History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I, Part 101

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 756

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6th, Tuscaloosa, July 5-7, 1887. pp. 17.

7th, Bessemer, June 26-28, 1888. In Alabama Teachers' Journal, Montgomery, Oct., 1888, vol. iv., pp. 3-9.

8th, Lakeview, near Birmingham, June 25-27, 1889. pp. 103.

9th, Montgomery, June 24-26, 1890. In Edu- cational Exchange. Birmingham, Ala., July-Sept., 1890, vol. iii, pp. 1-160.

10th, Eastlake, July 1-3, 1891. pp. 186.

11th, Birmingham, June 28-30, 1892. In Edu- cational Exchange, Birmingham, August, 1892, vol. vii, No. 10, pp. 1-81. Special number.

12th, Montgomery, July 5-7, 1893. pp. 122. 13th, Blount Springs, June 27-29, 1894. pp 145.

14th, Talladega, July 2-4, 1895. pp. 64.

15th, Talladega, June 30, July 1-2, 1896. pp. 64.

16th, Talladega, June 21-23, 1897. pp. 108. 17th, University of Alabama, June 28-30, 1898. pp. 43.

18th, Birmingham, June 27-29, 1899. pp. 57.

19th, Birmingham, June 26-28, 1900. pp. 71.

20th, Montgomery, June 18-20, 1901. pp. 63.

21st, Birmingham, June 17-19, 1902. pp. 81.

22d, Birmingham, June 16-18, 1903. pp. 101 [1].

23d, Tuscaloosa, June 14-16, 1904. pp 66. 24th, Montgomery, June 7-9, 1905. pp. 118. 25th, Birmingham, April 12-14, 1906. pp. 83.

26th, Mobile, March 28-30, 1907. pp. 77.

27th, Montgomery, April 16-18, 1908. pp. 237.

28th, Birmingham, April 8-10, 1909. pp. 284.

29th, Birmingham, March 24-26, 1910. pp. 330 [1].

30th, Mobile, April 13-15, 1911. pp. 205. 31st, Birmingham, April 4-6, 1912. pp. 311.

32d, Montgomery, March 20-22, 1913. pp. 226.

33d, Birmingham, April 9-11, 1914, pp. 189.

34th, Montgomery, April 1-3, 1915. pp. 208.

35th, Birmingham, April 6-8, 1916. pp. 157.

36th, Montgomery, April 5-7, 1917. pp 154.

EDWARDSVILLE. Post office and incor- porated town in the center of Cleburne County, on the Southern Railway, about 7 miles northeast of Heflin. Altitude: 945 feet. Population: 1880-800; 1890-446; 1900-448; 1910 -- 393. It was incorporated

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by the legislature, February 7, 1891, with corporate limits embracing "all the territory within three-fourths of a mile of the court- house in said town in every direction." It has a gristmill, cotton ginnery, and general stores. There are public schools and churches of the Baptist and the Methodist Episcopal, South, denominations.

When Cleburne County was formed in 1866, Edwardsville was made the seat of justice, and so continued until 1906, when Heflin was chosen. The former was named in honor of William Edwards, who gave the land neces- sary for the erection of the courthouse and other county buildings. Among the promi- nent citizens are B. S. Baber, T. J. Brown, and the Hurst, Burton, Edwards, and Howle families.

REFERENCES .- Acts. 1890-91, pp. 443-456; Brewer, Alabama (1872), p. 185; Northern Ala- bama (1888), p. 184; Alabama Official and Sta- tistical Register, 1915; Polk's Alabama gazet- teer, 1888-9, p. 329.

EDWARDSVILLE SEMINARY. A private institution for the education of young men and young women. It is perhaps a successor to the old Cleburne Institute (q. v.). The only data concerning it appears from a cata- logue and announcements of 1908-09, in which Rev. Clark J. Brown is principal. Some of the officers of the old institute appear as members of the board of trustees of the Seminary.

REFERENCE .- Catalogue, 1908-9.

