USA > Alabama > History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II > Part 18
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The principal drainage is into the Little Cahaba, Warrior, and Locust Fork Rivers.
Forest growth consists of pine, oaks, ash, hickory, elm, walnut, cedar, gum and hard- woods.
There is no water communication to the sea, but the Alabama Great Southern; Ala- bama, Birmingham and Atlantic; St. Louis and San Francisco; Central of Georgia; Mo- bile and Ohio; Louisville and Nashville; Seaboard Air Line; Illinois Central; and Southern Railway afford transportation for the county's products to distant markets.
808
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
The principal agricultural crops are cot- ton, corn, potatoes, peas, a small amount of tobacco, melons and fruits.
A fine system of macadamized roads is maintained.
Aboriginal History .- The earliest settlers of Jefferson County say that the Indians did not use this area to live in, but that it was used by the Creeks, Choctaws and Chero- kees as a hunting and ceremonial ground.
Scattered throughout the county are some evidences of aboriginal occupancy, though located as the territory is away from the more thickly peopled centers, these remains are not extensive. A group of mounds is to be found in T. 17 S. R. 1. W., four miles north of Birmingham. large quadrangular mound a few miles from Elyton. Mounds and "furnaces" on Village Creek, were noted many years ago, as well as those near old Jonesborough (southwest from Bessemer), on Sec. 8, T. 19 S., R. 4 W., known as the Talley mounds. Indian graves have been found near Bullard's Shoals on Valley Creek and on Red Mountain near Red Gap, in Sec. 21, T. 19 S., R. 4 W. opposite the Thomas McAdory place.
The earliest pioneers came to Jefferson County about 1815, and settled in Jones' valley, the name being given in honor of one of the first settlers, John Jones. The first white child born in the county was Moses Field. Settlements were soon made at Vil- lage Springs, Turkey Creek, and Elyton.
The first regular term of the circuit court was held at a place called Carrollsville.
In 1821 the seat of justice was removed to Elyton.
A company was raised in Jefferson County for the Seminole War of 1836, with James McAdory as Captain. This organization went to Florida and all hut a few of its men returned, those not returning having died of disease.
Between the years of 1836 to 1861 the county increased in population and prosper- ity.
About 1823 a company was formed to make iron. The company secured the co- operation of Mr. Hillman of New Jersey, and "on a bold little stream which runs across Roupe Valley and empties its water in Shades Creek, near its mouth, he erected his little furnace, and with a large hammer propelled by water, hammered out a suf- ficient quantity of the best kind of tough metal to supply the county for some distance around." (See sketch of Alice Furnaces).
For the full history of the development of the coal and iron industry in Jefferson County, see sketches of Birmingham, Red Mountain, Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Co., Pratt Consolidated Coal Company, Tennessee Coal and Iron Company, Alabama Power Company, Col. James Sloss, H. F. DeBar- deleben, and Republic Steel and Iron Co.
Jefferson County furnished its full quota of men to the Confederate Army.
The county site was changed from Elyton
to Birmingham, in 1871, the court house was burned in 1870 at the former place.
Agricultural Statistics .- From U. S. Cen- sus 1910:
Farms and Farmers.
Number of all farms, 3,917.
Color and nativity of farmers: Native white, 3,372.
Foreign-born white, 83.
Negro and other non-white, 462.
Number of farms, classified by size:
Under 3 acres, 52.
3 to 9 acres, 503.
10 to 19 acres, 665.
20 to 49 acres, 1,261.
50 to 99 acres, 752.
100 to 174 acres, 448.
175 to 259 acres, 139,
260 to 499 acres, 73.
500 to 999 acres, 21.
1,000 acres and over, 3.
Land and Farm Area.
Approximate land area, 726,400 acres. Land in farms, 235,820 acres.
Improved land in farms, 95,856 acres.
Woodland in farms, 128,314 acres.
Other unimproved land in farms, 11,650 acres.
Value of Farm Property.
All farm property, $13,819,790. Land, $9,988,089.
Buildings, $2,207,306.
Implements and machinery, $376,317.
