Description

Historic Webster is a newsletter of the Webster Historical Society, Inc., created at the Society’s founding in 1974. The publication helped to serve the Society's mission of collecting and preserving the history of Webster, North Carolina. Webster, established in 1851, was the original county seat for Jackson County.A Brief Biography ... Ella Ri~hards Mad ison My grandmother, Ella Virginia Richards Madison, was born far from the little town of Webster, which was to become her home in later life. Her parents, Charles Edward and Martha Ann Watts Richards, were also transplanted far from home in their married life. Grandmother's grandfather, John Richards , was born on Wall Street (his home was the site of the original stock exchange in New York City) and Grandmo­ther's father , Charles, was born in Springfield , New Jersey . Her mother, Martha Ann, was born in Mobile, Alabama. At the time Grandmother's parents were married ( 1861 ) this combination of northern and southern back­grounds was rather unusual , to say the least. To make matters even more surprising, her " Yan­kee" father chose to fight on the southern side, and served as a first lieutenant in Co.D. Cook's Regiment Heavy Arti llery of Texans. I have often wondered to what extent all these circum­stances shaped Grandmother's life, for she was an extraordinar­i l y~ independent woman for her lime- or perhaps for any time. Grandmother grew up in Gal­veston, Texas. Her early mem­ories included belonging to the Society of Comus and attending Mardi...

Record Contributed By

Western Carolina University

Record Harvested From

North Carolina Digital Heritage Center