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JANUARY 2012 11||P;;0;^ o /V LIMESTONE LEGACY ^ , .;;.'•' •'-. , i.o
r IAA-S^'- - ' Limestone County Historical Society ' D'D •• : - "' I::':";'o . ^ P.O. Box82 * ': : . ^2-,s .- ^: WAI,A'' ' _ '' Athens. AL 35612 WEB SI ft www.limestonecountyf istoricalsocietv.org
Published 2o*-. ^ ^ October January, April and July ;
volume 34 ''I ZI' JANUARY 2012'ZZ Z' ~ ~ Number^"
Editorial Committee Eleanor Frost, Jackie Leonard, Rex Lewis, Richard Martin
President Linda Nelson Vice-President Phil Cosco Secretary Kama Heaps Treasurer Rex Lewis Historian Molly Spence
Parliamentarian Paul Mammana
Membership
Regular/Individual .....$15.00 Life $300.00 Family $20.00 Patron $500.00 Student /Senior (60) $10.00 o* *o; ::''-D'D':' Membership year is from October r-to September 30!n We are a non-profit organization. Contributions are gratefully accepted Aim are lax deductible
88-8620" """" " " ' '"' ' ~TAX "#63^0719832"
Articles contained in the LEGACY may not be reprinted without permission from the society. A
Policy: Neither the editors nor the Limestone County Historical Society accepts responsibility for accuracy of material submitted for publication. LIMESTONE LEGACY JANUARY 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS i
JANUARY MEETING 2-ii
SOCIETY NEWS 2-ii
ARCHIVES RECORDS now available online 22
BELLE MINA for SALE 23
BIBB FAMILY & HOME 24
BEHIND THE PHOTO (Limestone Co. Archives Collection) 26
GLEANINGS FROM THE LIMESTONE DEMOCRAT 27
A BUS TRIP IN 1938 29
50 YEARS AGO in 1962 32
NEW BOOKS for READING & RESEARCH At the Limestone Archives 34
BEGINNING with LIMESTONE COUNTY By Mrs. Julian Newman 35
HISTORY of ATHENS, ALABAMA By Mrs. Julian Newman 39
HE SERVED HIS COUNTRY WELL-donated by Tony Grigsby
In Honor of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War 41
GRIGSBY'S who fought for the CONFEDERACY in ALABAMA UNITS 42
LIMESTONE COUNTY WILLS (Will Book 17-1910-1912) 43
SURNAME FORM 45
BOOK SALE & MEMBERSHIP FORM 46 JANUARY MEETING
The Limestone County Historical Society will hold its January meeting at the Rogers Center of the First Presbyterian Church on the square in Athens DATE: TUESDAY. JANUARY 17. 2012. TIME: 6:30 P. M. SPEAKER: JERRY BARKSDALF TOPIC: "Courthouses of Lim*-" tone County and whs I like the first one"
Jerry Barksdale is a lawyer who lives in Athens. He graduated from the University of Alabama, and is the author of "When Duty Called", "The Fuhrer Document", "Cornbread Chronicles" and his new book "Duty".
Dessert and drinks will be served Members are urged to attend and bring a guest
SOCIETY NEWS At the annual meeting on October 18. 2011, Rex Lewis, nominating committee chairman, submitted the slate of officers and asked for nominations from the floor. There being no nominations from the floor, the nominees were unanimously elected for the 2011-2013 term.
From left: Probate Judge. Stan McDonald who installed the officers. Rex Lewis. Treasurer. Molly Spence, Historian. Paul Mammuna, Parliamentarian. Linda Nelson, President. Not shown: Phil Cosco, Vice PresiAnt, and Kama Heaps. Secretary. SOCIETY NEWS (continued) • Committee Chairpersons appointed by President Nelson for the 2011 -2012 tenn are: Awards-Robert Sturdivant Historic Tours-Richard Martin Education- Patricia Hatchett HospitalityAVIary Sturdivant Genealogical Research—Lakin Boyd Museum Curator-Jackie Leonard Genealogy Room-Margie Monk Museum-Rex Lewis Historic Markers-Don Frost Omaments-Ellie Frost Website-Rex Lewis Legacy Staff-El lie Frost, Jackie Leonard, Rex Lewis, Richard Martin New Garden Cemetery Board-Lakin Boyd, Don Frost, Linda Nelson
• Robert Sturdivant, awards chairman, presented the Chris Edwards Award (for outstanding community service) to Linda Nelson at our annual meeting in recognition of her countless hours of service and dedication to the various projects of the Society.
Historic Markers: At the last meeting of the society board a plan to purchase and erect another Historical Marker was approved. Marker chairman. Don Frost, is to present to the board, two sites of historical significance for consideration. Once a particular site is chosen, work will begin on final research and preparation of the marker inscription. Archives records now available online
The Limestone County Archives has many documents now available online to view, print and save at no cost to patrons. To access these documents, take the following steps:
1. Go to www.limestonearchives.com. 2. Click on "Search Limestone County Archives Records Here." 3. Enter your Username: guest@lc 4. Enter your Password: guest 5. Click on "Limestone Master Index." 6. In "Full Text" enter the name you wish to search, inside quotation marks, last name first. Example: "Houston, George" 7. Click "Open" beside any results that appear. 8. You should receive a prompt in a yellow strip at the top of the window, asking you to download the AlternaTIFF viewer. Click on the strip and follow the directions to install the free software. The pages cannot be viewed without installing the viewer. 9. Once the viewer is installed, you should see a page of entries in this format:
MARRIAGE BOOK 1832-1862 HOUSTON, GEORGE S 123
10. Make a note of the book and page you need. 11. At the top of the page, click on "Doctypes." 12. Click on the type document you need. Example: "Limestone Marriages" 13. Click on the down arrow beside the word "(Any)" and click on the book you need. Example: "1832-1862" 14. Click "Search." 15. Scroll to the page you need and click on the number. Example: "Pages 123-124" 16. You should now be able to see the document. The toolbar at the top gives you options to print, save, copy or zoom in on the document.
Note that the only documents currently indexed on \\ w \\ .Imic-SoncaAiiveN.eym are Wills, Deeds, Marriages, Probate Minutes and Probate Loose Files, and many more documents available at the Archives are not available online yet. For a complete index of the available documents regarding a particular person, call 256-233-6404 or send your request to IcarchivesOs/ knology.net or Limestone County Archives, 102 W. Washington St., Athens, AL 35611.
