Biography of Mary Borland Beattie, Pulaski Co, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: Bill Bogges Date: 23 Feb 2006 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** Author: Bill Boggess "Solon Borland & FAMILY" Chapter 3: "Solon's Children" Mary Melbourne BORLAND (06-23-08) Material used herein from The College of William & Mary archives is noted with (WM). 3E. MARY (Mollie) MELBOURNE BORLAND (1850AR-1938MO): ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mary, known as Mollie, at least during her younger years, named for her musically gifted and talented mother, Mary Isabel MELBOURNE (MILBOURN/E?) (1824LA-1862AR), was third and last known born Friday, 28 June 1850 in Hot Springs, Arkansas while her father was seated in Washington city as Arkansas' fourth United States Senator. First married in Memphis to John M BEATTIE having three known children, widowed in 1878, second marriage June 1889 at Little Rock to widower Colonel Oliver Crosby GRAY, died in Kansas City 17 February 1938, following a lengthily illness, ashes buried (unmarked) next to second husband in Evergreen Cemetery, Fayetteville, Arkansas across road from father's friend, Governor Archibald YELL. Let it be noted: --- Mollie, with daughters Grace M & Mary Borland, were, for some gracious and unknown reason, dedicated to Deaf-Mute Schools, totalling nearly one-hundred years of faithful service. She too was active during civil war days in Princeton, Dallas county, Arkansas and very close to her older sister Fannie, as found throughout Virginia Davis GRAY's (1st Mrs O C GRAY) 1863-1865 diary, published 1983 Arkansas Historical Quarterly, and both her unpublished but transcribed, 'baby diary' of son Carl (later her step-son) and in her letters. She, in October and her mother in September nearly died shortly after 1850 birth at home in Hot Springs with Solon rushing home from Washington. (WM) Mentioned in uncle Euclid BORLAND's 16 Oct 1851 letter from Hot Springs, Arkansas to George GODWIN of Suffolk, Nansemond county, Virginia who with wife Fanny GREEN raised and schooled her father (for whom her brother and sister were named) and half-brother Thomas, --- "Little Mary" noted: "...running about and talking plainly." Followng death of brother George Godwin, June 1862 and mother, October 1862, her father retained Ralph Leland GOODRICH (1836NY-1897AR) to instruct 12 y/o Mollie and sister Fanny in arthmetic, January 1863 until March when they left for Princeton, Dallas county in fear of the Federal troops overtaking Little Rock. According to his diary, Mr GOODRICH had a very low opinion of both girls, but thought the most of Mary --- www.griffingweb.com/january_1863.htm (WM) Mollie's letters of November 1866 & May 1867 (future step-son, Carl Raymond GRAY's born, 28 September 1867), from Princeton to cousin, thrice wounded former confederate officer, Euclid BORLAND, Jr, at University of Virginia (Fay HEMPSTEAD of Arkansas, a fellow student) reveal; she thought herself at ages 16 & 17, unattractive, overweight and was bored with the town of Princeton, Arkansas which had only three stores and three churches (Presbyterian, Methodist & Baptist), with preachers visiting but once monthly. She loved her boarding house lady, war widow Mrs Martha A (Gee) HOLMES (1816VA-1901AR) because she was a southern lady from Virginia (whom her father gave money and two female slaves to look after his daughters when he left in 1863). Mollie's penmanship was far superior to that of sister, the Poetess, Fanny Green. Mollie lost her entire known family except her children, before she died: half-brother Thomas, 9 January 1859, brother George Godwin, 24 June 1862, mother, 23 October 1862, father, 1 January 1864, husband John BEATTIE, 1878, sister Fanny, 23 August 1879, second husband O C GRAY, 9 December 1905 and other half-brother Harold, 20 July1921. Fay HEMPSTEAD, in his 1890 book, notes she and Harold were then living. Age 19 (1869), she left Arkansas with newly wed sister Fannie and husband, James C MOORES, for Memphis. (marriage was at Mollie's second husband's home, O C & Virginia GRAY) Mary, 21 y/o, married John M BEATTIE, born in