History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II, Part 63

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 63

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Its members claim that through apostasy the pure gospel of Christ was taken from the earth many centuries ago and was re- stored through the instrumentality of Joseph Smith, Jr., by heavenly messengers sent to him for that purpose. They accept the

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Infinite atonement of Christ and believe that all men may be saved through obedience to the principles and ordinances of the gospel of which faith in God, repentance from sin, baptism by immersion for the remission of sin, and the laying on of hands for the re- ception of the Holy Spirit, form an essential part. They believe in prophecy, continued revelation, visions, healing, tongues and all the gifts and powers of the primitive church. They formally practiced plural marriage, hut that is stated to have been discontinued after the "Manifesto" of President Wilford Wood- ruff in 1890.

Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith, Samuel H. Smith, Peter Whitmer, Jr., and David Whitmer, were the six original organizers of this religious body which in 1834 became known as the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. At the death of Smith, Brigham Young took up the leader- ship, followed by John Taylor, 1877-89, Wil- ford Woodruff, 1889-98, and Joseph Fielding Smith, 1901. The headquarters are in Salt Lake City, Utah.

This church was proclaimed in Alabama about twenty-five years ago, but continuous missionary work has been followed by an average of probably eighteen missionaries. The Southern States Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ or Latter-Day Saints comprises the following states: Alabama, Florida, Geor- gia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio and South Carolina.

In 1917 there were in Alabama branches of this church in Montgomery, Lamison, Elk- mont, Sulligent, and Birmingham. There are members of the church throughout the state who are not organized into branches on ac- count of their scattered conditions. The members of the church form an ecclesiastical division known as the Alabama conference with headquarters in Birmingham. The con- ference membership is upward of 3,000.

REFERENCES .- Letter from Southern States Mission, Chattanooga, Tenn .; Webster's Dic- tionary; New International Encyclopedia, Britannica Encyclopedia.

MORONS. See Mental Defectives.

MOTHERS' CONGRESS, ALABAMA BRANCH. A voluntary educational and so- cial-service organization, affiliated with the National Congress of Mothers and Parent- Teacher Associations, organized in Montgom- ery, February 2, 1911. Its objects are "to raise the standards of home life; to give young people opportunities to learn how to care for children, so that when they assume the duties of parenthood they may have some conception of the methods which will best develop the physical, intellectual and spir- itual nature of the child; to bring into closer relations the home and the school, that par- ents and teachers may co-operate intelligently in the education of the child; to surround the childhood of the whole world with that wise, loving care in the impressionable years of life

that will develop good citizens; to use sys- tematic and earnest effort to this end, through the formation of Parent-Teacher As- sociations in every public school, and else- where, through the establishment of kinder- gartens, and through distribution of litera- ture which will be of practical use to parents in the problems of home life; to secure more adequate laws for the care of blameless and dependent children, and to carry the mother- love and mother-thought into all that con- cerns childhood."

Membership consists of active, associate, sustaining, and life members, and benefac- tors. Officers are a president, five vice presi- dents, a recording secretary, a corresponding secretary, a treasurer, and an auditor, all elected by ballot at the annual conventions, and who hold office for two years. The ac- tive management of the business and activi- ties of the association is in the hands of a board of managers, composed of the officers and 12 other members chosen from differ- ent sections of the State; and of an executive committee, consisting of the officers and three other members elected annually by the board of managers. The work of the congress is subdivided Into 16 departments, each in charge of a chairman, as follows: home eco- nomics, child-hygiene, country life, child-wel- fare legislation, education, marriage sanctity, press and publicity, children's literature, con- gress extension, loan papers, playgrounds, parent-teacher associations, kindergarten, child-welfare magazine, mothers' literature, finance.

