Washington State/Oregon Trip

This is a trip my brother Mark and I took in 1996. I have several pics scanned, and I have some very interesting stories to share. I will work on this post over the next week, so check back in.

The idea to travel to the Pacific Northwest was primarily Mark's.  Through banking in Atlanta, he had established some business contacts with many folks at UPS, including some descendants of the founding family.  Some of these family members were in and around Seattle.  So, we had had been talking about it on that front.  In addition, from my time in Uzbekistan in 1994, a couple of friends I made lived in the Pacific Northwest - one a Michigan-born University of Oregon graduate student, and the other, a proud Oregonian, hailing from Portland.  I wanted to see them.  And that we did!

Another interest Mark and I both had was the Lewis and Clark expedition.  Mark had always had an interest in Thomas Jefferson, and we had gone together to Monticello in Charlottesville, VA prior to this trip, setting the brain gears in motion.  In Monticello, we heard more about Lewis and Clark, and actually saw some of the gifts they brought back to Jefferson.  Traveling out to the Pacific Northwest was going to be our own little expedition!  One thing we did was go by lovely Lewis and Clark University.

Our itinerary: 

*Flew to Seattle, Washington
*Drove Olympic Peninsula Road (around Olympic National Park)
*Made stops in Port Orchard, Kitsap, Port Townsend, Port Angeles
*Coastal stops:  Ocean Shores on Grays Harbor, Long Beach
*Crossed into Oregon
*Stopped at beach town, Seaside
*Traveled east to Portland, OR
*Drove north, through Olympia and Tacoma, and back to Seattle

  the West Coast

Seattle skyline from a ferry out on Puget Sound



 Multnomah Falls (shown in video below)

some produce art Mark bought Mother at market in Portland

These are a couple of e-mails I sent out to my friends during the trip planning phase.  We ended up doing most of the items on our wish list.  If I had known about the Oysterville, WA Espys at that time, for certain we would have stuck with the plans to go there.  For the record, we tried a few oysters in Seattle, but just didn't enjoy them as much as those at Hunt's!

And my brother Mark and I have taken numerous trips together over the years - most of them he organized.  Here are some places where we have traveled together:

Hilton Head

Phoenix

New Orleans

Little Rock

Memphis

Seattle/Portland

Los Angeles

Dallas

Washington, DC

Paris


a few of the L.A. Pix

Asheville Revitalization

Think about this for a moment:  Just forty years ago, like a lot of cities across America, Asheville's downtown was in a state of neglect, and the interest was more on developing the suburbs.  90% of buildings downtown were just empty.  Luckily, a few Ashevillians and some transplants who came here from across the country, had a vision for this city.  Asheville not only reclaimed its former Vanderbilt glory but it embarked on something even bigger. 

The video gives you the substance.  Here are a few notes from it:

• Asheville's identity is inseparable from the arts.  The arts continue to pump new blood into Asheville's culture and economy.
• People come here.  It's like the Wild Wild West of Western North Carolina.
• The River Arts District is where young people open up studios.....vibrant, wacky, raw.   Textile warehouses and industrial buildings have been converted to art spaces.  30 artists initially moved into the RAD, and now there are 180!
• The arts are a part of Asheville's Economic Development Plan.  It's a significant component of a strong economy.  It's a quality of life matter AND business one.

Other thoughts:

Not long ago I read about a local family that still owned significant downtown Asheville properties.  The "wheelers and dealers" in the family had remained in Asheville, but also spent lots of time in Vancouver, BC (Canada), where they lived in the summer.  What was interesting about the family was that, from their time in Vancouver, arguably the most beautiful city in North America, they saw new ways of using downtown spaces and designing a city in ways that enrich people's lives.  And, as they moved back and forth from Vancouver to Asheville, they starting incorporating these ideas into their Asheville properties, making the downtown even more interesting and vibrant.  In time, as I find videos and articles, I will post them on my blog.  When I read the article, it solidified what had been thinking for a while, and confirmed what evidence I had seen from my own travels:  Those regions of the world, and cities of the world, that not only withstand economic downturns but continue growing and innovating and attracting people are those places that welcome new ideas and people who have them, and have structures in place that aid in successfully moving concepts into reality.  Bangkok is such a place, albeit you might expect that because it's a metropolis, and cities of that size tend to have a certain high-level of energy and forward-thinking.  But Asheville, in its own way, certainly for a smaller city, is also that kind of place. 

