Mose Patton
Position Held
Railroad Line
Illinois Central
Trains
Routes
Years Worked
1940s-1971
Lived in Fulton KY while working on the railroad.
Home Town
Whitesville,Tennessee
dob: 1879
Railroad Line
Illinois Central
Trains
Routes
Years Worked
1940s-1971
Lived in Fulton KY while working on the railroad.
Home Town
Whitesville,Tennessee
dob: 1879
Reenactment for the annual Fulton KY Genealogical Society Cemetery Walk
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kyfulcgs/Walk/walk.html
Mose Patton as told by grandson and daughter,
Percy Lee and Jacqueline Patton.
Mose Patton
I am the son of Bob and Georgean Patton. My mother, Georgie" was born in Tennessee in 1854. Dad was born in Tennessee about 1855. This was before Mr. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. I was born in 1879 in Whitesville,Tennessee, District #3 of Fayette County, in cotton country, northeast of Memphis. We were a small family, unusual for the time. My one sister was Elmira who later married a minister, Jake Harris.
I grew up learning to work hard in order to live well. I traveled north to Fulton and meet & married the beautiful Susan Roberts of Weakley Co., TN. We married here in Fulton on June 28, 1900. My Susie was a few months older than me but that never mattered a bit. She was the 2nd oldest of 6 girls. Her sisters were Oakley, Rebecca called "Bacey", Ella who married a Tansil, and Jesse who married Mr. Carson.
I was known as "Poppa Patton". I worked for the Illinois Central Railroad. If you look to the Northeast you can see the Railroad Yard. Later I was janitor for the Orpheam Theatre here in Fulton. You know that they tore that wonderful old building down. Sometimes progress just isn’t progress!
Susie and I had 10 children. We all believed in working hard in order to live well. While I was working on the railroad, Susie stayed busy with the children and keeping our home. Later she put her energy into the family business which she started. It was the "Playhouse Café, Sweet Shop and Boarding House." We worked very hard through the years. In 1931, my beautiful Susie passed on and was laid to rest here. At the time, this cemetery was segregated into a white section and a Colored section.
Time came when Mose, Jr., known as Bro. Spry, my son took over the Playhouse with his brother Russell. He moved down the street later, opened a new café called "Lauretta’s Grill and Lounge." It also was lively with popular bands from the area. My daughter Alberta (known as Bert) started the "Flame Café". Later she and her sister Lucille, or Lou as we called her, opened the "Club Topadora" Live bands also often played there in its heyday .
Mose Jr. was an astute businessman. He owned a colored motel called "Jack & Spry’s Motel." This was before we were allowed to stay in white motels. In other words, it was during segregation in this country. Mose Jr. started "Jackie’s Dairette" where the black teenagers could hang out. He owned the grocery called "Me & and Sister’s Grocery". His daughter, Jackie, and Laura Patton Daniel were the operators. Everyone calls Jackie "Miss Hon." Mose Jr. bought property formally known as "The Chicken Shack", he renamed it "The Equator" This was on Kentucky street and on this same property a Bar B Que pit operated. Jack and Mose Jr. operated this until later Aunt Lue took over. Oh yes, Mose Jr. owned a slaughter house in So. Fulton, a funeral home called "National Funeral Parlor" – this was on Holder street. He had several rental properties in both Fulton and So. Fulton. Most of the businesses were located on Burns Street. Mose Jr. never forgot his family. It was a pleasure seeing him help the younger ones as well as other people of color in town.
I’ve talked a lot about my son Mose, Jr. but I’m equally proud of all of my children. Susie and I gave each of our babies a formal name but they all picked up nicknames and went through life by those nicknames.
As I’ve already mentioned, Mose, Jr. was known as Bro Spry. Lee Andrew was called Pat. Robert was known as Bear Russell went by Rus Nathaniel was known as HoBo Everyone called Joseph, J.B. Alberta’s named was shortened to Bert. She married a Sullivan Naoma was shortened to Nay. She married a Scott Lucille was know as Luc Wootsie was the nickname given to the baby, Lavern.
