History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I, Part 43

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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Officers and Agents .- As indicated a full history of the institution cannot possibly be compiled because of the loss of records. How- ever, from various sources a few of the names of those associated with it as officers and agents have been located. Presidents of the female department: Dr. Archelaus H. Mitch- ell, Rev. J. S. Montgomery, Rev. Robert Ken- non Hargrave, Prof. W. J. Vaughan, Rev. A. D. McVoy, Rev. H. M. Ross. Principals of the male department: Rev. D. C. B. Connerly, Prof. John Massey, Prof. Wm. H. Hill, Rev. R. S. Holcombe, Prof. Thomas D. Mitchell, Rev. R. T. Barton, and Prof. A. B. Chandler. Assistants in the male department were: Rev. John S. Moore, Prof. F. M. Hopkins and Prof. W. W. Caruthers. In the primary school the following were teachers: Mr. H. Brown, Miss Julia Heard and Mr. Robins. The following were financial agents: Rev. Ebenezer Hearn, Rev. William B. Barnett, Rev. Jesse Boring, and Rev. L. M. Wilson.

REFERENCES .- Acts, 1840-41, p. 12; West, His- tory of Methodism in Alabama (1893), pp. 609- 621; Dr. John Massey, Reminiscences (1916), pp. 230-263; and Alabama Conference, Minutes, 1856-1885.

CENTENNIALS AND EXPOSITIONS. The State of Alabama has participated in a very limited way only, either officially or unoffi- cially, in centennials and other expositions held at home or abroad. The first in which the State was represented was the Universal Exhibition at Vienna, Austria, in 1873. By joint resolution of the legislature, March 10, 1873, an official commission was created to arrange for exhibits and the distribution of suitable printed matter advertising the State's resources, for which an appropriation of $2,000 was made. A display of cotton, min- erals, marbles, lithographic stones, bamboo canes, yellow-ochre earth, oil coal, and vege- tables was made, and considerable printed matter, some of it in the German language, distributed.

While the State Itself did not participate officially, either by appropriations or other legislative action, in the Cotton Culturist Exposition, New Orleans, 1883, yet very creditable exhibits were made by many indi- viduals, firms, and corporations, which occu- pied altogether nearly 8,000 square feet of floor space near the southwest corner of the building devoted to the different States and Territories. A State headquarters was main- tained at the same place, in charge of Dr. Charles T. Mohr, the distinguished botanist, of Mobile. State headquarters was in an alcove, constructed entirely of Alabama pine, connected with the main building. The re- sources of the State were illustrated by dis- plays of huge blocks of coal, masses of iron ore, rough and polished samples of wood, specimens of building stone, and a collection of a great variety of agricultural and horti- cultural products. May 11 was observed as "Alabama Day." Gov. E. A. O'Neal and staff were in attendance. The governor delivered a short address, but Col. John W. A. Sanford was the orator of the day.

There was no official State participation in the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, Nash- ville, 1897; but exhibitions of the State's agricultural and mineral resources were made by individuals, by firms and by corporations. An "Alabama Building" was erected; and "Alabama Day" was observed with appro- priate exercises on Wednesday, September 29, 1897.

An appropriation of $5,000 was made for an exhibit at the Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, N. Y., 1901, which was expended by the commissioner of agriculture in organizing collections of objects illustrating the State's resources and its agricultural and industrial progress. A bill was introduced in the sen- ate, November 28, 1900, to appropriate $25,- 000 for a State exhibit at this exposition, but was not reported back by the committee, and the addition of $5,000 to the general appropriation of the department of agricul-

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ture represented the State's financial outlay on that account.

A commission was appointed by Gov. Jelks for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis, 1904, which endorsed the project of making elaborate displays of the State's re- sources, and urged the appropriation of $50,000 by the legislature, but nothing was done. However, there were limited displays of manufactured products, prepared and main- tained by private interests.

For the Jamestown Tercentennial Exposi- tion, Hampton Roads, Va., 1907, an official commission was created and an appropriation made by act of March 4, 1907, but only $118.06 was expended, and nothing whatever undertaken in the way of official participa- tion.

For the Panama Pacific International Ex- position, San Francisco, 1915, a private com- mission for the promotion of State and indi- vidual participation was organized, several meetings held, and much publicity given the plans, which were to be carried out under the then (1915) state immigration commission. The legislature was asked for assistance, but it failed to make an appropriation, or to give any official sanction to the movement.