Scotland, at Memphis, Tennessee, bond (see attached) obtained Thursday, 22 February 1872, with Fannie's husband, James MOORES jointly making Twelve Hundred and Fifty Dollar bond. Its unclear, but doubtful, this be same John BEATTIE/BEATTY mentioned in Virginia's 1983 published diary, footnote #61, a private with Twelfth Missouri Calvary Regiment, from Kansas City, Jackson County, MO. Their union produced three children before John was seemingly caught up in the Memphis yellow fever epidemic, without records, most likely died 1878, give or take a year as did some 5,000 others, including Fannie's husband James C MOORES, bankrupting City of Memphis, then Fannie the following year,1879. Widow Mollie, listed "Marg M", in Shelby county, Tennessee 1880 census, appears to be operating a boarding house and is less seven y/o daughter Grace Melbourne. A check was made by Brian ROBERTSON of Butler Center for us to determine if by chance Grace was inflicted with a hearing impairment, checking from 1879-82 at Little Rock's Deaf-Mute Institute found negative, as was 1910 census. Its unknown to me when Mollie returned to Arkansas after going to Tennesse in 1869, but in 1883 she was appointed Matron at Arkansas Deaf-Mute Institute http://members.fortunecity.com/zoinky/deaf.htm serving six years, http://books.google.com/books?id=tjEWAAAAIAAJ (search: 1st, "Mrs M M Beatie", 2nd, "Mrs Beattie"), by new superintendent Major John C LITTLEPAGE, ending with 2nd marriage, replaced by Celia Laura (Ramson) CLARKE, w/o Francis Devereux CLARKE (1849NC-1913MI) (Francis co-invented first hearing aide in 1880). He assumed superintendency in 1885 coming from sixteen years at New York Deaf school serving until he left for Michigan Deaf school December 1892. Younger brother Thomas P CLARKE (1859TX-1925WA) arrived at Arkansas in 1887, and as a widower in 1914 married Mollie's youngest, Mary Borland, in Washington. The Clarke family history is most exciting to study, --- mother, writer Mary BAYARD and father, Colonel Willam J CLARKE, see: http://books.google.com/books?id=MQe5mTwIwWMC (search: "Francis D Clarke"), Mary Bayard Clarke, http://books.google.com/books?isbn=1570034737 William J Clarke papers, www.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/htm/00153.html. Mary (Mollie) M. (Borland) BEATTIE is listed living at 712 E 6th St., Little Rock in 1883, a Matron, when visited by her friend, Virginia Davis GRAY (first Mrs O C GRAY www.webofroots.com/washington/pics/vagrsy.html , mother of his children). This visit is written of in 26 November 1883 letter by/at Virginia's Fayetteville home: "...a rambling English cottage type, olive green in color, with charming ornamental woodwork at the porch and vines and shrubbery in just the right places," (description by neighbor Hattie E Williams) on West Dickson street at Gregg avenue, were after 9-months illness, she died of cancer, 1:30 pm, Tuesday, 17 August 1886. Three years later, it became home for Mollie and her two youngest children, Mary Borland and George M with step-sister Ethel Davis GRAY (1871AR- 1910IL) returning home from school in Wichita, Kansas, both girls attending classes at Arkansas Industrial University (AIU). The 1883 Little Rock, Polk's City Directory listed Mary BEATTIE as a Matron at Deaf Institute, as did the 1886 Directory. Monday, 17th June 1889 widow Mary Melbourne (Borland) BEATTIE married widower Colonel Oliver Crosby GRAY (1832ME-1905AR) (enlisted under her father, later the 3rd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry, Confederate States Army), in Little Rock, both with teenage children setting up house, as above mentioned, in Fayetteville, at his home on West Dickson Street, next west to historic Frisco depot to whom Oliver had provided eastern most portion of his 2-1/4 acre homestead, purchased 10 July 1877 for $1000 from Judge LaFayette and Mary A. GREGG, (their historic home is west, across street, at 339 North Gregg Avenue), he a Union Colonel, and Supreme Court Justice, credited with getting the university into Fayetteville in 1871. Oliver was appointed, among other duties, Chairman of the Mathematic's Department at AIU (after 