Now there's a downside to Asheville, and people certainly have contrary opinions to the idea Asheville is all it's cracked up to be.  Local people are some of your biggest dissenters.  Just today, I picked up a copy of the local Mountain Xpress and found the article Fragmented to be quite entertaining.  Unlike the website page, the actual paper is filled with people, through letters, coming to the defense of Asheville, and people who also concur with some of the negavity the article mentions.

Four Ms

 

 Major, Miles, Mark Sr., Mark Jr.

Mr. Weston from Headland, AL is in this photo.  And Dad is behind the camera!

 

Now that baseball season is underway, this post is timely.  I will have to check dates, but I am guessing that "going to see the Braves" started in the early 70s.  Granddad Major had loved sports, and had actually played baseball, football and basketball in high school.  So, when the Braves moved to Atlanta, he then started asking some of his banking contacts for tickets to games every now and then.  This trend continued through the 80s, and a love for the Atlanta Braves stayed with my dad and his brother-in-law and several others over the course of their lives.  I also went to many games, especially in the 80s.  My greatest joy was getting there early enough, which we always did, to get autographs.  If I had to pick a few games that were most exciting to me, I would go, first, with the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Of course, these games were all in Atlanta.  The Pirates had either already won their championship or were on the verge.  We got to see Omar Moreno, Dave Parker, Phil Garner and the great Willie Stargell.  The St. Louis Cardinals, with their raw speed and impressive gloves, also came to town.  I loved Willie McGee, Vince Coleman and, of course, Ozzie Smith!   And then the Mets came.  This was when they had Dwight Gooden, Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter and the young phenom, Daryl Strawberry.  Other great teams that we got to see play were the LA Dodgers and the Barry Bonds-led Pirates (the 90s).  And to top it off, in the late 70s and early 80s, the tickets we had were just behind Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and then owner of Braves.  On a baseball card, I actually got his autograph.  I blogged about one Turner encounter here.   The long drives to Atlanta, seeing the big skyline come into view, finding easy-to-get-out-of parking spaces, grabbing a box of KFC chicken for a quick "picnic" on the grass outside the stadium, rushing in when the gates opened, getting the autographs and seeing Chief Noc-A-Homa go through his pre-game ritual, always set the stage for enjoyable games.

Dale Murphy was the big star of the Braves for almost two decades.  I never remember hearing direct talk from family about Murphy being a Mormon. although my grandmother, who loved baseball, referred to it in a matter-of-fact way on occasion.  However, there was a preacher who went with us to a game, and as we sat there, in the stadium seats, struggling to eat pizza slices sticking to the paper plates they were served on, he would say, more than once, in a joking tone, but still serious fashion:  "Good guys burn in hell, too"......referring to Murphy and the class person he was, yet the obvious (to this preacher) wrong course Murphy was on.  I was very young, and obviously couldn't counter what he said, and just looked up at him, and laughed a bit.  Just shows you the incredible power adults have on kids, and the messages that get passed from one generation to another.  Fast-forward to the 2000s.  Once reason I was intrigued by Mitt Romney's runs for president was the message it sent back out to folks like this preacher and to the greater public, and it showed how times have changed.

Some of our other photos from Braves games

Phil Niekro

I'm #32 here.  Behind me is my brother, Mark.  Miles is at bottom.  That's Tim Cox on the right.

Coming Alive

Above is a video I made last weekend.  A little shaky, but it does reveal the allure of downtown Asheville.  Now that it's getting truly warm, the city and surrounding towns and mountain escapes are going to be really active.

 

For out-of-towners and locals, here are some unique tours - some things with a bit more oomph: 

 

Asheville Brews Cruise

LaZoom Comedy Tours

Asheville Food Tours

Hunger Games Fan Tours

Eating Asheville

Travel in Wine Tours

Star Watch Tours

Haunted Trolley Tours

Asheville Segway Tours

Electric Bicycle Tours

Asheville Running Tours

Birding Tours

Navitat Zipline Canopy Tours

The Iron Ladies

 

1991-1992--Samford Celebrates 150th Birthday. Chartered in 1841 and opening its doors in early 1842, Samford celebrated its sesquicentennial with a two-year observance highlighted by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's visit April 7, 1992.  SOURCE

 

An article in the Gadsden Times about Thatcher's visit to Samford.

