The St. Mary Street House

 

Belle Tisdale Booksh and her mother Eliza Pratt Tisdale
at the St. Mary Street House in New Orleans
 

The front porch of the house where Sam and Belle and their family lived at 1311 St. Mary Street was the place where many family photos were taken. I was surprised to find  by searching Google Maps that the house is still standing and looks much the same.

They are first listed as living there in the 1907 Voter Registration list and then on the 1910 US Census: New Orleans, Ward 10, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. The family is listed as Samuel W., age 57, Belle M. 55, Samuel W. Jr. 29, Charles L. [Leonard], 27, Wilton T. [my grandfather] 24, and Vera B. [also known as Belle] 19.

Olivia Lee Tisdale, Arabella Vera Booksh,
Belle Tisdale Booksh and Eliza Pratt Tisdale c1910

The family is also listed at that address in the Marriage document of son Sam Jr. to Thelma Regina Ventress 28 October 1912

Sam Booksh Jr. and wife Thelma Ventress with Leonard and Vera c1912

Samuel Walker Booksh Sr. c1915

By the 1920 census the family had moved to 1831 Bayou Road. The family had increased to include Sam Sr., Belle, Vera and her husband John Posey Ventress (brother of Sam Jr.'s wife Thelma), Charles Leonard and his wife Armelle, and Aunt Lee.Tisdale.

Olivia South Carolina Tisdale

Olivia South Carolina Tisdale c1890

Olivia (pronounced  O LEE vee ah) was always known to me as Aunt Lee.  Her niece, my Great Aunt Vera  Booksh Ventress, told me lots of stories about her. She was born 8 February 1864, the seventh child of Eliza Helen and Benjamin Franklin Tisdale. She never married and was an independent woman supporting herself as a nurse.

She had a busy social life and I found lots of newspaper clippings that mentioned her. One is a column called "Woman's World and Work" in the New Orleans Times-Picayune on June 5, 1895. It says:

"Everyone who attended the recent great festival for the benefit of the House of the Good Shepherd will remembrer the ladies' riding race, which was one of the exciting features of this memorable event. The young ladies who risked their lives in their noble efforts to aid an institution sheltering their less fortunate sisters were Misses Lee Tisdale and Adele Kemp. They are daring equestriennes, and graceful ones as well, and their riding excited unbounded enthusiasm. The committee on sports in charge of this programme, in order to testify their appreciation and that of many friends for the services rendered the cause by Misses Tisdale and Kemp, presented them a few days ago with beautiful souvenirs, and an accompanying letter of thanks, which they will preserve among their precious mementoes."

During the next few years the newspapers were full of stories of  the war in Cuba. In 1895 Cuban Nationalists had begun a revolution against Spanish rule. In January 1898 the United States Navy sent the battleship USS Maine to Havana to protect U. S. citizens. The Maine was sunk by a mine explosion in the harbor on February 15. The United States Congress passed a joint resolution acknowledging Cuban independence and authorized president William  McKinley to use military measures to end fighting in Cuba. Spain rejected the U.S. ultimatum and severed diplomatic relations. A naval blockade of Cuba was implemented and a call went out for 125,000 military volunteers. Spain declared war on the U.S. and Congress voted to go to war against Spain on April 25, 1898.

It wasn't just soldiers that were off to Cuba. Aunt Lee was a nurse and she went to Cuba with the American Red Cross. It wasn't a very long war but it had big consequences. A cease-fire was signed on August 12, 1898 amd the war officially ended four months later when the Treaty of Paris was signed on December 10, 1898. Besides guaranteeing the independence of Cuba, the treaty also forced Spain to cede Guam and Puerto Rico to the U.S. and to agree to sell the Philippines to the U.S. The U.S. Senate ratified the treaty on February 6, 1899 by a margin of one vote.

Aunt Lee returned to New Orleans and continued her life a nurse. I ended up with her red velvet photo album full of photos of family and friends, identified for me by my Great Aunt Vera. I have already used several of them in this blog. On page one of the album is a photo of a soldier that Aunt Lee met during her time in Cuba.

Aunt Lee's Photo Album
Cabinet Card Photos of Ira Roberts and Leonard Sisman

On the back of his photo Leonard Sisman wrote this message:

    Like a plank of driftwood 

tossed o'er the watery main

another plank encounters, 

meets touches and parts again &

so on drifting ever o'er life's 

tempestuous sea,

we meet [...?.. & ..?..] 

parting eternally

                Very Truly Yours

                Leonard Sisman

                    _____2 US Vol Inf.

                                          Cuba

                                1899

THE PANIC OF 1893

The Panic of 1893 was a severe financial crisis and economic depression marked by bank failures, busines closures and hgh unemployment. Begining in February 1893, the effects continued to be felt in every sector of the economy until 1897. It was the most serious economic depresion in the United States until the Great Depression in the 1930s.