22 BELLE MINA for SALE
This valuable estate, situated in Limestone County, on the road leading from Huntsville to Decatur, twenty-one miles from Huntsville and seven miles from Decatur and immediately adjoining the village of Mooresville, is now offered for sale. The whole tract (including the Jackson Place lately offered for sale separately) contains 3,190 acres and will be sold entire or divided, as may best suit purchasers. The Jackson Place lying immediately on the north containing 1,120 acres and a tract containing 360 acres, lying on the south and adjoining the village of Mooresville, both in compact form, will be sold separately. This will leave attached to the Belle Mina tract 1,705 acres with the Mansion House, a large and elegant two-story brick building with 12 or 14 rooms and a 15 foot passage through the center and a colonnade the whole length of the front, a kitchen and the requisite accommodations for servants, smoke house, ice house, etc...all, except the latter, of brick and conveniently arranged. Also a large brick stable and carriage house and the yard and garden substantially enclosed with a brick wall full six feet in height. There is also upon the premises a mill with two pair of stones, one for wheat, a saw mill, cotton gin and press, all propelled by water. They are situated on Limestone Creek, a fine stream which waters the eastern portion of the tract. An orchard of peaches, apples and other choice fruits, the Negro quarters located upon the banks of the creek, about a mile from the Mansion House, sufficient for the accommodation of 150 to 200 slaves, are of the most comfortable description, each with a brick chimney and a plank floor. There are several cotton houses situated at convenient distances from each other. The Mansion House and all the improvements attached are new and in perfect repair, the whole having been erected within the last seven years. The place has been uniformly healthy, and when the quality of the soil, and the comfortable, if not elegant style of the improvements, are taken into view, may certainly be considered one of the most desirable in North Alabama. Should the purchaser prefer it, from 30 to 40 slaves will be sold with the land. There are about 2,000 acres of cleared land: the cleared land on the tract as proposed to be sold separately, bearing, perhaps about an equal proportion to the quantity cleared in the entire tract. The whole is well enclosed-a part with cedar posts and plank. The Jackson Place has upon it an overseers house, a new gin and gin house and good quarters for 60 to 80 slaves. This place, as well as the Belle Mina tract, is watered by Limestone Creek, which affords an abundant supply of stock water and some fine grass land. To a man of undoubted punctuality the terms will be accommodating. For further particulars apply to James Bradley or James J. Pleasants, Huntsville, Alabama, who are fully authorized to sell.
Thomas Bibb La Fourche, Louisiana November 15, 1835 P. S. Should a sale not be made by the 1st of January ensuring, from 12 to 1400 acres of the cleared land will be for rent. T. B.
23 BIBB FAMILY & HOME by Atwood Hill Mathis
Alabama Courier 16 September 1926
William Wyatt and Thomas Bibb, the first and second governors of Alabama, were of a large family, there were nine children. The mother, Sarah Wyatt, must have been a woman of wonderful force and character for in his History of Alabama, Picket paid a glowing tribute to her, and he added that her son, Thomas, "resembled his mother more than any of the children in his strength of mind and energy of character". Throughout the history of the family there has been a wonderful spirit of loyalty to each other, and a loving of family and home. After Tomas Bibb built his house he called it Belle Manor (beautiful house) for a time, but the blacks soon softened this with their musical patios into Belle Mina. We see Belle Mina not as the splendid mansion built by the second governor of our proud state, for who of us has not seen or read of the large double parlors on the right after entering the door that has a knocker with the inscription, "Thomas Bibb 1826", and of the splendid stairway that curves so gracefully up into the nether regions of the spacious hall? But rather let us view it as the home planned and executed by the father of a large family and who built and used Belle Mina solely as the summer home where his children could gather and rekindle the family fires. The land on which the mansion was built was part of a grant to Thomas Bibb himself made by the United States and entered 6 February 1818. (See Old Land Records of Limestone County by Margaret Cowart.) We see that the builder himself had a real affection for the place, and had the loving thought of perpetuating his family name in connection with Belle Mina. With this in mind, he had the print of the tiny foot of his youngest daughter, Eliza Bibb (she married Mosely Hopkins) made into one of the large square bricks that form the floor of the large gallery. Grandma Bibb, as Mrs. Bibb, Sr. Was called, often told her grand children of the summer (this was their summer home) spent at Belle Mina when there would be so much company the house would be crowded. She would put her baby, little Porter, to sleep in the top of her huge Saratoga trunk, and he would be free from all harm. Then came the Civil War, the Federal troops had full possession, but for some reason their devastation did not include the home itself. A cyclone (tornado) blowing out of the west destroyed the quarters with the exception of one house, it blew down most of the magnificent trees, blew in the dining room windows and demolished the chimneys of the house. In one of the upstairs bedroom it left a huge hole in the roof. It wrecked the wall surrounding the yard and gardenAhat is, it wrecked all the Yankees had left standing. All this happened about eight o'clock on the evening of the birthday of Robert, the son of Capt. Porter Bibb. It came down to the last Bibb owner, Bradley Nathan Bibb, as eldest son of David Porter. It came by right of descent to the eldest son of each generation. This magnificent structure was built of bricks made on the place, molded in oil molds and a piece of workmanship that shows the honesty of those days. Though 160 years old this year (1986) the bricks are as firm and fresh looking as if only laid a decade ago. In fact, it is a
24 splendid structure, full of historic incidents where no doubt in its early history the affairs of state were gravely discussed and measures were decided for the well being of the State of Alabama. On 2 June 1941 the historic mansion was changing hands, leaving the Bibb family for the first time since it was built 115 years ago. Dr. & Mrs. B. S. Kennedy of Port Chester, New York purchased "Belle Mina" and restored it to its original beauty and made it their home until the 1970s, when Thomas Bowles became the proud owner. 2'Belle Mina Hall" has truly existed, through joy and sorrow, happiness and sadness, feast and famine. Each generation has endured its share of trouble and has quaffed its drink of hanr»inp<5«
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Home of Thomas Bibb. 2nd Governor of Alabama Taken in March 1949
25 BEHIND THE, PHOTO'
The railroad that runs right through the heart of downtown Athens has played a prominent part in Limestone County history ever since Luke Pryor and Thomas Hobbs lobbied to have the first rail laid here in 1855. But riding the rails - or at least, waiting tor a ride - was not always the most comfortable experience.
In the early 1870s, passengers had to wait in a little room right next to the coal platform, so by 1875, passengers were already complaining about the ugly holes in the cotton platform at the depot. But business was brisk: In 1883, depot agent George Sherrill reported that some 35,000 chickens, 60,000 dozen eggs and 3,000 pounds of butter had been shipped out of Limestone County that year, along with 737 bales of cotton.
When the new passenger depot on Washington Street was completed in 1905, L&N turned its sights to building a new freight depot in the company's old log yard. This photo shows men waiting at the Louisville & Nashville freight depot not long after July 1913, when construction was completed on the long-needed building and CM. Hamblen and crew moved into their new structure. Appropriately, it was located on Pryor Street, which bore the namesake of the man who helped bring the railroad to Limestone County.
And apparently, the depot was built well. Nearly 100 years later, the budding is still standing strong for its current use: Home of the Alabama Veterans Museum and Ar. • /cs. The former passcngei depot, meanwhile, houses the Limestone County Archives.
26 GLEANINGS FROM THE LIMESTONE DEMOCRAT
Jan. 10, 1929: Perry Henderson, age 81, died last Sunday at his daughter Mrs. Alvis Carter's home. He came to Limestone from Mississippi as a young man and enlisted under Captain Dave Houston in Company H, 9th Ala. Regiment during the Civil War. During his time here, Henderson served as county surveyor, assessor, city clerk, and as a member of the Alabama House. He had been a leading member of Round Island Baptist Church before moving to Athens and becoming a charter member of the re organization of Athens First Baptist Church.
Feb. 21. 1929: J. B. Sarver and Buren Gilbert sold their fast-pacing mare Louise Sarver and their roan horse Walter M. Starkey to Ralph A. Jewell, well known banker and race horse owner from Fairfield, Maine. They were paid $1,900 for the mare and $600 for the horse. In Athens Inferior Court, Elum Cox was found guilty of using abusive language in the presence of a lady and fined $15 and costs. George Winchester was found guilty of the same charge and fined $5 and costs. On Feb. 5, Ollie May Roberts claimed the 30 gallons of whiskey in Judge Clem's office which was found in the home of her mother Mrs. Bell Patterson of Cartwright. A fine of $150 was assessed with costs amounting to a total of $205.50.
