The B. B. Carmichael Funeral Home in Mcdonough Square GA

"The B.B. Carmichael Funeral Home"

McDonough, Georgia

The B.B. Carmichael & Company was begun by Benjamin Brown Carmichael who was born in 1848 and died in 1922. He was the son of James M. Carmichael who settled in Henry County from Butts County. He is shown on the census records for 1850 as living in Henry County. B.B. Carmichael was living on the farm but moved to McDonough in 1882 as the railroad was built through the area.

The B.B. Carmichael's newspaper advertisements tell of his business located on the Square in McDonough on what was known as Old Brown's Corner. Here are some examples: From the Henry County Times of the 1880's McDonough, Ga., September 8, 1884--With my customers, I can testify that "Eddystone" compares favorably with and leads many fertilizers sold in this market.


McDonough , Ga, July 27, 1888--All kinds of tombstones and monuments.

McDonough, Ga, December 2, 1888--Furniture--I keep constantly on hand an elegant line of furniture.
The undertaking department is full of all classes of coffins from the cheapest to the best.
Remember that I keep a nice "Hearse" which I send with a coffin when required, without charge, when the price exceeds twenty dollars.

Mr. Carmichael had the first hearse in Henry County and he furnished two later on.

One was for the white people and the other was for the African Americans. Mr. Johnson was in charge of the African American service.

In improvements on Square "B" (See Map) and Brown's Corner on August 27, 1897, B.B. Carmichael and sons were placing their goods in there new building on the corner of the public square. This lot, old Brown's Corner was the a stand belonging to Asa Brown the owner of the Brown House.

At the 100th anniversay of Henry County celebration Carmichael & Son Company said make the Carmichael Headquarters your headquarters. He offered his public rest room facilites on the second floor. The celebration was in 1921.

After the big train wreck of June 23, 1900 many of the victims were brought to this site for preparation by Mr. Carmichael. Some of the others were sent to Bunn's on the NE side of the Square. (Where the Movie Theater was built later.) As the victim's were prepared many were placed around the square to wait for their families to have them picked up.

Mr. Carmichael's sons had grown up in his business ventures and they followed their father in the different lines of his business. His son Harris continued in the lumber business and farming and started as his last business a hosiery mill. His son James was the one to continue the mercantile company. When he stopped this business he began making furniture. D. T. Carmichael took over the undertaking part of the business. He moved the funeral part to the Dr. Lewis Tye House in 1940 after he acquired the home from Dr. Tye's descendants. The B.B. Carmichael and D.T. Carmichael Funeral Directors began serving the community in 1888 and is still in operation today south of Stockbridge as the Cannon-Cleveland Funeral Home which is family to the Rainer-Carmichael Funeral Directors.



References:

1. History of McDonough, 1908, Scip Speer.

2. History of Henry County, 1921, Mrs. Nolan.

3. Mother of Counties, 1971, Mrs. Rainer.

4. Henry Co. Sesquicentennial 1971.

The above map shows McDonough after 1823 and before 1898. The parcel "B" is the location of the B.B. Carmichael Furniture and Undertakers Parlor. His establishment was on the southwest corner of the square in McDonough. The company was at this location from 1888 to around 1940 when D.T. Carmichael , one of B.B. Carmichael's sons, moved the funeral home to the Dr. Lewis Tye House on Hampton Street.

I know that the 'Dunn's funeral Parlor has been torn down quite some time ago. Now the area is the McDonough Square Court House Parking Lot. However, the site of B.B. CarMicheal's store is now a family Restaurant at the McDonough Square Ga. The AKA 'Paranormal Photo' on the front of my site is the 'French Doors shot looking out of the Restaurant as you see it today. Across the street is a parking lot, however; what I took 'one of three pics' one is listed, all three show activity in the photos.

The above photograph is taken from the area of the Old Masonic Lodge looking east. The two story building on the righthand side of the foreground is that of B.B. Carmichael & Sons. This is the location where Mr.
Carmichael conducted his merchatile, furniture, and funeral business. The area today is now mostly a parking lot for the City of McDonough. The above photo is taken circa 1897. This is the building where in 1900 after the Camp Creek train wreck Mr. Carmichael prepared a large portion of the victims and after preparing the victims most were place around the square according to eyewitness accounts of people like Mr. George C. Alexander who remember the incident well.
I couldn't find where or who post this wonderful article on the web! I do know that the above photos are from the 'Brown House in the McDonough Square GA.' That's where all of the the Henry, Clayton and other counties information are kept.
Melissa
 
If anyone knows who first posted this wonderful information on the 'Google site' Please send me a commit on my site, so I can place their information and give them all credit for this history of the family of Carmicheal's.
I needed to do my research of the Henry County Area and posted this to show the true historical history of the town square.
thank you so much!

