History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II, Part 67

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 67

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REFERENCES .- Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1915, pp. 271-207; ibid, 1919, pp. 218- 225; Department of Archives and History, Bul- letin No. 3, (1904) ; The Mobile Register, Sept. 2, 1907; Mss. data in Alabama State Depart- ment of Archives and History.

NEWTON. Post office and incorporated town in the south-central part of Dale County, on the main line of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, about 10 miles south of Ozark. Al- titude: 216 feet. Population: 1872-500; 1888-600; 1890-520; 1900-457; 1910- 524. It has the Farmers & Merchants Bank (State). From 1845 to 1869, it was the county seat of Dale County. Among the early settlers were the Mathews, Windham, Jones, Yelverton and Ward families. It is located near the southern bank of Choctawhatchee River, and in the fertile lands of the river bottom.

REFERENCES .- Brewer, Alabama (1872), p. 205; Polk's Alabama gazetteer, 1888-9, p. 623.

NEWVILLE. Post office and incorporated town, on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, in the southwest part of Henry County, and about 15 miles southwest of Abbeville. Pop- ulation: 1912-522. The Farmers State Bank is located there. It was originally the Wells Settlement, and was so known, until the railroad established its station in 1892 and called it Newville. The Wells family were the earliest settlers, and owned the land on which the town is built.

REFERENCES .- Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1915; Manuscript data in the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

NICKAJACK. A point in Tennessee, hav- ing much connection with Cherokee Indian History. The trail from Gunter's Village to the Middle Tennessee settlements, and to Tel- lico Block House, the present Knoxville, led by here. The place is referred to in many early accounts of north Alabama history, and has direct connection therewith.

REFERENCES .- Mss. data in Alabama Depart- ment of Archives and History.

NINE ISLAND CREEK. See Sipsey River.

NINNIPASKULGI. A small Upper Creek village, probably an off-shoot from Talasi. The common name of these people were "road runners." It is not known whether the name signifies that or not.

During the Indian disturbances of 1836 these people were friendly. They had for- merly joined with Tukabatchi on the side of the whites in the War of 1836. Little is known of their history.

REFERENCES .- Mss. data in the Alabama State Department of Archives and History; Wood- ward, "Reminiscences" (1859).

NITA ABE. A bluff on the east side of Mobile River, mentioned by Romans, and apparently only a few miles below the con- fluence of the Tombigbee and the Alabama Rivers. The word is Nita abe, meaning "bear killer."

REFERENCE .- Romans, Florida (1775), p. 333.

NITA ALBANI BOK. This place name means Barbecued Bear Creek. "Nita," bear, "alhani," barbecued. In rapidity of speech Nitalbani as De Crenay's writes it. It is either McCant's Creek, or the one just below it, both of which empty into the Alabama River, on its east side, just above Bill's Landing in Monroe County.

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

NITAHAURITS, or FORT A L'OURS. An Alibamu town, forming the lowest principal settlement of that tribe on the Alabama River. The earliest reference is on Danville's Map, 1732, on which it is located at the ex- treme northern point of a great semi-circular bend, with a creek from the north emptying into the river very near the fort. This loca- tion places it on the west side of Mulberry Creek, near its junction with the river, and in Dallas County. Apart from the references on these maps and on later maps of 1776 and 1784, there is little known of this place. It had certainly disappeared before Hawkins' time, since it is not listed in his Sketch of the Creek Country.

The word is sometimes written Nita Holihta. The word is Nita, "bear," holihta.

Circ.

Estab. Cols. Width Depth

Sub.

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"fort," that is, "bear fort." The word is Choctaw, and was doubtless given by mem- bers of that tribe on their voyages up and down the river. It has been suggested that it was Mobilian, but this conjecture is im- probable since their tribe had moved its seats farther down the river at this period. The location suggested in the foot-note on p. 138 of the Transactions of the Alabama History Society, in which it is placed near the influx of Tallewassee Creek, is doubtless incorrect, since it is in conflict with the location on Danville's Map.

REFERENCE. - Hamilton, Colonial Mobile (1910), pp. 188-190; Ala. Hist. Society, Tran- sactions, 1897-1898, vol. 2, p. 138; Handbook of American Indians (1910), vol. 2, p. 77; Lattre', Carte des Etates-Unis (1784); Jeffrey's Ameri- con Atlas (1776), Map 5.

