This photograph was taken in 1955 in front of Mattie Emerson's house, which was built in 1848. Mattie was Esther's mother, and my great grandmother. I believe Mattie passed away in about 1957. Around this time, Jesse and Esther moved out of the house that Jesse built about a quarter of a mile away, and moved into Mattie's house.
Jesse was a carpenter and Esther was a teacher. Both of them played strong roles in running the Parker's Chapel Methodist Church, about a mile west of this house.
Mattie Emerson's grand house sits about 100 feet north of the Haynesville High (Highway 15) and about 3 miles southwest of El Dorado, Arkansas. It has been abandoned since Esther died of colon cancer in 1991. Before Esther died, there was a fenced in area behind this house of about 40 acres with a 3 acre garden, and a few acres of pasture. Most of this 40 acres was like a jungle; one of the most beautiful places in the world. There are many government documents showing plumes of contaminated groundwater permeating from Great Lakes Chemical Corporation (GLCC) at high concentrations under this house, under the rest of this 40 acres, and under a lot more land touching the southern border of of this chemical plant. Nobody told us.
Joe was the second of three children. His older sister, Bertha, is sitting with Joe in this photograph.
Robert McKinnon, Joe's little brother, was born in the mid 1940's.
