George Bollinger (abt. 1856 - 1940)

Born about Apr 1856 in Bollinger, Missouri, United States

Husband of Rachel Evelyn (Benson) Bollinger — married 25 Nov 1877 in Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States

Died 1 Apr 1940 at about age 84 in Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jane Hoskinson [send private message]

George Bollinger is a part of US Black heritage.

Biography

George was born enslaved about 1856 in Bollinger County, Missouri. He was the son of George and Temple Bollinger.

In 1937, George gave an interview to Mollie E. Smith of the Federal Writers' Project in Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.^[1] He told Mollie Smith that he remembered her because he used to work in her grandfather's tan yard. George related a number of ghost stories in his narrative. His interview is titled " He Saw Many 'Hants'." George owned his family's home, a one-and-a-half story house at 320 North Sprigg Street. When he bought the house, he had $2,400 he had saved from working. He had worked on a farm and a steamboat, carried cross ties, and owned and operated a restaurant on Frederick Street in Cape Girardeau.

George grew up "out on de edge of Bollinger County" on the farm or plantation of Dal and Polly Bollinger and their children, Dave and Katie. The family owned 20 or 25 enslaved people. George said that Dal Bollinger had a chest of gold and silver money hidden in the attic. He had it buried by a sugar grove near the graveyard during the Civil War.

George said his father could read and write and had a reputation as a hex-breaker: "He cud break a 'Hoodoo' spell, an' he cud tell things dat happened wen he diden see it—If one a' de folks went to town he cud tell' em jes everything dey don dere." His mother was a good cook and could spin and weave. She made all her family's clothes. She and "Aunt Polly" knew how to cure many ailments, using "yarbs" from a big bag hanging under the porch. The enslaved people were not allowed to gather, so George's family did not often attend church. He usually had Saturday afternoons and Sundays off from work, and he liked to go fishing in that free time.

Slave traders Pete Smith, "Ole Tom" Johnson, and Fred and Sam Daughery came to the Bollinger farm. "Dere 'ud be mebbe five 'er six men a'ridin' fine hosses 'an a-drivin' a whole flock 'er slaves along de road; jes' like stock, all chained togedder." The Bollingers' enslaved people were lined up in front of the traders to be bid on. George recalled, "I wuz full chested an' dey laid a stick across my chest to see how straight I cud stan'. 'Ole Pete' Smith quz gonna buy me; but my young folks begged Massa'not to sell me, cause we'd all played togedder—so he didden' sell me." The traders wanted to buy George's father, but he ran away, taking a bag of money he had saved from making and selling baskets. George never saw his father again but heard that he had gone to Indiana.

Once, about 200 Southern soldiers came to the Bollinger farm. Dal Bollinger gave them an ox to slaughter and told them to help themselves to the corn in the cribs. The Confederates received word of Union troops in the area. George said, "Dey went up to meet 'em, 'an dey had a battle over at Patton. Long 'bout midnight sum of 'em came back, wounded. Aunt Polly helped 'em, but she begged 'em not to stay dere, 'er de 'Yankees' cum an' burn de house down."

The Bollingers had a number of horses. Katie Bollinger had a pretty black mare. George and other enslaved people hid the horses when soldiers were in the area. A troop found the horses and rode them past the house. Katie ran out and caught her mare's bridle. George said, "De sojer put spurs to de mare, but she hung on jes a cryin'. I kin jes see her now; de mare a rarin' and Missie hangin' on a-cryin'. She hung on 'till dey reach de creek. Den she lose her grip, but she sho' did cry."

George saw Union soldiers question the Bollingers: "De sojers asks 'em things 'en iff'n de answers didden seem good; dey hit 'em over de haid wid dere guns. I wuz standin' right here, an' I saw Ole Massa git hit on de haid once, den anudder time; an' he fell. I sho' thot he wuz daid, but warn't. Aunt Polly fix him up atter de sojers wuz gone, but de bushwackers got him." The bushwhackers, Missouri Confederate guerrillas, may have heard about the buried chest of money. They tried to make Dal Bollinger tell them where it was, but he refused. They put a rope around his neck and pulled him up, then lowered him, but he still would not tell, "so dey finished him."

After the Emancipation Proclamation, Dave Bollinger freed his enslaved people. George said, 'He gave us a yoke of oxen an' a wagon, full o' everythin' we needed. Der wuz a feather bed 'en quilts an' meat an' purvisions—an' he sent us into de Cape—an we been livin' roun' here ever since." Cape Girardeau was occupied by the Union Army during the Civil War, making the city a refuge for escapees and freedmen.^[2]

In 1876, George Bollinger, Jacob Bollinger, and Tempe Bollinger lived in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. George was between 21 and 45 years old, Jacob between 18 and 21, and Temple over 45 years old.^[3]

George Bollinger married Eva Benson on Nov. 25, 1877, in Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.^[4][5] They had 13 children,^[6] including William F. Bollinger (b. 1880), Anthony Bollinger (1882-1902), Isaac Bollinger (1884-1960), Charles J. Bollinger (1886-1931), Cora B. Bollinger White (1889-1928), Amos Edward Bollinger (1892-1943), George Bollinger (b. 1897), and Helen M. Bollinger (1900-1976).

