Reunion at Clark Furnace Near the end of the Civil War, William "Sprig" Adams was serving in General Longstreet's corps in Virginia. His wife, Kathleen "Katie" Macauley Adams, and two children, James (age 7), and Dona Elizabeth (age 5), were living in the vicinity of Erin, Tennessee. The circumstances are not known, but "Katie" died, and the children were homeless. Even at age seven, young James was a determined and brave fellow. He and his sister Dona set out walking through the woods following trails to the home of their uncle, Andrew Adams, who lived at Clark Furnace on Leatherwood Creek. It was a distance of about fifteen miles. With some help on the way, they eventually arrived and were taken in by their uncle. The war ended, and "Sprig" Adams started home from Virginia. His horse died in East Tennessee, but he carried the saddle which was the only thing of value he had. Unfortunately, he ran into a Yankee squad and was relieved of his saddle. He arrived at what had been his home in Tennessee only to learn of his wife's death and the new location of his children. He set out for Clark Furnace. There was no means of communication then so it was not known by the family whether "Sprig" was alive or not. He finally arrived in the night at the home of this brother Andrew, and there was a great reunion. There was a shortage of food, but the family put some things together for a feast. On the menu was a serving of turnip peels left over from the previous day.
James Kennedy and his brother-in-law James Adams saw opportunity and made the move. The horse farm on the banks of the Tennessee River was sold. The Kennedy and Adams families moved to Memphis, and the logging operations opened up in Arkansas.
Things apparently were going well in the first year in Memphis until typhoid fever struck the six year-old child, Jim Kennedy. At the same time, his father James Kennedy came home from Arkansas, and he was also stricken. Cary Kennedy was at his father's bedside when the father instructed him to "get your mother". He was dying.
The body of James Kennedy was sent by the L&N Railway to Danville, TN, to be buried in the Leatherwood cemetery. The train was met by his mother, Amanda Ross Kennedy, and his sisters who had been notified by telegram that James's body would arrive. They had assumed that the body was that of the 6 year-old grandson, Jim Kennedy, and were shocked when they discovered that it was her son and their brother James. Young Jim survived his illness.
Dona Elizabeth Adams Kennedy, now a widow, was soon to bear their seventh child, John Kennedy. The other children liked Memphis, and her brother James Adams was close at hand; so the family stayed in Memphis. Dona decided there was a need for a permanent house and had a large cottage built at 1745 Crump Avenue. The house was then outside the city limits in an area of small dairy farms and gardens.
The family was not in great financial need, but with eight mouths to feed, it was not very easy. The boys of school age stayed in school and had jobs on the side. Only the oldest, Clarence, was able to work full time during the first few years. Their Uncle Jim Adams had some influence and got jobs for the boys, and the boys gave their pay to their mother. She managed the house and gave back to the boys an equal small amount of money. Cary Kennedy, who was about 11 years old at this time, had a job at a neighboring dairy, milking cows. He started work at 3 a.m. After he finished the milking, he went home for breakfast and a change of clothing before going to school.
This was a period of family solidarity and hard work, but they accepted their situation and considered themselves better off than most. Old photographs show a family that is well-dressed and happy.
Uncle Jim Adams played an important role in their well-being. He had a large family of his own and was successful in the timber and lumber business. He had a reputation of generosity in the community as a whole, caring for people in need. He was well-known in Memphis for his good works, but also as a man not to be taken advantage of. On one occasion he became involved in an argument with another well-known man over the ownership of a hunting dog. This occurred on the court house steps. This man "made a move" and was shot by Jim Adams.
According to the customs of the time, the witnesses vouched for the fact that the man "made a move"; therefore, no arrest or charges were made. The incident did draw attention to the need to update the rules allowing such behavior in a rough and tumble river town. The proper laws were enacted, and Memphis was on the road to becoming more civilized.
Skipping ahead in time 30 years, Uncle Jim was an old man who visited the Kennedys for Sunday dinner and conversation. He was no longer well-off financially for several reasons including the great depression and the collapse of the lumber business. Boys in the neighborhood were always notified by Cary Kennedy, Jr. when Uncle Jim was coming, and they would sit and listen to his stories. They also would show off, to his delight, by cracking bull whips and firing the little saluting canon.
