USA > Alabama > Memorial record of Alabama. A concise account of the state's political, military, professional and industrial progress, together with the personal memoirs of many of its people. Volume I > Part 93
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Pensacola during the late war. B. A. Walker began life for himself at twenty years of age, overseeing and teaching school. On December 17, 1843, he was married to Miss M. D., daughter of James and Sarah Fer- rell, the former a native of Ireland, who came to South Carolina, thence to Alabama, where he died, in Montgomery county, in 1838. Mrs. Walker was born in Lancaster district, S. C., and is the mother of six children, of whom only one is living. The children were: William C., joined the First Alabama artillery, was captured at Fort Morgan, and died in prison, at Elmira, N. Y., March 19, 1865; Virginia Caroline, died at four- teen years of age; John F., the only one living, is his father's chief clerk; the next two died in infancy; Malcolm E., died, leaving a wife and one child. Judge Walker has lived in what is now Crenshaw county ever since 1836, and followed farming until elected to the office of probate judge, in 1874. He was justice of the peace twenty years, until he was turned out by the republicans. He served his father as deputy tax col- lector of Lowndes county, and in 1866 was the state enumerator for that county. He has been probate judge since 1874, and has declined to be a candidate for re-election. He has always been an active worker for the public good, and for twenty-five years he has been a regularly ordained minister of the Primitive Baptist church. His father had a brother who was a very celebrated Methodist Episcopal minister, who preached in South Carolina and Georgia, and died in the latter state.
CULLMAN COUNTY.
JOHN GOTTFRIED CULLMANN, general manager of the North Alabama Land and Immigration company, Cullman, Ala., was born on the Rhine in Bavaria, July 2, 1823, son of John G. and Julia (Schneider) Cullmann. The father was a school-teacher in Rhine-Bavaria, and the son was a man finely educated; came to America in 1865, settled in New York state, but remained there a short time only. Thence he went to Philadelphia for a short time, and then to Cincinnati, where he remained about three or four years, and was engaged in a book store; next for about two years he traveled over the United States and visited the different German colonies in America, with the view of gaining information for the establishing of a colony in Alabama, and in 1871, arrived at Florence, where he met the Hon. Robert M. Patton, ex-governor, who taking an interest in Mr. Cullmann and his enterprise, furnished horses and men to explore the country, which led to the establishing of a German colony. Col. Cullmann remained in Florence for about one year, when he went to Tuscumbia, and there remained twelve months. Having met in December, 1872, Mr. Fink, of the North & South railroad, and with him traveled over the L. & H. railroad, and having succeeded, through Mr. Fink, in closing a contract with that railroad company for about 349,000 acres of land, an arrangement was made by which Col. Cullmann should pay all the
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expense of advertising and those incident to the bringing to America of the desired immigration for this particular territory. In 1873 Col. Cullmann located where now stands the town of Cullman; at the start, a small colony of fourteen German families, and proceeded to lay out the town which thenceforth had an existence. Col. John G. Cullmann has done more since he came to Alabama toward building up and advancing the interests of Alabama and the south than any other twenty men in the state. He has brought into the state and located over 100,000 people, and all under his immediate supervision. His son, Otto, came to America in 1878, and was associated with his father for sometime in the manage- ment of the Cullman Land company, but unfortunately Otto died in 1884, at the age of twenty-six. An elder son, Theodore, however, had been associated with him also, and was one of the original founders of Cullman. He was a young man of extraordinary attainments, and died in 1873, at the age of twenty-six years. Col. Cullmann received a thorough education in his native country, and was there a man of marked influence. He was a wholesale merchant and exported large quantities of goods to America, but entertaining some ideas not compatible with those of the German government, and being a fearless advocate of his principles, he was soon in the midst of a revolution, at least in an attempt at a revolution, and he acquired his title of colonel, at that time by being as he says, for the period of one day in the command of a regiment of revolutionists. In 1878 Col. Cullmann entered into additional contracts with the L. &. N. railroad company, whereby he came into possession of 500,000 acres of land, lying along the railroad between Decatur and Montgomery, and to the sale and settlement of these lands he gave his special attention. In January, 1886. he organized the North Alabama Land company, with a paid up capital of $150,000. In May of the same year he made a trip to Europe in the interest of immigration, and returned in the fall to find the North Alabama "boom" at its highest tide. Seeing his opportunity, in February, 1888, he organized the North Alabama Land and Immigration company with a capital of $2,500,000, and the company at one time owned 160,000 acres of land and 1,000 lots in Cullman. In 1876 he founded Gar- den City. He also located immigrants in all settlements along the rail- road and at other places in the state. He was invited by Gov. Houston, during that gentleman's administration, to formulate a plan of immigration. This he proceeded to do, and the plan, though adopted by the senate, was defeated in the house. At the succeeding session of the legislature the bill was again before the general assembly and was at that time adopted by the house, but was defeated by the senate. Col. Cullmann has-and will carry with him to the grave-a large scar on his forehead that was made by the hand of an assassin. In 1874 some rough characters, thinking that the building up of the town in their midst might operate in time to interfere with thir vile practices, decided to put a stop to its growth by removing its founder. The villain attacked Col. Cullmann
