History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I, Part 103

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

USA > Alabama > History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I > Part 103

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Malaria .- Owing to peculiar climatic con- ditions malaria is generally prevalent in the State during the late spring and summer months, particularly when there is a wet sea- son after May 1, followed by a pronounced drought. These conditions produce the mos- quito which is the sole cause of the disease. Malaria epidemics are local, but they occur in all sections of the State, and have been reported in every month of the year. The majority of cases occur in July, August, Sep- tember and October, with the smallest num- ber in January and February. The months of greatest mortality are August, September and October. The mortality records for the past six years are: 1910, 467; 1911, 437; 1912, 546; 1913, 434; 1914, 488; 1915, 500.

Typhoid fever .- While epidemic, this dis- ease is of local occurrence, and in nearly all cases has been brought in from other locali- ties. New foci will always be established where exposed persons are allowed to go into uninfected places.

During the summer and fall of 1881, there were 347 cases, with 49 deaths in Birming- ham. Since that date the disease has oc- curred in the State at intervals, but has always been well under control of the health authorities.

A notable epidemic occurred at Riverton in Colbert County in 1896, when more than 30 persons became infected.

Tuscaloosa County has been infected on several occasions but it has always been traced to local conditions.

The big spring at Huntsville, the source of the water supply of the city, became infected at one time, and several deaths resulted be- fore the spread could be controlled.

The source of infection in most epidemics has been traced to the water supply, though in a few cases to milk infection.

Smallpox .- This disease occurred locally, from time to time prior to 1860, but few records are available. Since 1865 the records have been more or less complete. During the Mobile epidemic of 1865-1866 there were between 500 and 600 cases with 100 deaths. In the epidemic of 1874-75 there were 990 cases with 262 deaths. Of this number 204 of the deaths were among the colored popu-

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lation. No further outbreaks occurred until 1882 when the disease was epidemic in Cal- houn, Chilton and Limestone Counties, but there was only a small number of cases with five deaths.

The disease was quite prevalent throughout the state in 1897 and 1898, and quarantines were established, locally, in many places.

For detailed consideration of smallpox, tuberculosis and yellow fever, see those titles.

REFERENCES .- Scattered through the Proceed- ings of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, 1847-1856, and the Transactions, 1868- 1916, and in the Southern medical journals will be found current reports of all epidemics im- portant enough to be noted. For treatment of particular epidemics consult Transactions, 1875, p. 232; 1882, pp. 196-381; 1899, p. 37; U. S. Public Health Reports, April 4, 1913, voi. 28, No. 14; and "Malaria in the United States," in U. S. Public Health Service, Weekly reports, May 28, 1915, Reprint No. 277. In Ibid, vol. 32, No. 51, is a discussion of the prevalence and geographic distribution of "Malaria in Ala- bama," 1915 and 1916, with maps and tables; Herbert v. Board of Education of Demopolis, 197 Ala., p. 617.

EPILEPTIC COLONY. A State institution, authorized by act of November 30, 1907. "The object of said colony shall be to secure the humane, curative, scienific and economical care of epileptics, exclusive of violently insane persons who may require treatment at an in- sane hospital." The government and control of the institution is vested in a board of three commissioners appointed by the governor, and having plenary powers with respect to selec- tion of site, erection of buildings, and the conduct of "the business of the colony." An appropriation of twenty thousand dollars for the establishment of the colony was made. The members of the commission were not named until 1911. Since that date Dr. Mc- Whorter and Mr. Watts have died, and suc- cessors have not been appointed. No definite steps have ever been taken to carry out the purpose of the act.

Commissioners .- Dr. G. T. Mcwhorter, 1911 -; Dr. E. D. Bondurant, 1911 -; Ed- ward S. Watts, 1911 -.

REFERENCES .- General Acts, spec. sess., 1907, pp. 164-176; William P. Spratling, Epilepsy and Epileptics-present status of the colony move- ment in Alabama.

