Before the Depression, the Village of Hopkins was thriving with stores, mills, taverns, residences, a telegraph office, and Town Hall. Cotton and lumber were shipped from a busy railroad depot. An interesting neighborhood on a dead- end street contained several houses with tin roofs and two doors on the front. The houses were built close together; thus the colloquial name of Chinch Row. Rumor is that one of the houses shone a red light nightly.

The 1930's Depression was like hitting a spot that was already numb for many Hopkins residents. In spite of economic hardships, there were times of happiness and sharing. It was said, "Church members and families stuck together and helped each other."

Recently, the Barber Girls (Marie, Mary, and Carrie) and I had lunch with Cousin Ruth Newton who was visiting from Up North. Ruth spoke of their household during the Depression. They heard Momma Neal was feeling a little under the weather, and Cousin Celestine Barber was making a pot of soup to be taken right away to Aunt Minnie (1880- 1965) who was known as Momma Neal. We younger ladies questioned Cousin Ruth if she was old enough to drive the car and had a big laugh at the response, "Drive what car? I walked. It was only two or three miles."

Even during the Depression, men were conscientious about attending to community affairs. They gathered quietly but in grand style at a meeting hall built with lumber donated by Haggar Alston. On the tops of many wardrobe closets rested tall hats with tassels and red coats with epaulets adorned with brass buttons and gold ropes. They called themselves the Knights of Ephesians. While wearing these uniforms, the men stood taller and looked like kings!

Jesse Neal (1810- 1943) built a house next to his father, Ephraim (1844- 1905). The L- shaped house had a long porch stretching from one end to the other. Several of Jesse and Minnie Neal's children were still at home during the 1930s and shared many joyful times.

Cousin Johnny Barber Jr. has very fond memories of visiting his Aunt Minnie Neal's house and listening to music on a Graphaphone (The Columbia Graphaphone Model AT was produced in 1897 and played cylinder records rather than the flat records that were produced by Victor Talking Machine Co. about 10 years later. It had a diamond needle, similar to an early Edison graphaphone.)

Chinch Row House Excerpts from 87- year- old Cousin Johnny's emails read:

June 12, 2008. There were no everyday visits on that side of the creek. I wish there were. They had a Graphaphone that played cup records. They were allowed to listen to the reels and con- songs. Going to Aunt Minnie's house was really a treat. She would let us listen. Eliza and Helen were still at home, and they would wind up the graphaphone and play the records."

June 13, 2008. They were called cup records by us - that may not be a correct name. The Graphaphone was made to accept a recording that was a sleeve that opened on both ends and was placed on a horizontal spindle. When started the echo head with a needle in it was lowered on to it and out comes the music.

June 14, 2008. Like you, I can picture all "dem" Neal's in the big room and on that long, long porch listening to the Graphaphone.

Columbia Graphaphone