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with a huge knife, plunging it twice in his forehead, destroying a large portion of the skull, and exposing the brain. The villain made his escape, but it is gratifying to know that he ended his life at the end of a rope in Macon. Ga., for horse stealing. In 1846, Col. Cullmann was united . in marriage, in his native country, with a Miss Josephine Loew; this union was blessed with four children. The colonel and his wife are members of the Evangelical Protestant church, while he is a member of the Masonic order. The colonel was, even before coming to America, a democrat, and while he has been solicited on many occasions to become a candidate he never would allow his name to be used in connection with any office, but is a man that wields a large influence and is one of the hardest workers in the county, during a campaign. He is an active, energetic, wide-awake and progressive citizens. in full sympathy with the progress of Alabama and its people. He is a substantial supporter of all legitimate enterprises, schools, churches and all charitable institutions, and has done more than any other man of foreign birth in the state to build up its material interest.
SUTTON L. FULLER, one of the most prominent attorneys at the Cullman county bar, was born April 1, 1855, a son of Flemming and Minerva (Simms) Fuller, both natives of Greenville district, S. C. The father grew to manhood in South Carolina, but came to Alabama in 1832, and settled in what is now Morgan county. In 1847, he married Miss Simms, whose father came to Alabama in 1837, and mother in 1847. Mr. Simms was al- ways a sturdy farmer and remained in Cullman county until his death. He and his wife were both members of the Baptist church. As a soldier in the late war he enlisted in 1863 in Capt. Stephen's company, but served only a short time, when he was discharged on account of disabil- ities, and died in 1865. He was a son of Jonathan and Jane (Hodges) Fuller. The father, a native of Georgia. the mother of South Carolina. Mrs. Minerva Fuller was a daughter of Joel and Elizabeth (McGlathrey) Simms, both natives of South Carolina. These parents came to Alabama, in 1812, and settled in Morgan county, Joel having been a captain in the war of that year. Sutton L. Fuller having been left an orphan in 1865, and the war having just closed, he was deprived of the benefit of any schooling to amount to much, but an older brother and sister assisted him in the primary department of learning. He remained on the farm on which he had been reared till 1875, when he engaged in the real estate and lumber business in Cullman and the hotel business at the same time, but soon dropped the latter and devoted his time and attention solely to real estate, which has made him one of the largest land owners in the county. In 1875 he married Evelyn E. Hubert of Cincinnati, Ohio. This union resulted in seven children, six of whom are living: Asa V., Nellie M., Harry L., Dwight K., Forney and Evelyn. The mother was a native of Cincinnati, and daughter of John G. and Jane (Moore) Hubert, both natives of Ohio. Both he and his wife were members of the Baptis
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church. Mr. Fuller is a member of the K. of P. He was very fortunate in his marriage, as his wife was an educated lady and she instilled the idea of an education into his mind. He first began to read stories, and by this means aroused an appetite for study, and after he had had a family of four children he began to attend school and sat on the same bench with his own children, but at the same time was one of the trustees of the school. He was a hard student and an apt scholar and rapidly rose. In 1879 he took up the study of the law and was admitted in the land courts the same year. He has been a hard student in this branch of learning, and is what may truthfully be said a self-made man. In 1890 he successfully passed an examination and was admitted to practice in the county and state courts. He served two terms on the board of ald- ermen of Cullman county, and his wife was postmistress at Cullman during Cleveland's administration. He began life without a dollar but is now one of the largest land owners of the county, and has the satisfac- tion of knowing that it was all made by his own industry. For several years he was engaged in the settlement of lands in Kansas, Nebraska. Wyoming and Dakota, and was the starter of nearly all the small towns on the Burlington & Quincy railroad, from Lincoln and Omaha, west through the above named states, and a general locater of soldiers' warrants for land through to California. These settlements were made by Mr. Fuller, through a contract with the C., B. & Q. R. R., and have netted him a large amount of money. He is one of the substantial citizens of the county, and all kinds of enterprises, for the good of Cullman county or for the state of Alabama, are always sure to find in him a hearty supporter. Beside being one of the largest land owners in Alabama he also owns large tracts of land in California, Washington, Minnesota, Oregon, Col- orado and many other states. He is decidedly the recognized authority on all land laws in the state.
