Haunted Georgia? "The Bealls 1860 Restaurant's Ghostly Fare"

I bought this book (Haunted Georgia: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Peach State) by Alan Brown for my grandfather as a Christmas present last December. I am not one to believe every ghost story I read or hear, but do find them of interest. Especially those rooted in history. Even though it was a gift, I couldn't resist peeking and jotting down a few notes from a couple of the stories in the book. I knew Grandpa wouldn't mind, and I plan to borrow and finish reading it when he's done. :-)

One of the stories in the book is "The Bealls 1860 Restaurant's Ghostly Fare." Located at 315 College Street in Macon, GA, the restaurant was open in the 1990s. The building was once a residence, built by Nathan Beall around 1860.

Beall House
Photo © 2012 S. Lincecum

The crux of the story of this house centers around sorrow. Nathan Beall, a wealthy planter born about 1799, was enumerated in the 1860 Bibb County, GA census with his wife Martha, daughter Juliet R., and son George C.¹

According to the book, George enlisted in 1862 with the 47th Regiment of the Georgia Infantry. And "by February 1863, he had become one of thousands of young soldiers listed as missing."² I might disagree here after consulting the service records of two George Bealls that served in the Confederate Army at approximately the same time. I initially found the two men with Ancestry's American Civil War Soldiers database.³

Moving to Fold3, I looked over the Confederate service record for George Beall (aka D. W. Beall, aka George W. Bell) of the 47th Georgia Infantry. This man enlisted at Randolph County, GA and was present with his company in Mar/Apr 1862, May/Jun 1862, Jul/Aug 1862, Sep/Oct 1862, Nov/Dec 1862, and Jan/Feb 1863.⁴

The other soldier, George C. Beall (aka George C. Beale, aka G. C. Beal), enlisted at Macon, GA with the 28th Siege Artillery Battalion. He was elected 1st Lieutenant July 1863 and resigned a month later. In October of the same year, this George is in a hospital at Macon.⁵ I think this is more likely the son of Nathan Beall, and I question exactly how "missing" he was.

The next portrait of sorrow regarding the Beall house deals with Nathan's daughter Juliet. Haunted Georgia states her husband, Dr. George C. Griffin, disappeared about the same time ("between Petersburg and Macon") as Juliet's brother while serving as an assistant surgeon during the Civil War... "For the rest of her life, Juliet sat in the study on the second floor, where she stared out the window in the hope that someday her husband would return home."⁶

Juliet R. Beall married George G. Griffin 4 July 1861 in Bibb County, Georgia.⁷ G. G. Griffin's service record states he served with the 8th Georgia Infantry. He was indeed relieved of his duties in Petersburg, VA and told to report to Macon, GA for assignment.⁸ I don't know if he went missing for some time or not, but I doubt Juliet spent the "rest of her life" waiting for him to return home. The 1870 Hamilton, Harris County, Georgia census⁹ and the 1880 Cassville, Bartow County, Georgia census¹⁰ show Dr. George G. and Juliet R. Griffin together with a growing family. George died 4 April 1904 in Covington, Georgia.¹¹

About the end of the Civil War, Nathan Beall sold his home to Leonidas A. Jordan.¹² Lee was "a cultivated gentleman of great wealth, and is known throughout the state as one of the largest planters and real estate owners in Georgia."¹³

Sorrow seemed to continue to permeate the building even with a new family residing within. After a twenty-three year marriage, Lee's wife Julia died 30 December 1891 of grippe and pneumonia. She did not die in her Macon home, though. She died at the home of her mother in Wynnton (Columbus), Georgia.¹⁴

A few years after Julia's death, Leonidas married Miss Ilah Dunlap. She was quite a bit younger than he, about 50 years. Supposedly, Ilah looked to Leonidas just like his first wife at that young age. And by the way, Ilah became the sole beneficiary of Lee's vast fortune and real estate holdings.

