Ria, Nathan and Kent

Today I thought I'd share a couple of pictures from a more recent generation of the Moran Family.

These first two pictures were just negatives.  I really like how they turned out simply by inverting the scanned image.

This is Ria with her son Kent.  The family was living in Japan because that's where Nathan Moran was stationed at the time.  It's also where Kent was born!

By the time the next picture was taken the family had moved back to the states, first living in Kansas City, and then moving back to the family home in Dresden after the deaths of James, Virginia and Uncle Brud.  

It looks to me as if this picture was taken when Kent became an Eagle Scout.  Ria has a nice smile but Kent and his Dad share that same tight lipped, no nonsense look!

Moran Place Christmas Season, ca 1970

Christmas in the very early 1970's at Moran Place.  The tree was placed just inside the front doors (doors to the left) and in front of the pocket sliding doors to the parlor.  This picture was taken from the landing of the stairs and offers a nice shot of the Victorian wood turnings that separated the entrance area to the stairs.

Happy Thanksgiving from Moran Place

While we give thanks today for all of God's blessings we take time to reflect on our family members that have passed on.  This is Kent's father, Nathan "Bub" Moran, taken about 1981/82.  Thanksgiving was always a big event at Moran Place and even though Bub was ill, you can see he took his role of turkey carver seriously!  

Painting by J.C. Capella, ca late 19th/early 20th Century

Artist Self Portrait
From WikiGallery

Most  artwork in the Moran home were simple pieces but there were a few large oil paintings. 

One painting we have is signed J.C. Capella and is a beautiful pastoral seen with thatch roof homes and cows at the stream. The painting hung in Moran Place for at least a hundred years and most likely in the same spot, the upstairs sitting area above the sofa. 

We don't know when or where the painting was acquired but we speculate that it may have been on a trip to New York, Cincinnati or St. Louis.  It's also possible that Uncle Brud purchased the painting when he took a cruise to see the new Panama Canal.  During that trip he made stops in Cuba and other ports of call.

Pastoral Scene by J.C. Capella.  With frame approximately 31" H x 45" W.

Artists signature: J.C. Capella

The picture has darkened quite a bit but with flash and some photoshop manipulation we get a better sense of its beauty. I've included a closeup of the artists signature.

John the Baptist and Herod
J.C. Capella

It has been suggested that J.C. Capella wasGiulia (Julia) Cheli Capella, born about 1874 in Florence Italy.   Like many artists, Giulia painted Biblical scenes such as this one of John the Baptist and Herod. 

Not much is known about J.C. Capella except that she was living at 28 via Venti Settembre in Florence Italy in 1915 and that she died in 1919.

Lefton China Bric-A-Brac, ca 1949 - 1955

Moran Place place had  quite a collection of bric-a-brac from expensive cut-glass vases to pressed glass candle sticks.  This hand-painted piece is from a pattern by Lefton China called "To a wild rose", no 2602.  Although it dates from 1949-1955 the piece looks like it stepped out of the late 1800's which made it a perfect fit for Moran Place.

Mother and Child Framed Print

This framed piece measures 21" x 23"

I have no clue where the above print is from.  It captures so perfectly the touching moment of a mother reading to her child.  I especially like the doll in the chair and the picture hanging on the wall in the background.  It reminds me so much of the front parlor of Moran Place.

You can see the line though that goes across the picture which probably means it was folded prior to being framed.  When I removed the picture from the frame to clean the glass I was hoping to find a caption saying where it came from, a title or artist or perhaps a magazine, but no such luck.  So I'm left to wonder if it was a magazine or newspaper insert that caught one of the Moran's eye.

In any case it's a very charming print of a mother and child and now hangs in our hall.

Merry Christmas from Moran Place 2013

Virginia Shumate Moran bundled these Christmas memories together many years ago.  When I unraveled the ribbon that had tied them together I found that most of the names on the gift tags were of her close family.  Sisters Louise Shumate Durway passed away in 1921 and  Maibelle Shumate Harris passed on in 1960, both in Texas. 