J. W. WILSON, one of the most prominent business men of Bremen, was born here in 1849, a son of William L. and Elizabeth (Blackburn) Wilson, the former a native of South Carolina and the latter of Alabama. The father was a son of Allen and Nancy (Cantrell) Wilson and came with his parents to Alabama when two years of age, or in 1825, was raised on a farm in Blount and Carroll counties and received a liberal ed- ucation. He taught school two years and has been a local southern Methodist Episocpal minister about forty-eight years. He was elected and served six years as probate judge of Jefferson county during the late war He is a royal arch Mason. Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson was a daughter of Joel and Anna Frey Blackburn, both born and reared in Tennessee, but who came to Alabama sometime in the early part of the century and opened up a farm where Mr. Blackburn remained till his death. J. W. Wilson was reared on a farm till eighteen yeasr of age. He had attended the best schools, received a liberal education, and at the age of eighteen
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accepted a clerkship with Wilson & Martin at Elyton, remained three years, then went on a farm and remained four years, and at the age of twenty. seven he and brother, J. E. Wilson, formed a partnership and engaged in the mercantile business under the firm name of Wilson Bros., at Birming- ham and remained fifteen years, when he sold out to his brother and moved to Bremen, where he has since been engaged in farming, merchandising and the gin and milling business .. In 1871, November 15, he married Sarah L. Sadler, daughter of Isaac W. Sadler, a native of North Carolina, and Martha Prude Sadler, a native of Alabama, but who were early pioneers settlers of Jefferson county. Of their seven children, two are living: Allena and Anna E. The mother was born in 1849 and raised in Jeffer- son county. Mr. Wilson is a Free Mason, and with his wife, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church south. He is one of the live and wide- awake business men of the county and he and family are well respected by all who know them.
DALE COUNTY.
JOSEPH A. ADAMS, editor and proprietor of the Southern Star, was born in 1870 at Newton, Dale county, Ala. He is a son of Joseph A. and Annie L. (Kirksey) Adams. The former was a native of Georgia, born in Stewart county in 1843. He came with his parents to Opelika, Lee county, Ala., where in 1857 he began his career as printer and publisher, by entering the office of the Opelika Democrat, a weekly paper. He continued in this office, becoming master of the printer's art, until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in the Fifth Alabama infantry as a private soldier. His health becoming unsettled, he spent some time under the doctors' care but was on duty when his health would permit. In this way he went through the war, participating in several heavy bat- tles and numerous skirmishes, serving the cause to the best of his ability. After the cessation of hositilities he located at Newton, Ala., and was engaged on the Newton Times, a well ordered little paper of Dale county, devoted to the "lost cause", and to the general welfare of southeastern Alabama. After a short time he purchased the Newton Times, assumed full control and began at once to build up the fallen interests of this part of the state. Subsequently he was elected to the office of clerk of the court, attending to his official duties at the same time that he edited his paper. The court house being destroyed by fire in 1869, the county seat was removed in 1870 to Ozark, and Mr. Adams removed his paper to that point, changing the name of the paper from the Newton Times to The Southern Star. He held the office of clerk of the courts twelve con- secutive years and he was also elected to the office of mayor for a num- ber of years. He was very energetic and public spirited and was well and favorably known in southeastern Alabama. He was an acknowl- edged factor in building up the position of the state after the ravages