Apart from the unofficial participation of private individuals, firms, and corporations, the State does not appear to have officially taken part in the following expositions: In- ternational Centennial Exposition, Philadel- phia, 1876; World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893; Cotton States and Industrial Exposition, Atlanta, 1895; Trans-Mississippi Exposition, Omaha, Neb., 1898; South Caro- lina Interstate and West Indian Exposition, Charleston, 1901; Lewis and Clark Centen- nial American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair, Portland, Oregon, 1905; and the Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition, Seattle, Wash., 1909.

REFERENCES .- Acts cited above; Report of the Commissioners of the State of Alabama, to the Universal Exhibition, at Vienna, Austria, 1873; "Alabama Day" at the Tennessee Centen- nial Exposition, Sept. 29, 1897, (Nashville, n. d.)

CENTER. The county seat of Cherokee County, on the northeastern bank of the Coosa River, near the center of the county, in the S. 12 of the NW. 14 and the N. 1/2 of the SW. 14 of sec. 22, T. 10, S., R. 9, E., about 28 miles southwest of Rome, Ga., and about 25 miles northeast of Gadsden. Altitude: 720 feet. Population: 1870-400; 1880- 550; 1910-256. It is not incorporated. It has the Cherokee County Bank (State). The Coosa River News, established in 1878, and the Cherokee Harmonizer, established in 1899, both Democratic weekly newspapers, are published there. Its industries are gin- neries, a sawmill, 2 grain mills, a garage and repair shop, iron ore mines and works, and general stores. It has the Cherokee County High School and public schools. Its churches are the Methodist Episcopal, South, the Baptist, and the African Methodist Epis- copal.

Among the early settlers were the Gen. John Garrett and the Tatum, Neely, Reeves and Geer families. Among the prominent citizens were William M. Elliott, Ellis Hale, James A. Reeves, Judge Robert R. Savage, and Chancellor S. K. McSpadden. The first court for Cherokee County was held in the house of Singleton Hughes, the first settler at the town of Center.

REFERENCES .- Armes, Story of coal and iron in Alabama (1910); Rev. J. D. Anthony, "Rem- iniscences," in Gadsden Times, circa 1875; Polk's Alabama gazetteer, 1888-9, p. 257; Ala- bama Official and Statistical Register, 1915.

CENTERVILLE. County seat of Bibb County; situated on the Cahaba River; nearly in the center of the county-hence its name, -on the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, about 35 miles southeast of Tuscaloosa, and 72 miles northwest of Montgomery. Population: 1870 -300; 1880-250; 1890-239; 1900-422; 1910-730. Its banking institutions are the Bibb County Banking & Trust Co. (State), and the Peoples Bank (State). The Center- ville Press, a Democratic weekly, established in 1879, is published there. Its industries are cotton ginneries, cotton warehouses, cotton- seed oil mill, fertilizer plant, gristmill, saw- mills, planing mill, wagon-repair shop, and general stores. It has the Bibb County High School. Its churches are Methodist Npisco- pal, South, Presbyterian, and Baptist.

In 1828, Centerville was located on the west side of the Cahaba River, in sec. 26, T. 23, R. 9 E., on the grounds now occupied by the residence of Judge Pratt and the Bibb County High School. After several years, a bridge was built over the Cahaba, and the town was moved to the east bank, where the courthouse was built. It was originally in- corporated January 21, 1832.

Among the first settlers were David Clai- borne, R. Johnson, H. Johnson, Fred James, I. Parker, W. Parker, J. Singfellow, Thomas Crawford, Alex Hill, A. C. Harrison, W. H. Harrison, W. C. Henry, S. W. Davidson, H. Hemphill, B. L. Defreese, A. Strongtonboro, A. Pratt, J. Carlisle, Joshua West and David L. Lipscomb.

Centerville is surrounded by fine farming lands, rich coal and iron ore deposits, granite and red onyx, artesian wells, and mineral springs, fine mountain scenery, including a natural bridge, and fine roads. In a forest reservation nearby the United States Govern- ment has placed a herd of elk.

Among the builders of Centerville are the Davidson, Smitherman, Kennedy and Cooper families.

REFERENCES .- Berney, Handbook (1892), p. 270; Brewer, Alabama (1872), p. 136; Northern Alabama (1888), p. 109; Polk's Alabama gazet- teer, 1888-9, p. 258.

CENTRAL CITY BUSINESS COLLEGE. See Commercial Education.

CENTRAL IRON AND COAL COMPANY. An industrial corporation, incorporated March 1, 1901, in New Jersey; capital stock author-

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ized and outstanding, $1,000,000; shares, $100; funded debt, $1,248,000; property in Alabama-blast furnace, nodulizing plant, coal and iron ore lands, and coke ovens at and near Holt, on the Warrior River; a coal mine at Kellerman, about 15 miles from Holt; large ore properties at Friedman, Bihville, and Giles; and a red ore mine at Valley View, in Birmingham. Offices: New York. The company furnishes a large portion of the pig iron used by the Central Foundry Co., of Maine; and its entire capital stock is owned by the latter.

