USA > Alabama > History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II > Part 25
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Governor John Gayle, in a message to the called session of the legislature, November 6, 1832, declared that "her right ( Alabama) of jurisdiction over the inhabitants will henceforth be relieved of all doubt or embar- rassment which was supposed to grow out of the relations between the general govern- ment and the Indian tribes. The duty will devolve upon you at the present session, to lay it off into suitable and convenient coun- ties, and to establish a system of county or- ganization, so that the protection, as well as the wholesome restraints of our laws may be speedily introduced."
RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS FOR PUBLIC LANDS IN ALABAMA 1846 to 1916 SUMMARY
Forfeited land stock, military tand script
Office
Acres
Cash
Treasury Receipts and Notes $ 460.59
and Choctaw certificates $1,792.07
Total
Expenditures
Cahaba
809,565.47
$ 550,809.89
$ 553,062.55
$ 29,494.54
Centre
241,484.69
113,646.26
113,646.26
13,336.85
Demopolis
186,218.05
81,787.08
81,787.08
21,332.37
Elba
1,023,985.03
265,060.94
265,060.94
25,012.25
Greenville
410,500.73
193,451.16
193,451.16
13,514.53
Huntsville
4,924,899.98
1,143,322.97 461,822.72
100.77
1,143,423.74
246,669.97
Lebanon
450,449.63
461,822.72
33,822.85
Mobile
328,318.09
45,918.45
45,918.45
22,608.12
Montgomery
6,300,042.81
2,188,252.39
2,188,252.39
366,541.56
Sparta
271,423.63
336,930.41
2,400.00
339,330.41
15,859.49
St. Stephens
628,280.86
291,087.95
1,672.00
2,746.51
293,506.46
30,411.85
Tuscaloosa
1,239,537.28
349,733.78
200.00
324.44
350,258.22
41,197.59
Total
16,814,706.25
$6,021,824.00
$2,332.59
$5,363.79
$6,029,520.38
$859,801.97
845
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
The records in the Department of the In- terior, Washington, D. C., do not show whether the State of Alabama performed the improvement work required by the said Act of May 23, 1828, so as to entitle it to the benefits thereof, but by an Act of the Ala- bama legislature, February 1, 1838, it was provided that it should be the duty f the registrar and receiver to give sixty days' notice in a newspaper published in the coun- ties in which the land lay, and on the day named offer for sale to the highest bidder, all of the lands of the 400,000 acres remain- ing unsold and to continue the sale until the whole of the lands were offered for sale, and that the minimum price of the land sold at said sale shall be one cent."
Sixteenth Section .- By an Act of Congress, approved March 2, 1819, "the inhabitants of the Territory of Alabama" were authorized to form for themselves a constitution and State government, "to assume such name as they may deem proper," and when formed into a State should be "admitted into the Union, upon the same footing with the orig- inal States, in all respects whatever." The Act also says: "That the section numbered sixteen in every township, and when such section has been sold, granted, or disposed of, other lands equivalent thereto, and most contiguous to the same, shall be granted to the inhabitants of such townships for the use of schools."
The governor, State superintendent of edu- cation, and attorney general are constituted a board of compromise for the purpose of examining into the title or claim of the State to any sixteenth section or other school lands which have illegally passed out of the pos- session of the State, or which have heretofore been disposed of by the State and not paid for.
COST PER ACRE OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Purchase to June 30, 1880, and cessions.
The entire public domain contained ( esti- mated) cessions, 259,171,787 acres;
pur- chases, 1,589,900,800 acres; total, 1,849,072,- 587 acres; cost, $55,157,389.98, which is about 4-7/10 cents per acre.
Purchases - cost, $81,957,389.98; con- tained 1,593,139,200 acres; cost 5-1/10 cents per acre.
Louisiana purchase-cost, $27,267,621.98; contained 756,961,280 acres; cost, 3-3/4 cents per acre.
East and West Florida, from Spain-cost, $6,489,768; contained 37,931,520 acres; cost 17-1/10 cents per acre.
Mexico, Quadalupe Hidalgo,-cost $15,- 000,000; contained 334,443,520 acres; cost 4 1/2 cents per acre.