EIGHTH DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL. (Athens). One of the nine agri- cultural schools and experiment stations or- ganized in the several Congressional districts of the State. The purpose of this system of schools is free scientific instruction in agri- culture and allied branches, as indicated by section 67 of the Code of 1907:

"Scientific and practical agriculture shall be taught at all the agricultural schools, and all male pupils over ten years of age who receive free tuition therein shall be required to take the course in scientific agriculture and horticulture, and all other pupils over the age of ten years receiving free tuiton shall be re- quired to take the course in floriculture and horticulture."

The courses of study, work in the experi- ment station, and administration generally are directed by a central board of control, consisting of the governor, commissioner of agriculture and industries, superintendent of education, and two bona fide electors of the district, the latter appointed by the governor with four year terms of office.

The school grounds proper include 13 acres, and the experiment station, 150 acres, less than one-half mile distant, at the junction of the Huntsville and Decatur roads. About 100 acres of the latter are in cultivation, "de- voted to practical farming and to carrying out experiments that would be beneficial to farm- ers of the eighth district." There is no tu- ition charge. In addition to the regular aca- demic work, departments of science and man-

ual training; domestic science, music and expression are maintained. The Pattie Lane Westmoreland literary society is organized for the encouragement of public debate and practice in preliminary procedure. The Westmoreland prize in oratory, the United Daughters of the Confederacy prize in ora- tory, and the Alumni Association prize in scholarship are offered. The laboratory is equipped with all necessary apparatus and materials for the full work of high school chemistry, including agriculture, dairy and other subjects. The library is a memorial to Dr. Theo. Westmoreland, for 23 years a trus- tee of the institution. It contains 2,500 vol- umes, consisting of reference, history, biog- raphy and the sciences. An alumni society is organized among the students. Lists of the alumni and alumnae are to be found in the catalogue for 1917-1918. An annual is pub- lished, entitled "The Criterion."

Historical .- The school at Athens, in Lime- stone County, was located at that point by the commissioner of agriculture and the di- rector of the experiment station at Auburn, under act of February 28, 1889. It is one of the two first secondary agricultural insti- tutions for white students to receive State aid in the United States. It was first known as the North Alabama Experiment Station and Agricultural School. Its board of directors was the commissioner of agriculture, the di- rector of the agricultural experiment station at Auburn, and five progressive farmers, who were actually engaged in cultivating Tennes- see Valley lands, appointed by the governor, three of whom were required to reside within 10 miles of the station. The board was re- quired to cause such experiments to be made as would "advance the interests of scientific agriculture, particularly on Tennessee Valley lands."

The legislature, January 30, 1897, in order to secure uniformity of support, adminstra- tion and ideals, provided a new system of regulation of the several agricultural schools. The governor, within 30 days was required to appoint new boards of five members each, "a majority of whom shall be men whose principal business is farming," and of which the superintendent of education and the com- missioner of agriculture were to be ex officio members. The president or principal was made director of the experiment station. Among other things the act contained section 67 of the Code of 1907, before quoted. In 1903, September 30, the system was still further reorganized by providing for a new board of three ex officio and two appointive members, as above recited.

In November 1906 the main school build- ing was destroyed by a storm, but the build- ing was replaced under an appropriation of $6,000 made by the legislature February 28, 1907. The contractors were Glidwell Broth- ers of Fayetteville, Tenn. When the work was done it was found that the appropriation had been exceeded by $595. To cover this a note was given by the building committee, May 19, 1908. The legislature, April 20,

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1911, reimbursed the contractors, with inter- est from the date of the note. The governor was authorized by the legislature, April 22, 1911, to sell a right of way not exceeding 125 feet in width across the lands of the school, at a price not less than that for which the same would sell to individuals.

Support .- The act of establishment, Feb- ruary 28, 1889, appropriated $3,000 for equip- ments and improvements the first year, and $2,500 annually thereafter. The legislature, February 13, 1893, increased the annual ap- propriation to $3,000.