My family, of which I’m so proud, worked very, very hard. We and others enjoyed a good life and good food, homemade desserts, Bar-B-Q, good music, dancing, much fun. It was a good life in Fulton. Thanks for visiting us this evening. God Bless You. (Reenactment for the annual Fulton KY Genealogical Society Cemetery Walk)
I am the son of Bob and Georgean Patton. My mother, Georgie" was born in Tennessee in 1854. Dad was born in Tennessee about 1855. This was before Mr. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. I was born in 1879 in Whitesville,Tennessee, District #3 of Fayette County, in cotton country, northeast of Memphis. We were a small family, unusual for the time. My one sister was Elmira who later married a minister, Jake Harris.
I grew up learning to work hard in order to live well. I traveled north to Fulton and meet & married the beautiful Susan Roberts of Weakley Co., TN. We married here in Fulton on June 28, 1900. My Susie was a few months older than me but that never mattered a bit. She was the 2nd oldest of 6 girls. Her sisters were Oakley, Rebecca called "Bacey", Ella who married a Tansil, and Jesse who married Mr. Carson.
I was known as "Poppa Patton". I worked for the Illinois Central Railroad. If you look to the Northeast you can see the Railroad Yard. Later I was janitor for the Orpheam Theatre here in Fulton. You know that they tore that wonderful old building down. Sometimes progress just isn’t progress!
Susie and I had 10 children. We all believed in working hard in order to live well. While I was working on the railroad, Susie stayed busy with the children and keeping our home. Later she put her energy into the family business which she started. It was the "Playhouse Café, Sweet Shop and Boarding House." We worked very hard through the years. In 1931, my beautiful Susie passed on and was laid to rest here. At the time, this cemetery was segregated into a white section and a Colored section.
Time came when Mose, Jr., known as Bro. Spry, my son took over the Playhouse with his brother Russell. He moved down the street later, opened a new café called "Lauretta’s Grill and Lounge." It also was lively with popular bands from the area. My daughter Alberta (known as Bert) started the "Flame Café". Later she and her sister Lucille, or Lou as we called her, opened the "Club Topadora" Live bands also often played there in its heyday .
Mose Jr. was an astute businessman. He owned a colored motel called "Jack & Spry’s Motel." This was before we were allowed to stay in white motels. In other words, it was during segregation in this country. Mose Jr. started "Jackie’s Dairette" where the black teenagers could hang out. He owned the grocery called "Me & and Sister’s Grocery". His daughter, Jackie, and Laura Patton Daniel were the operators. Everyone calls Jackie "Miss Hon." Mose Jr. bought property formally known as "The Chicken Shack", he renamed it "The Equator" This was on Kentucky street and on this same property a Bar B Que pit operated. Jack and Mose Jr. operated this until later Aunt Lue took over. Oh yes, Mose Jr. owned a slaughter house in So. Fulton, a funeral home called "National Funeral Parlor" – this was on Holder street. He had several rental properties in both Fulton and So. Fulton. Most of the businesses were located on Burns Street. Mose Jr. never forgot his family. It was a pleasure seeing him help the younger ones as well as other people of color in town.
I’ve talked a lot about my son Mose, Jr. but I’m equally proud of all of my children. Susie and I gave each of our babies a formal name but they all picked up nicknames and went through life by those nicknames.
As I’ve already mentioned, Mose, Jr. was known as Bro Spry. Lee Andrew was called Pat. Robert was known as Bear Russell went by Rus Nathaniel was known as HoBo Everyone called Joseph, J.B. Alberta’s named was shortened to Bert. She married a Sullivan Naoma was shortened to Nay. She married a Scott Lucille was know as Luc Wootsie was the nickname given to the baby, Lavern.
My family, of which I’m so proud, worked very, very hard. We and others enjoyed a good life and good food, homemade desserts, Bar-B-Q, good music, dancing, much fun. It was a good life in Fulton. Thanks for visiting us this evening. God Bless You. (Reenactment for the annual Fulton KY Genealogical Society Cemetery Walk)