Chapter
5
BATTLING LIFE’S DIFFICULTIES
FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS
1889-1891
At the time of his father’s death,
David Evander Shapard was only two and a half years old. His older sister
Lizzie was 17 years old; and, his older brothers, Sumner and Edwin, Jr., were
14 and 9 years of age. Although the family had little in savings, they did
afford their father a lavish burial out of love and respect. On the frigid Monday
afternoon of November 18, 1889, young David E. Shapard was dressed and readied for
his father’s funeral. At 3 o’clock, the services were conducted over his father’s
remains at the Central Methodist Church. The Rev. J. A. Anderson of First Methodist
Church, conducted the introductory service; the Rev. J. L. Massey of Central Methodist
Church, read the funeral Psalm, and the Rev. S. H. Babcock the lesson in the 15th
chapter of First Corinthians. After prayer by Brother Massey, the Rev. T. F.
Brewer addressed the audience giving a brief history of the life and death of
his departed friend and co-laborer.
At the conclusion of the service,
Rev. Shapard’s 5-foot 9-inch casket was carried from the church and placed into
a horse-drawn black hearse by the pall-bearers: Fort Smith Mayor Daniel Baker,
Dr. E. H. Stevenson, J. W. Patrick, Joel McKenna, B. F. Gannaway and D. N.
Weaver. Two-year-old David joined his family in one of three horse drawn hacks
that followed the hearse through the streets of Fort Smith to the City Cemetery
(later known as Oak Cemetery) for burial. It was noted that the interment was
particularly difficult that day due to the cold weather hardening the ground.
After the funeral, the heartbroken
and depleted Shapard family returned to their home at 411 Lexington Avenue. Over
the following days and weeks, numerous friends and acquaintances lavished the
little family with food and support. When the time came, Lizzie reluctantly returned
to her studies at North Texas Female College in Sherman, Texas; and, Sumner and
Edwin, Jr., returned to Fort Smith public school. Toddler David spent many a
day in the care of a close friend or neighbor, allowing his mother opportunity
to rest and fully weep.
However, rest was elusive for the
broken hearted. Within weeks of her husband’s death, Mrs. Shapard became quite
ill, with fever and cough. The stress of her situation, exacerbated by the
particularly cold weather, rendered her vulnerable to illness. David also
developed numerous colds during the harsh winter of 1889. His mother remarked
that it was almost impossible to keep him from getting sick, and that he
coughed extensively at night.
In January of 1890, another great
tragedy befell Mrs. Shapard, when she received the news that her younger
sister, Sallie had died at Edgefield Junction near Nashville Tennessee on the
18th. Sallie Thompson Hall (1861-1890) had married William Watson Yeatman
(1862-1914) prior to the year 1887. Great joy turned to great sorrow, when she passed
away only hours after giving birth. A few hours later, the baby also perished.
The baby was placed in the coffin with its mother and the two were buried
together at Spring Hill Cemetery in Davidson County, Tennessee.
On December 7, 1889, David’s mother
paid the sum of $63, in settlement of the total expenditures for Rev. Shapard‘s
funeral. This was a sizable amount for a funeral at that time. Although David’s
father had been the sole provider for his family, his estate, which seemed to
have been settled by the Probate Court of Fort Smith in January of 1890, did
provide them with a few valuable properties and assets for financial support. Years
ago, on February 14, 1883, David’s father had purchased, for $340, four
adjoining city lots on Lexington Avenue in Fort Smith from Edmund Fitzgerald,
the Catholic Bishop of Arkansas and Indian Territory. The land was identified
as lots 3, 4, 5 and 6, on city block P, in the Fitzgerald Addition. Then on
March 26, 1883, David’s father purchased half of adjoining lot 2 from a fellow
Methodist minister, Rev. F. A. Jeffett, for the sum of $75. Prior to 1887,
David’s father had four single story wood planked houses built upon these lots.
The largest house, spanning lots 2 and 3, became the Shapard’s personal
residence and the other three smaller dwellings were utilized as rent houses.
The total value of the property with houses in 1890 was $3,250.
Directly across Lexington Avenue
from the Shapard residence was a field of four undeveloped city lots where
David and his brothers could run and play. Just to the north of this field,
within a stone’s throw from the Shapard house, on the corner of Lexington
Avenue and D Street, was the home of Dr. and Mrs. Elam H. Stevenson and their three
young sons, Jessie “Eugene” (1880-1967), Wyatt (1882-1911) and Elam (1897-1932).
Due to the similarity in age, Edwin Jr., and Eugene became playmates and
life-long friends. The Stevenson’s were very active in the Methodist Church and
were an anchor of support for the Shapard family during this hard time. Other
neighbors in the vicinity included: Mary Baker, James H. Baker, Mrs. Watts,
Mrs. E. M. Dyke, J. Kelley, W. B. Casey, G. W. Smith, J. A. Cannon and B.