REFERENCES .- Poor's manual of industrials, 1916, pp. 269-270; Central Foundry Co., Annual reports, 1912-1916.

CENTRAL LABOR UNION, MONTGOM- ERY. Branch organization of the Alabama State Federation of Labor, composed of dele- gates elected to it by the various labor or- ganizations of the Montgomery district. No delegate is allowed to vote in the central organization unless his Local Union is a mem- ber of the American Federation of Labor, either through the National or International Headquarters of that particular craft or calling.

In addition to the officers, a number of committees are appointed, such as Legislative Committee, Grievance Committee, etc. If a delegate misses three consecutive meetings, he is reported to his Union, who is asked to recall him and send a more active delegate.

The Central Labor Union of Montgomery does not have authority to call a strike of any craft, but can however, act as a mediator if called upon to do so. Differences between local unions are settled by the Grievance Committee.

Officers are elected for a term of six months, with the exception of the Secretary whose term is one year, and members of the Board of Trustees who are elected for eighteen months, twelve months and six months, re- spectively.

The following are affiliated Unions: Typographical Union 222; Machinists Union; Stage Employees Union 92; Sheet Metal Workers 332; Electrical Workers 443; Paint- ers, Decorators, and Paper Hangers, 432; Carpenters and Joiners 1687; Brick Layers Union of Alabama 3; Plasterers Union 187.

REFERENCES .- Official Souvenir Program, Sep- tember 4, 1916; Labor Day Program, 1917. Labor Manual, issued by Central Labor Union May 1, 1916; Official Labor Union Manual, n. d.

CENTRAL MILLS, Sylacauga. See Cotton Manufacturing.

CENTRAL OF GEORGIA RAILWAY COM- PANY. A Georgia corporation, chartered October 17, 1895, as a reorganization of, and the successor to the former holdings of, the Central Railroad & Banking Co. of Georgia; mileage operated June 30, 1915-main track and branches, 1,933.19, side tracks, 627.52, total, 2,560.71; mileage operated in Alabama -main track and branches, 579.55, side

tracks, 121.90, total 701.45; capital stock authorized-common, $5,000,000, cumulative stock, $15,000,000, total $20,000,000, all issued and outstanding; shares, $100, voting power, one vote a share; and funded debt, $37,032,250.

Vicksburg and Brunswick Railroad .- The history of this road in Alabama may be said to have begun with the lease by the Central Railroad of Georgia, on August 1, 1869, of the South Western Railroad, which controlled the Vicksburg & Brunswick Railroad Co., whose road extended from Eufaula to Clay- ton, a distance of 21 miles. The latter was organized under an act of the Alabama Legis- lature, January 23, 1867, by John Hardy, John Gill Shorter, and D. M. Seals, of Bar- bour County, U. L. Jones, A. N. Worthy, and F. E. Boykin, of Pike, S. J. Bolling, John T. Milner, and Walter H. Crenshaw, of Butler, J. R. Hawthorne, and A. B. Cooper, of Wil- cox, G. T. Smith and Joshua Moore, of Choc- taw, and William B. Modawell, of Marengo, for the purpose of building a railroad from Eufaula, via Troy, Greenville and Camden, to Meridian, Miss .; capital stock, $3,000,000; $100,000 in subscriptions requisite to organ- ization; nine directors to be elected annually to manage the company; authorized to bor- row money on honds secured hy mortgages; tolls collectible as portions of the road were put in operation; all hands belonging to or employed by the company exempt from road duty .- Acts of Ala., 1866-67, pp. 188-195.

The road was never constructed beyond Clayton on the route originally projected. The line between Eufaula and Clayton was completed about 1872, exact date not avail- able. At that time Eli S. Shorter, of Eufaula, was president, and the company had no bonds, and owed no interest-bearing debt. Under the "State aid" laws, it was entitled to en- dorsement at the rate of sixteen thousand dollars per mile, but never made application for it. The road appears not to have been equipped nor operated by its builders, but early in its history, before its completion in fact, was turned over to the South Western Railroad, heing operated by the Central Railroad Co. as a part of its system. On February 3, 1879, it was sold under fore- closure proceedings and purchased by W. M. Wadley, representing the Central Railroad & Banking Co. of Georgia, for $80,000. In March, 1883, the company was reorganized as the Eufaula & Clayton Railway Co. with capital stock of $100,000. In 1888 it was consolidated into the Savannah & Western Railroad together with several other sub- sidiary lines of the Central Railroad & Bank- Ing Co., as shown below.