After the death of their parents, Nathan M. Shumate and Margaret Jane Adams, the three sisters went to live with their Uncle Quincy Shumate in Newbern TN.  The Quincy Shumate family became the girls second family and they thought of their cousins as siblings.  Hattie Mai Shumate Kingry died in 1956 in Colorado. Martha Belle Shumate Baum also lived in Colorado, date of death is unknown but about 1959. 

The tag to from Virginia from Aunt Mollie is most likely from Mollie Tatem Collier, wife of Robert L. Collier, of Crab Orchard Kentucky.  The Collier's didn't have children of their own and the Shumate girls spent a lot of time with the Collier's after the death of their mother.  Mollie died in 1938 and Robert in 1942.

The tag from "The Cobb's" would be from Virginia's sister-in-law, Marion Moran Cobb.

Snowy Day at Moran Place 1897 & 1979

 Moran Place 1979 and 1897

Moran Place in 1979.  View from down the street.

 Moran Place in 1979.  View from the driveway entrance.

 Moran Place ca 1897.  View from near the carriage entrance.  

Piano Nook and Front Staircase

I took this picture March 2012.  Even covered in dust and water stains the beauty and elegance of Moran Place can never be questioned.  A grand lady to the end.  Be sure to visit our Facebook page and like us.

It's just Home

You would think if you lived in a Victorian fantasy home for 100+ years that there would be a proliferation of photographs of the exterior and interior.  But that isn't the case.   I suppose to those that lived there surrounded by history it was "old hat", nothing special, it would always be there so what's the rush. But history changes, families die out, move on, have a change in financial circumstances, or just get tired of the burden of living among the ruins.  And before you realize what's happened everything is gone.

To those of us looking from the outside in Moran Place is magic.  To the Moran's it was home.

Dr. Edward Theoderic Haskins Obituary, 1945

Dr. Edward Theoderic Haskins was born April 25, 1874 in Newbern, Tennessee.  He was the son of Dr. Aaron D. Haskins (1852-1892) and Patty Tucker (1854-1881).  Dr. Haskins married Miss Myra Rainey in 1900. They had no children.  Dr. Haskins died June 16, 1945 in Newbern.

I haven't found a family connection between the Haskins and Moran families so am inclined to think that they were friends through Virginia Shumate Moran.   Miss Virginia had lived in Newbern with her Uncle Quincy and his family until her marriage to James Moran.

Dr. E.T. Haskins Dies After Long Illness

Retired Physician Was Lifelong Resident of Newbern

Special to the Commercial Appeal

Newbern, Tenn., June 16--Dr. E.T. Haskins, prominent retired physician widely known and highly esteemed here, died at 9 a.m. Saturday following a lengthy illness (Myocarditis per the Death Cert.).

Services will be held Monday afternoon at 3 at the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, with Holman Funeral Home in charge.  Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery.

Born April 25, 1874, Dr. Haskins was a lifelong resident of Newbern, and a member of a pioneer family which first settled the community.  He was the son of Aaron D. and Patty Tucker Haskins.

He received his education at the Newbern public schools, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and graduated from the Medical Department of Vanderbilt University.  Later he attended new York Post-Graduate School.

In 1892, he received an appointment to West Point and was a second lieutenant in Company F, Second Tennessee Regiment.

Dr. Haskins was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and served on the City Board of Aldermen for a number of years.

He was a member of the county and state medical societies, and the American Medical Association.  He also was a member of the Royal Arch Mason, I.O.O.F. Lodge and K. of P. Lodge.

In 1900, he married Miss Myra Rainey, who survives him.  He also leaves a brother, Creed Haskins, a niece, Mrs. J.E. Wilburn of Artesia, N.M. and a nephew, E.A. Nichols of Newbern.

Tapestry Under Glass

I love this tray.  There's nothing fancy about it and it's clearly homemade.  In my view I can see that someone was trying to preserve a piece of something special, something loved.  A tiny piece of treasure to pass down but whose meaning has long been lost.  

