In 1987, my grandparents visited a cousin named Ruth Elizabeth Austin, known affectionately as "Aunt Betty." That visit was more than just a family lunch. It resulted in a letter, a set of photographs, and a ripple of historical resonance that has reached me decades later, still working to untangle and honor the roots they helped uncover.
One of those photographs, taken in 1903 in Dickson County, Tennessee, captured the extended family of Captain Franklin Fulton Tidwell and Magdalene Knox Petty Tidwell. In the image, you’ll find representatives from the Tidwell, Austin, Alspaugh, Wyburn, Meek, Hudgens, Spencer, and Hooper families. You’ll also find a direct connection to my great-great-grandmother Elizabeth Emeline "Eliza" Austin (1858–1954).
Her parents were George Wyatt Austin (1827–1892) and Mary Ann Tidwell (1832–1913). George’s brother, Calvin Franklin Austin (1846–unknown), connects us to Ruth Elizabeth Austin and her branch of the family. In the 1987 letter we received, Ruth referred to her "Aunt Betty’s cousin" — a connection that triangulates the relationships we’ve long been mapping.
As someone who has been doing family research for over 40 years, I never tire of discovering threads like these. If anything, it brings me closer to my grandparents, who did this work long before me. They may not have had all our digital tools, but they had letters, hand-drawn trees (and on DOS), and a commitment to remembering.
So I’m sharing this photograph, along with a full captioned identification guide, to help connect with anyone else doing similar work. Maybe you’re related. Maybe you have another piece of the story. Or maybe you just want to see what a moment of family legacy looked like 120 years ago, carefully preserved, and now lovingly restored.
Here’s what I’ve put together:
A fully labeled version of the 1903 family photo (numbered 1–26)
A master list matching names, numbers, and family positions
The original transcription of the 1987 letter that helped unlock this research
If you recognize any of these names, faces, or family lines, I’d love to hear from you. And even if you don’t, I hope this reminds you that family history doesn’t end in the past. It lives wherever we choose to remember it.
Family of Franklin Fulton Tidwell and Magdalene Knox Petty Tidwell
Dickson County, Tennessee. Photo made in 1903.
Back Row (1–11):
James E. Mathis, M.D.
Hickman Tidwell (eldest)
Mattie Richardson Tidwell (Mrs. Hickman)
Wm. Emory Alspaugh, Sr.
Annie Tidwell (Mrs. Albert)
Albert Tidwell
Molly Tidwell Hooper (Mrs. Bowman)
Walter Wyburn
Berta Tidwell Wyburn (Mrs. Walter)
Oscar Tidwell
Landon Tidwell (youngest)
Middle Row (12–20):
Hattie Tidwell Mathis (Mrs. James E. Mathis, M.D.) — holding #21
Captain Franklin Fulton Tidwell
Vina Tidwell Alspaugh (Mrs. W.E.) — holding #22
Prenda Tidwell (being held by father, Albert — back row #6)
Hazel Hooper (twin)
Pauline Hooper (twin)
Carl Hooper
(deliberate skip to align visual numbering — no person identified here)
Magdalene “Dalie” Petty Tidwell (Mrs. F.F.)
Front Row (21–26):
Duncan Mathis (baby in Hattie's arms)
Madge Alspaugh (baby in Vina’s arms)
Rosa Tidwell Hudgens (Mrs. Albert)
Alabama “Allie” Tidwell Meek (Mrs. Harvey)
Faith Hudgens (older)
Emma Lee Hudgens (younger) — seated with Annie Tidwell Spencer (Mrs. Petway Spencer, M.D.)
Note: Annie Tidwell Spencer is not numbered independently here because she is seated with Emma Lee, and the photo’s visual clustering suggests they’re treated as one group.
A Note on the Historical Context:
It’s worth noting that several individuals in this family photograph were doctors — including James E. Mathis, M.D., Petway Spencer, M.D., and Captain F. F. Tidwell, who served as Captain of Company K, 11th Tennessee Infantry, Confederate States Army during the Civil War. The presence of medical professionals and a decorated officer in this 1903 photo speaks volumes about the values of service, leadership, and education held by these families.
At the time this photo was taken, Dickson County, Tennessee was transitioning from its post-Reconstruction rural identity toward a more developed and organized civic life. The railroad had brought new commerce, and public schools and small-town medicine were beginning to take deeper root in local communities. These families, through both war service and medical professions were actively shaping that growth.
More to come, of course. This is just one photo, one letter, and one branch of a deeply rooted tree.
The Letter That Started It All (April 8, 1987)
From William W. Austin, Department of Materials Engineering, North Carolina State University
Dear Cousins:
Just a note to say how much we enjoyed and appreciated seeing you & having lunch with you on March 28. It really is great finding cousins we didn’t even know we had, and especially so because Lucia & I are both only children & have no brothers or sisters of our own.
It was very good of you to give us such a warm welcome to High Springs, & needless to say we really enjoyed very much having lunch with you at your new combination restaurant & outfitters shop whose name escapes me. It was an interesting & unusual place & the food was excellent!
I'm enclosing some snapshots of our Aunt Betty Aston with the three of us, made at her retirement complex, Springmoor. She does not remember her Uncle George Austin who died before she was born, but she remembers very well her Aunt Mary Ann Tidwell Austin (his wife). And speaking of the Tidwells, we’re enclosing a photo of the family of Capt. Franklin Fulton Tidwell, a local Civil War hero of sorts. Aunt Betty recalls that her Aunt Mary Ann and Capt. Tidwell were cousins. Aunt Betty is also related to the Tidwells because her 1st cousin (who was also her foster brother) Wm. Emory Alspaugh Sr. married one of Capt. Tidwell’s daughters, Vine (see photo). Thought you might be interested in this bit of Austin family history, for whatever it's worth.
I've checked on the N.C. Genealogical Society Conference set for May 13–16 here in Raleigh at the Radisson Hotel. Altho I was hoping to attend some of the sessions, the time is conflicting with the graduation of two of our grandchildren from NC State University here in Raleigh, and most of our family from out of town will be here that week for the celebration. We certainly hope there will be a chance for you to meet some of our family while you are here, and we especially want you to visit our Aunt Betty. Please call us at 555–5555 and we’ll be glad to take you to see her.
We realize that you’ve probably made reservations for the conference, but if we can be of any help please let us know.
We’ll be looking forward to seeing you again.
Cordially,
Cousin Bill & Lucia Austin
and Helen Austin Taylor
Thank you to my late grandparents, to the late Ruth Elizabeth Austin, to William W. Austin Jr., Lucia P. Austin (Mrs. Wm. W.), and Cousin Helen Austin Taylor — and to everyone who ever took the time to preserve a name, a story, or a photograph. The more I know, the more I show.
With love, reverence and curiosity,
Will
Outstanding!!