A Path Between Paris and Montgomery

After ten years of marriage, Dr. Bibb and his wife, Susanna, had birthed their four children, Mattie Gilmer Bibb, Dr. James Porter Bibb, George Dunlap Bibb, and Fred Lewis Bibb. The photo shows the distinguished Dr. Bibb and his exquisite mustache.

A hand-written letter with an attached lock of blond hair arrived in Montgomery in 1888. The author, Clintie Porter, was married to Susanna's brother, Dudley. Mattie, the child mentioned in the following letter, was the only daughter of the Bibbs, and she was my grandmother.

From Cousin Clintie Porter to Susanna. D. P. Bibb (Mamie)

Paris, Tennessee

May 24, 1888

Montgomery, Alabama

Dear Cousin Susie,
"Dudley and I were delighted to get little Mattie’s picture. Tell her it is just like her and everyone that has seen it says it is beautiful. I know little Dudley thought it was pretty too, for I was afraid he would ruin it kissing it, before I could get it away from him. …
I have thirty young turkeys. I am afraid I won’t raise many though for little Dudley runs them every day and yesterday killed one! ….Little Dudley hasn’t any pictures but requests me to send little Mattie one of his curls."
With much love
Yours affectionately
Clintie
The home is the Porter home in Paris, Tennessee, and the photo represents four generations of family.

Moving Along

Before leaving Martha Dandridge Bibb, I applaud her pioneer efforts for working women. In “the box”, I found several small booklets entitled, “Association for Aiding Working Women and the Helpless”, of which M.D.B. was a Trustee. The Association was organized in 1881 in Montgomery and according to their Constitution--

“the object of the Association shall be to provide a home for Working Women and the Helpless in which they can obtain comfortable rooms to aid them in obtaining, work, so that they may be able to make a support for themselves and their children—to care for them in sickness, and to use every means to help them to help themselves.”

Martha Dandridge Bibb can rest on her laurels.

Introducing a new set of characters:

My other 2nd Great-Great-Grandmother

Susanna Eliza Dunlap Porter

June 17, 1832 - November 5, 1914
and her husband

Governor James Davis Porter
1828 – 1912

Governor Porter has been mentioned, but not properly introduced, nor has his wife, nor have the paths from Kentucky and Tennessee.

Enter here those paths. James Davis Porter of Paris, Tennessee, and Susanna Eliza Dunlap married June, 1851. She was the daughter of John Henry Dunlap and Marietta Beauchamp Dunlap also of Paris, Tennessee. Governor Porter’s wife was affectionately called “Sue” by him and perhaps others but I have no record of that. Her ancestors, the Dunlaps, were among the earliest settlers in Tennessee, and the founding settlers of Knoxville. James D. Porter’s family, the Kennedys, were the founding settlers of Covington, Kentucky, originally called Kennedy Landing or Kennedy’s Ferry until 1815, and the builders of the historic Old Stone House.

According to a newspaper clipping, tradition says that while visiting in the area, Harriet Beecher Stowe stayed with the Kennedys at the Old Stone House and while there, wrote several chapters of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”.

Next post, some of their correspondence.