It's a simple design utilizing an old photo frame, a piece of glass, two brass handles and some nails.  Put it all together and it becomes a beautiful tray for a ladies dresser.  Perhaps it was a place to lay jewelry, keep perfume bottles, her comb and mirror.  We don't know who it belonged to but we're happy to have brought it back to life.  

Getting a good picture has been difficult.  The glass reflects everything and though I'm not completely happy with these pictures they are the best I've been able to get.  The closeup of the fabric was the most difficult because I did not take it out of the frame which is obvious from the light reflection at the bottom.  All in all though you still see the beauty of the material as well as the waterstains.   Through the years Moran Place fell victim to a lot of leaks that damaged many things.  Many people would focus on the damage, we focus on the beauty and the heritage. 

Blue Aviary Fine Linen Handkerchief by Tammis Keefe

Before there were boxes of Kleenex or Posh Puffs people utilized handkerchiefs to wipe their noses, catch those sneezes and wipe perspiration from the brow.  Which seems a real shame considering the beauty and artwork of some of the handkerchiefs!

The design for this handkerchief was created by Tammis Keefe.  Tammis was born in 1913 and studied at the Chouinard Institute of Art.  At one time she worked at the Disney studios and later was the art director for Arts and Architecture magazine.  In the late 1940's she began designing fine linen and cotton handkerchiefs with eye-popping colors and whimsical designs.  In addition to handkerchiefs she designed scarves, linen kitchen towels and table cloths.  She was one of the first women fabric designers to have her signature appear on her work. Because of their beautiful designs and the captivating subjects many people would frame the handkerchiefs and display them as works of art.   Tammis Keefe died in 1960.

This design by Keefe is called "Blue Aviary" and most likely belonged to Virginia Shumate Moran of Moran Place.

Geisha Wall Art from Japan, ca 1950's

This is an interesting piece brought back from Japan by Nathan and Ria Moran when they returned to the states in the early part of the 1960's.  As an officer in the Air Force, Nathan had been stationed there for several years. In addition they traveled to Thailand during their stay in the Orient.  This particular piece had been tucked away in the attic.  Though it had a modern feel it would've gone well with the Victorian decor since the Victorians were very interested in Asia and there were other items in the home with an Asian theme dating back to the mid-late 1890's.

Happy Father's Day 2013

Vintage Turtle Pincushion

The Moran ladies loved to sew.  We have several tin boxes filled with old buttons and some old dress patterns.  In the attic of Moran Place and in trunks throughout the house we found bolts of fabric, not to mention several sewing machines.  This little turtle with his moving tail and head are sweet reminders of days long gone.

The Original Moran Place

Before J.W. Moran built the grand Victorian house in 1895 the Moran Family was living in a much more modest one-story home built by his father, James Henderson Moran the first.  If you are facing the current Moran Place the original would've been off to the left.

These photographs are from 1947.  I imagine they were taken as keepsakes of the old homestead prior to it being torn down.

On the steps are Bump Irvine, Jim and Virginia Moran and their grandson Jim the fifth.

Here they are again but this time Harrell "Brud" Moran has joined them.  He's the long-legged fellow on the end.

Bump

Here's cousin James A. "Bump" Irvine.

Jim, Virginia and Carrie

This is Virginia again with her friend Carrie Lou LaFon Pentecost, the wife of Cayce Pentecost, and of course little Jim.

I like the double doors to the house.  You can see they have the screen door propped open.

Jim, Jim and Jim.  

I like this photo of the three Jim's because you can see the built in seats on either side of them.  The screen door is closed in this picture.

Jim, Bump, and Brud

And the last picture in this series shows three gentlemen with their hats.  Even in a "casual" setting the men were in suits and the ladies wore dresses.   How the world has changed!

Obituary and Funeral Notice of J.W. Moran, 1912

Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the death of  John W. Moran.  Since last years anniversary blog post I have come across more items relating to his death which I would like to share today on the 101st anniversary of his passing.  

