James Willard Hackley (IV)

1889-1963

James or "Jeeters" as he was commonly known, was born on his parents homestead "Between the Hills" in western Loudoun County, Virginia on the occasion of his father's 33^rd birthday, October 25, 1889. Less than two weeks after James turned twelve, his father, Philip, died as a result of illness. Shortly afterwards his mother, Annie, moved the family to the Patapsco River mill town of Alberton, Maryland, where he probably began work in the mills. He was 18 years old in January of 1908 when the family again moved, this time to nearby Savage. James registered to vote on September 22,1914 as a democrat⁽¹⁾. In Savage he met Effie May Ridgway (1896-1971), daughter of William Thomas and Elton Virginia Ridgway, formally of Front Royal, Virginia. James and Effie were united in marriage on June 25, 1916 by pastor Alfred E. Kent in the Savage Methodist Church on Baltimore Street.⁽²⁾ James was 26 at the time and Effie was 19.

James W. Hackley & Effie May Ridgway (ca. 1915)

James never received a formal education, but he became a skilled carpenter, and worked most of his life in the Savage Cotton Mill as a loom repairer. Some of his tools can be found on display at the Savage Mill, now an antique and craft mall. Like his brothers, James was also musically talented. When he was a teenager in Alberton, so the story goes, he broke his leg while sleigh riding, and it was during the subsequent year-long convalescence that he learned to play his first instrument, the trumpet.⁽³⁾ He later learned to play many more instruments, including the violin, horn, saxophone, guitar, mandolin and base fiddle. He took no formal music lessons, but learned to play all these instruments by sound and feel, and by imitation. During his early years James often sang with his brothers, Sam and Fred, in the Methodist Church. He also composed music and wrote a hymn in remembrance of his departed mother called "Meet Mother There". This song was published in 1919 by Delmar Music Company of Chicago.

Listen to Louis Hackley describe his father's musical talents (wave, 138k)

In the late 1930's, James played saxophone in a band that had a regular Sunday morning show on a radio station in Baltimore. Throughout much of his adult life he played with local country bands at clubs and square dances in the Savage area. In the late 1950's he often played the base fiddle with a group called "Three Sharps and a Flat" at local establishments like the Turf Club in nearby Laurel (James is standing, 2^nd from left, in adjacent photo).

His son Louis tells the colorful story about one night during the 1930's when James was playing at a road house called the Rag Bag Inn on Montgomery Road in nearby Elkridge. The Rag Bag was well known for its rough clientele and frequent bar fights. On this particular evening, a really large fellow came up to him during a song while folks were dancing and said, in a rather demanding voice, "I want you to play this song for my girlfriend." James responded, "Sure, I'll play it for you in a minute, I've got to finish this song and I got one more and then I'll play yours." The big fellow, apparently not satisfied with this arrangement, announced to James "No, you'll play mine right now or you'll get that guitar over your head!," at which point James calmly reached into his pocket and slid out his 32 revolver, laid it on his lap, and continued playing unperturbed. James then asked the man "Now, whose song do I play?" The big fellow, staring down at the pistol, quickly instructed James "to play that number that your playing now...and KEEP ON playing it!" James acted as a game warden and deputy sherif in Savage during those years, so he routinely carried a pistol with him.

Listen as Louis Hackley describes how he got his first job in the Savage Cotton Mill at age 16 (wave, 136k)

Neither James nor Effie appear to have ever owned property themselves. In the 1920 census he states that they are renters, probably a mill house from the Savage Manufacturing Co. who owned most of the town properties at that time. In 1948 their eldest son, Audley, purchased their house and lot at 205 Washington Street near the intersection with Baldwin, from the Santa Novelties Co., current owner of the mill, for $5.00 and "other good and valuable considerations". This is the last residence of both James and Effie.

James died from complications due to throat cancer on February 16, 1963 at his home on Washington Street in Savage, and was buried in the Savage Cemetery, located on a hill above town. Effie May passed away eight years later on March 12, 1971 of congestive heart failure, and was buried alongside her husband. James and Effie had five children, all born and raised in Savage.

Children of James & Effie May Hackley

1. Audley Willard Hackley (V) (1917-1989) Audley served 20 years in the U.S. Navy, including tours of duty in the Pacific during the Second World War, Viet Nam and the presidential Naval support unit under Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson. He married Elizabeth Valerie Wiseman of Monessen, Pennsylvania on November 15, 1958. They lived in Laurel and Scaggsville, Maryland, and had one son, Vincent Audley.
   
2. Louis Edwin Hackley (1918-1998) The second oldest child, Lou was stationed in the Panama Canal during WWII while serving in the Army. He was an electrician by trade and a wood worker by hobby. Lou married Doris Pauline Clarke of Baltimore, and settled down in Glen Burnie, Maryland. They had one son, Douglas Norman Hackley. Lou was also the unofficial story teller of the Hackley family.
   
3. Wanda May Hackley (1924-1995) Wanda married William George Palmer (1920-1985), formally of Warrenton, Virginia, and lived in Savage her entire life. Bill Palmer was the Post Master of Savage for many years until his retirement. They had four children, Sandra, Joann, Debra and William.
   
4. Barbara Corinne Hackley Barbara married Charles McClister and had one child, James. During the 1970's, Barbara and Charles co-owned and operated a campground adjoining the Chesapeake Bay's Pocomoke Sound near Sanford on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Charles passed away in the late '70s, but Barbara and son James still reside near Sanford.
   
5. Franklin Delano Hackley Frank married Darlene June Lyckholm, formally of Hibing, Minnesota. Frank served in the Navy during the 1950's. He is a retired carpenter by trade. Frank and Darlene had four children, Lisa Robin, Allen Shane, Lydia June and Leslie Marie. The family lived in Savage until moving to Carroll County. Frank and Darlene now reside in White Lake, Minnesota.

Footnotes

1. Howard County Register of Voters, District 6, 1914-1920, Howard County Historical Society, Ellicott City, MD.

2. Howard County Marriage License and Certificate, copy in possession of author.

3. Personal communication with Louis E. Hackley, Glen Burnie, MD, January 1996.