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 96
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which he purchased 160 acres of land. After the purchase he at once commenced to improve his farm, raised two crops and then rented it and entered the store of his brother, John R. Kelly, at Newton, as clerk with whom he worked for eight or ten months, when he went to Campbellton, Fla., and opened a branch store with a stock of general merchandise. In this business our subject was a full partner, and manager of the Florida store. In this connection he continued for three years, and then returned to Newton, consolidated the two stocks of goods, and worked as full partner until 1887, when he withdrew from the firm. He then removed to his farm near Midland City and opened a small commissary store for the use of his farm hands, and upon the advent of the railroad he put in a good stock of general merchandise, and at the present time carries a stock of from $3,000 to $6,000 worth of goods. He transacts from $30,000 to $40,000 worth of business a year. Mr. Kelly was married in 1879 to Miss Florence D. Bailey, daughter of Capt. P. M. Bailey. She was born in Dale county, was educated there and married in her twentieth year. She was the mother of two children, Pearl E. and Florence D. Early in life she united with the Methodist Episcopal church, south, in which con- nection she remained until her death, which occurred in December, 1883. In 1885 our subject was married to Miss Ella E. Shipper, daughter of Rev. J. L. Shipper, a Methodist minister, who has done much for south- eastern Alabama, many hundreds being been converted under his ministry. The wife of our subject was born in Dale county in 1864, and grew up in Alabama. Her educational advantages were of the best, as she attended the schools at Greenville and Tuskegee, Ala. She has been the mother of three children, two of whom are living: Jennie F. and the baby. Mrs. Kelly has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, ever since her eleventh year. Our subject took an active part in securing the construction of the Alabama Midland railroad, and is a stockholder in the company. It was through his efforts that the depot was built where it now stands, he giving the railroad company all the terminal facilities they wanted, in all fifty-three acres of ground. He has been very successful as a business man. He now owns a fine dwelling house, a large store building, and from 800 to 1,000 acres of land. He has always done his share of work in supporting moral and religious estab- lishments, and is highly honored by his fellow-citizens.
T. J. KILLEBREW, manufacturer, is a Georgian by birth. His parents, Marmaduke N. Killebrew and Maria L. Wiggins, were married A. D. 1839, in Warren county, Ga. Nine children blessed this union, the eldest of whom is Thomas J. His father was a planter, and in the interest of his business removed to the sparsely settled lands of Sumter county. In 1852 he again moved. this time to Clay county, where he lived until 1865, when he came to Alabama, settling in Dale county, two miles southwest of the little town of Newton, on the Choctawhatchee river. Here he en- gaged in farming, and soon bought a small mill, used as a grist mill, a
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rice mill and a cotton gin. In 1872 he associated his son, Thomas J. Killebrew, with himself in business, added a woolen mill, and began the manufacture of full stock jeans. In 1885 the firm, Killebrew & Son, was dissolved, the father retiring from business, having sold out his interest to the son, Thomas J. Killebrew. He then retired to his farm, and still survives in his seventy-ninth year. The mother of our subject was born in Warren county, Ga., in 1823, and there grew to womanhood. She was married in her nineteenth year, and is the mother of nine children, eight of whom are living. Early in life she united with the Methodist Epis- copal church, south, and still lives, in her seventy-second year. The subject of this sketch grew to manhood on the farm, having the best of educational advantages to be derived from private tutors. Under these he studied Latin, the higher mathematics, and the natural sciences, beside taking a course in English literature. Upon his arrival at man- hood the war broke out, and he entered the state militia for six months, in "Old Joe Brown's Pets," so called. He then enlisted in the Confeder- ate service and was assigned to the eastern army, serving most of the time during the war in garrison duty along the Atlantic coast, though he participated in the three days' battle of Bentonville. He was regularly discharged April 30, 1865, and given $150.50 in silver. This was all the money he had to get home and begin business with. Upon returning home he began farming, and made his first crop with nothing but a weed- ing-hoe. He continued farming six years, at the end of which time he became engaged in the woolen manufacture with