History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II, Part 106

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: 724

USA > Alabama > History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II > Part 106

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REFERENCES .- Manuscript records in Alabama Department Archives and History.

TALI LUSA. This place name signifies Black Rock, "Tali," "rock," "lusa," "black." It is written Talleloussa on De Crenay's map, and it is very likely that it is Hamilton's Bluff, on the west side of the Alabama River, just below the mouth of Silver Creek in Clarke County.

REFERENCES .- Manuscript records in Alabama Department Archives and History.

TALIMUCHASI. An Upper Creek town in the northeastern part of Tallapoosa County or in the northwestern corner of Chambers County, and situated on the right or west bank of the Tallapoosa River. It was subor- dinate to Okfuski. Prior to 1797 it was known as Tukabatchi tallahassee, that is, Old Town. It had evidently been known as Tukabatchi for a long time, and on being abandoned by many of its people was doubt- less given the name Tallahassee, meaning old abandoned or waste town. About the date named it was revived and given its new name, which signifies New Town, that is, Talua, "town," and mutchasi, "new." In 1832 it contained 48 heads of families.

See Okfuski; Tukabatchi.

REFERENCES .- Handbook of American Indians (1910), vol. 2, p. 628; Hawkins, Sketch of the Creek Country (1848) ; pp. 46, 51; Gatschet, in Alabama History Commission, Report (1901), vol. 1, pp. 410, 412.

TALIPAKNA. An Indian village, the first reached by De Soto after leaving Maubila in November, 1540. It has not been definitely located, but is probably on Sipsey River in Pickens County. It is written by Ranjel as given in the title, but Taliepatana by Elvas. It is now quite definitely settled that the form given by Ranjel is correct. The name of the town Nanih pakna, visited by Tristan De Luna in 1560, and evidently a Mobilian town, has in part the same form.

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REFERENCES .- Ala. Hist. Society, Transac- tions, 1898-99, vol. 3, p. 270; Narratives of De Soto (Trail makers series, 1904), vol. 2, p. 129.

TALIPSIHOKI. An Upper Creek town, the location of which is uncertain. No facts concerning it are preserved other than a reference in Schoolcraft, 1832, in which it is listed with 19 heads of families. It was evidently a small and unimportant village. The name signifies "two taliwa weeds stand- ing together."

REFERENCES .- Gatschet, in Alabama History Commission, Report (1901), vol. 1, p. 409; Hand- book of American Indians (1910), p. 679.

TALISHATCHIE TOWN. An Upper Creek village in Calhoun County, situated on the east side of a small tributary of Tallasseehat- chee Creek, about 3 or 4 miles southwest of Jacksonville.

REFERENCE .- Bureau of American Ethnology, Eighteenth annual report (1899), pt. 2, map 1.

TALISI (Old). An Upper Creek town near the line of Macon and Tallapoosa Coun- ties, on the left or east bank of the Talla- poosa River, just above the confluence of Yufabi Creek. It is situated opposite Tuka- batchi. On De Crenay's map, 1733, Talisi, spelled Telechys, is placed on the west side of the Tallapoosa. Belen's map, 1744, also places it on the west side of the river. In 1755, as appears from Mitchell's map of the British colonies, the town is transferred to the east side of the river, just above Nafolee ('Yufabi) Town. It is not known that the town was actually ever situated on the west side of the river, so that the early map evi- dences may be erroneous.

The town was evidently of great antiquity, and its proximity to Tukabatchi, and the char- acter of its chiefs, gave it a place of in- fluence in the nation. Because of its situa- tion on the old trail from Kasihta to the Upper Creeks it was called Half Way House.