Cary and Cary, Jr. visited the hospital where Uncle Jim was spending his last days. One incident was particularly memorable. In the quiet of the hallway, the click-clack of a nurse's shoes was heard approaching. As the nurse passed the doorway, Uncle Jim, with some effort, turned his head to look at her. He remarked, "Damn, isn't she pretty".
He died shortly after this, and the funeral was attended by a very large crowd of people from all walks of life.
As a footnote - family secret (or not so secret), the funeral was also attended by Jim Adams's mistress of many years, as well as his wife. The mistress was held in friendship and respect by the Kennedy and Adams sons.
Cary A. Kennedy, Jr,posted August 2011
There was an incident in this time period which is an example of how law and order was not the exclusive responsibility of law officers.
A group of gypsies came into the neighborhood and camped near the railroad tracks where they crossed what is now Mclean Street. The gypsies set about selling trinkets, telling fortunes, and various trading activities. Their activities were aimed particularly at young people and children who found themselves "short changed". People in the area noticed a sudden rash of missing equipment and chickens.
The community knew that something must be done promptly, and they knew the man for the job. They called on Jim Adams. Jim, his sons, the Kennedy boys and a number of other men saddled up their horses and rode out. Cary, a boy in his teens who was among them, said that by the time they reached the gypsy camp it was folding up and starting to move out. He was amazed at how fast they could get undeway. Jim Adams and his posse encouraged them to even greater speed by riding through the camp and firing their pistols in the air. The posse followed the gypsies for a distance and so impressed them that they never returned to the area.
The thefts of chickens and other goods stopped at once, and the neighborhood returned to its sleepy norm.
The year 1912 brought changes to life on Crump Avenue with the death of Dona Kennedy. The next few years saw the older sons holding things together, raising the younger children and supporting two disabled brothers. John, the youngest at age ten, and Annie were attending Snowden School. James, who was somewhat disabled by his bout with typhoid fever, remained simple, happy and carefree for the rest of his life. Clarence, the oldest, was hit by an automobile in 1916, and suffered a paralysis which left him unable to walk or talk.
Cliff worked for his uncle, Jim Adams. His twin brother Clyde was a printer.
Cary was a city fireman driving the horsedrawn hook and ladder wagon at age 20. It was said that seeing the hook and ladder, with its bell ringing, go down Main Street at top speed with the firemen desperately holding on, and all the citizens scrambling to get out of the way, was a sight not to be forgotten.
The Crain and Kennedy families, along with several other families of the same age, led an active social life in the neighborhood. Old photographs show them in groups in Overton Park and elsewhere enjoying themselves.
World War I brought some changes. Cary enlisted and was sent to Chattanooga for training. Clyde married and stayed at the Crump Avenue house. Cliff married and moved out.
Cary was sent to England where he was caught in the world wide influenza epidemic, but he recovered and was sent to France. He was assigned to an Army Engineer railway unit operating out of Is-sur-Tille in northeastern France, and remained in that area until the end of the war. Cary and Virgie Crain corresponded regularly with each other during this period.
Jim Mullins, Cary's first cousin, was also in France at this time. Relatives in the U.S. provided information on their locations. They were able to meet, delighting the families back home on Leatherwood and in Memphis. Jim, by the way, was a professional cavalryman who remained in the service until retiring as a staff sergeant in the 1930's.
At the end of the war, Cary was sent to Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, for discharge, and he returned to Memphis.
He found things at 1745 Crump Avenue in a mess and set about attending to the needs of the house and the condition of Clarence and the younger children. Clyde and his wife moved to a home of their own. Cary returned to his job with the fire department and drove a motorized fire engine, but this did not last for very long. His next job was with the Gayoso Saw Mills Company, headed by Mr. Wick Ransom.
About this time, Annie married a veteran of World War I, and they moved to Abilene, Texas. John, who was 19, was employed as a salesman and was living on his own in Memphis. Jim went to live with his brother Clyde, but returned frequently to the home on Crump Avenue.