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of the war. His death occurred February 4th, 1884, the result of a malady contracted in the service, and from which he never recovered The mother of Joseph A., Jr., was born at Cuthbert, Ga., in 1849. She was a daughter of W. H. and Sophia Kirksey. Her father was a manu- facturer of leather and a tanner, a Georgian by birth, and moved to Ala- bama in 1866. He settled in Newton, there established his leather busi- ness, continuing there until his death. He was a Mason and a member of the Missionary Baptist church. Mrs. Kirksey was born in South Caro- lina and was the youngest of eight children. She was married in her twentieth year, and became the mother of ten children, five of whom now survive. She was a member of the Missionary Baptist church. She died in 1878 in the seventy-second year of her life. The mother of Joseph A. Adams grew to womanhood in Georgia, the state of her nativity. She was married at Newton in 1867, and is now the mother of seven chil- dren, six of whom are now living: William R. resides at home; Joseph A .; Jesse C., a railroad operator living at Union Springs, Ala.,; Laura B. deceased; Georgia E .; John Q. The mother of these children is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, south. Mr. J. A. Adams was married October 11th, 1891. to Miss C. A. B. Edwards, daughter of Dr. David Edwards, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. She was born in Dale county in 1872. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south. Mr. Adams is a member of the Masonic fra- ternity, and since the death of his father, which occurred when he was fifteen years old, has been editor and manager of the Southern Star. Under his management the paper has grown in size and circulation, and is now the leading democratic paper in Dale counrty. The Star is pub- lished without fear of any one or favor to high or low, and is doing its utmost toward the up-building of southeastern Alabama. Personally Mr. Adams is cordial and genial in his manner, and has friends on every hand. His popularity is due to his frank open manner, to his general good humor, and to many other commendable traits of character. He is the father of a boy, born July 7th, 1892.
ANGUS B. BYRD, sheriff of Dale county, was born in Dale county, Ala., November 22, 1855. He is a son of Curtis and Elizabeth (Harper) Byrd, the former of whom was born in North Carolina, June 20, 1813. In 1828 he moved with his parents to Alabama, by wagon, and settled one mile east of where Ozark is now situated. Here a farm was entered, cleared and cultivated, the family living in part, and sometimes in large part, upon game shot or caught in the woods, such as bear, deer, etc. Curtis Byrd was a slave holder in a small way, freeing eleven slaves at the close of the war. Early in life he united with the Missionary Baptist church, of which he is still a member. He finds a comfortable home with his son, Angus B. His wife was a native of Georgia, where she grew to womanhood. She was a daughter of Judge Harper, who was at one time judge of probate of Dale county. She was married in her twenti-
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eth year, and was the mother of fourteen children, eight of whom reached maturity and six of whom still survive. Early in life she united with the Missionary Baptist church, and remained a consistent member thereof until her death, which occurred October 23, 1889. Angus B. Byrd grew up on the farm, and received a somewhat limited education. Upon arriving at manhood he engaged in farming, and has continued in that occupation ever since. He was married in his nineteenth year to Miss Callie Chalker, daughter of William and Rebecca Chalker, the for- mer of whom was a native of Warren county, Ga., and who in an early day moved to Russell county, Ala., settling near the river, and a few years later moving near the town of Ozark, where he has lived ever since. Mrs. Chalker was also a native of Georgia, was married in that. state when in her eighteenth year, and was the mother of fourteen chil- dren, twelve of whom still survive. She is a member of the Methodist. Episcopal church, south. Mrs. Byrd was born in Dale county, and there grew to womanhood. Her educational advantages were the best the country afforded at that time. She married in 1875, in her nineteenth year, and has two children. viz. : Alberta, born August 30, 1877, and Mary Emma, born December 17, 1878. She united with the Methodist Episcopal church, south, while yet young, and has ever since been a consistent member of that church. In 1888 Mr. Angus B. Byrd was elected sheriff of Dale county, which office he has filled ever since, to the general satis- faction of the public. He has always taken an active interest in the advancement of home industries, contributing liberally to the support of church and school, and assisting to secure the building of the railroad through this place. In 1891 he was elected to a membership in the municipal board, without any solicitation on his part, and without opposi- tion, and his sentiments are such with reference to internal economy that he must naturally be found on the side of progress.