NITAHOBACHI. Nitaubaché is the worn down form on De Crenay's map. The word means bear mimicker, "Nita," bear, "ho- bachi," to imitate, to mock, to mimic. It was the name applied to a locality on the east side of the Alabama, two or three miles above Benton, in Lowndes County.

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

NITRE. Large quantities of nitre are found in the limestone caves of northern Ala- bama. During the War much of it was used in the manufacture of gunpowder. The marks of the picks then used are still plainly to be seen in some of the caves.

See Nitre and Mining Bureau.

REFERENCES .- Smith and McCalley, Index to mineral resources of Alabama (Geol. Survey of Ala., Bulletin 9, 1904), p. 64.

NIUYAKA. An Upper Creek town in Tal- lapoosa County, situated on the left or south bank of the Tallapoosa River, and about 20 miles across country from Okfuski. Eagle Creek flows into the Tallapoosa near the town. The aboriginal name of the town has not been ascertained, but after the treaty of New York, between the federal government and the Creeks, August 7, 1790, it was given its present name. Although settled from Tuk- pafka as indicated below, on adopting their new location, they joined the Okfuski. Of the town and its inhabitants Hawkins says: "These people lived formerly at Tote-pauf- cau (spunk-knot), on Chat-to-ho-che, and moved from thence in 1777. They would not take part in the war between the United States and Great Britain, and determined to retire from their settlements, which, through the rage of war, might feel the effects of the resentment of the people of the United States, when roused by the conduct of the red people, as they were placed between the combatants. The town is on a flat, border- ing on the river; the adjoining lands are broken or waving and stony; the growth is pine, oak and hickory. The flat strips of land on the river, above and below, are gen- erally narrow; the adjoining land is broken, with oak, hickory and pine. The branches

all have reed; they have a fine ford at the upper end of the town; the river is one hun- dred and twenty yards wide. Some of the people have settled out from the town, and they have good land on Inn-nook-fau creek. which joins the right side of the river, two miles below the town."

REFERENCES .- Hawkins, Sketch of the Creek Country (1848), pp. 45, 46; Gatschet, in Ala- bama History Commission, Report (1901) p. 404; Handbook of American Indians (1910), vol. 2, p. 77.

NOBLE INSTITUTE. Private school for the education of girls, located at Anniston. This institution was established in 1886 by the late Samuel Noble as a day school for girls. In accordance with his plans, his widow and children erected an adjoining building in 1889 which is used as a dormitory for boarding pupils. These buildings are of stone and brick, and equipped throughout with steam heat, and are well lighted and ventilated. "The aim of the school is to give a thorough preparation for college, and to offer a course of instruction to students who do not intend to enter college." Pri- mary and collegiate preparatory courses are offered.

The school has an excellent library and a good corps of instructors. At different times the following scholarships have been awarded: Wilmer, Spaulding, Tyler, and Grace Church.

Presidents: Elinor Otey Anderson, 1900- 1902; Miss Matilda Gray and Ethal Moore, co-presidents since 1902.

REFERENCES .- Catalogues 1899-1910; Circular of Information issued in 1907; circular of illustration, 1907.

NON SECTARIAN CHURCHES OF BIBLE FAITH. The result of the teachings of Elder Lyman H. Johnson, of New England ances- try, a graduate of Beloit college, Wis., and Union theological seminary, New York City, who believed that evil resulted from sectari- anism. and from the organizations of the different denominations. He served as a minister in the Presbyterian and Congrega- tional churches and preached strongly against the evils of denominationalism. After 1865 he preached as an independent evan- gelist. He began in 1868, at Beloit, Wis., the publication of the "Stumblingstone"

dedicated to the establishment of "The Origi- nal Church of Christ, without man's organi- zations, sects, or carnal observances." degrees his views were accepted, small con- By gregations were gathered, and headquarters were establishd in Boston. Mr. Johnson moved later to Toledo, Ohio, where he con- tinued the publication of his paper, at the same time having a general oversight of the churches. He died in 1917.

They have no general ecclesiastical organi- zation and no head over individual members is recognized but Christ. The elders have no ecclesiastical authority being regarded simply as teachers.

They hold the Bible to be the divinely in- spired rule of faith and practice. They

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believe in the Trinity, the vicarious atone- ment of Christ, the baptism of the Holy spirit as the antitype of water baptism, a final judg- ment, and an eternal heaven and hell. Alabama Statistics .- 1916.

