Auction at Airliewood

On Sunday, Mike and I went to an open house at one of Holly Springs’ historic mansions which will be sold at auction this weekend. It was amazing.

The house is Airliewood, the Gothic Revival estate home on 12 acres built in 1858.
Gen. Ulysses S. Grant used the home as his residence and headquarters during the federal troops’ occupation of north Mississippi. It was in this mansion that Grant, his wife, son and slave celebrated Christmas dinner with the general’s officers in 1862.
(See previous post on subject - http://plunkchronicles.blogspot.com/2010/08/beautiful-historic-holly-springs.html)

The current owners bought the 4,000-sq. foot historic mansion in 2002 when the home had fallen into disrepair. They carefully restored it to is original beauty and built a 5,000-sq. foot, modern addition. The new section blends with the old and in no way detracts from the historic feel.

The mansion now contains six bedrooms, four baths, two half-baths, parlors, music room, dining room, delightful sun room, expansive downstairs and upstairs foyers, three porches, 10 fireplaces, thoroughly modern kitchen, butler’s pantry (caterer’s kitchen) adjacent to dining room complete with commercial dishwasher, refrigerator and warming drawers, four-car attached garage, seven security cameras, and fencing around the entire property.

The master bedroom suite in the addition was spectacular. The best feature of the bedroom itself was French doors to a private porch leading to an iron-fenced garden and large fountain. Two doors from the bedroom led to his and hers bathrooms, his done in dark marble; hers in a lighter, more feminine marble. Her side included a jacuzzi tub. His side offered a small room surrounded with windows that could be an exercise room or small office. Each side included a private toilet area. Each side also extended to a dressing room with areas for hanging clothes, shelves and drawers as well as a padded bench. I'm sure that the larger dressing room is a "hers." The two sides are joined by an enormous, walk-in, doorless shower constructed with glass blocks. It can be doorless because it's so huge that water can not splatter outside on the heated bathroom floors. If you’ve ever seen an extremely large shower, you still can’t imagine this one.

As spectacular as is the addition, the historic portion is even more breath-taking. Walking through the rooms and imagining all that had taken place within those walls was awe-inspiring.

Current owners spent $5 million on the home’s restoration and addition. They are setting a starting bid of $750,000 for the auction. That’s the price they paid in ’02.

And, no, we won't be putting in a bid. Photos below (from the top):

Dining room

Original bricks and wooden beams in the full attic

Painting of Gen. Robert E. Lee above a fireplace in one of the parlors.

View of the downstairs foyer taken from the front door. We were surprised at how narrow the staircase was.

Foyer view of the front door. Note the height of the door compared to my height of 5' 6 1/2".

Read more about the mansion’s restoration at http://www.civilwarnews.com/archive/articles/2010/oct/airliewood-101002.htmlairliewood-101002.html

as

Beautiful, Historic Holly Springs

As Mike and I travel to and from the lake, we drive through the charming town of Holly Springs, MS. Each time, we admire the abundance of antebellum structures – homes, churches, and commercial buildings as well. Exiting the city limits, we are always grateful that so much history survived. And we always wonder why -- when the Federal army practiced such a slash and burn approach to its occupation of the South.

Naturally, I did a bit of research and found that Mike’s assumption was true. Here’s how it went.

Before the Civil War, Holly Springs was a flourishing community and a leader in agriculture and commerce. Plantations in the area led the state in cotton production. Schools, businesses and churches abounded.

Then came the war. Because Holly Springs was located at the intersection of two railroads, it was highly desired by both the Yanks and Rebs. They fought over the prize, and the bluecoats won.

When Union General U.S. Grant captured the little town, his army camped on the lawns of the grand mansions while he moved his wife, son and slave into the Walter Place estate (pictured above). The General made headquarters at Airliewood estate.

Yes, according to several sources, Grant owned slaves. His wife was the daughter of a slave owner and most likely brought them into her marriage with the General and future president. I was surprised to learn that 12 U.S. presidents had owned slaves and eight had owned slaves during their presidency.