Texas purchase, 1850-cost $16,000,000; contained 61,892,480 acres; cost about 25-17/20 cents per acre.
Mexico, Gadsden purchase, 1853-cost
$10,000,000; contained 29,142,400 acres; cost 34-3/10 cents per acre.
Alaska, from Russia, 1867-cost $7,200,- 000; contained 369,529,920 acres; cost, 10-10/17 cents per acre.
The United States has disposed of (esti- mated) 547,754,483.88 acres of public do- main, exclusive of Tennessee, and received therefor, net $200,702,849.11, or nearly 36-9/20 cents per acre.
The public domain contained (estimated) 1,849,072,587 acres, and cost for purchase, Indians, survey, and disposition, $322,595.96, or about 17-2/5 cents per acre.
Land Grants to Aid Railroad Construction. -Grants of land to aid in the construction of railroads in the State of Alabama were made as follows:
Act of September 20, 1850 (9 Stat., 466), benefit of Mobile and Ohio R. R. Co., from Mobile to State line, area, 419,528.44 acres, approved same quantity, now operated by same company.
Act of May 17, 1856 (11 Stat., 15), Ala- bama and Florida, subsequently Mobile and Montgomery R. R. Co., from Flomaton to Montgomery, Alabama, 439,972.58 acres, approved, 399,022.84 acres. Operated by Louisville and Nashville R. R. Co.
Act of June 3, 1856 (11 Stat., 17), Ten- nessee and Coosa R. R. Co., from Gadsden to Guntersville, area, 96,033.12 acres, approved, 67,784.96 acres. Operated by Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis R. R. Co.
Act of June 3, 1856, supra, Wills Valley and Northeast and Southwestern, subse- quently Alabama and Chattanooga R. R. Co., from Mississippi State line near Meridian, to Wauhatchie, Tennessee, area, 832,693.62 acres, approved, 653,888.76 acres. Operated by Alabama Great Southern Ry. Co., Queen and Crescent route.
Act of June 3, 1856, supra, Mobile and Girard R. R. Co., from Girard to Troy, Ala- bama, area (as adjusted by act of September 29, 1890, 26 Stat., 496), 302,181.16 acres, approved, same area. Operated by Central of Georgia Rwy. Co.
Act of June 3, 1856, supra, South and North Alabama R. R. Co., area, 594,689.60 acres, approved, 445,438.43 acres. Operated by Louisville and Nashville R. R. Co., Mont- gomery to Decatur, Alabama.
Act of June 30, 1856, supra, Selma, Rome and Dalton R. R. Co., from Selma to Jackson- ville, Alabama, area 508,620.33 acres, ap- proved 458,555.82 acres. Operated by South- ern Rwy. Co.
Other grants were made, but subsequently forfeited by act of Congress for failure to con- struct the road.
Railroad rights of way within the State of Alabama granted under the act of March 3, 1875 (18 Stat., 482) :
Alabama and Florida R. R. Co., from Sec. 20, T. 4 N., R. 16 E., to Sec. 29, T. 1 N., R. 22 E., S. S. M., approved March 10, 1902, Louisville and Nashville R. R. Co.
·
846
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
Louisville and Nashville R. R. Co., Sec. 2, T. 6 N., R. 13 E., to Sec. 29, T. 1 N., R. 22 E., approved October 3, 1903, and from Sec. 29, T. 12 N., R. 8 E., to Sec. 21, T. 10 N., R. 9 E., approved May 17, 1902, operated by same company.
Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City R. R. Co., from Sec. 6, T. 4 S., R. 2 W., to Sec. 20, T. 2 S., R. 4 W., approved September 24, 1889, operated by New Orleans, Mobile and Chicago R. R. Co.
Pensacola and Louisville, act of June 8, 1872 (17 Stat., 340), from Sec. 24, T. 1 N., R. 8 E., to Sec. 26, T. 10 N., R. 10 E., July 1, 1872, operated by Louisville and Nashville R. R. Co.
A number of other railroad rights of way appear to have been granted at different times within the State, but so far as the rec- ords of the General Land Office disclose no railroads were actually constructed over such rights of way.
