McNairy Magazine 2019

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Speaker on platform in the 1920’s with crowd in the background. the subject of “Railroad Domination and Its Evil Effects” at the August 1905 Finger Barbecue. This was ironic. For one thing, Finger is located on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. For another thing, that very railroad brought large numbers of spectators to Finger to enjoy the festivities and hear Mr. Whitehurst expound on the evils of such railroads. The crowds were thick before the stage and packed in a tight formation awaiting the next speaker. Linen and seersucker suits, straw boaters, outraised hands and deep voices proclaiming many messages were common sights on the stage in those heady days. It is difficult today to appreciate the entertainment value of a good speech at the turn of the last century. Most people in the area lived on isolated farms and there was little to break the everyday monotony of hard work. Events like the Finger Barbecue later built. It was held in this flat open grove for several years including the first several years of the twentieth century. At the time, no home stood on the site and it could accommodate large crowds and was within walking distance of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and Depot. Arthur “A” Williams, a Bethel Springs businessman, attended the barbecue from 1901 to 1910. In 1901, he estimated the crowd to be anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000. A Ferris wheel was erected that year for the enjoyment of the crowd. Another interesting attraction that year was the sight of Professor Nicholas B. 22 MCNAIRY MAGAZINE Hardeman, a popular minister and a namesake for nearby Freed-Hardeman University, preaching one of his great sermons. Politicians and orators regularly took the stage at the Barbecue to entertain and enlighten the crowds. Speeches covered all sorts of subjects: politics, culture, popular entertainment, issues of the day and good old-fashioned story-telling. According to the old Memphis News-Scimitar newspaper, six to eight thousand people heard Mr. T.B. Whitehurst, a leading attorney of the Selmer bar, speak on Evelyn Clayton Barham at the Finger BBQ, ca. 1971-1973.
provided that needed break for many families and an opportunity to enjoy something different. Many of the interesting speeches and people were featured at the barbecue because of the diligence and planning of one man. That man was George Freelin Dickey and he was often referred to as the “Barbecue King.” Dickey was the son of George W. Dickey and Amanda McIntyre Dickey, the sister of John A. McIntyre. Born in 1882, Dickey was a colorful character who had a knack for promotion and salesmanship. The late Jackson businessman and columnist Bob Parker wrote of Dickey that “it seemed that ‘old G.F.’ had been to the folks of Finger what Barnum was to the circus world.” Dickey had contacts all over West Tennessee and the Mid-South region. It was not unusual to see Dickey making the rounds in Jackson or Corinth convincing wholesalers and suppliers that it was good business for them to donate goods and products to the Finger Barbecue and Picnic and donate they did! Dickey was referred to as the head of “The Committee”, which was a group of gentlemen who planned the activities and attractions for each year’s event. The group ensured that advertising and promotion were ever present in the months leading up to the big day. Dickey and his Committee coordinated the appearance of talent, political figures, the roasting of the hogs, goat, sheep and chickens, the availability of deserts and drinks, and any other activity vital to make the Barbecue a genuine and memorable success. In fact, others sought out Dickey’s talents. Dickey was, for his day and his town, a true master showman and he ran this show from 1900 until 1943. Dickey and the Committee also recruited many charismatic speakers as well as talented entertainers. Among the great speakers to entertain, inform and hold the crowd spellbound were such mighty figures as Congressman and future Governor Captain Gordon Browning, Prof. Horry Hodges, a well-known historian, politician and educator, State Senators W.W. Craig and William K. Abernathy. Each of these men was renowned in his day and played a great role in Tennessee history. Each took his opportunity to speak to issues and problems of the day that were of concern to him and those gathered around him. In the West Tennessee heat and humidity, men fanned themselves with their hats and loosened their neckties while ladies fanned themselves with cardboard fans covered in commercial advertising. The children ran to and fro on the barbecue grounds seeing sights and hearing things they would never forget. Speaking of the children, they had treats all around them, whether it be ice cream and other sweets, toys and gadgets or games and grew into old age warmly recalling the sights and sounds of barbecues past. The entertainment was impressive. The acts that took the stage covered a wide spectrum and included acts from afar and in the neighborhood. Local talent took the stage and played the fiddle, accordion, guitar, mandolin, banjo among others. They sang, played, picked, strummed and danced. Locals such as Waldo Davis as well as impromptu family duets, trios and quartets sang out cheerful tunes. Still there were more renowned acts who traveled to the small town to play to thousands. Legendary acts including the famous Carter Family, Buck Turner, Speedy McNatt, Slim and Speck Rhodes, Pee Wee King and the Golden West Cowboys, Little Texas Daisy, Sarie and Sally, the Delmore Brothers and the Snuff Variety Gang put on shows that made the trip to Finger truly worth the effort. In the 1920’s, the Barbecue changed venue again. It found itself near the Finger Cemetery on land owned by the family of the late James R. McIntyre, the brother of John A. McIntyre. On this property, the event was held for years. Many memories were made here. Vendors sold their goods and the smells of barbecue drifted through the trees and around the hollow and groves near the old McIntyre home. People continued to flock to Finger. From the early 1920’s through 1943, the event continued to thrive and grow. Dickey could not do it all himself and so relied on a dedicated group of assistants. These men helped him in many ways. Hardy Leath, Robert M. Smith and John Rouse all practiced the art of the barbecue annually here. In 1924, they boasted, “We will barbecue forty big fat hogs, this year, with 15 nice fat sheep thrown in for a snack.” The food itself was a memorable thing for generations to come and many recalled into their old age the taste and smell of the meat roasting in and the smell of the smoke coming from the pit. There were plenty of good cold snacks for youngsters and adults alike to enjoy. Over the years, flyers boasted 5,000 cases of cold drinks, six thousand gallons of ice cold lemonade and 2,000 gallons of cold ice cream, all a treat on a hot West Tennessee day. These treats were especially memorable for youngsters. Companies such as Midwest Dairy, Coca-Cola, RC Cola and many others provided cases and cases of their products to keep folks cool and their bellies full. The Finger Barbecue continued to flourish, but in 1943, the death of Freelin Dickey left a huge void in the event and its planning. Others pledged themselves to continue the great event. One of those men was Jim Droke, whose wife was a niece of Freelin Dickey. During the 1950’s, Droke and his son George carried flyers and handbills all over West Tennessee trying to drum up support and attendance for the event. The Finger Barbecue and Picnic hung on to life throughout the 1950’s and into the early 1960’s. However, times were changing. Television had come into being and families were starting to take vacations away from home, not going back home. The crowd was trickling off and the spirit of the local homecoming seemed to be ebbing away. In 1964, it appeared it was over. For the first time since 1895, no Finger Barbecue was held. Times were indeed changing. 1964 turned into 1970 and still no Finger Barbecue was held. Indeed, this was the first break in tradition. The event continued through World War II despite world events. That changed in 1964. Indeed, for the first time in decades, the first Saturday in August was a quiet one in Finger, Tennessee and would continue to be for years. In fact, at that point, the Finger Barbecue and Picnic became only a memory for some years. No longer would the politicians and hucksters walk around visiting with the people. For years, people came back from more than twenty-five to thirty states to visit. They looked forward to the first Saturday in August every year as they prepared to amble back down the paths of their own yesteryear. Yet beginning in 1964, it seemed it would be no more. After the Barbecue faded from its former glory and passed into memory alone and a few years of inactivity had passed, the old spirit seemed to be reborn. In fact, though not of the same nature as the once festive Finger Barbecue and Picnic, a new festival was established. This new event was given the name of the “Finger Friendly MCNAIRY MAGAZINE 23
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McNairy Magazine 2019

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