Photo © 2011/2
S. Lincecum

Continuing along with the Haunted Georgia story, a most sorrowful marriage between Ilah and Leonidas lasted until his death in 1899. It is written that Ilah kept her husband a "virtual prisoner in his own home." None of his friends and family were even allowed to visit. Furthermore, upon his death, Ilah buried Leonidas beneath "only a modest county marker." Conversely, upon her death, Ilah was "buried in the largest mausoleum in Macon's Rose Hill Cemetery."¹⁵

I've done a bit of research about Ilah, but did not uncover much about her true relationship with Leonidas. I have no idea if she cared for him deeply, just married him for the money, or waffled somewhere in between. I can say she was a daughter of a wealthy man, and her inheritance from her father was quite substantial. This came a few years after the death of Leonidas. And while Leonidas does not have a grand marker in his burial place of Memory Hill Cemetery in Milledgeville, GA, he is buried in a JORDAN family plot -- next to the tallest monument in the cemetery. Ilah is also buried with family -- the DUNLAP mausoleum was erected for her father.

After the Beall house became a restaurant in 1993, quite a bit of paranormal activity was witnessed. This included ice cubes "jumping" out of glasses, a ghostly presence of a young girl in a white dress, glasses flying off counters, books flying off shelves, and chandeliers flickering on and off. The most notable disturbance occurred one year close to the anniversary of Julia's death: "The waiters were going about their business when all at once, all of the pipes began to shake. The noise became so loud that some waiters placed their hands over their ears."¹⁶

Does all this mean the Beall house is haunted? I have no idea. But, if you've stayed with me this far, you might be interested in this: On the day I photographed the outside of the building I took more than 20 pictures. Every one came out clear as a bell, save one -- an image of the front of the Beall house.

Photo © 2012 S. Lincecum

Footnotes:
1. 1860 U.S. census, Bibb Co., Georgia, population schedule, Macon, p. 132, dwelling 985, family 1020, Nathan H. Beall household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed January 2012); citing NARA microfilm publication M653.
2. Alan Brown, Haunted Georgia: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Peach State (Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2008), 31.
3. "American Civil War Soldiers," database, Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3737 : accessed January 2012), entries for George Beall.
4. "Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Georgia," digital images, Fold3 (http://www.fold3.com : accessed January 2012), entry for George W. Bell, Pvt., Co. B, 47th Georgia Inf., Confederate; citing NARA M266 - Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Georgia units.
5. "Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Georgia," digital images, Fold3, entry for George C. Beall, 1st Lt, Co. A, 28th Georgia Siege Artillery Battalion, Confederate.
6. Brown, Haunted Georgia, 31.
7. "Georgia Marriages, 1808-1967," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed January 2012), entry for Juliet R. Beall and George G. Griffin, married 4 July 1861; citing Marriage Records, FHL microfilm 203,066 - index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.
8. "Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Georgia," digital images, Fold3, entry for G. G. Griffin, Assistant Surgeon, 8th Georgia Inf., Confederate.
9. 1870 U.S. census, Harris Co., Georgia, population schedule, Hamilton, p. 157, dwelling 1193, family 1204, George G. & Juliet R. Griffin household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed January 2012); citing NARA microfilm publication M593.
10. 1880 U.S. census, Bartow Co., Georgia, population schedule, Cassville, p. 2, dwelling 13, family 14, George & Juliet Griffin household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed January 2012); citing NARA microfilm publication T9.
11. "Directory of Deceased American Physicians, 1804-1929," database, MyFamily.com Inc., Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7833 : accessed January 2012), entry for George G. Griffin.
12. Brown, Haunted Georgia, 31.
13. "The Marriage of Miss Ilah Dunlap to Colonel Lee Jordan at Macon," The Consitution (Atlanta, Georgia), 26 April 1894; digital image, GenealogyBank (http://www.genealogybank.com : accessed January 2012), Historical Newspapers.
14. "Sudden Death of Mrs. Lee Jordan," Columbus Daily Enquirer (Georgia), 31 December 1891; digital image, GenealogyBank (http://www.genealogybank.com : accessed January 2012), Historical Newspapers.
15. Brown, Haunted Georgia, 31.
16. Brown, Haunted Georgia, 32.