Land and Scrip Granted to Alabama for Educational and Other Purposes .- Tuskegee Normal and Industrial
Institute
25,000.00
Industrial School for Girls. 25,000.00 Seminary of Learning. 46,080.00
Internal Improvements 500,000.00 Agricultural College Scrip 240,000.00
Common Schools, Sec. 16. 911,627.00
Salt Springs and contiguous lands 23,040.00 Seat of Government. 1,620.00
University 46,080.00
1,818,447.00
REGISTERS AND RECEIVERS.
CAHABA.
REGISTER.
Alexander Pope, July 15, 1817-Aug. 1, 1829.
G. Saltonstall, August 1, 1829-July 14, 1831.
Alan. Saltmarsh, July 15, 1831-November 25, 1850.
E. W. Saunders, November 26, 1850-May 1, 1853.
Eldridge Gardner, May 2, 1853-April 6, 1857.
John K. Henry, April 7, 1857-March 4, 1860.
Geo. L. Henry, March 5, 1860
RECEIVER.
John Taylor, July ( ?), 1817-July 12, 1826. Horatio Perry, July 12, 1826-February ( ?), 1827.
David McCord, February ( ?), 1828-(died). U. G. Mitchell, June 16, 1828-February 27, 1837.
Matthew Gayle, February 27, 1837-April 30, 1847.
Wm. W. Fambro, May 1, 1847-April 3, 1851.
Wm. M. Sapsley, April 4, 1851-May 2, 1853.
Benj. Lloyd, April 13, 1857-January 14, 1860.
Thos. E. Herbert, March 5, 1860
DEMOPOLIS.
REGISTER.
A. I. Crawford, March 2, 1833-March 3, 1837.
Thomas Simpson, March 3, 1837-March 3, 1837.
L. B. McCarty, November 20, 1840-Novem- ber 24, 1850.
Edw. A. Taylor, November 25, 1850-No- vember 23, 1853.
L. B. McCarty, May 24, 1853-March 30, 1866.
RECEIVER.
Thomas Simpson, March 2, 1833-March 2, 1837.
David E. Moore, March 3, 1837-October 11, 1850.
A. M. McDowell, October 12, 1850-Octo- ber 8,. 1854.
Sidney T. Torbert, October 9, 1854-March 30, 1866.
HUNTSVILLE.
REGISTER.
Benj. S. Pope, May 22, 1820-September 15, 1835.
John J. Coleman, September 16, 1835-No- vember 14, 1850.
Wm. B. Figures, November 15, 1850-May 10, 1853.
John H. Ware, May 11, 1853-September 7, 1866.
E. C. Hatten, September 8, 1886-June 9, 1869.
Wm. A. McDonald, June 10, 1869-March 12, 1872.
John M. Cross, March 13, 1872-December 11, 1884.
William C. Wells, December 12, 1884-De- cember 2, 1886.
Frank Coleman, December 3, 1886-June 30, 1889.
Wm. C. Wells, July 1, 1889-August 23, 1894.
Jesse W. Ellis, August 24, 1894-September 30, 1897.
John A. Steele, October 1, 1897-February 28, 1905.
RECEIVER.
Obadiah Jones, December 31, 1821, died. Samuel Cruse, August 2, 1825-May 10, 1853.
John S. Nance, May 11, 1853-October 7, 1866.
Danl. M. Bradford, September 8, 1866- July 15, 1869.
J. G. Blackwell, July 16, 1869-February 28, 1875.
Wm. H. Councill, July 1, 1875-October 12, 1875.
847
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
P. J. Kaufman, October 13, 1875-March 1, 1880.
Wm. H. Tancre, March 2, 1880-April 3, 1888.
J. C. Street, April 4, 1888-July 1, 1889.
Charles Hendley, July 2, 1889-June 20, 1894. 1
Albert M. Avery, June 21, 1894-October 1, 1897.
Hershal V. Cashin, October 2, 1897-Febru- ary 28, 1905.
MARDISVILLE.
REGISTER.
Jack Shackelford, July 14, 1832-April 9, 1833.
