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Harry Augustus (Hap) Harper
(1898-1979) |
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Blanche Lester Harper (1900-1945) |
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| My
maternal grandparents, Harry and Blanche Harper were
wed on Christmas Day, 1920, in Columbiana, Shelby
County, Alabama. Harry, who was
also known as "Hap" Harper, was quite the
storyteller. Oh, that I could recount all the
stories that he told! After beginning my trek
through past family history, I realized that most of
the stories that I could remember were actually
based in fact. On this page, I will attempt to
provide a glimpse into that Harper lore and the
heritage of my Harper line. |
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Joseph C. Harper
(1845-1888)
Joseph C. Harper was
born September 7, 1845, the second son of Asa
(1810-1888) and Caroline Odom (1806-?) Harper.
Joseph married Caroline Hodge (1849-1941) in
Covington, Georgia on January 18, 1869. They
had four children, all born in Covington, Georgia:
Corinne Harper
(1870-1887)
Joseph Hendrick Harper (1873-1960)
Fredrick Mable Harper (1875-1947)
Carrie Pope Harper (1878-1962)
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Caroline Hodge Harper |
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Early records found on Joseph C. Harper appear in
The Georgia Enterprise, a local newspaper in
Covington, Georgia. The earliest mention is in the
Friday Morning, October 23, 1868 edition;
Bar Room.
Read the
notices of Mr. Joe Harper, in this paper and go and
see him, if you want a good article in his line.
In
that same edition, we find the following
advertisement:
New Bar Room!
If you want
some fine Cigars and Tobacco, go to Joe Harper’s New
Bar Room, in the Basement under Corley & Dorsett’s
opposite the Post Office.
If you want
a hot OYSTER STEW, go to Joe Harper’s New Bar Room,
under Corley & Dorsett’s.
If you want
any Fine old Brandy, Whisky, Rum, Gin, Wine, or “any
other man,” go to Joe Harper’s New Saloon in the
Basement under Corley & Dorsett’s.
If you want
some fine old Nectar Whisky, the best ever sold in
Covington, go to Joe Harper’s New Bar Room, in the
Basement under Corley & Dorsett’s.
If you need
any Pure Liquors for Medical purposes, go to Joe
Harper’s and get it – Now don’t forget the place, in
the Basement under Corley & Dorsett’s store,
opposite the Post Office.
In
her book, Main Street Covington, Peggy Lamberson had
the following to say about Joe Harper’s advertising
techniques:
“Joe Harper was one of the first businessmen in
Covington to use relatively modern advertising
techniques. At a time when most ads simply named
the place of business and listed some of the items
for sale, Harper tried a livelier approach . .”
She
goes on to say, “Harper also knew the value of the
occasional promotional freebie. The following
appeared in The Georgia Enterprise issue dated June
4, 1869:
The thanks
of the ‘Enterprise’ office individually and
collectively are due to Mr. Joe C. Harper, for an
excellent article of Lager, with which he favored us
on yesterday evening. That Saloon under Corley and
Dorsett’s store must be a cool place to keep this
healthful Teutonic beverage at such a delightful
temperature in this warm weather. Jenks says Joe
has plenty of good drinks down there for summer use,
and Jenks is a competent witness.” |
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| Joe and
his family left Covington about 1880, after Newton
County voted to go dry. According to
Caroline's family bible, Corinne died in 1887 in
Atlanta at the age of 17 and is buried in the Smyrna
Memorial Cemetery in Smyrna, Cobb County, Georgia.
The next year, 1888, Joe died in Orlando, Florida,
yet he is also buried in Smyrna where he shares a
common headstone with his daughter, Corinne. |
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| Joseph Hendrick Harper (1873-1960)
Children of Joseph
Hendrick Harper and
Dora Agnes Patrick Harper (1875-1952)
Annie Corinne Harper
(1894-?)
Aggie Harper (1896-1897)
Harry Augustus Harper (1898-1979)
Charlie Harper (1900-1904)
Joseph Hendrick Harper, Jr. (1902-1968)
Mary Harper (1904-1904)
Johnnie Harper (1905-1906)
Shirley May Harper (1909-1910)
Ruth Mable Harper (1910-1978)
Thomas Jefferson Harper (1914-1974)
Fredrick Patrick Harper (1916-2003) |
Joseph Hendrick Harper |
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Joseph Hendrick Harper was born August 18, 1873, the
second child of Joseph C. and Caroline Hodge
Harper. According to Caroline’s Bible, he was born
in Covington, Georgia. Little is known about Joe’s
boyhood years. When his family left Covington about
1880, it is presumed that he was with them. His
sister, Corrine, died in 1887 and his father died in
1888. Both of them are buried in Smyrna, Georgia.
Joe was 15 years old at the time of his father’s
death. It is not known where Joe lived immediately
following his father’s death. One theory is that
Caroline and her two surviving sons lived in
Mableton, Georgia with her mother, Almeda Polk
Aycock Hodge Mable and Almeda’s second husband,
Robert Mable. Supporting this theory is Joe’s
application for Railroad Retirement, where he listed
Mableton, Georgia as his hometown.
It
is noteworthy that Joe’s father died in Orlando,
Florida in 1888 and we next find Joe at his marriage
to Dora Agnes Patrick on July 30, 1893 in DeSoto
County, Florida. Joe is found in the 1900 Federal
Census living in Fort Ogden, Precinct 9, Desoto
County, Florida. There he is age 26, living with
his wife, Dora, age 24, their daughter Corrine, age
6, and their two sons, Harry, age 2, and Charles,
age 2 months. Another child, Aggie, had been born
on Christmas Day in 1896 and died March 22, 1897 in
Florida.
 Joseph
Hendrick Harper, Jr. was born in Florida on January
12, 1902. Mary Harper was born in Florida on August
21, 1904. Charlie Harper died November 21, 1904 at
the young age of four years old. Johnnie Harper was
born in Florida on November 17, 1905. Johnnie died
in February of 1906. The place of his death is
unknown. The next child born to Joe and Dora was
Shirley May Harper, born January 19, 1909, in
Alabama. The family is next found in the 1906 city
directory of Anniston, Alabama.
The
1900 Federal Census lists Joe’s occupation as a
locomotive engineer. According to stories passed
down from his son, Harry (Hap) Harper, Joe worked
for the Charlotte Harbor & Northern Railroad, a
short-route in south Florida.
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