What effects this depression had on the Samuel Walker Booksh family are unknown but it was in early 1893 that the family moved from the Baton Rouge area to New Orleans. Great Grandpa Sam had been elected Registrar of Voters of East Baton Rouge Parish in October 1892. His term was to run until September 1894. (Baton Rouge Newsletter:East Baton Rouge Parish Elected Officials, Vol. IV No. 1 (Jan 1984), La. Genealogical & Historical Society).  

His mother-in-law, Eliza Pratt Tisdale, wrote on November 5, 1893 that she was moving to live with Sam and Belle on St. Andrew Street in New Orleans. Did The Panic of 1893 cause them to move from East Baton Rouge Parish to New Orleans? 

 The family at the time consisted of Sam and Belle and their four children:

    Samuel Walker Booksh Jr., born 4 March 1881, age 12

    Charles Leonard Booksh, born 3 January 1883, age 10

    Wilton Tisdale Booksh, born 7 February 1886, age 7

    Arabella Guinevere Booksh, born 13 August 1889 age 4    

  (The entry in the Booksh Family Bible has a note by her name saying “She will be our last.”)

Samuel Walker Booksh c 1910

Arabella Guinevere c1895
known as Belle and Vera

In a newspaper article in the Times-Picayune on  3 September 1930 Sam's picture appeared with an article titled "U.S. Watchman at Custonhouse Quits on Pension."

     "After 27 years of continuous service as a watchman for the United States customhouse, Samuel W. Booksh, 77 years old, has retired. In honor of his long service, a score of friends and employees of the customhouse assembled in the marble hall of the institution at noon Tuesday and presented him with a basket of flowers and a check...."

     "A native of Louisiana, Mr. Booksh was appointed to federal service in 1893 during President            Cleveland's administration..."

The 1894 New Orleans City Directory has Samuel W. Booksh working as a watchman at the Custom House and residing at 147 St. Andrew Street. (Soard's New Orleans City Directory, Vol. 31, p.173)  The 1895, 1897, and 1898 directories show their address as 815 St. Andrew. This doesn't necessarily mean they moved. It could have been a renumbering of the streets. In the 1899 City Directory the family is listed at 1365 Constance Street.  

The 1900 Census shows them living in the same house as as Eliza Tisdale at 1365 Constance Street.  By 1910, according to the Census, Sam and Belle were living at 1311 St. Mary Street. By 1920 they are listed at 1831 Bayou Road. This was the same house he was  living in when he died  3 November 1930.

For a complete biography of Samuel Walker Booksh see blogpost of July 2, 2019.

 

Another Letter to Harry Tisdale

 On November 5, 1893 Belle's mother, Eliza Pratt Tisdale, wrote another letter to Belle's youngest brother, Harry. 

TRANSCRIPTION

Letter in pen on Louisiana Senate Chamber Stationery from Eliza Pratt Tisdale to Charles Harry Tisdale. November  5, 1893.  Original. 

[Page 1]

[Printed “Senate Chamber, State of Louisiana. Baton Rouuge, La. 1883   Eliza has written “New Orleans” over Baton Rouge and the date “Novem 5th” and “3” after 188_ although the year is definitely 1893.]

My Darling boy,

Belle read your nice long letter the other day, & I was down there, she has moved from that house on Constance St. up on to St. Andrew, & is only a little over 2 squairs from us, you remember that large house on the opposite side of St. Andrew, on the squair this side of Annabelle's, & right oposite where the Inglers used to live. Well! They have moved there, & I am to move in with them this week. I did not want to move, I had much rather stay where I am. The house is to large, I will have a great deal more work than I can do, & I am not well

[Page 2]

any how, I never expect to be right well again & I only hope my life wont drag out to inferm old age like Mother's did. How is your Eye? You will have to be careful of it, once you get the Neuralgia it never entirely leaves you, so try & keep your feet dry, & dont sit in a draught. I am so sorry that we are not able to board you at the Time, we have nothing Harry, absolutely nothing. I want you to find out, (now be sure) if you can get the place of Beneficiary for next year, so you can finish your Course. I am so anxious for you to graduate & be independent. I see that your time is all filled up, I feel so sorry for you do tell me what you need, I am sure you must need thick Drawrs, & Shirts & Socks I will try & get you some, dont you prefer the net drawrs? Harry you spelt hurt, hert. Did you go out to the Cemetaries on the 1^st? If you did I hope you took some flowers for Frank, if you could get them. I havenot heard from

[Page 3]