T. J. Bradford, April 10, 1833-August 31, 1845.
Hugh P. Caperton, September 1, 1845- July 1, 1849.
Sampson Clayton, July 2, 1849-March 14, 1853.
J. L. Barnard, March 15, 1853-July 21, 1853.
John Cunningham, July 22, 1853-April 5, 1857.
Notley M. Warren, April 6, 1857-
RECEIVER.
Joab Lawler, July 14, 1832-November 1, 1835.
L. W. Lawler, November 2, 1835-March 9, 1840.
Wm. E. Sawyer, March 10, 1840-October 24, 1841.
L. W. Lawler, October 25, 1841-September 30, 1845.
John G. Winston, October 1, 1845-June 28, 1848.
Peter I. Walker, June 25, 1849-March 13, 1853.
Obadiah W. Ward, March 14, 1853-July 1, 1853.
Alex. Snodgrass, July 2, 1853-June 30, 1859.
Lafayette M. Stiff, July 1, 1859 -. MOBILE.
REGISTER.
Salmon Dutton, July 16, 1866-April 20, 1869.
C. F. Stearns, April 21, 1869-June 24, 1879.
RECEIVER.
William L. Howard, June 10, 1868-April 20, 1869.
Stephen Moore, April 21, 1869-June 30, 1873.
James A. Somerville, July 1, 1873-June 24, 1879.
MONTGOMERY.
REGISTER.
J. H. Sommerville, July 10, 1832-April 3, 1840.
Duncan B. Graham, April 4, 1840-Novem- ber 14, 1850.
Vol. II-9
Hardy Herbert, November 15, 1850-Feb- ruary 24, 1851.
Albert B. Herbert, February 25, 1851-May 31, 1853.
T. O. Glascock, June 1, 1853-March 31, 1861.
Abraham Edwards, August 3, 1865-May 10, 1869.
P. J. Anderson, May 11, 1869-November 15, 1881.
Thomas J. Scott, November 16, 1881-Feb- ruary 27, 1886.
J. G. Harris, February 28, 1886-August 30, 1889.
J. H. Bingham, August 31, 1889-April 15, 1894.
Harrison Purcell, April 16, 1894-September 29, 1896.
Robert Barber, September 30, 1897-May 26, 1906.
R. D. Johnston, May 29, 1906-June 29, 1908.
N. H. Alexander, June 30, 1908-July 15, 1913.
Cato D. Glover, July 16, 1913-date.
RECEIVER.
Nimrod E. Benson, July 14, 1832-Novem- ber 29, 1854.
Thomas Welsh, November 30, 1854-Sep- tember 30, 1857.
Edmund M. Hastings, October 1, 1857- March 31, 1861.
William Miller, August 25, 1865-December 10, 1866.
P. J. Anderson, December 11, 1866-August 5, 1868.
A. L. Buffington, August 6, 1868-May 11, 1869.
Wm. H. Dingley, May 12, 1869-April 16, 1873.
Peyton Finley, April 17, 1873-April 30, 1877. P. J. Strobach, May 1, 1877-April 15, 1883.
Harvey A. Wilson, April 16, 1883-Septem- ber 30, 1884.
A. A. Mabson, October 1, 1884-December 4, 1885.
Wm. C. Jordon, December 5, 1885-August 30, 1889.
N. H. Alexander, August 31, 1889-April 12, 1894. Larry W. Hunter, April 13, 1894-October 8, 1897.
John C. Leftwich, October 9, 1897-January 31, 1902.
N. H. Alexander, February 1, 1902-June 29, 1908.
John A. Steele, June 30, 1908-July 15, 1913.
John S. Hunter, July 16, 1913-date.
ST. STEPHENS.
REGISTER.
Wm. Aylett, March 25, 1822-May 3, 1826. J. B. Hazard, May 4, 1826-August 23, 1835.
848
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
James Magoffin, September 29, 1835-March 25, 1860.
Elijah H. Gordy, March 26, 1860-July 12, 1866.
Salmon Dutton, September 6, 1866-
RECEIVER.
William Crawford, May 26, 1817-May 27, 1824.
George Conway, May 27, 1824-September 17, 1827.
