USA > Alabama > History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I > Part 106
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Horses and mules, 6,500. Milk cows, 4,900.
Other cattle, 7,650.
Brood sows, 1,400.
Other hogs, 4,850.
Sheep, 1,650.
Selected Crops ( Acres and Quantity) : Corn, 56,600 acres; 795,500 bushels.
Cotton, 39,050 acres; 11,890 bales.
Peanuts, 500 acres; 6,000 bushels.
Velvet Beans, 500 acres; 1,550 tons.
Hay, 6,950 acres; 5,000 tons.
Syrup cane, 2,450 acres; 124,100 gallons. Cowpeas, 5,300 acres; 32,700 bushels.
Sweet potatoes, 1,250 acres; 92,150 bushels.
Irish potatoes, 500 bushels.
acres; 20,700
Oats, 2,980 acres; 3,250 bushels.
Wheat, 2,450 acres; 9,000 bushels.
Post Offices and Towns .- Revised to July 1, 1917, from U. S. Official Postal Guide. Fig- ures indicate the number of rural routes from that office.
Alabama City-2
Glencoe -- 1
Altoona-4
Hokes Bluff-1
Attalla-2
Keener -- 3
. East Gadsden)
Gadsden (ch)-4
Murrycross-2
Gallant-1
Walnut Grove-2
Population .- Statistics from decennial pub- lications of the U. S. Bureau of the Census.
White.
Negro. Total.
1870
8401
1708
10109
1880
12896
2502
15398
1890
18171
3755
21926
1900
22995
4366
27361
1910
32305
6804
39109
Delegates to Constitutional Conventions .--- 1867-William C. Ewing.
1875-James Aiken, Dr. John P. Ralls. 1901-O. R. Hood, Hubert T. Davis, R. B. Kyle.
Senators .- 1876-7-J. L. Cunningham.
1878-9-J. L. Cunningham.
1880-1-J. L. Cunningham.
1882-3-S. K. McSpadden.
1884-5-S. K. McSpadden.
1886-7 -- John L. Burnett. 1888-9-J. L. Burnett.
1890-1-John W. Inzer.
1892-3-John W. Inzer.
1894-5-J. S. E. Robinson.
1896-7-J. S. E. Robinson.
1898-9-J. A. Hurst. 1899 (Spec.)-J. A. Hurst.
1900-01-J. A. Hurst.
1903-Dr. James Alpheus Hurst.
1907-Ed. D. Hamner.
1907 (Spec.)-Ed. D. Hamner.
1909 (Spec.)-Ed. D. Hamner.
1911-W. T. Brown.
1915-A. V. Lee.
1919-Watt T. Brown.
Representatives .-
1876-7 -- L. W. Dean.
1878-9-J. P. Ralls.
1880-1-J. R. Nolin.
1882-3-J. P. Moragne.
1884-5-B. L. Archer.
1886-7-F. M. Sauls.
1888-9-G. B. Wade.
1890-1-G. B. Wade.
1892-3-P. L. McCall.
1894-5 --- W. B. Beeson.
1896-7-W. B. Beeson.
1898-9-J. L. Marbut.
1899 (Spec.)-J. L. Marbut.
1900-01-Pope Hammond.
1903-Hubert Trevelyan Davis; Edward Delamar Hamner.
1907-Alto V. Lee, Jr .; H. P. Smith.
1907 (Spec.)-Alto V. Lee, Jr .; H. P. Smith. 1909 (Spec.)-Alto V. Lee, Jr .; H. P. Smith.
1911-A. R. Brindley; W. H. Hood.
1915-A. R. Brindley; A. Brown.
1919-W. T. Murphree; J. P. Preston.
For many details on various subjects in the history of the county, see separate sketches of Alabama City; Altoona; Attalla; Confederate Monuments; Coosa River; Gads- den; Turkeytown; Walnut Grove.