Lin for a long time, she is anxious to come home again. The dear little baby God bless her! Lin sais she is so goood. Lee has gone over to Algiers today Maud Marion was here last night. We cannot get a letter from Willie. He just vows he wont write. Marion has gone to Church. Robert has written twice since he left. We dont know what he is doing. Aunt F. sends love to you & M[arsh], so do Aunt E & Uncle M. well all are in bed but me, I dont feel like going to bed. Have you every thing comefortable in the way of a bed & bedding, & how do you get your washing done. Tell Willie to send us some pecans when Robt. Comes home, & some popcorn if he has enough. God bless you all & goodnight. Love to Lillie Willie & the babies, & kiss them for me

Your Loving

Mama

P.S. Dont you write to Uncle James.

     Harry was no doubt busy at LSU that fall. I looked up information online to see what was going on at LSU in 1893 and found a website with a description of LSU's first football team.  LSU 1893  

This website tells the story of the LSU Tigers and their first game played against Tulane's Green Wave on November 25, 1893. I even found a list of the players on Wikipedia. Surprise! Charles H. Tisdale was Halfback! And his cousin, Joel Marsh Pratt, was End. The first coach, chemistry professor Dr. Charles Coates, had brought down the idea of having a football team from his time at Johns Hopkins University.  The wbsite says:

"He rounded up LSU's team primarily from the student ROTC corps, but the Tulane team was largely composed of alumni and members of the Southern Athletic Club... LSU had  no uniforms...so Coates sent his quarterback and future governor of Louisiana, Ruff Pleasant, to the store to purchase ribbons. No one knew what LSU's colors were but the store stocked purple and gold ribbons for the upcoming Carnival season. By a happy accident, the green ribbons had not yet arrived."

 So on a cold and blustery  day in November 1893 the LSU Tigers in mismatched clothing with purple and gold ribbons tied around their arms traveled to New Orleans for the first LSU-Tulane game. They lost to Tulane 34-0.  Wikipedia says, "This was the game that sparked a rivalry between the Tigers and the Green Wave that has lasted generations."

Charles "Harry" Tisdale
1874-1913

Joel Marsh Pratt

                                        1873-1922

Eliza's Letter to her son Harry Tisdale

 

Charles Hiram "Harry" Tisdale

Charles Hiram Tisdale, always known as Harry, was Belle Tisdale's youngest brother. He was born 30 May 1874 when Belle was 19 years old. He was the last child born to Eliza Helen Pratt and Benjamin Franklin Tisdale. The family soon moved to East Baton Rouge Parish and Harry's childhood was spent at his grandparents' home there, 

His older brother,  Robert Rafael Tisdale, wrote that "He attended the small country schools, but learned principally from his mother's tuition. The family afterward removed into the City of Baron Rouge, where he attended the public schools. He then entered Louisiana State University, from which he was graduated in 1895 with the degree of B.S." It was there that his mother sent this letter to him on October 18, 1893.

Louisiana State University began as the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy near Pineville, Louisiana in 1860 with Col. William Tecumseh Sherman as superintendent.  It closed in 1861 because of the Civil War. Finally in 1869 the school reopened in Baton Rouge. In 1870 the name was changed to Louisiana State University. The Louisiana State Agricultural & Mechanical College was opened in New Orleans in 1874 and merged with LSU in 1877. It was there that Eliza sent her letter to Cadet Harry Tisdale.

        Original 1893 October 16 Letter from Eliza Pratt Tisdale to Harry Tisdale in ink on lined paper,          7 3/4” x 8 3/4”, with envelope postmarked New Orleans Oct 18, 1893 11 AM, stamp cut off,      transcribed exactly as written.

TRANSCRIPTION

[Front]

                                                                                            New Orleans Oct 16, 1893

Harry, My Dear boy

                    Your long looked for letter has come at last, you promised to write immediately do you call four 4, weeks immediately? I dont. Marion [Marion Franklin Pratt] is as mad as he can be, & sais he wont write to you now no matter how many letters you write to him. We have not gotten entirely fixed yet, but I think I will like it here. I staid all day yesterday with Belle, that is after Church was out. All were well there except the childrens arms, they have not started to school yet, Sam has not the money to pay for their books, Belle is still trying to get rid of her house, it is to high rent for them to pay. I am very thankfull your Uncle James sent you some money, was it for you to board, or to get you cloths, & books? Take good care of what he sends you, & write & thank him for it, now dont forget. Tell me all about it when you write. Lee [Olivia Tisdale] & Marion [Marion Eugene Tisdale] spent the day yesterday, over the river & had a nice time, they delivered your message, did Robert leave your Sheet,  4 Collars, night shirt, as he went up, & did he leave the trunk with the things in it for Lillie, tell Lillie I have her letter & wil answer another time. I had

[Back]

a letter from Lin, [Linnie Lusk Tisdale, wife of recently deceasd Frank Tisdale] she has not been well atall since she left here, her aunt will take good care of her & the baby, though, through the winter anyhow, the baby was well, & they all thought her so good & pretty, & they thought Frank's picture so good of him, & it is good Harry!

