Carter Family Connection in Anniston, Calhoun Co., AL
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In reply to:
Re: Kelly-Carter-Perryman in Calhoun Co
2/01/01
I have been researching William Alonzo CARTER, born May - 1873 in Anniston, Alabama.He went by the name "Alonzo CARTER."He was a photographer by trade and possibly even had a studio there in Anniston in his earlier years.He is my husband's maternal grandfather he never got to meet.
Alonzo CARTER was in Galveston, TX, by the early 1900's taking photographs, and eventually settled in Bryan, TX, where he probably had a studio.He had married a young girl from Galveston, TX, while there named Edna Christine GUTHRIE--and their first child, a daughter, was born in Bryan, TX, (where Texas A&M Univ. is located--a college town with lots of students)in 1907 when Edna was only 17 years old; and he was 34.Then Alonzo relocated this family to Ft. Worth, TX, and opened a studio there.Their second daughter was born in Ft. Worth, TX, in 1911.The second daughter was my sweet little mother-in-law, Dorothy Justine CARTER, now deceased.
The story is that one day Alonzo told Edna he "was going to the store" and never came back leaving a her behind with two baby daughters.Edna had to move in with her mother and a younger brother who lived in Dallas.She never remarried.It was told me by his first daughter before she died (and again recently by my husband's older sister now in her 70's) that Alonzo showed up one day unexpectedly and got permission to take my mother-in-law (his younger daughter) who was a teenager by this time to Alabama with him to meet his family--The Carter's, I presume, or maybe his "new" family.He did bring her back to Dallas, and they never saw or heard anything of him again.
The older daughter sent handwritten notes to my husband who was tasked to work on a genealogy project for a college class at the time.She said Alonzo CARTER had married a girl from an "Unwed Mother's Home," and it may have been named "The Virginia Dare Home for Unwed Mothers" or something like that.
We have no idea of who Alonzo's parents were or if he had siblings.My husband bears a strong resemblance to the only picture we have of him with his wife and first baby daughter.All we know is that he was born in Anniston, AL, and he indicated his trade as being a photographer.Also, the only census record we found where we "knew" it was him, indicated his mother was born in Ireland, and his father, in Scotland.
He has been one BIG mystery, and I've often wondered if perhaps he may have had two families at the same time.Lots of question marks!!!!Being a photographer, he probably moved around quite a bit.
If you, Teresa, or any of the Carter relatives have ANY knowledge of William "Alonzo" CARTER, and they could or would be willing to share with us, it certainly would be most appreciated.
Paula Scott