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.

 

The Autograph Book

Autograph book given by Samuel Walker Booksh to Belle Tisdale Booksh on December 25, 1879.
8 3/8” x 7.” In possession of Vera Booksh Zimmerman.

On their first Christmas as a married couple, Sam gave Belle an autograph book. 
It has sustained some water damage and fading but most of the 58 entries are still legible. The earliest dated entries are from 1884 with most of them before 1890.

Title Page

On the title page, Sam wrote:
    To Belle
      From
       Sam
Dec. 25 1879

On the next page Sam wrote a poem. Whether he composed it himself or copied it from a published source we don't know, but it shows what a romantic heart he had.

                 To Belle

Apart from thee, what is the world to me,

The long hours pass and are a dreary maze,

In which I'm lost. Hope hides her face from me.

To my ever anxious heart.

                                         Sam

Transcriptions:

If you wish to laugh

Just glance at my autograph.

          O. S. C. L. Tisdale

[Belle's younger sister, Olivia South Carolina “Lee” Tisdale, 1864-1929]

A friend, I here write my name

May we through life prove the same

                                  A. L. Denham

May 18/84

When ere you have naught else to do

O Belle just think of me

Your Brother

Bill

[Belle's brother, William Pratt Tisdale, 1866-1926]

Henry R. Denham

                   ---man Plant[ation]

May 17/84

[Henry Denham, age26, is listed on the 1880 census in East Baton Rouge Parish.]

                          Myrtle Grove May 27^th

Full far I've gone         

Roved o'er the west    

And oft Alone             

Now that's the test     

Killing the Rest          

   F . . . .

Baton Rouge   Aug 10th/84

     One little wish, tis all I have to give

     Take it and know tis given with Free will

                                           Robert

[This may be Belle's brother Robert Rafael Tisdale, 1866-1926.]

T. M. Sharp

Oct. 14th/87

[There is a T. McMichael Sharp, age 19, in East Baton Rouge Parish on the 1880 census.]

                      Always think kindly of

                                      Your Friend

                                       Maggie Denham

                   Plaquemine La.

                  May 18/84

On This leaf in memory fresh

May My Name forever rest  

       T. C. Booksh

     23^rd Oct/87

[Sam's brother Thomas Claiborne Booksh, 1846-1902]

My Dear Friend

   A single wish for thee I'd breathe

   In friendship and in love tis given

   On earth a happy destiny

   And then a home in heaven

                            Your loving friendship

                             Eva Harelson

My Dear Friend          

                               Our friendship has budded on earth

                May it blossom in Heaven.

                                Is the wish of your

                         Loving friend -

                             Katie Harelson

Baton Rouge La.      

Jan 10” 1888    

        

May the darkest hour

in life be well lighted

With the sunshine of Contentment

23 Oct/84   T. C. Booksh

[Sam's brother, Thomas Claiborne Booksh, 1846-1902]

[Flowered cross card glued on page]

My dear friend -                        
May there be just enough 

cloud in your life to make a

beautiful sunset.                

Your true friend

        Mrs. Alice Kleinpeter

   Baton Rouge La.

[The Kleinpeter and Booksh families were connected by marriage.]

May heaven on you its choicest blessings shower

is the sincere wish
of your Brother

                      Claiborne Booksh

E. Baton Rouge

Oct 23^rd 1887

[Sam's brother, Thomas Claiborne Booksh, 1846-1902, was generally known as Clay.]

[The following two autographs are on the same page.]

“A small key unlocks the casket 
           of memory _”

                                Yours Lovingly

                                    Katie Harelson

Baton Rouge La

Jan. 10” 1888

     Yes, Whis Key

Mch 29th/88     Frank Tisdale

[Belle's brother Benjamin Franklin Tisdale Jr., 1860-1893, appears to have added his humorous comment to Katie Harelson's autograph.]

When this You see Remember me

Though miles apart we may be

T. Claib Booksh

Grosse Tete

Oct 1889

[Sam's brother, Thomas Claiborne Booksh, 1846-1902.]

O God                                                   

If only I could turn backward,           

And live over some years of my life. 

[Unsigned]

My Very Dear friend

     By thy request I'll write a line

     Of friendship good and true

     That I may be in future time

     Remembered well by you.

     When far away in hours of bliss

     Think of the one who scribbled this.

                                   Your fond friendship

                                   Katie Harelson

Baton Rouge La

January 28” 1888

Mollie Sharp

Baton Rouge La

William R. Sharp

Baton Rouge Louisiana

Sept 29th / 88

Tho's M. Sharp          

Sep. 29 1888          

Ira W. Roberts

Baton Rouge La.

Sept 29th 1888

      To Belle

We two are So united

So happily allied

And blissful are the moments

When We are Side by Side

My heart doth wear a fetter

That thou has o'er me thrown

And I my life would wager

None doth a heavier own

              Sam'l W. Booksh

Baton Rouge

     Jan 28 - 89

          TO BE CONTINUED