Birth Locations – Page 141 – The Exasperated Historian

92) Mary Phagan

92) Mary Phagan

Factory Worker who was Murdered on the Job; her Death Reignited Anti-Semitic and Racist Fervor Throughout Georgia

Born: c1900, Florence, Alabama, United States of America

Died: 26 April 1913, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America

Instead of having a Wikipedia page about herself there is one for the man convicted of killing her and one for the actual murder/crime itself.

Mary had come into work that day in the local Pencil Factory to collect her paycheck and was murdered on site. She was thirteen years old at the time.

Mary was found the next day by a coworker who happened to be an African American man.

She’d been strangled, sexually assaulted, and had strange notes littered around her body.

Another African American coworker was accused at first but eventually turned against his Jewish boss. Majority consensus today holds that this janitor actually murdered Mary.

The Jewish boss was found guilty of murdering Mary instead.

While at first, he was sentenced to death by hanging his lawyers appealed and had the sentence commuted to life in prison—outraging the community.

The Knights of Mary Phagan were created to get justice for Mary and after kidnapping and lynching the man accused of killing her, they went on to become the Ku Klux Klan (it should be important to note these men became the modern KKK. The original KKK disbanded after the end of Reconstruction).

The debate on whether the Jewish man who was lynched is actually guilty remains to this day, and in May of 2019, the Fulton County District Attorney announced he would be reopening her murder case.

Badges Earned:

Find a Grave Marked

Located In My Personal Library:

And the Dead Shall Rise by Steve Oney

After the Fact: The Surprising Fates of American History's Heroes, Villains, and Supporting Characters by Owen Hurd

Sources:

http://my.ilstu.edu/~ftmorn/cjhistory/casestud/phagan.html

https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/did-leo-frank-kill-mary-phagan-106-years-later-we-might-finally-find-out-for-sure/

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/124618/and-the-dead-shall-rise-by-steve-oney/9780679764236/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11655/mary-anne-phagan

91) Guy Taylor

91) Guy Taylor

Retired US Marine who played Taps Every Night

Born: 13 July 1932, Jonah, Texas, United States of America

Died: 7 February 2017, Most Likely Texas, United States of America

Guy owned the Stork Club in Galveston, Texas and was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.

He played Taps every night at Dusk for Six Years on a Bugle to remember his friend who never came home from the Korean War.

Guy was survived by his wife of fifty-eight years and his son.

After he died, fellow veteran of twenty-two years in the US Navy, Clint Brown, keeps up the tradition, and rarely misses playing Taps every night, but from the street and not Guy's balcony, to keep Guy’s memory alive and to honor him and all the other soldiers.

The Stork Club is now closed.

To watch a video of Guy playing Taps, clink the video in this article.

Badges Earned:

Find a Grave Marked

Sources:

https://www.khou.com/article/features/taps-at-sunset-galveston-bugler-keeps-years-old-promise-to-korean-war-veteran/285-7247fdeb-5a90-4b40-aaf0-853a8490ed7a

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/176141922/guy-wallace-taylor

91) Ida Straus

"If you had a husband like mine you would do more than [darn his socks] for him."

91) Ida Straus

She and Her Husband were New York Socialites who Boarded RMS Titanic at Southampton and Never Reached New York

Born: 6 February 1849, Worms, German Confederation (Present-day Worms, Germany)

Died: 15 April 1912, The Atlantic Ocean

Full Name: Rosalie Ida Straus

Although given a place on lifeboat number eight Ida refused to get on and stayed behind with her husband.

His body was recovered but hers was not.

Her husband Isidor was co-owner of Macy’s Department Store.

Ida was one of only four women from First Class to perish in the sinking.

She and her husband had seven children together and her last known words were recorded by people in the lifeboats as something to the effect of, “We have lived together for many years. Where you go, I go.”

Her husband served in the House of Representatives and during the War Between the States he worked for Southern businessmen in Europe, helping sell items that managed to pass through the Union blockade.

Ida's story was featured on an episode of Monumental Mysteries entitled "Ames Pyramid, Straus Titanic, Cracking the Zodiac".

