Interview with Dorothy Jones Davis

November 15, 2006 Interview by Les Ward

I met with Dorothy Davis in her home to obtain information about her growing up in Crittenden Virginia.  


GROWING UP IN CRITTENDEN:

Dorothy Jones was born in 1920 in Rushmere Virginia.  Her mother was Edmonia Bagwell from Onancock and her father was Benjamine Franklin Jones who was born and raised in Isle of Wight Virginia.  Dorothy’s grandmother on her mother’s side was Rose Dix Twifford from Onancock Virginia and her grandfather was Robert Purnell Twifford, also from Onancock Virginia.  Her grandmother on her father’s side was Mary Whitey Jones from Isle of Wight and grandfather was Josiah Benjamine Jones from Isle of Wight.  In 1941, Dorothy married Richard Andrew (Dick) Davis, who was from Middlesex County.  Virginia.  Dorothy had two brothers, Gordon Jones and Wyatt Jones, both of which are now deceased.  Dorothy and Dick have two sons, Richard Gordon Davis, and Wyatt Stapleton Davis.  Dorothy began first grade in Rushmere, later transferring to the Swan’s Point Plantation one room school in Surry Virginia.  When she was nine years old, she transferred to the Crittenden School through sixth grade, and then the Chuckatuck School.  She graduated from Chuckatuck High School in 1937 and Randolph Macon Women’s College in 1941. 

When Dorothy was right out of college, she began a teaching career in the seventh grade at the Elizabeth City School (now Hampton), where she taught for two years.  She then transferred to the Chuckatuck School, teaching both seventh grade and high school English.  Dorothy told me that she not only was a student under principal F.H. “Cutie” Christopher, but also as a teacher.  She soon learned that students were having trouble learning because they could not read.  This caused Dorothy to return to college to obtain her master’s degree at the College of William and Mary.  She then worked in the Newport News city school system reading lab, teaching reading to students in grades kindergarten through twelfth grade.  Later in her career, Dorothy taught reading improvement at Tidewater Community College to students whose reading was “not up to snuff.”  Dorothy told me that after 28 years of teaching, she retired in 1978.  Whenever she runs into a former student, all they talk about was the books she introduced and read to them; not what they had learned.

Dorothy remembers living in Rushmere when she was young.  Her father farmed and they lived near Burrell’s Bay.  In 1928, when she was nine, her family moved to the Walnut Ridge Farm (which is now part of Cedar Point), where her father worked the farm with a mule.  Going from a one room school in Surry to the three-room Crittenden School in the fourth grade caused Dorothy to believe that she had really come up in the world.  Dorothy’s family continued to live at Walnut Ridge until 1942.  Her mother and father then moved to the Nansemond Farm with the help of Reverend Norman Hunt from Ebenezer Methodist Church and his farm truck. 

When Dorothy was growing up in Crittenden, she had the following friends: Alese Newman, Arlene Gray, Ella Adams, Clifford Bush, Maynard Corson, Francis Haughwout, and Henderson Parker. 
 

Dorothy told me that the Jones family dates to the 1600s in the Isle of Wight area.  In fact, her grandfather, Josiah Jones served with his four brothers in the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

NIX CLUBHOUSE STORIES:

Dorothy and Dick Davis, who owned the Nix Clubhouse in the Nansemond River, recently sold this well-loved retreat to Leonard Willis of Suffolk.  Dorothy gave me a little history of the clubhouse and the following stories that occurred there.

Dorothy said a group of prominent Suffolk families originally had the Nix Clubhouse built, but she didn’t know the date.  Oscar Crittenden of Eclipse Virginia was the main carpenter.  Oscar walked from his Eclipse home to the Mayo boat rental dock (foot of Nansemond River Bridge currently owned by Tommy Womble) each morning, and then rowed out to the Nix Clubhouse site, arriving at first light.  In 1933, these prominent Suffolk families who owned the Nix Clubhouse had it incorporated. 

