Old book tells of mail carrier mishap on Flat Creek in Monroe County

I recently finished reading an old book called “The Adventures of Two Alabama Boys” by Dr. Hezekiah John Crumpton and the Rev. Washington Bryan Crumpton, who both lived in Alabama in the early 1800s.

Published in 1912 by Paragon Press in Montgomery, this book tells of how the two brothers spent their early years in Dallas County before moving to Camden when they were young. At the time they moved to Camden, the town was called Barboursville, which the Crumpton brothers spelled “Barbersville.” Barboursville was renamed Camden in 1841.

“The Adventures of Two Alabama Boys” is divided into three sections. The first section, written by Hezekiah, describes their family history and details his early life in Dallas and Wilcox counties. This section also details his travels to California during the “Gold Rush” of 1849.

The book’s second section, written by Washington, tells of how the two brothers reunited in California in the days before the War Between the States. This section also relates how Washington made his was back home through “Yankee territory” to join the Confederate army. The third section, also written by Washington, describes how the two brothers reunited in California after being separated for 40 years.

One section of the book that might interest Monroe County history buffs is the portion in which Hezekiah describes his work as a muleback mail carrier in the 1840s. His route ran from Old Cahaba in Dallas County and across the Alabama River to Camden. From there, his route took him into Monroe County with stops at Bells Landing and Claiborne before ending at Stockton in Baldwin County.

Hezekiah, with “an ambition to do faithful and efficient service,” said he sometimes took “reckless risks.” Hezekiah goes on to tell the story of how he once entered Monroe County’s Flat Creek when the “old worn-out mule was unable to stem the stiff current. We were carried down the stream toward the river not far away. A friendly over-hanging grape-vine gave me a stopping place and not far below, the mule lodged in a submerged tree top.

“My lusty yells brought the good Samaritan. When about to swim out to rescue me, he was disgusted when told to first save the mule and mail. This he did in good shape; meantime I did my own swimming. The water was emptied out of the mail bag, the bag thrown across the saddle, the mule mounted and away we went for a bridge several miles up the steam.”

It’s my belief that Hezekiah was likely traveling along what was once known as Rose’s Trail. This old path, which was heavily used in the days before steamboats appeared on the Alabama River, ran from Claiborne to Cahaba. Exactly where this path crossed Flat Creek, I do not know. It would also be interesting to know who the “good Samaritan” was who aided Hezekiah and his poor mule.

In the end, if you’re interested in reading “The Adventures of Two Alabama Boys,” you can find it online. It was published so long ago that it is now in the public domain, that is, you can read it for free. The copy that I read was made available online by the University of North Carolina.

More details emerge on the effort to make Pine Apple the county seat of a new Alabama county in the 1800s

Alabama Gov. George S. Houston

The Progressive Era has got some of the smartest readers that I know. If you have a question, just put it out there, and someone will get you the answer.

A couple of weeks ago in this space, I wrote a column about a failed effort in the late 1870s to form a new county out of parts of Wilcox, Conecuh, Monroe and Butler counties. Old newspaper articles noted that Pine Apple was to be the county seat of this new county, and that boosters of the idea were in Montgomery trying to get it passed through the legislature. As history tells us, the effort to form a new county never came to be.

In that same column, I asked readers for more information about this effort to form a new county, including who was behind it. Who was trying to create a new county with Pine Apple as its county seat? What would the new county have been called? As it turns out, not long after that week’s newspaper hit the streets I heard from good reader, Scott Mitchell, who helped fill in some of the blanks.

According to Mitchell’s research, the new county was to be called Houston County, likely in honor of George Smith Houston. Houston was the first Democratic governor of Alabama after the War Between the States. Houston passed away in December 1879, around the time that the effort was underway to form the new county.

Mitchell noted that there was a newspaper published in Pine Apple in the late 1800s called The Houston Appeal. Published by J.A. Jackson, the newspaper was established to advocate for the formation of the new county. Despite my best efforts I was unable to find out more about J.A. Jackson. (A search of Wilcox County cemetery records reveals no record of a J.A. Jackson buried within the confines of Wilcox County.)

Officials and citizens in Camden fought hard against the creation of the new county in the late 1870s, Mitchell said. Camdenites were worried because the proposed border between Wilcox and Houston counties would have only been a few miles east of Camden. If the new county was created, it was feared that people on the west side of the Alabama River would make a successful play to have the county seat moved from Camden to a place more centrally located in the newly reconfigured Wilcox County, Mitchell said.

As history tells us, the effort to form a new county with Pine Apple as its county seat never came to pass. It is interesting to note that Alabama’s newest county is present-day Houston County, in the southeast corner of the state. Houston County, with its county seat at Dothan, was formed in 1903 out of portions of Dale, Geneva and Henry counties.

In the end, I’d like to hear from anyone in the reading audience with more information about this topic. I’m especially interested in hearing from anyone with more information about Pine Apple newspaper publisher J.A. Jackson and The Houston Appeal.

George Singleton looks back on 34 years of adventure in Monroe County

George Buster Singleton

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Years come and go, but the memories remain,” was originally published in the June 25, 1998 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

Sunday, the 28^th day of June, will mark my 34^th anniversary in the county of Monroe. As I approach this date, I recall many events and happenings that I have experienced during my stay here. I also remember several dear friends who have made my stay much more enjoyable and interesting.

Shortly after my arrival in the county, I was most fortunate to become friends with people like Milford Champion, Mr. Raymond Fountain, Tom Snyder, Oscar Wiggins and Louise “Lou” Cooper. These dear friends are all now deceased.

Lou Cooper lived to be over 107 years old. Although she had lost her eyesight, she was very alert and had an excellent memory.