In March, 1916, there were in the State 15 local organizations, affiliated with the Ala- bama branch of the national congress, whose total membership was 397. In addition to the board of managers and the executive commit- tee, there is an advisory board, whose per- sonnel is not restricted to active members of the state congress. For the year 1916-7, the membership of the board consisted of Gov. Charles Henderson, Supt. of Education Wm. F. Feagin, Pres. Charles C. Thach of the Ala- bama Polytechnic Institute, Pres. Thomas W. Palmer of the Alabama Girls' Technical In- stitute, Ray Rushton, Roy Dimmitt, State supervisor of high schools, Miss Rosa Strick- land, principal of Powell School, Birmingham, Mrs. E. D. Thames of Butler County Board of Education, and Judge S. D. Murphy, of Birmingham Juvenile Court.

As indicative of the specific objects and ac- tivities of the Alabama Branch of Mothers' Congress, the following subjects of resolu- tions adopted at the last annual convention are named: the more active and intelligent study of school conditions in the State, and hearty cooperation with the State department of education in the enforcement of the new school laws; active effort and encouragement to aid the passage of the local tax amendment to the State constitution; the investigation of conditions in the different counties, and co- operation in securing an efficient advisory board, as provided by the juvenile-court law, in every county, and having a member of the Alabama Congress of Mothers on every board;

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the encouragement by financial aid and other- wise of the establishment of a chair of rural nursing in George Peabody College; coopera- tion with the State health department in propaganda to secure full and accurate vital statistics. In addition to the foregoing sub- jects of special endeavor, the influence of the organization was pledged against the use of alcohol as a medicine, and the use of patent medicines and their advertisement in the press of the State. Efforts to secure the enforce- ment of the State cigarette law were also pledged.

Presidents .- Mrs. Ray Rushton, 1911- 1913; Mrs. W. J. Chambers, 1913-1915; Mrs. R. F. Hardeman, 1915-1917.

Annual Meetings .- Annual meetings have been held at the following times and places:

Organization meeting, Montgomery, Feb. 2, 1911; 1st annual, Birmingham, Apr. 8-9, 1914; 2d, Montgomery, Mar. 31-Apr. 1, 1915; 3d, Birmingham, Mar. 29-30, 1916.

PUBLICATIONS .- Year books, 1911-1917. 1 vol. REFERENCES .- Publications supra.

MOTOR CORPS, THE MONTGOMERY. A department of the National League for Woman's Service, organized by Mrs. William J. Hannah, Chairman of the League for Mont- gomery County, April 25, 1918. The plan of organization of the New York Motor Corps of the league was used, as well as the uniform and motor car insignia. The purpose of the organization was to have a body of expert motor car drivers ready to respond to emer- gency calls and to meet current calls for war time service. A down town headquarters was secured and a lieutenant of the Corps, placed in charge each day, assisted by sergeants, cor- porals and other members. The Corps was divided into six groups, each serving on a specified day of the week. A seventh group, under a lieutenant, was at the command of Red Cross calls. "Camp Sheridan," located three miles from the city of Montgomery af- forded a field for regular activities. Recrea- tional motor car rides for convalescent sol- diers at the base hospital Tuesday and Thurs- day afternoons of each week were given and thousands of boys were helped to recovery during the year of actual service. During the influenza epidemic the Corps suspended pleas- ure drives and gave its services to meeting trains, bringing relatives and friends to the bedside of ill and dying soldiers, and afford- ing every possible comfort through that period of distress. Cross country trips of 60 miles were made carrying supplies and Christmas cartons and to carry relatives to sick soldiers. Flowers given by Rosemont Gardens and individuals were carried to the hospital and distributed by the Motor Corps. It purchased gifts and assisted in making Christmas cheer for the 500 boys in the base hospital. The Corps rendered valuable as- sistance to the U. S. Public Health Service in its anti-malaria campaign, the Baby Clinic and anti-typhoid campaign. During the week of the United War Work campaign 1,300 miles were covered by the Motor Corps. Speakers and military bands were conveyed