Cora Lou Jackson Tallen (Talent?) Vinson & the Principal Players

This post will show you what I have found out about Cora Lou Vinson thus far. My only research has been the online kind, and that is of course limited. I am very intrigued by her, and would love to know her ultimate fate. Did she live out the rest of her life in prison, or was she eventually able to get clemency? She doesn't strike me as a woman that would stop after just one attempt at that. I would also personally be thrilled to know her final resting place.

I do also understand that this really did not happen all that long ago. Less than 100 years, and some of Cora's and/or William's grandchildren might be living their lives without the desire to have this relatively recent past drudged up. Having said that, if there is anyone with information they are willing to share, I would greatly appreciate a comment or email.

OK! Here's what I've found:

Newspaper articles provided a bit of information. As chronicled when her nephews were testifying against her, Cora's maiden name was possibly JACKSON. She was described as a sister of "Simp" Jackson, whose sons J. S. and Roy took the stand. That same article brings out the fact that her marriage to William D. Vinson was a second one. Her first was "to a man named Tallen," by whom she had a daughter named Mary.

The article by Dudley Siddal states this: "...Married first at 14, she had only the education that falls to a mountain-born woman whose childhood was spent in the cotton mills. But she is intelligent, answers questions directly..."

I have not yet found Cora in census records before she was married to Mr. Vinson, but I did find this entry in the Georgia Marriages database at FamilySearch: Cora Jackson married M. L. Talent 24 June 1893 in Cobb County.

In 1910, having been married to William D. Vinson for seven years, they were in Atlanta on Ponders Avenue. William was a practicing physician. It is listed that Cora (aged 33 years) had four children, three living. Two of Mr. Vinson's sons from a previous marriage were listed: William B. and Tilley D. The two girls listed were from the union of William and Cora: Pauline and Ruby.

1920 finds a 38 year old Cora listed by herself with three children. Her marital status is already listed as widowed, even though it's two years before Mr. Vinson would be killed. Her likely attempt at "keeping up appearances" proved to be a bit ironic. The three children are Pauline, Ruby, and Louis J.

In 1930, Cora is exactly where you would expect to find her -- in the Georgia State Penitentiary at Baldwin County. She was a 52 year old widowed prisoner.

As you can see, Cora's birth years range from 1877 to 1882 to 1878. Newspaper articles at the time of the murder estimate her birth year to be 1878 or 1879. I have found three possible entries for Cora in the Georgia Deaths database at Ancestry and the Social Security Death Index (one might could argue there are more, but not one I viewed fits perfectly):

· Cora L. Vinson, d. 13 Feb 1953 Fulton Co, GA, aged 68;
· Cora Vinson, d. 23 Feb 1971 Baldwin Co, GA, aged 86; and
· Cora Vinson, b. 1 Jul 1889, d. Feb 1971, last residence at Milledgeville, Baldwin Co, GA.

Cora and William's daughter Pauline is found with her husband and three children still in Atlanta in 1930. Her husband, William T. Brown, is still a city fireman as stated in a newspaper article. Pauline was married about 1920 at age 15, sometime after the January census enumeration when she was still listed with her mother.

Here are two possible entries for Pauline in the Georgia Deaths database. I think the first is likely our subject:

· Pauline V. Brown, d. 6 Apr 1979 Fulton Co, aged 73; and
· Pauline V. Brown, d. 10 Jan 1985 Coweta Co, aged 77.

William "Willie" B. Vinson, son of W. D. and his first wife, is listed with his divorced father at Fulton County, Georgia in 1900. By 1930 he is married to Minnie L. and has three daughters in Dekalb County. His occupation was life insurance salesman.

Georgia Deaths, 1919-98 shows a William B. Vinson d. 25 Oct 1945 in Dekalb County at age 57. FindAGrave provides us with the burial location of East View Cemetery in Atlanta.

After Tillie D. is enumerated with his divorced father in 1900 as was brother William, we find him still in Atlanta in 1920. He is married to "Viola" Miller, and they are listed in her parents' household. Tillie was a practicing dentist. In 1930, Tillie and "Violet" are in Atlanta with their young son. Tillie is still a dentist, and we can add a veteran of World War I.

