Mrs. Wm Glass Meggs and son Bill, 1925

W.G. Meggs, First Store in Miami, 1906

Meggs family, 1907, natural bridge at Arch Creek

The Meggs family is pictured with an automobile on the natural limestone arch bridge at Arch Creek in what is now North Miami.

Postmark July 1, 1899

Friday Eve

My Darling Nell

Your letter of yesterday just recd today on the road 2 days.

Darling I expected a long letter & this was so short I was disappointed.

I fear I have been writing such long letters that you are tired out with them & write me short ones to balance up.

Well you ask such funny questions sometimes.

Why do you ask me if we realy love each other like we make out we do.  Of course you know I would say yes & [illegible] I do believe it’s true too.

No darling I haven’t bought the gloves neither the license.

You haven’t told me to & you know I’m waiting for you to say so & now you’ll be home in time.

I can go or send anytime for them & now I have the $2 ready for them.

Darling you won’t get this until Monday & it will be old so won’t write very much this time.

Darling come home this week & we can see all the summer here at Orang Springs as we have lots of shore time.

Come Come Home Home this week without fail as I am crazy to see you.  You needn’t invite sister Bernice to stay with us if you don’t want to but I don’t want you to go to Beach a week so do come home to me.

Lovingly yours

Glass

Postmark June 26, 1899

Orange Springs

June 23

My Darling Nell,

Your long letter recd today & strange it is that we were thinking of the same thing.  You [remember] that I had written you on last night that our little affair had opened my eyes too.

Yes dear I’ll [illegible] you & from this out we will both lay down our willfulness & learn to be affectionate to each other.

Yes dear those words pierced me to my very heart however I have always been of a nature to forgive & in a short time over come such feelings.  I felt sure when you wouldn’t take the ring we were done with & in 30 minutes after I reached the Hotel I would have followed you to the new world or had another talk with you & so nice in you to come after me which you said you were had I not come.

No I’ll never regret my trip to Folkstone though it cost me the $16.  [illegible] why is it such trip always cost me more than any one else.

I’ll venture any boy in this place could have made the trip on less.  Now suppose I’d gone to some city but we are not on that subject are we?

Nell I realize every day I love you better thinking all the time too it’s impossible for me to love you any better.

Darling I didn’t think of Fritz’s until I was near home.  Darling was you realy meaning for me to bring the poor fellow? I am realy ashamed of myself because I was only teasing you & would have been glad to have brought him for you. But its to late now.

The first thing Sister said to me was Did you have a good time!! Now guess the second. = = =

The second was “ Well have you guessed & what did you guess before you turn over.

Write me what you guessed.

\
  \
   \
    \
      \
        \
          \
            \
              \
                \

The second was I have a Pitcher of Ice milk. Do you want it

Of course I said yes & gave it a fair test too because I had not eaten anything except a 5 cent lunch in Pol & couldn’t eat that.

Dear one!! Do go to the Hotel & eat one biscuit for me but for Heaven sake don’t mention it as I thanked the lady 3 times for her kindness of taking such good care of me.

Nellie it’s late & I’ll have to retire as I am a little bit tired.  After this week I won’t have so much to do. I could write a whole book but no use.

I love you & you only.

Lovingly your boy,

Glass

Postmark June 7, 1899

L. L. Meggs, General Store and Real Estate.
Marion County.
Orange Springs, Fla.,
June 7, 189[9]

 My Dear Nelly

 Am truly glad you came up for I wanted to see you & it would have been impossible for me to come as I don’t know when Bro will be here. Don’t know how the Missippi Riv club tour got started though from disposition I guess as I don’t think I’ll ever see [illegible] soon again. Then too be is coming sure to be here on time. You can express my appreciations to our Sister for her thoughtfulness in inviting me up while you are there. I am sure I’ll be glad to come at most any time convenient to you both.

Do write me as soon as I [illegible] & I’ll write every day too. Hope your ring will come today but guess it can’t get here now. I’m truly sorry I neglected it so long as I did.

I sent my long coat this a.m. to have cut.

Lovingly & with best wishes for a good trip.

Love your own
Glas

[postscript] I didn’t think anything more of Mr. L. C. Then too I am sure I could take your word for what you had written him.

[postscript – on envelope] If Bro is here Friday and I can get off I’ll try to go over to Egar and back with you all to show you the way that is if you have room enough & can come this way.

Postmark June 6, 1899

Tuesday am

My Dear Nelly,

I truly hope before this reaches you I will have seen you & then I’l know what day you leave.

I guess I can never write & get a reply to my letter because it takes a week & I’ve always seen you & got the answer.

I guess Mr. Brinson will come Thursday.

He wrote he would.

Sold Nelly yesterday. I did hate it too but guess Bro will get a better one or at least he’ll try.

I wish Bullet was ok then I’d know you could come when you wanted too to see me.
There is a young man & his mother in the Old Globe for a few weeks. Came from Hawthorn.

Came to go in Spring.