1899, University of Arkansas) July 1888 following his service as Mayor of Fayetteville from 1886, that after serving as first superintendent of Fayetteville's first public school, Washington School www.nwanews.com/nwat/Academics/37048/ a school building he with fellow school board member and neighbor, LaFayette GREGG, got built in 1885 as Fayetteville's first public school building. Mollie and Oliver remained in Fayetteville until May 1895. After serving 21 years at AIU & Fayetteville, he was appointed superintendent of Arkansas School for the Blind (ASB) www.webofroots.com/washington/pics/colgray.html , Little Rock, where, 26 years earlier, in 1869, ASB named their 1st brick building in honor of "Colonel Gray" www.arkansasschoolfortheblind.org/History_of_ASB.html (search: "Gray") It was built on, former Arkansas' Territorial Governor Senator William Savin FULTON's, property, "Rosewood", 18th and Spring streets, land once owned by Roswell BEBEE, property at east side of farm house (1870 platted Wright's Addition) where Mary had been raised four years, starting 1854. Mary is documented as Matron for years 1896 and 1898. The Blind school moved in c1938 to present location near Deaf school, in 1948, its old location buildings were demolished, --- using 300,000 of school's bricks, cleaned by prisoners, in the then new Governors Mansion now at 18th & Center Street. A political problem arose in 1898 with GRAY being replaced, returning after a couple of years spent in Searcy, White county, at Speers-Langsford Military Institute. The Colonel, re-appointed superintendent died at the Blind School, Saturday, 9 December 1905 following 45 years of unselfish, dedicated service to his adopted Arkansas, defending it with his life in both, war & peace, educating and role model for hunderds of its future leaders, such as, Honorable George B ROSE (1851AR- 1943AR), s/o U M ROSE of Little Rock who gave a glowing tribute to his former teacher at his funeral, published along with a nice Editorial as well as Colonel GRAY's picture and obituary. Papers, in and outside of Arkansas published lengthly obituaries of her husband, several: http://files.usgwarchives.org/ar/pulaski/obits/grayoc.txt A crowd of over 100 past students and friends, many in high positions, attended services with Masonic honors at Presbyterian Church, 5th & Scott www.arkansasties.com/Pulaski/OldLittleRock/Presby30.jpg before his body was removed by special train to Fayetteville for burial the following day in Masonic Evergreen cemetery, next to his first wife, Virginia LaFayette Davis (1834ME-1886AR). The Arkansas Deaf-Mute Institute is reported destroyed by fire September 30, 1899, so Tom CLARKE and wife Lottie KIRKLAND (born New York taught Western Pennsylvania deaf school, a twin sister was clerk in Washington) went to Michigan as did both of Mollie's daughters, Grace M and Mary Borland again joining up with Francis D CLARKE and wife Celia, he heading school from 1892, and jointly as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Michigan, layed corner stone for new school sixteen months after other was destroyed by fire, a month before his September 1913 sudden death at age64. Younger brother Thomas P and wife had gone to Oregon's school in 1902, then Vancouver, Washington in1906. Its unknown to me how/why/when Mollie moved to Kansas City, so her life is lost to me for thirty-three years until her death. She surely (?) attended Mary's wedding in 1914, and possibly her second marriage, ca 1927, to Dr John C BELL. Mrs. Mary Beattie GRAY, "Mollie", passed away in Kansas City, Thursday, 17 February 1938, after years of poor health. Her ashes were: "...buried beside Col. Gray.", see obituary in Northwest Arkansas Times, 18 February, 1938, http://files.usgwarchives.org/ar/pulaski/obits/graymb.txt witnessed by daughter Mary Borland (Beattie) Clarke-BELL, widow of Thomas P CLARKE, wife of Dr. John C. BELL, Belzoni, Mississippi with step-son Carl Raymond GRAY, President (actually vice-chairman), Union Pacific Railroad, Omaha, Nebraska, --- grave is at Lot 144 www.usgwarchives.org/ar/cemph/washingtonph.htm , in Historic Masonic Evergreen Cemetery at