No publications.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH, PROTESTANT. In what is now Alabama the Episcopal church the legitimate descendant of the church of England had representation among the very earliest British settlers. Rev. Samuel Hart, of Charleston, S. C., the first ordained minis- ter in the state, received license to minister in 1764, and came to Mobile where he re- mained only a year, returning to Charleston. A few families scattered here and there throughout the state irregularly held lay serv- ices, supplemented by visits from clerical itinerants, relatives, or friends. In 1822 a church was built in Mobile and for three

years union services were held in this build- ing. In 1825 the Episcopalians in Mobile organized Christ church parish and built their first church in Alabama. This church was in charge of Rev. Murdock Murphy, a Presbyterian minister, until December, 1827, when Rev. Henry A. Shaw, arrived and took over the charge. Three weeks later, Rev. Robert Davis, who was sent out by the Do- mestic and Foreign missionary society of the church, reached Tuscaloosa, then a small vil- lage and the capital of the state. He re- mained here for several months, organized on January 7, 1828, Christ church parish, and began the building of a church. Leav- ing Tuscaloosa on March 25, 1828, he was followed in February, 1829, by Rev. William H. Judd, who lived only six months after he came to Alabama, but who, during his short stay, had almost completed the church build- ing and had brought the congregation to a flourishing and united condition. In the meantime congregations had been gathered at Greensboro, Huntsville, Montgomery, Selma, and Florence.

At the request of the Domestic missionary board, to visit all the Southern States, the Rt. Rev. Thomas C. Brownell, Bishop of Connecti- cut, visited Mobile in January, 1830, and pre- sided over the primary convention, January 25, 1830, at which the diocese was organized. This convention was attended only by the bishop, the local minister, who was Rev. Henry Shaw, Rev. William Richmond, a New York clergyman, Rev. Albert A. Muller, who had recently been transferred from Missis- sippi to Tuscaloosa, and ten or twelve lay- men, the majority of the latter being resi- dents of Mobile. The Mobile and Tusca- loosa parishes and the Greensboro congrega- tions were represented. Steps were taken to secure a union with the diocese of Mississippi and the congregations of Louisiana, a stand- ing committee was appointed, and a constitu- tion adopted. Mobile was again chosen as the place for the next meeting and May 12, of the same year set as the date. This meet- ing was attended by lay delegates from the same three congregations, Mobile, Tuscaloosa, and Greensboro, and by Rev. Mr. Shaw, who was the only clergyman present. No business was transacted and the meeting adjourned to meet at Tuscaloosa on January 3, 1831. It was hoped that the accessibility of Tusca- loosa would command a larger attendance but Rev. Mr. Muller was the only clergyman present at the meeting; Huntsville, Greens- boro, and Mobile were represented by lay delegates, ten souls in all constituting this convention.

At the request of the Mississippi diocese a committee of six was appointed to meet six each from Mississippi and Louisiana, with a view to the formation of the "Southwestern Diocese," out of the three bodies. Chief Jus- tice Abner S. Lipscomb and John Elliott, of Mobile, J. M. Davenport and A. P. Baldwin, of Tuscaloosa, and the two clergy residents in the state were appointed on the committee. This convention adopted a set of four canons

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and requested that Bishop Brownell continue in charge of the church in Alabama. Several years later the Bishop made a visit of inspec- tion through the state and held services at Selma, Montgomery, and Florence, these vil- lages being considered as favorable fields for missionary work. The general convention of 1832 recognized Alabama as an autonomous diocese and enacted a canon allowing the formation of the "Southwestern Diocese." The diocese convention of 1832 was held in Tuscaloosa, and was attended by Rev. Mr. Muller and nine laymen, one half of whose membership was from that place. Rev. Nor- man Pinney, the successor of Rev. Mr. Shaw, of Christ church, Mobile, was not in attend- ance at this meeting and did not attend one until more than three years later. In 1833 10 convention was held as appeals to the Domestic and foreign missionary society had failed to receive anv response and the liberal- ity of the churchmen throughout the state was subject to criticism. Rev. Mr. Muller who had discontinued his monthly visits to Greensboro after two years of service was deposed, and only in Mobile where there was only a handful of communicants did any vigor remain. Rev. Caleb S. Ives was sent to Alabama by the general board of missions. He at once began his work in what are now Greene, Hale, and Marengo Counties. On December 24, 1833, the Greensboro congre- gation formed the parish of St. Paul's, under the direction of Rev. Mr. Ives. On Decem- ber 15, 1833, he held the first church serv- ices ever held in Demopolis, and on January 31, 1834, organized Trinity parish of that place. He organized the parish of St. John's in the Prairies, on April 19, 1834, at a point about nine miles southwest of Greensboro and on the road to Demopolis, but in 1865 this congregation was discontinued, the rem- nant of the congregation joining St. Paul's, at Greensboro, Rev. Dr. John Avery was the first rector in charge of St. John's in the Prairies. In September, 1834, Rev. Mr. Ives established a congregation at Prairieville, afterwards Macon, and now Gallion.

