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Remembering 20th-Century Chesterfield Background Information About Chesterfield |
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The idea for a collection of background information on the people and homes of Chesterfield came about as I was working on the Class of 1953 reunion plans. I thought of the many people and buildings that made Chesterfield what it is today and thought that it would be interesting to capture that information for future generations. I began to realize there was much I did not know about my hometown and wondered if other people might feel the same way. The process of gathering information has been an interesting one. I realized early on that my recollection of things from the past was not the same as that of others who recalled the same events. This made me realize that there is no one story to tell but a collection of stories that describe people, time, and events that give flavor to the history of our town. I hope this collection is just a beginning of what will become a more nearly complete review of what Chesterfield was like in the last century. On a universal level the 20th Century was one of technological and medical marvels. Man went from walking to flying to the moon and back, and the airplane became a staple in the travel plans of most people throughout the world. The advances in medicine and food increased the life span to around 85 years in the advanced countries of the world. Automobiles first came on the scene at the end of the 19th Century, but it was the 20th Century when the automobile unleashed the mobile society. The primary theme of the 20th Century was change, and I wanted to know how we were affected on the local level. I hope the readers will use this document to explore more about their own families and about the facilities that have been important in their lives and will add their knowledge to this collection. There seems to be a good deal of information about earlier times in the village or town of Chesterfield; so I focused on the 20th Century because I had some knowledge of my own and also knew several senior citizens with stories to tell. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with those seniors who contributed valuable background information. Living out-of-town prevented my scheduling all the people who could have contributed. I hope family members with seniors will use this reminder to capture those thoughts so they can be added in the future. I found it interesting to note the themes that came up most often in reviewing the past. As we begin the 21st Century, one of the areas of conflict between states, as well as between local governments, is the ownership and use of public water. It never crossed my mind before this project that water was a major concern in the development of the town. All of the earliest homes were located near a spring because water was essential and the technology for digging wells had not been developed at that time. The debate over water has changed because of technology, but the source of water remains an issue. Another frequent topic, as you might imagine, was references to the Civil War. I guess that centers around the fact that Chesterfield was the first county to secede from the Union and because of Sherman’s impact on our town. The depression was a frequent topic of those who experienced it firsthand. The information presented here is simply a collection of what people told me or what I read or remembered about the people, places, and events noted. In most cases I tried to identify the person who contributed the information. Most of the older pictures are well-documented in Chesterfield County Historical Society publications, and I used them liberally. Most of the new pictures are a result of my own limited photography skills. The collection would be further enhanced if I could have provided earlier pictures of more locations. I made an arbitrary decision to identify the business district as that portion of town from Crescent Drive to Hursey Drive on the north side and from 318 Main Street(Miller-Rivers-Caulder Funeral Home) to 605 West Main Street (Jim Redfearn House) on the south side of Main Street. Streets crossing Main Street were included as part of the business district. Since many residences fall within this artificial boundary, it is a stretch to use the term “business district”. On roads leading into and away from town, I simply selected homes of people whom I knew personally or houses that had some architectural appeal or pleasing appearance. To add additional sites, for which background information can be provided, would not be difficult. As a practical matter it became unmanageable for me to add sites because of the time necessary to gather background information. I thought it would be helpful to understand the people who lived and worked in Chesterfield; so I set out to gather the family lineage of as many families as possible. Those families who responded can be found in Volume II, Families (located in the Historical Society Space at the Old Court House). While a number of people are listed as contributors, several people made extensive contributions which deserve special recognition. They include the following: Dr. William L. Perry, who gave countless hours in interviews and visits and data to help make this collection worthwhile; Mary Amelia Hough, who provided a wonderful description of Craig Park and a complete history of her family; Katherine Ward Rivers Braswell, who provided an extensive review of the Rivers family and of the Chesterfield Drug Store; Nicky and Faye Jones Watson, who searched old