 

Yesterday, when I heard about the death of Margaret Thatcher, some thoughts came to mind.  There's my brother Mark, who was very into politics long before I was.  He adored Reagan and Thatcher.  So I probably first really heard about the Iron Lady from him. 

And, as a bit of an aside: I was probably not even ten years old when Mark pulled out the S encyclopedia, quizzed me on which countries were the world's strongest and which ones had the biggest armies.  He then flipped to the Soviet Union, and pointed to a  page that had a picture of St. Basil's Cathedral, and proceeded to explain to me about the Soviet Union and just how big their military was.  Quite funny, but shows the influence of the times, and the Cold War political rhetoric, and the influence that TV and news had on him as a young boy.  And, for me, who knows, maybe this "lesson" planted that seed to want to know more about the USSR, and prompted me later to take those trips to Russia and become more and more fascinated with World War II  history. 

But back to Thatcher.  In the early 90s, shortly after her resignation as British PM, she went on speaking engagements in the United States.  Samford University was one of her stops.  The day she came to Samford, I had awareness of it, of course, but it was not something that excited me.  I actually had an appointment to meet my "Discipleship Leader" in the library to go over my weekly schedule, talk about Bible studies and do all the other Campus Outreach (a student Christian ministry) related tasks that consumed a large part of my time in those days.  I remember sitting there with him, and we got confirmaton that the Iron Lady, arguably one of the most powerful and influential figures of the 20th Century was about to arrive at the Centennial Walk, just outside the library.  And we sat there, and made a conscious decision not to get up and go outside - just a mere one minute walk from where we were.   Looking back, now it just seems so ridiculous that I didn't try to see her.  My Uzbek friends who were studying at Samford were savvy enough, and cultural engaged enough, and politically aware enough.....they made seeing the Iron Lady a priority.  Politics and the Thatcher "message" aside, you have to admire her force of nature and her willingness to stand up and battle for her convictions.  She was controversial, bold, decisive, and determined to fight the status quo.  She earned the Iron Lady label, a nickname incidentally given to her by the Soviets. 

My mother and her mother (my grandmother) were cut from the same cloth as Margeret Thatcher - Iron Ladies.  They were both very formidable women, passionate about their ideas, willing to tell you like it is and let the chips fall where they may, ready to do battle for themselves and others - ladies undoubtedly built of iron.  They were no pushovers.  Being raised by these strong women - women who also radiated more than ample warmth and affection - gave me a deep respect and appreciation for women who fit this mold.  These forces of iron were "leaning in" a long time ago.  When I see a Margaret Thatcher or hear of an Aung San Suu Kyi or read about a Coco Chanel, my mother springs to mind.  And she got this trait from her own mother.  Iron truly sharpens iron.

AM I A FOODIE?

Seven Sows- Soft Opening | Grae Skye Studio from Aaron Morrell on Vimeo.

I am posting my personal Asheville restaurant preferences, based on what Kade and I tend to go for - things and places we crave most often.  Some Asheville restaurants we've liked a lot, but perhaps have only been there once, for whatever reason - like Seven Sows, which just opened, and where we had brunch with friends this morning.  In listing our favorites below, I decided only to include places where we've been more than once.  Therefore, a few notables are not listed.  Fig, The Market Place, and Cucina24 quickly come to mind.

Fully Satisfies: The Admiral, Pack's Tavern, Stonebowl, 131 Main, Stoney Knob Cafe, Table

Specialties:  mussels, vegetarian sushi, Thai, vegetarian, Indian, tacos, barbecue

Setting:  Zambra, Sunset Terrace, Curate

The biggest, most surprising omission is likely The Corner Kitchen, a place where we've actually eaten twice.  It's also a restaurant where President and Mrs. Obama and actor Ben Stiller and a host Ashevillians and countless hungry out-of-towners have dined.  Our experiences were average, and that's why I did not rank it. 

My brother, who works at the Inn on Biltmore, assures me that if I tried the Dining Room, it would easily be in my tops. 

Considering the plethora of high quality restaurants in Asheville, you'd expect there to be a number of talented chefs behind the scenes, and out front.  And there are!   A few names have made a national splash, and you can google to learn more about them.  Katie Button is one.