Tillie registered for the draft about 1917, while he was living with his father and step-mother on Ponders Avenue in Atlanta. His occupation was even listed then as dentist. Tillie was described as having brown eyes and dark brown hair on his draft card.

The only Tillie D. Vinson in the Georgia Deaths database states he died 6 August 1956 at age 61 in Dekalb County.

...Does this family connect to yours?

Civil War Era Records Free Access Week at Ancestry

You may have already heard, but just in case you haven't: Ancestry is offering free access to all of their Civil War era records for one week, beginning today.

Some records they house that may be of interest to Georgia researchers are:

· Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865
· Georgia Confederate Pension Applications, 1879-1960
· Confederate Applications for Presidential Pardons, 1865-1867

The last database includes Samuel and Edward Felder's applications for Presidential pardon recently written about on this blog here and here, respectively.

Also included in the free access promotion is their newly launched Military Headstone Collection, described as "the most comprehensive searchable collection of Civil War era gravestones." This database includes the National Cemetery in Marietta, Georgia (1866-2010).

Good Luck in your searches!

Database Review: "Semi-Centennial History of the Second Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia"

Semi-Centennial History of the Second Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia November 27-30, 1904 is a book edited and arranged by M. L. Brittain. It was digitized and put online by Ancestry about five or so years ago.

It's not very interesting reading, I must say, unless it applies directly to an ancestor (and it does not any of mine). The beginning lays out the program for the semi-centennial celebration and details the history of the church and its groups, such as the Women's Missionary and Benevolent Society.

A few sections should be highlighted, however. The ROLL-CALL OF THE DEAD is a "List of persons who died while members of the Second Baptist Church, from its Organization in 1854, to the Semi-Centennial Celebration November 27-30, 1904." This list consists of seven pages of names of individuals, when they joined the church and how, and their date of death. I estimate there to be over 300 names.

The Pastor and Deacons of the Second Baptist Church is a listing of individuals that served the church in those capacities. Short biographical sketches are given of each.

A final highlight is the ROLL OF THE CHURCH. More than 20 pages of members' names and addresses are given.

Ezekiel H. Taylor, a Biographical Sketch

Source: Georgia and Florida Biographies [database on-line].
Original Data from Biographical Souvenir of the States of Georgia and Florida,
Containing Biographical Sketches of the Representative Public, and many
Early Settled Families in These States. F. A. Battey & Company, 1889.
Transcribed by S. Lincecum 2008.

Ezekiel H. Taylor, physician and surgeon, Hawkinsville, Ga, was born in Pulaski County, October 7, 1826. His parents are Robert N. and Louisa (Taylor) Taylor (no relation). The father was a physician and practiced in Pulaski and adjoining counties for forty years. He was one of the most noted practitioners in that part of Georgia, and no physician in the State did a larger practice. For successive days he has made over $100 a day in Pulaski, Houston, Dooly, Wilcox and Dodge counties. He would go from fifty to 100 miles in a trip, and no man in the State was more beloved than he. He was one of the kindest and most charitable of men, and never made any distinction between rich and poor. His income was never less than fifteen thousand and was sometimes twenty-five thousand dollars a year. He merchandised at Hawkinsville for four or five years (about 1826), and he also owned an interest in some boats on the river. His death occurred in 1852, at the age of fifty-four years, and his wife died in 1837, at the age of thirty years. Their children were: Ezekiel H., Richard deceased at the age of twelve years; Thomas L., died on pneumonia in Macon, at the age of fifty-five years, and Augustus R., died of Bright's disease March, 1887, aged fifty years. Robert N. Taylor's second marriage was to Miss Phillips, by whom he had two children, Louisa and Roberta (the latter dying in 1882, at the age of twenty-two years). The second Mrs. Taylor died in 1879, aged fifty years.

