Where They Lived:
The Family Homes of
Adrian "Ada" Belle Vardaman
Gwin
in Timeline Format
1876--James Adrian Goggans,
M.D., saved Julia Flynn Vardaman's life late in her pregnancy; therefore,
baby would be named for him.
1877--ABV b. 3 Feb in Coosa Co.
near
Goodwater, AL, in the new home
her daddy, John F. Vardaman, built.
1878--
1879--
1880--
1881--
1882----Ada, ca. age 5, attended
school in the cabin out back of the "big house"
1883--
1884--
1885--
1886--
1887--3 Feb, Ada's 10th birthday
1888--
1889--
1890--
1891--
1892--
1893--
1894--
1895--Age 18 Ada traveled by train
to Atlanta with her lawyer brother, J. W. A. Vardaman, age 26, as her escort
to attend the World's Fair.
1896--
1897--3 Feb, Ada's 20th birthday
1898--
1899--
1900--
1901--Montevallo
Girls' School was her next known stop in 1901.
1902--Studied telegraphy there,
graduating in (May?) 1902, age 25
1903--Her first railway station
assignment was Brierwood; it was (here?)
that she first met her future husband, James Bassett Gwin, Sr.
1904--
1905--
1906--
1907--3 Feb, Ada's 30th birthday
1908--
1909---22 Feb--married Jim
(he age 36; she age 32); lived at 701 28th St,
Anniston;
1910--James Bassett Gwin, Jr.
born 1 June in Anniston
1911--
1912--John Vardaman Gwin
born 23 Apr in Anniston
1913--
1914--kept house in Anniston, bought
another in Selma at 2101 Broad St.;
Julia
Ida Gwin born 12 Dec in Selma (but JBG's obit says they moved to Selma
from Anniston "five years ago" , which would be 1916, not 1914...)
1915--Gwin family owned one of
the few automobiles in town.
1916--Adrian Sutton Gwin born
12 Sep here.
1917--3 Feb, Ada's 40th birthday
1918--
1919--
1920--
1921--Jim Gwin, 49, died under
the wreck of No. 17 en route
to Greensboro on the Akron run 21 Oct 1921; Ada, widow, is single parent
of 4 at 44
1922--Ada went back to work as
station agent and telegrapher. As the newcomer, she had to take the
least desirable stations, starting at Browns,
1923--with other stations including
McDowell
(which my father, Adrian S. Gwin, almost always pronounced /MACK-DAL/,
sometimes saying /MACK-DOW-ul/)
1924-- Aldritch,
1925--
Straven,
, , , , , .
1926-- Gallion
, , , .
1927--3 Feb, Ada's 50th birthday
(kids' ages: James 16; JV 14; Julia 12; Adrian 10).
1928--
1929--...bridge connecting McDowell
and Demopolis is knocked into the river, never rebuilt...
1930--
1931--------------Demopolis
(NLT July 1931)------Scotts (Winter
1931)
1932--Spg/Sum--Southern had to
let her go, family moved back to 107 E. 13th St. in Anniston.
Julia a sr. at AHS 32-33.
1933--All worked odd jobs--James
had a photo studio, Adrian raised and sold rabbits--to bring in money for
the family.*
1934---27 Jan still in Anniston;
by Oct at 244 S. Claiborne St. in NOLA,
finally to 7031 Freret St., a block from Tulane (I saw that the home was
still standing in 2003).
1935--
1936--
1937--3 Feb, Ada's 60th birthday;
29 Mar, Julia and Walter marry; (kids' ages: James 26; JV 24; Julia 22;
Adrian 20).
1938--
1939--Grandchild #1 Walter born
22 Nov;
1940--
1941--
1942--Adrian graduates Tulane;
11 Aug, Dot & Adrian marry, go to WV; J.V. & Moselle marry, div.;
G'child #2 Michael b. 31 Oct
1943--Grandchild #3 JV, Jr.,
born 27 Feb
1944--
1945--Grandchild #2 Michael
dies 30 Jan; 3 Jun, James and Evelyn marry;
1946--14 Dec, J.V. and Sue marry
1947--3 Feb, Ada's 70th birthday
(kids' ages: James 36; JV 34; Julia 32; Adrian 30)----Grandchild
#4
John born Oct 29;
1948--
1949--
1950--28 July, J.V. and Catherine
marry;
1951--Grandchild #5 Pat born
Feb 14-- Grandchild #6 Sheila born 23 Aug
1952--Grandchild #7 Eileen
born 17 Oct--
1953--Grandchild #8 Sheila born
23 Apr--
1954--3 Feb, Ada's 77th birthday--26
Feb: Ada dies of heart attack; body sent to Smyrna
Prim. Bapt. Ch. Cem. near Goodwater, AL, for burial;
1955--Grandchild #9 Dan born
8 Mar; Grandchild #10 Betty adopted ca. 1955; Grandchild
#11 Juanita adopted ca. 1959;