Daisy Melvina Jones Davis Massey Fox Collection

Title: Daisy Melvina Jones Davis Massey Fox Collection
Description: Most items in this collection appear to have been cut from a memory album, the rest of which has been lost to time. They relate to Daisy Jones, her mother, and her son James; but also include two significant photographs (Charles Drace and Olin Gaines), and a 1947 Greer Citizen "Baby Week Edition."
Subject: Daisy Melvina Jones was born August 29, 1891, daughter of Alexander Preston “A.P.” and Margaret “Maggie” Garrett Jones. She was married three times: to James Franklin Massey (1876–1935), Coke M. Davis (1886–1913), and Robert Vernon Fox (1882–1976). Her children included Berry Josiah Victor Davis (1909–1975); Tallie J.V. Davis (1911–1951); Margaret Frances Massey Brooks (1917–1976); and James Lewis Massey (1919–1974).

In 1906, at age 15, Daisy Jones was working in Victor Mill as a Draw-in-Hand. From this collection we have the only known photograph of the interior of Victor Mill, showing her at work in a line of draw-in women.

In the 1910 Census, Daisy Davis, age 18, is married to Coke M. Davis, age 22; they have their first child, B.J. Davis, age 1. They live with his mother, Rosella Victoria Hendrix Davis (who went by Victoria) and Coke's sister, Mamie Hodencamp, widowed, age 35.

He became supervisor of the oil mill at Belton, in 1911 their son Tallie was born. However, in the spring of 1913, he became gravely ill and was forced to move back to live with Victoria in Greer.

He seemed to have one period of improvement; on July 25, a newspaper entry notes that Coke Davis was convalescing from illness. But on October 11 the paper reported that “his friends will be grieved to learn that he is quite ill,” and his sister had come home to visit him. He died December 13, 1913.

The 1920 Census lists Daisy Massey, age 28, married to James Massey, age 44, and living in Easley. Seven children are listed: Mae Massey, 17, daughter; Willis Massey, 14, son; Clyde Massey, 10, son; Margaret Massey, 2, daughter; James Massey, 0, son; B. J. Davis, 10, stepson; and Talley Davis, 8, stepson. Stepchildren are listed as such to the head of house, in this case James; so BJ and Talley are his stepchildren, coming from Daisy's prior marriage. But Mae, Willis, And Clyde are likely his children from a prior marriage and thus Daisy's stepchildren, with Margaret and James being children of this marriage.

James Massey had a prior marriage to Laura Looney Scott Massey; she died at age 34 in 1912 in Hartwell, Georgia.

The 1930 Census lists Daisy Massey, age 38, widowed, renting a home at 21 5th Street — a house in the Victor Mill village. She is listed as having not attended school, being able to read and write, and with an occupation of Draw-in at Victor Mill. Living with her are Margaret F Massey, 12, daughter; James L Massey, 10, son; B.J. Davis, 21, son; and Tallie Davis, 19, son.

While listed there as widowed, James had not died; her husband, James Massey, died December 23, 1935. We do not know the circumstances, but it is likely that they had separated; and James’ obituary does not mention Daisy as surviving him.

In the 1940 Census, Daisy Massey is 48 and living with her daughter Margaret, age 22, at #4 14th Street; at the time, this was a duplex, and the other half held the family of her son James, age 20; his wife Bessie, age 19; and their son James A., 3 months old. Daisy is still listed as working as a Draw-in-Hand at Victor Mill; Margaret is a clerk in the mill office (getting paid more than her mother, at $400 vs. $300); James works in the Cloth Room, making $640. This Census adds the detail that Daisy attended school through 7th grade.

In the 1950 Census, Daisy is 58, married to Robert Fox, age 67. They live alone in Victor Mill village; she is listed as a homemaker, and his employment is listed as “other.”

On July 31, 1951, Tallie Davis died suddenly of a heart attack. He had graduated from Greer High School, and was a steam fitter.

James “Jim” Massey became the communications manager for WCKI Radio. In 1957, The Leader Department Store ran ads for a cloth sale on WCKI Radio; a photograph taken of the resulting crowd shows Daisy in the back of the room, and the only known photograph of the interior of The Leader.

