By Janice Powell
I remember getting excited about seeing John the old black farmer. He would occasionally drive through our neighborhood with his wagon and mule. This was a rare site in downtown Beaufort. John sold vegetables that came from his garden. My mother loved his fresh tomatoes, cukes, and squash. He would always let the children pet his mule while he stopped to deliver his goods. I remember my dad lifting me up to scratch the animal’s long ears. When he’d put me down, the mule would rub against me almost knocking me over. My little sister and I would laugh and laugh. This memory took place in the early 1960s. John was an old man even then. He came by less and less as we grew older.
This moment in Beaufort’s history is an excerpt from the book “Beaufort … Then and Now,” an anthology of memories compiled by Holly Kearns Lambert. Copies of this book may be purchased at Beaufort Book Store. For information or to contribute your memory, contact Holly at lowcountrymemories@hotmail.com or beaufortmemories@gmail.com.