John H. Owen, September 17, 1827-No- vember 2, 1836.
T. J. Wilkinson, November 2, 1836-August 4, 1840 (died).
Elijah H. Gordy, November ( ?), 1840-May 7, 1851.
Jackson W. Faith, May 8, 1851-May 15, 1853.
Sam S. Houston, May 16, 1853-August 31, 1858.
John Peebles, September 1, 1858- -. SPARTA.
REGISTER.
E. G. Greening, February 19, 1822-Decem- ber 4, 1825.
I. G. Shaw, December 5, 1825-May 16, 1828. W. H. Greening, May 17, 1828-April 7, 1850.
William Judge, April 8, 1850-May 1, 1853. N. Stallworth, May 2, 1853-September 26, 1853.
Ed. W. Martin, September 27, 1853- August 13, 1855.
James Clayton, August 14, 1855-May 28, 1856.
Jos. I. Baldwin, May 29, 1856-January 11. 1861.
John T. Knight, July 16, 1866-April Il, 1867.
RECEIVER.
John Herbert, January 8, 1821-December 20, 1826.
Andrew F. Perry, December 21, 1826-May 16, 1828.
John S. Hunter, May 17, 1828-March 6, 1834.
A. D. Carey, March 7, 1834-April 8, 1850. Andrew Jay, April 9, 1850-April 28, 1853. Willis Darby, April 29, 1853-July 17, 1854. James Larkin, July 18, 1854-February 7, 1856.
Richard F. Cook, February 8, 1856-January 11, 1861.
J. G. Moore, July 16, 1866-April 11, 1867. TUSCALOOSA.
REGISTER.
John McKee, March 9, 1821-January 13, 1824.
Wm. P. Gould, January 14, 1824-June 16, 1829.
. J. H. Vincent, June 17, 1829-October 31, 1837.
Patrick Redmond, November 1, 1837-May 3, 1840.
Richard Whitney, May 4, 1840-November 26, 1848.
Monroe Donohoo, January 26, 1849-April 11, 1851.
E. M. Burton, April 12, 1851-May 16, 1853. Monroe Donohoo, May 17, 1853-March 30, 1866.
RECEIVER.
Wm. G. Parrish, January 8, 1821-August 8, 1841 ..
Edw. F. Comegeys, August 9, 1841-April 11, 1851. Thos. I. Burke, April 12, 1851-May 9, 1852.
Marmaduke I. Slade, May 10, 1852-April 6, 1853.
James W. Warren, April 7, 1853-March 30, 1866.
REFERENCES .- Correspondence, official reports etc., between Senator John H. Bankhead and the commissioner of the General Land office, Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C., now in the Alabama State Department of Ar- chives and History.
LANETT. Post office and incorporated manufacturing city, in the southeast corner of Chambers County, on the Western Railway of Alabama, and the Chattahoochee Valley Railroad, and on the west bank of the Chat- tahoochee River, 13 miles southeast of Lafay- ette. Population: 1890-777; 1900-2,909; 1910-3,820. It has electric lights, water- works, and sewerage system. Its principal in- dustries are large cotton mills, and a bleach- ing and dyeing works. It is on the road from Opelika to West Point,. Ga. The site of Fort Tyler is within the limits of the town.
The settlement was known as Bluffton until 1893, when it was incorporated as the city of Lanett, named in honor of Lanier and Bar- nett, owners and officers of the Lanier Cotton Mills. Some of the early settlers were Dr. A. H. Reese and brother, James A. Reese, and the Smith, Croft, Forbes, Thomas, Barker, Jackson, Benham, Mitcham and Griggs families,
REFERENCES .- Brewer, Alabama (1872), p. 161; Northern Alabama (1888), p. 178; Ala- bama Official and Statistical Register, 1915.
LANETT COTTON MILLS, Lanett. See Cotton Manufacturing.
LANG COTTON MILLS, Lanett. See Cotton Manufacturing.
