Oxford resident Jerry Chidester really enjoys anything to do with history.
He collects old coins and such and frequently uses his metal detector to find other fascinating pieces.
So, when his brother recently gave him an antique watch and a ledger book dated back to the late 1800s to early 1900s, he knew he wasn’t going to just let it slip into the trash bin.
The ledger, with faded pages filled with perfect penmanship, and 18K gold engraved E. Howard Watch Co. pocket watch were owned by C. L. Randall, an entrepreneur who did a great deal for Oxford.
Born in 1852, Randall was considered one of the largest produce dealers in Oxford.
In the fall of 1898, Randall had 150 employees working for him and shipped 1,254 cars of produce around the nation.
According to an article in the Centennial edition of the Leader, he was considered ‘a man the farmers trusted and counted on.?
Aside from his produce, Randall was also in the milling business for a short while, owned the Oxford Creamery, served as president of the Oxford Savings Bank for six years, vice president for 34 and was on the Board of Education for 44 years.
Randall was also considered a great party host at the three-story home he built on W. Burdick St. One party even featured trapeze acts, pillow fights and boxing matches.
Chidester’s brother, William, received these special pieces of Oxford history from Randall’s daughter, Marion Lintz, who lived next door to him in Highland Park during the 1970s when she found out his brother was moving to Oxford.
William frequently helped Marion out with errands and such but refused money she offered him.
‘One day, she gave him these things and said ‘take a little bit of Oxford with you,?? Chidester said
After holding onto them for over 20 years, he gave the items to Chidester before he moved to Florida a little over two weeks ago.
Since then, Chidester hasn’t been able to put the ledger down.
‘I have looked at that every night for hours and found more stuff every time I look,? he said. ‘It’s not the easiest book to go through, but it’s fun.?
Inside, Chidester was amazed to read all of the different entries that Randall wrote in his ledger, like how a man promised him 2? days of work for a quarter.
‘It’s amazing when you look at some of these things in here,? he said. ‘If you needed some food, he’d give you a barrel of salt in exchange for a half day’s work or something like that.? The entries inside the ledger span over about 11 years.
Jerry Griffin, president of the Northeast Oakland Historical Society and curator of the museum downtown, said he wasn’t at all surprised at the entries where Randall simply took people’s word that they’d pay him in exchange for services.
‘Your word was your bond back then,? he said.
There is one little bit of mystery surrounding the watch, though.
The still working watch has an engraved message on the back which reads ‘Presented to C.L. Randall by his Burdick Street neighbors on the week of July 14, 1917.?
Chidester is determined to do some more sleuthing to find out why the watch was given to Randall at that specific time in his life.
We may never know why Randall’s neighbors presented him with such a gift, but Chidester knows there’s got to be some sort of story behind it.
He hopes one day to pass the items down to his grandkids so they can keep a piece of Oxford history with them. ‘And if they ever decided to leave Oxford, I would tell them that it should stay here at the museum,? he said.
With the economy as hard as it is on some people today, many are taking their meaningful items, like the watch, to be melted down for money. ‘To me, in all good conscience, I couldn’t think of melting something like that,? Chidester said.