Dr. E. H. Taylor attended four years in the academic course, then graduated at Athens, class of 1845. He went to California March 8, 1849, and there passed two and a half years in the gold regions in company with his father and six others. He had a pleasant time, and has regretted many times since that he did not make that his permanent home. On going he first went to New Orleans, thence to Golgona, thence to Panama, thence to California. Cholera broke out on board the vessel, and his father took it in a malignant form, but recovered. He took calomel treatment prescribed by himself against the protests of the physicians on board. After remaining for a time in Coloma, they moved to American river, went into camp at Middle fork, and remained there about two years. They came home in 1851. Our subject attended medical college in the University of New York, graduated in 1852, and began practice at once. He opened out in Hawkinsville, where he remained for five years; then lived in Thomas County for six years; thence went to Laurens County, remained there for 1861 to 1880, then returned to Hawkinsville, and has since been practicing there with very good success. During the war he was county physician on the county board and was not in the service. He was married July 13, 1853, to Miss Sarah A., daughter of Pleasant G. Stone, of Dooly County. Their children are: Robert J., Henry E., Ezekiel, Eugenia and Augustus L. Robert J. is in the drug business in Hawkinsville, Ga; his first wife was Fannie Dillon (died in 1884); his second marriage was to Miss Mary Pate, daughter of Maj. John Pate, of Hawkinsville. Henry E. is in the shoe business at Brunswick, and is the consort of Miss Belle Davis, of Macon. Ezekiel, in merchandising at Hawkinsville, is the consort of Miss Mattie Ferguson of that place. Eugenia is a successful teacher of drawing and painting. Augustus L. is clerking in the drug store. Our subject is a member of the Masonic order, also of the I. O. O. F. He is a good physician, stands first-class in his profession, and is much respected by a large and increasing circle of acquaintances. Both parents are members of the Baptist Church, and the children all are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our subject's mother's father was Hon. Ezekiel Taylor, who by occupation was a farmer, but had served in the legislature many years. He was well and favorable known throughout the State.

James F. Nelson, a Biographical Sketch

Source: Georgia and Florida Biographies [database on-line].
Original Data from Biographical Souvenir of the States of Georgia and Florida,
Containing Biographical Sketches of the Representative Public, and many
Early Settled Families in These States. F. A. Battey & Company, 1889.
Transcribed by S. Lincecum 2006.

James F. Nelson was born in Twiggs County, Ga, August 30, 1833. His family is of English extraction, being related to the late Lord Nelson, who fought and put to rout "all the might of Denmark's crown." His grandfather was a native of Virginia, but settled with his family at an early day in Georgia. Alfred Nelson was our subject's father. He was born in Virginia, but reared in Georgia, where he was a planter all his life. Mr. Nelson's mother was a Miss Jenkins before marriage, her christian name Mary, and she was a daughter of William Jenkins, a successful planter of Houston County, Ga. His brothers and sisters are: John Nelson, planter of Pulaski County, Ga; Martin, a lumberman of Houston County, Ga; Margaret, wife of N. C. Greer, of Brunswick, Ga; Rebecca M., wife of Columbus Mitchell, sheriff of Wilcox County, Ga; Caroline S., wife of Columbus; Murray, a planter of Coffee County, Ga; Fannie Pugh, widow. Mr. Nelson received a common-school education in Perry, Houston County, Ga, and finished by taking an academical course at Holly Springs, Ga. On quitting the latter place he began teaching, and followed this successfully for a number of years, first in Houston County then at Midway, and then at Dawson. He gave up teaching in 1868, and embarked in the general mercantile business, which he followed for one year at Dawson, and moved in 1870 to Brunswick, Ga, where he continued in the same business for the period of twelve years. At the end of that time he closed out his mercantile interests and in connection with his sons built the Ocean Hotel at that place, then the largest hotel in the city. He was interested in the management of this house for some time, but afterward sold out, and, on account of his failing health, moved to Florida and located in Orlando. During his residence in Brunswick he was for six years an alderman of the city, for four years mayor, and for five years clerk and treasurer, and on leaving there the city council presented him with a beautiful golden crowned staff in grateful remembrance of his faithful services while filling these various offices. Mr. Nelson married Miss Martha Ann Summerford, daughter of William Summerford, planter of Dooly County, Ga. To this union have been born four children: Annie May, wife of H. H. Dickson, of Orlando, Fla; Eugene A., of Brunswick, Ga,...; James F., Jr., conductor on the B. & W. R.R., and William H., in the printing business in New York city. Mr. Nelson is a Mason and a zealous member of the Baptist Church.