In 1880, George Bollinger (27, laborer) lived in Hubble Township, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, with his wife, Eva (22), and their son Willie (5 months). George Bollinger (18, laborer) is also listed as the son of George Bollinger.^[7]

In 1900, George Bollinger (44, restaurant proprietor) lived on Frederick Street, Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, with his wife, Eva R. (41), their children: Anthony (18, cigar maker), Isaac (16, day laborer), Charles J. (14), Cora B. (12), Amos E. (7). George's mother, Tempa (80) also lived with them. George and Eva had been married 22 years. Eva had borne 10 children, of whom seven were then living.^[8]

In 1920, George Bollinger (62, restaurant proprietor) lived at 123 Rear South Frederick Street, Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, with his wife, Eva (58), and their family: William F. (40, freight depot porter) and his wife Lillian (25), Charles J. (37, barber), Cora (32, servant) and her son Orville White (9), Amos E. (26, picture show porter), and Helen M. (19, cork cafferate, shoe factory).^[9]

The 1928 city directory for Cape Girardeau, Missouri, listed George Bollinger and his wife, Eva, with a restaurant at 311 South Frederick Street and residence at 320 North Sprigg Street.^[10]

In 1930, George Bollinger (74, restaurant proprietor) lived at 320 North Sprigg Street, Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, with his wife, Eva (69), their son Charles (42, barbershop proprietor), Charles's wife, Nettie (42), and their son Delbert (7).^[11]

The 1932 city directory for Cape Girardeau, Missouri, listed George Bollinger, confectioner, and his wife, Eva, with a restaurant at 311 South Frederick Street and residence at 320 North Sprigg Street.^[12]

George recalled that Katie Bollinger had visited him in Cape Girardeau: "All my white folks is daid 'cept 'Missie Kattie', an' do you know, some year back; she cum to see me. Yessir; her car druv up, right der, to de sidewalk, an' she made all her grandchillun get out an' shake han's wif me. She sho' wuz a fine woman!"

George passed away April 1, 1940, in Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.^[13]

In 1940, Eva Bollinger (77, widowed) lived at 320 North Sprigg Street, Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, with her son Amos (47, W.P.A. janitor), her daughter Helen (40, maid), and her grandson Delbert (17) [son of Charles Bollinger]. George Bollinger (85) is listed in this census. He passed away April 1, 1940. The census was dated April 12, 1940. The household also included two lodgers: Abathus Fingal (40, porter) and Henry Benford (34, porter).^[14]

Slave Owners

• Dal Bollinger
• Polly Bollinger
• Dave Bollinger
• Katie Bollinger

Research Note

The 18-year-old George Bollinger listed in the 1880 census is too old to be the son of this George Bollinger.

Sources

1. ↑ Federal Writers' Project: Slave Narrative Project, Vol. 10, Missouri: https://www.loc.gov/resource/mesn.100/?sp=41&st=image : accessed 21 Aug 2022
2. ↑ "A Story of Local History Reclaimed," June 4, 2019: https://www.bankofmissouri.com/blog/a-story-of-local-history-reclaimed : 26 Jan 2022
3. ↑ Missouri, U.S., State Census Collection, 1844-1881: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1024/images/MOSC_1270-0257?pId=26428 : accessed 21 Aug 2022
4. ↑ Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1805-2002: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1171/images/vrmmo1833_c24157-0439?pId=10451236 : accessed 21 Aug 2022
5. ↑ Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1805-2002: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1171/images/vrmmo1833_c1261-0210?pId=9350087 : accessed 21 Aug 2022
6. ↑ Obituary of Isaac Bollinger, The Courier, Waterloo, Iowa, 22 Dec 1960: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108609585/isaac-bollinger-obituary/ : accessed 3 Sep 2022
7. ↑ 1880 United States Federal Census: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6742/images/4241875-00522?pId=48331687 : accessed 21 Aug 2022
8. ↑ 1900 United States Federal Census: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7602/images/4118762_00607?pId=29070312 : accessed 21 Aug 2022
9. ↑ 1920 United States Federal Census: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6061/images/4312398-00880?pId=51629855 : accessed 21 Aug 2022
10. ↑ Cape Girardeau, Missouri, City Directory, 1928: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/10639824?pId=537158930 : accessed 21 Aug 2022
11. ↑ 1930 United States Federal Census: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6224/images/4660332_00769?pId=6505299 : accessed 21 Aug 2022
12. ↑ Cape Girardeau, Missouri, City Directory, 1932: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/10598341?pId=534020890 : accessed 21 Aug 2022
13. ↑ Missouri, U.S., Death Certificates, 1910-1969: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/60382/images/1940_00010428-00470?pId=915048 : accessed 21 Aug 2022
14. ↑ 1940 United States Federal Census: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2442/images/m-t0627-02093-00274?pId=94732656 : accessed 21 Aug 2022