Person:Phillip Watkins (4)

_MIG: Date: ABT 1920 Place: Illinois To California Source:

_OBT:

Wilfred was a Mason. His sons Michael and Charles were also Masons.

Charlotte Geier informs me that Wilfred was originally born as “Phillip Watkins.” However, at some point prior to 1900, when I first found his census records in Illinois, he started using the name Wilfred. The reason for this change is unknown, but I will treat it more as a nickname than a formal name change.

From Charlotte Geier’s descendants report:

Garnett was Proprietor of the Merchants’ Hotel in Huntington, W. VA as of June 1889, based on a letter from his sister Lula written on the hotel’s letterhead stationery. The letterhead reads: "Merchants’ Hotel. Newly Renovated, and Under New Management. W. G. Watkins, Proprietor, Formerly Proprietor of the N. N. & M. V. Dining Room, Union Depot, Huntington, W.VA."

Garnett was the owner/operator of Old Dominion Restaurant, 606 East Broad St., Richmond, VA. (years?). Here is a newspaper article announcing the new enterprise (probably a Richmond, VA paper based on wording). "New Restaurant at 606 Broad-- A new meal enterprise that bids fair to be a success from the start is the Old Dominion Restaurant, which opened doors yesterday for business at 606 East Broad Street. The eating house is owned and operated by Mr. W. G. Watkins, formerly proprietor of the Chesapeake and Ohio dining-room at Huntington, W. Va., and late of Jenning, La.

Mr. Watkins is a Richmond boy, son of Mrs. E. C. Watkins (nee Shore), who sold to Richmond the present site of Oakwood Cemetery. He will be remembered by many scholars of the old Bellevue school - ‘79 to ‘82 (1879 to 1882).

The building at 606 East Broad has been thoroughly overhauled and renovated and the restaurant is equipped in up-to-date style for serving good food quickly and at popular prices to ladies and gentlemen. No alcoholic drinks sold or tolerated. The Old Dominion serves a special 25 dinner.

Proprietor of Chesapeake and Ohio Dining Room, Huntington, WV; and later owned apartment complex in El Hambra [sic: Alhambra], California across from the city park. Was swindeled out of it, and never seemed to fully recover from it. He lived on Curtis Street in El Hambra.

Garnett went to the old Bellevue School from 1879 to 1882 in Richmond, Virginia. He also lived at various times in Cincinatti, Ohio, Huntington,West Virginia, Chicago, Illinois, and in Virginia. In 1890 Garnett lived in Toledo, Ohio at Boody House. On St. Patrick’s Day 1889, Garnett’s sisters Eva and Lula were in Huntington, WV with Garnett at Merchants’ Hotel. He was not married as of March of 1889. At one point, Garnett’s mother Emily was in Huntington, WV. She weighed 113 pounds. Went to church at Monterey Park Methodist. When in Chicago, he went to Presbyterian Church. 5245 Magnolia Ave. Chicago, Ill. PH: Ravenswood 1025. Garnett had T.B. at one time in his life.

Garnett was picking avocados at the age of 92 in California. (This doesn’t jive with the Death certificate that said he was age 91 at date of death; however, we were told Great Uncle Garnett was 96 when he died in 1959. This would have meant he was actually born in 1862.)

Letter from Garnett to his mother (Emily Cooke Shore Watkins), dated Richmond, April 6th (year not legible):

"My Dear Mother

How glad I was to receive another kind and loving letter from you. It sound(ed) so (unreadable) to me. My good friends have been so kind to me. I am very glad to tell you that I have (unreadable) religion and try to be a better boy.

Where Dr. Edwards invited those up that have not been converted. I thought about these little verses. Feed my lambs, come ye children and harken unto me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord, The next is that your faith should not stand in the window of men but in the power of God. 3rd And suffer the little children to come unto me and there I could not may not be, and in a few minutes I was so gld to find that I had a new heart, and all my sinful pleasure forgiven, so now I have given my heart to God, and forever be his friend. I am studying Webster’s Dictionary Pictorial History of the United States, Appletories Arithmetic, Wilson’s Geography and also learning Psalms in my Bible, And I think I am in them all, and hope to continue so. I was very sorry you never got my letter, I would write oftener but I have not the paper and the stamps. I hope you are getting along well, I give my love to Aunt Charlotte [Watkins Powell], and hope that she is well. All of Mr. Gills family are well except Mrs. Gill and she is very poorly. I have resolved to work in the path of my savior and be a better boy, always be honest, because honesty is the best policy. And always try to love and serve the Lord, as he wishes me to do, and he will never find any fault of us.

