Mr. Keyes at home before the mantel - Atlanta, La.

Mr. Keyes on his front porch

Back of the house.

Mr. Keyes in the hallway of his house, with samples of his handle-making.

His bedroom. The shotguns and rifles were for hunting game.

Mr. Ivey's bedroom (vertical view)

I took these photos on a nostalgia trip through Winn and Grant Parishes of Louisiana, along with my brother James Eagles, who drove me around and helped reminisce about our years growing up there. James recently wrote to me concerning Mr. Keyes:

"Sandra and I went by the old house between Atlanta and Winnfield. I stopped by a house just up the road from the old man's house. There was a man outside who told me he was a nephew to the old man. You were right, the old man's name was Ivey Keyes. I don't remember if Mr. Keyes told you and me the story, but his nephew said that the old man hand-hewed axe handles and sold them. He said that Mr. Keyes had once broken out an axe handle and had gone to the store and bought a new one. Just a little while later, he broke out that handle. He told his nephew he guessed he would have to go get himself a hickory and make one for himself. When he did, he made a couple of extra ones. Someone came by and saw them and bought them and that was the way his handle-making business began. His nephew still had one of the handles that his uncle had made.  His nephew said that Mr. Ivey Keyes had passed away at the age of 87."

Click HERE to read a PDF file (Adobe Acrobat Format) with highlights from his retirement years. Click HERE to return to Pictures Page 2.