Western Railroad of Alabama .- When the Western Railroad of Alabama (see Western Railway of Alabama) was sold under fore- closure on May 19, 1875, it was purchased jointly hy the Central Railroad & Banking Co. of Georgia, and the Georgia Railroad Co., who retained control of it until it was dis- posed of to the Louisville & Nashville Rail- road Co. (q. v.) and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co. (q. v.).

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HISTORY OF ALABAMA

Columbus & Western Railroad .- On June 5, 1880, the Central Railroad & Banking Co. purchased, for $700,000, the Columbus & Western Railroad, sold under foreclosure. This road had its beginning with the incor- poration of the Opelika & Talladega Rail- road Co. by act of December 9, 1859, to build a railroad from Opelika, via Dadeville, to some point on the Alabama & Tennessee River Railroad. The company's capital stock was $1,500,000 in shares of $100; subscrip- tions payable in money, labor, materials or supplies; empowered to consolidate with any other railroad company; required to provide necessary facilities at junctions for prompt interchange with connecting lines of through freight.

This, however, was not the first attempt at railroad building on this ronte. On February 9, 1854, a company was chartered by the legislature with the same name and practi- cally the same powers. Its authorized capital was the same, and the provisions of its charter substantially the same, with the exception that the life of the charter itself was limited to 50 years, and was contingent upon the com- mencement of work of construction, by con- tracting for the grading of not less than 10 miles, within 2, and the completion of the entire road within 15 years .- Ibid, 1853-54, pp. 460-464. This charter was amended on January 25, 1856, to extend the time for beginning work to 2 years from the date of passage. However, no work was done, and the charter lapsed.

The organization of the new company in December, 1859, was a revival of this enter- prise. An amendment of the later charter, on November 9, 1861, authorized an exten- sion of the road from its intersection of the Alabama & Tennessee River Railroad to Tus- cumbia; increased the capital stock to $4,- 500,000; substituted "Confederate States" where "United States" appeared in the charter, and changed the name of the com- pany to the Opelika & Tuscumbia Railroad Co. On January 23, 1866, the following act was approved: "The suspension of opera- tions of the Opelika and Tuscumbia Railroad Company during the late war, and the failure on the part of the said company to hold annual elections of officers of said company and the regular meetings of the stockholders of said railroad, shall not be taken, deemed or held to work a forfeiture of the charter of said company, but that said company shall be, and they are hereby authorized and em- powered to proceed and build said road under said charter, which is hereby in all things fully and completely revived and ratified." On February 20, the charter was amended to change the name to the Savannah & Memphis Railroad Co., and to eliminate all references to the Confederate States. On December 7 the charter was further amended to provide for the construction of the road from "some point on the Georgia and Alabama line, at or near Columbus, by way of Opelika, in Rus- sell County, Alabama, by Dadeville, in Talla- poosa County, to some point on the Alabama and Tennessee Rivers Railroad, between the

east bank of the Coosa River and the town of Talladega." The capital with which the road was built was obtained largely from town and county subscriptions and from State endorse- ment of its bonds under the "State aid" laws, of the benefits of which it availed itself to the full extent of its mileage, and at the maximum rate of $16,000 per mile.

In 1873, when only 40 miles had been finished out of the 263 projected, a contract was made with the St. Louis & Iron Moun- tain, the Mobile & Ohio, and the Georgia Central Railroad companies, whereby a mort- gage of $6,500,000 was to be made on the entire road, the interest for three years to be guaranteed by the three companies named, and 25 per cent of the gross earnings from all business coming to them over this line to be set apart for the purchase of bonds, to an amount not less than $150,000 a year. The contract was not carried out and the interest on its bonds was never paid. On December 18, 1877, the road was placed in the hands of W. S. Greene, of Opelika, as receiver and treasurer, pending suit for foreclosure and sale. On June 5, 1880, the property was sold under foreclosure proceedings for $834,500, and the company reorganized as the Colum- bus & Western Railway Co., with a capital stock of $1,650,000 and authority to issue bonds at the rate of $12,000 per mile of road. On September 1, 1881, the Columbus branch of the Western Railroad of Alabama was transferred to the Columbus & Western.

Savannah and Memphis Railroad .- Shortly after the reorganization of the old Savannah & Memphis by the purchasing bondholders, it was purchased by the Central Railroad & Banking Co. of Georgia for $700,000. About the same time the Central acquired a large Interest in the capital stock of the Mobile & Girard Railroad (q. v.), on which it took a lease for 99 years from June 1, 1886. On October 1, 1888, the Eufaula & East Ala- bama, organized to cover the construction of an extension of the old Eufaula & Clayton, from Clayton to Ozark, 40 miles, was com- pleted. This extension had been projected beyond Ozark to a connection with the Louis- ville & Nashville Railroad at Pollard, but was not built. It was later consolidated into the Savannah & Western, as shown below.