It was time to tend to some overdue business. Cary and Virgie were married and arranged to buy 1745 Crump from the other Kennedy children. This was in 1919.
Cary A. Kennedy, Jr. 23 September 2011
In 1920, nothing of real importance occurred until July 19th. Perhaps some will dispute that statement, but anyway, Cary, Jr. was born on that date. The house on Crump Avenue was still outside of the limits of Memphis, and living there was like being on a small farm. Cary and Virgie Kennedy revived the place, and it included a small milkcow shed and stall for the cow whose name was Pied. There was a pasture of about two acres adjoining the house lot for Pied. The cow had a guard dog, an airedale who would not permit any stranger, animal or person, to come close to the cow. At each milking, the dog was rewarded with a bowl of milk.
There was also a garden, an orchard of peach trees, a chicken house, and a long grape arbor.
As Cary, Jr. grew older, he was responsible for the chickens (bard rocks and Rhode Island reds) and was taught how to raise them. He sold chickens and eggs to neighbors. The price of a fryer was 50 cents.
The concord grape arbor was cared for by Cary, Sr., and the grapes were harvested for canning jelly and jams by Virgie and her mother Lula Crain. Each year a part of the crop was used for making wine which was done by the father of a neighbor. This man, Mr. John Gaia, was an old Italian immigrant who knew how to do it, and he would tolerate no advice in the matter. Grandmother Crain each year would try to get the old Italian to put sugar in the wine to "sweeten it up". She never succeeded in that effort. The Crains, Kennedys and a few friends thought that the wine could not be improved.
The vegetable garden was directed by Grandmother Crain, and the labor was supplied by Cary, Jr. as soon as he was big enough. It provided vegetables for the table on a year-around basis.
Cary, Sr. worked long hours keeping the sawmills running. At this time practically all mills and factories were powered by steam engines. Steam is a good power method, but it can also be explosive if carelessly operated or maintained. Regulations were being improved to see that operators and supervisors of steam plants were qualified to do the job. Certificates of competence were issued after taking an exhaustive examination.
Cary, Sr. discovered what the exam was like and decided that he was not ready for it. He needed to be able to use advanced math. The public schools had no program for adult education, but he found that Christian Brothers High, a private Catholic school, could give him after hours tutoring. He became competent in geometry and trigonometry and then was able to understand and study the material which would be covered in the exam.
Cary, Sr. studied undisturbed on the breakfast table each evening. After studying, he and Cary, Jr., aged seven, had a glass of milk and talked about steam engines.
Years later after WW II, Cary, Jr., a captain in the Army, was taking an exam in Paris, France, as part of the competition for a regular commission in the Army. The exam was lengthy. One of the questions was simply "What is this and how does it work?". The accompanying illustration displayed a cross section of a vertical steam boiler. Cary, Jr. maxed that one. Afterwards, most of the other officers were asking each other "what in the 'blank' was that thing?!". Cary, Jr. thought about his Dad.
Cary, Sr. took the qualification exam and was given a certificate stating that he had earned the highest level of proficiency and was a Steam Engineer First Class.
Cary A. Kennedy, Jr. 23 September 2011
In 1925 the City of Memphis extended its limits to include the Crump neighborhood and a large section to the east. This included the area which was being cleared for the construction of Southwestern University.
The house was no longer "country". The cow with the airedale had to be sold. The chicken house was reduced in size and moved out of sight. The street was paved and sidewalks installed. City water was connected, and a housing boom brought hundreds of new neighbors. Cary and Virgie renovated the old house with hardwood floors, a big new bath with running water, and other major improvements.
About this time Uncle Clarence decided to move to the Masonic Home for Incurables in Memphis. He was a second degree Mason at the time of his accident, and he quickly adjusted to life in the new home.
He was an avid reader and also had a deep knowledge of the Bible. He played an important role in helping newcomers become adjusted to life in the home. It was said that new residents often felt that if a man so crippled as Clarence could lead a useful life, so could they. Cary, Jr. missed his uncle who sent him on errands and often interpreted his uncle's conversations with people who could not understand his signals or his handwriting.
