garner and Deaton families in Amity are large and extended. Most of the Amity Garner's are descended from John Garner, (1787-1850), through his sons, Jesse, (1824-1890), and Peter, (1808-1888), and most of the Amity Deaton's are descended from Goodin Deaton, (1804-1890).
(The photo had all four names written on the back, however no date was written. The photo was in the possession of Becky Davis Hancock, who was a descendant of Dora Garner Davis. The photo is now in the possession of Dora Lee Bean of Amity.)
lower left: Cora Garner Butler; lower right: Sina Pledger
The Garner Family in Amity is very large and very confusing to try to sort out, so bear with me, and try to keep up.
-Dora Garner Davis, (1904-1930), was the daughter of George Garner and Nancy Jane Tucker.
-George Garner was the son of Calloway Garner, son of Peter Garner, son of John Garner.
-Dora married William Andrew Davis; they had children Roy Lee, Jessie and Ray, after which Dora died at age 26.
Meanwhile, Dora's mother, Nancy, died, leaving her husband, George, a widower. George married a widow, Mattie Pledger, and when George and Mattie combined their families, their children included Dora, her brother Johnny Garner, and Mattie's daughter, Sina Pledger. Later, step-brother and step-sister Johnny Garner and Sina Pledger married, making Sina and Dora sisters-in-law.
-Sinia Arizona Pledger Garner, (1897-1916), was the daughter of James T. Pledger and Martha "Mattie" Brantley. Like her sister-in-law, Dora Garner, Sina died at a young age, only 19 years of age.
Dora Garner Davis was a cousin to Cora Garner Butler. Dora was the great-granddaughter of Peter Garner while Cora was the granddaughter of Jesse Garner. Peter Garner and Jesse Garner were brothers.
-Cora Garner Butler, (1897-?), was the daughter of William Martin Garner and Alice Jones.
-William Martin Garner was the son of Jesse Garner, son of John Garner.
-Cora married Jasper T. Butler.
-Cora had a brother named Hollis Alton Garner.
-Cora Deaton Garner, (1898-1986), was the daughter of Tillman Deaton and Mary Ann Wright.
-Cora was the granddaughter of Martin Deaton, son of Goodin Deaton.
-Cora married Hollis Alton Garner, brother to Cora Garner, making the two Cora's sisters-in-law.
Therefore, all four girls in the above photo are either cousins by blood or cousins by marriage, and two pairs of them are sisters-in-law.
Both the Garner and Deaton families in Amity are large and extended. Most of the Amity Garner's are descended from John Garner, (1787-1850), through his sons, Jesse, (1824-1890), and Peter, (1808-1888), and most of the Amity Deaton's are descended from Goodin Deaton, (1804-1890).
(The photo had all four names written on the back, however no date was written. The photo was in the possession of Becky Davis Hancock, who was a descendant of Dora Garner Davis. The photo is now in the possession of Dora Lee Bean of Amity.)
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