Edgar Pitts the teacake man

Edgar Pitts
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

There is more to Edgar beside enjoyment of syrup making and being retired.  Edgar enjoys the art of syrup making in addition to being retired.  Another thing he enjoys is making teacakes. As a child, my mother baked teacakes for me and my brothers. I had the opportunity to taste one of these sweet treats. Although I thought Mary had made them, she explained to me she could not take credit for the freshly baked teacakes. She told me that Edgar had made them. I was told that this time he had tried something completely different. He used homemade syrup.  He said he didn't think they tasted good. It's not the best batch I've ever made, he assured me. Although I didn't taste the kind he is used to baking, I couldn't tell the difference because they tasted delicious to me. One thing for sure is that his father-in-law, Mr. L.S. Spears enjoys his freshly bake teacakes and so did everyone else. Edgar is related to the Womack's. They're first cousins. I hope to get to taste his original teacake  recipe next fall. 

Exploring and Discovering African American Genealogy and History in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana

Charley Smothers
Greater Hollywood Church, West Feliciana
Photo Credit: Dr. Antoinette Harrell

Sunday was the perfect day to drive down the back roads in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. The charming and inviting town of St. Francisville, West Feliciana Parish was so beautiful. St. Francisville is the parish seat. We drove along the back roads taking in the view of the beautiful countryside. West Feliciana is about sixty minutes from my home. After arriving in the very clean and charming small town, we took a drive through the historic district in order to see the town's Victorian homes.  Afterward we made our way to visit the West Feliciana Historical Society which lasted about an hour. 

We took the opportunity to drive to Rosedown Plantation, which was built by the Turnbull family. Cotton was one of Daniel Turnbull's main sources of wealth. The plantation consists of 28 acres of formal gardens, which can be walked toured by visitors. I couldn't help but think about the enslaved from the perspective of their experiences. "They worked until the day they died, for others until the freedom bell rung." I want to know their names and learn as much as possible about the people who was forced to work from sun up to sundown. 

Old Wooden Cabin
West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana
Photo Credit: Dr. Antoinette Harrell

We drove out of the town limits and saw three little cabins sitting in a fenced in yard. I wanted to learn more about the cabins. What are they used for? Who do they belong to? Did someone move the cabins to this location? If so, where did they get the cabins  from?

Due to my own family history research expedition,  I am aware of the importance of obtaining accurate information and interpreting the message of the oral history. It is important to note that black people have made significant contributions to these small towns, and their history is the least undocumented history of the towns. 

We visited two church cemeteries while there, Greater Hollywood churches and found Gilmores, Sharpers, Handy, Pate, and Jones in the cemeteries. The oldest headstone was marked 1853 and was found on "Old Hollywood Church Road" right off Sligo Road.  According to the  1880 United States Federal Census. Charley was born in 1855. In the 8th Ward, West Feliciana. His wife was Adelaide Smother. Both his parents were bring in Louisiana.  His occupation was a farm laborer. 

Bull Baker Making Homemade Syrup in St. Helena Parish

Bull Baker
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

Those that know him call him Bull Baker. Bull is a native of St. Helena Parish, Louisiana. He is also known for his gray mustache and his love for overalls. In addition to his gray mustache and his love for overalls, he is well-known for joking and teasing folks. He studied at Southern University N.O. and his retired.

A real country boy at heart, Bull is proud of his roots. He comes from a very large family in St. Helena. One of the largest African-American families in St. Helena is the Baker family. I should mention that Alphonse Baker and he bear the same surname however I am not sure how closely related they are. But rest assured, they are somehow connected through bloodlines.

Bull worked alongside the other men in order to make the delicious homemade syrup from scratch. He fed long stalks of sugarcane into the loud sounding machine that squeezed the naturally sweet juice out of each stalk.

Each man and his helpers are responsible for collecting the waste from beneath the old mill shed. All of the ground was covered with shredded cane.  As soon as every container was filled with the delicious, savory syrup and packed. It was now ready to be transported to the homes of those who placed orders. He was finished working at the old mill shed for the day. 

Fresh hot homemade buttermilk biscuits right out of the oven and homemade syrup make and excellent breakfast for the following morning with a hot cup of coffee. The smell of frying bacon and homemade biscuits always reminds people of their mother waking them up in the morning as the smell of fresh bacon wafted throughout the entire house. What a way to start your day off?