to towns within a radius of thirty miles, many of these trips requiring half the day and half the night. The greatest work done by the Motor Corps was assistance rendered in the education of soldiers in Camp Sheridan. More than 2,000 young patriots, some native born who had never learned to read and write, and some foreign born who did not know the English language, were reached. Not only did the Corps convey a total of 3,200 teachers (counting each ride of the same teachers), sometimes taking as many as 80 teachers per day to camp, beginning at 6:30 A. M., but some of its members also assisted in teaching. Mrs. J. D. Roquemore, every morning for six months, conveyed a group of teachers who left the city at 6:30 A. M. The Corps performed a great variety of duties and errands besides the foregoing, some on fixed days and hours, other emer- gency and incidental calls, but all of impor- tance during the war period.

Mrs. Fred S. Ball, was captain of the Mont- gomery Motor Corps, and gave her entire time for a year to the organization. Although active work was discontinued after that time the membership is still frequently called upon to serve as a body, when uniform is donned and the spirit of service revived.

The remarkable fact that the Motor Corps drivers never had a serious accident was due in large part to lessons in driving and me- chanics given gratuitously by Mr. Oscar Norman.

Roster of Officers .- Captain, Mrs. Fred S. Ball; Lieutenants, Mrs. W. H. LeGrand, Mrs. Gaston Greil, Mrs. J. M. Nicrosi, Mrs. Ellis Burnett, Mrs. Leopold Strauss, Mrs. Mose Scheuer, Mrs. John A. Flowers; Adjutant, Miss Anna S. Ball; Advisory Board: Mrs. Thomas M. Owen, State chairman, National League for. Woman's Service, Mrs. William J. Hannah, Chairman for Montgomery County, Mrs. Fred S. Ball, Captain Motor Corps, Mrs. Julian Rice, Local chairman, National Liberty Loan Committee, Mrs. William Taylor Elgas, Secretary War Camp Community Service, Mrs. John Durr, Chairman district draft board, Mr. C. J. Beane, president chamber of com- merce.

REFERENCES .- Newspaper accounts of the period, and minutes of the Adjutant, Miss Anna S. Ball.

MOTTO, THE STATE. See Alabama State Name; "Here We Rest;" Seal, the State.

MOULTON. County seat of Lawrence County, in the central part of the county, on the headwaters of Big Nance Creek, and in the heart of Russellville and Moulton Valley. Population: 1870-450; 1880-400; 1900- 290; 1910-354. It was established in 1819, and incorporated by the legislature Decem- ber 17, 1819, when the county seat was moved from Melton's Bluff to this point. Its banks are the Bank of Moulton (State), and the Citizens Bank (State). The Moulton Adver- tiser, a Democratic weekly established in 1828, is published there. It is the location of the Lawrence County High School.

WILSON DAM ON TENNESSEE

RIVER AT MUSCLE SHOALS

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The town was named for Lieut. Moulton, who had fought in the Creek Indian War. The rich lands surrounding Moulton attracted the wealthy planters of Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia, who came with their slaves, flocks and herds, and established homes much like those they had left in the older communi- ties. Among the prominent early settlers and residents were the Watkins, Kumpe, Ligon, Pryor, Mitchell, Anderson, Owens, Deary, Hubbard, Talmadge, Jackson, Hunter, Elliott, Gallagher, Hopkins and Minnis families.

ders, Early settlers (1899), passim; Northern

REFERENCES .- Acts, 1819, pp. 115-117; Saun- Alabama (1888), p. 66; Polk's Alabama gazet- teer, 1888-9, p. 609; Alabama Official and Statis- tical Register, 1915.

MOULTON AND RUSSELLVILLE VAL- LEY. A beautiful and fertile section, 8 to 10 miles wide and about 50 miles long, lying between the foot of the gentle southern slope of Little Mountain and the steep northern slope of Sand Mountain, and drained by nu- merous narrow creeks into the Tennessee River. Its lowest portion is about 600 feet above sea level, and from 50 to 400 feet below the top of Little Mountain and from 250 to 500 feet below the brow of Sand Mountain. To the east of the L. & N. Rail- road it is gradually encroached upon by the spurs of Sand Mountain, with deep coves be- tween them, until it is entirely cut off just east of Cotaco Creek. The surface of the valley generally is rolling.

