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If memory serves me correctly, this Spain was beaten to death while serving time in prison for an unknown crime. From the photo book of Mattie Louis Spain (LeMay). View full size.
John was the youngest child of Walter and Ida, born about 1915 in Tennessee, as were all of the Spain family. In 1920, when he was five, his family lived at 60 University St, Nashville, which is now public housing. In 1930, the family, reduced in size to only Walter, Ida and John, was living at 1114 3rd Avenue South, which has now been pretty much stripped of its houses except, it would appear, for theirs. By 1936, Walter had died and, according to the obituary, Ida had moved to Hermitage Avenue, which has since been cleared, as well. As a side note, and because I can't resist cool, old brick buildings, if you turn to the right and follow Third Avenue down to Chestnut, you'll see an old-timer that might give you some idea of how populated this neighborhood once was. If you turn left at Chestnut, you'll see a faded paint-job for "Layman Drugstore." Judging by the size and quality of the building, I'd venture the guess that they did very well on that corner. I'm sure the Spains would have been regulars there prior to Walter's death - and then John's, in 1937.
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