She was hidden in a trunk when she and her parents returned to the town of Claiborne in 1863. Her parents had orders to leave her in Mobile because of the smallpox epidemic. So, not wanting to leave their only child, they hid her in a trunk and managed to come ashore at Claiborne Landing without the child being discovered. They feared their child might not be alive when they opened the trunk. The story goes that she was lying quietly, sucking her thumb after the trip upriver without any food.

Many hours were spent talking to this dear lady and re-living her memories of the bygone days. These stories will live within my mind and hopefully I will be able to pass them on to others in times to come.

Much of the Indian history was passed on to me by my dear friend Uncle Tom Snyder. He knew all the locations of the discarded and forgotten burial grounds around the area. I asked my friend if he would go with me and spend one night in the Indian holy ground so we might witness the strange goings on that had been reported. His answer was, “Heck no, Mr. Singleton. I’m getting too darn old to get scared out of my wits and run against a tree and hurt myself.” But, he showed me many historic places in the area that are unknown to most people. I will always remember those locations.

My authority for the area around Burnt Corn and Pine Orchard was Milford Champion. He knew every inch of that area and all that had taken place there since it was settled. He knew the locations of all the old burial grounds and the forgotten home places. He knew the stories that took place there in the grown up timbers and thickets where the old homes of the past once were located. He also had an excellent memory of early Indian history. He proved beyond a shadow of doubt that the famed Indian town of Maubila was located at Pine Orchard. All the evidence needed to prove this was destroyed by a logging firm a few years back. Milford Champion was a great local historian. Too bad his knowledge of local history wasn’t recorded.

Oscar Wiggins knew every rock and stump around the old Red Hills community. We spent many hours wandering here and there in the area, hearing each story, of the old families and their ways of earning a living. Never did we go into the Red Hills area without a visit to the old cemetery where Mr. Oscar’s ancestors now sleep. He always told the story of his ancestor who first settled there in the area. He took great pride of his ancestor who wore the uniform of the Confederacy. I never grew tired of his stories and of him showing me to locations of the old home sites of the past settlers.

We would always try to go by the old Wiggins home place and sit and talk for a while. I remember one day we found an old handmade brick that had been a part of the ancient chimney of the family house. He wanted to break it in half and give me one half of it. I told him that I had rather he keep it all because of his ancestors. He wouldn’t have been any happier if he had found a nugget of gold. Each time I return to the Red Hills area, I think of my friend, Oscar Wiggins, and if time permits, I visit the old homesite and the graves of his ancestors.

My friend, Raymond Fountain, more than likely, had a greater knowledge of the county and surrounding area than anyone I have known. Countless hours we would spend, roaming the area both day and night and visiting locations where ghostly sightings and other happenings are said to have been witnessed.

We walked the road and crossed the bridge where the ghost of a Rebel soldier is said to have camped.

The story of Nancy Mountain was first told to me by my dear friend. He also helped me investigate the mystery light in the Franklin area. The areas of Bradley Ridge and the old cemeteries (now destroyed) was shown to me by my dear friend. He never seemed to grow tired of visiting again these old locations and retelling the stories of the ghostly happenings that took place there. Next to fox hunting, I believe this was his second greatest pastime.

He knew the country. He, like me, couldn’t wait to return again to the old forgotten places, forgotten except for a very few who are fast departing this life.

Somewhere beyond the sunset, I’m sure Raymond is sitting on a hill, listening to his favorite fox hounds with names like Old Blue or Yellow Boy or the many others that he has known.

Yes, my stay in the area of Monroe County has been very interesting and exciting. I have come to know many good people. I have gained many good friends. So, I end this article saying that I hope that the next 34 years will be as good as the last.

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born to Vincent William Singleton and Frances Cornelia Faile Singleton, during a late-night thunderstorm, on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1946, served as a U.S. Marine paratrooper in the Korean War, worked as a riverboat deckhand, lived for a time among Apache Indians, moved to Monroe County on June 28, 1964 and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from June 28, 1964 to Dec. 14, 1987. He was promoted from the enlisted ranks to warrant officer in May 1972. For years, Singleton’s columns, titled “Monroe County history – Did you know?” and “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. It’s believed that his first column appeared in the March 25, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal. He also helped organize the Monroe County Museum and Historical Society and was also a past president of that organization. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for June 27, 2023

18 YEARS AGO
JUNE 26, 1997

Evergreen weather reporter Harry Ellis reported a trace of rain on June 16, .55 inches on June 17, .33 inches on June 18, 1.80 inches on June 20 and .02 inches on June 21. He reported a high of 89 degrees on June 16 and lows of 65 on June 20 and June 21.

State Senator Pat Lindsey was in town last Thursday to present a check to the Evergreen Public Library. The check for $7,000 can be used by the library for any purchases that will help the library to grow. Pictured are Senator Pat Lindsey, Library Board Chairman Rebekah Poole, Vice Chairman/Secretary Joye Fordham and Library Director Vern Steenwyk.

Mrs. Betty Carrier was honored on Sun., June 8, for her 24 faithful years of service as director of the Evergreen Baptist Church Child Development Center. Pictured are Betty Carrier and Rev. Phil Weaver, Pastor, Evergreen Baptist Church.

The Hillcrest High School Band Boosters will hold a reception Thurs., June 26, at 6 p.m. to introduce the new Hillcrest Band Director, Ms. Christal Carter. The reception will be held in the Hillcrest High School Cafetorium.

Sentencing was held Tuesday morning in the Circuit Court of Conecuh County for four men recently convicted of felonies.