In 1799 the Indians had largely aban- doned the town, and had formed scattered settlements along the Yufabi Creek for 20 miles from its mouth. These settlements showed thrift, and several of the Indians had cattle, hogs and horses. Some of them had negro slaves. These Indians were friendly to the United States during the Revolutionary War, and the British agents were unable to break their allegiance. However, after the return of peace, Chief Hoboithle Micco felt himself aggrieved because of what he con- ceived to be the neglect of James Seagrove, the Indian agent. Because of this he insulted the agent and robbed him, compelling him to leave his house near Tukabatchi. This Micco was one of the great medal chiefs. It is intimated by Hawkins that his opposi- tion, and that of many others throughout the nation was due to a feeling of hostility against the plans of the United States, through the agents, for a change in the con- ditions of living on the part of the Indians. Continuing, Hawkins says:

"This spirit or party of opposition prevails

not only here but more or less in every town in the nation. The plainest proposition for ameliorating their condition is immedi- ately opposed; and this opposition continues as long as there is hope to obtain presents, the infallible mode heretofore in use, to gain a point."

The Indians of Talisi and its settlements up Yufabi were undoubtedly largely repre- sented among the hostile party in the battles of Autossee and Calebee.

Tallsi was one of the points at which Te- cumseh and his followers met the Indians in his trip through the Creek Nation in 1811. Woodward says that Christian Limbo, John Ward, Bob Walton and Nimrod Doyle saw Tecumseh at the Talisi square on this visit. This opportunity he states was due to the fact that Walton and Doyle had known Tecumseh many years before. Talisi means Old Town, from talua, "town," ahassi, "old."

REFERENCES .- Hawkins, Sketch of the Creek Country (1848), pp. 26-27; Handbook of Ameri- can Indians (1910), vol. 2, p. 677; Gatschet, in Alabama History Commission, Report (1901), vol. 1, p. 409; Hamilton, Colonial Mobile (1910), p. 190; Shea, Charlevoix's History of New France (1900), vol. 6, p. 11; Winsor, The West- ward Movement (1899), p. 31; Mississippi, Pro- vincial Archives (1911), p. 95.

TALLADEGA. County seat of Talladega County, on the Louisville & Nashville, South- ern, Seaboard Alr Line, and Atlanta, Bir- mingham & Atlantic Railroads, on the Old McIntosh Trail, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, 9 miles from the Coosa River, in the northeastern part of the county, 35 miles due east of Birmingham, 20 miles southwest of Anniston, and 90 miles north of Montgomery. Altitude: 553 feet. Popula-

tion: 1850-1,320; 1870-1,933; 1880- 1,233; 1888-4,000; 1890-2,063; 1900- 5,056; 1910-5,854.

It was incorporated by the legislature, Jan- uary 9, 1835, and the act of incorporation repealed, February 4, 1843. It was again incorporated by act of March 1, 1901, and adopted the commission form of government in October, 1911. The corporate limits in- ciude "the S. 12 of the SW. 14 and the SE. 1/4 of sec. 22, all of W. 1/2 of sec. 26, all of sec. 27, except the W. 1/2 of the SW. 14, the NE. 14 of NE. 14 of sec. 34, and the NW. 14 of the NW. 14 of sec. 35, all in T. 18, R. 5 E." It owns a city hall, jail, fire depart- ment station, and the school buildings, and has a municipally owned gas plant, a privately owned electric light plant, and a municipally owned waterworks, installed in 1888, a fire department installed in 1914, at a cost of $6,500, and equipped with an autotruck and a two-horse wagon, a sanitary sewerage sys- tem, 10 miles of paved sidewalks laid in 1905, and 10 miles of paved streets completed in 1913. Its tax rate is 5 mills, and its bonded indebtedness, $162,000.

Its banks are the Talladega National, the Isbell National and the Bank & Trust Co. of Talladega (State). The Daily Home, a Dem- ocratic newspaper issued every evening ex-

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cept Sunday, established in 1909, Our Moun- tain Home, established in 1867, the Talla- dega Reporter, established in 1843, both Dem- ocratic weeklies, The Messenger, an educa- tional weekly, established in 1890, Our Or- phans' Home, a monthly established in 1897, and The Talladegan, a negro educational bi- monthly, established in 1877, are published there. Its industries are 3 cotton mills, a hosiery mill, a chemical plant, 2 fertilizer factories, a pipe foundry, 2 machine-repair shops, a cottonseed oil mill, a flour and grist- mill, a sawmill, 2 lumber mills, the electric light plant of the Alabama Power Co., 2 cot- ton ginneries, an ice plant, an ice-cream fac- tory, a creamery and butter factory, an iron furnace, a furniture factory, a carriage fac- tory, coke ovens, graphite mines, and marble quarries. It is the location of the Isbell Synodical College, a Presbyterian school for young women, founded in 1847 and opened in 1849; the Alabama School for the Deaf; the Alabama School for the Blind; the Ala- bama School for the Negro Deaf and Blind; Talladega College for Negroes; and the Pres- byterian Orphans' Home.