Number of organizations, 6.

Number of organizations reporting, 6.

Total number members reported, 166.

Number of organizations reporting, 6.

Total number members reported (Male), 62.

Total number members reported (Female), 104.

Church edifices, 3.

Halls, etc., 2.

Number of church edifices reported, 3.

Number of oragnizations reporting, 3.

Value reported, $2,600.

Total number of organizations, 6.

Number of organizations reporting, 1. Amount of debt reported, $20.

Number of organizations reporting, 2.

Amount of expenditures reported, $200.

Number of organizations reporting, 2.

Number of Sunday Schools reported, 2. Number of officers and teachers, 5.

Number of scholars, 68.

REFERENCES .- U. S. Bureau of the census, religious bodies, 1916, pts. 1 and 2.

NORMAL SCHOOLS. Schools for the spe- cial training of teachers. The importance of training teachers professionally received early attention throughout the United States. Those charged with the organization of the public school system in Alabama realized its importance and necessity. Lack of funds, and four years of war, however, doubtless prevented definite effort for the organization of separate schools for teacher instruction, contemporaneously with the founding of the public school system.

The reorganization of the educational sys- tem of the State, following the adoption of the reconstruction constitution of 1868, wit- nessed the first effort at the establishment of normal schools. The State Board of Educa- tion, August 11, 1868, provided for the open- ing of schools in Mobile, Montgomery, Hunts- ville, Selma, Talladega, Eufaula, Athens, Tus- cumbia, Marion and Evergreen, with classes of not less than 15 pupils, "who may desire to become fitted for the occupation of teach- ers, to which class instruction shall be given in the most approved methods of teaching, and opportunities of practice afforded in the instruction of pupils of less advanced grades in the common schools." In 1869 Dr. N. B. Cloud, State Superintendent of Education, reported that nine normal classes, with 300 pupils, had been taught at six different points during 1868. The classes were not a suc- cess, according to contemporary official crit- icism.

In 1870 these schools were abolished, and in their place the board established seven normal schools for training white teachers, and six for colored teachers. The Governor declined to approve the bill. On December 20, 1871, the board enacted that there should be four white normal schools at Talladega,

Tuscumbia, Scottsboro and Midway, and four normal schools for negroes at Montgomery, Huntsville, Marion and Sparta. The fore- going schools were not all organized, but de- tails are not available.

There are now in the State six normal schools for the training of white teachers, and three for negroes. The former are as fol- lows, with dates of original enactment: Flor- ence, December 14, 1872; Livingston, Feb- ruary 22, 1883; Jacksonville, February 22, 1883; Troy, February 26, 1887; Daphne, March 4, 1909; and Moundville, August 13, 1907.

The negro schools include the State Nor- mal School for Colored Students at Montgom- ery, originally established at Marion, Decem- ber 6, 1873; the Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes at Normal, originally es- tablished at Huntsville, December 9, 1873, and the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial In- stitute, chartered February 10, 1881.

Negro Normals .- The old State Board of Education projected many negro normal schools, but two only of these survive, name- ly, Montgomery and Normal. Tuskegee was given State support later. These schools, just as the white schools of the same class, have developed their real functions as teacher- training agencies in only a limited way. Not- withstanding the white normal schools were placed under a central board in 1911, the negro normals remain as originally consti- tuted. In the matter of support the negro schools have not only received appropriations from the State, but they have also been the recipient of liberal gifts from the Peabody and Slater funds, from the General Educa- tion Board, from private individuals, and of public land grants from the United States.

Scope and Activities .- The development of the normal schools had not realized the fun- damental purpose for which they were de- signed. In discussing the subject Clark, His- tory of Education in Alabama (1889), p. 253, declares that "Technically speaking, there is not now, nor bas there been in this State, a strictly normal school, that is, a school of high grade, devoted exclusively to the instruction of persons, adopting teaching as a profession. The nearest approach to it is the excellent school at Florence.

There are and have been several schools, in various parts of the State; but these were generally, if not in every case, attachments made to academies and seminaries already established, and are, in fact, normal classes or departments, in which special instruction in the art of teaching is given."

This condition prompted the newly cre- ated State Normal School Board to assert in its first report that the white normal schools were established "ostensibly as teacher- training schools, but really as institutions of secondary grade in which all who entered might receive instruction regardless whether or not they wished to prepare them- selves for teaching.

