Mrs. Emma Lou Currie NesSmith, pictured as a child, with her mother and father, Blake and Maggie Currie, as they prepare for the trip from Jacksonville to Fanning Springs on the 4th of July.

As told by Mrs. Emma Lou NesSmith

Out of the mouths of Babes - Precious Memories, how they linger, how they ever thrill my soul… Once again, as I reminisce the good old days of my childhood, I think of looking forward to the 4th of July at Fanning Springs. It was one of the happiest days of the year to me, and as I remember those good times, I’m sure many people of my generation will relate to these wonderful and happy times that we spent on the “Fourths” at Fannin”. Now, we call it Fanning Springs, back then, it was simply going to Fannin on the Fourth. Mama would start planning for the “big day” away ahead of time. She would make her a new dress, buy some new shoes and hat, and then she would cut out a pattern and make me a pretty taffeta dress with lots of ruffles and frills. Most of all, I liked the pretty wide sash that tied in a big bow in the back.

My auburn hair was long and I would wear a matching bow in the back. I also had pretty new white T-strap shoes and of course a pretty straw hat with flowers on the brim. The hat was really special and Boywas I going to be dressed up! After all, we were going to see our kinfolks and friends once again—in fact, everybody wore their Sunday best! This was a big day of the year and everybody wanted to look their very best on the Fourth”. I remember Daddy would back the Model A out of the garage, soapy it all over and wash it down with the water hose until it would shine like a new one. All the cars were black then, and did they look sharp when they were washed and shined. We would put our the backseat and settle for the long trip from Jacksonville to Trenton. I always took along some firecrackers and sparklers to pop on that big day- Boy were me and my cousins going to have a good time! First, we would go to Aunt Bell’s house, she lived close to Otter Springs. Just about all my kinfolks gathered there to cook and get prepared for the “Fourth”. Everybody would greet each other with plenty of hugs and kisses (which I could have done without) and I especially remember how Mama and Daddy would laugh so loud and shake their hands with such a fi rm grip. I remember how uncle Norman (I think he was really a favorite Uncle) would pat my head so much it’s a wonder I didn’t have a headache- yes we loved our kinfolks, and I remember hearing all the stories they shared with each other about things that had happened since we last saw each other—us kids would get together and play as hard as we could.

It seemed as if we didn’t want to waste a precious minute of being together. I remember smelling the chicken frying –cakes and pies baking in the wood stove, and oh, that good smell of banana pudding and potato salad. Aunt Effie would make a big dishpan full of pudding and Aunt Lizzie would cook up the best chicken and rice and dumplings I ever ate. Aunt Bell always had a chocolate cake with icing she would cook. I remember how it would break off in pieces. It was so… good. Us kids would pick the crumbs off the plate. That was the best part. The next day was the big day! Dinner on the ground out under the big oaks with the moss hanging down was something. Boy, we could hardly wait to see Mama and all the ladies put on their best, prettiest aprons and get out their white starched tablecloths to spread on that big-long table. The men would bring over those big cardboard boxes full of food and you could smell all that good dinner as they put it on the table. Seemed like that stretched from the entrance down to the springs. I remember it was usually a hot day and how good that iced tea and lemonade tasted it was so sweet and cold. I think what I liked best was going up and down the table and picking out what you liked. There was every kind of cakes and pies you could imagine- Boy did we stuff ourselves. It was so beautiful out under those huge oak trees. I remember the sounds of laughter, people eating and talking —seemed like nobody had a care in the world!

After dinner was over and all the food was packed up, we would go down to the springs and see what was going on. People were swimming and sitting with their feet in the icy-cold water and some were sliding down a high slide down into the springs. I never had enough courage to try that, mostly it was boys and could they holler and yell as they hit the water. Mama was usually close around so she probably had something to say about me trying out that slide. What I liked the best I think was roller-skating in the rink. I loved to skate, doing all those fancy turns, and it was so much fun going round and round the rink. Music was playing and it was great! I remember how hard that fl oor was a few times too! There was a porch built out from the rink out over the springs. We would go out there and look down into that beautiful deep blue water. The diving boards were triple and only the bravest would jump off the top one- not me. I couldn’t swim but I remember the thrill of seeing kids dive and how the people would clap for them. Everything was so much fun! Now, I loved the rides! There was a Ferris- wheel, swings and a merry go-round. I got a funny feeling one time on the Ferris-wheel and I remember leaving some of that good old dinner up in the top of the trees with the moss hanging down. I didn’t ride any more for a while. (I still get a queasy feeling today when I look at a Ferris wheel going around). I remember seeing ladies sitting out under the trees, holding their babies in their arms with the little ones stretched out on pretty homemade quilts, taking a nap. They didn’t seem to mind all the people talking and laughing and splashing water. It was so cool; in a while a warm breeze would blow and the moss would move gently—you could smell the aroma of onions frying – and I know those were the best hamburgers and hot dogs with slaw and pickles and plenty of cold drinks sunk down in a tub of ice.

Speaking of ice, I remember always seeing a kind of short, stout man with a white apron on and he shaved a big block of ice and made snowballs. He would put a big round ball of ice in a white pointed paper cup and squirt whatever flavor you would pick. There was a jug of red, orange and purple. I always chose the red cause it tasted like strawberry and would make my tongue and lips red. When it began to melt, us kids would bite off the tip of the cup and suck the juice out of the bottom. Most boys got purple and would stick their tongues out at us girls. Ugh! Once in a while, I would drip some on my pretty pink taffeta dress and Mama would take out her white handkerchief and wipe me off with a little warning to be “careful next time”. About the time everything was going good…it would cloud up and begin to rain. It could rain the hardest on the 4th of July. It always rained!! I remember we were standing under a canopy and some smart-alecky boy pushed his finger up in the top if it and all the water poured down on my pretty new hat, it was just soaked and fopped down on my ears. Mama said “Don’t worry, just throw it away and I’ll buy you another one.” That made me so mad. But the rain finally stopped and the sun came out, and I soon forgot about it. Now the horse racing could begin.

Everybody loved to watch the boys ride. I remember how pretty the horses were and , before the race, I remember how they were tied up to the low tree limbs in the shade. They were restlessly waiting for the big race. Mama always warned me not to get too close behind their heels. Every once in a while, I would see Daddy over under the trees leaning on the fender of some car talking and laughing heartily with his old friends. He always did that as long as I remember and seemed to enjoy life so much. Well, the day would finally come to a close and another big “Fourth” had passed once again… yes, it was a good day never to be forgotten. I’m glad I enjoyed that part of my life. Oh, we still celebrate, but something is missing. We still have fried chicken, banana pudding, ice cold watermelons and chocolate cake, but maybe it would be a happier 4th of July if we could find, once again, that true love and lasting friendship that was felt so strongly as in gone –by – days. Time did seem to mover slower then, maybe if we would try harder? But we have memories of those good ole days. I can still hear the laughter and the sounds of the ‘Fourth” in my ears. The splashing of the water, the music of the rides and skating rink, the children running to and fro, babies crying, comforted by their moms; the whinny of the horses, smells of hamburgers and onions, watermelons just cut, snowballs, the rattle of wagons and cars as they turned into the woods and moss hanging down. Ever look down upon those happy scenes of yesterday and remember what it was like on the “Fourth at Fannin?” I wonder….

Written with wonderful memories and love of yesterday.
Emma Lou Curry NesSmith
August 8, 1999.
Published again because of requests by many friends of mine.