Feb. 28, 1929: The old fiddler's contest, an annual event held last Friday night at the Ag School (later to become Athens High), was a huge success. It began in 1924 as an experiment and it was thought at the time that something new would come along to replace it but interest continues to grow. Over 800 people packed the auditorium to standing room capacity. 120 contestants entered the various contests with 83 different numbers played. The program lasted nearly 4 hours to everyone's delight. John D. Chambers won 1st in single fiddle with Mrs. Delia Mullins in 2nd and Emma Crabtree in 3ld. Winning 1st in single other instrument was Edward Graham and Homer Kyle in 2" , Alton Delmore was the 3rd place winner. The McCaigs won 1st in string band, Louise and Beatrice Thomas won 2nd, and W. D. Stedham placed 3r . French haip winner was Lee Holmes, with A. J. Harris winning 2nd, and Howard Smith in 3rd. First in buck and wing dancing w-as Vernette Smith, Pauline McCaig in 2n , and Jack White placing 3r .
Mar. 14. 1929: The Old fiddler2s contest" held in the county high school last Friday was an overwhelming success in spite of the pouring rain. Both the solos and groups were better than last year. Fiddle solo winner was Mrs. Mullins of Ardmore, Jack Christopher in 2nd, and Fletcher Barksdale in 3rd. Group music winner was the Barksdale group, followed by Mullins in 2nd and Cole group in 3r . Elmer Cribbs waslst in guitar, Homer Kyle in 2nd, and A. C. Fleming in 3rd. Banjo solo winner was Tom Smith of Athens, Charles Johnson of Minor Hill in 2nd, and J. E. Tucker taking 3rd.
Mar. 21, 1929: Henry "Deacon" Jones, colored, has swom off buying cheap horses. He bought a "plug" last week for 25 cents. The very first time that he rode the horse it stumbled and fell on Henry who suffered a broken leg. When he sent for Dr. Maples, the doctor brought along Wilson Carter, the undertaker, to accompany him.
27 Henry was very alarmed to see Carter and quickly begged him to leave since "I sho don't need you now." Decatur's old bank building will be torn down in the spring to make way for a new one. The state bank was created by the legislature in 1820, but it was not until 1832 that banks were authorized in Montgomery. Mobile and Decatur. Huntsville got their bank in 1835. The bank venture was characterized by graft, scandal, private cupidity, and corruption through outrageous loans made to members of the legislature to influence their votes. For nearly 25 years these banks were parasites on the body politic and brought Alabama to financial chaos.
Jul. 24. 1929: American Legion Post Carlisle B. Grisham will have another big fight card at the fairgrounds on Thursday with Jack Sullivan and Evony Lee as headliners. Clay "Brick" Williams of Athens will fight Gene Turner of Huntsville. There will be a drabskin affair between "Try Me Charlie" and Kid Horton. Last Thursday's card, with "Tobe" Woodruff in the role of promoter, featured Sullivan of Tuscaloosa winning over Florace Hooper of Birmingham in a newspaper decision. Also, Elmore boxed LeCroix to a draw, as did Eastep with Jenkins, two well-known 95-pounders. Todd and French also put up a two-round draw.
Aug. 8, 1929: Dr. Mary McCoy. President of Athens College, has been granted 3 months leave for a round-the-world trip. She will sail from San Francisco on the President Taft to Honolulu and Japan. Missionaries Mabel Whitehead and Lelia Bagley will travel with her to Japan where Mrs. McCoy will be the guest of Lambuth College. She may visit China and will return by way of the Suez Canal with definite stops in the Holy Land, Italy, France, and other Western European nations. Jack Sullivan, the Tuscaloosa terror, won by a wide margin over Ebon Lee last Thursday. Eastep of Athens and King of Huntsville had their scrap called off on account of the age and weight of the Huntsville lad. White won easily over Land, both of Athens. Dement of Athens won over Gladney from here.
Aug. 29, 1929: Judge J. E. Clem released Bob Corder of Mount Rozell without bail on Wednesday for the shooting of 18 year old Houston Browning. Immediately after this action, a new complaint filed against Corder by the father John Browning compelled Probate Judge A. M. McConnell to bound Corder over to the grand jury with bail set at $2,500 and Corder being allowed to return home a few hours later.
Sept. 5. 1929: Elk River Mills Farm, containing 731 acres, was sold at public auction last Saturday and was purchased by Dr. Isham V.Legg and his sister Mrs. Mamie Williams for $15,000. It was at this location that the foundation of several fortunes were laid, notably that of the late Isham C. Vaughan. grandfather of the new owners, L. C. Hightower and A. J. Grisham of Athens and W. B. Vaughan of Elkmont. For many years the farm was regarded as the finest business stand in the county. The new owners will run the farm, store and mill after Jan. 1.
28 CAPITAL MOTOR LINES DRIVER'S ONE WAY CASH FARE RECEIPT GOOD BETWEEN STATIONS PUNCHED AND WITHIN ONE DAY £2Sw5fc*
A BUS TRIP IN 1938
A LCHS member recently discovered this item, a late 1930's Bus ticket, in his late parent's home and the editorial board became intrigued in researching the history of the ticket purchased in Florence for trips ending in Chattanooga with stops in-between. Notice that it only cost forty cents to ride to Athens and $4 to Chattanooga. Mr. Avery Austin Crow, born in Winston County in 1891 and a WWI veteran, became partner in Alabama Bus Co. in the twenties in Birmingham. After this company sold out to Greyhound, Crow relocated to Montgomery and bought Dixie Stage Lines. In 1930, he acquired Capital Motor Lines which spread all over the state and into Mississippi. In 1937, the Florence to Decatur line was extended to Huntsville and Chattanooga. Hwy 72 has been known as the Lee Highway, the Huntsville Road, and the Athens Road. Let us now review the route through the stops in Lauderdale and Limestone counties.
Florence
Located on the Tennessee River, Florence is the largest city in Lauderdale County and the county seat. It dates from 1818 when Cypress Land Company bought the land from the U. S. Government. Florence was named for Florence, Italy and was designed by John Coffee and an Italian surveyor named Ferdinand Sannoner. The first post office was established in 1818 and the town was incorporated in 1826. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the Florence Wagon Works and the Martin Stove Company were two of the major industries. The Florence Wagon Works at one time was second only to the Studebaker Company in the production of wagons in the nation.
Killen
Killen is located on the old Lee Highway nine miles east of Florence and was once known as Masonville. It was named for Joseph Mason who was the first postmaster appointed in 1826. The post office was discontinued in 1866. A thriving community developed in the late 1880*s and 1890's mainly as a result of the building of the Muscle
29 Shoals Canal. The canal opened in 1890 with nine locks. Lock number six was the headquarters for the canal located a mile south of what Is now Killen. Store owner James Sharp Killen asked the government to open a post office in 1896 and he was appointed the first postmaster and the post office was located in his store. A school opened in Killen about 1908 and was the center of the community for many years. A beautiful brick school building was constructed in 1935 and also served the community for many more years as a junior high school. Brooks High School was built in 1967.
Center Star
Center Star, one of the oldest communities in Lauderdale County, is located on the old Lee Highway about 13 miles east of Florence. The village of the famous Cherokee chief Doublehead was located just east of Center Star on Blue Water Creek where the polo field is today. Doublehead was the uncle of the famous Sequoya who created the Cherokee alphabet. A post office was opened in Centre Star in 1850 and was discontinued in 1914. The U. S. Government changed the spelling of the name of the post office to Center Star in 1895. The "Calnoun Guards" (C. 1, 9th Alabama Infantry) was organized by future governor Edward A. O'Neal at Center Star in May, 1861. They fought with the Army of Northern Virginia commanded by General Robert E. Lee and surrendered with him at Appomattox in 1865. During the Civil War, a skirmish took place here on May 6, 1864 between the forces of General Phillip Roddey's 4lh Alabama Cavalry and Colonel Richard Rowett's 7 1 Illinois Regiment. The unincorporated community is the home of nationally known musicians Spooner Olham, Willie Ruff, and Mark Narmore.