Do I believe in Ghost?!? Well Yes I do!

Recently Donna from  An Enchanted Cottage  asked me if Do you believe in ghosts?

Well, Yes! I do! as my above title states....she sent me some wonderful pics privately to look and see what I could see and I asked her excitedly if she was by herself and when and where they where taken.....OMG! I want to visit her town sooo badly now! She has some great pics to show in front of a wonderful 'Red Door' of a local Restaurant! Taken another look guys at the left hand side of that door!
Great P. I. Pic Donna! Job well done!
Also, type into her blog! I just can't wait to see her Livingrrom for Christmas this year!!!!
Show more kitty's Donna  and Angels!!!
Question for you too:
Do you believe in ghosts? 
Just remember the saying:
Ghost were people too!
Melissa

Classifying your EVPS!

I got to meet up with the TAPS group aka 'Ghost Hunter Show' at DragonCon down town Atlanta Ga this past weekend. Steve Gonsalves, Dave Tango and Amy Bruni were there. They had a 'Questions and Answers' panel where we in the audience got to ask two questions. Since I have been going to this convention for at least twenty years and seeing TAPS panel for the past five years it was very easy for me to step up to the microphone and say hello to them again.


My first question was, ' Who is your 'EVP Expert on the show?' 'Do you have someone to clean up your EVP's before you present them to the clients?' I guess I had two questions rolled into one sentence.

My answer was, 'We are'!' with excitement from the panel of three. I thought oh, OK. My answer to them back was guys you have to clean them up. You don't want the client to listen to nothing but scratchy noise and have they always 'guessed at the answer without cleaning them up? The group don't clean up their EVPS at all. They play the ones that they can pick up clearly and not the 'Click Audio Sound' EVPS. They prosent them raw and untouched. No wonder I have a hard time trying to figure out what the EVPS are saying. I still love you guys and gals anyway;)

What I mean cleaning up the EVPS this means that when you get EVP's they are disembody voices that are captured on a digital recorder. Later on you can play back the recorder and see what or who was trying to talk to you. Place the information in your computer and then take the 'background noise out.' 'The hissing noise out' then play it back. Then the EVP's will much clearer a better to understand than showing them without being cleaned up at all. Majority of the time I received EVPS that people completely miss because some are just too fate and the investigators don't want to AKA waist their time and trying to clean them up properly. That is where most of the best EVPS are mist. I am not asking for to clean them up too much just so that they are done just enough that you can understand the fraise.

My second question was that I was tired of people that watch ghost shows all over the TV and think that they can 'copy the professionals' so they can be on TV. They tell everyone that 'they are the experts' and get to go into places and buildings and even private homes claiming that 'We are just like TAPS!' 'We have all there equipment!' and then they never ever come back unless they want to try to get more evidence or put more information in their mini web site and never return to the clients at all. We as a large community don't want the pop up ghost hunters to come to our town because of what these ghost hunters if you call them that has not done for us. They may have all the equipment but don't know how to us them at all or how to conduct a proper investigation. They claimed that they spent thousands of dollars to get all of the equipment and still claim that they are the experts. I have never seen so many pop up web sites until TAPS the Ghost Hunter Show became popular! Their were only eight in Ga about six years ago in the web now their are hundreds!  I asked if TAPS could assist me with getting the message out to those aka 'ghost hunters want-a-bee’s' to stop trying to be 'just like them.' These groups are destroying our homes and business with their 'I want to be the next person on TV too.'
I did tell TAPS that I now teach the proper way to conduct a proper investigation the correct way. I don't use thousand of dollars of equiptent. Nor do I turn all my lights out. Sorry TAPS but I need to see how and where I'm going.
Happy Ghosting
Mel

My other Author Reese Christian: Ghost of Atlanta!

Reese Christian from Roswell Georgia came by the local book shop "The Bell Book and Candle Shop" for a book signing of "Ghosts of Atlanta" her book.  I got to meet her. She is a medium and also has been on TV shows with the paranormal. She wrote this book and again I was compelled to read it from top to bottom. She also did a walk through the book shop and she picked up on allot of activity through out the store. Thanks to Jeff Wells, who brought her to the shop I got to know her and other authors! I hope that she and Jeff keeps writing more books! Below is a top copy of her book! Try to get it, turn your lights down and pop some popcorn and Enjoy!