The tax law was amended, February 4, 1895, so as to appropriate 25 cents a ton, or one-half of such tax, for equal division among the several branch agricultural experi- ment stations and schools. Under act of Jan- uary 30, 1897, the annual appropriation for maintenance was fixed at $2,500, but not less than $500 was to "be used in maintaining, cultivating and improving" the farm, and "making agricultural experiments thereon." The appropriation was increased to $4,500, March 2, 1907, of which $750 was to be used in the work of the experiment station. In 1911, April 22, the legislature further in- creased the annual appropriation to $7,500, but of this amount $3,000 was available only on the approval of the governor, in whole or in part from time to time, as the condi- tion of the treasury might warrant. This sum, however, the governor has never re- leased.

On September 30, 1917, its report to the State superintendent of education showed buildings and site valued at $35,000; equip- ment $1,000; 4 teachers; 191 pupils; library valued at $3,000; and State appropriation of $4,500.

Presidents .- Thomas D. Samford, 1888- 1889; C. L. Newman, 1899-1891; R. E. Bin- ford, 1891-1892; Rev. Merit K. Clements, 1892-1904; Henry J. Fusch, 1904-1907; J. M. Atkinson, 1907.

See Agricultural Schools.

REFERENCES .- Code, 1907, secs. 59 et scq: Owens, Secondary agricultural education in Al- abama (1915); Acts, 1888-89, p. 1036; 1892-93, p. 526; 1894-95, p. 368; 1896-97, p. 465; General Acts, 1903, p. 259; 1907, pp. 198, 207; 1911, pp. 612, 627; Catalogues, 1889-1917; Bulletins, 1896, 1903; The Criterion, 1918, vol. 1; Rules and regulations (1914).

ELBA. County seat of Coffee County, sit- uated on Pea River, in the east-central part of the county, and the terminus of the Elba branch of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, 81 miles south of Troy, about 50 miles north- west of Dothan, about 75 miles northwest of Geneva. Altitude: 204 feet. Population: 1870-500; 1880-600; 1890-285; 1900- 635; 1910-1,079. It is incorporated. Its financial institutions consist of the First National Bank, and the Elba Bank & Trust Co. (State). The Elba Clipper, a Democratic semiweekly, established in 1892, and the Elba Herald, an Independent weekly, established in 1913, are published there. It has electric

light plant, waterworks obtaining its supply from Pea River, cotton ginneries, cotton ware- houses, gristmills, cottonseed oil mill, fer- tilizer plant, and general stores. The Baptist, Methodist Episcopal South, and Primitive Baptist Churches have buildings in the town.

The beginning of the town was the estab- lishment of a ferry on Pea River, by one McLane, who is supposed to have entered the land in the early forties. He sold out to a man named Weeks, who sold to J. B. Sim- mons and Judge G. Yelverton, brothers-in- law. The former opened the first store, in which the post office was established, and called the place Bentonville. Later the vil- lage was moved back half a mile from the river. The old site now belongs to J. N. Ham. The new village was named Elba, after the island on which Napoleon Bonaparte was imprisoned. In 1852, the legislature made it the county seat instead of Welborn. It was the headquarters of the United States Land Office for the district until the War began. Among the earliest settlers were the McLane, Weeks, Simmons, Yelverton, Ham, and Stoudemire families.

REFERENCES .- Brewer, Alabama (1872), p. 186; Northern Alabama (1888), p. 134; Polk's Alabama gazetteer, 1888-9, p. 330; Alabama Offi- cial and Statistical Register, 1915.

ELECTION REGISTRARS, See Regis- trars, Board of Appointment of.

ELECTIONS. See Presidential Elections.