Elgin
Elgin or Elgin Cross Roads is located at the intersection of Highway 101 and the old Lee Flighway (Hwy 72) just west of Second Creek and directly north of Wheeler Dam. It was once known as Ingram's Cross Roads and in the 1880's as Crittenden's Cross Roads. A post office in Ingram's Cross Roads was opened in 1844 and closed in 1868. A new post office was opened in 1901 in the general store of Jackson & Bolinger and was named Elgin X Roads. It was closed in 1905 and the mail transferred to Rogersville. Both roads that form the cross roads were heavily travelled and a hotel was established nearby and operated for a number of years. "Too1:" Killen's General Store was a landmark for many years at the intersection. The unincorporated community is thriving today is generally referred to as Elgin.
30 Rogersville
This town is located about 19 miles west of Athens and was once known as Rodgersville. It was named for Andrew Rodgers from South Carolina but the spelling later changed to Rogersville. The second post office in the county opened here in 1825. In 1816, a ferry was established on the Tennessee River south of Rogersville and became known as Lamb's Ferry. As a result, an important river port developed there and caused the town to grow. The town was incorporated in 1858. In 1912, the first Lauderdale County high school was built in Rogersville and named Lauderdale County High School. Students came from all over the area to board and go to school. Harlon Hill, the rookie of the year in 1954 in professional football, played at Lauderdale County. As a player for the Chicago Bears, he won many awards including the Jim Thorpe Award in 1955.
Oliver
Oliver is a community just east of Rogersville on the old Lee Highway near Elk River. A post office was established in 1894 and discontinued in 1909. The E. W. Wear General Store was located here for a number of years. The Oliver Church of Christ has been in its present location on Highway 72 since 1891 when the road was known as the Huntsville Road. It is the only landmark left today of the Oliver community.
Coxey
The center of Coxey has been considered to be the area around Clements Fligh School. Current residents state that the entire region from Elk River to Athens is considered to be Coxey. Older members of the community remember that one could flag the bus anywhere from east of the river into Athens and pay 25 cents for a round-trip ticket to town and back. The bus stopped regularly at Nick Bridges Store and Poke Allen's Store across the road from each other near Ezell's Gin one-fourth mile east of Clements High. Voter registration occurred at Bridges Grocery but the post office was called Pettey and was located one mile east of Clements.
Sowell's Store
Sowelfs Store was a bus stop for the historic community of Cambridge which nearly became the county seat of Limestone. The original store building is still standing on the corner of Highway 72 and Cambridge Lane. It was built in 1934 by Marie Westmoreland and rented to Frank Sowell who purchased it later. A half mile south of the store stands the old Methodist Church with its antebellum cemetery. Other owners of the community store were Cyrus Pepper, Oscar Thomas, Raymond Isom, Wilton Pepper, and the Perese Family.
31 Shoalford
Shoalford was an important early community located on Limestone Creek so named because there was no bridge to ford the waters. It grew more rapidly when M.A. "Matt" Phillips arrived there in 1897. Having a keen business mind and many talents he became an expert in horse breeding and farming. He quickly acquired a half interest in 72 acres and later amassed 1250 acres. He established a post office, grocery store, school, saw mill, cotton gin, blacksmith shop, and a huge business in mule trading. Seven grades met in the one room school, and the teacher roomed with the Phillips family. In 1901, Mr. Phillips wrote to the University of Alabama seeking a young doctor. Dr. Henry Alonzo Darby arrived to rent a room built onto the store and a bedroom in the family home. Descendants remember that the doctor sterilized his supplies in the kitchen oven. Mr. Phillips oversaw numerous tenant farmers and renters, and in 1928 awarded prizes for the best cultivation practices. His daughter, Mrs. Ethel Wiggins, a lovely lady with a remarkable mind and memory, lived to the age of 101 until she passed away in February 2011 in the same bedroom of the ancestral home in which she was born.
Duncan Cross Roads
This community and bus stop was at the intersection where the Limestone Flea Market is currently located. In the 1930's, the N. E. comer contained the W. R. Webster Grocery which is still standing but houses a different business. This structure was first built by the Cartwright family and rented out. On the S. E. corner stood the Rudy Morris Car Shop. And, on the S. W. corner was the home of Edward Burgreen which had to be moved when Highway 72 was four-laned.
50 YEARS AGO IN 1962
From The Alabama Courier: Jan. 4: The biggest taxpayer in Limestone County is the L&N Railroad. Their representative is pictured as he presents the check to Leonard Moyers, Tax Collector. The tax on property and equipment amounts to $33,734.28 Grace Delois Hine, a graduate of Tanner High, will marry Hammer Kedar Aboied on Feb. 24.
Jan. 15: Andy Nelson, All-Pro defensive back with the Baltimore Colts, is in town and is pictured with 15 year-old James Houston Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Smith, who is improving after a lengthy illness. (James Houston passed away on Feb. 2, 1963.) Jerre Haney of Tanner is pictured as the DAR Good Citizenship recipient. Air Force Captain William Darryl Allfrey is pictured. He is on TAC maneuvers and is spending Christmas 4,600 miles away from his family in Myrtle Beach.
32 Jan. 25: Clements High, the last of the six county high schools still in a frame building, is in line for a new brick structure. The state building commissioner has allocated $185,000 for construction at the present site. Work will begin in April and the building will contain 15 rooms and house 428 students in 12 grades. The current school was built in 1930 and will be removed for the new one.
Feb. 1: Ronnie Marks of Tanner won the county FFA Oratorical Contest with a documented speech proving that Alabama agriculture is superior to that of Russia. Ross Smith of Clements, last year's winner, came in second. Ronnie was awarded $50.
April 26: Athens College President Virgil McCain is pictured with his wife and two sons in several photos. They are displaying some of the numerous remodeling efforts done to the historic Mary Mason Home acquired by the college in 1960. Mrs. McCain is shown in the modem kitchen and the boys are shown using the antebellum well under its original lattice. President Andrew Johnson lived in this house at one time when he worked on a table as the apprentice to Joseph Sloss' Tailoring Shop at Mooresville. The decorating committee for the renovations has been Harvey Gilbert of Athens, Mrs. D. L. Noojin, M/M Joe Copeland of Gadsden, and Mrs. McCain. Luxurious acrilan carpet in rose-beige has been combined with side-planked original flooring downstairs. Some of the bedrooms have been done with a French flair.
May 10: Excellent individual photos of all county high school graduates are featured in this edition.
May 17: The graduates of Athens Bible School are pictured individually in this edition. 80 Athens High School graduating seniors are pictured here today. Don Freeman, Henry Blizzard, and Grayson Bailey are graduating from Auburn University this quarter.
May 31: Hendricks - Patton has finished the facelift to their business facade. Doing away with the popular double windows times three of the art deco style of the early 20th century, they have changed the second story to a pretty purple paint panel.
From The Limestone Democrat: Jan. 23: Athens College Bears defeat Troy State by a score of 95-94. The outstanding team effort was led by Charles Gamer with 40 points. Earlier in the week, the Bears defeated Saint Bernard hitting 77% from the floor.
Jan. 30: Limestone County sells three school sites. They are Sardis Springs, Poplar Creek black, and the Scott property at Holland's Gin.