In 1933, the Birdsong Family of Suffolk planned a big birthday celebration at the clubhouse.  Dorothy thinks that over 20 people went to the clubhouse for the event.  However, without any warning, the Hurricane of 1933 hit, stranding the birthday party at the clubhouse until it was over.  The way the story goes, the family had to open the big doors on both sides of the clubhouse so that the rising water could flow through and not sweep the building away with the turbulent river.  The family feared for their lives according to Dorothy.  In fact, they had to climb on top of cabinets to escape the rising water.  Dorothy added that in those days, there was no such thing as forecasting the weather.  The next day, after the storm subsided, Mr. Leon McNeil who lived on shore took his oyster boat out to the clubhouse to rescue the stranded party goers.  Happy to be rescued, the Birdsong’s asked what they could do for rescuing them, but Mr. McNeil refused to accept a thing.  Several years later when his hearing was failing, Mr. McNeil asked and had Mr. Birdsong help him obtain a hearing aid.  Dorothy said she has a news account of this event and rescue, which she will look for.  She also suggested that I contact Yancy Birdsong, who currently lives at Lake Prince Woods retirement home, who was present at the clubhouse during the hurricane.  Also, Dorothy told me that a video was made of the Birdsong’s re-telling stories about their experience at the clubhouse during the Hurricane of 1933 to the Historical Society; she added that she thought that Thomas Hazelwood had a copy.

In 1956, Dorothy’s brother, Gordon Jones obtained the Nix Clubhouse.  Sometime after that, Dorothy and Dick Davis took ownership of the clubhouse by trading Gordon a herd of cattle.  The following stories occurred when Dick and Dorothy owned the clubhouse.  Many organizations have used the clubhouse under Dick and Dorothy’s ownership such as the Girl Scouts, North Suffolk Rotary, Sertoma Club of Driver, Drexel Bradshaw’s Navy flying squadron, Nansemond River Power Squadron, and many friends and neighbors.

During a terrible storm in 1978, the Nix Clubhouse was severely damaged, almost beyond repair.  Dick and Dorothy, who now owned the clubhouse contacted Oscar Crittenden Jr., son of the original builder, to help repair the clubhouse.  During repairs, a 1906 penny was found embedded in a timber.  To commemorate his father’s construction of the original clubhouse, Dick presented the penny to Oscar Jr.  Sometime after repairs were completed, Dorothy told me that the Davis’ held a “big appreciation party” at the clubhouse for all the local citizens that helped put the clubhouse back together.

One-night Karla and Jimmy Smith and friends planned to spend the night at the clubhouse.  While no one knows for sure who was supposed to tie up the boat (Dorothy knows it was Jimmy), when the campers got up the next morning, the boat was missing.  They immediately started to yell for help and luckily a passing waterman heard their cries and rescued the group.  Dorothy said that the group was “very embarrassed” about the incident.

On another occasion, teenagers Richard Davis and Jimmy Smith decided to go out to the clubhouse to play ping pong.  However, a bad storm blew up and their boat sank.  Dorothy told me that Dick and Ernest Hazelwood had to go out to the clubhouse and rescue their son and Jimmy.

Another time when Karla and Jimmy Smith and friends were out at the clubhouse, Jimmy fell overboard, cutting his foot on some glass imbedded in the mud.  A trip to the emergency room soon followed.

Dorothy remembers a local power squadron having a party at the clubhouse.  During a storm that came up, one of the members, while attempting to place fenders between the clubhouse pilings and a boat almost had his fingers crushed.  Luckily, he jumped just in time and didn’t get hurt.

The Chesapeake Demonstration School had an event one evening at the clubhouse.  Principal Helena Green and husband Dr. Green, a dentist attended.  At the event, Dr. Green and Everett Bagnell leaned against a rickety rail and Dr. Green fell into the water, losing his glasses in the process.  Ginny Bagnell who was a teacher’s aide and was attending the event, rushed ashore to find Thomas Hazelwood.  Thomas took his oyster tongs out to the clubhouse and after several tries tonged Dr. Green’s glasses.   Dorothy said that teachers Karla Smith, Jean Hodges were also present at this event.

 LOCAL FARMS IN CRITTENDEN AND HOBSON:

Dorothy told me that each farm had a pier so produce grown there could be loaded on boats going to market.  Dorothy believes large farms in the area at the time were known as “truck farms.”   Even though produce was transported by boat, it was still considered “trucked to market.”  In 1928 when the James River Bridge System opened, produce was then transported to market by truck.

UPTON FARM:

Located on the north side of Bridge Road, the Upton Farm included much of what is now Cedar Point.  The Walnut Ridge Farm adjoined this farm going toward the Nansemond River and inland to the cut that separated the two farms.

WALNUT RIDGE FARM:

Also located mainly on the north side of Bridge Road, the Walnut Ridge Farm was from the bridge up to the tree line according to Dorothy, and inland to the creek that separated it from the Upton Farm.  It also was on the south side of Bridge Road and this section was known as Coon Point.  It ran from the river up to the current location of the Smithfield Gardens Nursery, and included what is now a horse stable and St. Andrews Presbyterian Church.  Dorothy’s family lived at Walnut Ridge Farm until after she got married.