"This state of affairs was due not to any fault of the Normal school but to state-wide educational conditions, and could be changed

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only hy the building up of a good system of secondary schools, thereby relieving the nor- mal schools of the necessity of giving aca- demic courses for those who had no idea of teaching."

Therefore, the board entered upon the spe- cific task of reorganizing the normal schools, requiring them to perform their real func- tions as teacher-training agencies in provid- ing teachers for the elementary, rural, vil- lage, and small-town schools of the state. On March 28, 1914, a definite declaration was adopted, defining the purpose and functions of these schools. Model schools were re- quired to be conducted, their work being limited to the seven elementary grades. Plans were projected for the use of the ele- mentary public schools of the towns or cities in which the normal schools are located for practice schools. The six white normal schools were placed in two classes: Class A, Florence, Jacksonville, Livingston and Troy, and Class B, Daphne and Moundville. The state was subdivided into normal districts, to which the schools were restricted in their active campaign for students. Finally it was declared that since educational conditions in Alabama were not such as to warrant an in- crease in the entrance requirements of the normal schools to two years of high school work the requirements should continue as one year.

In its latest report, for 1919, the board defines the scope of the normal school work in Alabama to be two years of professional training over and above the academic train- ing to be had by the completion of the four year high school course. In the same report the declaration is made that the normal school bear precisely the same relation to teaching efficiency as the training camp hears to efficiency and direction in the army.

Supervision .- At first all of the normal schools were under separate or independent boards of trustees or directors, with large powers. They were largely irresponsible in that they were without supervision, but later reports were required to be made to the superintendent of education. Details of man- agement will be found discussed in connec- tion with sketches of the several schools.

The suggestion had heen made from time to time that the whole machinery of super- vision of the normal schools should be re- organized, in order to avoid duplication, for the coordination and correlation of work, and to secure generally a better accomplishment of the things these schools were specially designed to do. On April 18, 1911, the leg- islature created a board, consisting of the governor and the superintendent of educa- tion ex-officio, and six members to be ap- pointed by the governor for one, two, three, four, five and six year terms of office re- spectively, for the government, regulation and control of the several white normal schools of the state. The trustees were re- quired to visit school at least once during each scholastic year, to classify the schools, and as far as possible to require the same course of study, and the same educational

standards and ideals for the several schools. Power was given to elect the presidents, other officials, the professors, teachers and em- ployees and to fix their salaries. A quadren- nial report was required to be made to the legislature. The board was charged spe- cially with the duty of providing "summer training courses for teachers, thus realizing the importance of keeping these schools open at all times, for the training and improvement of the public school teachers of Alabama." The law was amended September 25, 1915, enlarging the powers of the board, by confer- ring the power to acquire real and personal property, to exercise the right of eminent do- main, to dispose of the property of the schools, and to borrow money.

Support .- The appropriations for the sev- eral schools were at first small, and without uniformity. Details will be found in the sketches of these schools. About 1900 the legislature appears to have reached an agree- ment whereby the maintenance was made the same for the several schools. In 1901 the Florence, Jacksonville, Livingston and Troy each received $7,500, in 1903, $10,000, 1907, $15,000, and 1911, $20,000. The Class B schools at Daphne and at Moundville, from their establishment in 1907 to 1911 received $2,500 each, and since 1911, $5,000 annu- ally. These amounts were fixed appropria- tions, and do not include various sums ap- propriated by the legislature from time to time for buildings, improvements, etc., etc.

REFERENCES .- Clark, History of Education in Alabama (1889), p. 253; Weeks, History of Public School Education in Alabama (1915), p. 155; Monroe, Cyclopedia of Education, vol. 4, p. 481, and vol. 5, pp. 515-523; General Acts, 1911, p. 494; 1915, p. 846; Normal School Board, Reports, 1915 and 1919, and Rules and Regu- lations, 1915.

NORTH ALABAMA BAPTIST COLLE- GIATE INSTITUTE. A school for boys and girls, located at Danville, Morgan County, es- tablished by the three Associations, Liberty, Muscle Shoals and Big Bear Creek, and char- tered by the legislature of Alabama during the session of 1892-93, the Act of incorpo- ration heing approved February 21, 1893.

The object of the school was to give to the young people of the denomination educa- tional advantages of a high order, and to prepare teachers, but the support was inade- quate for maintenance and the school was short lived.