ELK RIVER. A small stream rising in Grundy County, Tenn., and flowing south- westward through southern Tennessee and northern Alabama to its junction with the Tennessee River (q. v.) at the extreme south- western corner of Limestone County. Above Fayetteville, Tenn., 90 miles from the month, the river is of insignificant size, but below Fayetteville its width varies from 125 to 300 feet. Its average depth is not available. The stream consists of a succession of pools separated by shoals of rock or gravel, where the fall of the river usually is concentrated. The river bottom is gravel overlying rock, which outcrops at numerous places. The val- ley of the Elk River is productive, but there are no noteworthy mineral resources in the vicinity, nor commercial or industrial centers along its banks. The stream traverses Lime- stone County and forms a portion of the boundary between it and Lauderdale.

The channel of Elk River is obstructed by six or more milldams, from 3 to 7 feet high, and numerous fish-trap dams, from 2 to 4 feet high. There are also probably 12 wagon bridges and 2 or 3 railroad bridges with closed spans below Fayetteville which would impede navigation.

In 1884 a preliminary examination was made of this river by Government engineers, who reported it unfit for improvement. An- other examination and a survey were made in 1898, and an appropriation of $4,000 was expended in cutting a channel through a rocky bar in the Tennessee River which

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obstructed the entrance to Elk River, and in cutting overhanging trees and removing dangerous snags. This enabled small boats to navigate the lower river at moderate stages. Later a project for improving the river by means of a system of locks and dams was proposed but not adopted.

The country contiguous to the Elk River in Alabama is a part of the territory once occu- pied both by the Chickasaws and the Chero- kees. The Indian name of the stream was Chewallee, which is supposed to have been changed to Elk River because of the large number of elk found along its banks.

Appropriations .- The dates, amounts, and the aggregate of appropriations by the Fed- eral Government for improvement of this stream, as compiled to March 4, 1915, in Appropriations for rivers and harbors ( House Doc. 1491, 63d Cong., 3d sess., 1916), are shown in the appended table: Elk River, Tenn. and Ala .:

Mar. 3, 1899. .$4,000.00

REFERENCE .- U. S. Chief of Engineers, Re- port of examination of Elk River, 1908 (H. Doc. 951, 60th Cong. 1st sess.).

ELKMONT. Post office and station on the main line of the Louisville & Nashville Rail- road, in the northern part of Limestone County, about 8 miles north of Athens. Popu- lation: 1880-400; 1900-174; 1910-188. It is an incorporated town.

REFERENCES .- Northern Alabama (1888), pp. 71-72; Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1915.

ELKS, BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF. Organized in New York City, February 16, 1868, as the outgrowth of a so- cial club known as the Jolly Corks, composed principally of members of the theatrical pro- fession. The Grand Lodge of the order was incorporated March 10, 1871, and two days later the power to form subordinate lodges was given to the Grand Lodge. In addition to assisting its own members, the order has been a liberal contributor to the relief of suffering in national calamities, by fire, flood, earthquake, etc. Each lodge of the order holds a memorial service to its dead on the first Sunday in December of each year, which is termed the "Sacred session of the order." The term "lodge of sorrow" is ap- plied only to funerals. The "Elks Antler," published monthly in New York City is the official organ of the order. There are 1,400 subordinate bodies, with a total membership of 500,000.

The order entered Alabama with the or- ganization of Birmingham Lodge of Elks, March 25, 1888, with 18 charter members. The Alabama Association of lodges was formed at Montgomery in 1916, with John B. Leedy, Birmingham, president, and J. T. Mainor, Eufaula, secretary. The grand sec- retary of the order is Fred C. Robinson, Dubuque, Iowa. There are 3,000 members in Alabama with lodges at Birmingham, Annis-

ton, Tuscaloosa, Talladega, Huntsville, Bloc- ton, Bessemer, Florence, Ensley, Gadsden, Mobile, Selma, Montgomery, Demopolis, Opelika, Eufaula, Troy.

REFERENCES .- New International Encyclo- pedia; letter from L. M. Zilling, office of grand secretary, Dubuque, Iowa, in the Department of Archives and History.

ELM BLUFF. A high point on the south side of the Alabama River, in Dallas County. It is about midway between the influx of Cedar Creek and White Oak Creek, both from the south. On De. Crenay's Map the name is written Chacteouma. The word is Choctaw, meaning sakti, "bluff," homma "red."

