Counterfeit Currency

One of the things I find truly engaging while doing family history are the research spin offs into actual history to understand more about my family and the events influenced their lives.  Major events that might merit a sentence or two in  massive college texts may have been a huge challenge to everyday families.  It is even more interesting to compare those events to our day.

This is what happened when I read a line in the Maryland Historical Magazine about my ancestor, David Harry. 

 Saturday Feby 8th 1777… Ordered that Capn Andrew Linck pay David Harry £2…12…6 for his services and nine men under his Command in apprehending Isaac and Christian Shockey—

The article was not about David Harry, my ancestor. It was about Isaac and Christian Shockey. Curiosity got the best of me. Who were the Shockey's? Why would my ancestor be "apprehending" them?

It turns out the Shockey's descendants have done a bit of research. I don't have all the details, but the basic story is they were counterfeiters. The Shockey descendants are trying to organize the facts for their family records. In one record I learned they had been hiding in a cave. One had been a deserter in the Revolutionary War and George Washington had pardoned him and he reformed. Other records say they escaped from jail and another says one or more were executed. The Shockey family will need to put that part of the story together.

Now this is where I explain the "historical lesson" I learned. I never thought much about counterfeiting. Probably because it has never been part of my life. Look at the photo above. Notice that it was issued by Virginia - each colony had its own currency. The design is not complicated which would make it easy to copy. Often currency was only printed on one side which also made it easy to copy. Also notice the warning " Death to Counterfeit".

Great Britain began to counterfeit "Continentals" early in the war. Their hope was to bankrupt the colony's finances. George Washington ran into problems trying to buy from local farmers who were concerned about currency. Who would reimburse the farmer who receives counterfeit currency for his produce or pig or cow. It would be safer to take British coins. Among many concerns good men who wanted the British gone faced a big ethical decision on whether they would feed the British or the colonists soldiers.

The other part of the problem was the value of colonial currency was diluted when counterfeit currency was added into the mix.  

How does this impact my knowledge of David Harry and his times. David was not a bounty hunter out to get paid for catching the bad guys. I already know a lot about David and his activity in the community. He was a wagon maker. He helped start the first fire company in Hagerstown. He fought along with his neighbors in the Revolution. This tells me that he was trusted to lead others in a difficult adventure. Even more important he was willing to go.

Today our nation is still concerned with a counterfeiting and other attacks on our nations financial security. We have redesigned our currency adding many safeguards to combat criminals. As we have become more sophisticated in our technology, others have developed other ways harm us. Identity theft, hacking businesses and government systems and greed are problems that can bring down nations if left unchecked. It takes men and women of integrity and intellect to protect our nation. It is nice to know we have men and women in our ancestry who stepped up when needed.

Mayor of Warm Springs

My grandfather, WG Harry, was the mayor of Warm Springs throughout all but the last term of FDR's presidency.  

Warm Springs was and still is a small town in rural Georgia.  That did not diminish the significant responsibility that he felt for the office.  As you read this letter, I hope you will appreciate the effort and dedication he had to improve "the little city we call home".  The financial numbers cited seem insignificant if you are thinking in current dollars, but they were more significant in dollars of that time. The inconvenience of travel is also hard to compare, but notice  roads were unpaved until after he persuaded the government to pave highways. Also this letter was a response to an ad placed in a local newspaper by the opposing candidate.  My grandfather was not accustomed to bragging about his accomplishments, but he did know how to stand up for himself.

I am not sure how "exciting" this letter is to anyone else. My grandfather was special ... the way grandfathers are supposed to be. He was honest to a fault. Reading the letter gives me a window into a portion of his life that occurred before I was born. I believe the letter was written in 1940 or 1941, but it was not dated.

I have just read the letter of Lieut. McManus, a paid advertisement in the "Warm Springs Mirror", in which he enumerates the great improvements the City of Warm Springs has received at the hands of the incumbent Mayor of Warm Springs and his Council. This is not to take any glory from them, but to refute the charge, and the general report that my Mayorship and the Councils that served with me, did nothing for the little city we call our home. That the citizens of Warm Springs might have their minds refreshed concerning a few things that were done during my administration as Mayor, and particularly those who make the charge that nothing was done, I would call to their attention the following things that were done..

1.      

    The paving of the Columbus Road from Warm Springs to the Muscogee line. Mr W I Pitts of Waverly Hall and I made the fight for this paving almost single handed. We visited the Governor and the State Highway department on two occasions. I made the plea for the road. I wrote President Roosevelt and requested him to help Warm Springs get this paving; his letter clinched the appropriation.