REFERENCES .- Acts, 1866-67, p. 76; 1868, pp. 178, 359; 1869-70, p. 65; Brewer, Alabama. p. 247; Berney, Handbook (1892), p. 293; Riley, Alabama as it is (1893), p. 90; Northern Ala- bama (1888), p. 137; Alabama, 1909 (Ala. Dept. of Ag. and Ind., Bulletin 27), p. 123; U. S. Soil Survey (1910), with map; Alabama land book (1916), p. 71; Ala. Official and Statistical Reg- ister. 1903-1915, 5 vols .; Ala. Anthropological Society, Handbook (1910); Geol. Survey of Ala., Agricultural features of the State (1883) ; The Valley regions of Alabama, parts 1 and 2 (1896, 1897), and Underground Water resources of Alabama (1907); Etowah County section of the Sunday Age-Herald, Birmingham, Oct. 10, 1915.
EUFAUBEE. See Nafolee; Yafabi.
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HISTORY OF ALABAMA
EUFAULA. Principal city in Barbour County, on a high bluff of the west bank of the Chattahoochee River, 21 miles northeast of Clayton, 81 miles southeast of Montgom- ery, 143 miles west of Macon, Ga., and 246 miles southwest of Atlanta, Ga. Altitude: 200 feet. The bluff forms a plain which extends on the north half a mile to Chewalla Creek, on the south, with a gradual descent, to Barbour Creek, and on the west half a mile to a hill 75 feet high, the top of the hill forming another plateau, which extends a quarter of a mile to a second bill. Eufaula received its name from the Creek town of Yufala (q. v.), which was situated 3 miles above, on the west bank of the Chattahoochee. Population: 1836-1,500; 1870-3,185; 1880 -6,000; 1890-4,394; 1900-4,532; 1910- 4,259. The town was incorporated prior to 1835, but is now operated under the munici- pal code of 1907. The corporate limits in- clude portions of secs. 4, 5, and 6, T. 10, R. 29, and secs. 31 and 32, T. 11, R. 29. It has municipally owned gas plant, electric light and waterworks systems, a fire department installed in 1873 and enlarged in 1886, 13 miles of sanitary sewerage laid in 1896 at a cost of $17,000, a city hall costing $10,000, city jail, 59 miles of clay and gravel streets, and sidewalks paved in business section. Its tax rate is 10 mills, and its bonded indebted- ness, $187,000, consisting of bonds for water- works maturing in 1926, $50,000; for sewerage, maturing in 1926, $15,000; refund- ing bonds maturing in 1929, $67,000; new bonds, maturing in 1929, $15,000; for elec- tric lights, maturing in 1941, $40,000. Its banks are the Commercial National, the East Alabama National, and the Bank of Eufaula (State). The Times and News, a Democratic weekly, established in 1845, the Daily Citizen, a Democratic evening paper issued daily ex- cept Sunday, established in 1882, and the East Alabama News (negro), established in 1914, are published in the town. Its in- dustries are a brick manufactory, a buggy factory, 3 cotton ginneries, 2 cotton mills, 2 cotton warehouses, a cottonseed oil mill, feed mill, grain mill, 2 fertilizer factories, a foundry, a machine shop, an ice plant, saw- mill, planing mill, 2 marble yards, and a peanut oil mill. Its churches are the First Baptist, founded in 1837, the Second Baptist, First Methodist Episcopal, South, founded in 1835, Second Methodist Episcopal, South, Presbyterian, founded in 1837, St. James Episcopalian, and Catholic.
Carson Winslet was the first settler, build- ing the first house in 1833; and in the same year about a dozen other families located at the place. During 1834 and 1835 the popula- tion increased rapidly, and in 1836, the town proper had about 1,500 people. The most important event in its early history was the Creek disturbance of 1836, during which time the entire population was under arms. These troubles lasted for a few months, but during their continuance, all business was suspended, schools were closed, and a feeling of despon- dency prevailed. Peace came with the re- moval of the Indians from the country.
