Cecil Daniels, born Aug. 12, 1930 at home on Stanfill Street in Hahira, GA.
The Daniels house was the last one on the street before the city limits sign maybe
300-400 feet and maybe 2000 feet to the Hodge house which was outside the city.
During those days Stanfill street was not paved, and it was always a big event with
the children when the county road scrape came to clean out the ditches and put a smooth surface on the roadway. We would take delight in making our foot prints in the newly made surface to the road. The soil was very sandy, so rains and traffic made it necessary to use the road scrape several times each year. Cecil does not remember when a Hodge family lived in the Hodge house, but that is what his parents called. A Cowart family lived there during Cecil's memory. Stanfill street was a fairly straight street that extended from the main street of Hahira, or highway US41 out past the city limits, maybe a mile or less, and intersected with Lawson Street at an angle and on out to Ga. highway 122 which was built during the 1940's. That was built probably by Gov. Ed Rivers, who was from Lakeland Ga. and was known for building roads for his tiny home town. I grew up knowing only US 41 which ran north and south through Hahira. When the east / west Ga 122 was built to Lakeland Dad had just a year or so before bought a 10 acre tract of land just across two streets from our house. The new road took maybe an acre, leaving a small trangle on the far side and a larger rectangle on the other. The good part is the price pretty much gave us enough to pay for the whold tract. This was before 1940, because that was the year our uncle John was killed in North Carolina. This new land brought on more jobs not just chores. We also had a small, maybe an acre or a bit more between our street and the next, Lawson street. On this area we were able to have a hog pen and raise part of our food. The pig pen was just a short walk from the house away from town and acrosss the road. So slopping the hogs was another job I never learned to love. Seeing the little pigs was part of our entertainment and learning experience. This plot of land was used to grow vegetables or what they called truck crops. We grew tomatoes, cucumbers or anything we thought would sell. If it did not bring a good price or not sell at all it often became hog feed. The area of the hog pen was about 30-40 feet wide and from one road to the other which was probably 150 ft. long. This area also had trees, mostly pines, so that gave some shade for those animals. Even though we were not a true farm family we did many things that farm families did, like killing a hog, rendering lard, and making sausage, and canning vegetables. Later when public freezer lockers became available we rented a freezer drawer and froze meats for our family use.
More later. CD
Cecil's Christmas Story
The Mystery and Aura of Christmas
Cecil Daniels
When growing up, the anticipation of Christmas was one of some mystery and
joy, yet we also knew to expect certain things. We were a ‘town’ family since Dad
owned and operated a service station with full service and auto repair. Our house was the last one on our street inside the city limits of Hahira Ga. Or I should say “Town limits" because the population was well under 1000 people. We always had a small farm, half of which was inside the town. It was only a 3 or 4 minute walk to school and less than 10 minutes to the center of town. I had an older brother and sister and a sister 3 years younger. So I was in the middle so to speak.
There was some talk of Santa Claus, but we did not see him in costume as kids
do today as the big department stores, and malls use the character today. Of course
there were no super markets, such as Kroger, Wal-Mart, Belk’s and the like. Our vision of Santa came from the Coca Cola advertising items that were found in various places. Our parents never told us Santa would bring whatever we ask for, regardless of costs. We knew the poorer children would get less than we and those with more money would get more. This idea, we have carried on with our own children, not telling them there is ‘No Santa” but all things cost money; and we had to help finance Santa’s projects. One memory that still burns in my mind is one time I got up on Christmas eve and went down stairs and look into the living room; and saw Santa dressed in his red suit. I don’t remember telling anyone, so it must have been a ‘dream’. I can’t imagine my Dad putting on a Santa suit.
Mother was the one who made the purchase decisions, however rarely went shopping without Dad. Even living in a south Georgia, not too far distant from the Florida 'citrus belt' we still did not have oranges, or other like fruit except certain times of the year. Christmas was one of those times. On Christmas morning we Could always expect, certain fruits and candy, such as oranges, tangerines, grapefruit Muscat raisins still on the stem, some candy such as taffy, and orange colored marshmallow peanuts. I still love’em. There would always be an item of clothing we needed and 'fire crackers'. It was lawful to sell and use fireworks in those days; and you could always know when the kids in the neighborhood were up from the noise they made. This was always a worry of my Mother; but luckily none of us were hurt with them other than maybe a blistered hand occasionally.
For several years, during my early teens we would go out a few miles to our grand parents home on Christmas night and set off fireworks that was best enjoyed after dark, such as sparklers, rockets and Roman candles. There were no commercial fire works displays such as we have today.