The next convention met in January, 1835, in Mobile, attended by Bishop Brown- ell, the three clergy of the diocese, and lay delegates from Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Greensboro, and Demopolis. The Southwest- ern Division was organized at the conven- tion held in New Orleans on March 4 and 5, 1835, Alabama having sent her three clergy and six laymen as delegates. At the diocese convention held in Mobile in 1836, Alabama severed her connections with the new diocese, passing resolutions affirming her withdrawal from the Southwestern Diocese and proclaim- ing her intention of preserving her autonomy as an independent diocese.

Rev. Mr. Pinney, rector of Christ church, Mobile, was deposed in 1835 by the Bishop because of his denial of belief in Christ as God, Rev. Samuel S. Lewis, rector at Tusca- loosa succeeding him. Rev. Andrew Matthews took charge at Tuscaloosa. In December, 1835, Rev. William Johnson was placed in charge of the small congregation at Mont-

gomery. Services were first in a Baptist, later in a Universalist church, and in 1837, the first St. John's church of the town, a neat brick building, was consecrated by Bishop Kemper. Rev. Robert G. Hays, of Tennessee, shortly afterwards succeeded in building a brick church at Wetumpka. Rev. Thomas A. Cook, of South Carolina, who was in charge of the parish consisting of only eight communicants at Florence, succeeded in raising $1,500 for a church building.

About this time a fund was started for the support of the future bishop of the state. Six hundred and forty acres of land in Bald- win County were transferred to the diocese by Jacob Lorillard, of New York, for this fund and an additional $4,050 was raised by subscription by Rev. Mr. Ives, who on ac- count of pecuniary reasons had given up parish work and was conducting a school in Mobile. It was thought advisable not to elect a bishop at this time although eight clergymen were now at work in the diocese, the financial condition of the country being in a decidedly unsettled condition. Bishop Brownell finding it impossible to visit the state frequently delegated his duties as pro- visional bishop of Alabama to Rt. Rev. James H. Otey, Bishop of Tennessee, who made a visit to the state in 1836 and gave what su- pervision he could. At Bishop Otey's re- quest, Bishop Kemper visited portions of the state consecrating at the time the churches at Montgomery and the Prairies. These two visits were the only ones received in Alabama for a period of five years. The want of available means of supporting a bishop was the cause of the wasting of years without the influence of a head. Rev. Thomas A. Cook founded a church in LaFayette, in 1838, which never grew to any size. About the same time Rev. Lucien B. Wright began hold- ing services at Selma in conjunction with Hayneville, and in 1839, Selmå began the erection of a brick church. This church was completed and paid for in 1847 during the rectorship of Rev. J. H. Linebaugh. Two small congregations were established at Tuscumbia and Florence in 1840. At the convention of 1842, Christ church, Mobile, and the churches in Tuscaloosa, Greensboro, the Prairies, Livingston, Florence and Tus- cumbia pledged themselves to raise $1,000 of the bishop's salary. St. John's, Montgomery, offered to increase this amount by another thousand dollars if the bishop should accept the rectorship of that parish. In this way the last obstacle to the election of a bishop was removed. Rev. Martin P. Parks, a Pres- byter of the diocese of Virginia, but at the time, chaplain of the United States military academy at West Point, was elected but de- clined. The convention of 1843 presided over by Bishop Leonidas Polk, of Louisiana, pro- visional bishop of Alabama, elected Rev. James T. Johnston, of Virginia, but he also declined the office. Huntsville was organized as a parish in 1843 although it had had a small existence for ten years. In 1844 the convention met at Greensboro, and on May 3, elected Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hamner Cobbs, rec-

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tor of St. Paul's church, Cincinnati, who accepted the election, In the meantime, 1844, Rev. J. L. Gay had organized the parish of St. James', at Eufaula.

