The following is an account of the life of Julia Eleanor (Nellie) Lang Meggs from the publication Miami of the Pioneers: A Picture History by Marjorie Meggs Gowin and Peter Thomas Skaggs Gowin, copyright 1976.
Was born in Georgia on a farm named “Solitude”. She was born into the Reconstruction period that followed the War of the 1860’s. As a daughter of an officer in the Georgia Cavalry, CSA, her early years were shadowed by the fact that her father, like all other Confederate soldiers could not vote, hold office, or own land until the repeal of the law making them outlaws.The Lang family survived by farming a one hundred acre farm, a gift from her grandfather, Josiah Mizell, who was too old for military service. Also, her father, Felder Lang, became a lumber surveyor for the Dodge Lumber Company and did a lot of surveying of land in south east Georgia. It was hard for the Langs but they survived it.
She had two brothers and three sisters all born at Solitude. There was little educational opportunity, however, the St. Vincent’s Academy in Savannah offered some and she attended that school. It was Catholic and the Langs came to the colonies with Ogelthorpe and the Wesley’s and never departed the Methodist faith. So her school days were not easy.
She taught school in Folkston. At that time she stayed with her sister, Bernice, and her brother-in-law, B.G. McDonald. She also played piano at church, presumably the Old Mill’s Methodist Church.
In the late 1890’s the Langs sold everything in Georgia and moved to Florida to Dexter (near Ocala). There her father ran a turpentine operation, assisted by his two sons. He was also Postmaster of Dexter. Everything was going well until Felder Lang decided it was too cold in Dexter. He sold all his holdings and bought an Orange Grove on the Miami River, in Miami, Florida.
Meanwhile, Nellie had met and married William Glass Meggs. Glass had a brother who also ran a turpentine operation so the families were often thrown together. Glass’ brother, L.L. Meggs, decided to move to Jacksonville and wanted his brother with him. Felder Lang also wanted his family with him in Miami. Having seen Jacksonville, the Meggs’ obtained a “Homeseekers Ticket” and went to see Miami. If you stayed in Miami, you paid not fare. If you went back, you paid round trip fare. By now there were three Meggs’ since Donald their oldest son had been born. Nellie and Glass decided in favor of Miami and never regretted it.
They did not know then their life in Miami would be divided in three phases, the BOOM, the BLOW, AND THE BUST! These came in the period between about 1905 when the Meggs arrived and 1926 when a September storm ravished the area.
However, the Meggs family opened a successful business with money borrowed from Nellie’s father, Felder Lang. They were busy with a growing town and a growing family. Five Meggs’ were born in their second home, a large home bought from a Mrs. Knowles.
There were no hospitals so the children were born at home, with Dr. Jackson attending; and a Mrs. Pinder to care for the patient and the baby and to keep things in the home running.
Shortly thereafter, Dr. P.T. Skaggs and Dr. James M. Jackson told their patients there would have to be a hospital. So the ladies of Miami, including Nellie Meggs and Kate Gowin, stood on Flagler Street with ice cream cartons and collected nickels and dimes and quarters. Enough was raised to purchase a Spanish Mission located in the vicinity of Jackson Memorial Hospital. This was the beginning.
Meanwhile, Nellie was not idle. With all her large household, and competent help non-existent, she became a member of:
· Dade County and Greater Miami YWCA (Charter Member)
· Daughters of the American Revolution
· Gold Star Mothers (Her son Bill was killed in WWII)
· Hibiscus Garden Club
· Miami Pioneers Club
· Trinity Methodist Church (now First United Methodist of Miami)
· United Daughters of the Confederacy (Real Daughter)
She lived a full and active life. Her husband, Glass Meggs, expressed it very well. When he was dying he said of her, “I got me a good wife.” The Bible, which she lived, says, “A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband ---“
Nellie lived to be ninety-seven years old, and is interred in Woodlawn Cemetery, Miami, Florida.