The first store in Eufaula was built and owned by Mr. Allen. It was a log struc- ture as were the dwelling houses, and other stores and the hotels that soon came into ex- istence. In 1835 a sawmill was erected by John M. Moore, and from this time better houses were built. In 1834 a small school was taught by a Miss Perry in a log cabin. In 1835 Rev. M. C. Turrentine organized the first Methodist Church, and a frame build- ing was erected which was the first church building in Eufaula. In the fall of this year a school was taught in this house by Rev. John N. McRae, who was the first male teacher in Eufaula. Two years later the Baptists and Presbyterians organized their respective con- gregations and erected good houses of wor- ship; and the Methodists erected a larger and better house for the accommodation of their rapidly increasing numbers. In the same year The Irwinton Literary Institute was estab- lished, and placed under the charge and con- trol of Mr. A. K. Merrill, with a Mr. Gold- thwaite as assistant. It at once became a flourishing institution, well attended by pupils of both sexes. About this time a cov- ered bridge was built over the Chattahoochee by the citizens of Eufaula, at a cost of $20,- 000. Soon after a bank was organized and chartered, known as the Irwinton Bridge Bank.
In 1835 some cotton was raised, and a few bales were shipped from Eufaula. From the beginning there was a marvelous develop- ment of the cotton industry, for four years later, In 1839, there were 5,000 bales shipped from Irwinton to New York, Liverpool and other markets. By 1839 numerous steamboats and barges were plying the Chattahoochee River. The production of corn and meat kept pace with the cotton industry, and by the beginning of the fourth decade the people of Eufaula were exceptionally prosperous.
During these years many plantations were opened in the vicinity by wealthy slave- owning planters, who for the purpose of edu- cating their children built for themselves homes in the town. In 1839 The Irwinton Herald, the first newspaper, was published in Irwinton. W. G. M. Davis was the founder and editor. It was soon discontinued and the office passed into the hands of John Currie and John P. Booth, who edited it as a Union paper.
Eufaula contributed her full share of offi- cers and men to the Confederate cause, and they bore an honorable part in that long, four-years' struggle which gave immortal re- nown to the arms of the South. The town was fortunate in not experiencing those hor- rors of war which befell so many southern cities and towns. In the spring of 1865 Grier- son's cavalry marched in just as an armistice had been proclaimed, otherwise Eufaula might have had an experience similar to other Alabama towns, when they lay helpless and at the mercy of the invader.
Among its distinguished citizens have been Gen. Wm. Wellborn, Judge John P. Booth, Gov. John G. Shorter, Col. Eli S. Shorter, Senator James L. Pugh, Judge John Cochran,
552
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
Col. E. C. Bullock, Lewis L. Cato, Sterling C. Cato, Jefferson Buford, Gen. Alpheus Baker, Gen. Henry D. Clayton, Gen. John L. Hunter, Wm. H. Chambers, Capt. Reuben F. Kolb, Allen H. Merrill, Capt. S. H. Dent. G. L. Comer, Gov. William D. Jelks, and Charles S. McDowell.
REFERENCES .- Berney, Handbook (1892), p. 269; Brewer, Alabama (1872), p. 125; Besson, Eufaula (1875) ; Green Beauchamp, in Eufaula Times, 1873, circa; Polk's Alabama gazetteer, 1888-9, p. 335; Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1915.
EUFAULA AND CLAYTON RAILWAY COMPANY. See Central of Georgia Railway Company.
EUFAULA CARNEGIE LIBRARY. See Libraries.
EUNOLA. Incorporated town in the south- central part of Geneva County, on the Choc- tawhatchee River, about 2 miles above Ge- neva. Population: 1900-132; 1910-321. It was incorporated by the legislature, Feb- ruary 17, 1885, with corporate limits "be- ginning at the northeast corner of section 21, township 1, range 22, and running south on the section line between sections 21 and 22 to the southeast corner of section 21, thence west to Double Bridges Creek, thence up the water's edge of Double Bridges Creek to the section line between sections 20 and 17, thence east on said line between sections 20 and 17, and 21 and 16 to the beginning cor- ner, all in township one of range twenty- two. . . The charter forbids the sale of spiritous, vinous or malt liquors in the town. On February 18, 1897, the legislature amended and revised the charter In several particulars.
REFERENCES .- Acts, 1884-85, pp. 632-634; 1886-87, p. 367; 1888-89, p. 665; 1896-97, pp. 1180-1186; Alabama Official and Statistical Reg- ister, 1915.