Nellie if you have to go to Ga do go & come back & get the trip off my mind as I have always rather looked forward to it with dread. Then too I know you have to go.
Bro is gone this week to. I can’t see you before you leave don’t know what day he’ll come home.

But remember to write to me on first mail if it’s early & ok arrival notice.

Mrs. E two daughters will be here this week (today).

Ha Ha I sold my white vest yesterday now how about it!! Well it was to large for me any way.

Do write to me often because you are all now.

Lovingly
Glass

Postmark June 2, 1899

L.L. Meggs
General Store and Real Estate
Marion County.

Orange Springs, Fla., June 1, 1899

Dear Nelly,

Yours recd. To busy to write much any way you’l be here this week & I’l tell you all.
Nelly Nelly Nelly you must have had the blues when you wrote to me . No matter how many girls come here I mean to see you if I have to go to Ga.

Yes I’l get you a ring & a good one. The other rings I gave were of cheap construction was why I was so free with them. I’l bring ring gage Sunday & will have it time you go to Ga.

I’l get you any thing & you know it.

Excuse haste. Hope you come this week.

G

Postmark: May 30, 1899

[Note: I missed this letter in my list of files and so it is out of order, but just by one!]

Tuesday

My Own Darling

No one will ever know how I love you & were something to cause me to loose you I would soon grow miserable for I could never find another Nellie.

Were you to go to Ga & not write to me I’d go crazy. Nellie I truly hope your trip will prove a pleasant trip because I know you must get lonely where you are.
Pleasant as well as profitable because you must get your dress & have it ready by July.

I think that in that time Mr. Brinson will be well. He & I can easily get off to come to see you & most any time that suits you. You always say that there will be girls here & for to stay home. [Illegible] them if I want to.

Well Nellie there will be more than the [illegible] I told you of. Yet when you write me to come I’ll board the next train to see you. Of course there will be plenty of girls here the whole summer but there won’t be plenty of Nellies.

Mrs. McBride had a letter from Miss Cora stating she was going North 15th June & she wanted to come spend a week with her before she left. Then too in a few week there will be a very good crowd.

I have been hoping you ask me to Ga & propose to pay my way to have me drive you about & wait on you in general but you haven’t done so yet. So I have done spoken to borrow the money on my own face to go on & have already asked my Boss if I could get off to go. So if Nellie goes Glass means to go if not Glass will not.

Strange how people change. When I came to Fla I had a train ticket to Jaxville via of Waycross. When I struck west Fla thinking I never had & would never love anything in Ga & that my whole fortune would be in Fla & of course wanted to see it all.

I had my ticket transferred to F.C. & P. & came across the northern part of Fla. I don’t know whether it was so much to see Fla or to keep from having to see Ga.

Ha”Ha” how the wind blows these days. Now my whole life is in a Ga girl & so yes I’ll gladly go to Ga or anywhere else to see you & I know the trip will not only be a pleasant one but will be a good rest for me. I think maybe I can come anytime but can tell you Sunday.

Honey don’t stay long.

Lovingly your boy
Glass

Postmark May 31, 1899

Dear Nelly,

I enclose schedule from Edgar Sta (One mile East of Johnson) to Folkston Ga. Changees sect.

Thought maybe it would be some advantage to you in planning your trip as you spoke of coming this way. Hope you can as Il get to see you. If you don’t let me know Sunday & Il come out the night before you leave.

Lovingly
Glass

Il see you Sunday

Julia Eleanor (Nellie) Lang Meggs

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.

Postmark May 19, 1899

Thursday 5/18

My Darling

Yours recd and OK

Dearest haven’t I always told you that you had more sense than I & I think you have proven so in this letter.

Nelly I am not of a quarrelsome disposition & don’t know why we should be quarreling this way.

I guess though its as you say I love foolishly & not wisely. Any way I love you no matter which way the wind blows. Nellie you say if I love you I would not begin to economize right at the engagement ring, suit & ect.

Now Darling isn’t that a true evidence of my love for you!!

I am a poor boy & I told you I’d give my all to you with Glass thrown in. Now what more can I do & you know the more I have the more I can give you. “C”@”C” don’t you C!!

Didn’t I tell you I’d buy you any kind of ring you wished!! Stop & think of it.

Friday. 5-19.

Yes Darling I had these two pages but wouldn’t give it to you yesterday thought I’d wait & mail it.

Darling I am truly glad you came. I’d just been writing to you & I had given you out & felt gloomy. Oh my when I saw you all drive up.

This am & evry since you came I have felt much better over the affair. I only wish I could be with you the whole time & am ready when you say to begin it. Dear be able to tell me Sunday when we shal marry.

I can’t tell what time Sunday I’l be there & may not get to come if Bro & Sister doesn’t come home as I can’t have but I think they’l be here any way by tomorrow & Il be there in time to go to S.S. Honey let’s go in the hack with Lewis & let my old Plug rest & drive him to Eureka at night as don’t you think it will be to warm for you to go at 11:00.