The Trustees were appointed by the three Associations named in the Act of incorpora- tion, the basis of representation being stated therein, the terms of office fixed for one, two and three years, one-third expiring annually. Diplomas were granted to students complet- ing the prescribed course of study. The trustees were authorized to accept gifts, he- quests and grants to the amount of $50,000 for an endowment fund, the same to be in- vested in safe securities, the interest alone to be used for the support of the school and to be exempt from taxation.

The first president was Rev. Josephus

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HISTORY OF ALABAMA

Shackelford, D. D., who was also Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy and Greek. The course of study was divided into five de- partments, from primary to collegiate, and the courses were so arranged that two years were allowed for the completion of the work in each department.

REFERENCES .- Circulation literature in the Department of Archives and History.

NORTH ALABAMA CONFERENCE COL- LEGE. See Birmingham-Southern College.

NORTH ALABAMA TRACTION COM- PANY. A public utility corporation, incor- porated in 1904, under the laws of Alabama, as a reorganization of Decatur Street Rail- way Co .; capital stock authorized and out- standing, $75,000; shares, $50; property --- 7.63 miles of electric street railway in De- catur and Albany (New Decatur), with power plant and equipment; franchise expires in 1933; offices: New Decatur.

REFERENCE .- Poor's manual of public utilities, 1916, p. 478.

NORTH EAST AGRICULTURAL AND IN- DUSTRIAL INSTITUTE. (Lineville.) A State school founded for the education of boys and girls, young men and young women, both theoretically and practically, in the sci- ence of agriculture, farm mechanics, domes- tic science and art. Elementary and high school departments are maintained, and courses are offered in agriculture, manual training, domestic science and art, music and art. The Grady Society and the Franklin Society are organized among the young men, and the Castalian and Tau Phi among the young women. Athletics is encouraged, but is subordinate to class room, shop and field work.

The school was chartered by the Legisla- ture March 31, 1911. It is under the govern- ment of a board of control consisting of the superintendent of education, commissioner of agriculture and industries, the governor, and two residents of the congressional district in which the school may be situated, all to be appointed by the governor. The act provided that "a suitable brick building, situated on a tract of land not less than ten acres in area" before it should go into effect, the building and land to be not less than $20,000.00 in value. The sum of $3,000.00 annually was appropriated for the maintenance of the school. The institute opened in the fall of 1911.

This school is built on the foundation of the old Lineville College, chartered February 14, 1891. The incorporators were Dr. W. H. Blake, W. P. Arnett, Isaac N. Morgan, Wil- liam Smith, W. D. Haynes. The school was co-educational, and maintained a high stand- ard. After 20 years of successful work, its trustees decided to close its doors, and to permit a reorganization under State super- vision as above.

Its report to the Superintendent of Educa- tion, September 30, 1918, shows buildings and site valued at $25,000.00; equipment,

$650.00; 9 teachers; 387 pupils; a library of 650 volumes valued at $350.00; State appro- priation of $3,000.00; and miscellaneous re- ceipts, $5732.00.

REFERENCES .- Catalogues, 1911, 1917; Line- ville College, Catalogues, 1900-1911; Acts, 1890- 1891, p. 712; General Acts, 1911, p. 725.

NORTHERN ALABAMA COAL, IRON AND RAILWAY COMPANY. An industrial cor- poration, incorporated June 16, 1899, in New Jersey, as the Alabama Coal, Iron & Railway Co., and name changed as above in July, 1899; capital stock-$1,000,000 authorized; $502,000 outstanding; shares, $100; funded debt, $1,000,000; owns a blast furnace and iron ore lands in Talladega County; offices: Jersey City, N. J., and New York, N. Y.

The Northern Alabama Coal, Iron & Rail- way Co. acquired the assets of the Alabama Iron & Railroad Co., sold under foreclosure in June, 1899. The latter was originally the Talladega Iron & Steel Co.

REFERENCE .- Poor's manual of industrials, 1916, p. 2638.

NORTHERN ALABAMA GAS COMPANY. A public utility corporation, incorporated in 1904 in Alabama; capital stock authorized and outstanding, $150,000; shares, $100; funded debt, $145,000; property owned- gas plant, 25 miles mains, 754 meters, and other equipment necessary for supplying the cities of Florence, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia; annual output, 9,000,000 cubic feet; offices: Florence.

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History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II, Part 67

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