From The Daily Dispatch: February 10, 1862:
Seven Houses and Lots, and several vacant Lots, in the town of Sidney, at Auction.
–We will sell upon the premises, on Monday, the 17th day of February, commencing at 4 o’clock, P. M., in the order advertised:1. Four tenements on the West side of Cherry street, South of the Westham Plank Road.
2. Three Tenements on Cumberland st., adjoining the above.
3. Fifty feet of vacant ground on Cumberland street.
4. Two hundred and five feet of vacant ground on Cumberland street.
The tenements are all occupied by good tenants, and commanding good rents. We invite, particularly, the attention of persons of limited means to this sale.Terms–One-third cash; the balance at 6 and 12 months, for negotiable notes, with interest added, and secured in each case by a trust deed.
The taxes and insurance for 1862 to be paid by the purchaser.
Jas. M. Taylor & Son,
ja 31 Auctioneers.
Additional.–Will be added to the above sale two frame tenements on Laurel street, adapted for small-sized families. The lots have the usual front and depth. Terms as above. J. M. T. & Son,
fe 7 Auctioneers.
From David Gilliam of Hollywood Cemetery:
Scott,
I hope this message finds you well.
I am writing to inform you that a memorial ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, February 6th at 3 p.m. at the J.E.B. Stuart’s grave site. There will be volleys fired as a part of the service.
Thank you for getting this message out to the surrounding neighbors.
Take care,
David
For more on General J.E.B. Stuart, click here.
I enjoy posting neighborhood history. This year, I have been concentrating on Civil War-era history. But I am concerned that as the years go by we are losing some of the more recent stuff that precedes the internet.
Case in point, does anyone have more info about a natural food cooperative storefront that used to exist on Pine Street back in the 1980’s? This is not to be confused with the Earthlings’ buying club, which seems to be in hibernation.
I could be wrong, but my understanding is it was in this building, now for rent, at the corner of Pine and Idlewood.
It was good to see people remembering Grace Place.
From The Daily Dispatch: January 18, 1864:
Robberies.
–On Fridaynight last, about 7 o’clock, the passage of the residence of Mr. Daniel Ratcliffe, on Marshall street, between 8th and 9th, was entered and robbed of his overcoat, shawl, and a scotch cap. This is the second or third time Mr. R ‘s premises have been trespassed upon and articles of value taken therefrom.For some time back robberies of a fight character have been perpetrated upon the premises of Captain Wm. J. Dabney, commanding a Light Artillery battery from this city, but on Saturdaynight last the thieves, finding that they had a clear field and no one to interfere with them, cleaned the house entirely of its contents, taking furniture, clothing, and some few groceries away with them Mrs. Dabney having been absent from the city for some weeks, and the Captain’s duties calling him away most of the time, it was therefore known that no one was at home and the thieves thus went to work with very little apprehension of being detected. Captain D.’s residence is on Oregon Hill.
On Saturday night the Orphan Asylum near Duval street, was entered and robbed of eight or ten pairs of shoes, which had just been made for some of the children residing therein.
On Saturday some thief entered the back way of the “Gem Saloon,” and took from the drawer about $40 in money, besides three or four bottles of very choice Scotch whiskey.
An attempt was made on Fridaynight to rob the store of Blakey & Carter, on Franklin, between 17th and 18th streets. The thieves succeeded in forcing two locks, and were about removing the last obstruction to their entrance, as they were discovered by some market man and driven off.
The lumber house of Mr. Richard Reina, on the basin, between 9th and 10th streets, was entered by false keys, on Saturdaynight, and twelve pieces of bacon were carried off Mr. R. had in the same room a large lot of flour, corn, and other articles of provisions, but the thieves were either satisfied with what they had taken or became alarmed lest they would be detected.
From The Daily Dispatch: January 12, 1864:
Stealing money from a negro.
–Mr. Alexander Gill yesterday made oath before the Mayor that on Saturday last he sent his little negro boy to the mill to buy some meal, but that while he was on his way thither he was set upon by John Bastin and some other white boys, who held him and took from his pocket a ten-dollar note, with which he was to purchase the meat. Bastin has the reputation of being a very bad boy, and is said to be attached to an organization on Oregon Hill, known as the “Forty Thieves.” The Mayor continued the case, in order to have before him other parties implicated in the affair.
Editor’s note: I left the term “negro” in this account as that what was printed in the record and what was commonly used in that time period. Certainly, I do not mean any offense with this historical post, nor do I intend to romanticize the criminality.
From The Daily Dispatch: December 30, 1863:
On yesterday morning, in the 32nd year of her age, of consumption, Mrs. Mary E Francis, wife of Mr. Wm T Francis.
She had been a consistent member of the Methodist E. Church for more than ten years, and died in the hope of a blissful immortality.
“Why do we mourn departed friends,
Or shake at death’s alarms?
‘Tis but the voice that Jesus sends,
To call them to his arms.”Her funeral will take place from Oregon Hill M E Church, on Wednesday morning, 30th inst, at 11 o’clock. The relatives, friends and acquaintances of the family are invited to attend.
From The Daily Dispatch: December 11, 1865:
Baptist Sunday School Union.
–The largest Sunday School meeting which has been held in this city for four years took place at the First Baptist Church yesterday afternoon. There were from twenty-five hundred to three thousand persons present, a large majority of whom were children, and a look at their smiling, happy faces was a sight which did our heart’s good. Interspersed with the business of the meeting were a number of those beautiful hymns from the “Golden Censor,” sung by the whole congregation; and the union of earnest, cheerful voices raised a chorus which those who heard will not soon forget.
The exercises of the occasion were presided over by the Rev. Dr. Burrows; and the following report of average attendance of officers, teachers and scholars was read:
First Church 45 teachers, 295 scholars.
Second Church 24 teachers, 164 scholars.
Grace Street Church 26 teachers, 180 scholars.
Belvidere Church 14 teachers, 113 scholars.
Leigh Street Church 50 teachers, 322 scholars.
Sidney Church 6 teachers, 18 scholars.
Manchester Church 23 teachers, 215 scholars.
Total 183 1,307
Forty-four scholars belonging to the different schools had been baptized and joined the church during the month.After the reports had been read, short addresses were delivered by the Revs. Mr. Hutchin, of Manchester; Dickinson, of Leigh Street; Jeter, of Grace Street; McCarthy, of Oregon Hill, and Burrows, of the First Baptist Church. The exercises were concluded by a prayer and the benediction from the latter.
From the Daily Dispatch, Dec. 5, 1860:
On the 4th instant, at his residence, on Oregon Hill, at 2 o’clock, of pneumonia. George W. Adams, aged 25 years, 9 months and 8 days.
His friends and acquaintances are respectfully invited to attend his funeral from the Oregon Hill Baptist Chapel, this (Wednesday) evening, at 3½ o’clock without further notice.
Columbus (Ga.) papers please copy
Thanks to the University of Richmond Civil War-Era Richmond online resource, and A.R. Goodwin for leading me to it. I will try to find some more history items on there.
Ray Bonis, who works at VCU’s library, is a treasure trove of Richmond history knowledge. He shares it in part by being one of the co-authors of the The Shockoe Examiner blog (along with neighborhood resident T. Tyler Potterfield). This week they included an addition to the VCU Special Collections, the original draft, or closest thing to it, of the music group Cowboy Junkies’ song “Oregon Hill”. To see it online, check out the blog post (by clicking here), and do yourself a favor while you are there and bookmark the blog.