I know some of them will go to Eureka with us that is if you want to go Il go but it doesn’t differ to me. You make any kind of arrangements & Il [illegible] to your plan.

Gee whiz I’ve been lonely here this week. How I did wish my Nellie was with me.

I hope Guy will come tonight as I’l be alone.

Nellie if I wasn’t such a fool there would never any unpleasant thoughts come between us. So now you lay your plan for next Sunday & see if I don’t come to it.

With lots of love I’m your own Glass.

William Glass Meggs

The following is an account of the life of William Glass Meggs from the publication Miami of the Pioneers: A Picture History by Marjorie Meggs Gowin and Peter Thomas Skaggs Gowin, copyright 1976.

William Glass Meggs was born in Mississippi near Ebenezar, Mississippi. Like his wife, Nellie, he was the son of an officer of the Cavalry, CSA. He was born into the Reconstruction era. The Meggs family survived when his father, James Meggs, took a job as overseer, with a property owner who did not wear Confederate grey.

As the youngest of a large family, the only one born after the war, he hardly knew his brothers and sisters. They had left home long ago. Mississippi was recovering very slowly from the war’s desolation. There were no educational opportunities except what his mother could teach him.

At the age of eighteen he left Mississippi to find his oldest brother, L.L. Meggs, who was in Ocala, Florida. Glass registered at the hotel and asked the clerk where he could find L.L. Meggs. The clerk asked why he wanted to find him, and he said, “I’m his brother, I’ve come to visit him.” So the clerk said, “He is standing beside you.” Thus began a business association for the brothers that lasted until L.L. died in 1922.

Glass’ first job was to manage a “Company Store”. That was a store where you charged everything all week and hoped your salary would cover it on Saturday night. The store manager was to see that it did. L.L. Meggs had a large turpentine operation and employed many men. It was near Orange Springs, Florida (Ocala). He owned property in many parts of Florida. After Glass came when he bought property he would form a company and make Glass an officer. They made a lot of money that way. It was before 1899 and Florida was opening up fast.

Then L.L. decided to move to Jacksonville. He wanted his brother to go with him. However, Felder Lang, Glass’ father-in-law, had moved to Miami, Florida, and he wanted his daughter, Nellie, and his grandson, Donald, with him. On August 10, 1900, Glass and Nellie had been married, so both families were involved.

Obtaining a “Homeseekers Ticket”, Glass and Nellie went to Miami. They liked what they saw and decided to stay. The brothers continued in business, mostly land, and Glass opened a grocery store. They arrived in Miami in 1905.

The business prospered so well that in 1908 Glass had to build a larger store. It was one of the first two story mercantile buildings north of Flagler Street. Meanwhile he had bought a home for his growing family, and he soon built on to his original building. Then he built four more stores across the street to rent for income. Whenever a property near his store was sold, he bought it, and built up a large estate. The main store was at the N.E. 1^stth Street. Avenue and 8

Meanwhile, at home there were more children who rarely saw their father because he worked from can’t see to can’t see and then some.

So, when Christmas approached, he decided he would have a Christmas holiday. He called in his order boys and told them, “I would like to close this store on Christmas Day and this morning if that will inconvenience them, then write it on your order sheet.” All the votes were “Yes, close.” The news spread, as it will in a small town, and a committee of merchants came to see Glass. They told him he would ruin them, asked if he were out of his mind, etc. Glass listened carefully, then he said, “My business here depends on my customers, not my competitors, and they are in favor of closing. Thank you, gentlemen, for coming.” He spent his first Christmas holiday since he had gone to work planting Royal Poincianas in front of his home. He also saw his children opening their presents.

In early 1920, he retired from active business. He turned it over to his son Donald, who ran it. Glass played golf, fished, and kept season tickets to the Polo games, where he was a fixture. He did not know the end of the BOOM was coming.

The BLOW arrived in September of 1926. So great was the property damage to the Meggs’ property, it impoverished Meggs to repair it. His tenants had no business and no jobs so there was no income.

The BUST began then. All he could salvage was a small property in the S.W. section with a small house on it, and six stores that could be rented for income. There he moved and lived until his death in 1958.

Meanwhile, with all these business interests, he educated his children. He always said they should have everything he didn’t have. He sent a son to Stanton Military Academy and then to Emory in Atlanta. His oldest daughter went to Ward Belmont and graduated with honors. His youngest son, Bill, attended school in Gainesville and was commissioned in the army. He was killed in WWII. His youngest daughters earned degrees from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida.

He always had an avid interest in politics, but he would not run for office, nor would he accept a political appointment. However the district where he lived usually voted as he did. Every Sunday morning, as long as they were able, his best friend, J.E. Lummus, picked him up and they toured Miami. They looked at proposed parks, bridges, streets, etc. Mr. Lummus was for many years a city commissioner and he valued Glass’ opinion.

The Methodist Pastor who concluded his services said of him, “That he lived in a house by the side of the road, and was a friend to man.” Glass is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Miami, Florida.