Charles DeVaughn Stuckey, one-year-old, receives his first haircut from his great uncle, Eddie Salter, while mother Cherry (Neky) Hanks looks on.

33 YEARS AGO
JUNE 24, 1983

Evergreen weather reporter Earl Windham reported no rain between June 14 and June 20. He reported highs of 96 on June 16 and June 20 and a low of 64 on June 18.

James L. Lee, 96, died Mon., June 21, in a Brewton nursing home after a long illness. A native and longtime resident of Conecuh County, he served the people of this county for many years as Tax Assessor, in fact, he held that office longer than any person has held an elected office of this county in history.

Deputy Sheriff Jerome Boykin, Sheriff Edwin L. Booker, Deputy West Booker and State Trooper Cpl. Oscar Kyles are shown with some 75 marijuana plants they uprooted from a field in northeast Conecuh County between McKenzie and Travis Bridge. The plants were six to 10 feet in height and at maturity would have had a street value of some $15,000. The marijuana was spotted from the air by a helicopter used by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation of the Alabama Dept. of Public Safety.

Lt. Gov. George McMillan brought his campaign for governor to Conecuh County on Wednesday morning of last week. He addressed a gathering at the Courthouse and made personal contact with as many voters as possible. He also conferred with O.B. Salter, county chairman of the McMillan Campaign, and Mrs. Ercie Salter.

48 YEARS AGO
JUNE 22, 1967

Principal Ward is leaving post at Evergreen High: Evergreen High School is losing its principal of the past six years.
Morris T. Ward has tendered his resignation, effective June 30. Ward said that he had accepted a position with the Wilcox County Board of Education. He will work as an assistant to Wilcox Superintendent of Education Guy S. Kelly.
Ward came here as principal of the local high school on July 1, 1961. Previously he had served briefly in the county system as coach at Lyeffion. He went from Lyeffion to Thomaston, where he as one of the most successful head coaches in the state for 10 years.
Conecuh Superintendent of Education Harvey G. Pate is searching for a replacement but has not yet found the right man.

The Evergreen City Council named City Clerk Miller Sellers purchasing agent for the city in the major action of a brief meeting Tuesday night.
Sellers was named purchasing agent in compliance with the new state bid law which goes into effect on July 1. The law puts all governmental agencies, state, county and municipal, under law requiring bids on all purchase of $500 or more.

The annual Evergreen Rotary Club Fish and Wildlife Camp ends this afternoon at Tal Stuart’s Pond near Belleville, permanent site of the camp. Some 61 boys moved into the camp yesterday morning and have enjoyed two days of fun and instruction in various phases of outdoors sports and wildlife conservation.

63 YEARS AGO
JUNE 26, 1952

Announcement was made Saturday by Gov. Gordon Persons that he had named Robert E.L. Key, prominent young local attorney, as Circuit Solicitor of the 21st Judicial Circuit composed of Conecuh, Escambia and Monroe counties, to fill the unexpired term of Archie Elliott, who was named some time ago as Circuit Judge to fill the unexpired term of the late Judge F.W. Hare.
It has been 30 years since Conecuh County has had an official connected with the Circuit Court. The last was the late Col. G.O. Dickey who served as Circuit Solicitor for a number of years.

Sweltering Weather Continues Here With No Relief Promised: The sweltering weather which has gripped this section for the past two weeks continues with little relief in sight. Scattered showers here and there over the county have given temporary relief to these areas, but there have been no general rains thus far in June.
Perhaps something of a record for high temperatures has been set for June this year. Virtually every day of the month the thermometer has soared to the upper nineties and on one day, Sun., June 15, it reached the dizzy height of 100.

Thursday and Friday, June 26-27 (at The Pix Theater in Evergreen) – A Streetcar Named Desire – Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Don’t Miss This Big One! Bring The Screen All The Fire! Winner of 5 Academy Awards.

78 YEARS AGO
JUNE 24, 1937

Col. Jim Walton, Meridian, Miss., secretary-director of the General Sam Dale historical society, is in Conecuh County this week checking records and unraveling the ancient history of Sam Dale and his connection with history of the county, especially the battle of Burnt Corn.

Several Injured In Wagon-Car Crash: Edward and Mattie Farish, children of Mrs. E.N. Farish, were severely injured and Earl Brown received painful cuts Saturday night at Repton, when an auto driven by Richard Brown crashed into the wagon in which the Farish children were riding. The wagon was demolished and both mules were badly injured.
According to reports, both the wagon and the car were traveling on the highway leading to Evergreen just a short distance east of the overhead bridge when the accident occurred. The car driven by Brown came over the bridge just as another car going west was passing the wagon. Brown is reported to have said that the lights from the car he was meeting blinded him to such extent that he did not see the wagon until too close upon it to stop or miss it.
In the wagon at the time of the accident were Robert, Edward and Mattie Farish. Robert was not injured to any extent. Edward and Mattie were rushed to Carter’s Hospital for treatment, but were later removed to their home.
Earl Brown, who was riding in the car with his brother, Richard, received a number of painful cuts, but nothing of a serious nature. He also received treatment at the hospital.

 

Old newspaper excerpts from The Monroe Journal newspaper of Monroe County, Alabama

Lee Roy Jordan of Excel.

10 YEARS AGO
JUNE 27, 2013

Ferry makes trial runs at Haines Island: Monroe County’s new ferry made some trial runs Wednesday of last week and drew a small crowd of anxious Packer’s Bend residents.
County Engineer Robert English said the trial runs were not perfect, but that was expected since it was the first time.
“We asked Joey Castillow and some of the Rescue Squad members if they would be there just in case,” said English. “We appreciate them being there.”
Castillow, who owns Castillow Towing on Highway 136 near Excel, was hired by Etowah County to transport the ferry to Haines Island. He is also a member of the county’s rescue squad.