The valley lies partly in Cullman, Morgan, Lawrence, and Franklin Counties. It has some beautiful prairie lands, and some cedar glades. Mineral-tar or asphalt springs occur in the valley. Its most characteristic geologic formation is the upper Subcarboniferous, made up of limestone, sandstone, shales, and a little chert. It has some fine farm lands, especially well adapted to grain and grasses. These lands are for the most part of a deep, black, stiff, calcareous soil, with an extensive growth of white oak, ash, hickory, poplar, chestnut oak, beech and walnut.

The valley was first settled by adventurous pioneers from the Tennessee Valley, and from the State of Tennessee, many of them formerly soldiers in the campaigns under Gen. Andrew Jackson. It takes its name from Maj. Wm. Russell, a bold Tennessean, a soldier of the Indian Wars, who in 1816 came with several hardy companions and their families, into that section of the valley lying in the present Franklin County.

REFERENCES .- McCalley, Valley regions of Alabama, pt. 2; Tennessee Valley, (Geol. Survey of Ala., Special report 8, 1896), pp. 18-20, 38-39.

MOUNDVILLE. Post office and station on the Alabama Great Southern Railroad, in the northern part of Hale County, about 25 miles north of Greensboro. Altitude: 164 feet. Population: 1870-"Carthage," 960; 1880- Carthage Beat, 1,138; 1890-Moundville Precinct, 1,241; 1900-Moundville Precinct, 1,907; 1910-Moundville Precinct, 2,287, town proper, 253; 1913-town, 475. It was

incorporated in 1908, under the municipal code of 1907. The Bank of Moundville (State) is its only banking institution. Saw- mills and lumber manufacturing plants are the chief industry. The settlement was for some years known as Carthage. Near the town are many Indian mounds and remains of the most interesting character.

REFERENCE .- Manuscript data in the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

MOUNDVILLE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL. A school for white males and females, local in character and affording high school advan- tages, located at Moundville. The building valued at $10,000 was erected in 1907, and opened for students the following year, hav- ing been turned over to the State as a Grade B. Normal School.

Presidents .-

1908-09-George Bancroft.

1909-10-William Thurman.

1910-13-Ben F. Smith.

1913-14-Algernon Sidney Ford.

1914-16-Granville A. Young.

1916- - Raleigh W. Greene.

REFERENCE .- Catalogues of the school.

MOUNT VERNON, CANTONMENT, AR- SENAL AND BARRACKS. An American can- tonment near the junction of the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers, on the high ground 2 miles west of Fort Stoddert. In the latter part of 1810, a revolt was attempted on the part of the "Bigbee" settlers against Spanish rule. A detachment of United States troops with Col. Thomas H. Cushing in command was stationed for a time in Mobile to prevent their attack upon that place. After all danger had passed, Col. Cushing marched to Fort Stoddert, and thence to Mount Vernon Springs, where a cantonment was established in December, 1811. Fort Stoddert seems to have been abandoned about this time, and Mount Vernon grew more and more in mili- tary importance. During the Creek War it was the headquarters for Gen. Claiborne with his forces; and also a general rendezvous for all troops in the southern part of the territory during the campaigns against the Creeks.

By act of Congress approved May 24, 1828, the building of an arsenal at this point was authorized. It was regularly garrisoned, al- though with a small force only; and it con- tinued of more or less importance until the outbreak of the War in 1861. In January, 1861, the governor caused the post to be occupied by Alabama troops.

In 1873 under orders of the Secretary of War the arsenal was converted into barracks, for occupation by United States troops. Its designation was changed to that of Mount Vernon Barracks. It was occupied by United States soldiers as late as 1890. Here about 700 Apache Indians were held as prisoners, not within the inclosure but outside the walls in log cabins. Among them was their leader, the famous chief Geronimo, a picturesque figure.