Although I've posted this picture of him before it remains my favorite and so I wanted to share it again for those who may have missed it in the past.

Here is the Funeral Notice of John W. Moran.  I have included a bit of information and links when possible about the pallbearers.

Funeral Notice

C.H. and J.H. Moran request the

presence of the friends of their father,

J.W. MORAN

at his interment on the afternoon of 

Sunday, April 14, 1912.

Services at the Methodist Church in 

Dresden, at 2 o'clock p.m., by Revs. J.W. Irion and R.C. Douglas.

PALL BEARERS

   Active                   Honorary     

J.E. Jones            E.C. Lyon

G.S. Boyd           S.P. Scott

Shobe Smith        J.J. White

W.R. Bobbitt       T.E. Loyd

W.A. McCuan     G.W. Martin

T.A. McElwrath   Elbridge Wright

The Active Pallbearers:

Joseph E. Jones was the judge who presided over the famous  Night Rider Trials in Union City.

George Scott Boyd was a relative of the Moran family and a farmer and the cashier at the Bank of Dresden..  In 1928 he moved to Kingsport TN.

Shobe Smith was a dentist in Dresden.   W.R. Bobbitt was the druggist in Dresden and also was the proprietor of the Smith Hotel which he acquired in 1905.  He was also a one time suitor for the hand Fannie Moran, the eldest daughter of J.W. Moran.  I'm not exactly sure about W.A. McCuan yet.  I believe he may have been a tobacco farmer due to some correspondence I found relating to that topic.  I do know he owned The Kozy moving picture theater in Dresden but sold it in 1918.  Thomas Allen McElwrath owned a dry goods store in Dresden.  He eventually moved to Mayfield Kentucky.

Honorary Pallbearers:

Edward Coleman Lyon served as a Registrar in Dresden in 1904 and had served in the Confederate States of America.    Stephen Preston Scott served in the CSA and after the war was a miller in Dresden.  He was also a relative by marriage and I did a post on his daughters Cecile and Farrar sometime ago.  J.J. White had  served in the CSA alongside S.P. Scott in Company H, Russell's regiment.  T.E. Loyd was the Mayor of Dresden.  G.W. Martin has many accomplishments but the one I'll mention here is that he was the President of the Bank of Martin. Elbridge, which might actually be Eldridge, Wright also served in the Confederacy and was a farmer in Weakley County.

The following tribute was published in vol. 20, no. 6, 1912, of the Confederate Veteran.

John W. Moran

That no worthier man wore the Confederate gray than John Moran will stand all tests.  He was born in Dresden, Tenn., March 20, 1840; and died in a Nashville hospital April 12, 1912.  His father, James Moran, was a merchant of Dresden, and his mother was Miss Harriet Harris, of McLemoresville, Tenn. He was educated in the schools of his neighborhood.  He was of philosophic temperament; and while performing the duties that were incumbent upon him, his humor was proverbial and he was entertaining to his associates.

He was about ready for business life when the War of the States began, and he, together with a younger brother who soon surrendered his life in the cause of the Confederacy, enlisted in Company I, 31st Tennessee Infantry, in the brigade gallantly commanded by Brig. Gen. O.F. Strahl.  His first battle of importance was that of Perryville, Ky., in which the army and his company suffered heavily.  It had perhaps the largest percentage in killed and wounded of any company in that sanguinary battle.  He was wounded in the battle of Chickamauga.  He was again severely wounded in the battle of Franklin, and was long a sufferer in the hospital.  He frequently told a good story of his experience in the battle of Resaca.  he had captured a rabbit, which he secured in his shirt bosom, and of course had fond anticipations of a feast after the fight.  The battle waxed so hot, however, and his heart became so generous toward "Molly Cottontail" that he gave her freedom. He may have been author of the Zeb Vance story in saying: "Go it, Molly Cottontail! If I had no reputation at stake, I'd run too."  At all events, when the battle was over he regretted not having the rabbit for supper, as he had more appetite then than during the battle.