Badges Earned:

Find a Grave Marked

Located In My Personal Library:

Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic's First-Class Passengers and Their World by Hugh Brewster

How It Happened: Titanic, The Epic Story From the People Who Were There by Geoff Tibballs (Mentioned on the Passenger List)

The Jews of the Titanic: A Reflection of the Jewish World on the Epic Disaster by Eli Moskowitz

LIFE Presents Titanic: The Tragedy That Shook the World by Kostya Kennedy

A Titanic Love Story by June Hall McCash

Titanic: True Stories of Her Passengers, Crew, and Legacy by Nicola Pierce

What was the Titanic? by Stephanie Sabol

A Night to Remember by Walter Lord (Mentioned on the Passenger List)

Sources:

https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-victim/ida-straus.html

https://titanic.fandom.com/wiki/Ida_Straus

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3677/ida-straus

90) Sir Arthur H Rostron

90) Sir Arthur H Rostron KBE, RD, RNR

Captain of the RMS Carpathia on that Fateful April Night

Born: 14 May 1869, Bolton, United Kingdom

Died: 4 November 1940, Southampton, United Kingdom

Commodore for the Cunard Line and Congressional Gold Medal Recipient; Arthur was captaining the Carpathia when Titanic sank. Therefore, he was responsible for rescuing and then delivering the Titanic survivors to New York.

Arthur first went to sea at the age of thirteen and soon saw the Americas, India, and Australia. He joined the Cunard Line in 1895 as a fourth mate on the Umbria.

In 1907, he was made first officer on the Lusitania, but a day before the ship was supposed to leave port he was transferred to the Brescia as captain. By 1911, he’d become captain of his first passenger ship, the Pennonia, which traveled to New York from the Mediterranean.

After a brief stint in the British Navy during the Russo-Japanese War, Arthur was made captain of the Carpathia in January 1912.

On that fateful night of April 14/15, Arthur was asleep when his wireless officer burst into his room to tell him he had heard the Titanic’s distress signal. The Carpathia was sixty miles away from their last reported position but the crew leapt into action.

Arthur was a very religious man, and reportedly stepped away after all orders had been given to pray for those aboard Titanic.

Carpathia arrived at the scene of the wreck around 4 AM on April 15^th and was able to take 712 out of the water. 1,503 had already perished. Of those 712, four were already dead and one died a few hours later.

At the time, Carpathia had been headed to Europe, but seeing as they didn’t have enough supplies to support the new 700+ passengers aboard the ship, Arthur turned back to New York.

Once the US Senate Inquiry had finished, Arthur and the Carpathia returned to their usual service.

A few months after first meeting US President Taft, Arthur was also presented with the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, the highest award the United States could bestow upon him.

He would later serve aboard various ships during World War I, ferrying Canadian troops to Europe and even traveling to India and serving in the Gallipoli Campaign.

Once the war ended, Arthur returned to working as captain on various ships for passenger carriers. In 1926, he succeeded James Charles (I know—different James Charles) as commander of the Berengaria and Commodore of the Cunard fleet.

He retired from seafaring service in May of 1931 and passed away from complications with pneumonia in 1940.

Badges Earned:

Find a Grave Marked

Located In My Personal Library:

The Band That Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down With the Titanic by Steve Turner

The Complete Guide to the Titanic by Julia Garstecki

Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic's First-Class Passengers and Their World by Hugh Brewster

How It Happened: Titanic by Geoff Tibballs

LIFE Presents Titanic: The Tragedy That Shook the World by Kostya Kennedy

Titanic and the Mystery Ship by Senan Molony

Titanic: True Stories of Her Passengers, Crew, and Legacy by Nicola Pierce

The Unsinkable Mrs. Brown by Caroline Bancroft

What was the Titanic? by Stephanie Sabol

Sources:

https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-biography/arthur-henry-rostron.html

https://titanic.fandom.com/wiki/Arthur_Rostron

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9550788/arthur-henry-rostron

90) Mary Rogers

90) Mary Rogers

She was a Famous New York City Cigar Girl Before She was a Murder Victim

Born: 1820, Lyme, Connecticut, United States of America

Died: 28 July 1841, Hoboken, New Jersey, United States of America

Her body was found floating on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River and it appeared she had been strangled.

Though officially unsolved many people suspect her fiancé killed her—especially since he later poisoned himself near where her body was found (though he had an alibi that held up in the wake of her murder).