Okeefe.
In addition to the homeowners, there
were also tenants and transitory boarders that occupied the Shapard’s rent
houses. In 1889, one of the houses had been leased to Mr. Hershey and his son
Charley. However, after the death of David’s father, Mr. Hershey quickly, and
perhaps deliberately, got behind on his rent, which rendered a great deal of
stress for David’s mother. Apparently, neither Mr. Hershey nor his son were
favored by the Shapards, nor the community at large, as they set a poor
example.
Out of necessity, David’s mother began
supplementing her income by opening up two modest vacant rooms in her house to
overnight boarders. One room was located in the front of the house and the
other was at the back end, near the porch. Due to her vast experience managing
the kitchen at the New Hope Seminary and Asbury Manuel Labor School, Mrs.
Shapard was comfortably able to provide her boarders with quality meals to
enhance their stay. Her grocery receipt for
the month of March, 1895, from J. W. Meek Confectioneries and Fancy Groceries,
813 Garrison Avenue in Fort Smith, allows us a rare glimpse into the Shapard’s kitchen
pantry. She purchased: Chicken, pickle, sweet potato, sugar beets, potato, ham,
walnuts, sugar, chocolate, popcorn, rolled oats, mackerel, cheese, can corn,
can salmon, crackers, soda, bacon, eggs, butter, pepper, turnips, lettuce, flour,
oil, baking powder, lard, onion, vinegar, crackers, chives and candy.
Besides cooking, cleaning, laundry,
dishes, grocery shopping, and other domestic talents, David’s mother was well
versed in sewing. She made many garments for herself and her children. During
this era, it was customary for widows to wear black mourning dresses after the
death of their husband. At the time, Mrs. Shapard could not afford a store-bought
dress, so she fabricated a mourning dress from two of her older garments. She
removed the stitching, washed and pressed the material and made her new dress austere,
yet, with a fold at the bottom. She also made aprons for David, to keep him
from soiling his nice clothing at meals and while at play. On February 3, 1890,
Edwin, Jr., recounted a somewhat comical event involving David and his apron;
“Today, while I was gone to school and Sumner was at the store and mama was
getting coal, David got into the dye and he had on an apron that mama had just
finished yesterday… and when mama came, he ran and hid under the cot…”
By May of 1890, David’s mother had
lost her renters. She remarked that she felt so embarrassed by money matters
and that she could not see a way out of it all. She had cut down on every
conceivable expense and stated that it took so much money to even “half live.” As
a means to offset her lack of money, she began to barter, using the fabric from
her old dresses, in return for services with the local women. In June of 1890, a
great financial alleviation finally arrived, when her brother-in-law, Rev.
William Shapard of Austin, Texas, graciously sent her $100 to assist the
struggling family. Although this copious donation abated her debt, it did not significantly
absorb what she owed.
Rev. William Shapard (1830-1894)
was David’s uncle and the eldest brother of Rev. Edwin R. Shapard. William was
born on August 17, 1830, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He was educated in
Fayetteville, Tennessee, and baptized in 1846, by Rev. S. S. Yarborough. He
became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South on December 19, 1849,
and became a licensed preacher for the church on June 25, 1850, being admitted
on trial to the Tennessee Conference. He served the circuits of Rock Creek, Middleton,
and Edgefield before being transferred to the Memphis Conference where he was
stationed at Aberdeen. He married Susan “Emily” Hall on November 11, 1856. Interestingly,
Emily was the sister of David’s mother Jennie (Hall) Shapard. William was
transferred to the Alabama Conference and supplied Eufaula Station, Auburn,
Montgomery District and St. Francis Station in Mobile. He joined the
Confederate army on September 10, 1861, and served until his health failed,
being discharged near the end of 1862. In 1868, he was appointed to the East
Alabama Male College board of trustees and moved to Auburn, Alabama. Beginning
in 1870, he served as the president of Auburn Female College for seven years.
He received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from the Alabama Agricultural and
Mechanical College in 1873. In 1876, he moved to Texas and was appointed by the
church to St. Johns in Galveston and First Church on Tenth Street in Austin
until 1880. On January 1, 1884, he was made Superintendent of the Texas School
for the Deaf and Dumb until February 1, 1887. He retired to his farm in Texas,
east of Austin. He and his wife had seven children; Ava (1858-1862), daughter
(1860-1860), William, Jr. (1862-1865), Adella (1864-1941), Emma (1866-1944),
Herbert Hall (1869-1921) and Robert Sumner (1874-1946).
