Big Show In Town, Apr 1875

This is the original advertisement that was posted around town when John W. Moran opened his new mercantile store in Dresden, Tennessee on April 22, 1875.  I really like the way he lists a lot of the goods that can be had but my favorite is the "patent Parasols for napping in church."

BIG    SHOW   IN   TOWN

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We have just opened our 

NEW STOCK OF SPRING GOODS,

And Invite you to examine it.

Silks, Fish-hooks, Lawns, marbles, Ribbons, Traces, Fans, Well-buckets Shirts, fronts, Spades, Hair-pins, Hoes, Linens, Coffee, Gloves, Blacking, Hair-braids, Tinware, Ladies' new style straw Hats, Hoop-skirts, Brooms, Saddles, Augers, Shoes, Shingles, Feathers, Peas, Buggy-harness, Cook stoves, Wall Paper, Meal, Books, Flour, Wheat, Cassimeres, Teas, Cottonade, Rice, Spun-truck, new style Corsets, Broad Axes, patent Gate Hinges, Jewelry, Barlows, Perfume, Hoe-handles, Table Oil-Cloths, patent Parasols for napping in church.

AND A GREAT MANY NEW AND BEAUTIFUL GOODS THAT WERE BOUGHT

Before the late advance.

I Will sell prints at from

8 to 10 cents, 4-4 Domestic 10 Cents, Brogan Shoes $1.50.

A New Stock of 

CLOTHING AND HATS

At the VERY LOWEST Cash Prices

I ask you to call and see my Goods,

and I will endeavor to please you on prices.

                  J.W. MORAN

Frame House West side of Square.

Dresden, Tenn., April 22d 1875           

Spinster Dies Leaving Gold-Packed Home, 1924

I have yet to find a connection between these Shumate's and Virginia Shumate Moran but she saved this newspaper clipping which indicates to me she thought there was a connection. Martha Shumate died in October 1924 in Winchester, Virginia.

GUARD SPINSTER'S GOLD-PACKED HOME
Authorities Protect Fortune Crammed in Nooks and Crannies Before Death.

By the Associated Press.
WINCHESTER, Va., October 22--A bonded caretaker guards the residence property here of Miss Martha Shumate, wealthy spinster, who died last week, following the discovery of a hoarded fortune stuffed and crammed in nearly every nook and cranny of the house.

The guard was established when crowds of persons lured by the reports of hidden treasure threatened to overrun the premises.  Bank officials today admitted that the rich woman had drawn several thousand dollars from her account recently to distribute in modest bequests among her friends.  It also became known that hardly a receptacle in the house has failed to give up money. Clocks, picture frames, covered plates and cracks and crevices poured out old gold and bank notes.  Much of the gold coin is said to be of ancient vintage, many pieces from the California mint, coined while the gold rush was at its height, will command premiums.

Last of Old Family

Miss Shumate was the last of her line, a prominent Frederick County family that had conserved riches through a whole century.  It appears that she did not complete the work of writing her will for a document has been found in which only one bequest is made, and that for only a small portion of her holdings.

No mention was made of the disposition of enormous bank stock holdings, bank accounts, farms and city property, all of which her bank here, named as administrator, lists among her possessions.

Near and distant cousins will benefit in the Shumate riches after their appraisal by court orders, it was declared.
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Martha Shumate was the daughter of Tilman Shumate and Eliza Brown.  Tilman was born about 1810 and died in 1847.  He was a merchant in Frederick County Virginia.  He and Eliza married on September 3, 1836.  When he died his wife was left with the task of raising their four small children: Elizabeth 8 yrs old, Rebecca 5 yrs old, Martha (the subject of the article) 3 yrs old and Tilman Jr was just 1 yr. old.

Census records show that Tilman Jr. was a bank cashier.  Tilman, the youngest of the siblings, died in 1883 leaving the spinster sisters to fend for themselves.  But perhaps they didn't have to fend too hard since they obviously had a hoard of money to rely on.  Elizabeth, or Lizzie, the oldest died in 1904.  Rebecca survived until 1923 and Martha followed her to the grave in 1924.

With the exception of Tilman Sr, the family is interred at Mt.Hebron Cemetery in Winchester Virginia.  At this time it is unknown where Tilman Sr. is resting.

W.J. Sedberry, West TN Photographer

Moran Place was home to many things including a lot of photographs.  Most of the people in the photographs will probably remain unknown to us.  Truth be told, it's usually easier to find out who the photographer's were, when there's a photographers mark, than to find out the subject of the photo.  That's the case with this charming picture.

On the back someone penciled in "Sydney and her faithful friend Mack."  I don't know who Sydney might be.  So far the only Sidney in the Moran tree is John Sidney Irvine and this is not him!

We have a few other photographs by Sedberry so I decided to see what I might dig up about him.  A brief line appears in the Dresden Enterprise dated April 14, 1893, "W.J. Sedberry, the photographer, invites you to call."

William J. Sedberry was born November 13, 1860 in Lyon County Kentucky.  His parents were James Sedberry of North Carolina or Virginia depending on the source and Mary Parmenter.   Census sources indicate his wife's name was Nora Belle.  When I found the death certificate for "Nora" her name was listed as Clara Belle Scates.  Was Nora a nickname or is the death certificate incorrect which happened a lot more than one might think!  Her parents were listed as W.F. Scates and Ray Scates, both of Tennessee.  I have seen the mother's name listed several ways:  Martha Ann Wray, Monica Ann Ray, Mariah Ann Ray, Ann Roy.

In the 1900 Census William and Nora were living in McKenzie, Carroll County TN. It also indicated that Nora had given birth to six children, three were living:
Eric E. b. Oct 1887, 12 years old
Fred C. b. Aug. 1896, 3 years old
Ray (daughter), b. Feb 1900, 3 months old.

And that wraps up what I know at this time about William James Sedberry.