See Saktihomma.

REFERENCES .- Hamilton, Colonial Mobile (1910), p. 190; La Tourrette, Map of Alabama (1838).

ELMORE COUNTY. Created by the legis- lature February 15, 1866. Its territory was originally a part of Autauga, Coosa, Mont- gomery and Tallapoosa Counties. It includes within its boundaries the rich lands at the junction of the Coosa and the Tallapoosa Rivers. Its area is 622 square miles, or 398,080 acres.

It was given the name of John Archer El- more, a native of Virginia, a soldier of the Revolution in the Virginia Line, afterwards a member of the legislature of South Caro- lina, an early settler of Alabama, and a mem- ber of the legislature and a general in the militia of this State. His home was in that part of Autauga, now included in Elmore, and his remains rest in the old family burying ground at "Huntington," his family seat.

Location and Physical Description .- It is situated in the east central section of the state. It is bounded on the north by Chilton, Coosa and Tallapoosa, east by Tallapoosa, south by Macon and Montgomery, and on the west by Autauga and Chilton Counties. Its eastern boundary is the Tallapoosa River. On the south it is divided from Macon and Mont- gomery by the Tallapoosa and the Alabama Rivers. The physiographic features of the county are varled, including the broad and comparatively level terraces of the Tallapoo- sa, Coosa and Alabama Rivers, the gently rolling uplands of the coastal plain, the roll- Ing to hilly uplands of the Piedmont plateau, and the hilly to broken and severely eroded areas adjacent to the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers. Along the Tallapoosa is a marginal strip of alluvial soll from one to three miles in width. A large part of the county on the south is included within the coastal plain re- gion. The topography of the Piedmont pla- teau in the north and northeast is rolling and hilly with ridges and hills east of Wetumpka. Along the upper Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers are steep hills and bluffs, affording extensive variety. The Coosa and Tallapoosa unite on the lower border of the county, and form the Alabama. The principal tributaries of the Tallapoosa are Kialiga, Channahatchee, Wal-

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lahatchee, Tumkeehatchee and Chubbahatchee Creeks. The watershed between the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers extends from near Redland Academy in the south in an irregu- lar northerly direction through Sandtuck to Central and Equality. The drainage from the east to the Coosa River is through Welona, Town, Weoka, Pinkston and Sofkehatchee Creeks. The drainage to the west into the Coosa is through Cargal, Shoal, Pigeon Roost and Calloway. In the southwestern section of the county Mortar Creek drains into the Alabama River. Twenty-seven soil types, in- cluding swamp and meadow are presented in the county area, varying in texture from a heavy silt loam to a sand. Because of the broken topography of the country, much of the lands in the county are wholly unfit for cultivation. Included in the soil types are Norfolk sandy loam, Ruston sandy loam and gravelly sandy loam, Orangeburg sandy loam, fine sandy loam and gravelly loam, Green- ville sandy loam, which is the strongest of the upland soils and an excellent type for general farming and special crops, Susque- hanna clay, Louisa sandy loam, Cahaba fine sandy loam and silt loam, and Kalmia loams and sands. The timber growth consists princi- pally of long leaf and short leaf pine, oak, gum, chestnut, cypress, poplar, maple, and a rough undergrowth on the hillsides and on the rough stony lands. The climate of the county is typical of the southern portion of the temperate zone. The winters are short, and only moderately cold. The coldest months are December, January and February and

have a mean annual temperature of 49°F. The summer months have an average tem- perature of 81°, ranging from 48° to 107º F. The annual precipitation averages 50 inches, and is favorably distributed throughout the year. Details of the character and extent of productions are noted In the statistics below.