On June 10, 1890, David’s sister
Lizzie Shapard, at 18 years of age, graduated with honors from North Texas
Female College, ending her school days. In celebration of this achievement, Lizzie
accepted an invitation from her beloved uncle Rev. William Shapard and aunt Emily,
to stay with them in Austin, Texas, for a large part of the summer. In true
form, her uncle graciously paid her travel and living expenses for the duration
of her visit. Uncle William and aunt Emily truly loved the Fort Smith Shapards,
and looked after them as best as they could. Lizzie returned to Fort Smith,
Arkansas, in mid to late July. As a grown young lady, ready for the
responsibilities of life, she applied for and received a teaching position at
Belle Point Public School at Fort Smith for the following school year. This job
was a sentimental milestone for Lizzie, as it had been her father’s hope, by
sending her to college, that she would eventually qualify herself as a teacher.
Fort Smith established its first
public schools in 1868 with varying degrees of success. By 1884 there were
three public schools within the city limits: Belle Grove and Peabody were for
the education of white children and Howard was established for the education of
colored children. In 1884, Congress gifted to the City of Fort Smith a large
reservation of former military land for public sale. Congress stipulated that
the profits from the sale were to be used for the benefit of the public schools
of Fort Smith. City officials were wise stewards of the public school fund, and,
over the years, were able to construct the most beautiful and state-of-the-art school
buildings of its time, rivaling the best schools in the nation. Circa February of
1885, the lots were available for purchase in what became known as the
Reservation Addition. Due to its proximity to the railroad and the river, many
large tracts were purchased by manufacturing companies, such as coal, lumber,
and cotton yarn. Smaller tracts were also purchased for residential and small
business use.
In December of 1885, a new two-story
eight-room brick school house, known as Belle Point School, was opened for
occupancy in the Reservation Addition on the corner of present-day South 9th
Street and Carnall Avenue. The school had beautiful architecture and the
grounds were adorned with tree-lined walkways. A large park, known as
Reservation Park was established only a block from the school. Initially, the
education ranged from primary through high school, however, as class size grew,
the high school students were moved, circa 1888, to better accommodations at the
Belle Grove school, on the present-day corner of North 6th and North
G streets. Belle Point school was heated in the winter by two furnaces located in
the school’s basement. Unfortunately, during periods of extremely cold weather the
furnaces were inadequate. In early February of 1905, the janitor over stoked
the furnace in an attempt to render more heat to the classrooms, which cause
the walls along the radiator shafts to catch fire. The children were evacuated
without injury and the school building was resigned from further use. Belle
Point students were relocated to Belle Grove or Peabody to finish out the
remainder of the year. Construction quickly began on an updated building at a
more accommodating location. On November 26, 1908, the new Belle Point school
was opened on the corner of Lexington and Dodson Avenue. Circa 1917, the old
building was torn down and the grounds were renovated for use as a baseball
diamond for the American Legion Junior League.
In 1890, Bell Point school was the
nearest public school to the Shapard residence, being a distance of a half-mile.
When Lizzie Shapard began her teaching position in the fall of 1890, her
younger brother Edwin, Jr. was a student at Belle Point. Each morning, Lizzie
walked nine year-old Edwin to school and ensured he made it to his classroom,
taught by Miss Cunningham. From all accounts, Edwin struggled in primary
school. His mother was concerned that he was not doing “one bit of good in
school,” and often remarked at the deplorable state of his penmanship, to the
point of being illegible.
David’s brother Sumner Shapard also
attended Belle Point school for middle school; however, after the death of his
father, he began sacrificing his high school education to provide for his family.
By January of 1890, 14-year-old Sumner had gained part-time employment at Dyke
Brothers, who operated a lumber yard and planing mill business at the corner of
Park and Cabell streets, just a few blocks from the Shapard house. On February
6, 1890, Sumner’s mother reported in a letter to Lizzie that, “Sumner is busy
tonight studying his short hand lesson. This is the first night he has been
home in some time. He has not been to school for nearly two weeks because they
keep him at the store so late…Sumner is gone nearly all the time. He has gone
to school tonight. I wish I could see more of him…”
Whilst facing tribulation, Sumner
truly was the young unsung hero. At a time of need, he embodied the essence of
Christian manliness, forever leaving behind the childish things of his youth to
alleviate the stress, strain and worry from those he loved. In addition to
working for Dyke Brothers, Sumner also shouldered the responsibility of
negotiating the leases for their rent houses. He continued to work for Dyke
Brothers, attending school when able, until May of 1891, when the company went
bankrupt and was forfeited to J. G. Miller & Co.
In May of 1890, three-year-old
David was also gaining a degree of independence, though not in the helpful
way. His mother conveyed to Lizzie, in a
letter on the 27th that, “David continues to run away. Sunday when I
got ready to go to church, I couldn’t find David. I went to every house in the neighborhood
where he was in the habit of going, but could not find him. I went up to Mrs.
