Smyrna times., 1908-09-30
RECOLLECTION OF SMYRNA
OF OVER HALF A CENTURY
WILLIAM A. HUKILL RECALLS HIS
BOYHOOD DAYS IN THIS VICINITY
Tells of People he Knew Who We're
Prominent in Smyrna in The Early
Forties And Relates Incidents

TOFueS Ana ReldT6S InClQenIS
Wilmington, Sept. 29.-Being born
and raised near Smyrna and having
frequented the town before l was
large enough to go alone and after l
was old enough to do business errands
for my father and the family, have
some pleasant recollections of the
old town, and having a fondness for
rehearing old times. l had my
recollectiUns refreshed some weeks
ago by making a visit to that sec
tion, and conceived the idea that l
might interest the people of the town
and vicinity by way of reminiscent
sketches in the Times, and start out
with the understanding, that to make
it interesting must make it plain,
simple and truthful, and in order
to do so will be under the necessity
of calling people by name in some
Instances, but will promise to not
be discourteous or indiscTeet. Ny
first recollection of Smyrna is when
l went to town one night with my
father Gideon Emory Hukill after
grain bags to ship some grain, out
father had other business errands
to attend to and left me at the house
OF a Mr.. Hill, gentleman house
carpenter, while he ran about town.
They had daughter and when the
church bell began to ring she came
in the room and asked her mother if
she could go to church. This Mr..
Hill lived somewhere close to
the DR.. Fisher property. We soon
got our bags and started for home
and went to sleep in the
bottom of the carriage. They tell me
that Mr.. Hill went to Philadelphia
and this was about 1910, when l was
four years old.
The -Four Corners" Back In Ie4o
George w. Cummins was on the
southwest corner at -Four Corners, "
VIM. c. Eliason on the south east
corner, VIM. Temple on the north
east corner, and James Bewley was
the first one l recollect on the north
west corner. Father always dealt
with VIM. Elliason and kept it up
till he, Elliason, retired from
business. Benson & Catts's carriage
shop was a great place for my
father to go, and generally bought
his carriages there. Joseph FAIRIES
made his shoes, VIM. FAIRIES his
harness and Alexander his cabinet
making and undertaking. VIM.
Dupee did some of our tailoring
whom l found at livery stable in
Philadelphia after l was in busi-
ness for myself. Old DIR. Perkins
was always our family physician
till his death. Some of the clerks
about Eliason's store was a Wright
and Grain, and later James w.
Spruance, Enos Jones and Henry
Jefferson. The three latter have
lived to a ripe old age and are still
active and healthy. Spruance and
Jefferson still live in Smyrna the
town of their nativity, and Jones is
here about Wilmington. l see him
fequently. No body but Alexander
FAIRIES could do the undertaking till
after father died, having buried five
members of the family from the same
house, and we got our trade shifted
to Odessa, and to show father s
loyalty to DR.. Perkins, he named his
last baby boy George Perkins of
whom l must take a passing notice
Notwithstanding he was my brother.
He was born in the old farm house
on the Gumbush farm, on the
10th day of October, 1848, under the
care and direction of DR.. Perkins
and Mrs. Mary Parsons and the DR..
brought her out in gig or large top
sulkey, which he always rode in.
I was only IL years old but was a
pretty close observer, more so then
than now l think. And that boy was
the only Hukill that ever had any
particular distinction over other
people that / ever knew. He proved
to be one of the incest little kids you
ever saw, and was the pride of both
mother and father and after he got
big enough to go with father and did
not get to &c, then was trouble. He
was about as white as human flesh
could be, but as freckeled as any
turkey egg, but with his little sorrell
head done up in tresses (as the
women put it,) looked quite cute.
Educated Near Smyrna, Became Rich
He got nearly all of his education
at the old forsaken school house still
standing at Somdoms branch near
Blackbird. Entered Samuel Nj.
Reynolds store in Middletown, from
there to VIM. M Kennards Store II
CONTINUED on FIFTH PAGE
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