Fayetteville, Arkansas, east across cemetery road from her father's friend and famous Arkansan, Governor (Colonel) Archibald YELL's grave (see photo). We found Colonel GRAY's stone toppled to the ground in 2003 so sought his masonic brothers, the Masonic Order, to correct, but ended up having to correct it ourselves spring of2004. We also reported, with copy of obituary, the lack of Mary's name on graveyard listing, and it supposedly is being added, for there is NO gravestone. www.webofroots.com/washington/cemetery/evergreen.html Hattie E. WILLIAMS' May 1958 published article in Flashback of Washington County (AR) Historical Society about her neighbors the GRAYS, mentions her high thoughts towards the 2nd Mrs GRAY, Mary (Mollie) Melbourne (Borland) Beattie GRAY. see: www.sallysfamilyplace.com/MulberryGrove/borlandsolon.htm (search; "Mary [Mollie]") 3E-a. GRACE MELBOURNE BEATTIE: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Born in Memphis, Shelby county, Tennessee, December 1873, never married, served in deaf schools fifty-six years (1888-1944), at Arkansas, Michigan and Colorado, buried 1954 now with sister's family in Belzoni, Mississippi. Grace M, missing in 1880 census, became a true old maid school teacher. She's found as an assisstant matron in 1888 at Arkansas Deaf-Mute Institute http://books.google.com/books?id=tjEWAAAAIAAJ (search: "Grace M") http://members.fortunecity.com/zoinky/deaf.htm where her mother spent six years as matron. Gace M is listed as teacher in 1890, but was first found for us in City Directory 1893-94 in 2003 by Brian ROBERTSON of Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, Little Rock! 1900 census lists her in Flint, Michigan at Michigan School for the Deaf, October 1901 she graduated Clarke School for the Deaf, in Massachusetts, http://books.google.com/books?id=57IKAAAAIAAJ (search: "Grace M Beattie") going to Colorado School for the Blind & Deaf where Lon Chaney's parents were and where I met her summer of 1936. see: http://books.google.com/books?id=d8AJAAAAIAAJ (1911) (search: "Grace M Beattie") and, http://books.google.com/books?id=xr4JAAAAIAAJ (1915) (search: "Grace M Beattie") Grace M was found in Colorado Springs' 1902 City Directory, during search for us by Pikes Peak Public Library, with Grace teaching at Colorado School for the Blind & Deaf, (started in Colorado Territory in1874, same location since1876) where she remained until 1944, not listed employed in 1945, remaining in Colorado Springs last recorded in1948, no City Directories again until 1951, when she is missing. We assume she moved to her sister's in Belzoni, Mississippi where Grace and sister's second husband, Mississippi born Dr John C BELL, died 1954, Mary in 1962, all buried in Belzoni, Humphreys county, Mississippi cemetery. My cousin, Harriette Flora (Hopkins) ANGLEA, born 1921 in St Louis, Missouri while her father was a medical student, then of Pueblo, Colorado, now California (whom I last saw in 1936, now celebrating their sixty-fifth wedding anniversary 30 June 2008, still water-skiing at summer home they've had forty years after ten years renting, on Lake Tahoe), told me, mid-2003, she remembered 'Aunt Grace' attending Sunday dinners in Colorado Springs at our grandmother's, Maude (Wallick) FLORA (1870IN- 1940CO), ie: Grace's step-sister-in-law (widow of step-brother Carl Raymond GRAY's wife Harriette FLORA's (1869KS-1956ME)(reported as first white child born in Montgomery county, Kansas) younger brother, Dr. William Walter FLORA (1871KS-1922CO)). Dr Robert KNUTSON's wife, Eleanor Howard (Gray) KNUTSON (1923ME-1994MN) granddaughter of Carl Raymond GRAY, submitted the 1863-1865 diary of her great grandmother, Virginia Davis GRAY, for publication after meeting Dr Carl H MONEYHON of the University of Arkansas, Little Rock during a Minneapolis Civil War Round Table, who published it in Arkansas Historical Quarterly, spring & summer of1983, in which the Borland girls are often mentioned. Bob recalls Grace M and Mary Borland visiting their step-brother Carl and wife Harriette at "Gray Rocks" (first known in 1919 as "Friendship Cottage") on Pleasant Point, Cushing, Knox county, Maine