By act of Congress approved March 1, 1895,

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the Mount Vernon Barracks together with all buildings and improvements were con- veyed to the State of Alabama by deed exe- cuted by Daniel S. Lamont, Secretary of War, March 13, 1895, to be used for public pur- poses.

On December 11, 1900, the property was set apart by the legislature "for the use of the insane of the State, under the name of "The Mount Vernon Hospital.' "

See Insane Hospitals; Stoddert, Fort. REFERENCES .- Hamilton, Colonial Mobile, pp. 400, 428; Ala. Hist. Society, Transactions, 1898- 99, vol. 3, p. 31; Pickett, History of Alabama (Owen's ed., 1900), pp. 509, 526, 703; Acts, 1900-01, p. 64; Montgomery Advertiser, April 4, 1902; copies of original documents and records from U. S. War Dept. in Alabama De- partment of Archives and History.

MT. VERNON HOSPITAL. See Insane Hospitals.

MOUNTAIN CREEK. Postoffice and sta- tion on the main line of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, in the southeastern sec- tion of Chilton County, on the headwaters of Mortar Creek, four miles south of Verbena, and 11 miles southeast of Clanton. Popu- lation: 1880-100; 1910-375. It was orig- inally settled by the Thornton, Oates, Pyron, Myrick and Falkner families. The Marbury Sawmills were first located here, but later removed about three miles south in Autauga County. It is the railroad station for the Confederate Soldiers Home.

Graphite mines have been in operation near Mountain Creek for several years. Mountain Creek comes down through the high hills and dashes itself against a great rock wall. Here it makes a wonderful turn upon itself, known as "The Turn Round." It is a resort for summer visitors at the hotels.

REFERENCE .- Manuscript data in the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

MOUNTAIN SPRING SCHOOL. See Lile's University School.

MUKLASA. An Upper Creek town in Montgomery County of the Alibamu linguis- tic stock. It was situated on the left bank of Eight Mile Branch, on Dr. W. B. Westcott's plantation, below Sawanogi, one and a half miles from the south or left bank of the Tallapoosa River. According to the French census, the town in 1760 had 50 men, and was situated 3 leagues from Fort Toulouse. The British trade regulations of 1761 as- signed the town, with its 30 hunters, to the traders William Trewen and J. Germany. Adair speaks of "the Wolf-king, our old, steady friend of the Amooklasah Town, near the late Alebahma." Bartram says that the Mucclasse spoke the Stincard language. Colonel Hawkins describes the town as lo- cated "on the left bank of a fine little creek, and bordering on a cypress swamp; their fields are below those of Sauvannogee, bor- dering on the river; they have some lots about their houses fenced for potatoes; one chief

has some cattle, horses and hogs; a few oth-

ers have some cattle and hogs. In the season of floods, the river spreads out on this side below the town, nearly eight miles from bank to bank, and is very destructive to game and stock." The inhabitants of the town be- longed to the Red Stick party during the Creek War of 1813-14.

REFERENCES .- Hawkins, Sketch of the Creek Country (1848), p. 35; Handbook of American Indians (1907), vol. 1, p. 955; Gatschet, in Ala- bama History Commission, Report (1901), vol. 1, p. 404; Bartram, Travels (1791), p. 463; Adair, American Indians (1775), p. 277; Geor- gia, colonial records (1907), vol. 8, p. 523; Mis- sissippi, Provincial Archives (1911), vol. 1, p. 94.

MULBERRY FORK. See Warrior River. MULES. See Live Stock and Products.

MUNFORD COTTON MILLS, Munford. See Cotton Manufacturing.

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. See Cities and Towns; Commission Government.

MURDER CREEK. A large creek which has its source in the northern section of Conecuh County, flows south through its en- trie extent, and unites with Burnt Corn Creek, just before the combined stream flows into the Conecuh River. It is not navigable, but along its banks are small grist mills, lum- ber mills and tanneries. The aboriginal name of the creek is unknown.