Episcopate-Bishop Cobbs .- The policy of Bishop Cobbs was to establish congregations in as many places as was possible. With this in view he at once visited Tuskegee, Marion, Burton's Hill, Sumterville, Northport, Mount Meigs, Jacksonville and Montevallo. Perma- nent congregations were established at all of these places except Tuskegee and Northport. He was also a strong advocate of the mis- sionary spirit. Mount Meigs in Montgomery County, Robinson Springs in Autauga County, Tuskegee in Macon County, Hayneville in Lowndes County, St. David's in Dallas County, and Wetumpka in Elmore County were in the charge of the rector of St. John's, at Mont- gomery. The clergy at Mobile, Greensboro, Huntsville, and Selma, visited the scattered congregations in their neighborhood. From this period through 1855 the church met with almost insurmountable obstacles that retarded its growth. The Oxford movement, the indifferentism and ignorance of the church children, and the migratory disposition of the clergy were the chief hindrances. In spite of these hindrances the clergy list had in- creased to sixteen active workers. In 1846 the "Free Episcopal church," under the ministration of Rev. B. M. Miller had become an established congregation known as Trinity church. Huntsville had erected a small brick church and Eutaw had raised a subscription of $2,000 towards a church building. In 1847, Henry Lay, became rector of the Church of the Nativity, at Huntsville. Twelve clergymen were at work in 1844, sixteen in 1850, and twenty-two in 1855. The years 1851-52 were spent by the Bishop in visita- tions, first in the west, second in the north, third in the east, and fourth in the south of the state. In the spring of 1852 the Bishop removed from Tuscaloosa to Montgomery, where he purchased a home and several acres of land on the outskirts of the town with the $3,000 presented to him by the churchmen of Montgomery. In the decade between 1850-60, churches were built by eighteen congre- gations, among these were Eufaula, Demop- olis, Faunsdale, Cahaha. Burton's Hill, Camden, Lowndesboro, Somerville, Spring Hill, Tuscumbia, Jacksonville, Huntsville, and St. John's in Mobile. Christ Church parish, Tuscaloosa, built a chapel for its negro congregation. At the same time throughout the

country districts large churches for the planters were huilt. Among these were St. Mark's in Greene County; St. Michael's in Marengo; St. David's in Dallas; St. John's-in-the-Wilderness in Russell; St. John's in Madison; and St. Peter's in Lowndes. Two small parishes of great prom- ise were St. Paul's at Carlowville and St. Luke's at Cahaba. William L. Yancey was for a number of years a member of the vestry of the latter. Bishop Cohbs was especially interested in the welfare of the negroes, six- teen hundred receiving the sacrament of bap- tism during his episcopate, three hundred of

these being adults. St. John's-in-the-Wilder- ness, in Russell County, and the Church of Good Shepherd, Mobile, were exclusively negro congregations, while that race predominated in St. Michael's, Faunsdale, and St. David's, in Dallas County. Selma was the only place in which nothing was done for the negro.

The Diocesan missionary society was or- ganized in 1844, the day before the election of Bishop Cobbs. Until 1860 its average in- come was only $400, and its activity was re- stricted to supplementing the meagre incomes of some of the clergy. Later, with a decided increase in its income, it was able to employ a number of missionaries. Among these early missionaries were the Rev. Messrs. J. F. Smith, J. S. Jarratt, F. B. Lee, Edward Den- niston, W. M. Bartley, J. A. Wheelock, and J. C. Waddell, who served the congregations at Autaugaville and Prattville; Greenville, Letohatchie, and Hayneville; Carlowville; Opelika, Auburn, Youngesboro, and Salem; Tuskegee and Tallassee; Eutaw and Gaines- ville; and Pushmataha, Butler, Mount Stirl- ing, and Bladon Springs.

During a recess of the convention held at Carlowville, the "Society for the Relief of Disabled Clergy and the Widows and Orphans of Deceased Clergy" was organized on May 9, 1846, and grew so rapidly that at the beginning of the War of Secession it was in a splendid financial condition.

Church schools were also foremost in the thoughts of the people during this period. Several attempts were made in Tuscaloosa to open a diocesan institution but these proved unsuccessful. In October, 1845, Rev. Aris- tides S. Smith established in Tuscaloosa a girls school, known as the Female institute which was under the control of the church. Two years later the school was closed upon the removal of Rev. Mr. Smith, and no at- tempt was ever made to reopen it. On January 2, 1849, a classical institute and mission school for boys and young men was opened at Tuscaloosa, but was closed in six months time by the death of Rev. Charles F. Peake, the principal. In September, 1850, a diocesan school for girls was again opened in Tuscaloosa, but dissensions soon arose first between the principal and pupils, and then between rector and vestry. Rev. Wil- liam Johnson, the rector and principal, was dismissed by his congregation and this meant also the extinction of the school. The Dio- cesan female 'seminary, under the principal- ship of Rev. J. Avery Shepherd, was opened in October, 1860, at Montgomery. This proved to be the only successful school of this period. Parochial schools at Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, and Marion, were in a flourishing condition. At Talladega reli- gious instructions were given in the Rev. Mr. Cook's school.

On May 3, 1855, in Mobile, four laymen organized the Brotherhood of the church, an interparochial organization of the laymen of that city. This organization antedated the · Brotherhood of St. Andrew by more than a generation.