during summer vacations. (see Grace (left) & Mary's ca 1930 picture, on Harbour Island in Maine's Moscongus Bay (once home for Carl's mother's favorite uncle, Richard DAVIS), furnished by KNUTSON) Grace M was included in Carl Raymond GRAY's 1939 will. see: www.sallysfamilyplace.com/MulberryGrove/borlandsolon.htm (search; "Grace M" ) 3E-b. MARY BORLAND BEATTIE: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Born 2 April 1875 in Memphis, Shelby county, Tennessee, graduating "with distinction" in Class of 1896 (see photo), at Arkansas Industrial University (now University of Arkansas), first class to wear cap and gowns. Taught nearly thirty years at Deaf schools in Arkansas, Michigan & Washington, (possibly (?) Mississippi) twice married, no known children, died 8 February 1962, buried at Belzoni, Humpreys county, Mississippi. Mary's classmate, John Ellis MARTINEAU (1873MO-1937AR), became Arkansas' Governor in 1927, then appointed United States district judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas (a position her grandfather, Solon, desired in 1845, but didn't get) in 1928, receiving a belated Honorary LL D degree of University of Arkansas, in 1929, same year as did her step-brother Carl Raymond GRAY, then, president Union Pacific RR, school where in 1874, Carl's mother, Virginia LaFayette (Davis) GRAY, was first 'chair', of their Drawing and painting, until 1881, (now Art Department), while Mary's step-father, Carl's father, the Colonel, started its Civil Engineering School. The University of Arkansas built & dedicated "GRAY HALL" in 1906 in his honor www.webofroots.com/washington/pics/grayhall.html which they demolished in 1966, hauling off his honors with all other unwanted debris to the trash dump covering it over with dirt and then forgotten,--- replaced with Mullins Library in 1966. Prior to starting the engineering school in 1874, Oliver served as president of first chartered institution of higher learning in Arkansas, Masonic, St. Johns' College of Arkansas in Little Rock where while president, 1871-74 was started their Law School, he soliciting faculty members, U M ROSE, whose statute stands in the National Statutory Hall, Washington, DC, Augustus H GARLAND, later Governor, United States Senator. appointed United States Attorney General and other like men. www.argenweb.net/pulaski/St.Johns.College.of.Arkansas.1850-1882.html Mary Borland BEATTIE is noted in the Sixteenth Biennial Report of Arkansas Deaf-Mute Institute, pages 5 & 24 (see attachment furnished by Sue WATSON of Arkansas School for the Blind), to wit: "Miss Mary Beattie, almost brought up in the Institution [1883- 89], and for several years our successful Art teacher, was, during the session of 1900, transferred to a manual class, in which she did excellent work. At close of this session she resigned, much to our regret, and is now a teacher in the Michigan School for the Deaf." See her writtten article and poem of 1911: http://books.google.com/books?id=d8AJAAAAIAAJ (search: "Mary Borland") 1900 finds Mary as #12 on Twelfth Census of The United States, teaching at the "Deaf-Mute Institute" but shortly thereafter went to Michigan. See Mary Borland BEATTIE's AIU school picture, and picture with her sister Grace M (left) on Harbor Island, Knox county, Maine preparing lobsters while visiting step-brother Carl R GRAY, ca.1930's, This Class of 1896 group photo, was, oddly enough found in book by Ethel C. SIMPSON of University of Arkansas, the supervisor who VERY COLDLY refused to reply to our May 2003 request for information regarding the GRAYs, then in 2004, as one of five committee members, another being Dr Jeannie WHAYNE, Chair of the Department of History, University of Arkansas, whose name is credited on "Arkansas Biography", published 2000, including Mary's grandfather, the Honorable Solon BORLAND, using incorrect dates and names, --- said committee of five, refusing to place a small sign denoting location of former "GRAY HALL", ---- he serving 18, she 7 years as leaders and teaching at AIU. This all occurring after we first learned, via 1880 census, they had indeed taught at AIU, during our beginning