I obviously love food, and I love traveling.  Being married to an excellent cook (my chef!) from a country that's known for its centuries-perfected cuisine is quite remarkable to me, and personally humbling.  Lucky is an understatement!  Some of my best eating experiences are actually right at home!  I also like to watch TV programs that combine my passions: the eating and the traveling.  Without question, my standard bearer for a city or country or region having delicious, mouth-watering, cutting edge food is whether or not personalities Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern have paid a visit.  Asheville (and greater WNC) was one of their stops. 

Here's the definition of a foodie.  For the record, I did leave with a menu in hand today.  Take-home one, of course!

Finally, for more background, here are some articles/interviews that highlight the local food scene:
Why Food Lovers are Loving Asheville
Top Ten Foodie Cities
2013 Food Mentions and Accolades
Chef and the Farmer

Asheville Beer

Asheville has long been famous for its stunning scenery, lively mountain music and famous attractions such as Biltmore and the Blue Ridge Parkway. And now, Asheville has become the craft-brewing center of the Southeast.  Asheville beer has garnered so much enthusiasm that it was named the winner of the Examiner's “Beer City, USA” poll four years running.  - Source

This month is NC Beer Month, and Asheville has an incredible amount of activities centered around its burgeoning craft beer industry - an industry that really only got going in the late '90s.





The $175 million facility will be just the second brewery for the nation's third-largest craft brewer. The brewery will launch production in early 2015 with 50 new jobs and ultimately will employ 154 workers by the time it is fully built out in 2020.  - full article, Denver Post

In the video above, pay special attention to what the CEO of New Belgium says about Asheville and its people, and how this influenced their decision to grow their product and brand here.  And to the see the vision the company, Asheville, and the state of North Carolina have for this new brewery, check out New Belgium's website.  New Belgium is not just building a giant complex and bringing jobs.  They are working with the city of Asheville to continue the revitalization started in The River Arts District many years ago.

The RiverWay Connector is an example:

RiverWay Connector Segment (Greenway) Design and Construction  An off street walking path (greenway connector) will be constructed along the riverfront edge to accommodate bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the New Belgium's Visitor’s Center/Tasting room and the City of Asheville’s planned urban parkway- the Wilma Dykeman RiverWay. The RiverWay is part of an adopted plan to link regional attractions (including the North Carolina Arboretum, Western North Carolina Nature Center, River Arts District, and the Blue Ridge Parkway) together into a cohesive unit that can act as an economic engine. This segment of the RiverWay will also provide required bicycle and pedestrian access to visitor and employee facilities via the Low Impact Parking Lot (below). This project is being implemented as part of the City’s Complete Streets Policy. The City will maintain the greenway segment as part of it’s overall network.   - Source

It might interest you to know that I have probably averaged drinking 1-2 bottles of beer a year in the six years Kade and I have been in Asheville.  We just don't really like beer.  What truly intrigues me, though - and excites me - is Asheville's entrepreneurial spirit and its multi-faceted and multi-dimensional assets, natural and man-made.  For a city its size, Asheville packs a very big punch.  Naturally, it helps to have anchors like the mountains, Blue Ridge Parkway, arts and crafts and the Biltmore, which draw people no matter what.  Yet, now, other facets are making names for themselves:  wine, beer, restaurants, festivals, music, movies, spas, creative writing, and anything green.  To me, the secret is fairly simple:  a city that welcomes creative people from diverse backgrounds; a "live and let live" attitude that recognizes that good ideas can come from anywhere; stunning scenic beauty that can inspire and rejuvenate the mind and body; more moderate and assorted religious views and philosophies; and a willingness of people and governments to work together for long-term prosperity and a better quality of life.

For those who want to learn more about the history of mountain brewing in Asheville, try this book.

Solomon Family Lineage

Peter Solomon

Peter Solomon married Marie Louise Malone.