He left behind a suicide note that might pertain to his guilt though a local tavern owner claimed Mary died from a botched abortion—but that doesn’t explain the marks from strangulation around her neck.

Mary’s death was one of the first to be sensationalized by the press. Her story was featured on an episode of the Travel Channel’s Monumental Mysteries which you can watch here.

Badges Earned:

Located In My Personal Library:

The Beautiful Cigar Girl: Mary Rogers, Edgar Allen Poe, and the Invention of Murder by Daniel Stashower

Sources:

https://www.historicmysteries.com/the-death-of-mary-rogers/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Rogers

https://www.travelchannel.com/videos/the-death-of-mary-rogers-0223491

89) Justin Wren

89) Justin Wren

MMA Fighter & Humanitarian

Born: 27 April 1987, Dallas, Texas, United States of America

Justin’s record in the UFC was 15-2 but after six years of battling depression and addiction he stepped away from fighting to find a higher purpose. He found some of the forgotten people of the Pygmy Tribe (The Batwa) deep in the Congolese/Ugandan Jungle. They were beaten down by economic hardships like enslavement, disease, and general hopelessness.

So, Justin went above and beyond to do all he could. He started the Fight for the Forgotten Initiative, and as of 2019 has helped free 1500 people. They have access to clean water and work their own 3,000 acres of land to provide for themselves.

Justin is nicknamed The Big Pygmy.

Sources:

https://fightfortheforgotten.org/justinwren

89) Jean Paul

Photo taken by the author, provided in World War II Love Stories by Gill Paul

89) Jean Paul

Advocate for the Indigenous People of Canada

Born: 10 January 1926, Surrey, United Kingdom

Died: c Jan 1992, New Brunswick, Canada

During World War II at the age of sixteen she met and fell in love with Charley Paul who was serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Charley was a Maliseet Indian and was raised on the Tobique First Nation Reserve.

Charley was almost four years older and just as in love with her.

Jean wound up pregnant and they had to rush to get married (oops) before he shipped out to Italy.

Once the war was over Jean made the decision to leave England and follow her husband back home (despite nearly everyone warning her Canada was nothing like what she’d heard of The United States—especially on a reserve).

When she arrived in Canada, she had to share a home with her husband, daughter, in-laws (grandparents, parents, and Charley’s siblings) all in a house with no running water or electricity.

Despite some initial push-back for being a White woman on a reservation—she quickly learned the language and gained respect for wanting to learn their ways and not push English custom onto her new neighbors.

Charley and Jean would have six children in all.

In the late 60’s Charley became Chief of the Tobique First Nation and in 1971 they moved to an actual town for his job which was quite a culture shock.

In 1986, Jean and Charley sat beside Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip during a state dinner when they visited Canada.

Jean died from cancer and all the chiefs of the local First Nations attended her funeral.

Badges Earned:

Find a Grave Marked

Located in My Personal Library:

World War II Love Stories by Gill Paul

Sources:

World War II Love Stories by Gill Paul

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104316840/jean-marie-paul

88) Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr

This photo was taken just hours before Theodore Roosevelt Jr passed away from a heart attack

88) Theodore Roosevelt Jr.

The only General to land with the First Wave at Utah Beach during D-Day—and he did it while waving his cane because of his arthritis!

Born: 13 September 1887, Cove Neck, New York, United States of America

Died: 12 July 1944, Méautis, France

Original Name: Theodore Roosevelt III

Son of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Before joining the army in World War I, he was an investment banker. After World War I he served as the Governor of Puerto Rico and the governor general of the Philippines.

Theodore also worked for various other organizations, including American Express and The Boy Scouts of America, and founded the American Legion.

During World War II he served with the same regiment he had fought with in World War I.

When he found out the men had landed about a mile off course, Theodore’s famous words were: “We’ll start the war from right here!”

He died of a heart attack around a month after D-Day. Theodore was buried in the American Cemetery in Normandy, beside his brother Quentin who was shot down and killed during World War I in 1918.

Theodore had two other brothers: Kermit served in both world wars and later committed suicide, and Archie also served in both wars and ended up with a permanent disability—and the Silver Star.

Theodore’s son—also named Quentin, was also on the beaches (albeit Omaha Beach) and survived, only to die in a plane crash several years later.

