Poole's Evergreen history book is a must-read for local history buffs

My good friend Cheryl Johnston recently loaned me a book that I’ve been wanting to read for a while now, The Complete History of Evergreen, Alabama” by Pat Poole. I finished reading it a few days ago, and I’ll never look at Evergreen the same way again.

My dad grew up in Evergreen and I’ve always had relatives in “The Emerald City,” so I’ve always been more than a little curious about the city’s history. For anyone looking for detailed information about the city’s past, Poole’s history of Evergreen fits the bill.

This 500-page book was published in 2005 and contains a wealth of information, including scores of vintage photos from days gone by. Dedicated to the late Owlen Philyaw, a longtime local photographer and Evergreen Courant employee, the book contains 15 chapters, including chapters that about banks, barber and beauty shops, car and tractor dealerships, churches, “Citizens that Excelled,” the City of Evergreen, clubs and organizations, downtown and small stores, hotels, houses, the National Guard, plants and factories, recreation, restaurant and cafes, schools, band and athletics.

One of the first things that will strike readers is the large amount of apparent work that was put into it by Poole and others. It’s obvious that he spent more than a little time sifting through old newspapers, researching old records and piecing together the town’s business history. The result is nothing short of very impressive.

Poole, a former Evergreen mayor, also included a complete copy of one of Evergreen’s earliest histories, “Evergreen – And Evergreen Shall Be Its Name” by Mary Sampey, an important essay about the city’s past that won an 1894 contest at Evergreen Agricultural School.

Later, on Page 285, Poole makes reference to another book about Evergreen’s history written by Y.M. Rabb. Prior to seeing Poole’s reference to this book, I don’t remember ever having heard anyone ever mention it. I’d be interested in reading a copy of it if anyone out there knows where I can find one.

Being a member of Greening Lodge No. 53 in Evergreen, I was also especially interested in the book’s few references to freemasonry in Evergreen. According to the book, Evergreen Baptist Church was once housed in the lower half of a Masonic Hall, which was located on the vacant lot that now sits across from the current church sanctuary and adjacent to the library in Evergreen. That building, which was also used as a public library and Sunday School building, burned and was torn down sometime in the 1930s.

Poole’s book also includes an excerpt from the Oct. 6, 1930 edition of The Evergreen Courant, which I believe was a special historical edition of the paper. It reads as follows:

“As one of the leading fraternal organizations of Evergreen and Conecuh County is the local Masonic lodge. The body has been established here for many years and has played a big part in the growth of this section.

“As a lodge, it participates in the various moves undertaken by the order and is one of the progressive lodges in this section. Officers are: Dr. J.W. Hagood, Worshipful Master; C.C. Miller, Senior Warden; Tom Mills, Junior Warden; H.A. Williams, Senior Deacon; W.G. Jones, Junior Deacon; W.S. Dreaden, Treasurer; R.S. Smith, secretary; and J.H. Stamps, Tyler.”

In the end, how many of you have had the chance to read Poole’s history of Evergreen? What did you think about it? Do you know of any other good local history books? Let us know in the comments section below.