his father. In 1885 he purchased his father's entire interest, and then began to enlarge and strengthen his manufacturing facilities, and has continued to improve them until the present time. In 1890 he erected a fine brick structure, 50x100 feet in size, which he now occupies as his factory, which has a capacity of 5,000 yards per month, of nine-ounce all wool jeans, and about 25,000 pounds of spun yarn. The machinery in this factory is of the most improved pattern, and about fifteen hands are employed. The power is supplied by an eighteen-foot overshot wheel. He commenced business with but $4,500, and has by his own efforts built up his business to its present magnitude. He has ready sale for all the goods he can manufacture, and has contracts for from three to eight months ahead. Now contemplates an enlargement of his plant, and so changing it as to enable to manufacture his wool into garments. Mr. Killebrew was mar- ried in September, 1865, to Miss Martha S. Blocker, daughter of Stephen S. and Rebecca (Rice) Blocker. Mrs. Killebrew was born and raised in southwest Georgia. She had the best of educational advantages, taking . a thorough literary course in the Southern Masonic Female college of Covington, Ga., graduating with first honors. She was married at twenty-three years of age, and now is the mother of eight children, seven of whom still live: Oscar D., a graduate in 1889 from Auburn college, and a civil engineer by profession; Miss Ida, educated principally in the
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Newton high school and graduated with extraordinary honors from Wesleyan Female college at Macon, Ga., taking the course in five months, the rules of the college having to be suspended in order to allow her to graduate in this short time, which was unprecedented in the history of the college; Adus E. ; Thomas J., Jr. ; Emmett S .; Albert R., and Lila. Mrs. Killebrew has most of her life been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south. Our subject erected a very handsome and com- modious residence in 1891, and now has one of the most elegant homes in Dale county. He took an active part in securing the railroad through Newton, taking stock in the company and loaning them money besides. He has usually been a stanch democrat in politics, and yet at certain times has occupied a somewhat neutral position. He has never sought political honors, devoting his entire time to his business, in connection with which he has a co-operative store, in which is carried about $1,500 worth of goods, which he gradually got together. Mr. Killebrew is one of the substantial men of Dale county, not only in a business way, but also socially and in church matters, he being a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south.
LEONIDAS W. KOLB, a prominent merchant of Ozark, was born in Jasper county, Ga., August 31, 1851. He is a son of David and Ann E. (Bass) Kolb, the former of whom was a native of South Carolina, and while young moved with his parents to Jones county, Ga., growing up there to manhood on a farm. Having but limited opportunities for secur- ing an education in school, he set about educating himself, and in this way obtained a good education. At the age of eighteen he became clerk in a store, and after a short time established himself in business on his own account in Leakville, Jasper county, Ga., continuing a partnership business until he was taken seriously ill, during which illness his partner sold out the business for cash and left the country. Being thus reduced in finances he moved to Newton county, Ga., and engaged in teaching school. He was soon elected tax collecter for Jasper county, and at the end of his term was re-elected. In 1858 he removed to Macon county, Ala., and taught school there four years, buying a farm and carrying ou his farm in connection with his teaching. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His death occurred December 27, 1864. The mother of our subject was a native of Virginia, born in Nottoway county, in 1824. Her father, John Bass, moved to Newton county, at an early day. He was a man of great prominence and influence, his advice being sought on frequent occasions. He represented his county in the legislature for eighteen consecutive years. The mother of our subject grew to womanhood in Newton county, Ga., received a good academic school education at Covington, Ga., and was married in her sixteenth year. She is the mother of nine children, seven girls and two boys. A brother of our subject enlisted in the army at the age of sixteen years, and fell in front of Atlanta, July 9, 1864, in his twentieth year. The sub-