Domestic animals, poultry, and bees, $1,248,078.
Average values:
All property per farm, $3,528.
Land and buildings per farm, $3,113.
Land per acre, $42.35.
Domestic Animals (Farms and Ranges).
Farms reporting domestic animals, 3,760. Domestic animals, value, $1,192,408.
Cattle: total, 21,440; value, $423,173. Dairy cows only, 11,368.
Horses: total, 2,954; value, $313,971. Mules: total, 2,947; value, $364,366.
Asses and burros: total, 20; value, $3,245.
Swine: total, 19,239; value, $74,946.
Sheep: total, 2,820; value, $6,022.
Goats: total, 5,627; value, $6,685.
Poultry and Bees.
All poultry, 100,779; value, $49,797. Bee colonies, 2,647; value, $5,873.
Farms Operated by Owners.
Number of farms, 2,656.
Per cent of all farms, 67.8. Land in farms, 179,768 acres. Improved land in farms, 68,362 acres. Land and buildings, $7,132,091. Farms of owned land only, 2,367. Farms of owned and hired land, 289.
Native white owners, 2,344.
Foreign-born white, 61. Negro and other non-white, 251.
809
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
Farms Operated by Tenants.
Number of farms, 1,245.
Per cent of all farms, 31.8. Land in farms, 53,943 acres.
Improved land in farms, 26,847 acres.
Land and buildings, $4,841,984.
Share tenants, 484.
Share-cash tenants, 21. Cash tenants, 629. Tenure not specified, 111. Native white tenants, 1,015. Foreign-born white, 21.
Negro and other non-white, 209.
Farms Operated by Managers.
Number of farms, 16. Land in farms, 2,109 acres. Improved land in farms, 647 acres. Value of land and buildings, $221,320.
Live Stock Products. Dairy Products.
Milk: Produced, 3,521,885; sold, 1,663,700 gallons.
Cream sold, 3,974 gallons.
Butter fat sold, 4,910 pounds.
Butter: Produced, 798,464; sold, 232,959 pounds. Cheese: Produced,
Dairy products, excluding home use of milk and cream, $531,148. Sale of dairy products, $398,727.
Poultry Products.
Poultry: Number raised, 206,159; sold, 53,932.
Eggs: Produced, 521,363; sold, 211,478 dozens. Poultry and eggs produced, $198,454. Sale of poultry and eggs, $68,245.
Honey and Wax. Honey produced, 18,130 pounds. Wax produced, 571 pounds. Value of honey and wax produced, $2,287. Wool, Mohair, and Goat Hair. Wool, fleeces shorn, 1,120. Mohair and goat hair, fleeces shorn, - Wool and mohair produced, $682.
Domestic Animals Sold or Slaughtered. Calves-Sold or slaughtered, 2,075. Other cattle-Sold or slaughtered, 4,672. Horses, mules, and asses and burros-Sold, 346. Swine Sold or slaughtered, 11,231. Sheep and goats-Sold or slaughtered, 1,475. Sale of animals, $106,840. Value of animals slaughtered, $145,893.
Value of All Crops.
Total, $1,878,843. Cereals, $503,022. Other grains and seeds, $14,041. Hay and forage, $91,046. Vegetables, $609,566. Fruits and nuts, $102,516. All other crops, $558,652.
Selected Crops ( Acres and Quantity).
Cereals: total, 37,827 acres; 559,235 bushels. Corn, 31,571 acres; 474,185 bushels. Oats, 5,858 acres; 81,920 bushels. Wheat, 198 acres; 2,726 bushels. Rye, 19 acres; 396 bushels. Kafir corn and milo maize, Rice, Other grains:
Dry peas, 980 acres; 5,331 bushels.
Dry edible beans, 15 acres; 308 bushels. Peanuts, 131 acres; 3,090 bushels. Hay and forage: total, 3,629 acres; 6,940 tons.
All tame or cultivated grasses, 1,222 acres; 2,120 tons.
Wild, salt, and prairie grasses, 146 acres; 224 tons.