                                                                                                    17^th in the eve

Marion [Marion Franklin Pratt] recd your letter last night, & I have your book done up now ready to send you, I had to look a long time for it, as we hadnot unpacked our books yet. We havenot heard from Robt since he left, altho he was to write right off. Lee is busy making herself a dress. They are engaged at the Jacksons tonight. Well Harry I have been trying to make out a letter to you, I think you will find this a very poor one. If you can get out on All Saints, go to see Frank, Mary, & Mother, & take some flowers with you, I wish I could come up for All Saints, but I am absolutely penniless, ask Aunt Addie to put some on Franks grave. I know she will if she has them. Love to Willie Lillie [William Pratt Tisdale and his wife] & kisses to them & the children, & tell Willie I say to stop spoiling Hart [Willie's son Robert Hart Tisdale] Lee told me how bad he was. Goodbye now & God bless you. Try & do your very best this session, all send love to you

                                                                                                    Loveingly   Mama.

Death of Benjamin Franklin Tisdale Jr.

On July 18, 1893 Belle's brother Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Tisdale Jr. died.

1893 Obituary Benjamin Franklin Tisdale Jr.

Frank was born March 15, 1860 in New Orleans. (New Orleans Birth Records, Certificate Number 749)  He is listed in the 1870 US Census at age 10 in East Baton Rouge with his mother Eliza and his siblings Belle, William, Lee and Robert. They were staying with Eliza's family in Baton Rouge. His father, Benjamin Franklin Tisdale Sr., died June 16, 1876 in Mobile, Alabama, at the home of his sister, Mary Eliza Tisdale Magee.  In 1880 Frank is living alone in West Baton Rouge Parish and working as a grocery clerk. We find him in the New Orleans City Directories in 1874, 1877 and 1889 living in New Orleans and working as a clerk. 

On March 21, 1892 Frank married  Caroline "Linnie" Lusk. They had one daughter, Florence Tisdale, who was born in April 1893. She is the baby mentioned in Eliza's emotional letter of September 9, 1893. We only have a poor copy of the letter Eliza wrote to all her family. It became known in the family as the "Murder She Wrote" letter.

1893 09 09 EHP

Letter from Mrs. B. F. Tisdale (Eliza Helen Pratt)

Transcription:

Page 1

New Orleans Sept 9, 1893

I, “Frank's” mother, want every one, (whos Eyes may see these lines) to know that she [crossed out] I never believed that he killed himself, never! it is an act to foreign to his nature, because he was low spireted they (the people of that place) believed that he did or they never looked into the affair. He was buried as a Suicide. My reason for thinking he was mur [scratched out] killed by some one...

Page 2

...that night the 16^th of July, Sunday night, he, Frank & his wife & baby went to bed the same as usual. Frank got up about 12 o'clock, went into the yard, & came back after some little time, kissed his wife & went off to sleep, the baby woak them at 2 two o'clock, & he lifted her into the bed to his wife, (for she was asleep in her crib on his side of the bed, they fell asleep again, at 4 again, His wife woke, & spoke to him, but he never answered her, was sound asleep as she thought, & she dont know exact

Page 3

ly when she woke again but was aroused by hearing a groan, she asked Frank if he was sick, he told her he was dying. She sprang out of bed, & found him lying on the floor at the foot of the bed, with a small place cut just under the left Ear, he was covered with blood. His wife thinks he may have been killed, there was no one to notice the surroundings, all was confusion. Mr. Erwin came in, they all seemed to have settled it in their mindes that had hurt himself, (God knows I hope he did not)...

Page 4

... & the house was off, not near any other, exsept a store kept by Chinemen. He [scratched out] Frank's wife thinks they may have given her something to keep her asleep, as she usually awoke about 5 in the morning, & the negroe nurse was always awake early his raisor [scratched out] razor was lying on the floor but the drawer where it was kept was locked & the keys hanging up where they always were kept & the Negroe who lived in the house, was always trusted to put it away after 

[continued upside down on the top of page 3] he [scratched out] Frank used it, he shaved Saturday night, left his razor on the bureau all night...

[continued on top of page 1] their was no Corinors inquest called though there was a place on his Breast like it was made with a blunt instrument, the blood was all up on the surface. His Mother

Mrs. B. F. Tisdale