At the spring which now supplies water to the city, there was once a Creek Indian vil- lage. In 1832 the United States Government made a treaty with the Creeks for a half-sec- tion of land, including the spring, to be given to John Bruner, a half-breed Indian, as a re- ward for his service as interpreter and peace- maker between the whites and the Indians. He built a fort for the protection of himself and the village against Indian enemies. It was surrounded and besieged by a war party of about 1,000 Indians. A runner was sent to Gen. Jackson, who by forced marches, ar- rived in time to save the occupants. The bat- tle is known as the "Battle of Talladega." The village took its name from its position- "Talla-a," a town, and "Dega" or "Deka," the border or fringe of-being situated on or near the boundary between the territory of the Natchez and the Muscogee Indians.

Joseph Ray, a Tennessee soldier, helped to cut the "Jackson Trail," from Deposit, on the Tennessee River, to Wetumpka by way of Talladega. When peace had been established he returned to Talladega and settled nearby. He was the father of S. B. Ray, one of Talla- dega County's historians. Others among the first settlers were Green T. McAfee, W. L. Lewis, Dr. Mckenzie, Alexander Rice, Judge Cotton, William Miller, Jesse Dulin, William Easley, H. H. Wyche, Joseph Savery, James McCann, James Givens, William Morriss, Hugh Barclay, John H. Townsend, Charles Miller, Thomas Rowland, and James Beavers.

In 1833 the legislature appointed commis- sioners to locate the county seat. They chose "The Battle Ground," naming it Talladega, after the Indian village. In laying off the town, provision was made for a courthouse site, a public square, and academy and church sites. Capt. Jacob Shelby and Richard Hamp- ton were the contractors for the brick court- house, with William Shelby as brickmason. It was begun in 1836 and finished in 1838. Previous to its completion, court had been

held in a large log-house near the spring. In 1834 the first school was opened by Miss Spears. From 1832 to 1837 a number of settlers arrived. Among them were John White, Col. William Hogan, Joab Lawler, Eli Shortridge, Alexander Bowie, Felix G. Mc- Connell, F. W. Bowdon, Joseph Camp, Jacob Bradford, - Isbell, J. J. Woodward, Col. William Curry, L. E. Parsons, J. B. Martin, Alexander Rice, John T. Heflin, and John Henderson. Several of them became distin- guished in the affairs of the State: Hon. J. L. M. Curry, Gov. Lewis Parsons, Judge Sam- uel Rice, Dr. Samuel Hogan, surgeon on Gen. Joe Wheeler's personal staff, and the Isbell family, philanthropists and capitalists.

REFERENCES .- Acts, 1834-35, pp. 99-101; 1842- 43, p. 80; 1900-1901, pp. 1557-1582; Brewer, Ala- bama (1872), p. 535; Armes, Story of coal and iron in Alabama (1910); Northern Alabama (1888), p. 167; Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1915; Polk's Alabama gazetteer, 1888-9, p. 750.

