Smokey Joe Williams

Calvin's Brand

2009-08-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

Calvin Williams came to Seguin on a fine horse, which he traded in 1878 for a piece of property that became the Williams homestead in Seguin. Tax records state that for the rest of his life he was never assessed local taxes on any property, other than his homestead. This would indicate that he never again was able to acquire taxable property. Curious, because he registered a brand with the County, which meant that he must have owned some livestock, perhaps out of view of the tax man. Calvin's registered livestock brand and ear marks are near the bottom of the photo.

2009-05-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

Slave Transactions of Guadalupe County, Texas

The book mentioned in the previous post, Slave Transactions of Guadalupe County, Texas was published last week, and I was excited to have a few copies come in the mail. My research didn't uncover any of Joe Williams' slave ancestors, but it did help me understand the difficult environment that shaped the lives of his grandmother, Fanny and his mother, Lettie. If you are interested in learning about the Guadalupe County slave trade and the 1,500 slaves that are mentioned in the book you can order it through Janaway Publishing (www.janawaygenealogy.com), or you can contact me directly.

In my ongoing search for Fanny Williams, I will travel soon to Panola County, Mississippi. That is the last place of residence for Fanny's slave master, W.R. Elam before he migrated to Texas with his slaves. I will search there for any slave transactions that include Fanny and her children. I will keep you posted.

Guadalupe County Slave Trade

2009-02-24T06:05:00.000-08:00

My search for Fanny Elam, Joe Williams's grandmother has resulted in a book that will be published next month called Slave Transactions of Guadalupe County, Texas. I was able to locate from County records over 400 slave transactions, including bills of sale, slave mortgages, slave registers and probate records. These records include the names of about 1,500 slaves from Guadalupe County, and about 600 slave owners. Unfortunately, Fanny Elam was not among those found, nevertheless I hope the information will be valuable to others. The photo is Guadalupe County's second courthouse, built in 1857 by Ezra Keyser with slave labor, and where slave auctions were held on the first Tuesday of the month. I was surprised at the extent of the slave trade in this part of Texas, and have gained a new appreciation for what the slaves contributed to the local community, and of course for what they endured in the process. Although I did not find Fanny Elam, it helps me understand Joe Williams's background a little better. (Photo courtesy of the Seguin Heritage Museum.)

The book's publisher is Janaway Publishing. If interested, they can be contacted at 1-888-219-7932. Some folks in Seguin are doing a group order to save on shipping. Please let me know if you want to be included. Thanks.

Fanny Williams

2008-09-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

Joe's grandmother Fanny was a slave who probably spent much of her life in Seguin. I have been searching through deed and probate records at the courthouse trying to locate her. Census records indicate that she was born in Tennessee around 1840. I found several Guadalupe County slave transactions involving women named Fanny, including three transactions of young girls named Fanny being purchased, three transactions in which slaves named Fanny are mortgaged by their owners, and five probated estates with slaves named Fanny. Unfortunately, none fit the age for Fanny Williams.

One of the nearest matches was a young woman named Fanny listed in the inventory of the estate of Joel Newton. Newton died in 1856. The inventory of his estate is reproduced in the photo above, and you can see a 12 year old Fanny second from the bottom. Fanny was hired out by the estate administrator at $5 per month while the estate was in probate. Joel Newton's widow, Mary Newton, was eventually given possession of Fanny and two other slaves from her husband's estate.

Since Fanny's marriage license with Calvin Williams lists her maiden name as Elam, I think it is more likely that she was a slave of W.R. Elam who owned a farm near Cibolo Creek in Guadalupe County, as well as 5-10 slaves from 1857 to 1865. I have not been able to locate any slave transactions related to the Elam family, and only one slave name. In 1855 a 14 year old slave of the Elam's named Lucy was killed in an Indian raid as she was carrying water from Lipan Creek to nearby field hands. This account is related by A.J. Sowell in his fascinating book Early Settlers and Indian Fighters of Southwest Texas.

Jacob & Pattie Ray

2008-06-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

Jacob Ray served in the 38th & 24th Infantry with Calvin Williams and William Ball, and like them he also settled in Seguin after his discharge. He became a successful barber, and in the late 1880s was commissioned by the State of Texas as Captain of a local militia called the Ireland Rifles. The Ireland Rifles assisted the County sheriff, and on at least two occassions protected prisoners against mob violence. I estimate that this photo was taken around the time of his service in the Ireland Rifles.