Children: 

Lazarus Solomon 

Lazarus Solomon B. 1765 Tyrell County, NC, D. 20 Apr 1833 Jeffersonville, GA,

married Elizabeth Bedgood B. 1767 NC, D. 3 Feb 1828 GA

Children:
(birth order)
Delilah Solomon
Henry Forsyth Solomon
William Solomon
Mary Solomon
John Solomon
Dicey Solomon
James Solomon
Sarah Solomon
Fannie Solomon
Peter Solomon
Hardy Solomon
Carey Solomon
Lewis Solomon
Elizabeth Solomon

John Solomon, B. 3 Jan 1797 Nash County, NC, D. 13 May 1879 Clopton, AL,

married Rebecca Sturdivant B. 30 May 1802 Bedgood, NC, D. 20 Apr 1882 Clopton, AL

Children:

(random order)

John Wesley Solomon
Mary Rebecca Solomon
Elizabeth Solomon
James Solomon
Henry Solomon
Sarah Solomon
Susan Solomon
Frances A.H. Solomon
Thomas Carey Solomon
William Lazarus Solomon

John Wesley Solomon B. 27 Jun 1822 Twiggs County, GA, D. 11 May 1901 Seale, AL,

married Elizabeth Jane Covington B. 10 Aug 1834 Barnesville, Pike County, GA, D. 29 Jan 1921 Montgomery, AL

Children:

(birth order)
Emmet Wales Solomon
Henry Land Solomon
John Thomas Solomon
Mary Elizabeth (Mollie) Solomon
William Milton Solomon
Sarah Rebecca Solomon
Martha Winifred Solomon
James Alexander Solomon
Frank Nesbit Solomon
Ellen Corinne Solomon

John Thomas Solomon. B. 15 Dec 1855 Abbeville, AL, D. 11 May 1902 Headland, AL,

married Laura Emma Price B. 20 Nov 1859 Abbeville, AL, D. 15 May 1951 Headland, AL




(L-R) Front: Sid Eva, Kate, Mamie, Corine Back: Curtis, Bob

Children:

(birth order)

Sid Eva Solomon

Mamie Solomon

Curtis Solomon

Ralph Solomon

Kate Solomon

William T. Solomon

Robert Solomon

Corinne Solomon

Kate Solomon B. 25 Feb 1892 Troy, AL, D. 26 Aug 1989 Headland, AL,

married Sam R. Vann  B. 23 June 1878 Abbeville, AL, D. 10 Oct. 1933 Headland, AL



L-R:  Emily, Edith, Felix, Kate Helen, Jack, Grandmother Vann, Sam, Grace, Jim, Mary Owens

Children:

(birth order)

Jack S. Vann

Sam R. Vann, Jr.

Edith Vann

Grace Vann

William Felix Vann

James Wesley Vann

Emily Vann

Kate Helen Vann

Mary Owens Vann

Edith Vann B. 17 March 1918 Headland, AL D. 25 July 1988 Headland, AL,
married Major Watt Espy, Sr. B 2 Oct 1907 Headland, AL, D 3 April 1980 Headland, AL

Children:

(birth order)

Mark Carroll Espy

Marilyn Elaine Espy

Mila Edith Espy

Mark Carroll Espy, B. 17 Dec. 1943 Headland, AL, D. 16 Oct. 2012 Headland, AL,
married Dinah Jen Grace, B. 23 Sept. 1944, Shorterville, AL, D 6 Aug. 2010 Headland, AL

Children:

(birth order)

Leslie Ann Espy

Mark Carroll Espy, Jr.

Miles Vann Espy

Major Allen Espy

Special thanks to Bill Vann and Brenda Stroup for taking the lead in compiling and sharing information they had collected on the Solomons.  Here's a wish list of items needed to complete this particular Solomon family lineage project.  Anyone who has this information or who can point me in the right direction, please e-mail me at majorespy@yahoo.com. 

• Peter Solomon's portrait
• Peter Solomon's date/place of birth/death
• Peter's wife's date/place of birth/death
• Peter's children's complete names (right now showing only Lazarus) and birth order
• Peter's children, group picture
• Lazarus Solomon's portrait
• Lazarus Solomon's children, birth order and group picture
• John Solomon's portrait
• John Solomon's children, birth order and group picture
• John Wesley Solomon's children, group picture
• Photos of Ralph and William T. Solomon, plus information about their deaths
• Help in double and triple-checking names, and the adding of middle names

For each generation, going back to Peter Solomon, my goal is to work with family to get as much of the basic information we can.  Then, I'd like to add more detail to each generation.  I have already started this below.  Examples of items that could enhance the blog posts:   more pictures of certain family members, perhaps some scanned letters, photos of old family homes, short bios with distinct accomplishments of family members, images of gravesites, anecdotal stories that have been passed down, and old family video footage.  If anyone needs assistance in figuring how to get anything to me, please e-mail me at majorespy@yahoo.com  Finally, if there's any editing that needs to be done to the information already or if you have more ideas on how to lay it out better or something else to cover, don't hesitate to let me know.