Bakers and there he was, so I left him there while I went to church. This
evening he asked me to go to ‘Bakess,’ so I dressed him up and let him go…”
For the next year and a half, the
Shapard family remained together, helping one another and pooling their
resources. Mrs. Shapard managed the main house and chores. Lizzie was living at
home and employed as a teacher at Belle Point school. Sumner was working for
Dyke Brothers, managed the rent houses and, when able, attended school. Edwin
was a student at Belle Point school, and David was a typical youngster playing
around the house and neighborhood. Because of the hardships they endured, they
remained steadfast to their commitment to church and God. The family actively attended
Central Methodist Church on North 7th and B streets, being the
closest Methodist church to their house on Lexington Avenue.
Even with the extra resources and
income, the Shapard’s financial situation was dire. Mrs. Shapard was in debt
with numerous persons and businesses around Ft. Smith, despite her best efforts
to economize. On December 15, 1890, she mortgaged her rent house and property,
on lot 6, of block P, in the Fitzgerald Addition, in return for $250 borrowed
from Miss Sophia Hale, an investor from Illinois, at eight percent interest per
annum. If Mrs. Shapard defaulted on the terms of the agreement, then the
property and house could be sold at public auction to satisfy the loan.
Luckily, the property remained secure as the loan was satisfied in full on
January 20, 1894.
Only three months later, on March 2,
1891, Mrs. Shapard was again in need of a large sum of money and
utilized the services of the Fort Smith Building Association in the matter. The
Building Association was organized on January 5, 1884, as a loan business. The
company was owned by its local Fort Smith members and tried to accommodate all
borrowers with minimal interest and fees, compared to outside loan companies
and banks. Mrs. Shapard mortgaged her main house, on lots 2 and 3, to purchase
24 shares in the Fort Smith Building Association, and then immediately returned
those shares back to the company, whereupon they loaned her $600. The terms of
the loan stated that she was required to pay $6 per month dues on the stock and
$3 interest per month, payable on the 15th through the 17th
of each month. During the term of the loan, she was required to keep the house and
real estate in good repair, fully insured, paying all taxes and assessments
lawfully imposed upon said real estate. If the loan was paid as described, then
the contract became null and void, otherwise her land and house would be sold at
public auction by the Building Association to the highest bidder to recoup the
amount of the loan.
In early September of 1891, the
Shapard family was over joyed at the news that David’s sister Lizzie had
received and accepted a marriage proposal from a young man she had met at
college, Mr. W. B. Jaynes of Sherman, Texas. In preparation for the upcoming
wedding expenses, David’s mother purchased 10 more shares of stock from the
Fort Smith Building Association, on Sept 18, 1891, for an additional $250 loan,
using her main house, on lots 2 and 3, as collateral. Despite the large amounts
borrowed, Mrs. Shapard was successfully able to navigate the terms of the loan;
paying the monthly principal and interest on time. In total she had borrowed
$850 from the Fort Smith Building Association, all of which was satisfied in
full sometime between 1897 and 1900.
After a long period of stress, sorrow
and uncertainty, the Shapard family was finally blessed with a reason to
celebrate. On December 26, 1891, David’s 19-year-old sister Lizzie Shapard
married 26 year-old attorney Mr. William B. Jaynes. A few days before the
wedding, David, Edwin Jr., Sumner, Lizzie and Mrs. Shapard took the St. Louis
& San Francisco Railroad train to Paris, Lamar County, Texas, which was a
direct trip from Fort Smith. The wedding was held at 11 o’clock in the morning
at Centenary Methodist Church in Paris, Texas. The Rev. P. C. Archer
officiating. Lizzie wore a beautiful white or cream-colored wedding gown, embellished
with lace trim, lace flowers, and a long train of ruffles. Her full-length
white veil followed the drape of the train, fanning out upon the floor; and, her
hands were adorned with white elbow length gloves to complete her wedding
outfit. She was a beautiful sight.
Her husband, William Burton Jaynes
(pronounced Jay-knees) (1866 – 1950) was born in 1866 in Richland, Oconee
County, South Carolina. He was the son of Waddy T. Jaynes and Delia Rust, and had
an older brother Robert, and a younger sister Fannie. From their youth, William
and his siblings were raised in the light and morality of the Methodist church.
William studied at North Georgia Agriculture College and then moved to Sherman,
Texas, in 1888, to establish his law practice. It was at the latter place where
he first met Lizzie Shapard. The two remained in close contact after Lizzie
graduated in June of 1890 and returned to Fort Smith to teach at Belle Point
school.
Immediately after the wedding,
Lizzie went home briefly to Fort Smith with her family. She had to settle her
affairs, pack her belongings and say goodbye to old friends, before moving to
Sherman, Texas, with her husband. Her mother used that precious time to advise
Lizzie on how to be a godly wife and gave her the blessing, “May God guide,
direct and keep my darling child.” The day of her departure on the train, Lizzie
tearfully said goodbye to her family, especially her little brother David,
before venturing off on the next chapter of her life.