Grains cut green, 1,101 acres; 1,667 tons. Coarse forage, 1,160 acres; 2,929 tons. Special crops: Potatoes, 995 acres; 81,882 bushels. Sweet potatoes and yams, 3,152 acres; 298,975 bushels.
Tobacco, 12 acres; 2,639 pounds. Cotton. 13,172 acres; 5,038 bales. Cane-sugar, 92 acres; 480 tons. Syrup made, 6,832 gallons. Cane-sorghum, 581 acres; 2,476 tons.
Syrup made, 32,489 gallons.
Fruits and Nuts.
Orchard fruits: total, 203,248 trees; 86,198 bushels.
Apples, 67,039 trees; 26,922 bushels.
Peaches and nectarines, 112,310 trees; 50,732 bushels.
Pears, 8,020 trees; 2,139 bushels.
Plums and prunes, 13,383 trees; bushels. 6,119
Cherries, 1,430 trees; 171 bushels.
Quinces, 1,041 trees; 115 bushels. Grapes, 25,441 vines; 132,103 pounds. Tropical fruits: total, 533 trees. Figs, 525 trees; 4,354 pounds. Oranges, 1 tree.
Small fruits: total, 62 acres; 125,676 quarts. Strawberries, 56 acres; 116,084 quarts. Nuts: total, 82 trees; 767 pounds. Pecans, 18 trees; 82 pounds.
Labor, Fertilizer and Feed. Labor-Farms reporting, 1,277. Cash expended, $131,049. Rent and board furnished, $38,899.
Fertilizer-Farms reporting, 2,430. Amount expended, $67,960. Feed-Farms reporting, 1,571. Amount expended, $284,384. Receipts from sale of feedable crops, $18,632. Domestic Animals Not on Farms.
Inclosures reporting domestic animals, 9,885. Value of domestic animals, $1,645,070. Cattle: total, 12,333; value, $306,047. Number of dairy cows, 7,450. Horses: total, 5,167; value, $673,065. Mules and asses and burros: total, 3,580; value, $618,650.
Swine: total, 8,955; value, $45,316. Sheep and goats: total, 1,223; value, $1,992.
810
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
Post Offices and Towns .- Revised to July
1851-2-Moses Kelly.
1853-4-Moses Kelly.
1855-6-H. W. Nelson.
1857-8-John T. Storrs. 1859-60-H. W. Nelson. 1861-2-John P. Morgan.
1864-5-Mitchell T. Porter.
Alton
Morris-2
( Avondale)
Mulga
Belle Sumter
(North Birmingham )
Birmingham (ch.)-7 Oxmoor
Blossburg
Palos
Boyles
Pinson-2
Porter
Brookside
Pratt City
Cardiff
Republic
Coalburg
Sayre
Covington
Sayreton
Dolomite
Shannon
1886-7-R. H. Sterrett.
1888-9-J. T. Milner.
1890-1-John T. Milner.
1892-3-J. T. Milner.
1894-5-John T. Milner.
1896-7-R. M. Cunningham.
1898-9-R. M. Cunningham.
1899 (Spec.)-R. M. Cunningham.
1900-01-Hugh Morrow.
1903-Hugh Morrow.
1907-N. L. Miller.
1907 (Spec.)-N. L. Miller.
1909 (Spec.)-N. L. Miller.
1911- Hugh Morrow.
1915-T. J. Judge.
1919-C. R. West.
Representatives .-
1822-3-Isaac Brown; Thomas W. Farrar. 1823-4-John Brown; Isham Harrison.
1824-5-Benjamin Worthington; Thomas W. Farrar.
88,484 1825-6-John Brown; Walker K. Baylor; John M. Dupuy. 1826-7-John Brown; John Martin; John M. Dupuy.
Delegates to Constitutional Conventions .-
1861-William S. Earnest.
1865-William S. Mudd.
1867-W. A. Walker.
1875-William S. Mudd; Alberto Martin. 1901-A. C. Howze; R. M. Cunningham; Charles W. Ferguson; Charles P. Beddow; James Weatherly; John W. O'Neal; H. C. Selheimer; T. J. Cornwell; Robert J. Lowe; Frank S. White.