Melissa

Two local Authors and two great books to read! Jeffery Wells and Reese Christian

This is on of  two of my favorite local authors.
Jeff Wells is a local historian and also professor and teaches world history. He wrote this book called "In Atlanta or in Hell!" based on the history of the "Camp Creak Train Wreak" that happened in McDonough Square in Henry County Georgia on June 24, 1900. I was mentioned in the book! I have to admit that this was my first book that I sat down after I bought it and read it five times in one afternoon! It was compelling and fascinating and I just couldn't put it down. If you get a chance please get his book, it will be worth it!!!
This is the book cover!

Melissa

My neighbor's is becoming Haunted???

I have great neighbors they help me out when I get into a jam and I do the same with them too, This week they had to tell me that their home is active again...Let me share the Ghost Saga with you guys.
They live in my neighborhood and we watch each others homes. Last week the home owner's husband was walking out of his front door and looked at his right side and saw, "a female figure in a blue garden dress from the 1900's with blond hair." She walked around his home and vanished. He ran through his house to the other side and could not find her. The asked me to come over for tea and talk like neighbor's do and I saw a male figure walk outside their home crossing their window in their living room. They know something is there but they say, "just leave them alone and I will leave them alone." Sometimes that's the best thing you can do too. They don't want a AKA "Ghost Hunt." Just to know that other people have experienced the same thing.
Me, I have a Farmer Ghost Man, A little Girl Spirit, and now today I found out I have Kitty Ghost too.
Weird Ghost Saga,
Mel

Recently this week my neighbor's have reported to me that 'weird and strainge' lights are appearing on my front porch while I am inside watching TV in the living room?.? I have heard strainge noises coming from my bedroom and bathroom area of a 'woman wailing' very loud and drawn out. I have had objects being moved or dropped in the kitchen living room area and nothing is displaced. I also have a 'red cardinal bird' plastic that only makes a 'chrup' when someonee taps it. It went off several times by itself and on my command?.?

Wild and Weird time of year for me! is always in October!

Going thrifting next week!

I have been seeing that everyone has been enjoying themselves with, “dumpster diving, yard sells, and thrift shopping!” I need so to go and see what I can get next week! I am labeling boxes and boxes of stuff and reorganizing my spare bedroom to my new crafting room that I just forgot to go!
Hopefully I can pick up a few handfuls of kewl odds and ends and do some tweaking of my own!
I wish all of you happy junking and thrifting!!!
For now I am going to rest with haunting stuff…my legs are barking! Ruff Ruff!
Melissa

It's not a dream Blogger be aware!

It is "Spam" that is showing up when you post.
Google has anouced that only us as bloggers as to watch and remove the spam until they can fix their areas that need help in.
Be careful everyone and Happy Ghosting!
Melissa
M

Buford Historical Cemetery and Town

I listed some AKA paranormal photographs that my group did about three years ago. A group of us all girls went to the Historical Town under ground walkway railroad and got a few photos. The hallway has been since boarded up do to Street Gangs and homeless living in the tunnel. I had took with Rayne Thompson some paranormal picks of the cemetery in Buford. Let me know what you think?
Melissa
Happy Ghosting!

Oakland Cemetery this Sunday!

I can't wait! Ghost Hunting in Atlanta just this weekend! Yeah!
I and my ghost group will be going to the "Oakland Cemetery" this Sunday evening to do a mini EVP and Ghost walk through the graveyard. My friend Rayne Johnson my EVP expert sad she went a few weeks ago we others in our group and go great but sad children voices through the digital recorder. They weren't very happy at all. Sad crying and quote wanted "help." Rayne asked me to spend the weekend with her and the group and go to the cemetery and do a walk through. I bring children spirits out to talk and also they love to get their pictures made with me too for some reason. So, I will be with the group this weekend and when I do get some picks I will be posting them on my blog site for you. EVPS are a little harder to do on this site. I will try to do a couple.
Melissa
"UPDATE!!!"
Ok, WOW I went with a large group. We all showed up about 2:30pm on a very hot Sunday afternoon. We started at the crypt of "Roberts" located at the Welcome Center. This crypt was my favorite because it was in "Gothic Med Evil in Detail" Five large Gargoyles were posted all around the crypt with angelic windows throughout the building. OK! I'm in love with the details of this building.
Then we as a group went down the cobblestone pathway to another crypt and I noticed that the main camera died and also my camera batteries died as well! I made a mental note and took some pics for later on. We then walked to the Conferate area and I walked into the area and addmediatly noticed that my head and body got extremely light. I got dizzy for a moment then began to walk to the middle of the main area. There was a very large monument with all of the conferate dead names on it and when I touched it my hand was instantly ice cold and felt light and my hand and arm became very electrify charged. I explained the situation to my crew and they all decided that this was the place to try our new "Spirit Box." I didn't think that this new device would work however, my crew felt differntly. Rayne Johnson my EVP expert of the group stated that she became in contact with a solider named Charles. I noticed that she used her dousing rods and funny as this sounds they lead her in my area that I ended up at a bench next to the "Lion Statue of the Cenferate dead of GA." She then used the "Spirit Box" again and got SO many people talking on it at one time that we narrowed it down to one person, a male named "Eric" I think. He told us how many people he could see around him. He told us what color closes we were wearing and even told me to go and sit down on the bench when I asked him if I could! He apparently didn't like the fact that we were with many ethic people around us in the group and he even could not stop cussing about it!
I want to explore this again very soon in the same cemetery and also in my home town of McDonough GA.
I'll post my pics soon!
Happy Ghosting!
Melissa