days of this research. Included in picture is Oliver's Presbyterian minister's daughter, Lila Chunn DAVIES, whose father, Rev S W DAVIES, gave their Benediction (Oliver served as Church Elder for many years). Mary Borland moved to Flint Michigan where sister Grace M and the CLARKE brothers with their wives, Celia Laura RANSOM & Lottie KIRKLAND, Francis D, superintendent, Tom, her future husband, head of ninth grade, were with Michigan Deaf and Blind school. She spent until about 1912 in Michigan then to Vancouver and Washington's deaf school where Thomas P CLARKE, s/o Mary Bayard and Colonel William J CLARKE,---- was superintendent with first wife Lottie KIRKLAND whom he married in Arkansas, and who died 1913. Mary Borland BEATTIE, July 2nd 1914, married Thomas Pollock CLARKE (named for past family members). The newspaper article about the wedding did not mention her mother, Mrs Mary M (Borland) Beattie - GRAY by name, stating only a few close friends and relatives were present. Her sister Grace M was her attendent. Her step-brother, Carl GREY (sic) then president of Great Northern RR (1912-1914) is mentioned. Tom & Mary reportedly returned to Arkansas', Arkansas School for the Deaf in 1917 where two important legislative acts were enacted: one act changed the name of the School from "Arkansas Deaf-Mute Institute" to "Arkansas School for the Deaf" and the other act placed the school under an honorary Board of Directors. Tom was then enticed back to Washington by Governor HART in 1919 where in 1920 he became ill. Tom gave up his position as superintendent becoming a teacher for five years then died August 27,1925. An interesting side-note: Tom was a proud owner of one of the first automobiles in area in 1906: www.columbian.com/news/strange/quirky/twisted.cfm "Driving downtown, scattering horses everywhere, Thomas P Clarke, superintendent of Washington School for the Deaf parked his car in front of a downtown business. While he was inside doing some shopping, police gave him a ticket for not having his vehicle tied to a hitching post. "Tom told police this vehicle are not a horse! Next day he drove into town, parked right next to Police station and threw a large weight with a rope attached to his bumper on the ground. He walked off and did his shopping." Widow Mary Borland (Beattie) Clarke reportedly had a car accident November 1925, uninjured, requiring $14.25 to repair, while on way to school but thereafter became lost to us, as was her mother since 1905. Fall edition 2007, of Washington School for the Deaf Alumini Assoction publication said she went to Mississippi School for the deaf, however we can NOT confirm such. Her second marriage was in 1926/7, to a native Mississippian, Doctor John C BELL confirmed by 1930 census, at home in Belzoni, Mississippi, where he's found in 1920 census as single, 45 y/o, owning home. She is next found at her mother's death, February 17th 1938, where we learned she had married Dr John BELL and moved to Belzoni, Mississippi. She and step-brother Carl Raymond GRAY buried her mother's ashes next to her step-father Oliver C GRAY in Fayetteville's Evergreen cemetery without a grave stone. www.usgwarchives.org/ar/cemph/washingtonph.htm Mary Borland (Beattie) Clarke-BELL died 8 February 1962, buried with second husband John and sister Grace M, in Belzoni, Humphreys county, Mississippi cemetery. see: www.sallysfamilyplace.com/MulberryGrove/borlandsolon.htm (search; "Mary Borland") 3E-c. GODWIN M BEATTIE: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Born 1877 in Memphis, Shelby county, Tennessee, is noted in a 1903 letter of his step-father as being in New York working for the Oliver Typewriter company and in the article by Hattie E. WILLIAMS, published May 1958 in Flashback, the Washington County Historical Society's newsletter, "OUR NEIGHBORS -- THE GRAYS", as her same age, otherwise not found before nor after his step-father's, Colonel O. C. GRAY, 1905 obituaries. <>------<>------<> Additional Comments: Much information concerning Francis D and Thomas P CLARKE was gained from Arkie Peart, who is associated with Washington School for the Deaf Alumini Assocition.