Family History
Jan 2nd, 2006 by William Jones
The Beginning…
The roots of the Walls and Taylor family reunion is given by Lucy Walls McAfee, daughter of Eliza Dow Walls.
This beautiful heritage actually began in slavery time, when a slave owner named Mr. Dow impregnated two of his slave girls. Each slave girl gave birth to a girl. One girl was named Eliza, and the other was named Serena. The two girls grew up in slavery under the ownership of Mr. Dow. Both sisters were married on the same night. Both husbands were named Walls but were not related to each other.
Eliza’s husband was named Edmund Walls. Eliza and Edmund had eleven children; Seven sons and four daughters. There name were:
- James
- Armestead
- Tom
- Jerry
- Dock (Dockton)
- Cornealious
- Hettie (Hetty?)
- Lucy
- Mary
- Alice.
Serena and Mr. Walls (husbands first name is unknown) has one son named Gabriel. Mr. Walls passed away and Serena eventually remarried. Her second husbands name was Isaah Taylor. Serena and Issah had four sons and three daughters:
- Sam
- Walter
- Andrew
- Issah
- Ida
- Haseltine
- Adelade.
This was the beginning of the establishment of the Walls and Taylor family.
Family Reunion History
In 1912, the youngest of the eleven children of Edmund and Eliza, Lucian, saw the need of a closer relationship between the Walls and the Taylor families. He made his wishes known to his brothers and sisters. The entire family though this was a great idea and immediately began planning for the first family reunion. The date was unanimously chosen: August 6, 1912. The family, knowing this would be a distinct honor to Lucian, decided to hold the first reunion at his comfortable home on the beautiful Noble Lake. The second reunion was held in Ladd, Arkansas at the home of Andrew Taylor.
A sad note sounded before the third family reunion that jepordized future reunions. Both Lucian and Andrew had passed away. Because of the strong and endless determination of the Walls and Taylor families, they overcame the obstacle and continued with the family heritage. The third family reunion was held at the home of Lucy Walls McAfee, who was honored to have Serena Taylor’s husband, Issah, present.
The forth reunion was help at Dock Walls’ home in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Pictures were made at this reunion, which were the first of many improvements that that were added.
It should also be mentioned that Edmund Walls, the husband of Eliza from the first generation, had a brother name Richard Walls. Richard Walls had a son named Courtney. One day, Courtney met Ida Brewer (daughter of Serena Wall) who was a favorite in the family. After conversing for a few minutes, they discovered that they were kin. That meeting resulted in cousin Ida inviting Courtney to the family reunion. The Walls and Taylor families readily accepted the Richard Walls family and they became part of our family tree. The Richard Walls family has been quite an asset to the family reunion, having entertained the reunion many times.
There were some necessary changes to the reunion to continue its improvement. One change was to move the date from August 6th to the first Saturday in August. Another modification was to change how the reunion was funded. When the reunion started in 1912, no funds were needed since every family brought a basket of well cooked food. When the exoduc (what is exoduc?) came, basket could no longer be brought, so it was decided that a certain amount of money would be asked from each family to cover the cost of feeding.
Our own Esnold, lovingly called “Baby”, met Mr. Alex Haley and delightfully told him about our sixty sixth family reunion. He gave us this beautiful tribute of making us aware of our Roots. Baby also made us aware of our Court of Arms.
Last year (1978) we held our first business meeting. This meeting was called to further formulate much needed improvements.
I cannot close without appealing to the third and fourth generations, and the generations that come. As Charles Dixon said in his 1977 speech. Please stay with this great heritage and give it all your suppoort. We appeal to you because we, of the second generation are passing away, leaving only eleven alive on the Walls side, and six on the Taylor side. I strongly appeal to you to support the family ties. All they, the ones who started this tradition wanted was to remain together; To meet once each year to reunite ourselves.
I will close with the traditional poem:
This is the day I’ve longed for
I’m glad it’s here I’ll say
For we haven’t had a reunion
In just one year today.
This is the day I’ve longed for,
Again I will repeat
For this is the day when the Walls and Taylors
Get plenty good food to eat.
I saw my mother this morning
As she rung the chicken’s neck,
Cakes and pies and custards too
Stacked just this high by heck.
I told my stomach this morning
Just as I got out of bed.
“Ole stomach, this is one day
That you will be well fed.”
I’m glad to meet my kinfolk
Glad to know you have the zeal,
But the thing I just can’t get off my mind
Is that good old dinner meal.
Family Reunion T-Shirt Logo from August 2-4, 1996:
Census Images:
Reunion Pictures: August 6, 1916. Pine Bluff, Arkansas: