Proof!!! Well, almost!

My entire life I've been told that from about 1907 - 1917, my father's family (The McLaurin’s) lived in The Grove in Tallahassee and that my grandfather was President of Citizen's bank. Not only that, my Uncle Taylor West (Uncle Sank), my father (Jesse Parker) & my Aunt Mary Johnson were born there and my grandfather (John A. McLaurin) died & lay in state in this house! I couldn't find anything "official" though no matter how hard I looked.

Since 2009, The Grove has been going through substantial renovation & since August it has been open for small tours. One afternoon last month, my cousin Vivian Hess (Punky to the family), arranged a tour for 4 of us (my cousin Judy St. Petry, my daughter Kimsey, myself & Punkie). I have been dreaming of this day for years! I wanted desperately to be able to have something that I could take with me that would substantiate the stories that I had heard, some sort of "proof" that I could leave with the curators of The Grove that would include our family in its history.

Two days before our tour I went to the state library at the R. A. Gray Bldg and hit the jackpot!! I found, with the help of one of the librarians, a 1916 Tallahassee Phone Directory that listed Jno A. McLaurin, President of Citizen's Bank, with the address of "The Long Grove". I also had the picture of my great grandfather (Captain Lauchlin A. McLaurin) holding my father which according to family history was taken at The Grove.

When I showed the picture to the curator, a very sweet young lady named Katie Hart, she didn't even see my relatives, she looked right past them and starting pointing out parts of The Grove. She could even identify the Cherokee rosebush that the Captain is standing beside. I was thrilled that I finally had verifiable proof of family history! I gave her copies of the picture, city directory & my grandfather's obituary for their collections. Katie said that they had very little information regarding The Grove from that time period and this information would be very helpful. She was already able to see details that would give them clues on how the front of the house had changed.

Punkie also had this beautiful picture of her parents (Vivian & Katie Matthews) taken at The Grove on their wedding day. The family was no longer living at The Grove but the couple came back to The Grove to take the picture. Katie verified that it was indeed taken on the grounds.

As we toured & Punkie gave antidotes along the way. Her mother (Katie McLaurin Matthews) had told her many stories about growing up in The Grove. Aunt Katie was born in 1900 and was about 7 when the family came to The Grove. My Aunt Katie & Aunt Elizabeth Revell (Judy's mother) shared the upstairs front bedroom (on the right facing the house). Punky had been to the house for birthday parties and events hosted by the Collins family, my Aunt Katie & Leroy Collins were friends growing up! So many stories so little time!!

Punky was able to tell the curators things about the house and grounds that answered a few questions that they still couldn't answer.One in particular question was regarding a large object buried near the graveyard. They had used ground sonar on the property and found a large "anomaly". When making the reservations for the tour, Punkie told Katie about the racehorse that my grandfather had bought my grandmother for her buggy. Grandmother loved the horse and named it Selina. When it died they buried it on the grounds. Is that what was found with the sonar? We don't know, but it is a plausible explanation that they didn't have before.

We also discussed how my grandfather may have come to lease The Grove. He wasn't able to buy the property because we weren't in the line of inheritance, a requirement of the Call family. I learned that Ellen Call Long, was very interested in forestry. My grandfather had a naval stores business (turpentine). Katie suggested that possibly the shared interest brought them together and that's how he learned of the house. Hopefully, as the curators go through the boxes of letters & papers that still need to be investigated, they will find something to prove or disprove this theory.

We will be taking tours with the rest of my family soon. It really gave me such a thrill to be in the house. I don't remember my father much but it was kinda cool to visit where he was born & lived for a short time in his childhood.