EUTAW. The county seat of Greene County, in the east-central part of the county, sec. 34, T. 22, R. 2, E., and on the Alabama Great Southern Railroad. It is situated on a high and healthy plateau, 3 miles west of the Warrior River, 40 miles northwest of Marion, 20 miles northwest of Greensboro, 25 miles north of Demopolis, 35 miles northeast of York, and 34 miles southwest of Tuscaloosa. Altitude: 180 feet. Population: 1870-429 whites, 1.491 colored, total 1,920; 1880- 1,101; 1890-1,115; 1900-884; 1901-
1,001. The town was incorporated by the legislature, December 26, 1868, and an amended charter issued by act of December 9, 1896. In June, 1908, it adopted the municipal code of 1907. It has privately owned waterworks and electric light plants, a volunteer fire department, 112 miles of paved sidewalks and streets, constructed in 1913. Its bonded indebtedness is $14,000, issued for school purposes. Its banks are the First National, and the Merchants & Farmers Bank (State). The Eutaw Whig and Ob-
server, established in 1837, and the Greene County Democrat, established in 1879, both Democratic weeklies, are published there. Its industries are a cotton compress and gin- nery, 2 cotton warehouses, cottonseed oil mill, wagon and blacksmith shops, a sawmill, and a planing mill and lumber yard, besides the public-service enterprises mentioned above.
The community was settled as early as 1818, when Dr. J. T. Creswell, William Mc- Alpine, Elihu and A. S. Steele, and J. W. Womack acquired lands and began to plant. They were followed in 1819 by John Dunlap, Willis Crenshaw, S. McAlpine, also planters. From 1820 to 1823, J. Cockrell, R. Ridgway, James Willis, Duncan Dew, S. R., James and Dr. S. R. Murphy, and Brown Stewart settled there. Later arrivals were the Jones, Johns- ton, P. H. Jack, Horn, Hill, Hatfield, Kirksey, Coleman, Gordon, Judge, Webb, Gibson, Ellis, Elliott, Edwards, and Clark families. The community was first known as "Mesopo- tamia." This name is perpetuated in the title of "The Mesopotamia Female Academy." In 1838 the county seat was moved from Erie, on the river, to the high ground near "Meso- potamia," the land being donated by the citi- zens. Capt. John Nelson, of the commission to select the new site, changed the name of the community from "Mesopotamia" to Eutaw, to correspond with the naming of the county for Gen. Nathaniel Greene, who won the victory over the British at Eutaw Springs, S. C., in September, 1781.
Eutaw is surrounded by lands of great fer- tility, and it is one of the important towns of the Cotton Belt. Among the distinguished citizens of the town are Chancellor Thomas W. Coleman, Judge William C. Oliver, Judge Edward deGraffenreid, Hilliard M. Judge, Foster M. Kirksey, Sydenham Moore, Rev. Stephen Smith, Hon. Stephen F. Hale, for whom Hale County was named, A. H. Fal- coner, and Harry Herndon, Joseph Pickens, John McQueen and R. F. Inge.
REFERENCES .- Acts, 1868, pp. 506-509; Ibid, 1896-97, pp. 337-370; Brewer, Alabama (1872), p. 259; Northern Alabama (1888), pp. 195-202; Snedecor, Greene County (1856) ; Polk's Ala- bama gazetteer, 1888-9, p. 342; Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1915.
EVA JANE. MILLS, Sylacauga. See Cotton Manufacturing.
EVERGREEN. County seat of Conecuh County, in the central part of the county, between Murder and Beaver Creeks, just above their confluence, in secs. 3 and 4, T. 5 N, R. 11 E., and sec. 34, T. 6 N., R. 11 E., 81 miles southwest of Montgomery, 105 miles northeast of Mobile, and on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. Altitude: 258 feet. Population: 1870-500; 1880-985; 1890- 1,783; 1900-1,277; 1910-1,582. It is an incorporated town. Its banking institutions are the First National Bank, and the Bank of Evergreen (State). The Conecuh Record, an Independent weekly, established in 1893, the Evergreen Courant, a Democratic weekly, established in 1895, and Our Children, a
553
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
philanthropic monthly, established in 1912, are published there. Its industries are cot- ton ginneries, cotton warehouses, cottonseed oil mill, sawmill, veneer factory, gristmill, feed mill, velvet bean crusher, general stores, and truck-farming on a large scale for the northern markets. The Second District Agri- cultural School is located there, and it also has a city high school and grammar schools. Its churches are Baptist, Methodist Episcopal, South, Presbyterian, and Episcopal.