The stream received its name from a bloody tragedy which took place near the crossing place of the old trading path from Pensacola to the interior of the Creek Indian nation, in what is now Conecuh County. About 1788 Col. Kirkland, a Royalist of South Carolina, with several Royalist friends, left the home of Alexander McGillivray upon the Coosa and started for Penascola. They were accom- panied by one of McGillivray's servants as a guide. The party carried considerable money. Near murder Creek, they met a pack horse party returning from a trading expe- dition to Pensacola. The party consisted of Istillicha, a Hillahee Indian, known as the "Manslayer" because of the numbers of mur- ders he had committed, also a white man, called the "Cat" because of his desperate and criminal character and also a negro named Bob, who had a cruel and bloodthirsty record. Night coming on, both parties encamped. About midnight the cruel wretches fell upon Col. Kirkland's party and killed all of them, with the exception of three negroes, one of whom was McGillivray's servant. On the tragedy becoming known, the criminals were pursued. The Cat was arrested and taken to the scene of his crime, where he was hung. The rest escaped.

REFERENCES .- Pickett, Alabama (Owen's ed., 1900), pp. 383-384, 424.

MURPHREE'S VALLEY. The largest and most important of the valleys of Blount

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County. It is 30 miles long and 3 miles wide, and is walled in on the east and on the west, by the Pine Mountains and the Sand Moun- tains, respectively. It is an unsymmetrical anticlinal valley cut down into Raccoon Moun- tain, beginning in steep bluffs on the north- east and opening out into Jones Valley on the southwest. Its head, or northeast end, is known as Bristow's Cove. This valley differs from a typical anticlinal valley of the Ap- palachian region in that its steep strata with their fault is on and near the southeast edge of the valley. The red and brown iron ores and fluxing rocks of the valley have been ex- tensively mined and quarried, and its man- ganese deposit is probably the largest in the State. The geological formations found in Murphree's Valley are, in descending order, the Carboniferous, or coal measures; the Sub- carboniferous, including the mountain lime- stone and Bangor limestone, the Oxmoor (Lagrange) sandstone, and the Fort Payne chert; the Devonian, or black shale; the Silurian, consisting of the Clinton or Red Mountain, the Trenton and Chazy, Pelham, formations and the Knox dolomite; the Cam- brian, or Coosa shale and the sparry lime- stone. The Clinton is the great iron-bearing formation of this valley, as of the rest of the State. Oneonta, the present county seat, is located near the center of the valley. Popu- lation: 6,000. Altitude: average, 600 feet. The valley was named for Daniel Murphree, the first settler, 1817. This is really a con- tinuation of Jones Valley (q. v.)-now in- cluded in the territory of Jefferson County. The Baptists built "Mount Moriah," the first church in Murphree's Valley, June, 1819. The congregation was Sion

organized by L. Blythe, and Joseph Hill was its first pastor. In 1821, the Cumberland Presbyterians estab- lished a church. Among the first settlers of Murphree's Valley were George Fields, G. S. Murphree and John Gunter. In 1817, the first crop of wheat was raised in the valley by Mr. Gurthry, near the head of Turkey Creek. The wheat had to be pounded into meal by hand, as there were no mills. In 1827, D. Hanby erected on Turkey Creek, a mill for grinding wheat, which is still in opera- tion. In 1827 or 1828, the first Warrior coal was carried down to Mobile in flatboats, by Levi Reid, James Grindle and others. The beds of fine iron ore in this valley were known as early as 1854. Coal, limestone, water power and all other facilities were grouped by Nature for the easy handling of the ore. There are three Indian mounds, from 4 to 7 feet high, in the valley. Daniel Murphree's colony established in 1817, "formed a pros- perous and moral settlement." The messages that went back to South Carolina brought more immigrants from that State, so that the southern part of the valley later included in Jefferson County, was filled with South Caro- linians.

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History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II, Part 63

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