The funeral was conducted by Rev. J.W. Irion, assisted by the regular pastor of the M.E. Church, South, Rev. Mr. Douglass, and Rev. G.T. Mayo, pastor of the Baptist Church of Dresden.  It was largely attended.

Joseph E. Jones in an interesting sketch of Mr. Moran states that "he succeeded along all the lines of life that are worth while.  His business methods were open and above suspicion.  As possessor of a large fortune at his death, there was not in it all an unclean dollar."

Mr. George W. Martin, a life-long friend and a man who has long given liberally of his time and his means for the cause of education, paid high tribute to the deceased at the funeral and complied with the request of the Veteran in sending the manuscript that follows:

"The late John W. Moran, who died recently at St. Thomas Hospital, Nashville, on his way from Florida to his home in Dresden, Tenn., was one of the most prominent and best known citizens of his county.  His father was one of the early settlers of Dresden, and for many years was a leading merchant of the place.  John spent his entire life where he was born and reared, with the exception of four years in the Confederate army.  When not at school he was in the store assisting his father, and had just arrived at manhood when the War of the States began.  He volunteered early in the struggle, remaining throughout the entire war, and from the record given by his comrades no one performed his duties with greater fidelity and bravery than he.  He spoke often of the war, but claimed little for himself.  He took great pleasure in commending the noble acts of others, as he was accustomed to do through life.  He was a man of remarkable courage, but he used it with great discretion and justice.  He had excellent self-control and possessed decided opinions on all subjects, but expressed himself reasonably and rationally and always with a view of being just and truthful.

"As a successful merchant and banker his integrity was above reproach and never questioned by any one who had business relations with him, and he performed every duty put upon him with noble fidelity.  His integrity was of such high order that if I had met him in the most remote part of the world and he had been on his way to Weakley County I would have been willing to intrust (sic) my entire fortune, great or small, to him to deliver in Weakley County without the slightest fear of his failing to comply with my request literally.  His individual wants were few and easily supplied, but he spent his life in honest toil to supply the wants of his family and to fulfill his duty to the public, which he did admirably.

"John Moran was a well-developed and an 'all-round' man.  As husband, father, citizen, soldier, neighbor, he contributed well to all these relations.  He had the misfortune to lose his wife when his children were young, and his devotion to rearing and training them cannot be commended too highly.  If there is anything that can lighten the grief and sorrow for the loss of this valuable man it is to know how well his life was spent and all his duties performed.  The influence of his life will long remain a benefit and a blessing to many."

While frugal in his personal affairs, he was diligent for the public, and served most efficiently as chairman of the Democratic committee of his (Weakley) County as well as publicly in many other usefull ways.

In his early thirties Mr. Moran married Miss Sophia Gunn, whose father, Dr. Gunn, formerly lived in Nashville.  She preceded her husband to the better land seventeen years.  Their five children are, Fannie (Mrs. J.B. Ezell (sic)), Ida (Mrs. W.G. Timberlake), Marion (Mrs. C.H. Cobb, Harold (sic), and James. The latter of the two sons succeeds as president, while Harold (sic) takes the place of their beloved father on the directorate of the Bank of Dresden.  He is survived by an aunt, Mrs. Virginia Wood, and a sister, Mrs. Aggie Irvine.  Not only those loved ones but the entire community sorrowed in his death as if all were of close kin to him.  The testimony at his funeral of a life devoted to uprightness and love for his fellow men was well worth his struggle for seventy-two years.

From Bank President to Farmer

J.H.Moran III
President, Bank of Dresden

Prior to the depression the Moran family owned the Bank of Dresden and Jim Moran III was the president while Harrell (Uncle Brud) Moran was the chief bank clerk. Jim was the youngest bank president in the State of Tennessee.  He invested heavily in the Dresden bank and other banks too.  

Brud diversified his interests and one way he did that was buying land.   Sharecroppers worked the land owned by Brud.   We don't know what he drove prior to 1929 but many people remembered Brud driving his 1929 Dodge to check on the land and the sharecroppers.   