The Home for Incurables closed many years ago, and there was an auction of furniture when it closed which was attended by Virgie Kennedy. Two rocking chairs are still in use at the home of Cary, Jr. and Janet in Cocoa Beach, FL.
The Crump house was usually filled with family on weekends, but otherwise it now felt empty. Cary, Jr. started kindergarten, leaving the place to his Grandmother Crain and Virgie. Virgie decided to go back to work and found employment as the bookkeeper for Goodyear Tires in Memphis. She held this job until the depression in the thirties caused the company to fail.
The Elliot Fisher Company produced a bookkeeping machine which mostly replaced the old pen and ink methods. Virgie was employed to introduce and train people in the operation of the machine. She traveled in Arkansas and Tennessee, but mostly in Memphis and Little Rock. She did not care for the travel.
Her next job was one which would last many years. She was employed as the bookkeeper for Elmer Harris Real Estate in Memphis. Later she sold real estate, and she and another lady became the first women to be licensed to sell in Memphis. Realtors held an annual picnic, and the two women were apprenhensive but determined to go to the event. They went and were given a great welcome by the men.
The early years in grade school were no problem, and the best part of it was the time on the playground where the boys played ball and had fights with little or no interference from teachers. The general attitude of parents and teachers was to accept the fact that boys fought. If someone hit you, you hit him back. Fair fighting was acceptable. Cary, Jr. didn't seek a fight, but if it came to one, he fought with everything he had. He won mostly, but when he lost, he left enough marks on the opponent to be remembered. He was seldom challenged by one of those who had won.
One of the last school fights occurred in high school. A big, strong fellow named Joseph Joseph was a bully. Each morning before the teacher arrived, he put on an act for the class. He would select a boy, put a head lock on him and parade him around the classroom. One morning he came up behind Cary, Jr. and put him in a head lock. He was strong and started the parade. When he was about halfway around the room, Cary was able to turn his head enough to bite into the boy's forearm. Joseph struggled to let go and finally made it, but he had a long, deep gash and was bleeding heavily. He left the room running for the school nurse. Cary, Jr. was never questioned about the incident by a teacher, and everyone considered justice done. Joseph Joseph's bullying days were finished. The gash became infected, and treatment lasted for weeks.
Cary A. Kennedy, Jr. 4 October 2011
John Flaniken, Charles "Buddy" Fite and I took advantage of this freedom by going to town every Saturday morning. We had a set routine after we got off the streetcar.
First we went to Confederate Park on Front Street and checked out the old canons pointing out over the bluff above the riverfront and Mud Island. Then we went to Fire Station Number One, which was next to the park. There we talked to the firemen, and they let us climb up on the old first pumper and examine the rest of the equipment.
Next stop was also on Front Street - the Clossitt Library. This was the only complete library in Memphis, and we exchanged our books for new ones each week. Novels, travel and adventure books were available in a section for youngsters. Remember, there was no TV and very little radio at this time so we read for amusement.
Then we went down to see the riverfront and the steamboats tied up there. There was still a lot of river traffic to places not easily reached by rail or road, so it was a busy place. We were not allowed to go aboard the steamboats, but on one occasion we were invited to come aboard a very fine private passenger boat owned by a doctor from the upper Mississippi River. This was a real treat even if we had never heard of Dr. Mayo or the Mayo Clinic.
Back on Main Street we went to a new place named "Krystal" that sold little hamburgers for five cents each. After that it was time for a movie, and we made the choice between staying downtown or going back to the neighborhood movie house for the matinee. If Tarzan or one of our favorite cowboys, Hoot Gibson or Tom Mix, were playing, the decision was easy.
By late afternoon, we went home satisfied with our adventures and looking forward to the next Saturday. Looking back, this doesn't seem very exciting, but at the time, we sure thought it was!!
Cary A. Kennedy, Jr. 14 October 2011
The following days were spent in salvaging things from the ruins of the house and getting settled in a rented house which, fortunately, was not far down the street.
Cary, Jr. went to school the next day, and everything was normal there except for flute practice. His flute was lost in the fire, and the piano also burned; so that cut his music career short. Secretly, he did not care too much about those losses and did not get interested in playing music again for forty years. He then bought a Hammond organ and played the music he liked to hear.