In 1820, James Cosey, George Andrews, and the Cluff brothers settled within the present limits of Evergreen. Cosey was a Revolutionary soldier. After these came the families of George Foote, Benjamin Hart, Nicholas Stallworth, William Rabb, William Jones, Sr., James Tomlinson, Garland Goode, John and Chesley Crosby, Nathan Godbold, B. P. Box. In 1821 George Andrews opened the first school, about three-fourths of a mile east of the present courthouse. Judge Sam- uel Burnett and William Ashley moved there in 1820. The original settlement was known as "Cosey's Old Field," but later Rev. Alex- ander Travis called the town "Evergreen," because of the nature of the surrounding forests. In 1818 William B. Travis, the hero of The Alamo, came with his family from South Carolina and settled near Evergreen.
The county seat was removed from Sparta to Evergreen in 1866. A unique industry of the town is shipping to northern markets evergreens for decorative purposes. This was commenced by G. W. Caldwell, who dec- orated the White House when President Cleveland was inaugurated.
REFERENCES .- Brewer, Alabama (1872), p. 194; Riley, Conecuh County (1881); Northern Alabama (1888), p. 232; Polk's Alabama gazet- teer, 1888-9, p. 344; Alabama Official and Sta- tistical Register, 1915.
EXAMINERS OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS. Five expert accountants "of known integrity and skill" appointed by the governor for terms of four years, one of whom is known as chief examiner of public accounts. It is their duty "under the direction of the Gov- ernor, [to] to audit and examine the books, accounts, vouchers and records of every officer, public institution, or organization, re- ceiving or disbursing any funds that belong to the State, or to any county in the State, or any funds that have been appropriated hy the legislature for any persons, institution or organization. They are also required to ex- amine and audit the books, accounts, vouch- ers and records of all county officers, includ- ing tax assessors charged with the duty of collecting or disbursing any part of the public revenues belonging to either the State or any county of the State. When required by the governor so to do, one of the examiners shall count the money in the State treasury and the governor shall require either the auditor, secretary of State or the attorney general, or all of them, to be present and supervise the count, and join the examiner in certifying the result of the same to the governor. An examiner may be detailed by the governor as
disbursing officer for the military when in encampment, or when called into service to aid in enforcing the law."
Beginnings .- The history of the office as a permanent feature of State administration began with the act of February 16, 1885, which authorized the appointment of one ex- aminer at a salary of $1,000 a year. For many years it had been the practice to appoint a legislative committee to examine the affairs of certain executive offices, but as the volume of administrative business increased, it became apparent that the full time of a specialist in accounting was needed to insure proper supervision. Opinion on the subject was crystalized by the defalcation of State Treasurer I. H. Vincent, discovered while the legislature was in session in 1883, and no time was lost in passing precautionary measures to prevent a recurrence of such an event. An act was approved on February 23, authoriz- ing the governor to employ an expert account- ant "of known integrity and skill" to exam- ine and report under oath upon the condition of the officers of the secretary of state, state auditor, treasurer, superintendent of educa- tion, and warden of the penitentiary, and appropriating $3,000 for the purpose. The compensation of the examiner and the dura- tion of his employment were left to the dis- cretion of the governor. James W. Lapsley was engaged under this act, and he seems to have done his work very satisfactorily, for in his message of November 12, 1884, Gov. E. A. O'Neal, recommending the continuation . of the office, said of him:
"I was fortunate to secure the services of Mr. James W. Lapsley, whose peculiar fitness for the work he has undertaken is universally recognized. Numerous errors have been noted and corrected; and as a net result, about $10,000 has been recovered to the State. The examiner attributes none of the errors to a corrupt purpose or intention. But partly to defective systems of keeping ac- counts, partly to negligence or incompetency, and partly to errors of judgment under the law. The effect of these examinations, in the greater vigilance and care in the several offices, and in their adoption of better meth- ods of bookkeeping, is of far greater value than the money recovered. The office should be continued, with jurisdiction over the hooks and accounts of all the State institutions."