Notable clergymen during this period of

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the church's growth were Rev. Henry C. Lay; Rev. Henry N. Pierce, a Rhode Islander, who came to St. John's church, Mobile, where he remained eleven years, later becoming bishop of Arkansas; Rev. Samuel Smith Lewis, of Vermont, who served first the Tus- caloosa congregation, later accepted a call to Christ church, Mobile, and president of the diocesan conventions from 1832-44; Rev. Na- thaniel P. Knapp, of New York, founder of St. Peter's church, Benton, later serving in Mobile and Montgomery; Rev. George F. Cushman, of Cahaba, later editor of the "Churchman;" Rev. Mr. Stickney, of Marion, and a most successful educator; Rev. J. M. Mitchell, of St. John's, Montgomery; Rev. F. R. Hanson, missionary of Greene and Ma- rengo Counties, and Rev. F. B. Lee, the builder of St. Paul's, Carlowville.

The diocesan convention of May, 1861, was unable to agree as to the successor of Bishop Cobbs, who had died on January 11 of that year. The laity were in favor of Bishop Lay, of Arkansas, and the clergy's choice was the Rev. Dr. William Pinkney, of Maryland. The election was postponed until the meeting of November 21, 1861, in Selma, when the choice of both the laity and clergy was declared to be the Rev. Dr. Richard Hooker Wilmer.

Episcopate-Bishop Wilmer .- During the War of Secession the church in Alabama severed her connection with the church in the United States. Parish work went on without undue incident, numerous chapels were erected by planters for their slaves, and missionary work was carried on in Mont- gomery and Mobile. It was found necessary to undertake the care of the orphans, as the war progressed, and Montgomery, the first parish to realize this need, opened what was known as Bishop Cobbs' orphans' home, which was in active operation throughout this period. An orphans home in conjunction with a parochial school was also opened in Tuscaloosa. On December 12, 1864, the first act was passed by the state legislature incorporating the Protestant Episcopal church in the diocese of Alabama. On January 17, 1866, at a special diocesan council in Mont- gomery the church in Alabama resumed its former relation to the national church.

After the War of Secession it was found necessary to abandon the efforts of the church to evangelize the negro. The negroes re- fused to take ther religion from their former owners. The many negro congregations in 1867 had dwindled to two, the Church of the Good Shepherd, Mobile, and Faunsdale chapel, on the plantation of Rev. William A. Stickney, in Marengo County; and in 1882 not one of the old organized negro congrega- tions was to be found in the diocese. It was in the same year, 1882, a new beginning was made in Mobile. A new church of the Good Shepherd was erected. A school house and rectory were also erected. In 1891 the second negro congregation was founded, that of St. Mark's, Birmingham.

In 1867 the Church home for orphan's property, at Tuscaloosa, was sold, and the

orphans were removed to Mobile, where they were settled in a two room house on a lot given by St. John's parish. This home was so well managed by the deaconess and the Bishop that in 1896 it had completed its endowment fund of $40,000.

The convention of 1873 adopted a canon that provided for the establishment of con- vocations. Bishop Wilmer, on May 20, 1873, set forth the four convocations of Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Selma, and Montgomery. The deans of these first convocations were the Revs. Messrs. J. M. Bannister, D. D., George H. Hunt, F. R. Hanson, and Horace String- fellow, D. D. The Mobile convocation was called into being two years later and Rev. Dr. J. A. Massey was appointed its dean. The Tuscaloosa convocation was in 1885 changed to the Birmingham convocation.

During this period new congregations ap- peared at Auburn and Mount Meigs, where twenty years before the first ones had per- ished. £ Birmingham, Talladega, Decatur, Union Springs, and Evergreen saw the birth of congregations, while churches were being built at Selma, Opelika, Greensboro, Demop- olis, Hayneville, Montevallo and Montgom- ery (St. John's).

The year 1875 showed no marked improve- ment in the churches growth. In the follow- ing year improvement begau and continued throughout the next ten years. In 1872 the Church of the Advent was organized at Ely- ton, and the Rev. Philip A. Fitts, was the first pastor. Grace church, Anniston, was founded in 1881, no organization having been attempted before but the Rev. J. F. Smith had been ministering to the congregation since 1875. A chapel for the poor was soon built at Glenn Addie. The Church of the Advent, Birmingham, numbered 1,100 souls in 1887, and it was found necessary to es- tablish a new parish which became known as St. Mary's of the Highlands. The first rector of St. Mary's was Rev. L. W. Rose. A few years later the frame building was burned and a stone church was built on a better site but on the same plan. From 1885-1890 twenty new parishes and churches were established, the missionary force in- creased from seven to thirteen, and in the single year 1889-90 the diocese of five thou- sand communicants raised $125,000.

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History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I, Part 103

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