Submitted by Gloria Bitto
Pictured: Harriet Outlaw, docent at the Swift Coles Historic Home accepts a bowl and pitcher original to the home, from Jeannie Collins, who has donated the historic pieces.
Jeannie Collins and her husband Huey have donated an antique blueware pitcher and bowl to the historic Swift Coles Home so that the pieces could be displayed in their original setting. The pieces were in the Swift family and were inherited by Amelia Swift Wakeford. Amelia gained international fame through her restaurant, Meme's, on the Bon Secour River, which the Wakefords ran from the 1950s through the 1970s. Meme's hostess was the well-known Rose Collins, the sister of Huey, and later Rose was dear companion to Meme. Meme wanted Rose to have the bowl and pitcher set and, in turn, she passed it on to her sister in law, Jeannie Collins. Jeannie and her husband Huey live on an original Spanish Land Grant property on the Magnolia River, where Huey served as the river route postal delivery man for 16 years. He has been featured on the Charles Kuralt show and in many national magazines. The Wakefords lived in the Swift Coles home for many years, and were known for their cooking even before opening Meme's. During WWII, the Wakefords often opened their home to soldiers and sailors stationed in Foley, Pensacola, and Fort Morgan for a weekend of home cooked meals and southern hospitality. They became known for their oyster stew and gumbo, and after the war opened the restaurant near the wharf of the "Big House".
The historic pieces are on display in the downstairs bedroom of the historic home, on an antique washstand. During the earliest years, a bowl and pitcher were located in every room for morning and evening washing as there was little running water in the house. Each room also had a comode for times when a trip to the five seater outhouse was an unpleasant trek.
THe Swift Coles Historic Home is open to the public on Tuesdays and Fridays, 10:00 until 4:00. Admission is $3.00 per person. Group tours may also be arranged. For more information, contact the Baldwin County Department of Archives and History, 580-1897.