Neighborshood Ghost? Are you kidding me?!?

Ok, I just got a call on my cell yesterday. I wish that I could send it to this blog, dang my cellphone! I just got some new neighbors about three house across from me. I guess I will have to put them on my ghost map in the neighborhood ghost watch too.
They called me about that they even saw a AKA ghost farmer man in my backyard on Tuesday afternoon sometime. They didn't get a picture, dang it, but they did discribe him to me over the phone and it's the same farmer ghost man the other neighbors have seen.
Yeah I know it's too eairly for Halloween, but it seems it's all the time at the house.
Happy Ghosting Peeps!
Mel

Gardening and Ghost?...? OK?....? What?

Just this week I thought that I would post this odd situation. Mind you it wasn't me but my neighbor's that came by my home to tell me about the AKA "Ghost Man" in my front yard!....?! Yes I said, "Ghost Man." My work schedule has aloud me to get a few days in a row off this year so I decided to start a flower garden. I have had a couple of pots in the past that I did but I haven't completely did the front nor the back porch full of flowers until this year. So, with that said I started, get old vintage items from the dump and the salvation dump near by, I started to fix beautiful flowers in pots and hanging plant galore!! So, it was natural that I started to see people walking up and down my street looking at what I have been doing. Some cars have even slowed down in front of my home. I do have some people that like to protect me so-to-speak, because of my wild hours of work. They watch my house when I am not there and when I am there. On Monday the 21Th of this month, my neighbor's husband who don't believe in paranormal like I do unless he sees it for himself got a good look at "someone" in my front yard! He described him as a farmer looking man with a hunched back with a long beard wearing overalls with a orange or red underwear. He was admiring my flowers on my front porch and then he looked at my neighbor's husband and vanished! On Tuesday the same thin happened to other another neighbor that I didn't even know.
Now, I did go outside to get pictures, however, I haven't looked all them at all as of today so I will just have to see later.
But, isn't it funny that even spirits love the Summer gardens like we all do??!!??
Who knows maybe next time I am out there doing more gardening I will finally see him for myself, if I do, I will just have to ask him to come on the porch and have a spot of tea with me;)

A new letter just for me!

"A Vintage metal Monogram "M" or "W"door gate ornamental."
I just bought this gate from EBAY last night. I am taking after Ms. Melissa on her blog. I can't wait until it gets to my house! I just know what to do with it.
Paint, sandpaper, repaint, give it hooks and hang it up in the Livingroom!
Melissa

Birds and More Birds "Voltures!"

I was sweeping off my front porch on Monday morning and I wished I had my camera with me, two fat birds swooped down on top of my head and hit my bird seed hanging plastic holder on my window! Melvan my cat was watching them and all I heard was a MEOW!!!...!!! and a bang! The two birds flew into the window knocked the bird feeder down onto the ground and Melvan tried to catch them both. I laugh so hard I had to sit down! I just know that I will have to get a better way into feeding the birds! Maybe kitty insurance as well just in case!

I am living in a cardboard box!

OK, OK, I know that I live in a mobile home in a country town in Henry County Ga but, I found out that my home has some fixing up to be done. Yes, I know this is a major off beat from the paranormal stuff I have been talking about and the dollhouse things I like to type in about but, it's is Spring and I need to AKA "Purge" in a major way! I have been thrifting for quit some time now and also Dumpster Diving on every other weekend. To say the least that I do have quite of some "Tweaking" to do on all the items that I have bought! Soon I have have my home computer up and running so I can start posting the picks for ya! I bought a box on ETSY and these are the picks that I received from the first owner, I had to Tweak it up a bit. Later on I will show you the finished box!
Also, I did buy alot of tea cups with their saucers with them and I have a special plan for them with the cute birds outside my front door, stay with me for a update on that surprise!