Senators .-
1822-3-John Wood.
1825-6-John Brown.
1828-9-John Wood.
1830-1-John M. Dupuy.
1833-4-John Brown.
1836-7-Harrison W. Goyne.
1838-9-Walker K. Baylor.
1839-40-C. C. P. Farrar.
1841-2-Walker K. Baylor.
1843-4-Moses Kelly.
1844-5-John Ashe.
1847-8-Moses Kelly.
Negro.
Total.
1830
5,121
1,734
6,855
1840
5,486
1,645
7,131
1850
6,714
2,275
8,989
1860
9,078
2,668
11,746
1870
9,839
2,506
12,345
1880
18,219
5,053
23,272
1890
56,334
32,142
1900
83,489
56,917
140,420
1910
135,839
90,617
226,476
1920
. ..
1827-8-John Brown; John F. Forrest; William K. Paulding.
1828-9-John Brown; John M. Dupuy. 1829-30-John Brown; John F. Forrest. 1830-1-John Brown; Peyton King. 1831-2-Emory Lloyd;
Harrison w. Goyne.
1832 (called)-Hugh M. Carithers; Sam- uel S. Earle.
1832-3-Hugh M. Carithers; S. S. Earle. 1833-4-Hugh M. Carithers; John Brown ("Red").
1834-5-W. A. Scott; John Cantley.
1835-6-L. G. McMillion; John Cantley. 1836-7-L. G. McMillion; Moses Kelly. 1837-8-Octavius Spencer; Benjamin Tar- rant.
1838-9-L. G. McMillion; S. S. Earle.
1839-40-L. G. McMillion; S. S. Earle. 1840-1-L. G. McMillion; Jeremiah Ran- dolph.
1841 (called)-L. G. McMillion; Jeremiah Randolph.
1841-2-L. G. McMillion; Jeremiah Ran- dolph.
1, 1919, from U. S. Official Postal Guide. Figures indicate the number of rural routes from that office.
Adamsville-2
Lovick
Adger-1
Maben
1865-6-G. T. Deason.
1868-John Oliver.
1871-2-John Oliver.
1872-3-G. W. Hewitt.
1873-J. W. Inzer.
1874-5-J. W. Inzer.
1875-6-J. W. Inzer.
1876-7-R. W. Cobb.
1878-9-W. C. Rosamond.
1880-1-J. B. Luckie.
1882-3-J. B. Luckie.
1884-5-R. H. Sterrett.
( East Lake)
Short Creek
Ensley-2
(South Highland)
Fairfield
( Thomas)
(Fairview)
Trafford-1
Flat Top
Trussville-2
Irondale-1
Warrior-3
Johns
Watson
Kimberly
( West End)
Leeds-1
Woodlawn
Lewisburg
Woodward
Littleton
Wylam
Population .- Statistics from decennial pub- lications of the U. S. Bureau of the Census.
White.
McCalla-1
Argo
New Castle
Bessemer-5
Brighton
309,513
811
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
1842-3-L. G. McMillion; William S. Mudd. 1844-5-Octavius Spencer ; William S. Mudd. 1845-6-Christopher Deavers; Jeremiah
Randolph.
1847-8-L. G. McMillion; W. S. Mudd.
1849-50-John Camp; Hugh Coupland.
1851-2-William S. Earnest; S. A. Tar- rant.
1853-4-John Camp.
1855-6-John Camp.
1857-8-O. S. Smith.
1859-60-Alburto Martin.
1861 (1st called)-Alburto Martin.
1861 (2d called)-Alburto Martin.
1861-2-Alburto Martin.
1862 (called)-Alburto Martin.
1862-3-Alburto Martin.
1863 (called)-John C. Morrow.
-
1863-4-John C. Morrow.
1864 (called)-John C. Morrow.
1864-5-John C. Morrow.
1865-6-John Oliver.
1866-7-John Oliver.
1868-Thomas Sanford.
1869-70-G. W. Hewitt.
1870-71-Goldsmith W. Hewitt.
1871-2-G. W. Hewitt.