NANSEMOND FARM:

The land now known as Governor’s Point used to be called the Nansemond Farm.  Dorothy’s family moved to this farm in 1942 where they continued to farm it until 1978.  Dick and Dorothy lived there with her parents until he joined the Navy in 1944.  Son Wyatt Davis was born at Nansemond Farm while they were living there in 1944.   Dorothy continued to live there and in 1946 upon Dick’s return, they purchased the old Red House Farm, renaming it Cricket Hill Farm.   Dorothy’s brother Gordon Jones bought the Nansemond Farm in 1941.  This farm was sold in 2003 by the Jones estate to Bryan Mullins who is developing Governor’s Point.

Dorothy suggested that I contact Clifford Bush, who was born in the farm house on Nansemond Farm.  Clifford now lives in Chesapeake.

WILL MATTHEWS FARM:

Dorothy doesn’t know much about this farm, except it was later sold to the Kelsey’s in the 1960s.

RED HOUSE FARM:

Known for the red house on the property, the Red House Farm was owned by the Trottman’s when Dorothy was growing up; the Trottman’s also owned Walnut Ridge Farm.  When Dick and Dorothy purchased it in 1942, they renamed it Cricket Hill Farm after Dick’s great aunt’s property in Matthews County.  The name originated during the Revolutionary War when British soldiers kept charging up a hill on his great aunt’s property.  Someone said that the British “redcoats” were as thick as crickets, thus the name, Cricket Hill.  Dorothy told me that the farm had been for sale for a long time.  She added that Hobson blacks used it extensively as a harbor for oyster boats; remains (pilings) of a fairly large wharf exist at the mouth of the little creek separates the Kelsey property and Cricket Hill Farm.  At the mouth of the creek, known by locals as the “Whirlhole,” many black baptisms were held.  Dorothy remembers as a small girl, going in a small bateau to watch the proceedings.  After she and Dick bought the farm and moved there, she said they stopped the blacks from using it as their property.  They were much aggrieved and tried to take legal action; but the county attorney Paul Everett, upon examining the deed, ruled the blacks had no right of way to the river.

Dorothy also told me that she knew a little about the history of Cricket Hill Farm.  Prior to the 1940s, the farm was known locally as the Red House Farm.  It was owned prior to the Civil War by a member of the Gray family.  It is said that they had a red brick home which was struck by a cannon ball fired by Union troops from a sailing vessel on the Nansemond River.  Charles Gray Adams and sister Ella Adams Pound once told Dorothy that during the Civil War, after a federal gun boat fired upon the red house on this farm, the family living there at the time, which were related to the Adams, fled, refusing to return for fear of future bombardments.

In _________, Dick and Dorothy sold Cricket Hill Farm to a Detroit dentist, who proceeded to rent it out.  Dorothy said after that, locals always suspected that it might be a gambling joint, or a place for some illicit activity.  Local law enforcement couldn’t seem to do anything about the farm’s suspected activities.  Even when the State Police were alerted one day, they found nothing amiss when they arrived. 

Cricket Hill Farm is now owned by the Dwight Schbach’s.

 Dorothy said that the Mayo Family used to have a bait store and service station at the foot of the Nansemond River Bridge on property now owned by Tommy Womble.  Mrs. Mayo was a Moody, but her mother – Miss Ida Gray, owned the land.  Mr. Mayo was overseer of the Upton Farm.  This store rented row boats for 25 cents per person, and sold hard crabs for bait.  Dorothy said the store was in operation during the 1920s and part of the 1930s.

 Prior to the Hurricane of 1933 hit, the Mayo Family had previously rented their store to Alpheus Hazelwood (known as Captain Al), who continued to operate it through the 1930s.  Alpheus was the brother of Sidney Hazelwood Sr., who is Thomas Hazelwood’s grandfather.

  Captain Alpheus (Captain Al) Hazelwood, Ernest and Grace Lee’s father, and his second wife, Martha Jane Matthews (a Chuckatuck School teacher), had a restaurant on Bridge Road, called Captain Al’s Restaurant.  Dorothy doesn’t know the dates he operated his restaurant.  She added that when Captain Al gave up running it, his son Ernest and wife Susie ran it for a while.  Then, Sue and Sommers Mertig also ran the restaurant.  Dorothy doesn’t know when it stopped being a restaurant.  Many different businesses have been in the building since then.  One was an art studio run by Mark and Betty Bellaire.  Dorothy said she use to go into the studio and admired their work.  She added that the Bellaire’s lived across from Ginny Bagnell in the house now owned by Chris Neirman.  Dorothy added that Captain Al was the brother of Sidney Bertram Hazelwood, Thomas Hazelwood’s grandfather.  The Hazelwood brothers married the Adam’s sisters Della and _________ (see Thomas Hazelwood), however both sisters died in the Flue of 1918.  Thomas Hazelwood’s father, S. B. Hazelwood Sr., was only two years old when his mother died.  He was taken in and raised by his grandparents, Laura Adams and her husband T.H. Adams. 