Sometimes I wonder what influence Jacob Ray might have had on Joe Williams. Joe said once that at an early age someone gave him a baseball and he carried it with him wherever he went and even slept with it under his pillow. Maybe that someone was Calvin, or maybe it was Jacob Ray -- they were both at Ft. McKavett when baseball was played there around 1870.

I have known Johnnie Bean for years -- even attended "Smokey" Joe's induction in Cooperstown with him in 1999 -- but only recently did I learn that he was the great grandson of Jacob and Pattie Ray. He was kind enough to share this amazing photo with me. Thank you Mr. Bean!

"Smokey" Joe Williams Scholarship Winners for 2008

2008-05-18T20:13:00.001-07:00

Brandy Canion and Bradley Reiley are the latest recipients of the "Smokey" Joe Williams Scholarship. Both seniors are scholar-athletes at Seguin High School. Bradley played varsity football and pitched for the baseball team. Brandy played varsity softball, volleyball and was a cheerleader. Both were involved in FFA activities and both plan to attend Texas A&M University. Congratulations to these two hard-working students who embody the championship spirit of Joe Williams!

The first "Smokey" Joe Williams Scholarship awarded in 2000 was for $500. Thanks to the support of the Seguin community and the City of Seguin, the Scholarship award has grown to $4,000. To date, 17 "Smokey" Joe Williams Scholarships have been awarded.

Settling in Seguin

2008-05-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

Calvin Williams completed his Army service in April 1870, and headed east from Ft. McKavett about 200 miles to live in Seguin, Texas. He remained there the rest of his life. Why he chose Seguin is still a mystery, but he was not alone. At least two of his fellow soldiers, W.B. Ball and Jacob Ray, also chose to settle in Seguin. W.B. Ball became a highly respected educator and religious leader, pastoring the Second Baptist Church for many years. No doubt Rev. Ball was responsible for Joe Williams' early education and his religious upbringing. Jacob Ray became a successful barber and businessman, and was commissioned by the Governor as Captain of a local militia group called the Ireland Rifles.

Within just a few weeks of his arrival in Seguin, Calvin met and married Fanny Elam. She already had two young daughters, Delia and Lettie (Joe's mother). The marriage license above is at the Guadalupe County Courthouse in Seguin. I enjoy doing research there -- the County Clerk's office has an amazing number of historical records that are well organized, and a very friendly, helpful staff.

Fergie Jenkins & Juan Marichal

2008-04-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the "Smokey" Joe Williams Banquet. We were fortunate to have two Hall of Fame pitchers, and two great storytellers in Fergie Jenkins and Juan Marichal. Both arrived early and we were able to spend most of the week with them. They were very giving of their time -- spending an afternoon talking to kids at our alternative high school, and autographing for youngsters one evening at our local little league games.

The photo is from the Banquet. It is a live auction of jerseys autographed by our two ballplayers. As you can see, they had as much fun as we did. The jerseys were donated by the Fergie Jenkins Foundation, which also committed to a yearly donation to the "Smokey" Joe Williams Scholarship. Thanks to the Foundation, and to all of those who support the Scholarship!

Breaking News!

2008-03-26T12:24:00.001-07:00

The ninth "Smokey" Joe Williams Scholarship Banquet is the evening of April 3, and features two Hall of Fame pitchers: Juan Marichal and Fergie Jenkins. The "Smokey" Joe Williams Scholarship was established in 2000, and so far 15 student-athletes from Williams' hometown have been the beneficiaries. The Banquet is a great place to meet living legends and hear their baseball stories. (And of course get some autographs.) In the past we've had Buck O'Neil, Monte Irvin, John "Mule" Miles, "Mudcat" Grant, Red Moore and others as speakers. Come and join us for a great evening! You can email me for tickets, or call 830-401-2302. I hope to see you there!

Fort McKavett, Texas

2008-03-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

In 1869 the 38th Infantry was eliminated and Calvin Williams was transferred to the 24th Infantry, headquartered at Ft. McKavett, Texas, which was under the command of Col. Ranald Mackenzie. Today Fort McKavett is a beautifully restored frontier fort situated on a hilltop about 150 miles west of San Antonio. Calvin and his company arrived there on foot in the fall of 1869, and he was stationed there until his honorable discharge on April 10, 1870.

