Mary Bessie Sparkman
Mary Bessie Sparkman was born in Hillsborough county, Florida nearly 129 years ago on December 6th, 1891 to her Father, Simeon Elijah Sparkman and Mother, Mary Cordelia "Dolly" Hackney.
** Interesting events that occurred around the World during Mary Bessie's birth year of 1891 included.
• On January 29th, 1891 Liliʻuokalani s proclaimed Queen of Hawaii. She was the only Queen and last sovereign Monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, ruling until the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom on January 17th, 1893.
• Between March 9th and March 19th, 1891 the "Great Blizzard of 1891" begins in England, and is responsible for the deaths of 200 people and 6,000 animals.
• On March 14th, 1891 in New Orleans, Louisiana a lynch mob storms the Old Parish Prison, and lynches 11 Italians arrested but found innocent of the murder of Police Chief David Hennessy.
• On May 1st, 1891 legendary Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Cy Young wins the first game played at Cleveland's League Park when the Cleveland Spiders defeat the Cincinnati Redlegs 12 - 3.
• On May 5th, 1891 the Music Hall in New York City (Later known as Carnegie Hall) has its grand opening and first public performance, with Peter Tchaikovsky as guest conductor.
• On August 24th, 1891 Thomas Edison receives a patent for his motion picture camera, the Kinetograph.
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Mary Bessie was the fifth of seven children born to her Mother and Father. Chronologically her elder siblings were Lovick Bascom, James Marvin, Walter Byrd, and William Sparkman. She also had a younger Sister, Sarah Rebecca and Brother, Amos Lamar Sparkman.
Sparkman Patriarch Simeon Elijah supports his family initially as a farmer and cattle raiser, then as a teacher, followed by stints as the Hillsborough County Tax Collector and as County Commissioner. In 1891 the year of Mary Bessie's birth, her Father is elected to the first of two terms in the Florida Legislature. Mr. Sparkman would later be elected as the Hillsborough County Tax assessor on multiple occasions.
** Mary Bessie's Paternal Grandfather Elijah Byrd whose story we have previously recalled arrived @ Hillsborough County in 1845, the year in which Florida officially became a state. At the time, there were fewer than 50 families in the area which was heavily populated by unfamiliar wildlife and unwelcoming Native Americans "Indians". These early settlers created communal camps and built stockades around them to defend against frequent "Indian raids".
Her Grandfather, Elijah Byrd was a Cavalry officer in the Second Seminole War in Columbia County from 1835 until1839. Years later during the Third Seminole War @ Hillsborough County in 1856 and 1857, he was a 1st Lieutenant with the Florida Mounted Volunteers, which was led by his Brother, Captain Simeon Lewis Sparkman.
** According to family notes, although Elijah Byrd was a military combatant in the Third Seminole War, he was known to selflessly give sides of beef to needy Seminole tribes people in the area.
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This evenings honoree appears but in two records for the entirety of her life. At the age of nine, we find her living with the Sparkman family in the Florida Census records from 1900.
Sorrowfully through much effort and twisting myself into a pretzel I was able to locate Mary Bessie's death certificate from 1905.
On May 22nd, 1905 at just thirteem years of age, she loses her life from the effects of typhoid fever before ever having an opportunity to write her own story and experience life to its fullest potential.
Mary Bessie Sparkman... Beloved Daughter and Sister