Feb. 20: Popular coach and radio announcer Robert Maxwell "Catfish" Allen, age 31, died Sunday at one a.m. at Elk River. He had called a game in Morgan and became ill shortly after arriving at the riverfront. The husky athlete went outside to vomit and collapsed when his windpipe became blocked. Serving as pallbearers were Jimmy Holmes, Larry Mobley, Steve Balch, Jack Cannon, Ed Bridges, and Bill Hargrove.
33 NEW BOOKS for READING & RESEARCH at the LIMESTONE ARCHIVES
In the final quarter of 2011, the Limestone County Archives has made quite a few titles available to patrons in its library. Some of these books have been donated by the Friends of the Archives and various Archives patrons, while others have been taken out of private collections and made available to the public for reading and research. These are the books that the Archives has added since October 1, 2011:
1. 1968 Athens-Limestone Sesquicentennial Booklet 2. Axford, Faye Acton: The Journals of Thomas Hubbard Hobbs 3. The Birmingham News: Day of Devastation: Photos & Stories of Alabama's Deadliest Tornado Outbreak 4. The Columns 1967: Athens College, Athens, AL 5. The Columns 1968: Athens College, Athens, AL 6. Confidential Buyers Service: Athens' City Prominents 1970 7. Davis, Susan Lawrence: Authentic History of the Ku Klux Klan 1865-1877 8. Drake, William Pickens: X+Y=Z or The Sleeping Preacher: Centennial Edition 9. Dunnavant, Robert Jr.: Decatur, Alabama: Yankee Foothold in Dixie 1861-1865 10. Dunnavant, Robert Jr.: Historic Limestone County: Volume I & II 11. Dunnavant, Robert Jr.: The Railroad War: N.B. Forrest's 1864 Raid Through Northern Alabama & Middle Tennessee 12. Grandrud, Pauline Jones: Marriage, Death and Legal Notices from Early Alabama Newspapers, 1819-1893 13. Kazek, Kelly: Images of America: Athens and Limestone County 14. Lennon, Rachel Mills: Tracing Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes 15. Limestone County Negro Teachers: Restrospective Glances of Limestone County Negro Education 16. McLin, Elva Bell: Madame Childs: The Lady and the Legend 17. Miller, Debra J.: A Survey of Log Houses in Limestone and Madison Counties, Alabama 18. Northern Alabama: Historical and Biographical 19. Parker, Price: From Alabama to Appomattox: History of the Fighting 9th Alabama, its Soldiers and its Generals 20. Phillips, Margaret I.: Doctor of the Cotton Patch 21. Puntenney, George M.: History of the Thirty-Seventh Regiment of Indiana Infantry Volunteers 22. Rankin, John Patrick: Memories of Madison, A Connected Community: 1857-2007 23. Robertson, Wyndham: Pocahontas, Alias Matoaka, and Her Descendants 24. Schmultz, George S.: History of the 102d Regiment, O.V.I. 25. Walker, James L.: African-American Heroes of Limestone County 26. Walker, James L.: Makin'the Playing Field Even: The Story of Athletics at Trinity High School 27. Wolfe, Jennifer: William Henry Richardson (1874-1941)
34 Beginning with Limestone County
By Mrs. Julian Newman
It would be difficult to imagine a more beautiful place than the Tennessee Valley at the time the Indians lived here. The magnificent virgin forests, filled with an abundance of geese, ducks, turkeys, bears, deer, squirrels, rabbits, and birds of all kinds, made this a hunter's paradise. The great streams of navigable waters furnished the Indians not only a means of transportation but also plenty of food. Both the Cherokees and Chickasaws claimed this part of Alabama. The Creeks owned the territory to the south. Because of the dense forests and lack of landmarks, it was impossible to maintain definite boundary lines; so skirmishes went on among the three constantly. The first serious attempt on the part of the white man to settle the Tennessee Valley began six years after the Revolutionary War. Georgia claimed that, under her charter, all the land between thirty-one degrees and thirty-five degrees from the Savannah River to the Mississippi River was hers. This included the land that is now Alabama and Mississippi, which England had been forced to cede to the United States at the end of the Revolutionary War. In 1789 Georgia sold large tracts of land in this territory to Yazoo Land Companies. One of these companies, the Tennessee Land Company, bought 3,500,000 acres of land in Marshall County and all the counties north of the Tennessee River for one and one-half cents an acre and sold it to "land-hungry buyers" who had poured into this area from all the thirteen states. President Washington denounced these sales, declaring that until all the Indian claims had been relinquished, the sale of the land was illegal. But people continued to buy, and speculation continued to mount. The land Company was unable to pay for the land; so it reverted to the state of Georgia, which promptly reorganized it and sold it back to the same company - -this time, for two and a fourth cents an acre. The bitter feud over the sales went on between Georgia and the federal government until 1802, when a deal was made whereby the federal government repudiated all the sales made on the Indian land, paid Georgia $1,250,000 to release her claim and created out of it the Mississippi Territory. (The purchase price was to be paid to Georgia out of the first net proceeds of the land sales.) The government exercised great care in handling these sales. Anxious to avoid trouble with the Indians, Congress passed a law in 1806 prohibiting white people from settling on any land in the territory on which Indians still held claims. The Indians were slow to relinquish their claims to the Limestone County area. This was the reason Madison County got such a head start on Limestone in
35 getting settled. The federal government, in treaties with the Chickasaws in 1805 and the Cherokees in 1806, acquired a large triangular tract of land that took in the Madison County area and the northeast corner of Limestone. So a settlement began therein 1805. Settlers were particularly attracted to the Tennessee Valley, for they were quick to recognize its possibilities for the production of cotton. The invention of the cotton gin had made cotton the chief money-making crop of the South. Land speculators who had come into this region during the Yazoo Land Sales were so impressed with the rich, fertile soil that they wrote their friends at home and described it as a "Happy Valley - - where crops are always sure." It is no wonder that by 1810 half the population of the Mississippi Territory was living in the newly-formed County of Madison. Some of the early settlers bypassed Madison and came into the land that is now Limestone County. Descendants of James Witty say that he settled here in 1803, and that his son George, born May 13, 1803, was the first male white child born in the county. We are told that William C. Maples moved here in 1805 from Granger County, Tennessee, but was run away by the Indians. From this same source, we learn that a party of eight families, consisting of Thomas Redus, William Redus, William Simms, James Simms, James Witty, John Maples, Benjamin Murrell, and a Mr. Pridmore, came down the Elk River on flatboats in 1807 from Tennessee and began a settlement near the New Garden Church, which was called the Simms Settlement. (Some contend that Robert Pridmore, born in May of 1808, was the first white child born in the county). Thomas Redus, who was one of the number, disagreed as to the year of the settlement, and gave the year as 1808 instead of 1807. He also differed as to those in the party. This fact strengthens the Witty belief that James Witty was not in the 1808 group and had come here in 1803 instead of ] 808. The Rev. John A. Millhouse claimed (according to Col. McClellan) that Levi Cummings, who settled on Limestone Creek in 1807, was the first settler. Another group from South Carolina came in 1808 and established themselves in the Wooley Springs area. This party was composed of Hooda Mitchell, John Millhouse, Berry Adams, and Lewis Tillman. The French family settled here in 1808 near Limestone Creek, nine miles east of Athens. The family consisted of Ben French, and his five sons Jerry, Jessie, Samuel, Benjamin, Amos, and six daughters, Milly, Jane, Ann, Polly, Sally, and Frances. Another group of men - - John James, Joseph Burleson, and William Moore - - settled on Limestone Creek, a few miles above Mooresville in 1808. Samuel Robertson located in Athens in 1808 and W.A. Wilder in 1810. Charles