But the clincher of the whole thing, was my Mother’s saying she was happiest when the “last fire cracker popped.” After that we had time to enjoy our fruit and other things received at Christmas. Rosalyn and I played the Santa game for all it was worth, never saying we knew what Santa was all about. One day when I was about 12 years old Mother said, to the effect ‘Cecil you know what Santa is all about’, then handed me $5.00 and told me to go buy what I wanted for Christmas. Rosalyn is 3 years younger. I don’t know what she did with her.
I do remember our Christmas trees were cut from the land not bought from some dealer. I don’t remember there being trees sold in Hahira. There were too many free cedar trees in the rural areas. After I was old enough to drive Rosalyn and I would go would go find a tree. If we found one near the road that we liked, it was fair game and it went home with us. Most decorations were home made except the ice cycles. We must have done that 3-4 years from when I was 15-19 years old. I had a drivers license when I was 15 years old. Rosalyn tells me, before I was old enough to drive we simply cut a tree in the wooded area near our home. Daddy had an agreement with the owner of the land, Mr. Joe Dillard to use the fenced area for our milk cow and any horses we may have. Since we used it in that way, we just used it to extend our play area too.
During the WW II years, when I was ages 11-14, I had a motor bike. It was just that. I had worked and saved some money, so here is what happened. We had let the word out I was interested on one. My aunt Elizabeth (Daddy’s sister) and husband Cooney Lawson found a shop made bike near where they lived at Coral Gables Fla. On a trip up they brought it with them. It was immediately a big hit. That was my first wheels. It would It would hold a quart of gas (which cost about 5 cents)and that would last me all week going from home to town and all around where I needed or wanted to go in Hahira. The vehicle was actually a bike that had been converted by a shop or handy man. A one cylinder gasoline engine was mounted in the triangle space between the knees of the rider. Belts chains and pulleys were added to engage the rear wheel to move the bike down road. No gears, it ran at the speed of the engine; which was probably no more than 5-10 miles per hour. There was a lever the rider used to tighten the belt to make the vehicle move. It was a one passenger vehicle. I don’t remember ever having a passenger. And few others rode it, as I remember. By the time I obtained it I was pretty well versed in doing minor repairs on cars and other things. More later.
Four Rooms and a Path
As I stated earlier we lived in the last house on the street before the city limits. Being in the city gave one taxed service not much in use today. That was the visit of the Honey Wagon. The above title indicates we did not have indoor plumbing for many years, but had a 'two holer' toilet and this required a visit by the 'honey wagon' which collected the waste from the outdoor toilet. They would scoop up the solid body waste, put it in the horse drawn two wheeled wagon and sprinkle some sort of orange-red powder. I am guessing this was to disinfect the area and maybe to help keep flies away. Anyway the house actually had 5 rooms then later 2 half story rooms were added in the attic space. These rooms were not actually high enough to accomodate a tall person but worked out fine for children. The house consisted of a living room and our parents bedroom on the front part each with a door onto the front porch. The living room had a fireplace, but was adapted to use a coal buring stove. Hardwood as a fuel was not an easy or of low expense to use in heating the house, so we used coal. After all with location in extreme south Georgia heat in homes most of the winter was not critical. Coal was very cheap so Dad would buy small amounts and had it delivered to our yard. On the back part of the house was one more bedroom, a kitchen and dining room. Mother was always trying new ways of making the most efficient use of the space by having Dad to take out or move this or that wall. After the children grew in number and size it became necessary to add bedroom space in the half story attic area. About the same time, maybe before, Dad added a shed like porch on the back of the house adding a bathroom on one end and the kitchen on the other. With this development, water was also added to the kitchen. To do this an electric pump was added to the well. With the new bathroom a septic tank became necessary. I remember well the septic drain field being dug and pipes put in the ground. Later I well remember the grass and other plants in the area being more green than several feet away from that area. With the new pump in the well, another convience was added; a faucet in the yard. With this new we could make lighter work of watering the horse and cows. At least one cow and maybe the horse, soon learned to turn on the water and fill the wash tub from which they drank, but they never learned the necessity of turning it off. When I was small growing up, I never thought of the house as 'little' however later I wondered how we made it through all those years. You do what you have t
o do, is all I can say. When the bathroom was added I was getting old enough to help in real ways. I can't remember if we employed the use of a plumber. I remember I had lots of hands on when things were set in place. I remember our first means of heating water was with the use of a pot bellied stove that sat just outside the bathroom in the back bedroom. It was fired by coal and had a water jacket that heated the water as it flowed through. Even though we used coal to heat the house and water, mother had a kerosene stove on which to cook. I remember the four cookig eyes or chimneys which gave 3 surface
cooking areas and an oven over the other one. To fill the glass fuel unit, which sat on one end of the stove, you had to remove it and turn it over and remove the filling spout. This expense was lower too, since Dad owned and operated a business which sold such fuel, and he bought it wholesale. Anyway the fuel tank, with the lid replaced was quickly turned upside down and replaced on the spot where it worked to supply fuel for the cooking.