2.      I remind those who charge that nothing was done FOR Warm Springs when I was Mayor that Sam Killian and I negotiated the paving with Lint Miller, Highway Chm. For the sidewalk to the school house on the grounds that it was dangerous for the children to walk the highway. This pavement was done without cost to the city.

3.      I remind the citizens of Warm Springs that I personally negotiated a loan of $650 to clear the right of way for this paving and the same was paid without raising taxes in my administration.

4.       I remind the citizens of Warm Springs that the paving from the depot to the city limits on the Woodbury road was done in my administration. The state refused to do this paving unless the rightaway was cleared. Again I personally negotiated loans with my personal obligation as collateral for $900 to clear Tid McRae’s store and tenant house and Lee Magnums home. This was paid for in my administration.  

5.      I remind the citizens of Warm Springs that I personally made many trips to Atlanta and Columbus to set up the WPA project for the installation of our Municipal water system. My time and my gas was given to the city in this work without charge.

6.      I remind the citizens of Warm Springs that the Warm Springs Community House was planned and constructed on my own initiative. When construction began I had the lot and $75 from the Woman’s Club. Ninety percent of the rock was donated from Mrs Harry’s property above Cold Spr I foraged the creeks for sand; I secured a car of concrete gravings. I helped get these rock out with my own hands.I secured a concret gravel from Columbus gravel as a donation. I personally canvassed Warm Springs for private donations to continue the work. The citizens of Warm Springs subscribed $800 for the community house project. There was a debt of $1600 against the community house when it was completed. Mrs Harry, who was then president of the Woman’s Club and some of the ladies solicited donations in the amount of $500 mostly in Manchester. $1100 was raised from letters Mrs Harry and I wrote to friends asking for help in paying off this debt.  One dear friend of Mrs Harry’s gave $750 to the cause. When It was completed the Woman’s Club had title to the building. When it was paid for they gave it to the City of Warm Springs without cost to the tax payers of Warm Springs. This community house includes a Mayor’s Office, library, auditorium, kitchen, comfort facilities, city jail and basement storage for the city fire department and other equipment. The young people of Warm Springs should remember they would have no community house had it not been for my tireless efforts and planning to get it.

7.       I remind the citizens of Warm Springs that the fire hose and reels were purchased by me when the city did not have funds to pay for same, and on my own personal promise, without note or any obligation from the city, that I would personally be responsible to the Eureka Fire Hose Co for the obligation.

I personally invited the Underwriters Association to inspect the new water system and fire equipment and arranged with the Warm Springs Foundation to provide auxiliary assistance with their fire equipment. The Underwriters gave Warm Springs next to the lowest rate of insurance listed.  The rate of insurance was reduced from $__ per thousand when you paid your insurance you paid $_ per thousand. Figures from Magic City Insurance Co. When you paid your tax in my administration you paid $5 on every thousand.

 I would remind the citizens of Warm Springs that a $900 Chloronator and a $75 Liming Machine were bought, installed and paid for in my administration.

 I would remind the citizens of Warm Springs that out of my planning, my own persuading, the auxiliary overshot water wheel and pump were bought and installed. I personally arranged the loan of $750 for the purchase and installation. I went to Newnan at my own expense and worked out plans and detail for the building. The wheel reduced pumping costs from more than $50/month to the minimum on the electric pump of $10/month. This installation paid for itself in less than two years and has saved the city pumping costs of more than $2000 since its installation. Mrs Harry was to have received $2/month for the easement rights on water power and land where this auxiliary pumping equipment is installed. To date she has not received one penny from the City of Warm Springs on the easement contract for this privilege.

It is charged by the opposition, if reports to me are correct, that I as Mayor of Warm Springs favored with special privilege members of my family in tax assessments. Assessments were always made by committee appointed from the council. I had no part in these assessments. Councilman Reed was on the committee for tax assessment. I have never asked a favor in tax assessment for myself or any member of my family since I have been in Warm Springs.

You the voters of Warm Springs may vote me in or you may vote me out; you may elect me or you may defeat me, but you can not take from my heart and conscience the fact that I tried with the little ability Almighty God gave me to make for you the best public servant I could in the years you entrusted to me the executive responsibilities of our beloved little town of Warm Springs. The thing that hurts is the false accusations, and the utter unappreciation of many for what I tried to do. If you vote me out you will relieve me of a responsibility that I would dread to take up again. If you vote me in I shall try to take up the work again and carry on for a greater and better Warm Springs.

Sincerely yours,
W. G. Harry