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ject of this sketch was deprived of his father's care at an early age, and the care of the family, consisting of his mother, four sisters and himself, devolved upon him. Nothing daunted by this responsibility, he went to work upon the farm, which he operated successfully, saw that his sisters were educated, married and settled in homes of their own, and that his mother was amply provided for with all necessities and comforts for her old age. He then, at the age of thirty, left the farm and removed to Ozark in January, 1881. Here he formed a partnership with Mr. Blackman under the name of Blackman & Kolb, general merchants, and set about making his fortune and improving himself educationally as much as possible. By close and persistent study he soon became well informed in a commercial way, and continued in business until 1885, when he engaged as clerk with H. Z. Parker and son, a firm doing a business of from $40,000 to $50,000 per year. The son of Mr. Parker died in July, 1886, and as Mr. Parker was a farmer and knew nothing about the busi- ness, the full care and responsibility fell upon Mr. Kolb. He continued it successfully until 1889, when he established himself in the furniture business, his entire stock of furniture and coffins being totally destroyed by fire in February, 1891. He then took possession of the large brick store he now occupies with a mammoth stock, worth from $6,000 to $10,000, and where he has facilities for manufacturing a cheap grade of coffins in connection with furniture business. Mr. Kolb was married October 5, 1879, to Miss Mary E. Blackman, who was born near Ozark and grew to womanhood in this county. She was married in her twenty-fifth year, and died childless December 5, 1885. Mr. Kolb was then married February 13, 1887, to Miss Caswell Smith, daughter of Rev. Caswell Smith, a pioneer minister in the Misssionary Baptist church, and who was prominently identified with the settling of southeast Alabama, and with missionary work in the early day. He died January 29, 1892. Mrs. Kolb was the youngest of eight children, all of whom reached maturity. The wife of our subject was married in her twenty-second year, and has three children: Leonidas C., Mary E. and Mattie L. Mrs. Kolb is a member of the Missionary Baptist church. The subject of our sketch took a prominent part in the construction of the Alabama Midland railroad, and he was one of the most active in securing the water supply system of which Ozark is so proud. He takes a reasonable amount of interest in politics having been chairman of the county democratic com- mittee for several years. He is a member of Ozark lodge, No. 349, A. F. & A. M., is now district deputy grand master of I. O. O. F., and he has also served as noble grand. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, and carries a life insurance of $3,000 for the protection of his family in case of his early or untimely death.
W. H. LINDSEY, one of the most enterprising farmers and business men of Clopton, Dale county, Ala., was born in Crawford county, Ga., in 1852, one of the three children born to Benjamin and Mary B. (Jordan
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Lindsey. The father, a native of Georgia, was born in 1822, married about 1850, and came to Alabama in 1853. He purchased 670 acres in Henry county, and, being the owner of a large number of negroes, placed his land under cultivation. He was foully murdered by one of these slaves, who was later burned at the stake in expiation of his crime. Mrs. Mary B. Lindsey was born in Crawford county, Ga., in 1826, and was very highly educated. In early life she united with the Missionary Baptist church and lived fully up to its tenets until her death in July, 1892. W. H. Lindsey passed his early days on the farm, having been placed when young in the care of an uncle. He secured a sound education, taking a collegiate course at Beechwood, Va., and during and after his studies. taught school ten years. He then engaged in planting, which vocation he has followed ever since, now owning a plantation of about 1,200 acres. In December, 1890, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary B. Reynolds, a sister of Hon. R. J. Reynolds, whose name appears elsewhere in this work, and daughter of Charles J. Reynolds. The lady was born in Craw- ford county, Ga., January 6, 1850, but was early brought to Alabama by her parents. One child, James J., was born to this union, but is now
deceased. In politics, Mr. Lindsey is a stanch democrat, and was once the candidate of his party for the office of assessor of Dale county, but, was defeated at the polls by the third party; at present he is a member of the Dale county democratic executive committee and is always a dele- gate to democratic conventions. Mr. Lindsey is a genial southern gen- tleman and courteous business man; he is a model farmer and conse- quently a successful one. Besides business property, he is the owner of considerable residence realty in the village of Clopton, and is held in high esteem among his fellow-citizens. He has suffered the loss of his. right hand by an accident in feeding a cotton gin, but otherwise is in the enjoyment of prime health. With his wife he adheres to the Mission- ary Baptist church.