Monroe County Dixie Youth League’s 7- and 8-year-old all-stars recently finished runners-up in the South Sub-District 4 tournament in Thomasville. Team members are Jackson Moorer, Reese Chastain, Averett Hines, James Reese Witherington, Eason Pipkin, Noah Jordan, Coach Jason Pipkin, Tanner Pipkin, Cade Ledkins, J.D. Lawson, Eli Smith, Bryant Waters, Tyler Wiggins, Coach Matt Moorer, Coach Ryan Chastain and Coach Patrick Stabler.

City gets new postmaster: Patrons of the U.S. Post Office in Monroeville are greeted by a big smile from new postmaster Diane Jackson McGinnis. McGinnis, who grew up at Uriah and graduated from J.U. Blacksher High School in 1989, was recently appointed postmaster after working 13.5 years at the post office in Atmore. She held the position of supervisor before being promoted postmaster.

35 YEARS AGO
JUNE 23, 1988

Waiman’s plans grand opening: A ribbon-cutting at 8 a.m. Thurs., June 30, will start grand-opening festivities at Waiman’s, the supermarket in Frisco City that was formerly McKissick’s.
Kenneth E. Waisner and Eastman C. Foster of Pensacola bought the store from Joe McKissick, effective June 6, and it represents the first expansion for their company, Waiman’s, Inc. They also own the food store that until recently was Brooks Real Value in Atmore. They have renamed it as Waiman’s.

10-year-old all-stars: The Monroe County Dixie Youth all-star team for 10-year-olds was announced during closing ceremonies June 11 at Bud Lathram Field on South Mount Pleasant Avenue in Monroeville. The players and coaches named to the 1988 all-star team are Ashley Boothe, Brandon Norris, Chris McKinley, Luke McKinley, Trey Andrews, Wes Kennedy, Will Crim, Collins Taylor, Coach John Rice, Wesley Welch, Mitchell Murphy, Coach Roy Black, Johnny Pipkins, Brandon Lee, John Acreman and Coach Andy Grissette. The tournament for the 10-year-old all-stars is expected to be held the week of July 4-9.

American Legion officers elected: American Legion Post 61 elected officers for the coming year at its June meeting. They are: Post Commander, Thomas Stallworth; First Vice Commander, Dr. Larry Knight; Second Vice Commander, Alvin Bayles; Adjutant, Dr. Mason McGrew; Sergeant At Arms, LaVaughn Byrd; Chaplain, John Turberville; and Chairman of the Membership Committee, James E. Witherington.

60 YEARS AGO
JUNE 27, 1963

New Postal Code Will Be Effective July 1: ZIP code, the Post Office Department’s new system of improved mail dispatch and delivery, goes into effect nationally July 1, according to postmasters in the Monroe County area.
Postmaster John L. Betts of Monroeville has announced that the five-digit ZIP code for Monroeville is 36460. Postmaster Virlie Sawyer of Frisco City lists the number for that post office at 36445. The ZIP code number for the Burnt Corn post office is 36431, Sam Lowery said.
Postmasters stressed the importance to all citizens of learning their city’s ZIP code and using it in their return addresses on all correspondence.

Lee Roy Jordan Will Play In All America Game Saturday Night: Lee Roy Jordan, Excel’s famous All American center, will play in the All America football game in Buffalo’s War Memorial Stadium Saturday night, June 29. The gridiron classic will star 60 of the nation’s All Americans and will be televised. Local viewers may see it over the ABC TV network, Channel 3, Pensacola, Fla., at nine o’clock Saturday night.

Alabama Lodge No. 3 Sets Officer Installation Services July 9: New officers for Alabama Lodge No. 3 will be installed July 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the new Masonic Lodge located on Drewry Road.
Officers elected June 18 for the new year include G.M. Gladwell, Worshipful Master; Luther Napp, Senior Warden; Jim H. Andrews, Junior Warden; J.F. Wade, Treasurer; W.S. Nash, Secretary; R.J. Miller, Senior Deacon; V.M. Spears, Junior Deacon; M.E. Stacey, Chaplain; and Joseph Thames, Tyler.

85 YEARS AGO
JUNE 23, 1938

Mr. R.F. Hudson, publisher, and Mr. Atticus Mullin, staff writer of the Montgomery Advertiser, of Montgomery, spent Tuesday here attending the Monroe Mills celebration.

Master Truman Capote Entertains Friends: Master Truman Capote, who recently arrived from New York to spend the summer here, delightfully entertained his friends on Thursday night, June 16, with a party at the home of Misses Nannie and Jennie Faulk.
The guests arrived at 7:30 o’clock and were ushered into the living room, where they enjoyed games of all kinds. Truman proved himself an excellent host in choosing the entertainment for his guests.
As the evening progressed, delicious cake and punch were served by the Misses Faulk.
Those who enjoyed the hospitality of Truman during the evening were: Rayford Smith, Dick Carter, Jennings Faulk Carter, Salina Wiggins, Sonny Gardner, A.J. Locklin, Ramona Farish, Helen Cameron, Jane Black, Nelle Lee, Dot Simmons, Tom Gardner, Frances Hastings, Bill McMillan, Charles Baggett, Sarah Ann McCall, Sylvia Parnell and Mildred Feagin.