The soldiers at Ft. McKavett protected settlers, stage lines, supply trains and survey crews from attacks by Indians and outlaws. One of Calvin's army buddies, W.B. Ball, was injured in such an attack. The first African-American to earn the Medal of Honor after the Civil War was Sgt. Emanuel Stance, stationed at Ft. McKavett with Calvin.

If you are in the area, I highly recommend a drive to Ft. McKavett. It is beautiful country, and the Fort gives a real sense of what life was like for Calvin and other soldiers of the Old West.

2008-02-21T17:10:00.000-08:00

In June 1867, Calvin Williams marched from Ft. Harker, Kansas to Ft. Selden, New Mexico. Five months later he was detached to Ft. Craig, New Mexico, where he was stationed for the next two years.

The photo is of Ft. Craig, taken in 1867, around the time of Calvin's service there. Note the cannon in the lower right hand corner. Much of the soldiers' time was spent making repairs to the Fort, including planting the trees seen in the foreground.

Preparing for Guard Duty

2008-02-09T18:03:00.000-08:00

This is a rare photo, and the only photo of the 38th Infantry that I have seen. It shows the troops preparing for guard duty in the background. They are in Nebraska protecting railroad workers. Two of these workers can be seen kneeling in front of the tent. Joe William's grandfather Calvin Williams was in the 38th Infantry, but I don't know if he is one of the soldiers in the photo.

I think there is an interesting similarity between this photo of Calvin's Army unit and some of Joe's team photos, like this one from the 1930 Homestead Grays.

Buffalo Soldier

2008-02-02T20:43:00.000-08:00

After the Civil War, Calvin Williams worked as a hired hand on a farm in Tennessee for about a year, then re-enlisted in the Army. This is his enlistment paper into the 38th Infantry. Note the brief physical description at the bottom of the paper. (Click on image to enlarge.)

From Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, Calvin and his Company marched west through Nebraska and eventually southwest to Ft. Craig, New Mexico. W.B. Ball, an army buddy of Calvin's, wrote years later that during the long march 2-3 men died each day from dysentery. Not much is known about the 38th Infantry -- apparently many of their records were lost or destroyed -- but we do know that Calvin was stationed for two years at Ft. Craig before being transferred to Texas in 1870.

I enjoy reading and handling old documents like this one, and am amazed (and grateful) that many former slaves who joined the U.S. Army, like Calvin, have such a rich documentary record of their lives in our National Archives.

Rest, soldier, rest

2008-01-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

A few years ago we found Calvin's grave at Riverside Cemetery in Seguin. In death African-Americans were segregated away from the more spacious "whites only" section of the Cemetery. I guess old cemeteries like Riverside are a still visible reminder of our Jim Crow era.

We had trouble reading the inscription at first but finally made it out: "Rest, soldier, rest, thy warefare's o're." On the right hand side there is a faint carving of a rose. I wondered how long it had been since someone had visited Calvin's grave.

I did some research and found that this inscription was popular for veterans' headstones during this era. Shortly afterwards, I was browsing ancestry.com and found Calvin listed in an index of Union Civil War veterans. I sent off for his Civil War pension papers from the National Archives. From this treasure trove of information I learned that after Calvin gained his freedom in Richnond, VA he joined the Union Army in April 1865. He served in Company G of the 40th Regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops. This regiment of about 400 men provided guard duty for rail lines in Eastern Tennessee. He was mustered out of the Army in Chattanooga one year later, with a bonus of $100, less $8.08 for the cost of his uniform.

In the beginning...

2007-12-30T14:42:00.000-08:00

How does an African-American youngster raised by a single mother in rural Texas around the turn of the century become one of the most popular baseball players of his time, and one of the best ballplayers of all time?

You could begin in Orange County, Virginia, where his grandfather Calvin Williams was born into slavery on July 4, 1830. Calvin was orphaned as a child and was raised by a white woman named Adeline Abernathie. As an adult he worked as a farmer in or near Richmond, where he had a front row view of the Civil War. It was there, when Richmond fell to Union troops in April, 1865 that Calvin's adventures began. Without Calvin there would be no Joe Williams. And without Calvin's adventures there probably would be no "Smokey" Joe Williams.

The photograph is of a Richmond slave market that Calvin may have passed through when he arrived in that city from his childhood home in Orange County.