The governor's suggestion was adopted and the law of 1885 was passed, making the office permanent, and with jurisdiction over all State departments and institutions handling public funds. Two years after its passage the governor reported that the examiner had re- covered to the treasury about $20,000. "His work has been useful," said the governor, "not because those whose books and accounts have been examined are dishonest, but be- cause many of these, untrained to business methods, and unconscious that they are parts of a complicated system whose efficient opera- tion depends on the exactness and promptness of each of those composing it, have not appre- ciated the necessity of a careful and strict observance of all the requirements of the laws
554
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
enacted for their direction and government. Some of these have lacked the train- ing to fit them for their official duties, and have fallen into errors subjecting themselves to annoyance and others to loss. These wel- come the visits of the examiner of accounts, and profit by the instructions he gives them. Through his published reports, his instruc- tions are communicated to every part of the State; and those who never see him are taught to avoid mistakes that might require his personal attention. The effect of these examinations is felt to the extremities of the revenue system, exciting its agents to greater diligence, accuracy and promptness, and is manifest in all the operations of the depart- ment."
The examiner continued to operate under this law for 10 years with good results, but the volume of the work grew beyond the capacity of one man; and, besides, the desir- ability of extending the system to include county offices, through which public money passed, became increasingly manifest. Gov. William C. Oates, in 1896, recommended that an examiner be appointed for each congres- sional district; that the salary of the state examiner be increased to $1,500, and that he have supervision over the district exam- iners; and that all county offices be put under the jurisdiction of the examiners.
Enlargement of the System .- The legisla- ture incorporated a part of the governor's suggestions in an act of February 12, 1897, but authorized only two assistant examiners, whose compensation should not exceed $5.00 salary, and $2.50 for expenses for each day actually employed. The salary of the exam- iner was fixed at $1,800 a year, out of which he paid his expenses. County officers were made subject to examination, and penalties provided for refusal of officers or their clerks to render assistance and furnish information to the examiners in the discharge of their duty. However, it was specifically stated that the examiners should not have authority to prescribe the mode of keeping accounts nor of transacting the business of any public office, and whenever the legality of a payment was involved, should obtain the opinion of the attorney general. The publication of 750 copies of the examiner's report, prior to each session of the legislature, was authorized.
For 10 years more the laws on the subject remained unaltered, and the three examiners succeeded in getting around to each State and county office, subject to examination, about once every 12 months. "I learn that officers do not complain of the coming of one of the examiners," said Gov. Wm. D. Jelks in 1907. "They are pleased to have their books looked over as often as possible. The examiners have been finding very little to report; very much to my satisfaction and to the satisfac- tion I think of all good citizens. The work, however, on State matters, makes it almost impossible for the examiners to go into county matters, if they would make the rounds in one year. If you think this work should be diligently pursued as to county funds, you will be compelled to provide some
additions to the present force." An act of February 7, 1907, added an allowance of not more than $2.50 a day for expenses, while actually employed by the State, to the com- pensation of the examiners, hut made no in- crease in the number of assistants.
In the proclamation calling the extra ses- sion of the legislature in 1909, Gov. B. B. Comer included the amendment of the sec- tions of the code relating to examiners of accounts in the list of subjects for considera- tion. On August 26, the number of assist- ant examiners was enlarged to four, and the compensation of all the examiners increased by adding to their allowance for expenses, the amount of their railroad fare.
In 1911 the number of examiners was in- creased to seven, all of whom should receive $1,800 a year salary, with $4.00 per day for expenses, and transportation as an additional allowance. Provision was also made for the assignment of one examiner to the insurance department upon request of the commissioner. The examiners were required to make daily reports to the governor of their whereabouts on pain of loss of salary and expenses on days when they neglected to do so. In 1915, the number of examiners was reduced to five, with a restatement of their powers and duties as hereinabove set forth.
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