36 Burress came here in 1810, and settled a few miles below Wooley Springs. These men set the stage for the development of Limestone County, when, in 1816, the Chickasaws finally sold the land to the government and more settlers poured into the area. Before clear titles could be obtained, the land had to be surveyed; so it was not until 1818 that the land of Limestone County was offered for sale at the public land sales in Huntsville. The bravery and fortitude of these early pioneers is a source of wonder to us today. Their willingness to leave well-established areas to go into the wilds of Limestone County, where they were subject to the attacks of wild animals and Indians, reveals the courageous spirit that all pioneers must possess. Early Limestone historians give interesting sketches of the lives of these men - - just enough to let us know that they carved out their careers as big land owners (as many of them later became) by hard labor and a strong dedication to the soil. For they, too, had been drawn to this area by the soil, which many of them felt was better than gold because it would produce cotton year after year, after year. We are told that the company of eight families who came here from Tennessee in 1807 came by flatboats, down the Tennessee River, to the north of Elk River, and up the Elk River to Buck Island, where they camped for a few days while they searched for a good place to build their settlement, These families probably took their household goods to the Tennessee River on wagons and camped there until they could construct the boats, which were usually little more than barges made of logs with a long oar used for steering. These boats rarely went upstream against the current; so when they reached their destination, they were usually broken up and the lumber used for other purposes. A typical flatboat was about forty feet long and twelve feet wide. It is possible that some of the men had visited this Limestone County area earlier and, by drawing crude maps of the waterways and the lay of the land, were able to take the horses, go ahead of the group, and meet them when they arrived. On October 3, 1807, they built their first cabin in an area near the New Garden, Church, which became known as the Simms Settlement. We are told that it was possible for a group of men to go into a wooded area in the morning, clear the land of trees, and by nightfall have a log cabin ready for occupancy. The cabins, of course, were simple, one-room huts with no floors, a rock fire-place at one end, and a shuttered window at the other. The people at the Simms Settlement were foresighted enough to bring enough provisions to last a year. We are told that in the spring of 1808, they planted corn and vegetables on a few acres of ground that had previously been cleared by the Indians. The Indians in this region were not so war-like as some in other areas, but
37 there were occasional incidents with them. From Col. McClellan, we learn that in 1808 Indians burned the cabins of Amos French, and in 1810 the whole Lester family were murdered by a group of Indians who surprised them as they were working outside their cabin on Beaver Dam Creek. Another historian said that between 1810 and 1812 many of the cabins of white settlers were burned and their fences, corn, and vegetable crops destroyed by Indians. An interesting story is told about Amos French, who came here with his family in 1808. He was a soldier under General Jackson's command, and just before the Battle of New Orleans he was told by Jackson, to hurry up and finish drinking his coffee. When he failed to do so, the General knocked the cup from his hand with his sword. The French family never forgave Jackson for this offence; and later, when Jackson ran for president of the United States, they worked actively against him. We salute these courageous pioneers, with the hope that all of us may attain some of their sterling qualities as we continue to build upon their efforts.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Since accurate records were not usually kept on local affairs before 1840, most of the early history of Athens and Limestone County has been handed down to us by'word of mouth'. Athens is fortunate to have had among her early settlers people like Dr. Stith Malone, John T. Tanner, Col. R. A. McClellan (and later, Miss Mary Mason) who painstakingly gathered information about its early happenings and recorded it for later generations. Local newspapers have also done their part in preserving historical data. (Much of the material for the Story of Athens was obtained from newspapers found at the courthouse and at the Archives Department in Montgomery.) These local historians have left us a good picture of our town and county. They do not always agree with each other; and their dates and figures sometimes differ with others whose source of information may be just as reliable since most of it was 'handed down' by the preceding generation.
While preparing these sketches for publication I read many histories of Alabama by such historians as Pickett, Brewer, Owens and Moore and I found that even they do not always agree on all the minor details concerning our history. While proofreading the history of Limestone County I found that I had left the impression that the Mississippi Territory was not formed until 1802. Actually it
36 was organized in 1798 but Georgia did not cede the land to the federal government until 1802. Had I recalled Ptah-hotep's warning five thousand years ago to "consider how thou mayest be opposed by an expert in council", I would probably never have undertaken the task of blending dates and figures and facts' together for so great an occasion. But I must remember that history is not a mere compilation of boring facts and figures. Someone has defined it as a "parade of human beings in action." With this definition in mind let us take our places in the reviewing stands and watch past generations march by 1
i listory of Athens, Alabama
The first white man to come to Athens with the idea of settling here was John Craig, who came in 1800 with his family from Tennessee and camped at the Big Spring. We are not told what route he took. We do not know whether he floated his family and household goods down Elk River in a flatboat or whether they came on horseback down the narrow Indian trails. We do know, however; that on the third day of their visit, a Indians gathered in front of their camp and, in an angry demonstration, sent them scurrying back to Tennessee. Mr. Craig later came back to Athens, perhaps to live; for he pointed out to Thomas Stith Malone the spot where he had camped (at about where Judge McClellan's house was located.) In 1808 another white man, Samuel Robertson, successfully established himself in Athens and built three cabins here, one of which was located on the southeast the present square on the present site of the Woodroof Law Office, This cabin became the first tavern in the area, Mr. Robertson apparently ran the tavern without incident until 1810, when Col. R. J. Meigs, who had been sent here by the federal government to establish Fort Hampton (on Elk River) to protect the Indians from encroachment by the white man, forced him to leave town and appointed W. A. Wilder as sutler and keeper of a trading post for the Indians and federal troops. Robertson is said to have returned in 1816, when Col. Meigs had been sent to another assignment, and asked for his property back. When Wilder refused, he was shot and dangerously wounded. A story is told that on one occasion Gen. Andrew Jackson and his men, while returning to Tennessee from New Orleans, were overnight guests at the
39 tavern. The next day the General paid $9.00 too much for their lodging. When Mr. Wilder discovered the error, he tried to overtake him but failed. Tavern prices were controlled by the government and were very low. A night's lodging could be had for 75 cents, meals for 25 cents, a pint of whiskey for 10 cents, a pint of brandy for 18 cents, and a horse fed for 25 cents. In 1818 John Coffee, Robert Beaty, John D. Carroll, and John Reed bought at the public land sales in Huntsville for $60 an acre the- 160 acres of land on which Athens was built. Historians do not mention who named the town, but it is safe to assume that it was named by one of its founding fathers who had dreams of its becoming another cultural center like the ancient city of Greece which bears the same name. On November 19, 1818, the Alabama Territorial Legislature, in its second session, passed an act incorporating it as a town. Two days before, on November 17, 1818, the Legislature had passed an act calling for an election to be held in the little Athens settlement, beginning on the fourth Monday in March of 1819, and lasting two days, at which time, five commissioners would be elected, who would, by a majority vote, have the power to select the county seat of Limestone County. A previous notice published in the Athens Republican (a newspaper published in Huntsville at that time) had already put Athens in nomination for the honor.