1872-3-R. J. Greene.
1873-R. J. Greene.
1874-5-R. S. Greene.
1875-6-R. S. Greene.
1876-7-John J. Jolly.
1878-9-J. J. Akers.
1880-1-J. Kent; H. J. Sharit.
1882-3-J. E. Hawkins; C. McAdory.
1884-5-Chambers McAdory; S. E. Greene. 1886-7-G. W. Hewitt; I. W. McAdory.
1888-9-Robert J. Lowe; M. A. Porter.
1890-1-H. H. Brown; M. V. Henry.
1892-3-John McQueen; Fred S. Fergu- son; Frank P. O'Brien; John T. Shugart; T. Y. Huffman; George W. Ward.
1894-5-W. F. Fulton; Lawrence Y. Lip- scomb; John McQueen; Frank P. O'Brien; Joseph H. Montgomery; Sam Will John.
1896-7-J. J. Altman; D. A. Greene; D. J. Ovens; L. Y. Lipscomb; John Harkins; I. A. Brown.
1898-9-G. B. Burkhalter; John W. Mc- Queen; S. C. Davidson; J. B. Gibson; D. W. Houston; Van Huey.
1899 (Spec.)-G. B. Burkhalter; John W. McQueen; S. C. Davidson; J. B. Gibson; D. W. Houston; Van Huey.
1900-01-Frank P. O'Brien; A. R. Ben- ners; J. H. Leath; H. R. Dill; E. P. Lacey; A. J. Reilly.
1903-Augustus Benners; Felix Edward Blackburn; William Columbus Cunningham; Joel Campbell DuBose; Littleberry James Haley, Jr .; Cunningham Wilson Hickman; Alexander Troy London.
1907-John T. Glover; L. J. Haley; Sam Will John; Jere C. King; W. E. Urquhart; R. F. Lovelady; M. C. Ragsdale.
1907 (Spec. )-John T. Glover; .. J. Haley; Sam Will John; Jere C. King; W. E. Urquhart; R. F. Lovelady; M. C. Ragsdale. 1909 (Spec. )-John T. Glover; L. J. Haley;
Sam Will John; Jere C. King; W. E. Urqu- hart; R. F. Lovelady; M. C. Ragsdale.
1911-W. H. Barnard; J. A. Eastis; Thos. J. Judge; T. C. McDonald; T. H. Moulton; Walker Percy; C. A. O'Neill.
1915-Dr. E. P. Hogan; Isadore Shapiro; F. I. Tarrant; J. B. Weakly; D. R. Copeland; W. S. Welch; N. W. Scott.
1919-J. C. Arnold; A. Benners; W. E. Dickson; S. W. Hawkins; W. L. Harrison; Geo. Ross; J. D. Truss.
REFERENCES .- Toulmin, Digest (1823), index; Acts of Ala., Brewer, Alabama, p. 288; Berney, Handbook (1892), p. 301; Riley, Alabama as it is (1893), p. 67; Northern Alabama (1888), p. 141; Alabama, 1909 (Ala. Dept. of Ag. and Ind., Bulletin 27), p. 139; U. S. Soil Sur- vey (1910), with map; Alabama land book (1916), p. 81; Ala. Official and Statistical Register, 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 re- sources of Alabama (1907).
JEFFERSON COUNTY
MEDICAL SO- CIETY, BIRMINGHAM.
Organization .- Organized, 1869; incor- porated, 1877. Its founders were T. M. Prince, M. D., president; R. N. Hawkins, M. D., secretary; J. B. Luckie, M. D., M. H. Jordon, M. D., J. W. Sears, M. D., and Joseph R. Smith, M. D.
Objects .- Mutual benefit, protection, ad- vancement, and education in the practice of medicine and surgery.
JEFFERSON'S, THOMAS, BIRTHDAY. See Special Days.
JEMISON. Post office and incorporated town, in the northern part of Chilton County, on the main line of the Louisville & Nash- ville Railroad, about 10 miles northwest of Clanton. Altitude: 710 feet. Population: 1880-450; 1900-245; 1910-413. It is incorporated under the code of 1907. Its principal industries are connected with lum- bering interests.