 Dorothy told me that when she was young there was a business on Bridge Road in the same location that Captain Al later built his restaurant.  The Hogue’s of Eclipse use to run Ma and Pa Hogue’s, a rough place that sold oysters.  Dorothy told me that when she walked to the Crittenden School, she had to pass by Ma and Pa Hogue’s and the smell was terrible.  Apparently the proprietors use to shuck oysters and throw the shells out the window.

 When I asked Dorothy about Dick’s farming career, she suggested that I talked to son Wyatt.  Wyatt, who came to visit his mother, provided the following.  His father Dick with Wyatt’s help a lot of the time, farmed between 1946 and 1960.  Wyatt told me that they farmed many farms in the Crittenden-Eclipse-Hobson area.  He gave me a 1948 aerial map of this area which showed how much of the total land mass was devoted to farming (See pictures # _________).  Examples of farms they worked were the large field on Dixon Hill in Eclipse, farm where the Tasty Freeze is located, farms around the old Keeling property on Bridge Road, Mike Matthews field, back of Dolly Daniels (field behind the C.E. & H. Ruritan building, Walnut Ridge Farm, Breezy Point Farm, Willis Field property on Eclipse Drive, Sleepy Lake West (used to be a farm), and many others.  Wyatt added that the In addition to growing corn, soybeans, snap beans, potatoes and peanuts, the Davis’ also raised hogs, sheep and cows.  Dick went to work for the Farm Bureau in 1960, effectively ending his farming career.

 Dorothy suggested that I contact Everett Bagnell to obtain more information on the local area and its history.  She said he lives at 612 North Broad Street, Suffolk, and his phone number is 539-3558.

HISTORY OF THE AREA:

GREAT DEPRESSION:

Dorothy remembers the Great Depression as a time when people had very little.  Living on Walnut Ridge Farm, Dorothy remembers whole families stopping at her farm where her mother would feed them.  She also remembers her father selling peanuts for only three cents per pound, because no one had any money.  Her father would grow watermelon and then not be able to sell them; thereby giving watermelons away.

Dorothy said that even in 1937, when she was a senior at Chuckatuck High School, no one had any money for clothes, etc.  Instead of the school holding the standard Junior-Senior Dance, the students held a “little party” in the school gymnasium.

HURRICANE OF 1933:

During the Hurricane of 1933, Dorothy was visiting a family in Surry.  When she returned after the Hurricane, she found out that Captain Al had lost power in his restaurant.  He then had to give away all his ice cream to local children, before it melted.

ICE STORM OF 1936:

During the Ice Storm of 1936, Dorothy remembers that the schools were closed.  Also, Dorothy said her mother would make custard and put it outside, where it would freeze like ice cream.  She added that she and her family lived on the farm and were thereby isolated.  She said that they really didn’t know a lot about what was happening.

WORLD WAR II:

Dorothy told me that in addition to the Army camps located in Eclipse during the war, there was also an Army camp at Breezy Point Farm.  While she doesn’t know specifically what they did, she assumed it was similar to those in Eclipse, where soldiers spotted aircraft.  She remembers seeing soldiers on the roads in the area.

ASH WEDNESDAY STORY OF 1962:

This storm “caught everyone by surprise.”  Dorothy remembers water flooding the road near the James River Bridge.  She added that while she doesn’t remember which storm it was, Sommers Mertig died and the hearse couldn’t reach his home to pick him up, due to trees blocking local roads.   She suggested that I contact Thomas Hazelwood for more information.

PICTURES:

1.      Wyatt Davis, age four.

2.      Dorothy Davis’ painting of a scene at Cricket Hill Farm.  She said that this was her first and last attempt at painting.

3.      Jones family home in Isle of Wight where Dorothy’s great grandfather lived.

4.      News article on the Jones family reunion.

5.      Troop 43 Boy Scouts God and Country Award; news article with picture.

6.      Painting of Walnut Ridge Farm in 1860s-1870s.

7.      Genealogy of Josiah Benjamin Jones, Confederate Soldier by Alice Whitley Jones.

8.      Brief History of the Jones Family.

9.      Aerial photo of Crittenden-Eclipse-Hobson peninsula, dated 2-18-48.

ATTACHMENT:

Interview of Dorothy Davis by Karla Smith.