Town of Athens The undersigned give notice that lots in the town of Athens will be exposed to public sales on the premises, on Friday the 8th day of May next. The lots in this town will be sold upon a credit of 18 months. Purchasers will be required to give bond with approved security. The town of Athens is pleasantly laid out in the center of Limestone County, on the main road leading, from Huntsville to western counties to the Muscle Shoals, and to New Orleans. The Post route by land from East Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia to New Orleans will in all probability pass through this town. Athens is watered by three perennial springs, all of which are convenient to the town. The proprietors have made appropriation of a spacious square for the public buildings, and will contribute $8,000 for the building of the court house if the commissioners appointed for the purpose of fixing the seat of justice should locate at this place. A plan of the town may be seen by appli cation to the Register's Office. Robert Beaty John D. Carroll Commissioners
40 IN HONOR OF THE 150IH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIVIL WAR
HE SERVED HIS COUNTRY WELL (donated by Tony Grigsby)
On Christmas morning with a bright sunshine and a Sabbath stillness resting upon the same, there were laid to rest in the burying ground of the Goss family, near Stony Point, the remains of a gallant soldier of two wars, Andrew J. Grigsby. Colonel Grigsby was born in Rockbridge County, Va., November 2, 1819. When war with Mexico was declared, he was residing in Missouri, and he enlisted in Colonel Doniphan's well known regiment which distinguished itself in that war. In the spring of 1861 he was living in Giles County, Va., and at once entered the service of his State, becoming successively Major, Lieutenant Colonel, and Colonel of the 27th Virginia Regiment, one of the five regiments of the noted "Stonewall" Brigade. He served with this brigade through the campaigns of 1861 and 1862, becoming its commander after Colonel W.H.S. Baylor was killed at "Second Manassas." At the battle of Sharpsburg, after the retirement of General J.R. Jones injured by concussion from the bursting of a shell and the death of General W.E. Starke, who was killed early in the action, he became commander of Jackson's old Division, and led it with conspicuous ability and gallantry. Indeed, the gallantry of Col. Grigsby was conspicuous on every field on which the "Stonewall" Brigade was engaged, so that his regiment acquired the sobriquet of "The Bloody Twenty Seventh." At the battle of Port Republic his sword belt was shot away, and he was wounded in a later engagement. In the fall of 1863, after the promotion of Gen. E.F. Paxton, former Major of his regiment, and at that time Adjutant General of Jackson's Corps, to the command of the "Stonewall" Brigade, Col. Grigsby resigned. He was then in feeble health and unable to endure further active service. He retired to the home of his relatives, the Goss family, in Albermarie County, where he afterwards resided. Col. Grigsby was a brother of John Warren Grigsby, who was Colonel of the 6th Kentucky Cavalry, and commanded a brigade in Morgan's Cavalry Division. He was a man of great force of character, and impulsive, he was brave almost to rashness, and in battle exposed himself with a reckless disregard of his own safety. He never said "go," but always "comes'' While a stem disciplinarian, his regiment was devoted to him, and would follow him anywhere. His kindness of heart was shown in later life by his habit of carrying apples in his pocket to give to children and others whom he met. At the unveiling of the Jackson Statue at Lexington, in 1891, Col. Grigsby rode at the head of the remnant of the "Stonewall" Brigade, and he was manifestly delighted as the leader, on this peaceful occasion, of the men whom he had so often led in battle. At the unveiling of the Soldier's & Sailor's Monument in Richmond, in 1894, notwithstanding his seventy five years, he marched on foot, side by side with the commander of John Bowie Strange Camp, the whole distance. Col. Grigsby was taken with pneumonia on Wednesday, December 18th, and died on Monday, December 23rd, in the seventy seventh year of his age. Many neighbors and friends assembled in numbers to pay respect to his memory, among whom were his comrades, Gen. Wm. McComb of Louisa County, Capt. Philip W. Nelson and others. The services were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Farrar, and the pallbearers were: Messrs. Samuel Edwards, Wm. A. Marshall, George Webb, Alex. Taylor, John B. Minor and Commander James M. Garnett, representing John Bowie Strange Camp, Comfederate Veterans, of which he was formerly a member. Some of Col. Grigsby's nephews came to Nashville early after the war mere boys and made prominent citizens ever true to Confederate memories.
41 GRIGSBY'S who fought for the CONFEDERACY in ALABAMA UNITS
GRIGSBY, E.O. Cavalry 6lh Regiment, Alabama Cavalry
GRIGSBY, E.O. Infantry 25lh Regiment, Alabama Infantry
GRIGSBY, F.G. Infantry 48th Regiment, Alabama Infantry
GRIGSBY, J.A. Infantry 48th Regiment, Alabama Infantry
GRIGSBY, J.W. Infantry 9th Regiment, Alabama Infantry
GRIGSBY, James B. Cavalry 3rd Regiment, Alabama Cavalry
GRIGSBY, James C. Infantry 19th Regiment, Alabama Infantry
GRIGSBY, John Infantry 9th Regiment, Alabama Infantry
GRIGSBY, John P. Infantry 50th Regiment, Alabama Infantry
GRIGSBY, R.S. Cavalry 1sl Regiment, Alabama Cavalry
GRIGSBY, Robert Cavalry 9th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry (Malone's)
GRIGSBY, Wesley Infantry 16th Regiment, Alabama Infantry
GRIGSBY, William F. Infantry 19th Regiment, Alabama Infantry
GRIGSBY, William H. Infantry 50th Regiment, Alabama Infantry
42 LIMESTONE COUNTY WILLS WILL BOOK 17-1910-1912 Continued from October Issue Page 14: ROCE GROCE, a minor, received $700.76 being due me as final settlement from my guardian, India Groce. Signed: Roce Groce Recorded: 2 July 1910
Page 15: Petition for Letter of Administration. Estate of WILLIAM E. NETHERY.deceased. William E. Nethery departed this life at Nashville, TN., 15 August 1910 leaving no will. Real and personal property consisting chiefly of a farm of 370 acres, a farm of 77 acres and tools, etc. crops of current year valued at $15000.00. Heirs to wit: Widow, Mary G. Nethery, William G. Nethery, 12 years, Helen Nethery, 9 years, Frank Nethery, 7 years all children of deceased and in custody of the Mother. All parties residing at Belle Mina, Alabama Signed: Mary G. Nethery Recorded: 19 September 1910
Page 16: Petition of Widow, Frances McDonald, to set homestead exemption. H. T. MCDONALD, deceased, departed this life more than (60) days before filing this petition. H.T. McDonald leaving no minor children. H.T. McDonald, deceased, left the following decribed real estate to wit: a portion of Sec. 10, T1,R4W, and bounded north by B.T. Andrews land and west by Sec line and being the said lot purchased by H.T. McDonald from J.M. Evans. Dated 10 Sept. 1891 and recorded in Deed book 40, page 454. This was the homestead of H. T. McDonald and does not exceed 160 acres. Valued at $2,000.00 Personal property valued at $1,000.00 Signed: Mrs. F. W. McDonald Filed: 19 September 1910
Page 17:WrjNNIE D. POTTS, formerly, Winnie D. Westmoreland, a minor, Account current of James E. Horton, Jr. Guardian for settlement
Pages 17-24: WINNIE P. POTTS, formerly, WESTMORELAND & WILLIAM F. WESTMORELAND. List of account of J. E. Horton, Jr. from 1905-1910 Cash in hand, $834.85 Names Frances L.A. & Bruce Westmoreland as administrators of estate of Mattie I. Westmoreland, deceased Winnie D. Westmoreland married August 4, 1909 to William Clay Potts. She being at the time of her marriage eighteen years of age and resident of Limestone County, Alabama. She now resides with her husband in Texas. William F. Westmoreland being eighteen years, 4 November 1910 and resident of Limestone County, Alabama.
