Black History month Latham offers history Posted: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 4:33 pm
By: By Col. Bob Smith 
EARLY 1900s — Lulu Shanklin was married to Herbert Shanklin. Herbert is the son of Turner and Millie Shanklin of Latham. Their family experienced tragedy when two of Turner and Millie’s sons drowned in the Obion River in 1907. | | Aunt Can moved to Martin in the early 1900s. She and her husband Cap Stovall bought a home behind Martin’s Neal Street Fire Station. They had one daughter, Nellie, who had two children – Bernice and Louise Smith, who lived with Aunt Can until her death in the 50s. Aunt Can worked for Harvey Gardner, Tobe McDonald and Tobe’s son-in-law, Lexie Walker down on Oxford Street. Aunt Can would always tell us as kids stories about her life in Latham how she would coon hunt with Cap and about the wildcats and other critters they would encounter out there at night in the Latham bottoms. Her tales were so scary that we as kids were afraid to close our eyes at bedtime. She had hogs, chickens, milk goats and a black and tan coon dog called “Drive.” So young folk open your ears and listen to the wisdom of your elders and it will stay with you always. There is a fourth and fifth generation of Can’s family living in Cairo, Ill. — Paul, Diann Patricia, Dorothy and Leroy Lambert. Good seed will grow anywhere if sown on good grounds. Bless them for Aunt Can. There are folk in Weakley County that are not aware of the wonderful history that was made by the black and white races during slavery and after. I am elated to know that the black slave owner interceded in the acts of invidious violations. In towns of Weakley County Latham was one of the many places that had to have good God-fearing Christian folk. I am an old man and never knew that there was a black school and church there. Thanks to Mr. Kenneth Rogers who opened my eyes to the fact that there were several prosperous families that owned farms that had rich crop-growing soil, that yielded bounteous corn, cotton, potatoes, tobacco, sorghum, peanuts, cows, hogs, goats, chickens and some of the best coon-huntin’ woods in the state. These were hard-working men and women who also raised a big crop of children — Dallas Latham, born 1865, died 1919; his wife Alice, born 1865, died 1915; Tennessee Latham, born June 14, 1836, died April 22, 1910; Milt Latham, born Dec. 29, 1879, died June 29, 1933 and his wife Annie, born Jan. 29, 1879, date of death unknown. All of these names were names of children of slaves bought by the white Latham family. Dallas Latham was one of these prosperous farmers. The old school and church building were located on the west side of Hwy. 118 on the Hazel Killebrew place when it was moved from the Roger Griffith Farm that once belonged to Dallas Latham. This was moved south about two and half miles in 1938 or was located in the 24th District of Weakley County, now known as the 20th District of Weakley County. Dallas built one of the largest barns in that district which is still used for storage. The Walker Bros. – Joe, Ulane and Raphel – still remember “Big” John Latham and his family, his wife Fanny, son Verdell, daughters Clara and Ruth, brothers Tobe “Railhead” Latham and Cass, who was called Peppet. Big John delivered corn liquor to Martin’s “Hitch Rack” each Saturday if the wagon wheels rolled and the mules didn’t balk. This liquor was made exclusively for the bootleggers of Martin direct from Mr. Vaden Quarles’ Distillery. Gov. Hatler was also in the moonshine business. There were other blacks such as Emerson Whitt, father of Frank; Coen Lonzo and Mary Lonzo who worked for Cecil Quarles. Wayne Parham bootlegged for years here in Martin and Lloyd Whitt. The Butchers, Jimmy and Ebb, were highly respected by folk everywhere. Tommy, Jim’s brother, who told me he was half Indian and his name was Tommy “Two Eyes” are WWII vets. There was a large family who was wealthy with blessings of big farms and fine homes that surpassed some of the others, black or white. Turner Shanklin had one room in his house that only the rich, white dignitaries would be allowed to sleep in (wasn’t this an act of segregation, can I get an “amen: or at least a “yes, suh”). Turner and Millie had two boys that drowned at the same time in the Obion River, just north of Latham – Samuel Shanklin, born July 31, 1886 and Arthur Shanklin, born Nov. 25, 1893. Both drowned in 1907. Their daughter Emma Shanklin was born Aug. 25, 1888 and died Dec. 22, 1910. Turner Shanklin was the father of six boys – George, Dick, Herbert, Samuel, Arthur and Pron. Herbert and his wife Lula moved to Martin in the 40s and he worked for the City of Martin. Watch for the next edition of The Press to read more about the Shanklin family and life in Latham throughout late 1800s and early 1900s. wcp 2-24 None |