REFERENCES .- Brewer, Alabama (1872), p. 113; Berney, Handbook (1892), p. 276; North- ern Alabama (1888), p. 125; Polk's Alabama gazetteer, 1888-9, p. 443; Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1915.
JENIFER. Post office and mining town on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad and the Southern Railway, in the northeast corner of Talladega County, sec. 17, T. 17, R. 7 E., on Salt Creek, ahout 1 mile from Choccolocco Creek, and 12 miles northeast of Talladega. Altitude: 577 feet. Population: 1888-500; 1890-323; 1900-331; 1910-104.
In December, 1863, Samuel Clabaugh and James A. Curry (half-brother of Hon. J. L. M. Curry) began the erection of an iron furnace on the spot where Jenifer furnace now stands. It was operated until burned by the invading armies in the spring of 1865.
812
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
The ruins were purchased in 1866 by Horace Ware, who formed a company and began operations in 1872, under the name of the Alabama Furnace. In 1881 the property again changed hands. H. Ware, Samuel Noble, and A. L. Tyler rebuilt the plant and called it "Jenifer," in honor of Samuel Noble's mother, Jenifer Ward Noble.
REFERENCES .- Armes, Story of coal and iron in Alabama (1910) ; Northern Alabama (1888), p. 167; Hodgson, Manual (1869), pp. 103-104; Polk's Alabama gazetteer, 1888-9, p. 445.
JEWISH CONGREGATIONS. While the Jews in limited numbers were among the earliest settlers of the State, they do not ap- pear to have been for many years sufficiently strong to institute a Congregation. The first Congregation incorporated in the State was "Sharai Shomayim," Jan. 25, 1844, at Mobile. Congregations now flourish in Montgomery, Birmingham, Selma, Huntsville, Demopolis and Anniston. One organized at Claiborne in the early fifties is now disbanded. Rabbi Tobias Schanfarber, of Mobile, reports "that in the majority of instances the early records of the congregations are either very imperfect or lost altogether."
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Kahl Montgomery. (The late Mathew P. Blue, Esq., an early historian of Montgom- ery, in a pamphlet on "Churches of the City of Montgomery," published in 1878, gives such a comprehensive account of the estab- lishment of "Kahl Montgomery," and the be- ginnings of a religious association of the Jewish people in Alabama, that his article is quoted in full below.)
"More than ten years elapsed after the first settlement of Montgomery before a repre- sentative of the Hebrew race was numbered among its population. In those early days the Hebrews were few in numbers in the South, and chiefly confined to the cities like New Orleans, Mobile, Charleston and Savannah. Nor did they then exhibit the Amer- ican go-aheaditiveness in penetrating new settlements which is now so characteristic of them. The prejudices against them at that period in the South, especially out- side of the large cities, was very general, deepseated and bitter. Although slow to emigrate to our present city, one of that race was among the first settlers in what is now Montgomery County. Abram Mor- decai of Pennsylvania located, in 1785, two miles west of Line Creek, some eighteen miles east of this place. He died not many years ago in Tallapoosa County, over a cen- tury old. We call to mind Jacob Sacerdote as the first Hebrew citizen of Montgomery. He kept a kind of restaurant at the corner of Montgomery street and Court Square, the present location of Mr. M. Munter. The next came a few years afterwards, Messrs. Isaac Isaacs & Son, who kept a store at the Ex- change Hotel corner. Messrs. Joseph Young, Isaias Weil, Freedman R. Gans, and S. M. Gans were the next to settle in the city and engage in business. It was at the dwelling house of the former of those brothers that the few
Hebrews were wont to have religious serv- ices prior to the formation of a regular so- ciety in the city, and at the same house the first circumcision was performed in Mont- gomery.