DUNCAN G. MAY, merchant of Ozark, was born in Helicon, Lowndes county, Ala., January 12, 1858. He was a son of Simon and Linnie (Dennis) May, the former of whom was born in Autauga county, Ala., in 1819. Early in life he engaged in farming, continuing in this course of life after his marriage, which event occurred when he was twenty-three years of age. Later in life he engaged in buying cotton in connection with his farming. A portion of his property consisted in slaves, of which he freed fifty at the close of the war. He had a large plantation in Lown- des county, and was considered a model farmer as well as a model man. He was a man of superior intelligence and a member of the Masonic fra- ternity. He continued to follow farming after the war, until his death, which occurred in 1878. His wife was born in Coweta county, Ga., in 1823. She was a daughter of Judge Dennis, of Eufaula. She was liber- ally educated, was married at the age of nineteen, and was the mother of eleven children, ten of whom now survive. She now lives in Crenshaw
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county with her daughter, the wife of John D. Bailey. Early in life she became a member of the Missionary Baptist church, and has ever since been a faithful and consistent christian woman. The subject of this sketch was brought up on the farm until he was seventeen years old, when, being of a restless turn of mind, he ran away from home and went to Dallas Tex. Here he at first worked on a farm for eighteen months,
when he became clerk in the store of Cone & Co., and worked for them nearly three years. Then, after a short experience on a cattle ranch in the west, he went to Waco, Tex .. and there became a clerk in the store of Lessing, Lyons. Salomon & Co .. remaining with them two years. He then accepted a position as salesman for the firm of A. D. Mittenthall & Co., of Waxahatchie, which he held two years; he was then salesman for A. Kisert, two years, and then returned to Lowndes county, Ala. He was then salesman and superintendent of a cattle ranch for C. W. Bailey, of Baileyville, Texas, one year, returning to Alabama in 1888, and with a cash capital of $6,050, engaged in merchandising for himself at Union Springs, Bullock county, Ala., and was so successful that he opened a branch store at Ozark. He is now worth from $20,000 to $30,000 and does an annual business of about $60,000, and employs from ten to fifteen peo-
ple. Mr. May was married March 19, 1890, to Mrs. Elder, widow of K. F.
Elder, by whom he had one child, John D. Mrs. May was a daughter of Hon. Thomas J. Devine, one of the most eminent and respected citizens of Texas. This distinguished gentleman was born in Nova Scotia, Feb- ruary 28, 1820. He was of Irish parentage, but was reared mainly- in the
United States. His early education embraced a fair knowledge of Latin, French, and the classics generally, and in his fifteenth year he became a clerk in a store in Tallahassee, and in 1838 he began reading law in Wood- ville, Miss. In 1840 he went to Lexington, Ky., and for three years read law and attended lectures at Transylvania university, graduating in the same class with Frank Blair and James B. Clay, in 1842, and he was
licensed to practice law by the supreme court of Kentucky. He then
removed to Texas, locating at La Grange, Fayette county, and in 1843 he selected San Antonio as his home. In 1844 he was married to Miss Helen Ann Elder, daughter of Thomas G. Elder, a prominent planter of that locality. Judge Devine has resided in San Antonio since 1843, and has acquired a reputation as a jurist second to none in the state of Texas. In 1844 he was elected city attorney, and was re-elected every year, until 1857, inclusive. In 1851 he was elected judge of Baxter district, and in 1856 he was elected district judge, performing the duties of that office until 1861, when he espoused the Confederate cause, and was appointed judge for the western district of Texas, entering upon his duties in 1862, and discharging them until the close of the war. In 1862 he went to Mexico, in company with Col. Mckinney, at the request of Gen. E. Kirby Smith, and amicably arranged threatening difficulties with that country. In 1864, he repaired to Gen. Smith's headquarters in Arkansas and amica-
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bly adjusted threatening difficulties between the government of the United States and the state of Texas, in reference to conscriptions and trade with Mexico. In 1873 he was appointed, by Gov. Coke, one of the justices of the supreme court of Texas, but he soon resigned this position in order that he might be able to give his attention to his own private business and to the practice of law. The wife of Mr. May was born in San Antonio, Tex., February 27, 1858, where she grew to womanhood and where she received a liberal education. By her last marriage she has one child, Helen L. She is a member of the Catholic church, and is a lady of varied culture and great social prominence. Duncan G. May is well and favorably known throughout southeastern Alabama. He has contributed largely to the growth and developement of his town and county, and takes great pleasure in assisting the poor. He is thoroughly progress- ive, public spirited and popular, and in manners he is cordial and courte- ous.