TALLADEGA, BATTLE OF. An engage- ment between Gen. Jackson's army and a body of hostile Creeks, who were attempting to re- duce what was known as Leslie's Station. This was a trading post at the old Indian town of Talladega, situated on a hill about a quarter of a mile southwest of the big spring, and near the present town of Talladega. It was named after Alexander L. Leslie, the half breed son of Alexander F. Leslie, a Scotch Indian countryman in the Creek nation. The station was occupied by 17 white men and about 120 friendly Creeks, under the leader- ship of Jim Fife and Chinnabee. These In- dians had refused to join the hostiles, and in consequence they were attacked by them and driven into the stockade. At Fort Stro- ther, with an army badly in need of rations, Gen. Jackson heard of the attack, and at once marched to its relief. On the morning of November 9, his intrepid Tennesseans moved upon the Indian forces from the com- mon center. The Indians fought bravely, and repulsed Robert's militia brigade, but they in turn were beaten back by fresh troops. The Tennesseans, under Jackson and his courageous lieutenants, pressed steadily for- ward. The Indians gave way and numbers escaped though Jackson's lines. Many were pursued and shot down as they ran. The bat- tle lasted scarcely more than an hour and a half. For miles around, the woods were filled with dead and wounded Indians. Two hundred and ninety-nine were wounded on the battlefield proper, and there were doubtless many others that were not located. Jackson's losses were 15 killed and 80 wounded. The forces of Gen. Jackson consisted of about 2,000 men, infantry and mounted, while the Indians had about 1.000. The garrison in the fort was thus relieved. Jackson's dead were buried on the field. In recent years, the Talladega chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, have had their remains removed to the city cemetery, where they were re- interred, and a handsome monument erected in commemoration of their valor. On the

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morning of November 10, Jackson's army re- turned to Fort Strother, where it remained for a number of days, resting and preparing for further advance.

REFERENCES .- Pickett, History of Alabama (Owen's ed., 1900), pp. 554-555; Parton, Life of Jackson (1861), vol. 1, pp. 440-446; Buell, His- tory of Jackson (1904), vol. 1, pp. 306-310; Ea- ton, Life of Jackson (1824), pp. 57-63; (Eaton) Memoirs of Jackson (1848), pp. 50-55; Frost, Pictorial Life of Jackson (1846), pp. 139-147; Jenkins, Life of Jackson (1852), pp. 69 73; Col- yar, Lije and Times of Jackson (1904), vol. 1, pp. 129-130.

TALLADEGA AND COOSA VALLEY RAILROAD COMPANY. See Birmingham and Atlantic Railroad Company.

TALLADEGA COLLEGE. Denomination school for the education of colored males and females, located at Talladega. It was founded in 1867 by the American Missionary Asso- ciation, and is supported by private indi- viduals. Its present equipment consists of 800 acres of land, two dormitories, two class room buildings, Carnegie Library, chapel with music rooms, girl's industrial cottage and

seniors' home, theological hall and dormitory, hospital, residences, shops, barn and steam and water plant, normal, collegiate and theo- logical departments are maintained, while courses are offered in music, art, and business. Special attention is given to athletics, and a number of literary and religious societies are maintained.

REFERENCES .- Catalogues, student handbooks; leaflets, folders, circular letters, bulletins of information; "The Talladegan."

TALLADEGA CORDAGE CO., Talladega. See Cotton Manufacturing.

TALLADEGA COTTON FACTORY, Talla- dega. See Cotton Manufacturing.

TALLADEGA COUNTY. Created by an act December 18, 1832. The territory was part of the last Creek cession, March 24, 1832. By act of December 7, 1866, a part of its territory was added to Clay. It has an area of 750 square miles, or 479,808 acres.

It was named to commemorate the town of Talladega, where the Creeks were defeated in battle, November 9, 1813. The name is derived from the Muscogee words, "italua," meaning town, and "atigi," at the end, or on the border.

Election precincts were first established in 1833 and located at William Moore's, Joseph B. Cleveland's, Daniel Conner's, Daniel Welch's and Thomas Roland's.

