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| 'First School in Conecuh County' Historical Marker |
This week’s featured historical marker is the “FIRST SCHOOL
IN CONECUH COUNTY” marker in Conecuh County, Ala. The marker is located on the
west side of Conecuh County Road 15, between Burnt Corn and Brantley Switch,
west of Evergreen.
This historical marker was erected by the Alabama Historical
Association in 2012. There’s text on both sides of this marker, but both sides
are identical. What follows is the complete text from the marker.
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“FIRST SCHOOL IN CONECUH COUNTY: The first known school in
Conecuh County, ‘Students Retreat,’ was located near this site. The land was
owned by John Green, who also was the school’s first teacher. Green served the
county in the state House of Representatives and the 1861 Secession Convention.
He was elected, too, to the 1875 Constitutional Convention, at the age of 85.”
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John Green (or “Greene” as its spelled in many references)
was a pioneer from Conecuh County’s early history and was also one of the most
interesting county residents ever. He is mentioned often in B.F. Riley’s 1881
book, “History of Conecuh County, Alabama,” which describes Green’s
accomplishments in great detail. According to that book, Greene established the
“Students Retreat” around 1817 near the site of Greene’s home. Bear in mind
that this was before the establishment of Conecuh County and before Alabama
achieved statehood.
According to Riley, “among (Greene’s) pupils were the Rev.
David Lee, now of Lowndes County; his brother, Ithiel, deceased; Watkins
Salter, at one time clerk of the court of Conecuh, and afterward its
representative in the legislature, and still later a representative from
Lowndes County; the late Miles Herrington, and Jacob Betts, a prominent
merchant at Burnt Corn – the quite a small boy.”
Later in the book, Riley writes that Greene “came to Conecuh
County as early as 1816. At that time, it was embraced within the board limits
of Monroe. He was born in Abbeville District, South Carolina, on March 8, 1790.
When he had attained to 10 years of age, his father removed with his family to
Jackson County, Ga., where he resided till 1816.
“Coming to Conecuh at this period, Mr. Greene found it
without the slightest trace of civilization. But, thoroughly prepared to
grapple with the difficulties here encountered, he began to establish his home
in the midst of the wild forests. Quite fortunate for upper Conecuh, and for
its educational interests, one of its first citizens was a man whose attention
had been largely directed to literary pursuits.
“Of course, at this period of the county’s history,
educational facilities were exceedingly meager. According to Mr. Greene’s own
statement, he was indebted, for his acquirements, to a small public library in
Jackson County, Ga. Here, under the direction of a judicious friend, he was
enabled to pursue a course of reading, and to improve his handwriting.
“Ambitious of future eminence, he prosecuted with zeal his
studies to the utmost of his facilities, and finally decided to adopt the
profession of teaching. He was the first to establish a school in Conecuh, and
has trained for usefulness many of her best and honored citizens.
“At different times, Mr. Greene has had accorded him, by his
fellow citizens, worthy honors. Twice has he been selected as her
representative in the General Assembly of the State – once in 1824 and again in
1828. Though a Union man, he was chosen to represent Conecuh in the Secession
Convention in 1861; and in 1875, was sent as a delegate to the Constitutional
Convention.
“Coming to Conecuh in early manhood, with no other resources
at command than an honest heart, a courageous energy, and an unbending will, he
has accumulated a fortune, reared a useful family, and by his sage counsel and
public spiritedness, has aided largely in advancing the interests of the county
from its organization to the present. He is one of the very few persons now
alive (in 1881) who has lived under the administration of every President, from
Washington to Arthur. Venerable with age, Mr. Greene still lives in the midst
of his fellow citizens, honored and revered by all who know him.”
In the end, visit this site next Wednesday to learn about
another historical marker. I’m also taking suggestions from the reading
audience, so if you know of an interesting historical marker that you’d like me
to feature, let me know in the comments section below.
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