Peter Solomon

Peter Solomon

Peter Solomon married Mary Louise Malone.

Children:

Lazarus Solomon

 

This is all the information we have on Peter Solomon. He's as far back on the Solomon side we can go.  I would think we ought to be able to uncover basic birth and death info, and we might be able to comfirm the names of all his children.  Was Lazarus their only child?

 

This blog post will remain here, and as information comes in, I will post it here.

Lazarus Solomon

Lazarus Solomon B. 1765 Tyrell County, NC, D. 20 Apr 1833 Jeffersonville, GA,

married Elizabeth Bedgood B. 1767 NC, D. 3 Feb 1828 GA

Revolutionary War Patriot Served in Rhodes Company, 9th North Carolina Regiment Married Elizabeth Bedgood in Nash County, North Carolina Lived in Montgomery, Wilkerson, and Twiggs Counties, Georgia Fathered 14 children and progenitor of Solomons in Georgia, Alabama, and West Texas       490. Lazarus Solomon38,38, born 1765 in Washington, NC, USA38; died 20 Apr 1833 in Twiggs, GA, USA38,38. He was the son of 980. Peter Solomon. He married 491. Elizabeth Bedgood 1788 in Nash County, North Carolina. 491. Elizabeth Bedgood38, born 1767 in Washington, NC, USA38; died 06 Feb 1827 in Twiggs, GA, USA38.       Children (in birth order) of Lazarus Solomon and Elizabeth Bedgood are: i. Delilah Solomon, born 12 Sep 1789 in North Carolina; died 25 Feb 1875 in Twiggs, GA, USA38; married (1) Freeman Finch; married (2) John Land 24 Mar 1806 in Twigg, CO, USA38; born 20 Dec 178638; died 1815 in Twiggs, GA, USA38.   ii. Henry Forsyth Solomon, born 22 Mar 1791 in Washington, NC, USA38; died 16 Jan 1847 in Twiggs, GA, USA38; married Mary Lucinda Griffin 18 Apr 1822 in Twiggs, GA, USA38; born 20 Aug 180538; died 18 Nov 1858 in Twiggs, GA, USA38.   iii. William Solomon38, born 07 Dec 1792 in Washington County, North Carolina; died 187438; married Susan Smith 14 Sep 1828 in Twiggs, GA, USA38.   iv. Mary Solomon, born 13 Jan 1795 in GA, USA; died 01 Apr 1859 in Conecuh, AL, USA; married Green Brantley 05 Jan 1817 in Washington County, Georgia.   v. John Solomon38, born 08 Jan 1797 in Nashville, Nash, NC, USA38; died 13 May 1879 in Clopton, Dale, AL, USA38; married Rebecca Sturdivant 182038; born 20 May 1802 in Twiggs, GA, USA38; died 20 Apr 1882 in Clopton, Dale, AL38.   vi. Dicey Solomon, born 25 Jan 1799 in Nashville, North Carolina; died 25 Dec 1890 in Marion, GA, USA38; married Soloman Wall 1820 in GA, USA38; born 1801 in MD, USA38; died 12 Sep 1867 in Tazewell, Marion, GA, USA38.   vii. James Solomon, born 17 Oct 1800 in Twiggs County, Georgia.   viii. Sarah Solomon, born 10 Oct 1802 in Twiggs County, Georgia.   ix. Fannie Solomon, born 17 Sep 1804 in Twiggs County, Georgia.   x. Peter Solomon, born 04 Aug 1806 in Twiggs County, Georgia; died 01 Nov 1883 in Macon, Bibb, Georgia; married (1) Mary Louise Malone in Georgia; born 17 Apr 1815 in Georgia; died 25 May 1888 in Twiggs County, Georgia; married (2) Martha C. Fort 1833 in Twiggs County, Georgia; born 14 Jul 1813; died 11 Jan 1838 in Twiggs County, Georgia.   xi. Hardy Solomon, born 17 May 1808 in Twiggs County, Georgia.   xii. Cary Solomon, born 30 Sep 1810 in Twiggs County, Georgia.   xiii. Lewis Solomon, born 04 Oct 1812 in Twiggs County, Georgia.   xiv. Elizabeth Solomon, born 10 Mar 1817 in Twiggs County, Georgia. Hank's 1st cousin Le Bateman (grandson of Neil Oates and great-grandson of Mamie Oates) was quite a genealogy researcher.  He died a couple of years ago and I don't know who has his records.  I will probably see his aunt in a couple of months and try to find out what happened to all his research.  Would be great to get our hands on that!  He sent us a copy of a will belonging to Lewis Solomon which mentions Peter Solomon.  I only have a paper copy so I will scan/enter that document and send to you when I get a few moments. - Brenda (Skinner) Stroup                                                     Lazarus Solomon at Find a Grave