The fire aftermath had some surprises about people. When the Kennedy family arrived at the house, a fireman was on the porch keeping curious people from coming in, but he withdrew when Cary, Sr. identified himself as the owner. The family went into the front room and were surprised when a crowd of people followed behind and began to examine the place. These people were not neighbors but strangers some of whom had come quite a distance just to see the excitement while others tried to pick up things of value. The Kennedy parents had some difficulty getting these intruders back out to the street. Some neighbors helped, and the doors were finally closed and locked.
A few days later a neighbor came to the house and appeared to volunteer to help in the clean up. He examined the place and then began to ask if certain things were still wanted. His purpose was not to help but to be a scavenger. Cary, Sr. sent him on his way.
The clean up proceeded and things that survived the fire were transferred to the rented house. Uncle Clyde found a few things that he wanted, and Uncle Jim also found an item or two. Two pieces of furniture from the old house are now in the house of Cary, Jr. and Janet in Cocoa Beach, FL. They are a cedar chest and a modified lamp table.
In the thirties, Cary, Jr. lived on Leatherwood Creek in the summer and in Memphis in the winter. He attended Snowden Junior High and Central High. Both of these schools were considered to be about the best in Memphis, and I think that they sometimes went out of their way trying to prove that point.
For example, the Snowden principal thought that no one could be considered educated unless he was fluent in both Greek and Latin. I managed to avoid taking either. In Central High, the English teacher required a theme be written every day, and the slightest error in spelling or grammar earned one an "F". The editor of the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper had been a student of this teacher, and almost every day she called him to report some error in the newspaper. This was not my favorite class; however, at the end of my second year in college, the qualifying junior English exam was a snap as a result of her treatment.
My three best remembered teachers in high school were: (l) homeroom teacher, Mrs. Young, who kept me on the right track with good, friendly advice, (2) the trigonometry teacher who made it simple and a pleasure to attend the class, (3) the principal Mr. Jester, who liked to talk politics. Huey Long of Louisiana was a big topic. Also, each day after he had finished reading the Congressional Record, he would send it up to me in the study room with his comments.
Social life during the high school years was not centered at the school although I had several friends there. Most of the social life centered on a young people's group at the Evergreen Presbyterian Church. It was an active group and attended by people of all denominations. There was even a fellow who intended to be a priest, and he did turn out to be a priest. My closest friends during this period were John Flaniken (medical doctor to be) and Bill Mabry (athletic director to be at Southwestern University). I had already joined a different Presbyterian church on Tutwiler Street at age twelve and continued to attend services at that church. I took pride in the fact that General Bedford Forrest had been a member and had donated a large stained glass window behind the altar.
There was an event to be remembered in 1937. A record flood of the Mississippi River disrupted the area and closed schools. At Central High, the Junior ROTC was mustered, and we made preparations for the arrival of flood refugees. Levees had broken and thousands of square miles were flooded in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. The ROTC removed the desks, which were attached to the floor, and stored other furniture and equipment. Then we set up cots with blankets furnished by the National Guard. We were organized into eight-hour shifts and given instructions on our duties to maintain order and assist refugees.
The people from the flood zone came and filled the school, and they did need assistance. Most of them had never been in a large building and would get lost. Many had never used a modern restroom or turned on a light switch. Some were caught using tobacco and marijuana in the sleeping rooms. It was an education for them and us.
I tried to get into a more exciting activity and went down to the river where sandbags were being loaded onto barges and moved to levees where they were tossed to people who were trying to keep ahead of the rising river. They gave me a job almost before I could ask for one, and it kept me busy for one day. My Dad decided that it was too dangerous, I was too young, and he also did not think too highly of my associates on the river gang. The gangs contained a number of people who had been paroled from jails and county work farms. I admit that my cohorts used words I had not heard before, but we were very busy and I got along with them.
Nonetheless, it was: "get into the ROTC uniform and back to Central High School". Perhaps a boy might be considered to be a man if he is 16 years old, but Dad made the right decision.
To sum it up, the years at Central High and the group at the church socials are fondly remembered. I think that those years gave me a most valuable stepping stone for the University of Tennessee and beyond.