By the legislature of 1833-34, Henderson Beavers was elected sheriff for the county, Capt. Jacob D. Shelly, circuit clerk, Frank Mitchell, justice of the peace, and G. T. Mc- Affee, judge of the county court. An act was passed by the same legislature authorizing the judge of the county court to appoint a board

of commissioners for the purpose of holding an election for the selection of a county seat, and after a selection was made to lay off a public square and streets and to have the lots surveyed and numbered. An election for de- termining the place of the county seat was held soon after the land sales, in accordance with this act. The commissioners were Henry Carter, Hugh Barclay, James Calvert, James Drennan, John Lawler, Andrew Crawford and Jesse Upton. Two places were nominated, Talladega and Mardisville, the former receiv- ing the majority of votes. In due time the commissioners had the public square and streets in Talladega laid off and the lots sur- veyed and numbered. Jesse Duran, the orig- inal purchaser of the land, in concert with parties to whom he had sold portions of it, made a bargain and agreement with the com- missioners to donate a quarter section for the county site, on condition that six sevenths of the net proceeds of the sale of the lots be paid to the donors. All this was carried out in good faith. The building of the court house and jail were begun in 1836 but were not completed until 1838. Previous to this court was held in a log house near Big Springs. It was also held for several years at Mardisville before it was finally made per- manent at Talladega.

Location and Physical Description .- It is situated just northeast of the geographical center of the state. It is bound on the north by Calhoun County, on the south by Coosa, on the east by Cleburne and Clay, and on the west by St. Clair and Shelby Counties, being separated from these latter two by the Coosa River. The surface features range from undulating valleys to mountains. The tops of the ridges have an average elevation of a little more than 1,000 feet and the nar- row valleys are some 200 feet lower. About one-fourth of the area, the extreme eastern part, is occupied by an extension of the Appa- lachian Mountain system, and consists of a much dissected plateau. The Coosa Valley forms the remaining three-fourths. The term valley as here applied means a general trough or depression where the surface varies from rolling to ridgy, with some elevations reach- ing to a height of 1,500 feet or more. The soils best suited for farming, the Decatur and Clarksville loams being the predominate types in the uplands, and the Huntington and Cumberland, in the alluvial or bottom lands, are found in this valley. The county abounds in minerals, such as iron, marble, mica, and manganese. At Gantt's, near Sylacauga, is lo- cated one of the largest marble quarries in the south. The county is drained by the Coosa River and its tributaries, the Chocco- locco, Talladega, Tallasseehatchee, .Cedar, Chehawhaw, Emaukee, Wiwahee, Oakehin- awa, Salt, Blue Eye, Billy, and Big Shoal. Talladega, Chandler and Shocco Springs are noted for their mineral waters. The forest trees are the pine, red oak, post oak, black- jack, hickory, poplar, persimmon, sassafras, beech, sycamore, ironwood, and sweet gum. The mean annual temperature is 80º F., and the mean annual rainfall, 50 inches.

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Aboriginal History. - Fifteen Indian vil- lages existed in Talladega County at different times. Of these, twelve were Creek, one Natchez, one Shawnee, and one Chickasaw. The county is rich in remains of its primitive occupancy. When DeSoto passed through its borders in 1540, he found many towns along the Coosa River and spent some time at Cosa, a large town located between the mouths of the present Talladega and Talla- seehatchee Creeks. Tallamuchussa, a new town from which the inhabitants had fled, was located in the county several miles southeast of here. Shell heaps and such remains are found at several points along the river and on both Talladega and Tallaseehatchee Creeks. In later historic times Upper Creek towns were located here as follows: Abi'hka, a very im- portant and ancient town; Abiku'dshi, five miles east of Coosa River on the right bank of the present Tallaseehatchee Creek, a part of whose inhabitants spoke Chickasaw; Bur- gess town one of two places by that name; Istapoga, this town though, may have been a short distance further north in Calhoun County; Kan'tchati, mentioned as late as 1835; Koha-Mutki Katska, which as late as 1832 had 123 heads of families; Natche, a Natchez town among the Creeks, five miles above Abiku'dshi, scattering for two miles on a rich flat below the fork of the Tallaseehatchee Creek. It was peopled by the remainder of the Natchez tribe from the Mississippi River; Oti Tut'tchi-na or "Three Islands," Talatigi, practically on the site of the present Talla- dega; Yufala, on Yufala Creek, fifteen miles above its confluence with Coosa River. Four miles southeast of Talladega at old Cragsdale is the remains of a town. One mile south of Lock 4 on Coosa River is evidence of a considerable settlement, and on Billy's Creek in the extreme northern part of the county, have been noted remains. At Talladega was erected a fort and an engagement took place there in 1814 between the hostile Creeks and Jackson's army. Present day evidences can be noted in T. 18. S., R. 7 E., on the head- waters of Talladega Creek at the eastern end of Cedar Ridge; aboriginal mica quarry in Sec. 12, T. 20 S., R. 6 E .; a group of mounds on south hank of Choccolocco Creek, 15 miles southwest of Oxford; and a shell heap at old Fort William on Coosa River in Sec. 6 or 7, Township 22 S., R. 2. E. The remains of the Natche village are plainly identifiable today. Near and even within the town of Sylacauga, some fine relics have heen unearthed in re- cent years. John C. Williams, Sr., long time publisher of "Our Mountain Home" in Talla- dega has a large collection of earthenware and stone relics which have been secured in the county.

