Ochlocknee

February is the month of love, and we have quite a few love stories in our collection. One example comes from a small, cloth bound book that belonged to the Ochlocknee River Club, a sort of “marriage camp” for Thomas County’s jet set in the 1910s. The book served as a sign-in sheet for attendees as well as a message board for those sweet flirtations that naturally sprung up in a crowd of young adults in woolen bathing suits. Let’s explore some of these love notes (or doodles) from the book. Maybe some of them will inspire your next valentine card! Or in some cases, anti-Valentine card.

July 26, 1916

“Here’s to sweet Mariana

Sweeter than a luscious Banana

But I can’t recollect

If she think of me yet

She is the Best of all Dears

Is this little Girl Sears”

                                  – Jim Gribben

“To Helen Vaughan –

The girl so fair who is

Buxom, blythe, & debonair.

Her eyes they shine but

Not for me – However

They are glimmery!

Her hair is blond

But I don’t know it

May be peroxide you

Know. However

She’s not my bride

But the queen of

Riverside.”

                                  – Boots Coopse [Bill Cooper]

“Here’s to our new camper, Dor[b]is West,

For rain or sunshine he’s the best;

He goes sometimes with Annie Will Pierce,

And we believe he loves her something fierce.

To have him with us, we are glad,

For he’s the finest, could be had.”

                                  – Nelle Patten

“Of all the Boys theres one who won’t DO

His name of course you know is ZU.

He seems to be always alert

Making love to every skirt

So Girls take care and do beware,

That boy wont do that you call Zu.”

                                 – Minnie Weldon

1. “A ginger snap I wish I were,

Or even a Saltine would do;

Or any cracker of the ‘N.B.C.’ [National Biscuit Company, aka Nabisco]

For then I’d be sent to Zu –

1. Nabiscos, fig newtons, and five o’clock teas,

Hueedas[?], grahams, and lady fingers.

He sells all these in a way to please

But with the last mentioned he lingers!”

                                 – Anonymous

“Here’s to our waiter, John

With a fine-looking moustache

With snow white apron and cap on,

He serves us beans and succotash.”

                                  – P. [Nelle Patten]

“For Nelle Patten I have nothing to say

For she is sick every other day

Her only only Hearts delight

Its to lay in the hammock and sleep half the day.

When one of her lovers comes to say

A word or two as in the day

She only opens her eyes to say

Don’t shake the swing please go away.

And that is all she has to say.”

                                  – David Brandon

“For a while I felt like H—l

Until I met that Sweet Lutrelle

She has made my heart a whirl

Just that Dear little girl.

                                 – O. [Grover] Balfour

“A young man by the name of Paul Searcy

He loves all the Girls oh! Mercy

And for selecting a bevy of pretty lassies

For wholesale courting, ZuZu he surpasses.”

                                 – Minnie Weldon

“Our camp has been a great success

Of all the others this is the best

Of chaperones there’s no dispute

‘cause the best in the world is Mrs. Dismuke.”

                                  – S. V. [Sydney Victor] Steyerman