Pioneers in Paradise

By BUD PHILLIPS

Though some form of decorative body adornment that we now called jewelry has been known from since the beginning of recorded history, such was not commonly used in this area at the time Bristol was founded. Indeed, there were women in this section of the South who lived through their span of years without ever having owned or worn a single piece of jewelry.

Mrs. Malinda King Anderson, wife of Bristol founder Joseph R. Anderson, was born and died in wealth, but she is known to have had only one piece of jewelry — a gold broach that contained the earliest known picture of her husband. She wore it continually. It still exists, owned by a descendant.

Actually, in those early days of this city, if a woman wore excessive jewelry, she was shunned as a person of too much pride and oftentimes suspected of being immoral.

Joseph Anderson, who opened the first store here on Dec. 24, 1853, did have a small amount of jewelry in his stock and later W.W. James’ store offered jewelry as well. I once saw a gold watch that was bought at this store. It was still in good operable condition when I saw it some 50 years ago.

Though a limited amount of jewelry was indeed offered by several merchants, Bristol did not have a real jewelry store until October 1866. On a trip to New Orleans, Joseph Anderson had a problem with his pocket watch. A friend there directed him to the shop of Henry C. Caldwell. While in that shop, he not only had a satisfactory repair job, but persuaded Caldwell to move to Bristol. Anderson was always trying to promote his new town. Thus he gave him three months free rent of both a business house and a cottage in which to live.

At first, the firm had a partner, a gentleman named A.S. Jones. Soon, however, Mr. Caldwell went on his own as H.C. Caldwell Jeweler, located on Moore Street in Bristol, Va. He sold many popular clocks of the time and fine watches. He also did much clock and watch repair.

In late 1872, an epidemic of smallpox hit Bristol. Mr. Caldwell became a victim of it and died Nov. 13 that year.

He was born at St. Mary’s Parish, La., on March 25, 1838, thus he was only 34 at the time of his death. He is buried in a well-marked grave in Section 1 G in Bristol’s historic East Hill Cemetery. His little daughter, Mary Orm, age 4, died the same day as her father and is buried at his side. I have been told his widow returned to Louisiana. The late Allie Lin Blackley said that she remembered when Mrs. Caldwell, then a very old woman, returned here by train to visit the graves in 1915. Mrs. Blackley remembered the M.R. Cowan family that lived near the western edge of the cemetery, supplied this woman with a chair in which she sat for many hours at the graveside.

Bristol’s second jewelry operator was Victor Doriot of Wytheville, Va. After the death of Mr. Caldwell, Mr. Doriot moved here to fill the vacancy. The late Catherine Doriot Smith once told me that Dr. William N. Vance, who had had Mr. Caldwell as a patient just before his death, made a business trip to Wytheville and informed Mr. Doriot of the need for a jeweler in Bristol. Mr. Doriot not only did a prosperous business here but also set up a watch-making factory. Some of those watches may still exist here. It should be noted that Mary Doriot married W.K. Vance, son of the doctor who brought her father to Bristol. The Doriot home stood at 517 Scott Street on the northwest corner of Scott and Lee. The home was later used as a funeral home.

Archibald (Arch) Pickens, formally of London England, is thought to be the next jeweler in Bristol. He set up a business in the 400 block of Main Street on the Virginia side of town. He had a huge thermometer and a clock displayed at the front of his store, both of which became downtown landmarks. Many of the clocks he sold there bore his label pasted inside. I one time owned one of those clocks. It was Mr. Pickens who kept the first weather records in Bristol. One entry in December 1886 tells there was 30 inches of snow on the ground in Bristol. James P. Lewis was contracted by Pickens to erect a fine cottage at 409 5th Street in 1881. He did not long live in that house but soon moved to Jonesboro, Tenn., and sold the house to the wife of A. M. Carter and remained in that family until 1937. In recent years, it was the Floyd F. Whitehead home and demolished just a few years ago. It was commonly known as the “pink house” since it was that color.

In the mid 1880s, James P. Pendleton and his brother, C.W., opened a store at 8 Front Street later moving to the 500 block of State Street. This business operated until very recently appearing to be the longest operating retail business in Bristol. The Pendleton’s built the large brick at 124 Solar (present home of Eddie and Laverne Canter) but soon sold it to Judge M. B. Wood. The Pendleton’s later lived at 1225 Railroad Street in a large brick house that later became Janie Hammitt home.

By 1900, Bristol had six jewelry stores and many that set up and operated later. Today, we have several firms catering to the needs of those who seek adornment for the human form.

Bud Phillips is a local historian and author. He can be reached at (276) 466-6435. For more about Bristol’s history, visit www.bristolhistoricalassociation.com.