Page 25: Annual Settlement, I. C. VAUGHAN. deceased, Notice to Mary Jane Vaughan, widow, day set for annual settlement
43 Limestone County Wills Book 17-1910-1912 continued
Page 25: W. T. Sanders, administrator of the estate of ISHAM C. VAUGHAN, deceased, filed his statements, accounts, and vouchers for estate. Notice to Mary Jane Vaughan, widow, sent on 1 September 1910
Page 25: ISHAM C. VAUGHAN. deceased Notice to WILLIE D. LEGG. daughter, for annual settlement by W. Sanders, administrator, 1 September 1910
Page 26: Notice of appointment of administrator of estate of I. C. VAUGHAN. deceased. Notice given that all persons having claims against said estate will be required to present the same within the time allowed by law. Published in the Alabama Courier, a weekly newspaper, once a week for three weeks starting 18 August 1909. Signed: Robert M. Rawls, Editor
Pages 26-56: Annual settlement of administrator of account of ISHAM C. VAUGHAN. deceased from 3 August 1909 to 1 September 1910. Interest received, payments for rent of Riverside farm, sale of com, cash received on all accounts and mortgages owed estate. Total received: $71,369.59
Pages 56-84: Administrators account of distributions made from the estate of I. C. VAUGHAN. deceased. Final medical and funeral expenses, interest paid on notes, appraisers fees, interest paid to Mary J. Vaughan and Mrs. Willie D. Legg from accounts and mortgages, paid to W. B. Vaughan from book account, postage and stationary on behalf of estate, paid R.FI. Walker for subscription of one year of the Democrat, paid T.B. Connally, auctioneer, for foreclosure sale of Randolph land in Madison County, Alabama, paid county and state taxes, repairs on Riverside farm house. Total paid: $17,125.30 Balance as of 1 September 1910- $54,244.29 Sworn and recorded: W.T Sanders, adm. 1 September 1910
Page 85: Petition to receive land from the estate of WILLIAM G. GRIFFIS, deceased, by Mrs. Ada Griffis, a citizen of Limestone County, state of Alabama and over the age of 21. On or about 1 October 1910, W. G. Griffis, died intestate leaving real property valued at $2500.00. Heirs: Jack Griffis, age 8 years, Mary Griffis, age 10 years, Bettie Sue Griffis, age 14 years, Albert Griffis, age 16 years, Bob (?) Griffis. age 18 years, and Mable Griffis, age 20 years, all under the age of 21. Girgsby Griffis, age 22 years and Mrs. Lillian Griffis Beasley, a married woman over the age of 21. Sworn and recorded: Mrs. Ada Griffis, 24 October 1910 (continued in the April issue)
44 LIM ESTONB LEGACY
SURNAME LISTING
You are invited to submit surnames of Interest for publication in the LIMESTONE LEGACY each year. It is hoped this service will help you make connections with others researching the same names. A complete list of surnames and submitters will be published in Volume 3 each year.
A
10.
A 11,
4._ 12,
5*. 13, A 14, A 15.
8.
SUBMITTER
NAME
ADDR£SS_
CITY STATE ZIP ^^ ^!^ ^t ^!i ^& ^& ^& ^& ^t ^^ ^J ^1^ tf*= 'S2 ^S^* ^? 4^* iC& ^^t 'tt^' ^^£ ^^ ^£j ^S ^^ ^£ ^& ^i ^5^ ^$! ^t ^t ^^ ^& ^£ ^C ^t^ ^J^ 'Sl^ ^£ ^& ^£ :^& ^& €£ ^t CE?; C& C& 4C C& 4^ €& ^fr ^£; tf^ ^fc ^J? "(3? 4£ 4t '43? BOOK SALES MARY MASON'S SCRAPBOOK (Third Printing) Compiled and edited by the Limestone County Historical Society Scrapbook Committee
Hard Cover-Subject Table-Complete lndex-843+ Pages
Miss Mary Mason developed a comprehensive scrapbook that resulted in a significant historical data base for Athens and Limestone County Alabama as well as the surrounding area. This document can be viewed as seven independent volumes, much the same as the original notebooks with the added index for each volume. Pages are numbered by volume. A subject table is provided as part of the contents to aid the reader in identifying which section(s) could contain information of interest.
PRICE $80.00 HANDLING, POSTAGE AND INSURANCE 9.50
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ORDER from: Limestone County Historical Society: P.O. Box 82: Athens, AL 35612
LIMESTONE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
P.O. BOX 82, ATHENS, AL 35612
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46 \3CUT THE COVi.-t ^ .. . : ^^ ' -\; ' ; ^. , -^
Limestone County, created in 1818, was one of the first counties in the aewiy formed Alabama Territory.
About four miles from the mouth of Elk River is the sight of Fort Hampton, built c. 1810, consisting of twenty-tour cabins and field offices, but no stockade. it was built by U.S. soldiers for the purpose of protecting the Indians from che encroaching white settlers already in Madison County. During the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson used the fort prior to his New . Orleans campaign. ' - ' •' ' . ...
The world' ; Largest nuc Lear plant is ."'»!-' ttit sight and takes Lts nam* .roai Brown's ferry. By 1820, this was the largest cotton shipping point ;,. .;-,. C( jntj ind th sight was made tforld famous during the. depression -;*- s.i.*.;- Delmore Brothers in A^l:: song 'Brown's Ferry Blues."
;'u3t east of the ferry is thi town of Mcoresvilli in the Southeast section ?f che County, On che over :his Ls represented by the house bi Lit by jonald Campbell (c. 1828) and later owned by Rev. Robert Donnell, and the S'oodrool and Hill families. Mooresville, the oldest town in the County sua one. or che oldest in the State, was incorporated in 1818. It has been -•.Titten about in several national magazines because of its unique character, and was the first village in Alabama to be placed on the National Register.
In che center of the County is the town of Athens incorporated in 1818, just three days after ;;* o: r-sville and called the stronghold oi Planter Aristocracy. The land on which the 1916 Courthouse stands was deeded to the city by Robert 3eatv and John Carroll (Carriel) for the first courthouse of log construction. The town of tree lined streets has several pre-civii war houses and buildings, including Founder's Hall on the campus of Athens College.
Northeast of Athens is probably the oldest extant house in the state, a log cwc story dog-trot, built b} Levi Cummings prioi tt 1.810. Lt is known -.hat Cummings was settled in his house with crops planted when soldiers .ram Fort Hampton informed him that he had crossed the boundary and was ss r.r.uiar. '*.&.:£ , Cummings is rep< rted to have said he would fight both the soldiers and the Indians to sta;y on his Land*
A the Northeast section of Limestone County was the boundary line, between ".F.e Cherokee and Chickasaw. When che Cherokees ceded their land to the U.S., she land now in Limestone County north of this line became part of Madison Ocr.tv A the '.••: sgijsippi Territory. during che Civil War, Union soldiers of the 9th and 10th Indiana Cavalry built a fort on top of a mountain near Sulphur Creek to protect a major crestle on the Alabama & Tennessee Railroad. On September 25, 1864, Confederate Ceneral Nathan Bedford Forrest took the fort in the Bactle of uirhur Trestle . ''IIA'NN'AAA.:AA:':' Os^OsOOO AoOOOfAAAA
-Little is known of Sim Corder prior to 1861 when he arrived in Limestone County with Henry and Rachel (Corder) Beasley. The house which he built about 1868 still stands on highway 99 and his mill on nearby Mechanics :-"cn was ^ operation -v.itii the iA:u'3. sO;A' A "'• ,'^AOOO As^oAAAs!!; m > an CL o CL O a>—i in C/> 5 z c/> X CD m "D =» z o O i CD o o 03 c CD no Z 73 > Ol CD o §A .Q co C/) C X CD
z O z tn 73 rn TJ O 33 O Zi 2 CD HH > Z 0 c 2 m o • •o I— > ro > Z o TJ 00 m