Because the Union army headquartered in Holly Springs, it survived the war. What the bluecoats didn’t do, a mosquito did, however. The town was devastated in 1878 by the yellow fever epidemic that claimed the lives of most town residents.

Over time, Holly Springs came back to life and evolved into the lovely town it is today with good places to eat, live and do business.

Restoration of many graceful mansions and buildings preserve the glory of pre-Civil War Holly Springs. Tours are available daily at some structures, and the pilgrimage occurs in April with more than 64 houses, churches and other buildings open for viewing.

Other Holly Springs facts - http://www.visithollysprings.org/quickfacts.html

Storm Stories

Earlier this week, Mike and I celebrated the beautifully clear weather by driving down to the lake. It was a dramatic contrast to last weekend when three days of torrential rain, hail, high winds and tornadoes left death, destruction, flood waters and frayed nerves throughout central to west Tennessee and north Mississippi. Neighborhoods in Memphis are still trying to dry out and clean up. Downtown’s city hall wasn’t spared flood damage, and the Beale Street Music Festival on Saturday was shut down and evacuated due to an approaching tornado. Nashville, with a river running right through downtown, took a terrible hit from flooding. Thankfully, the N’ville home of Niece Robin sits high and was spared. Today, weather experts are referring to last weekend’s storms as – not the 100-year floods, but the 1,000-year floods.

It’s more than sobering. Mike and I are fortunate and grateful that our home, neighborhood and those of our families were safe and above water.

On our excursion day we stopped in tiny Ashland, MS for lunch. We enjoy a restaurant on the town square called Square Meals. It offers some traditional Southern food as well as other samplings. Mike had the day’s special barbecue plate, and I had the seared tuna and goat cheese sandwich. Totally scrumptious. It’s not terribly far from historic Holly Springs. If you’re in the neighborhood, try it.

Ashland has a population of about 400 people. Its city limits are one mile wide. One of the weekend’s tornadoes sat down just a few miles outside the hanlet. Will, the restaurant’s owner, observed that if the tornado – which had a base of one and one-half miles – had sat down just two miles over, it would have totally wiped out little Ashland. Frightening to think of the what-ifs.

But on a lighter note.

We were driving through the farmland headed home when Mike burst out laughing. Already miles past what he had seen, he explained it to me. The field on the right had been largely flooded. A cow had been standing in water up to her dainty, bovine butt. Her young calf, barely head and shoulders above the water, was standing next to her, but looking for dinner.

As we approached and then passed the family drama, baby repeatedly dunked his head under water looking for mommy milk. The little guy was hungry, but mommy’s udder was completely submerged. Baby was determined, but we decided that mommy was chilling dinner. A vanilla frostee was surely on the menu.

Pigeon Roost Rd. With No Pigeons

Before we got crazy into tax season, Mike and I were driving south to the lake when he commented that we were in the vicinity of Pigeon Roost Road. He related the history to me again.

The road is the modern version of what is likely an 8,000-year-old path from the heart of the Chickasaw Nation at Pon te tok (Pontotoc, MS) to Memphis in the north. Over the hundreds of years, the path was worn into permanence by Native Americans, Spanish conquistadors, white pioneers, and armies.

Until the late 19th century, the area was on the migration route of the abundant passenger pigeons. Written accounts tell of the sky being darkened from morning until night as the gigantic flock passed.

Sometimes the silence of early morning was broken by a rushing sound as a great column of wild pigeons came flying swiftly down the valley. These columns were so wide that they reached almost from hill to hill, and so dense as to darken the sun, so that candles had to be lighted in the houses. As the birds passed directly overhead, the swishing of their wings could be distinctly heard amid the roar of their flight, which was like that of a rushing wind. Hour after hour they would pass. When the sky was cleared away, it was found that they had established themselves in a general camp at "Pigeon Roost.”

Other reports described the birds settling onto tree limbs to the extent that they covered trees and broke off limbs. When limbs were full, birds came to rest on top of other pigeons, stacking themselves, scrambling for roosting spots and ultimately smothering the birds underneath.