The house and lot where Rosalyn and I were born occupied about one acre. On it we
actually had a lawn on one side, but the area up close to the house was raked (or sweeped) and clean of grass. The area right in front also had no grass. We have many pictures taken in the grass area. That area was on the right front as you faced the lot from the street. on either side of the chimney we had what we called orange trees, however one year the season was right and they bore fruit. So we learned they were grapefruit. On the right side on the edge of the grassed area and near the house we had a beautiful holly tree. I am sure it was a native plant or American Holly. On the left side of the house there were two Chinaberry trees in which we used to build areas to sit. I could say tree houses but they never did take on that kind of look. It was more a plank here and there on which we could sit. We spent many happy hours climbing and using those trees. There were two more in the front corners of the yard as well, but the limbs somehow did not lend themselves to building. They were just two more subjects to climb, however. Between those two Chinaberry trees and on either side of the front walk were two large pine trees. Even when grown, I could never reach around either of those trees with my arms. Back to the lawn area; mother had flower planting beds all around. This was pretty much her domain. I don't remember having anything to do with that. She probably had me planting things with her supervision. I do remember on the side that shared a line with lane into the area used by the 'honey wagon' to access the toilet, there were a few (maybe 2-3) yucca plants with very forboding sword like leaves. They attained a height of maybe 8 feet topped out with large clusters of white flowers, We as children soon learned to stay our distance from those plants. Behind the lawn area and mothers flower beds was the garden area, maybe 30 by 50 feet in size. Then beyond that was a chicken yard and house. Some times the chickens would fly out but they did not wonder off too far. This would bring on another job of how we kept the chickens from flying out of the chicken yard. The chicken yard fence had to be very tight and high, 6 to 8 feet and you had to do one more thing. Catch each adult chicken, and clip the long wing feathers off one wing. This did not hurt the chicken, but with one wing clipped, they could not go airborne. The feathers would eventually grown back out, so the job had to be repeated once or twice a year. The very back area of the lot was also fenced but only tight enouth to keep in the cow and horse. There were times we used part for the garden, but it was mostly for the large animals. In that area there was also a barn to keep tools, horse gear and feed for the large animals; and a stable for the horse. The horse and cows could be turned into the big fenced lot or out into the wooded area that belonged to Mr. Joe Dillard. Dad and other neighbors who used Mr. Dillards woods for grazing kept the fence in good repair in exchange for the no cost use. More later. Cecil
Our chores as we grew up
As we each grew older we were given more and more chores. I first remember washing and drwing dishes. I would usually wash and Rosalyn would dry. And there was always a fuss.
I guess that grew out of us not liking the job in the first place. However we played well together most of the time. There were neighbor kids that we could play and related with as our worlds expanded. For Rosalyn there was Carolyn Hallwho was younger and Octavia just a bit older. Octavia was actually nearer my age and our older brother E. H. took the opportunity to tease me, by saying to Octavia when she came in the house, "Octavia, Cecil is out in the back if you want to play with him." By that time I had not quite figured how to associate with girls not my sister.
Other jobs were the feeding of the animals, cats and dogs first; but later we had to feed and water the chickens and the large animals. As I got older and bigger, I had to sweep the yard and cut the lawn. The lawn was cut with a push mower, so I was not able to do that job until I was maybe 10 or 11 years old. Even before that age I was milking the cow. My brother E. H. had the job of milking, so when I showed any interest he would begin grooming me for the job. He would glamorize the job in saying how much fun it was.
He would show me how to squirt the milk in different directions and if a cat was around, would squirt milk into the cat's mouth. The cats loved it as well. I probably was milking by the time I was 8 years old. The biggest problem I had was getting the cow to respect me. She would not always stand still, and would for maybe fighting a horse fly or something would either kick over or step into the milk bucket. I was always having to take the bucket and wash it out. E. H was a big teaser, and some of those teasomg times were near dark when he would try to point out 'booger bears' in the woods' or when the hoot owl would hoot, he would say, "Cecil he is saying Who Who are you, so you better answer." and of course I would answer, "I'm Cecil Daniels." He was not only a source of problem but he was much entertainment when he wanted. He had a clever way of saying things like, "Who do you think you are, or you must think this is George Birthington's washday." Or "you think you are George Lincoln or Abraham Washington."
E. H. was the oldest of the children so he pretty much was an adult figure to most of us, maybe except for Sue my older sister. She also did some supervising of my and Rosalyn's chores at times. There were also seasonal chores like helping to gather and prepare foods. Shelling peas and the like. More will come here with time. Cecil