She died August 16, 1973.
Date: 1891-1973
Table Of Contents: This collection is the accession lot 2024.4.n.
It consists of:
2024.4.1 — Photograph: portrait of C. W. Drace
2024.4.2 — Photograph: portrait of Olin Gaines and family
2024.4.3 — Photograph: Draw-in Room, Victor Mill, 1906
2024.4.4 — Photograph: Greer High faculty, 1933-34
2024.4.5 — Photograph: Daisy, Margaret, and Tallie in front of RJ Davis house
2024.4.6 — Photograph: 1957 Leader Store sale, WCKI advertising
2024.4.7 — Greer High School report card 1933-34: James Massey
Provenance: This collection was acquired by the Museum in 2024 from eBay seller Arnoldo in La Follette, Tennessee; he is an odd-lot dealer, and could provide no further information on how he acquired the items. His business involves large numbers of purchases from estate sales and similar outlets, and he does not track each source.
Accession Creator: David Lovegrove
Accession Date: March and April, 2024
Relation: Photograph: portrait of C. W. Drace; Photograph: portrait of Olin Gaines and family; Photograph: Draw-in Room, Victor Mill, 1906; Photograph: Greer High School faculty, 1933-34; Photograph: Daisy, Margaret, Tallie, and James Massey in front of R.J. Davis house; Photograph: 1957 Leader Store sale, WCKI advertising; Greer High School report card 1933-34: James Massey; Greer Citizen Newspaper, May 1, 1947: Baby Week Edition; Letter: CR Ballenger to US Government, 8 April 1944

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Greer High School report card 1933-34: James Massey
Greer High School Report card, 1933-34, Grade 9, Section 28. Student James Lewis Massey; address 4 – 14 St Victor; Parent Daisy Massey.
Photograph: 1957 Leader Store sale, WCKI advertising
Photograph of the interior of The Leader Department Store, 201 Trade Street, on the morning of March 6, 1957. The afternoon before, they had run ads for a cloth sale on WCKI Radio; this photo, taken by the Communication Manager for WCKI, was intended to demonstrate the effectiveness of radio advertising. About 25 women, including Black women, are shown looking at tables full of fabric. Prices range from 39 cents per yard to $1.00 per yard.
Photograph: Daisy, Margaret, Tallie, and James Massey in front of R.J. Davis house
Photograph of the Davis family. Cut from one photo album then mounted in another, and then cut from that one. Handwritten text below the photograph reads" Mamma – Margaret – Tallie & Me – Grandma R. J. Davis House E. Poinsett St, Greer, – 1924"
Photograph: Greer High School faculty, 1933-34
Original photograph of the Greer High School faculty for 1933-34, showing 21 men and women standing on the front steps of the Davenport High School building. The photo is glued to a sheet of heavy paper, which appears to have originally been in a memory album. A handwritten inscription on the paper under the photo reads "Greer High Faculty — Davenport Hi — 1933-34.
Photograph: Draw-in Room, Victor Mill, 1906
Photograph of the draw-in room of Victor Mill, 1906. Photograph is on a cabinet card, and was glued into a memory album. Handwritten in pencil in the lower left corner of the photo is "1906." In the album, under the photograph, is a handwritten note: Draw-In Room – Victor Mill – Greer Mother 4th in Row – Made around 1906 Glued on the back of the memory album page were several newspaper clippings.
Photograph: portrait of Olin Gaines and family
Cabinet Card photograph embossed with a very early Drace stamp: "C.W.Drace, Greers, S.C." The photograph shows Greer's first telegraph operator, Olin Gaines; his wife, Taccoa Cannon Gaines; son Charlton; and daughter Margarite. Olin A. Gaines was Greer's first telegraph operator, working for the Southern Railroad for 20 years. He then worked with Victor Monaghan for 35 years, and was assistant paymaster by the time of his death on August 17, 1936. This photo card was mounted in a memory album, and later cut out of it. A large piece of the album page remains around the photograph, and notes about the family are written on it. On the back are torn areas where things were removed from the album, and a couple partial documents: an admission ticket to a Greenville Horse Show, and an exhibitor tag from the 1946 Savannah Horse Show Assn.
Photograph: portrait of C. W. Drace
Original photograph of Charlie Drace, originally mounted in a memory album, then cut out.