John Solomon

John Solomon, B. 3 Jan 1797 Nash County, NC, D. 13 May 1879 Clopton, AL,

married Rebecca Sturdivant B. 30 May 1802 Bedgood, NC, D. 20 Apr 1882 Clopton, AL

Children:

(random order)

John Wesley Solomon
Mary Rebecca Solomon
Elizabeth Solomon
James Solomon
Henry Franklin Solomon
Sarah Solomon
Susan Solomon
Frances A.H. Solomon
Thomas Carey Solomon**
William Lazarus Solomon

****Thomas Carey Solomon is the father of Ligon Thomas Solomon, Rimson Solomon's grandfather. 

Clopton Cemetery
Ozark
Dale County
Alabama, USA

John Solomon

 

Rebecca Sturdivant (Solomon)

Slab markers placed by Emory R. Solomon, great gson, Oct 1981.

 

Information Source

John Wesley Solomon

John Wesley Solomon with his grandson, Ralph Solomon (circa 1890)
(photo provided by Curt Solomon)

The Headland Observer

John Wesley Solomon B. 27 Jun 1822 Twiggs County, GA, D. 11 May 1901 Seale, AL,

married Elizabeth Jane Covington B. 10 Aug 1834 Barnesville, Pike County, GA, D. 29 Jan 1921 Montgomery, AL

John Wesley Solomon was a Methodist minister and a chaplain in the Civil War.

Children:

(birth order)
Emmet Wales Solomon
Henry Land Solomon
John Thomas Solomon
Mary Elizabeth (Mollie) Solomon*
William Milton Solomon
Sarah Rebecca Solomon
Martha Winifred Solomon
James Alexander Solomon
Frank Nesbit Solomon
Ellen Corinne Solomon

*Mary Elizabeth (Mollie) Solomon married William Pitts. Their son, John Emmett (affectionately known as "Boozer") was a football player at Auburn and later Head Football Coach 1923-1924. Google "Boozer" Pitts for more info. He was still living when Hank was a student at Auburn and we would see him occ. If you have ever driven from Columbus, Ga to Headland, you have been through Pittsview, Alabama. Their house was the big old Victorian on the right coming from Columbus. It was still there the last time we drove thru. It is now some type of farm business office.   - Brenda Skinner Stroup

Burial Place: 

Seale United Methodist Church Cemetery

Seale, Alabama (USA)
Russell County

Photo by Sid and Sam III

 

Inscription:
Her children rise up
and call her blessed.

Find a Grave

The last time I was in Lower Alabama, Sid and Sam III made a trip to Columbus to pick up a piece of furniture for May May. In route back to Headland, they made these photos.   I know John Wesley was a Methodist minister.  - Bill Vann

I am interested in the family tree, and in particular the Solomon branch. In fact, on returning from Asheville I had planned a side trip to Lake Junaluksa, the Methodist retreat where they have a museum and the archives of the church. I had told our minister here in Vinings about my great, great grandfather (may have missed another great) who was in Georgia when John and Charles Wesley came over from England. As you may know, John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist religion. Great, great granddad was so taken with John Wesley that he named great-grandfather John Wesley Solomon, and this was the namesake for James Wesley Vann, Uncle Jim. John Wesley Solomon became a Methodist minister and when Andrew Jackson ran the Indians out of the area, he rode the west side of the Chattahoochee River setting up Methodist churches. I think that he ended up around Pittsview (?) Alabama somewhere above Abbeville.  At any rate, I had hoped to discover his history and church foundings/ministries documented within the Methodist Church. For all I know, he may have founded our little Methodist church here in Vinings. We incorporated it a few years ago for the st time since 1872. It has been active here since that time.  - Jack Vann