The Spittin' Image of Her Daddy

I may have seen his photograph once.  Hanging on a wall in Ruston, Louisiana with all the other good-looking Ritchie men. Seeing his photograph again after so many years gave me pause. He was a very handsome man. The kind I'm drawn to - dark hair and eyes, a look in those eyes that proclaims knowledge, strength, and serious business. His youngest daughter was my great grandmother. She was the "spittin' image" of her daddy.

He came out of South Carolina, the Abbeville District, Old 96, and was connected through marriage to the Caldwells and the Calhouns of that political hotbed.
His name: John Calhoun Ritchie. The surname could also be spelled Richey, as various spellings of the same name still revealed the same family. Naming conventions are important when tracing ancestry.

John Calhoun Ritchie married Jane E McBride Campbell. They had three sons and four daughters. Their story is remarkable as they carved their names into Camden and Ouachita County, Arkansas, history.

The House on Harrison Street:  The Gordon-Ritchie Saga is told as creative non-fiction. It contains stories, conversations, tidbits and morsels to answer lingering questions. Some questions, however, have no answers.

The book will be launched during the Camden Daffodil Festival:  March 11-12-13, 2016.