When the Bank of Dresden failed in 1927 Jim was devastated financially and while Brud was hit hard it didn't wipe him out.  Due to Brud's financial savvy the Moran's were able to keep Moran Place and all of the property together but not enough money to maintain it forever.

One of the family stories about Jim and his "good time attitude" is that prior to the bank failing he had the opportunity to buy a beautiful house on Linden Street that eventually was purchase by Ned Ray McWherter.  But he didn't.  He chose to buy a sports car to the deep disappointment of the family.  

So what happened after the bank failed? They did whatever they had to, to survive.  Jim, who had been elected to the state legislature in 1925, probably used his political connections to secure a position as a bank examiner for the Federal Housing Authority.  He worked in Memphis and would commute back to Dresden on the weekends.  He also spent time in Little Rock for the FHA.  Brud continued taking care of the land holdings.  Most of the servants and workers were let go but a few were retained.  Kitty was the cook and housekeeper and we think she may have been an Irvine.  Some of the other Irvine's were retained and there are memories of one of the Irvine's visiting Moran Place in the 1980's to visit Nathan Moran prior to his death.    Jim's wife, Virginia, began canning the crops that were raised in the garden.  Their sons Jim the IV and Nathan were put to work farming as well.  Nathan continued having a rather large garden up until his death in 1982 and Kent remembers working that garden as well as canning.

This photograph was taken in the 1930's and shows Jim plowing the Moran Place garden.  The small out building behind him is the old smokehouse which was originally an ice house or storage building, it's been called both through the years.  It was built using soft bricks, the same bricks used in Moran Place which would cause problems throughout the years because they crumbled.  The white on the smokehouse is where Nathan Moran had begun stuccoing the building in an attempt to keep the bricks from deteriorating further.  The ice house was converted to a smokehouse after the depression so that they could smoke their own hams.  In addition to growing their own food they also had cows and pigs.  They also were given the occasional pig by some of the sharecroppers.

Jim Moran III, plowing at Moran Place ca 1930's

Everyone settled into their new way of life.  They may not have been rich in money but they were rich in family and friends.  And of course, they still had Moran Place. 

A Strong Heart Always Succeeds

I took a line from the letter by John T. Van Dyck Jr to James Moran IV because it has special meaning in this context.  John is congratulating Jim on his appointment to Annapolis and says "a strong heart all ways succeeds, some day you will command..."  But that didn't happen.  Jim went to Annapolis with the hopes and dreams of the Moran family on his shoulders, a mighty weight indeed.  While at Annapolis he did well in many subjects including Engineering but French was his Waterloo.  After three years he resigned from Annapolis. We think he worked as an aide to a Congressman in Washington for a few years before moving to East Tennessee where he worked in Engineering at Eastman Kodak.

According to a quick search on ancestry.com John Thomas Van Dyck Jr. was born July 30, 1913 in Paris Tennessee to John T. Van Dyck Sr and Fannie Fisher Giles. John Jr died July 3 1989.  And I'm not sure who Mary Tenny but she obviously made an impression on John and James.

Paris, Tenn
June 18 (some time in the 1930's)

Dear James,

I supose (sic) you are at Annapolis by now.  I sure was glad to hear about you receiving the apointment (sic), I saw your picture in the Evening Appeal, perhaps it will not be the last, for a strong heart all ways succeeds, some day you will command one of our country's greatest warships.  I reckon Mary Tenny won't be the only one of the old class to finish school, but maybe you were mistaken about her being stuck up for you know she used to condescend to help us with our Latin and Math.







Well there isn't much that I can say about myself except that I am working hard and regular, and that I have

grown considerable since you saw me last.

You may not get this note for a good while for I do not know your new address, but I guess you will get it some time, if your mother will be kind enough to send it on to you.  If you ever have time write and tell me all about Annapolis.

Your friend
J.T. Van Dyck Jr.