Savannah and Columbus Railroad .- In May, 1888, the Central Co. obtained a charter for the Savannah & Columbus Railroad Co. to build a railroad from Eden, near Savannah, to Americus, Ga., a distance of about 180 miles. The extension of the Columbus & Western to Birmingham, was then nearing completion, and several branch lines and ex- tensions were under construction or contem- plated. In order to simplify the accounts of the system and its financial operations, the Central decided to consolidate several of its auxiliary lines and branches, previously operated under separate charters, into a single company, and with this object in view the Savannah & Columbus, the Buena Vista & Ellaville, the Columbus & Western, the East Alabama, the Columbus & Rome, the Eufaula & Clayton, and the Eufaula & East

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HISTORY OF ALABAMA

Alabama were, in July, 1888, consolidated under the title of the Savannah & Western Railroad Company. The extension of the Columbus & Western to Birmingham above referred to was completed July 1, 1888, two months after the consolidation.

East Alabama Railway .- The East Ala- bama Railway, one of the consolidated com- panles, extended from Opelika to Roanoke, a distance of 37 miles. This company was chartered under the general laws of Alabama in 1868 as the East Alabama & Cincinnati Railroad Co. Among its promoters were Gov. William H. Smith, State Senators J. J. Hinds and J. L. Pennington, and two members of the lower house. The project contemplated the construction of a railroad from Eufaula to Guntersville, on the Tennessee River, a distance of 221 miles. The company had no money and depended on State endorsement of its bonds together with subscriptions from towns and counties for its working capital. Its bonds were endorsed by Gov. Smith on behalf of the State for $400,000, and it also received $25,000 in the bonds of the town of Opelika. In 1871, 20 miles of the road be- tween Opelika and Buffalo were completed. No interest was paid on the bonds and the road was sold under foreclosure in 1880, and later reorganized as the East Alabama Rail- way Co. In 1887 it was extended from Buf- falo to Roanoke.

In 1871 possession of a portion of the Ten- nessee & Coosa Railroad had been obtained by the East Alabama & Cincinnati, presum- ably for the purpose of securing State endorsement on bonds issued thereon, but it was allowed to revert to the original owners in 1884. On May 1, 1888, the East Alabama Railway was purchased by the Central of Georgia, and later consolidated into the Sa- vannah & Western Railroad, as shown above. On June 1, 1891, the railroad and steamship lines of the Central Railroad & Banking Co., but not the banking business, were leased for 99 years to the Georgia Pacific Railway Co., and were operated on account of that com- pany by the Richmond & Danville Railroad Co. On March 4, 1892, the property was placed in the hands of the president of the company as temporary receiver, and the lease to the Georgia Pacific annulled. On March 28, the receivership was made permanent, the board of directors being appointed receivers. In this way the property was managed until July 15, 1892, when H. M. Comer was made sole receiver. R. S. Hayes was appointed coreceiver October 7, 1893, and the road was ordered sold under foreclosure on September 1, 1894.

On July 1, 1893, default was made in the payment of interest on the bonds of the Mont- gomery & Eufaula Railway (q. v.). In the previous year the Central Railroad & Banking Co. had defaulted on its own bonds. Under a plan of reorganization, a charter was ob- tained in Georgia on October 17, 1895, for the Central of Georgia Railway Co. as suc- cessor to the Central Railroad & Banking Co.

Later Acquisitions .- An extension of the old Mobile & Girard Railroad to Andalusia

was opened for traffic by the Central of Geor- gia on September 24, 1899. On July 2, 1900, the Central of Georgia took a lease in perpetuity of the road between Columbia and Dothan, 20.7 miles, built by the Chatta- hoochee & Gulf Railroad Co. The latter com- pany was chartered under the general laws of the State on July 7, 1899, to build a rail- road from Columbia to Sellersville, 67.71 miles; capital stock, $273,400; bonded debt limited to $2,000,000 to be used only for ex- tensions. The lease to the Central of Georgia Railway Co. provided for the payment of an annual rental of 6 per cent on the cost of the road until its bonded debt should be extin- guished, the money to be raised by the appor- tionment of 1 per cent of the annual rental to the creation of a sinking fund for the purpose. After the extinguishment of the bonds, the annual rental was fixed at 5 per cent per annum upon the capital stock.

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History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I, Part 43

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