Tunnel Springs Masons Elect Officers, Coming Year: At a regular meeting of Tunnel Springs Lodge No. 587, held on June 17, the following officers were elected for the coming year: J.L. Tatum, Worshipful Master; J.M. Holloway, Senior Warden; Jule J. McMillan, Junior Warden; S.B. Nettles, Treasurer; W.S. Nash, Secretary; S.E. Helton, Senior Deacon; A.P. Walters, Junior Deacon; J.C. Morris, Senior Steward; G.L. Nettles, Junior Steward; Clyde Brown, Chaplain; and L.R. Gulsby, Tyler.

111 YEARS AGO
JUNE 27, 1912

Recently Elected Masonic Officers: Mizpah Lodge No. 667 at Manistee – J.W. Wilkinson, Worshipful Master; J.F. Grimes, Senior Warden; J.J. Curry, Junior Warden; Wm. Florey, Treasurer; Robt. T. Lambert, Secretary; Thomas Stacey, Senior Deacon; L.A. Hale, Junior Deacon; George Stacey, Tyler; B.F. Lambert and Robert Stacey, Stewards; D.S. Seker, Chaplain; and W.W. Grimes, Marshal.

Mr. G.B. Sellers is having material placed on the ground for the erection of a new dwelling on north Main Street (in Monroeville).

Work on the extension of the railroad is progressing rapidly. Steel has been laid to a point within a little more than two miles of the city and the road is still a-coming.

Monroeville-Pine Apple Ball Game: The Monroeville and Pine Apple baseball teams will cross bats on the diamond at Schuster on July 4, and it is expected that a game will be pulled off that will be worth going miles and miles to see. A large number of “rooters” for the Monroeville team will go up Wednesday afternoon and it is quite certain that Pine Apple will not be lacking in this respect. The usual Fourth of July Picnic will be served at Schuster.

Mr. C.T. Simmons of Scotland, now in his 87^th year and in good health, is visiting his son, Mr. C.M. Simmons.

Governor O’Neal has appointed Mr. J.W. Urquhart Tax Commissioner for Monroe County. J.M. Simpson resigned.

Mr. Frank Bigger has temporarily suspended his school at McGill until the press of farm work is over. The school will be resumed in July.

'Capt. Smith's Bear Story' out of Lower Peach Tree is hard to top

Much has been made in recent weeks of the reported black bear sightings in our area. More than a few outdoorsmen have captured pictures and videos of bears on their game cameras, and several witnesses saw a bear scamper across the grounds at Monroe County Hospital. No doubt bear tracks and other signs of their presence could be found if one knew where to look.

All of this got me to thinking about the funniest bear story I’ve ever heard from our neck of the woods. In 1846, several newspapers across Alabama published a tale called “Capt. Smith’s Bear Story,” and two men from Lower Peach Tree figured prominently in this supposedly-true story. The best available version of this story appeared in the Sept. 19, 1846 edition of The Alabama Beacon newspaper in Greensboro, in a column they called “The Humorist.”

The tale begins about the year 1830 when a man known as “Capt. Smith” settled in the Lower Peach Tree community. There, he planted a few acres of corn, cotton, potatoes and a small family garden. As the story goes, he lived a short distance from a man named John Champion, who was in his early 40s.

“My nearest neighbor (John Champion), being better off than the rest of us, had a nice gang of hogs,” Capt. Smith said. “And, feeling a little above his neighbors on account of his wealth, and being a rather overbearing man, too, was not particular whether his stock broke into other people’s fields or not.”

Capt. Smith said that his crop was too small to feed his family and Champion’s hogs too, so he complained to Champion about the hog situation several times, but Champion would never do anything about it. Not long after that, Smith paid a visit to an old neighbor named Erasmus Culpepper, who knew an old-timey trick to fix the hog problem.

Culpepper told him that “if a foot, or even a piece of bearskin was thrown down in a place where hogs (trespass) that they would never show their snouts there again. I went home and got the skin of a bear which I had killed some time before, and having supplied myself with some corn, I went out and saw about 20 fine year-olds munching away in my field. I ‘tolled them up,’ and catching a good runner, sewed him up in the bear skin, and then turned him loose, when he ran after the rest, who flew from the supposed bear.”

The last that was seen of those hogs was at Bassett’s Creek, which was nearly 40 miles from Smith’s house, “only two being alive, one running from the one sewed up in the skin, and he trying to catch the other – the rest were found dead in the road, having literally run themselves to death. It is needless to add that John Champion’s hogs stayed at home after that.”

In the end, when it comes to bear stories from our neck of the woods, it’s hard to top “Capt. Smith’s Bear Story.” I enjoy hearing these old tales as well as local legends, ghost stories and old folk tales. If anyone in the reading audience has anything along those lines that they would like to share, please don’t hesitate to do so.

George Singleton tells of the grave of an unknown Rebel solider in northeastern Monroe County

George Buster Singleton

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Returning to a place that is known only to a few,” was originally published in the June 14, 2001 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

Wednesday, the 6^th of June, was quite a nice day. The weather was ideal for a day of wandering and looking over the countryside.

Slipping away from the “honey do” list that my dear wife had left me, I mounted my motorcycle and headed into the hill country in the northeastern part of the county.

For reasons I cannot explain, I found myself thinking about a place that I had not visited for quite some time. So I headed up into the area near the Monroe and Wilcox county line.

Reaching my destination, the thought came to me that it had been around 136 years since the dreaded Civil War had come to an end. Looking down at the faded Confederate tombstone that lay in the tall grass and weeds before me, I knew that much of the hate and distrust of this time in our country’s history continued to exist, even to this day.

After all these years, we continue to find things to keep the fires of distrust burning. If we cannot find something from the past to build an argument about, we invent or create something. Let us digress from the winds of evil and return to this forgotten place for a moment of speculation and thought.