LANGSTON. Interior village and post office in the southern part of Jackson County, on the south side of the Tennessee River, about 10 miles south of Scottsboro. Popu- lation: 1870-"Coffee Town," 640; 1900- Langston Precinct, 672, village proper, 270; 1910 - Langston Precinct, 619, village proper, 314. It was originally named Coffee Town. The Davis, Morgan, Wilborn and Kirby families were among the earliest settlers.
Rev. Robert K. Hargrove, D. D., Bishop Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Rt. Rev. John Quinlan, Second Bishop of the Diocese of Mobile, Roman Catholic Church, 1859 to 1866.
Rev. Nicholas Hamner Cobbs, D. D., Bishop of the Diocese of Alabama, Protest- ant Episcopal Church.
RELIGIOUS LEADERS
851
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
REFERENCE .- Manuscript data in the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
LANUDSHI APALA. A branch village of the Hillabi, situated on the northwest fork of Hillabi Creek, 15 miles from the mother town. The word signifies "over the little mountain," or "on the side of the little moun- tain," a phrase which well expresses its loca- tion. The town house was on the left side of the creek. Hawkins spells the name Thla- noo-che-au-bau-lau; from thlenne "a moun- tain," oo-che, "little," and au-bau-lau, "over." Its precise location is on the east side of the stream and between it and the mountain, Simmons Ridge, and opposite the junction of the creeks. It is north from the Talladega and Goldville Road. Noxihala's grave is 300 yards from the present Millerville. His hut stood near the village and old Delliac Springs. See Hillabi.
REFERENCES .- Gatschet, in Alabama History Commission, Report (1901), p. 403; Handbook of American Indians (1907), p. 552; Hawkins, Sketch of the Creek Country (1848), p. 43.
LAPLAKO. An Upper Creek village, of which no facts are preserved, other than the mention of it in 1832. It is said to have been settled from Huliwahli. Since that town was destroyed by Gen: Jackson's forces in April, 1814, and its identity lost, it is not improbable that a part of its inhabitants formed this new settlement. The name of the town means "Tall Cane," or "Big reed." It must have been in the vicinity of a stream on which there was an abundance of cane or reed from which blow-guns were made. See Huliwahli.
REFERENCES .- Gatschet, in Alabama History Commission, Report (1901), p. 403; Woodward, Reminiscences (1859), p. 91.
LARKINSVILLE. Post office and station on the Southern Railway, in the southern part of Jackson County, 5 miles west of Scottsboro. Altitude: 622 feet. Population: 1870-2,098; 1888-300; 1890-Larkinsville Precinct, 1,157; 1900-precinct, 1,236; 1910 -precinct, 1,001, village, 237; 1912-village, 246. The Larkinsville Banking Co. (State) is its only banking institution. It was named for David Larkin, who with the Cotten, Dil- lard, Smith, Harris, and Cowart families, set- tled the community in the early days.
REFERENCE .- Manuscript data in the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
LAUDERDALE COUNTY. Created by an act of the Alabama Territorial legislature, February 6, 1818. It was formed of that tract of country lying west of Limestone County and north of the Tennessee River. The dimensions of the county were reduced by an act of the legislature of November 27, 1821, by adding to Limestone County all of that territory that lay between Tennessee and east of the range numbered six and Elk River. This has been the only change in the original size of the county.
The name was given to the county in honor
of Colonel James Lauderdale, "a gallant Ten- nessean," who was killed in a night attack upon the British below New Orleans, Decem- ber 23, 1814. It contains 453,056 acres, or about 708 square miles.
Location and Physical Description .- Situ- ated in the north western section of the state, Lauderdale is bounded on the north by Hardin, Wayne, and Lawrence Counties, Tenn., on the east by Limestone County, on the south by Colbert and Lawrence Counties, and on the west by Mississippi. It is em- braced within the parallels 34° 43' and 35° north latitude and the meridians 87º 12' and 88° 12' west longitude. The greatest length of the county is 57 miles in an east and west direction, and its greatest width is 20 miles from north to south.
