My First Visit to the Dumas Walker House
I was in Celina, Tennessee, visiting my friend, Kathi, when the day for the party at the Dumas Walker house drew near. This was the first party I went to there, though not the last, as a party became a regular feature of my visits to this small town in the north of Tennessee, close to the Kentucky border. The weather was kind, giving us a pleasantly warm and sunny day.
The Venue for The Party
The venue was a big old house about four miles out of Celina, half a mile off the main road. It belongs to Kathi’s sister, Michele, and her husband. The grassy field alongside the house served as a car park for the party-goers. Temporary toilets were set up outside for all the men and boys to use, with women and girls being allowed to use the indoor bathroom.
This house had been the birthplace of Dumas Walker, who had been a well known trader in Moss, on the Tennessee / Kentucky border and the house is still known locally as The Walker House. Dumas Walker was also a champion marble player. Learn more about him here
The Kentucky Headhunters, a country rock group, wrote a song about him which starts with the words, ‘Let’s All Go Down to Dumas Walker’s’.
Spreading the Word
Word about the party was spread among family and friends, by word, phone, text and email. Anyone who cared to show up was welcome. The only stipulation was that they each brought food or drink with them, which was to be laid out on large tables, ready for everyone to help themselves. Jack and Misty, Kathi and Michele’s parents, were with me on this trip and their presence drew a big crowd.
Making Music
All the musicians who came brought their voices and instruments. They set their instruments and speakers up on the front porch. Then, once everything was plugged in and ready, the music started.
Joe, Guy, Mike and others had brought their guitars. Bill was on drums. Someone had brought a keyboard along. Joe’s wife, Roxanna, sang in her usual off-key voice.
Guy Harden was almost certainly one of the best guitarist there. He was a former band member with the Waylon Jennings Band & also with Alabama, amongst other bands. Most of the other guitarists there were good too. Jack and Misty played the keyboards and sang some of their songs, while many people, including Kathi and me, sang along or danced to the music.
Getting Sidetracked
At one point, 7-year-old Luke, one of Kathi’s grandsons, pleaded with me to help him build stick houses. I duly obliged him. Many more of her grandchildren were there too, along with their parents … so many people, in fact, that I had great difficulty working out and remembering who was who. Fortunately, I met many of them on later trips, which helped me sort out who they were.
At one point, a guy who was related to the family showed up at the party, drunk, as usual. He stayed for a little while before someone persuaded him to leave before he caused any trouble.
More Music, Dancing and Feasting
The music, dancing and feasting continued all afternoon and into the evening. Our hosts had set up chairs in the front yard, along with a couple of gazebos, so people could either sit in the open while they chatted, or take shelter from the sun.
The Party Day’s End
The festivities continued until after dark, by which time people started to drift away. My torch came in handy when we were ready to leave. It lit the way down the steep little bank leading to the car parking field and over the rough ground. After I took Kathi home, Jack, Misty and myself returned to the small motel where we were staying.
We had all had a thoroughly enjoyable time. In addition to all the party fun, Jack and Misty were very happy to have this chance to meet up with so many of their extended family again. They don’t see them very often because they live about 650 miles away, down in Florida. There were four generations there that year, but now their family has grown to five generations … and still growing.
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