The Traveling Dentist - Part 1

Allow me to introduce you to my great-grandfather, Watson Emory Webster, aka Frederick Emory Webster.  He was born in Coolville, Athens County, Ohio in 1864.  He was the son of Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster and Cynthia Maria Waterman.  His siblings were Mary Alice Webster, Lura Elizabeth Webster, Frank Summers Webster, Lillian Dell Webster, and Rollin Waterman Webster.

Watson changed his name to Frederick sometime during his lifetime, so that's what we'll call him from this point on.

I never knew Frederick, but my mom remembers him as being a good grandpa to her in Brazil.  Brazil you ask?  Well yes, Frederick was, after all, our family's "traveling dentist."

In this old photo we see Frederick's Dental Boat docked next to his Optical Boat at Natchez, Mississippi.  Oh ya, I didn't yet mention that he apparently expanded his profession from Dentist to include Optician as well.

I love how in this photo we see Frederick's sign on the Optical Boat that reads "Eyes Tested Free."

And did I mention that Frederick also was a Photographer?  Yes, that's his Photo Boat docked next to his Dental Boat.  This time he's at Lake Charles, Louisiana, circa 1890-1902.

More about Frederick Webster's life in my next blog post.  See you then!

Thanks for reading!


Copyright © Jana Last 2012