Native Americans collected the birds as they fell dead from the trees and, later, settlers came in wagons to fill them with the food supply that was more like pheasant than our modern pigeons.

Because the overabundance caused casual disregard, sporting men from throughout the South arrived in the area with their rifles and felled far more pigeons than any dinner table could accommodate. It has been called a tragic chapter in the natural history of America. Once thought to be the most abundant bird species in the world, the ongoing slaughter continued to diminish the population. It is believed that the last of the species died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914.

But nowhere did I read about the gunk that must have been left on the ground underneath those millions of birds.

A Non-Blues Story From Clarksdale

The small town of Clarksdale, MS continues to pop up here as it does anywhere that the roots of music are discussed. Beginning with Robert Johnson (http://plunkchronicles.blogspot.com/2007/08/ive-been-to-crossroads.html), bluesmen made their way to and through Clarksdale. That included W.C. Handy and the effect that the region had on him (http://plunkchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/06/memphis-and-black-music-month.html). And then the wonderful actor and humanitarian Morgan Freeman honored the town as the heart of the blues by opening his club, Ground Zero, in Clarksdale (http://plunkchronicles.blogspot.com/2007/06/i-hugged-morgan-freeman.html).

But I recently learned about a famous non-blues story that had its origins in the Clarksdale region.

Everybody knows the name of President Theodore Roosevelt. Some of you know that our beloved teddy bears are linked to a true story about the former President. Like me, however, I bet none of you knew that the famous teddy bear story actually took place near Clarksdale. Here’s how it went.

Teddy Roosevelt headed down to the Mississippi delta for a bear hunt. Brown grizzlies were plentiful in the region 100 years ago, and bear hunts were not unusual. The President was known as an avid outdoorsman and hunter, so his hosts planned carefully to ensure that his visit was memorable. After three days of hunting, however, the President hadn’t even seen a bear.

Desperate to make Teddy Roosevelt happy, one of the guides and his dogs went in search of a likely specimen. Their only find was an elderly bear which they proceeded to chase until they had worn down the old, exhausted grizzly. The guide secured the bear to a tree and brought the rest of the hunting party back to the site so the President could get a kill.

Upon seeing the pathetic bear tied to the tree, President Roosevelt refused to shoot it, stating that it would be inhumane and unsportsmanlike.

Well, Roosevelt returned to Washington and the story of the President’s refusal to shoot the bear began to circulate. Editorial cartoons started appearing in newspapers and, with each one, the bear in the cartoon grew smaller and cuter. Reading about the incident and seeing the cartoons prompted a storekeeper, Morris Michton, to seek Presidential approval to place in his shop window the two toy bears constructed by his wife – and use signage denoting them as “Teddy’s bears.”

And so it began. Other stuffed bears emerged. The name was shortened to Teddy bears. And it all started near Clarksdale. Must be due to the good vibes.

Tupelo -- Birthplace of a King

We had some business to do in Tupelo, MS so Mike and I took the hour and a half drive over there on Saturday. As we left the freeway and were heading toward our destination, Mike spotted a sign pointing the way to Elvis’ birthplace. We knew that we’d have to check it out before we left town.

I had known that Elvis was born in a modest, frame house, and I’d seen photos; but I hadn’t realized how tiny the house really was until we walked up to it. The small house had only two rooms, no bathroom and no electricity. The story goes that it was built to accommodate electric wiring, but it had never been hooked up because the Presleys couldn’t afford it.

Vernon and Gladys Presley, Elvis’ parents, were married in 1933. When Gladys discovered in 1934 that she was pregnant, Vernon borrowed $180 and built the little house with the help of his brother Vester and his father J.D. Vernon’s father lived next door in a “spacious” four-room house. As most of you know, Elvis and his stillborn twin brother Jesse were born in January 1935.

Unfortunately, the family didn’t get to live in the house for very long. In 1937, Vernon was arrested for check forgery. He spent six months in jail awaiting trial. J.D. apparently posted bond for another man arrested along with Vernon for the forgery. No bond was posted for Vernon. According to some accounts, J.D. had never liked Vernon very much and had kicked him out of the house when Vernon was 16.

