Posted: 4/30/2020
We are living in uncertain times, my friend. COVID-19 was the unexpected and unwelcomed surprise that has upset our everyday life. This pandemic has touched everybody. We have all had to make sacrifices. We have had to cancel social events, celebrations, and valuable time with family members that we may never get back. We have had to adjust to online school and learn how to work from home. Some have lost loved ones; others have lost jobs. The news upsets us more than it calms our fears. It is okay to feel pessimistic. Nobody knows for sure when we will go back to normal, or how much of our “normal” life will resume once this pandemic has come to pass. During times like these, we need reassurance that we will overcome this difficult time. We need to hear stories of those who have come before us, and how they overcame their unprecedented hardships. We need to learn that not only can we learn from our mistakes in history, but we can take comfort in knowing that people, everyday people like us, once felt the same as we do right now.
People have caught on to this sentiment. Major news networks have done stories comparing our current situation to other trying times in our nation’s history. People are sharing more history-related content on social media than ever before. We are looking to the past for answers while seeking inspiration. Over the course of my quarantine journey, I have been thinking about one local woman’s experience during the Great Depression. Anna Simpson, the daughter-in-law of Arcadia Mill’s Ezekiel Simpson, faced unique hardships throughout the Great Depression. In March 1935, the Simpson family lost their historic home to a fire. Constructed in 1835 by slave labor, the house was a three-story mansion with fourteen rooms. The house predated the Civil War, and many citizens in Santa Rosa County often stopped by to marvel at its beauty. The Simpson home was considered to be a “stamp of the antebellum days.” The Pensacola Journal reported that the estimated damage was around $7,000. In today’s dollars, the cost would total to roughly $131,000. The Simpson family lost numerous valuable heirlooms to the fire. By July 1935, the Simpsons had built a new home using materials they could salvage from the fire. The Simpson home, which is now interpreted at the Arcadia Homestead, is a modest Depression-era bungalow. Within a year of living in the new home, Anna’s husband passed away. Losing a home filled with family heirlooms to a devastating fire and then grieving the death of a loved one are two very traumatic events to cope within a short amount of time.
Anna Simpson decided not to let her losses define her. Anna was an artist and used her talent to better the Milton community. Anna was hired by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), one of FDR’s New Deal agencies, to teach art classes to the children of Milton. As an art instructor, Anna taught her students different drawing techniques. She also hosted art galleries where her students' work would be displayed. Anna’s experience during the Great Depression serves as a reminder that no matter what hardships we experience; we can overcome them. To honor Anna Simpson’s time as an art educator, we will be implementing a new art activity at the Arcadia Homestead. Our younger guests will be able to learn more about the Great Depression by drawing. Each month, we will have a different drawing prompt that corresponds to the 1930s.
We are looking forward to reopening! Next time the quarantine blues get to you, remember that if Anna Simpson can power through her struggles, so can you! History can be comforting. Be sure to document your experience with this pandemic. Years from now, people will want to know how we overcame this mess. We will be the ones they seek inspiration from down the road! Until then, remember to adhere to all social distancing guidelines, wear masks, and wash your hands! The Arcadia staff is looking forward to seeing you all very soon!
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