Located in what is known as the Ten- nessee valley, a variety of surface features which have "a direct bearing upon the soils and agricultural interest," are found. Eleva- tions range from something over 400 feet at river level to 1,000 or more feet on the high ridges along the Tennessee river. Many bluffs are found marking river bottoms. The eastern two-thirds of the county, is a broad, "gently rolling surface," which is known as the plateau section. The western third, known as the highlands, is rougher and more hilly, and filled with ridges and valleys. The soil survey of Lauderdale County, 1905, says in speaking of the plateau region: "Into this plateau the larger streams have cut deep nar- row gorges, through which they flow in tor- tuous channels until they emerge from the bluffs. Many of the smaller streams disappear in underground channels through this upland area, and appear as large springs at the base of the bluffs, the bed rock being mas- sive limestone of the St. Louis group (Tus- cumbia) of sub Carboniferous age and con- siderable purity, which, when free from chert, gives rise to the Clarksville Clay loam soil, or when, mixed with large amounts of chert, to a place of the Clarksville stony loam."
There are six types of soil recognized in the county, Clarksville loams, stony loams, silt loams and ciay loams predominating. De- rived from limestone, these soils respond readily to cultivation, and splendid crops of corn, wheat, oats, cotton and grasses, are grown. This county is also one of the leaders in stock raising and dairying.
The county's climate is mild. Extreme heat is not encountered in summer, but occa- sionally the temperature falls to zero or below in winter, but these occurrences are rare. The average rainfall is 52 inches.
Aboriginal History .- The territory origi- nally embraced in this county was claimed by both the Chickasaws and Cherokees, both making cessions of it to the United States. By the treaty of January 7, 1806, the Chero- kees ceded all claim to lands on the north side of the Tennessee River and west of the Chickasaw Old Fields, with the exception of two reservations, one of which lay wholly within Lauderdale County, the other largely so, its eastern boundary being Elk River.
852
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
The Chickasaws, by the treaty of "Chicka- saw Council House," September 20, 1816, ceded all right or title to lands on the north side of the Tennessee River, with the excep- tion of three reservations, the largest of which was for George Colbert and his heirs. Colbert's reservation included his ferry and lay between the two Cherokee reservations, being in fact, overlapped by one of them. The two reservations of the Cherokees were ceded to the United States by the treaty of July 8, 1817. Colbert's reservation was confirmed to him and his heirs by the treaty of October 19, 1818, and was deeded to the United States, May 15, 1819.
Recent exploration work along the Ten- nessee river has shown a number of aborigi- nal town sites. None of these have been positively identified as Chickasaw towns how- ever. In the southeastern corner of a large cultivated field at the juncture of Bough's branch with Tennessee river, is a large town site on which is a burial mound, now prac- tically obliterated by the plough. Some in- teresting vessels of earthenware have been found there. One fourth mile back from the landing at the Johnson place, on property of Mr. John Beckwith of Florence, are two mounds about 10 and 7 feet, in height, re- spectively. On Kager's Island, a property controlled by J. T. Reeder of Smithsonia are three town site evidences, which in recent years, although practically destroyed by cul- tivation, have shown some interesting burial remains. Opposite this island, on property of the same owner, a short distance from Perkins Spring, are three mounds, from which recently have been secured some very fine copper objects and an interesting agri- cultural implement of shale. On no part of the large town site in the proximity of the mounds was any evidence of pottery noted, though sherds were numerous and some whole pieces have been found on the island about a mile distant. At Florence is the great domiciliary mound 42 feet in height and the largest on the Tennessee river and possibly in Alabama. It originally is thought to have had an eastern side caseway lead- ing to the summit. At Lock 3 in the Muscle Shoals canal, where Bluewater Creek enters the Tennessee, is a large town site. On prop- erty of J. T. Thornton, at the upper entrance of the canal, is a large shell-heap, known locally as "Pennywinkle" hill, in reality Per- riwinkle Hill, named no doubt from the num- ber of shells of this species found there. A small well worn mound is to be found on the plantation of Dr. L. A. Weaver, in view from the river. On property of Mr. W. F. Harri- son, about half-a-mile above Nance's Reef, is a large domiciliary mound and a smaller one, some distance easterly, composed largely of shell and which is doubtless a burial mound. At numbers of other points on the Tennessee are noted shell mounds or shell-heaps as they are more commonly known, which are in connection with town sites.
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