In 1938, Vernon was sentenced to three years in Parchman Penitentiary. Accounts differ from eight months up to 18 months as to how long he actually spent in Parchman before an early release due to good behavior. It was on a visit with his mother to see his father in prison that Elvis’ first photo was taken.

With her husband in prison, Gladys was unable to keep up payments on their diminuitive home. She and her baby had to leave and move in with relatives.

The City of Tupelo eventually bought the house, refurbished it and opened it for tours along with the adjacent museum and gift shop. http://www.elvispresleybirthplace.com/

I sat on the worn, front porch swing for a few minutes and wondered if Gladys had sat there with her baby boy telling him that life would get better for them.

First Monday

Mike and I drove a bit south of here on Sunday and enjoyed some North Mississippi history – and shopping. We went to Ripley, MS and visited First Monday.

Situated on 50 acres just south of Ripley, First Monday began in 1893 at the courthouse square as “trade day” when local farmers came to town once a month to trade their produce, mules, huntin’ dogs and so forth. There wasn’t much cash floating around, but a person could make a good deal if he had the right goods to trade.

As years moved on, the crowds became too much for the business district so it was relocated to a more expansive location. When the time came that most folks had day jobs, the timing was changed so that First Monday actually took place the weekend before the first Monday of each month.

Admission is free and parking is just $1.50 for the day. There are approximately 1,100 vendor spaces. The variety of items for sale has expanded making the event a giant flea market. It is the largest of its kind in the state and one of the oldest in the nation.

As Mike and I wandered the gravel paths, we saw farm implements, guns, new oak furniture, iron skillets and “dinner bells,” puppies, chickens, ducks, geese, llamas, tires, trees and shrubs, and just about anything else you can imagine. Several booths sold cd’s. At one minute, you’d hear raunchy Delta blues, and a few steps later you’d pick up the rhythms of way-back country tunes.

Naturally, there was a good measure of burgers and carnival food. Not even that was pricey. We had to come home with something, so we bought a jar of Amish, sugarless peach preserves.

There’s even a First Monday music festival in October that we might have to check out.

The two-story house you see in the photo above is a former plantation home on the grounds that is now the site of the Tippah County Heritage Society. It’s said by some to have been the home of William Faulkner’s grandfather.

In 1999, at the suggestion of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, First Monday was documented by the University of Mississippi's Center for the Study of Southern Culture for inclusion in a Library of Congress bicentennial project know as “Local Legacies.”

Tippah County has a few other interesting factoids. For starters, both Mike’s mother and mine were born there, although I don’t think they’ve put up historical markers yet. President Bill Clinton’s grandmother was born there, and his great-grandfather, Simpson (Dick) Green Ayers, is buried there. Simpson also happens to be Mike’s great-great-great-grandfather. Mike and the former President are about the same age, so the generation difference in relation to their common ancestor is . . . well, complicated. The relationship is explained in a previous post at
http://plunkchronicles.blogspot.com/2007/09/genealogy-surprise.html

It's a Holiday, Ya'll!

Yesterday I happened to call a medical facility operated by the state. When I asked for the person I was calling, I was told -- as if I were from Mars or maybe just California -- that she was not in. "It's a holiday."

I was embarrassed and got off the phone quickly. Called Mike. Asked what holiday we were missing out on. He said April 30???? No idea. But he called back later to report that the parking area for the office next door to the tax service, which is a satellite office for a state agency, had virtually no cars present. Hmmmm

I went online. Found the State of Mississippi web site and ended my ignorance. April 30 in Mississippi is Confederate Memorial Day. State offices are closed. Who knew? I noted on their list of holidays that the *other* Memorial Day is listed as National Memorial Day. I also noticed that there's a slash after the title for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday holiday. Also being celebrated that day is the birthday of Robert E. Lee.

Now don't you feel smarter?