Kneeling beside this lonely tomb, and with much effort, I read the faded inscription found there. Rising to my feet, the faded words raced through my mind like a strong blowing wind.

Trying to visualize why this marker was there, I remembered again the words there on the faded slab of marble: the carved letters, “CSA” (Confederate States of America) and just below, the word, “Unknown.”

The thought entered my mind as to the name of this unknown Rebel. I began to wonder just why this forgotten grave was way out there away from a cemetery or an old home place.

I began to look around for some evidence of an old home place or a small burial ground. There was none. This caused the mystery once again to deepen. Could this soldier have been trying to make his way back to his home, perhaps suffering from some type of serious would that he received on some far-away battlefield? Perhaps, he was longing to see his children and wife that he had left behind when he went off to war. Did death overtake him along a lonely path under the tall pines before he reached his destination?

Did he travel alone or did he travel with someone who later returned and placed the marker over his final resting place?

Was his name ever known or had it been forgotten? As he made his way homeward, sick and wounded, did he fall prey to some of his hated enemy who struck the final blow that ended for all time the pain and suffering that racked his body?

Perhaps, the few who know the location of this lonely tome of this Confederate soldier will never know the truth. I, myself, will return from time to time for a moment of silence and perhaps to pick a wild honeysuckle or a blossom from a beautiful mountain laurel and place it on the grave in remembrance of a time long past and the unknown Rebel who sleeps here.

This was a soldier who thought he was doing the right thing that day when he kissed his loved ones goodbye and answered the call of the Confederacy. Standing there in the tall grass that guards the final resting place of this unknown Rebel, I wondered what thoughts passed through his mind in the last minutes of his life. Did he have any last words? Did he send a last message to his loved ones? And, how far was he from the ones he loved when the hand of death touched his brow?

There are no answers to these questions. There is no need to make know the location of this final resting place of this fallen warrior. Only the few who know this location can share in the agony of his passing. These few who know will return from time to time to reassure him that he is remembered and will not be forgotten. The wild honeysuckle or the bloom of the beautiful mountain laurel will give evidence of those who remember and care.

The tall pines that stand nearby guard over this unknown grave and protect this special place from the snows of the winters and the heat of the summers until the bugle is sounded for that final roll call.

Yon marble minstrel’s voiceless stone
In deathless song shall tell.
When many a vanquished year hath flown,
The story how you fell.
Nor wreck, nor change, nor winter’s blight,
Nor time’s remorseless doom,
Can dim one ray of holy light
That gilds your glorious tomb…

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born to Vincent William Singleton and Frances Cornelia Faile Singleton, during a late-night thunderstorm, on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1946, served as a U.S. Marine paratrooper in the Korean War, worked as a riverboat deckhand, lived for a time among Apache Indians, moved to Monroe County on June 28, 1964 and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from June 28, 1964 to Dec. 14, 1987. He was promoted from the enlisted ranks to warrant officer in May 1972. For years, Singleton’s columns, titled “Monroe County history – Did you know?” and “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. It’s believed that his first column appeared in the March 25, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal. He also helped organize the Monroe County Museum and Historical Society and was also a past president of that organization. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for June 20, 2023

U.S. Senator John J. Sparkman

THREE YEARS AGO
JUNE 18, 2015

Evergreen weather observer Betty Ellis reported .01 inches of rain on June 9, .35 inches on June 11 and .14 inches on June 12. She reported highs of 93 degrees on June 13 and June 14 and a low of 68 degrees on June 12.

Construction of Wendy’s to start: Evergreen city officials learned earlier this week that Monday will be another landmark day at the growing Liberty Hill Development in Evergreen.
During an Evergreen City Council meeting Tuesday evening at Evergreen City Hall, City Economic Development Director Bobby Skipper told the council that construction work at the cooperative district, which is located just off Interstate Highway 65’s Exit 96 in Evergreen, was a week ahead of schedule and should wrap up by the end of the month.
Skipper also noted that work at the cooperative district has progressed to the point that the construction of the new Wendy’s restaurant is scheduled to begin on Monday. Not long thereafter, construction is due to begin on the new Zaxby’s and Shoney’s restaurants, which will be located in the cooperative district near Wendy’s.

The Auto Insurance Center (AIC) recently released the results of a study that showed that Conecuh County was the third-most deadly county in the state for drivers.
Based on the number of fatal accidents over the past 20 years and the county’s population, Conecuh County was ranked third on the list of 10 deadliest counties in Alabama behind No. 1 Greene County and No. 2 Lowndes County.

28 YEARS AGO
JUNE 21, 1990

Richard Melton, president of the Student Government Association at Hillcrest High School, congratulated by Dr. Bill Robbins, principal of Hillcrest, for the excellent job the SGA did in erecting the Hillcrest High School monument at the entrance of Jaguar Road. Wayne Hammonds, sponsor, and Alex Johnson, vice principal of Hillcrest, were very instrumental in the erection of the monument.

Conecuh County voters will face a much shorter ballot when they return to the polls Tuesday to vote in the Democratic and Republican Primary Run-off Election. Polls will open at eight o’clock Tuesday morning and close at 6 p.m.
On the Democratic ballot there is only one county race, the run-off for tax assessor. Sherry Atkins and Terry Sullivan are in the runoff for the Democratic nomination. Atkins led the county on June 5 with 1,452 votes to 1,173 for Sullivan.
The runoff for State Representative, District 64 (Conecuh and Monroe counties), is grabbing a lot of attention. Veteran State Rep. J.E. (Jimmy) Warren and Wayne Thames are in the runoff. Warren, first elected in 1970, led 1,921 to 1,765 in Conecuh in the June 5 voting, and also led by a slim margin in Monroe County.