family files for pictures and background information on the Watson family and whose information was supplemented by material provided by Barbara Watson Eddins, who included several personal incidents regarding her family; Amy Hendrix Redfearn, who contributed information on the Redfearn family and on the many homes that have been occupied by Redfearn families; Laura Mangum Jordan, who provided background information about several buildings in town and about her parents’ home and who said she is still sleeping in the bed that she was born in but had changed mattresses; Sarah Hazel Ellis, who provided by e-mail much background information regarding her family and a number of others; Millie Douglass Epps, Cornelia Douglass Bittle, and Ann Douglass Gibson Nichols, who provided background information on their family and on homes associated with the Douglass family; Marjorie Werre Gaskins, who has been a pillar of help with this and the reunion project; Jeep and Donna Davis Hurst, who generously offered their pictures and information regarding the John T. Hurst family, the Davis and King families, as well as background information on the Western Auto and St. Paul United Methodist Church; Elizabeth Ann Gaddy Rivers, who supplied information about many businesses, homes, and St. Paul United Methodist Church; and Shirley Parker Campbell, who furnished background information on many locations and families I was unable to contact and who also served as a contact person during the collection of this information. I express my thanks to all who contributed, whether noted or not, because without their contributions, there would be no collection. Generalizations made on incomplete data are seldom accurate, but I think it is safe to say that Watson Brothers is the only fourth-generation business with the same family operating the business. Chesterfield Drug Store has been in business for nearly 100 years, but the ownership has changed many times over the years. Mr. Eugene Stephenson might be the longest-serving single owner still in business today. Mr. Stephenson is a wonderful source for town history as well. My interest in automobiles caused me to look at the sequence of ownership of automobile dealerships in town. Based on what I have found, the first Chevrolet dealership was located in the old mall, or what we know as Welsh Apartments. The next Chevrolet dealership (Stewart) was in a building between the Craig house and Chesterfield Baptist Church. The last location of a Chevrolet dealership (Freeman) was on the west end of town outside the town limits. The first Ford dealer was Luther Munn, and his dealership was located where Watson Brothers is located today. The next Ford dealer was Ted Pusser, and he was located at the site of the present library; Ted Hancock followed as the Ford dealer at this location. Ford (Chappell Hurst) later had a presence at the site of the old Chevrolet dealership beside the Chesterfield Baptist Church. The Teal brothers from Zoar operated a Chrysler dealership where Stephenson Hardware is located today. The second location of a Chrysler and Plymouth dealership (J. P. Burch and Jim Campbell operated a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership and Lloyd and Gladden Hartsell operated one here as well) was on the site where Watson Brothers is today, and their showroom was across the street. The major automobile manufacturers have moved toward a consolidation of small dealerships to maintain training and service on today’s complex vehicles. There are no new automobile dealerships located in Chesterfield today. A number of used-car dealers serve the community with quality vehicles. This collection is being presented to the Chesterfield County Historical Society to be used in any way they choose. I will continue to assist as time permits and as long as I can make a worthwhile contribution. The publication of a document with this number of color pictures would be an expensive undertaking and would deserve more background information than currently exists. It is my hope that once the public has access to the collection, additional background information will be forthcoming. Share your knowledge, and we will all become better informed. As you review this collection, please offer any needed corrections in spelling or grammar by contacting me. I am particularly interested in seeing that names are spelled correctly. If you can offer additional information, please add it as well, and I will include it with the next revision. Please be aware that if you plan to copy any information in the collection, you must have permission from the “original source” to copy something for publication. (A person may copy for personal use as I have done here, since this is a personal collection of information. To publish anything that has been copied here will require permission in writing from the original source.) You have my permission to copy anything that is original with me. I would remind you of the old saying, "Be careful of half truths; you never know which half you have latched on to.” I hope you enjoy looking through and reading the collection as much as I have enjoyed gathering and organizing the material. Perhaps this, in some small sense, helps repay the tremendous debt I owe the wonderful people of Chesterfield who took an interest in me as a youngster, supported me as a teacher, and encouraged me in this project and in the Class of 1953 reunion project. I love you, and I love Chesterfield. It was wonderful place to live in the 20th Century, and I hope that heritage continues throughout the centuries ahead. |
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