Car Inspection MS Style

Mike was chuckling recently when he returned home from having the car inspected. For starters, it only cost $5. (Packing your bags yet?) Next, there's no smog check. There's no smog. Here's what they check: headlights, tail lights, windshield wipers (there's lots of rain), turn signals and horn. Not the brakes. Mike's conclusion is that if your horn works, you just don't need brakes. Makes sense to me.

Mississippi Musing 2

I've always associated John Grisham with Oxford, Ms. You know -- Ole Miss, etc. Well it turns out that one of his first law offices was here in Southaven -- in the building which now houses our insurance agent. Mike says that they have some Grisham movie posters on the walls. So, with no offense to Mr. Grisham and with names eliminated to protect absolutely everyone -- I present The Clients.

One of our recent tax clients was a fellow Mike says is legendary and has played with "everyone" including Rita Coolidge and 15-20 years with Kris Kristofferson. He appeared in several Kristofferson movies including Honeysuckle Rose.

Speaking of movies, the guitar player with Mike's current band used to play in a jazz trio. They were hired to play in the rooftop party scene in The Firm filmed here in Memphis. They were supposed to play three tunes so, being smart musician fellows, they sat down and wrote three songs which they used in the movie. Result -- they're still making a little money off that gig.

And speaking of movies again, there's our friend the seven-foot tall painter. Even with my vision, I always recognize him when he walks in the office door. He's the only client who has to duck. When Mike first hired him to do some painting years ago, Mike looked around at the equipment and asked about the absence of ladders. Our friend explained that on indoor jobs, he just doesn't need one.

Anyway, when Grisham's Painted House was being filmed in Arkansas, our client's name came up and he was hired to paint sets (skill, not height). As a result, he's frequently hired by movie companies that are filming in the South.

Not a movie -- yet. A nice couple saw our ad in the paper and came in -- Hurricane Katrina survivors. They made it a point that they're not from the City, but from the bayou country. . . which was obvious from their familiar, strong accents. They'd been on their own after the storm for several days when they got to the airport. She told me that "they" kept putting the couple in different lines, and they never knew what the line was for.

After enough lines, they finally were able to board a plane. They'd gotten out with only the clothes they were wearing and didn't know where the plane was taking them. As it turned out, the plane was headed to East Tennessee and Al Gore was on board. They finally got themselves to the Memphis area where she had a relative, but they want desperately to go home. She said that it's too cold here and she can't find what she wants in the grocery store. He was a commercial fisherman and now works as a forklift driver in a warehouse. She said that 12 hours a day cooped up inside is driving him crazy. They're saving their money and hoping to get back down to the coast.

And finally. I promise this is true. There was a visit from clients Mary and Joseph. Mike figured their taxes and the refund came out to $666. He said to himself, "No way." Refigured, changed some numbers and came up with a much more appropriate refund for the two.

And that's how it goes today in Mississippi.

Mississippi Musings 1

So on a recent Sunday, Mike and I picked up Mother and headed down to see Alex for the day. On the way, Mike commented on a B&B. I looked around for a quaint bed and breakfast, but Mike had to explain. "In Mississippi, B&B means bowling and billiards.
OK.

Anybody remember the song "Ode to Billy Joe"? On the way to see Alex, we actually cross over the Tallahatchie River bridge. I've yet to see anyone dropping something off.

Did you know that MS has one of the highest obesity rates in the nation? But it's also produced more Miss Americas than any other state. Go figure.

True rumor of the month. Mike played recently with a drummer he hasn't seen in a long time. The guy was telling Mike that he hadn't heard much about Mike lately. He said that he knew that Mike had moved to CA and gotten married. "Next thing I heard, your wife had won the lottery and you moved back here."
Mike's hounding me about where I stashed the money.

Mr. Plunk and I made the front page of our local, 3x per week newspaper. A little romantic piece on the Mike and Diane reunited story. Valentine's Day. Tax season. It was a story pitch that I had to make. They even ran one of our first wedding photos. Mike got recognized today at the insurance agency because of it, but I don't think it got us a reduced rate.

Going down to 19 tonight. More snow flurries predicted. Oh my.

Over and out for now.