Theodore was a Medal of Honor Recipient and also a member of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution. Theodore Jr and his father, the late president, are one of two father-son duos (alongside Douglas MacArthur and his father Arthur) to both earn the Medal of Honor.

Badges Earned:

Find a Grave Marked

Sources:

https://www.sar.org/theodore-roosevelt-jr

https://www.insidehook.com/article/history/teddy-roosevelt-jr-toughest-old-man-wwii

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5998/theodore-roosevelt

88) Helen Keller

88) Helen Keller

Advocate and Educator who Rose Above Being Deaf and Blind to Become Internationally Celebrated

Born: 27 June 1880, Tuscumbia, Alabama, United States of America

Died: 1 June 1968, Easton, Connecticut, United States of America

She was also a co-founder of the ACLU.

When Helen was nineteen months old, she became ill—most likely from scarlet fever—which left her both blind and deaf.

Five years later Anne Sullivan was hired to teach Helen and together the two of them would do wonderful things.

Anne and Helen were introduced after Alexander Graham Bell suggested Helen’s parents hire someone from the Perkins Institute for the Blind; Anne and Helen would be together for forty-nine years.

Helen spent twenty-five years struggling to learn to speak so that everyone would understand her.

After befriending Mark Twain Helen also impressed a Standard Oil Executive enough to get him to pay for her tuition into Radcliffe College (she would graduate cum laude at the age of 24).

Helen was an advocate for women’s suffrage and sadly eugenics. She was also a prominent socialist and member of the Socialist party.

Helen would eventually travel to thirty-five countries to lecture on improving welfare for the blind.

The Miracle Worker is based on her and Annie’s story. I have included one of the most famous scenes from the movie in this article.

Badges Earned:

Find a Grave Marked

Located In My Personal Library:

Helen Keller by Leslie Garrett

The Who, the What, and the When: 65 Artists Illustrate the Secret Sidekicks of History by Jenny Volvovski, Julia Rothman, and Matt LaMothe

Sources:

https://www.biography.com/activist/helen-keller

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Helen-Keller

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/567/helen-keller

87) Father James Coyle

87) Father James Coyle

Roman Catholic Priest Murdered for Performing an Interracial Marriage

Born: 23 March 1873, Drum, Ireland (Presnet-day Drum, Republic of Ireland)

Died: 11 August 1921, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America

The marriage was between a white girl and a Puerto Rican man, and the murderer was the white woman’s father. She married the Puerto Rican man who used to work at her father’s house.

Father Coyle was ordained as a priest at the age of twenty-three in 1896. That same year he left Ireland with a fellow priest and arrived in Mobile, Alabama. Father Coyle became the rector of a boy’s school soon after.

In 1904, he became the priest of the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Birmingham. His congregation quickly grew to love and respect him.

Father Coyle was shot in the head and killed on the porch of the rectory by a Methodist minister, who, as stated above, was the father of a girl who married a Puerto Rican man. The murderer was also a member of the KKK, lovely.

The Klan then paid for the murderer’s defense, and four out of his five lawyers were members of the Klan (and one of those five was also a future Supreme Court Justice). Those same lawyers also placed Klansmen on the jury, and so the murderer was unsurprisingly acquitted.

After the trial, Catholics were persecuted by members of the Klan for years afterward, and race relations got even worse.

If you don’t think the murderer was a horrible man already, listen to this. According to Irish Central, his daughter that married the Puerto Rican man had actually run away from home the year before to escape his abusive behavior and because she wanted to be able to practice Catholicism freely. Her father reported that she’d been kidnapped by Catholics, and once she was brought home (she was eighteen at that time) he beat her with leather straps and her mother stuffed her mouth with a rag to stifle her screams.

According to Alabama law, Ruth would have been emancipated from her parents when she turned 21, however she didn’t want to wait that long. So, the next year she married the Puerto Rican (who was twenty-four years older than her!) and Father Coyle was dead less than three hours after finishing the ceremony.

The entire situation was and still is a tragedy.

Badges Earned:

Find a Grave Marked

Sources:

http://www.fathercoyle.org/

https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/remembering-james-coyle-the-irish-priest-the-kkk-killed

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21395664/james-e-coyle