The Old Rock House and Old Blue

Remembrances of life on Sante Fe Pike

Maury County, Tennessee

By: Alta Jane Fraser (Walters)

Daughter of Raymond Corneil Fraser,

Granddaughter of Forgey and Leto May Fraser

Forgey FRASER (1872-1955) and Leto May COGGINS (1874-1949)

Married December 03, 1891, Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee

The family unit characterized this couple’s life together in Maury County, Tennessee. Not being landowners, this family of nine moved throughout the county.

Farming was their livelihood often taking precedence over recreation and education. Forgey “Poppaw” did hard manual work, plowing with “Old Blue”, a mule with knots on his knees. He maintained a garden that was important to the livelihood to his family. As I remember “cushaws” (a type of large squash) were stored underneath the house for the winter use, along with sweet and Irish potatoes. “Poppaw” would always wash the clothes each Monday morning outside in an iron kettle and hung the clothes on lines and fences.

Later in life Forgey was employed at an auction barn on East 7^th street as a guard. With this employment, he was able to collect Social Security benefits.

Leto or “Mommaw” also had a hard life with 7 children. Running a household of 9 was exhausting! She did not have the best of health as we remember. Grandchildren do remember her playing the mouth harp and buck dancing in the milk house behind the rock house. Her delight was to go to town on Saturdays to get the groceries, get her hair fixed on the Square in Columbia and go and sit in P. Garber’s clothing store on West 7^th street to visit with friends for the afternoon.

Family activities were important to Forgey and Leto May. Riding horses, playing ball and visiting with friends make all of life pleasant when the work was done. Grandchildren would take turns riding “Old Blue” when he came from the field. Memories are that a small child would step on these knots to get on his back!

Forgey had the opportunity to influence the lives of young hired “hands” as well as his own family. These young men would work and live with the Fraser family. Benton JOHNSON and Doyle SULLIVAN (former of Knob Creek Baptist) were two such men. Benton Johnson would play his guitar and sing to the delight of the grandchildren.

Pillow and her husband Edgar MANGRUM lived in Birmingham, Alabama, sooner or later most of the Fraser children would go to live there and work. Raymond and Hollis worked for the H.G. Hill Grocery (both eventually managing stores) in Birmingham. Hollis remained in Birmingham while Raymond returned in 1936 to establish his own store in Columbia, Tennessee on Carter Street.

Edgar Mangrum worked for Southern Railroad System as a conductor between Birmingham and Atlanta. Mossey and “Peewee” SPARKMAN lived there awhile as he worked as a mechanic, on weekend trips to visit family in Birmingham, Forgey and Leto would go with Raymond, Alva, and Jane, leaving before 6:00 a.m. We would leave Riverside and go out the Theta Pike to the rock house to get them and we would meet Forgey walking into town. He couldn’t wait.