17-year-old Henrietta Gaillard’s diary entries are filled with the drama of a young woman with the emotional focus of a fluttering butterfly.
Living in Columbia, South Carolina — surrounded by young men from Camp Jackson returning from World War I — her daily routine included attending dances at Craven Hall, the social epicenter of the city.
Henrietta’s future husband was not yet part of her story. In 1921, she married David Hampton Wilson, the son of prominent Chattanooga businessman T. I. Wilson, an early resident of Hill City. Wilson erected an impressive home there in 1890. It remains today at 301 Forest Avenue.
Henrietta lived there with her husband for a few years in the 1930s.
301 Forest Ave. - Hill City
Also residing in the home was David’s brother, Ben B. Wilson, an avid collector of photos and history. The photos and Henrietta’s diaries later remained in the same house with their sister, Hazel I. Wilson.
Hazel never married or had children. She left her estate to neighbors Calvin and Imogene Hemmerlein, who had become close friends with Hazel and helped care for her.
The Hemmerleins’ grandson, Steven O’Malley, became keeper of the collection. He and his wife, Misty, graciously allowed me to borrow and scan the photos and diaries in 2020.