WILLIAM RUFUS PAINTER, dealer in live stock, wagons, harness, etc., is one of the enterprising men of Ozark. He was born in Muscogee county, Ga., July 25, 1841. His parents had four children, he being the only son. Those parents were William and Nancy (Everets) Painter. The former was born in South Carolina in 1806, and while young moved to Muscogee county, Ga., where he grew up with but limited educational advantages, and moved to Alabama in 1830, settling in Dale county. Here he bought a farm and was for some years engaged in improving his prem- ises. Later he opened a store with a good stock of general merchandise, conducting this business in connection with his plantation, and amassing quite a fortune, most of which was swept away by the war. After the war, having little left beside his land. he resumed farming operations, which he continued until he became too old for active labor, and he now lives a retired life in the town of Ozark. Politically he was an old line whig and a great admirer of Henry Clay, and he was also a member of the Primitive Baptist church. The mother of our subject was also born in South Carolina, in 1808, and at an early age moved with her parents to Alabama, where she grew to womanhood, where she was married in her eighteenth year, and where she raised her four children. She was a member of the Missionary Baptist church, and still survives at the ad- vanced age of eighty-four years. William R. Painter, when five years old, was brought to Dale county by his parents. Here he was brought to Dale county by his parents. Here he was brought up on his father's farm, receiving a common school education. At the age of seventeen he entered his father's store as a clerk, his time being divided between plan- tation and store. When Alabama seceded from the Union our subject, although he did not believe in the wisdom of the movement, yet enlisted in the Confederate army, in company E, Fiftenth Alabama infantry. This was at Fairfax Court House in Virginia, in October, 1861. The second day of his service found him on picket duty, and on that day he
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witnessed an engagement in which one man waskilled and one had his ear cut off, the first bloodshed Mr. Painter had"seen. The succeeding winter was a very cold one, and he was kept busy drilling, building breastworks and fortifications and dwellings for the troops every day until the spring of 1862, when the army fell back across the Rappahan- nock, and here he witnessed the first heavy artillery duel that he ever saw. Afterward the Fifteenth Alabama was transferred from Johnston's army to that of Stonewall Jackson in the valley of the Shenandoah. Here he was taken sick, sent to a hospital in Richmond, and returned just in time to witness the close of the battle of Port Republic. He next fought in the battle of Mechanicsville, and then in that of Cold Har- bor, in which he saw the duel between the famous Elllsworth's Zouaves, and the equally famous New Orleans Tigers, in [which the former were successful and in which Maj. Wheat of the Tigers, was killed. He was in all of the seven days' fighting before Richmond, in the battle of Cedar Run, in the second battle of Manassas, in the battle of Frederick, Md., of Williamsport, Md., of Harper's Ferry, and of Antietam, after which he assisted in the work of destroying the Baltimore & Ohio rail- road and other railroads in Virginia. He then participated in the famous Pennsylvania campaign, terminating with the battle of Gettysburg, in which the Fifteenth Alabama made a gallant and historical charge on Round Top, gaining the very summit of the mount, and there he had the honor of a personal encounter with the commander of the Twentieth Maine regiment, Joshua L. Chamberlain, afterward governor of Maine. He was captured July 2, 1863, sent to Fort McHenry, and shortly after ward to Fort Delaware, where he was held a prisoner of war until July 15, 1865. While in Fort Delaware he learned the engraver's art, and employed his spare moments in engraving souvenirs, making rings, etc., from which he received an income. Upon being released he was fur- nished transportation home, to Montgomery, Ala. Upon arriving home he began life again by engaging in farmning, which he continued until 1886, when he moved to Ozark and engaged in the hotel business, running a well equipped livery in connection with his hotel. Thus he was engaged until in 1890, when he retired from both, and took up his pres- ent business, as a dealer in live stock, wagons, buggies, harness, etc. In 1866 he was married to Miss L. M. Bruner, daughter of Judge and Anna. Bruner. Judge Bruner was a man of prominence and was judge of pro- bate for many years. He removed form South Carolina, his native state, to Georgia while young, and to Alabama in 1861, settling in Dale county, where he died at the advanced age of eighty-four years. The wife of our subject also moved to Alabama in 1861, and was married in her twenty-third year. She became the mother of two children, one of whom died in infancy, the other dying at the age of sixteen years. He was born July 8, 1871, and died in 1888, in early manhood, and his death was a sad blow to his parents. Both Mr. and Mrs. Painter are members.
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