Evergreen Mayor Lee F. Smith has been elected to serve on the Alabama League of Municipalities Executive Committee for the year 1990-91.

53 YEARS AGO
JUNE 17, 1965

The first cotton bloom of the 1965 crop to be brought to The Courant was turned in on June 5 by Les Crosby, good farmer of the Fairview community.
Crosby is a well known and highly respected farmer who has been doing a good job in agriculture for a number of years. In years past, he has often had the honor of bringing in the first bloom, first open boll and first bale of the year.

The Evergreen Rotary Club’s sixth annual Conecuh County 4-H Club Fish and Wildlife Camp got underway yesterday morning and will end this afternoon at five o’clock. Some 50 boys had registered to participate in the two days and a night camp.
The county camp is the largest and best of its type in the state and has produced numerous award winners since its inception. It is held each year at D.T. Stuart’s Pond near Belleville.

Sen. Sparkman visits here Friday: Plans are complete for U.S. Senator John Sparkman’s visit to Conecuh County tomorrow, according to Wheeler Foshee Jr. of Red Level, who is coordinating plans for the visit in Conecuh, Covington and Butler counties. Sparkman will be in the area June 18 through June 21.
Two meetings are scheduled in Evergreen during the senator’s visit to this county. The senator will be the honored guest at the countywide tea at the Evergreen Recreation Center from three to five o’clock p.m. Friday afternoon. Mrs. J.T. Ward is general chairman of the event.
Tomorrow night, the senator will deliver the principal address at a barbecue supper at the Recreation Center.

78 YEARS AGO
JUNE 20, 1940

FIRST COTTON BLOOM EXHIBITED HERE FRIDAY: L.E. (Eugene) Salter of Evergreen brought to The Courant office last Friday the first cotton bloom seen at this at this office so far this year. Mr. Salter states that he has 40 acres in the field from which this bloom came, and that there are a few blooms scattered over the entire field. Mr. Salter’s cotton withstood the late freeze in fine shape but the recent rains have caused considerable damage.

GREENING LODGE NO. 53 ELECTS OFFICERS FOR YEAR: At a regular meeting of Greening Lodge No. 53 A.F.&A.M. held June, 14, 1940, the following officers were elected to serve the ensuing year: T.J. Mills, worshipful master; C.C. Hagood, senior warden; T.P. Whitten, junior warden; W.S. Dreaden, treasurer; W.G. Jones, secretary; A.D. Hansen, senior deacon; S.H. Ridgeway, junior deacon; and John Stamps, tyler.

The Repton Masonic Lodge No. 575 A.F.&A.M. met Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the Masonic Hall. A feature of the meeting was the election of officers for the ensuing year which are: Worshipful Master, Dr. E.L. Kelly; Senior Warden, E.M. Musgrove; Junior Warden, J.S. Nall; Treasurer, W.W. Kelly; Secretary, J.C. Brown; Senior Deacon, W.J. Nall; Junior Deacon, H.H. Richerson; Tyler, A.R. Brantley; Chaplain, A.B. Owens; J.E. Nettles and W.J. Nall, auditors.

128 YEARS AGO
JUNE 19, 1890
THE STAR

We have learned that it is likely that Mr. Shields, who will succeed Mr. T.J. Ansley on the L&N road, will occupy the Methodist parsonage.

Col. P.D. Bowles and Mr. C.P. Deming were among the Evergreen visitors to Mobile on “Governor’s Day” last Friday.

Mrs. Austill, wife of Jere Austill, one of the pioneers of Conecuh County, and noted as an Indian fighter during the first settlement of the country, died in Mobile last week at an advanced age.

WANTED: Old United and Confederate States Postage Stamps, Highest cash price paid for same, also Confederate Music Bonds, and War Relics. – H.H. Fosdick, Mobile, Ala.

An Ordinance: That after June 20, 1890, it shall be unlawful for any hog to run at large on the streets of Evergreen, and any hog found so running at large shall be taken in custody by the marshal and impounded and kept by said marshal for a period of five days, after which such animal will be sold to pay expenses and marshal’s fee. That the fee of the marshal for impounding shall be one dollar for each animal. W.D. ATKINSON, Mayor; W.E. LIVERMAN, Clerk.

We learn that there has been some violation of the prohibition law recently at Castleberry, but we are sure the law-abiding people of that place will not suffer this state of things to continue long if they can prevent it.

Old newspaper excerpts from The Monroe Journal newspaper of Monroe County, Alabama

Monroe Journal publisher Bill Stewart.

NINE YEARS AGO
JUNE 19, 2014

Chinese delegation tours city: The recruitment of Chinese industries continues in Monroe County as the SoZo Group recently visited with county and economic development officials to give members of a Chinese textile delegation a tour of the area.
“It’s always a positive step in the right direction when you get a chance to showcase Monroe County’s assets and versatility to international clientele for investment,” Monroe County Commission Chairman and Probate Judge Greg Norris said. “The management team from the Chinese delegation was very thorough in their observations of our county during their recent visit, and we look forward to hosting them again soon.”

Orioles win Major League championship: The Orioles captured first place in the Monroeville Little League’s Major League this season with an 8-4 record. Team members are Daryl McIntosh, Jarvis Locke, Waylan Smith, Nicholas Andrews, Ashiah Tolliver, Dashiah Tolliver, Dwywond Richardson, Jalon Lawson, Dorien Andrews, Kesean Quarrles, Christopher Booker, Michael Onwukeme and coaches Cedric Powell, Scottie Booker, Anward Andrews and David Lawson.

