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[[underlined]] ENDNOTES [[/underlined]] [[italics]] The writer would like to thank Ms. John Maurice Thomas and Mr. Charles Thomas Lewis for the many hours of interviews graciously given throughout the month of June, 1997, and for making available resources from their personal archival files. Their assistance was invaluable. I would also like to thank my colleague and friend, Dr. Carolyn Shuttlesworth, for her expert skills in editing the many drafts of this essay. Also to Dr. Floyd Coleman, for suggesting titles., and Donald Benjamin, for researching source material. [[/italics]] 1 Columbus Sesquicentennial, Inc., [[underline]] Columbus, Georgia, 1828-1978 [[/underline]] (Columbus: Columbus Sesquicentennial, Inc., 1978) 31. 2 Ibid., 49-50. 3 Ibid., 70. 4 Letter from Frank T. Schnell, Director of Research, The Columbus Museum, Columbus, Georgia to Miss J. Maurice Thomas, Washington, D.C., December 1, 1987; Personal files of J. Maurice Thomas, Washington, D.C. The city of Columbus has received $4 million in federal funds for redevelopment, and preservation. According to the [[underline]] Ledger-Enquirer [[/underline]] newspaper, "The Housing Authority of Columbus will restore the childhood Rose Hill home of Alma Thomas, sold for taxes in 1991. The project is part of an ongoing effort 'to preserve worthwhile houses in the community,' comparing it to the combined city/authority move in 1991 to save the deteriorating Fifth Avenue home. of famed blues singer Gertrude "Ma" Rainey. According to Muscogee Superior Court deed records, the Thomas home was the property of Samuel Berry until it was sold in a "sheriff's sale" on August 6, 1991 for $3,000 in outstanding tax debts and sale costs. For detailed discussion see [[underline]] Columbus Ledger-Equirer [[/underline]], Wednesday, August, 17, 1994, "Saving History", A1 and A8; also [[underline]] Columbus Ledger-Enquirer [[/underline]], Wednesday, June 18, 1997. "Columbus to Receive $4 Million in Federal Funds, n.p. 5 The other sisters: Kathryn May, Fannie Cantey, and John Maurice. In that John Harris Thomas had wanted a son, the last daughter was named John, after him. The name Maurice was a character given to a woman in a fictional story read by Amelia during her pregnancy; hence the youngest daughter was named John Maurice. Today she is called Maurice. 28