Later History and Settlement. - The first settlers in the county in 1832 followed the law of squatter sovereignty. They settled mostly at or near Talladega, and built their cabins on each side of the road, known as McIntosh's Trace, which led from the Chat- tahoochee River to Oakmulgee Ferry on the Coosa. Most of them planted and harvested

crops of corn that year. The greater part were from St. Clair, Shelby, and Jefferson Counties, others from Madison County, and others from Tennessee, Georgia and the Caro- linas. The lands in the Creek nation were surveyed the next year and a reservation al lotted to each family, agreeably to treaty stip- ulation. The Indian had the privilege of re- maining and cultivating his land, or of selling it if he saw proper. The lands not taken up hy reservation belonged to the government and were subject to sale. A land office opened at Jumper's Spring, and the lands were ad- vertised for sale ahout the last of January, 1834. A great many new settlers were brought into the county by this sale. They and the squatters bought not only land from the government but also from the Indians, who were by no means averse to selling their reservations and who squandered the proceeds in dissipation. These later settlers were generally intelligent farmers. The first settlers of Jumper's Spring, or Mardisville, who may he considered fair types of the set- tiers of Talladega County were Judge Leonard Tarrant, Isaac Estill, David Welch, George Hill, Drury Sawyer, and Allen Killough. A great improvement began in the county as soon as their land titles were secured. Roads were opened, and saw mills and grist mills were erected. John F. Henderson erected the first saw mill and soon there were everywhere in the county comfortable dwelling houses, churches, and school houses.

Agricultural Statistics .- From U. S. Cen- sus, 1910:

Farms and Farmers.

Number of all farms, 4,546.

Color and nativity of farmers: Native white, 2,349.

Foreign-born white, Negro and other nonwhite, 2,197.

Number of farms, classified by size:

Under 3 acres, 1.

3 to 9 acres, 132.

10 to 19 acres, 417.

20 to 49 acres, 2,280 ..

50 to 99 acres, 963.

100 to 174 acres,

476.

175 to 259 acres, 172.

260 to 499 acres, 76.

500 to 999 acres, 23.

1,000 acres and over, 6.

Land and Farm Area.

Approximate land area, 483,200 acres. Land in farms, 283,084 acres.

Improved land in farms, 164,935 acres.

Woodland in farms, 105,451 acres.

Other unimproved land in farms, 12,698.

Value of Farm Property.

All farm property, $6,168,923.

Land, $3,556,117.

Building, $1,210,788.

Implements and machinery, $311,012

Domestic animals, poultry, and bees, $1,- 091,006.

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Average values: All property per farm, $1,357. Land and buildings per farm, $1,049. Land per acre, $12.56.

Domestic Animals (Farms and Ranges). Farms reporting domestic animals, 4,349. Domestic animals, value, $1,059,690. Cattle: total, 10,277; value, $187,521. Dairy cows only, 5,622. Horses: total, 1,795; value, $188,379. Mules: total, 4,707; value, $632,556. Asses and burros: total, 8; value, $1,230. Swine: total, 10,175; value, $48,826. Sheep: total, 245; value, $391. Goats: total, 549; value, $787.

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History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II, Part 106

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: 724

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: 724