The necessity of a regular organization among the Hebrew population was deeply felt for several years. This was not provided for, however, until November 17, 1846, when a society under the name of "Chefra Mefacker Cholim," or society for relieving the sick, was formed. This had for its object a close union of the members of the ancient faith, and an organization for benevolent purposes. The first members were Messrs. M. Englander, A. Englander, M. L. Gerson, S. Cellner, P. Kraus, J. Meyer, G. Myer, H. Weil, H. Leh- man, J. Eberhardt, B. Kohn, and J. Weil. The following officers were also elected, namely: M. Englander, President; J. Myer, Vice-President; A. Englander, Secretary; H. Weil, Treasurer. The society regularly ob- served in a public manner, especially the Hebrew New Year's day and the Day of Atonement, according to the Pentateuch and the teachings of the Rabbinical fathers. Their public services were first held in the "Lyceum Hall," in the Pond building, corner of Mar- ket and Perry streets; and afterwards over the present store of A. Pollak & Co., on Court Square. On those days of the year Hebrew citizens of Selma, Marion, Camden, Tuskegee, Hayneville, and other towns in this State, would come to Montgomery and participate. Several of the citizens of other religious creeds, also, attended to witness what to them were entirely new religious exercises. Although they had read the Books of Moses, never before had they a proper conception of the solemn and sublime Ritual of the chosen people of God, delivered to them during the memorable journey from Egypt to the promised land. Whether profitable to those Gentiles attracted by the novelty of the services or not, they were edifying to the Hebrews who had assembled to observe the ceremonies commanded by Abraham's God, as their progenitors had done for over three thousand years.
This society gradually increased by the set- tlement of other Hebrews in the city, so that in 1849 they had a sufficient number to or- ganize a congregation. In accordance with the unanimous wishes of the members, as ex- pressed at a meeting held May 6, 1849, the officers of the "Chefra Mefacker Cholim" re- solved on the 3d day of June of that year to form a Hebrew Congregation. A commit- tee consisting of Messrs. M. Englander, Isaias Weil, J. Newman, P. Kraus, H. Weil and Emanuel Lehman, appointed for the purpose, drew up and submitted a Constitution and By-Laws for the government of the new con- templated organizations. These were par- tially amended and adopted on that day. The name assumed was "Kahl Montgomery," which has ever continued the style of the congregation. The following officers were elected to serve for one year, namely: Isaias Weil, President; H. Lehman, Vice-President;
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HISTORY OF ALABAMA
Emanuel Lehman, Secretary; Jacob Myer, Treasurer; and Messrs. H. Weil and M. Eng- lander, Trustees. The congregation then com- prised about thirty members.
In 1859 it was determined to consummate a cherished purpose long formed and revolved in their minds, that of building a house of public worship. Under a resolution offered by Mr. Jacob Abraham, April 10, 1859, a com- mittee consisting of Messrs. J. Myer, M. Uh- felder, M. Lehman, H. Weil and A. Strass- burger was appointed to select a site for the synagogue. This committee reported June 13, 1859, recommending the purchase of the present location for $2,500, which report was adopted. On the 18th of September of that year, on motion of Mr. H. Weil, it was re- solved by the Congregation to build a Syna- gogue, and the following appointed, with the President as the chairman, a Building Committee, viz .: L. Cahn, H. Weil, Loeb Marks, S. Cellner, J. Myer and M. Uhfelder. An eligible lot at the corner of Catoma and Church streets was purchased and the erec- tion of a Synagogue commenced. The plan was drawn by Mr. Stewart of Philadelphia, the architect of the Alabama Insane Hospital, the Court House in Montgomery, and the Methodist Female College in Tuskegee. The work was executed by Mr. G. M. Figh, late of this city, the worthy successor of his father as a builder. The Synagogue was dedicated by the Rev. J. K. Gutheim of New Orleans, March 8, 1862, with appropriate and impres- sive ceremonies, constituting the most re- markable event up to that time in the history of Judaism in Montgomery. The congrega- tion on that occasion felt like Solomon at the dedication of the great Temple in Jeru- salem, "I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in forever." They realized by faith what the Lord declared to Solomon when he appeared to him a second time as he had appeared unto him at Gideon. "I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication that thou hast made before me, I have hallowed this house which thou hast built, to put my name there for- ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually." The cost of this sacred edifice was fourteen thousand dollars.
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