Aboriginal History .- The county is rich in territory; and was perhaps more densely peopled than any other section of the Creek Nation. Practically all of its many village sites can now be identified. Sketches of these towns will be found under their appropriate places alphabetically, but in order to indi- cate the richness of the aboriginal history of the county they are briefly referred to here Tuckabatchi, the capitol of the Upper Creeks, was located at the present Tuckabatchee sta- tion of the Birmingham and Southeastern R. R., on the Tallapoosa River, and opposite the influx of Eufaube Creek; Hoithlewali, the Ulibahali of DeSoto, was on both sides of the Tallapoosa River at the mouth of Chub- bahatchee Creek, the town house being just above the mouth of the creek on the Elmore County side; Fusihatchi, just above the pres- ent Ware's ferry; Kuluml, just below Ware's ferry, the fields and a mound of the town being on the Montgomery County side; Ikan Hatki, about opposite the influx of Eight Mile Creek; Taskigi, just below the old French Fort Toulouse, later Fort Jackson; Witumka, up the Coosa River somewhere near the pres- ent town of that name, probably just above;

Oktchayudshi, just above Taskigi town, be- tween it and Odshi-apofa, with the houses ad- joining those of the former; Odshi-apofa, or Hickory ground, in a plain on the eastern side of Coosa River below Wetumpka; Little Talisi, on the eastern side of Coosa River seven miles above Wetumpka, by some early writers confused with the Hickory ground be- low; Wiwuxka, a town of 40 warriors in 1799, on Wewoka Creek, up stream from its evidences of Indian life. It is situated in the Southwestern part of the Upper Creek junction with the Coosa River; Kailidshi near the present Prospect Church; Woksoyudshi. an Upper Creek town, mentioned in the Census list of 1832, as on Coosa River below Witumka.

The Alabamu towns of Koassati and pos- sibly others, on the Alabama River below the junction, and Oktchayi on a western tribu- tary creek of the Tallapoosa River, were all located in the county. DeSoto passed through its bounds on September 1, 1540, entering it near Central, and after visiting Ulibahali, crossed the river just below the present Ware's Ferry.

Mounds locations are as follows: Large mound and town site at the present junction of Tallapoosa with Coosa Rivers (the site of Taskigi); mounds and town site on west side of Coosa River one mile above the junction (probably site of Woksoyudshi; mounds on Parker's Island In dense swamp near the junc- tlon; large burial mound on Jackson's Lake and near the present course of the Alabama River; 2 mounds and burial site on Jack- son's Lake, 400 yards southeast of the club- house; mound on Alabama River, about 5 miles above city of Montgomery, near the toll bridge on Montgomery and Birmingham road; burial mound and extensive town site on Jack- son plantation, just above Coosada Ferry (site of Koassati) ; mound on Chubbahatchee Creek, 4 mile above the site of Hoithlewalli (probably old site of the town); mound and village site on Dozier plantation, on north side of Tallapoosa River, 112 miles from Ware; mound at site of old Tuckabatchl; large mound and town site on plantation of L. G. Dawson of Ware, one mile due northwest of Merritt's station on the Western of Alabama R. R .; and extensive sites along Tallapoosa River, below Ikanhatki and opposite the sev- eral mounds on the Montgomery County side.

Farm, Livestock and Crop Statistics, 1917. -The statistics below are given for Illustra- tive purposes, and, in tabular form, without any attempt at comparison or analysis. They were gathered under the direction of the Bureau of Crop Estimates, U. S. Department of Agriculture.

Number of all farms, 2,060. Acres cultivated, 120,250.

Acres in pasture, 74,300. Farm Animals:

Horses and mules, 5,690.

Milk cows, 4,410. Other cattle, 7,340. Brood sows, 2,370. Other hogs, 10,720. Sheep, 1,400.

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HISTORY OF ALABAMA

Selected Crops ( Acres and Quantity) :

Corn, 54,360 acres; 711,680 bushels.

Cotton, 22,880 acres; 9,030 bales.

Peanuts, 3,140 acres; 49,290 bushels.

Velvet Beans, 7,420 acres; 33,210 tons.

Hay, 9,420 acres; 6,380 tons.

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History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I, Part 101

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869- Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company Number of Pages: 756

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 756