I am so thankful He is leading my youthful mind to him, I feel so happy. I am very glad to hear that you and sister Lillie have such nice pleasure. I hope to be a Christian and always walk in the way of the Lord. It is getting late and have not much longer to write. May the Lord be with you. From your Only son. P. G. Watkins"

Garnett was very fastidious about his clothes... always wore a 3-piece suit, even when he worked in the garden. He went to California in about 1920 or 1922 from Chicago, Illinois.

Letter from W. G. Watkins to his nephew, Charles Shore Clarke; letterhead x’d out:

"W. G. Watkins, General Manager, Watkins System Hotel Publicity, High Grade Motel Mediums exclusively, Hotel, Office Counter Equipment, 342 North Garfield Avenue, Alhambra, California" dated Masonic Home, Decoto, Calif. Mch 12-53:

"My Dear Nephew, Charles - yours of 7th just at hand, clipping of Pearls death, etc. I keep so busy, I do not have time to keep up with my correspondences, but will get this out of the way at once. Besides post office, I still keep up my acre of flowers & roses.

I just wanted to offer my condolences to members of Pearls family through you. I am sorry she is gone. She raised & left quite a family. I thought Early Cullingsworth was a dentist & lived in North Carolina. I never knew he ever drank.

Charles, your middle name came from your great grandfather (both underlined) Judge John Shore, of the Superior Court of Richmond - also owned Oakwood Cemetery, (known as Falling Springs,) (page 2) before it was deeded from your late grandmother, Emily Cook Shore Watkins to Richmond. He had the first large 2 story brick home on Grace, between 20th & 21st in Richmond. I have been in the house many times, but am not sure of the cross sts. Never-the-less (sic) it still stands, & he was buried in St. Johns Cemetery. He also had a big country house 9 or 10 miles below Richmond on York River R. R. Something like 1000 acres. Bldg distroyed (sic) by Yankees during and was burned to the ground twice and many records with it. The Shore you spoke of, murdered in Calif April 1891 & buried in I believe, Mt. Hope Cemetery lot -11- by the Masons - in San Diego Calif. His initials were John W. Shore, (a son of Judge) & was 8 years Comptroller, or Treasurer of California under Governor Booth. Some time in the 1880s no trace of any monies or real estate, other than what was taken over by the State, as no relatives (Page 3; contains same letterhead as previous) could be located at time of death.

He was supposed to have died from appoplexy - but visible indications from what I could learn by inquiries, was murder & robbery.

A Judge Lawson of San Francisco was supposed to have gotten a good size diamond from him. The children of a Judge Sink - one of Shores partners & associates got some of his jewelry. Judge Sink was dead before I could reach his home, so I got but little information. A Mr. McAllister supposed to have been a partner in business had also either died or disappeared. After spending much time & money in looking up information, I gave it up - that was in 1904-1905.

Now Charley I must get to work as I have intimated from time to time. I keep so busy, I have no time even for Newspapers or Radio & (page 4) half of my Christmas mail is still unanswered. - Will say I am well, so bye by & love to all, Uncle Garnett. Excuse pencil - all I have handy to write with quickly. Also overlook mistakes,"

1900 Census ----------- Cook Co, IL, ED 771, Sht 5

Watkins, Wilfred Head W M Apr 1867 33 M 11 VA Wales VA Publisher , Catherine Wife W F Jan 1870 30 M 11 2 2 KY Ger Ger , Garnet Son W M Aug 1890 9 S OH VA KY at school , Edwin S. Son W M Mar 1898 2 S IL VA KY

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1880 census: Living with his family, in the home of Lewis and Eva Miller. Marked as “measles” in census.

1. ↑ Source (285).
2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Source (248).
3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 Source (376).
4. ↑ Source (72).
5. ↑ Source (141).
6. ↑ Source (249).
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Source (375).
8. ↑ Source (316).
9.   Source (205).
10.   Source (196).
11. ↑ Masonic Home