Watt Espy's Boyhood Home

For more on the home, including exterior shots, click here.

Watty Espy in FFA

circa 1949

March 1949

March 1949

March 1949

April 1949

June 1949

June 1949

Oct. 1949

Oct. 1949

Oct. 1949

Nov. 1949

Watty Espy

Future Farmers of America (FFA)

Henry County

Alabama

Andi, Allen & Kade on Wildlife Prowl!

John Jolly Espy, Financier

Back in the '90s when I was working at the bank, Dad gave me this portrait of my great-grandfather, John Jolly Espy, Sr..  Dad and I "unearthed" it together from a trunk of family memorabilia he had at home.  Incidentally, it was the exact same trunk where I discovered those prized Russia items (Granddad Major's trip).  Dad let me take this portrait and a couple of others.  I took this one, had it framed, and then gave it to my brother Mark.  I did the same thing with another portrait for my brother Miles .

Below is one of the unique family documents that Aunt Marilyn, granddaughter of J.J. Espy, Sr, passed along to me for my generation's safekeeping.  Click on the last page to get a quick view of the write-up's date, who wrote it and for what publication.  To view clearly, click each document to enlarge, right-click and save to your desktop, then reopen and zoom.  If anyone needs an e-mailed version that's probably even easier to read, get in touch with me at majorespy@yahoo.com. 

w/ Aunt Marilyn

Major Carroll Death & Funeral

The Montgomery Advertiser

Southern Star

August 15, 1917

The Montgomery Advertiser
August 15, 1917

Southern Star
August 22, 1917

Carroll Photo ID

Taken at funeral of Major Carroll

(25 Apr 1851 – 04 Aug 1917)

Ozark, Dale County, Alabama

1. Olive Irene (Carroll) Atkinson
2. Emma Penelope (Carroll) Espy - married J.J. Espy of Headland, AL

3. Sam Jones Carroll
4. Sarah Belle (Carroll) West - nickname was Sallie or Sally

5. John Wesley Carroll - an army major

6. Ruth Branch (Carroll) Mills
7. Marvin Cook Carroll - a reverend
8. Anna (Carroll) McNiel
9.  Major Oscar Carroll

10. Corinne (Carroll) Dunn
11. Sarah Elizabeth (Branch) Carroll - widow of Major Carroll

One child had already died:  James William Carroll was no more than two years old when he died.  He is buried at Union Cemetery in Ozark along with his parents Major Carroll and Sarah Elizabeth Branch.

Some of the name identifications (above) came from ancestry.com, which like Wikipedia, allows input from anyone.  Sometimes mistakes get made, and bad information gets passed along.  The same, of course, can happen with my blog.  Right now, there's still some confusion over the Carroll men's names.   According to ancestry.com, #3 is John Carroll, # 5 is Major Oscar Carroll, and # 9 is Sam J. Carroll.   However, my research shows the listing above.  Yet when I compiled it, I felt sure it was right.  For now, I will keep my own listing above until we get more information.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anna
James William
Emma Penelope
Major Oscar
John Wesley
Marvin Cook
Sarah Belle
Samuel Jones
Corinne
Olive Irene
Ruth

Married names for the ladies:

Mrs. J.J. Espy (Emma)
Mrs. U. McNiel (Anna)
Mrs. T.A. West (Sarah Belle)
Mrs. T. Atkinson (Olive Irene)
Mrs. G.L. Dunn (Corinne)
Mrs. J.B. Mills (Ruth)

The photo (above) was found at the Espy House in Headland, AL when the house was being emptied before selling. There was a note clipped to the photo from “Florence,” whom I assume was Florence (Carroll) Matthews of Ozark, AL.  I don’t know whether she had been addressing it to her Aunt Emma, (Emma Carroll Espy) or to her cousin Sara Frances (Espy) Sidney/Lee.  The note read, “This picture was taken the day of Grandfather Carroll’s funeral.  I thought you might like to have a copy.  Love, Florence.”  Florence would have been sending this picture many years after 1917.  - Beverly (Espy) Dayries

Update:  January 2016

scan made by Judy Faye West, wife of Sam Carroll West

I just took this photo out of its frame and found writing on the back.  It identifies and gives children and their order of birth, etc.  - Judy

"Back row- John-3rd, Oscar-2nd, Marvin-5th, Sam-7th, 2nd row- Irene-next to youngest 9, Emma-4th Major Espy's mother, Sallie-6th, Ruth- youngest 10th, Anna-oldest, Corene-8th" 

Then there are notes that one died before Sallie - the 5th child.  - Judy

"Front row Mother's mother", who we know to be Sarah (Branch) Carroll.  Also says "After funeral-day of funeral" "Land at Ozark and N of Headland owned for five generations with Tom and Sammy's generation."

 

Sarah (Branch) Carroll, died in 1933

Union Cemetery, Ozark, Dale County, Alabama

Source:  Find A Grave

Southern Star
Ozark Masonic Lodge Pays Respects to Major Carroll
August 22, 1917

Southern Star
Announcement by Executors of Major Carroll Estate
October 30, 1918

Major Carroll (with cane) & seven of his ten children. 
My great-grandmother, Emma (Carroll) Espy, is bottom left.

For more on Major and Sarah (Branch) Carroll, click here.

Legislature of Alabama, 1911

This was a quite a find, and arguably the most significant family item uncovered to date.  In the Senate, portrait # 8 is J.J. Espy of Headland, my great-grandfather.  In the House, portrait # 15 is Major Carroll of Ozark, my great-great-grandfather.  J.J. Espy was Major Carroll's son-in-law.  J.J. Espy had married Emma Penelope Carroll in 1901.  

J.J. Espy, Sr.
(John Jolly Espy, Sr.)

Major Carroll

I must thank cousin Beverly (Espy) Dayries for preserving this portrait and bringing it to my attention.  In particular, I appreciate Carolyn (Beverly's daughter), who photographed and e-mailed it to me.

Here's a photo of the Alabama legislature of 1872.  Notice numerous black faces.  This is obviously post-Civil War, likely during Reconstruction.  Thomas Franklin Espy (J.J. Espy's father) was also an Alabama legislator (1876-1878, 1896-1898).  He could be in this photo.  James Searcy (J.J. Espy's grandfather) served in the Alabama Senate in 1853.  James Buhrman Espy (J.J. Espy's first cousin) was an Alabama State Senator (1919-1923).  Thomas Marion Espy (J.J. Espy's brother) and Major Watt Espy, Sr. (J.J. Espy's son) also served in the Alabama legislature.

I contacted the Alabama Legislature office to find out if I could get a current portrait of the Alabama State Legislature.  I would like to be able to post one so we can do a compare/contrast with 100 years ago.  The obvious difference will be numbers of women and African-Americans who have seats today.

UPDATE:  While visiting my Atlanta cousins over the summer, I got to see the newly-framed portrait.  Looks good!

To learn more about Major Carroll, click here.  To discover more about J.J. Espy, click here.