Cooperstown 1999

2007-12-22T10:48:00.000-08:00

Having no family to represent him, The City of Seguin sent a delegation to Cooperstown to honor "Smokey" Joe Williams at his 1999 induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame President Dale Petroskey presented Seguin Mayor Mark Stautzenberger with a sepia of Joe's Hall of Fame plaque on the front steps of the Museum. Negro League All-Star ballplayer Sherwood Brewer is standing immediately behind Mr. Petroskey. A veteran of World War II and the Korean War, Sherwood Brewer played for the New York Cuban's and the Kansas City Monarchs, under the guidance of Monarch's manager Buck O'Neil. Mr. Brewer passed in 2003 at the age of 79.

Today the Joe Williams Hall of Fame sepia proudly resides in a display case just inside the entrance of the Seguin-Guadalupe County Public Library.

A Great Team

2007-12-14T07:41:00.000-08:00

One-third of the '31 Homestead Grays baseball team is now enshrined in Baseball's Hall of Fame. They are: "Smokey" Joe Williams (tallest man in back row), Josh Gibson (to Joe's left), George Scales, Oscar Charleston, Jud Wilson and Cumberland Posey (team owner). They had other great ballplayers too, like "Terrible" Ted Page (watch out for those spikes!) and Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe.

With 136 wins and 19 losses that year, catcher "Double Duty" said it best: "Unbelieveable, unbelieveable. We had Owens, Charleston, Williams, George Britt, Bill Foster, Smokey Joe Williams and myself. Now how ya goin' to beat us? We went to Kansas City and beat them seven straight. We beat everybody. We had a team."

Double Duty was the last surviving member of this great team when we met him in 2001. I'll tell you more about that later on.

"Smokey" Joe After Baseball

2007-12-09T17:27:00.000-08:00

When "Smokey" Joe Williams retired from baseball around 1932, he worked as a bartender at 547 Lenox Ave. in Harlem. The bar was an attraction for ballplayers who wanted to meet Joe. Buck O'Neil tells of dropping by with his Kansas City Monarchs. Monte Irvin and his friend Roy Campanella were regulars. Joe also did some scouting during this time, sending prospect Buck Leonard to a Hall of Fame career with the Homestead Grays.

The left photo is how the bar looked around 1940 when Joe worked there. On the right is a photo we took in September 2007. It's the storefront with the red awning.

Monte Irvin says that Joe also worked a second bartending job at the smaller Monarch Bar in the same vicinity. Anyone heard of that one?

In His Prime

2007-12-06T20:01:00.000-08:00

We were thrilled to find this photo of Joe Williams in New York City about a year ago. I have never seen it published before. The back of the photo has the handwritten note "Smoky Joe Williams: In his prime." I don't know the date of the photo or the team uniform. Joe had such a long and prolific career, it's hard to pinpoint his "prime" years. Some say it was 1914 when, at 28, he earned 41 wins with only 3 losses. 1917 might be a good pick -- that fall he faced the National League champions New York Giants. He pitched a no-hitter but lost the game on a 10th inning error. Or how about 1930 when, at 44, Joe struck out 27 Kansas City Monarchs under the lights.

Any ideas on Joe's age in the photo?

The old homestead

2007-12-02T18:23:00.000-08:00

Joe Williams was born around 1886, not in Seguin as the history books will tell you, but in another small town in Texas. I think I know which one, but I need to do more research before I am certain. Nevertheless, Joe did grow up in Seguin in this home that was built by his mother Lettie before 1900. Can you picture him tossing a baseball with his older brother Jim in the front yard? The house was built on land that was purchased by Joe's grandfather Calvin Williams in 1878. After all of these years, the house is still in the family -- it is owned by two second cousins of Joe, one living in San Antonio and the other in California. I am hoping that the site can be preserved, perhaps as a local memorial or museum dedicated to Joe Williams.

Smokey Joe in Seguin

2007-12-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

This is the first post on my blog, which focuses on the life and times of a great ballplayer from Seguin, Texas named Joe Williams. In his playing days he was known as "Cyclone" or "Smokey" Joe Williams. You can read about his career at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

This may be the only photo of Joe in Seguin. He is walking south on Austin St., toward his home on S. Guadalupe St. The photo, found at our local Heritage Museum, was taken about 1903.

Hope you enjoy the blog. I have been reserching the life of Joe Williams since 1998, and will post some of my research here.