THOMAS A. BYRD .- This native-born and enterprising merchant and farmer of Dale county, Ala .. was born at Newton, September 18, 1840, and is a son of Burtis and Mary (Anderson) Byrd. Burtis Byrd was a. native of North Carolina, born in 1814, but in 1830 came to Alabama, and located in Dale county, near the present town of Newton, began farming and married. Shortly afterward he moved to Barbour county to avoid the depredations of troublesome Indians. When the Indians had been removed to the west of the Mississippi river he returned to Dale county, and erected the first business building in Newton, and in company with R. Yelverton laid in a stock of general merchandise. He then, in order to facilitate trade, put in circulation a petition for the building of a bridge over the Choctawhatchee river, but the settlers were slow to subscribe to the scheme, when Mr. Byrd constructed the bridge at his own expense, and demanded toll for passengers until the enterprise had paid for itself, when the gates were torn down and the bridge made free. In 1848, Mr. Byrd moved to Honeytown, near the present town of Ozark, and bought
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a farm. He was elected sheriff of Dale county three times on the demo- cratic ticket, and was the incumbent of that office at the time of his death, which occurred in 1852. Mrs. Mary (Anderson) Byrd was born in South Carolina, in 1816, came to Alabama with her parents, in 1820, and was married in Dale county, in her seventeenth year. Of her ten children, seven grew to maturity, and six still survive. She, like her husband, was a devout member of the Missionary Baptist church, in which faith she died, in 1889, in her seventy-third year. Her father erected the first frame and painted house in Dale county, the lumber for which was cut with a whipsaw; he also erected the first mill in the county. Thomas A. Byrd was reared on the home farm, and secured a sound general edu- cation. At the age of twenty he enlisted in the Confederate army, April 23, 1861, in the Seventh Alabama infantry, which was assigned to Gen. Bragg's army. At the end of his term of enlistment, for one year, he returned to his home, and enlisted in the Fifty-third Alabama cavalry, under Col. Hannan, and took part in all its marches and engagements until the battle of Noonday creek, when he was shot through the ankle with a rifle ball. Returning home, he worked the first year after his recovery on his mother's plantation, and then went to Crenshaw county, where he lived two years on a farm. Returning to Dale county in 1869, he bought a tract of 120 acres, to which he has added from time to time, and now owns and cultivates a tract of 520 acres. In 1891, in company with his son, Edward R., he opened a general store in Daleville, in which the transactions amount to $20,000 or $30,000 per annum. The marriage of Mr. Byrd took place October 19, 1865, to Miss Catherine Mullens, daugh- ter of Lewis and Catherine Mullens. The lady was born in Dale county, in 1845, and she is now the happy mother of twelve children, born in the following order: Fannie E., wife of J. Ellis, of Coffee county, Ala .; Ben- jamin B., who married Miss Ella Stephens, and who also resides in Coffee county; Edward R., in partnership with his father; Mary E .; Hattie B .; Mattie; Cora O .; Georgia; Edward L .; Wilhelmite; Dovey, and Tommie (a baby girl). Mr. and Mrs. Byrd and four of the adult members of their family are members of the Missionary Baptist church. In 1871, Mr. Byrd was made a Mason, and now affiliates with Dadeville lodge, No. 144. While he has never been an aspirant for public office, he was nevertheless elected by the democrats, in 1889, to the office of county commissioner, which position he filled one term with credit to himself and satisfaction to the citizens. He is public spirited and pro- gressive, and his business reputation is without a blemish.
JAMES M. CODY, a business man of Midland City, Ala., was born at Spring Hill, Barbour county, Ala., July 19, 1860. He is a son of Michael and Fannie (Thornton) Cody, the former of whom was one of the best known men in his section of the country. He was born in Warren county, Ga., in 1837, and grew up in Early county, Ga., whither his father had moved. In his twenty-first year his parents moved to Bullock county,
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MEMORIAL RECORD OF ALABAMA.
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