Hollinger takes vacant Repton seat: The Repton Council Monday night appointed a 38-year-old Repton native to fill the vacant seat left by Lois McMillian’s resignation last month. Tara Hollinger, the daughter of Eugene and Bernie Betts, was born and raised in Repton and teaches at W.S. Neal Elementary School in East Brewton. She was sworn into office at the start of the meeting.

34 YEARS AGO
JUNE 15, 1989

Wal-Mart plan approved: A Wal-Mart department store for Monroeville moved a step closer to reality Monday night when the Planning Commission okayed the shopping center site plan, which also contains space for a grocery store and three small shops.
Ron Bell of Consulting Engineering Services, Inc. of Montgomery said he expects site preparation to get under way by the end of July. Construction of the Wal-Mart building will be handled by Wal-Mart, but Bell believes it might be ready around February.

Dixie Youth all-stars: The Monroe County Dixie Youth Baseball League’s 10-year-old all-stars are scheduled to begin play in the District 4 double-elimination tournament July 6 in Thomasville. The members of the 1989 team include Beau Pipkins, Bush Upton, William Womack, Travis Black, Erik Hood, Craig Sigler, Justin Brown, Luke Hudson, Micha Lambert, Jeffrey Dunn, Charlie Martins, Jamie Hall, Travis Smith, Coach Edward Welch and Coach Westley Mixon.

Cost of a Journal to go up 5 cents: The suggested single-copy price of The Monroe Journal will go up by a nickel next week.
The increase to 50 cents is necessary because of expenses, said publisher Bill Stewart. These include the costs of ink, paper, writing, art, editing and printing. Many weekly newspapers have charged 50 cents a copy for several years.
“We resisted it as long as we could,” Stewart said. “We feel the newspaper is still a good buy – as low as or lower than most soft drinks and cups of coffee.”

59 YEARS AGO
JUNE 18, 1964

House Approves $1 Million For Claiborne: One million dollars for initial construction work on Claiborne Lock & Dam, and $6 million for continuation of construction at Millers Ferry Lock & Dam were included in $16,774,000 approved this week by the House Appropriations committee for planning and building water projects in Alabama.

Enlistees Depart For Marine Base: Two area Marines who enlisted in the Marine Corps 120-day delay enlistment plan were scheduled to depart for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C., on June 17. Privates James C. Marshall, son of Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Marshall of 515 Jones Ave., Monroeville, and Bennie Ray Hoskins, son of Mr. and Mrs. Newton M. Hoskins of Rt. 1, Box 219, Monroeville, will received 12 weeks of recruit training at the famed South Carolina Marine base, followed by four weeks of training at Camp Lejeune, N.C. James is a member of the 1964 graduating class of Monroeville High School, and Bennie is a recent graduate of Excel High School.

Bankester Named Journal News Editor: Merrill Bankester, formerly assistant state editor of the Pensacola News-Journal, has joined the staff of the Monroe Journal as news editor. He assumed his duties Monday.
A native of Robertsdale, Mr. Bankester is a 1959 journalism graduate of the University of Alabama. Prior to joining the News-Journal in Pensacola about a year ago, he was associated with The Atmore Advance in Atmore and The Baldwin Times in Bay Minette. He and Mrs. Bankester, also a native of Robertsdale, and their two sons, Mike, 10, and Scott, 4, are residing on Perry Street in a new residence recently built by Mr. and Mrs. Norman Dunning.

84 YEARS AGO
JUNE 15, 1939

HUNDREDS TO BE HERE ON MILLS DAY: Monroeville is expecting a large gathering of people here on Monroe Mills Day next Wednesday, June 21, and the Chamber of Commerce is making preparations to make the day a pleasant and profitable one for the visitors. Many of our county people have never had an opportunity to see the Monroe Mills and the factory of the Wood Products Company in operation, and a trip through these plants alone, is really interesting and instructive. Parents who have children of school age should make every effort to bring them to Monroeville Wednesday.

HELP WITH THE CLEAN-UP WORK: The Monroeville Boy Scout Troops are spending a good portion of their time during the coming week in helping to clean up the town of all rubbish. Residents are asked to place all cans, bottles and other rubbish to be disposed of, in boxes and sacks, so it will be easy for the Scouts to pick it up and dispose of it. The hearty cooperation of every citizen of the town will make this clean-up campaign a success.

THE FRISCO CITY SUN: We extend fraternal greetings and a most cordial welcome to our new contemporary, The Frisco City Sun, just making its appearance as a weekly newspaper at our neighbor city of Frisco City.
We understand that its policy will be that of a booster for its city and Monroe County, and that it expects to support everything worth while designed to improve the condition of our people in this territory. Upon this assumption, we are pleased to welcome it as a valuable co-worker.

110 YEARS AGO
JUNE 19, 1913

Newly Elected Masonic Officers: Mizpah Lodge, No. 667, Manistee – W.R. Blackwell, Worshipful Master; J.W. Wilkinson, Senior Warden; J.F. Grimes, Junior Warden; W.M. Florey, Treasurer; Jno. T. Lambert, Secretary; J.J. Curry and S. Lee Hayle, Junior Deacons; D.S. Sykes, Tyler; W.J. Curry, Chaplain; B.F. Lambert and Robert Stacey, Stewards; T.E. Stacey, Marshal.

The Monroeville and Jones Mill baseball teams played a seven-inning game on the Jones Mill diamond Saturday afternoon, the score resulting in 15 to 8 in favor of Monroeville. The local team will probably play Finchburg at this place Saturday.

Mr. J.U. Blacksher of Maros was a business visitor to the county capital the first of the week.

Messrs. J.W. Deer of Franklin and John Bigger of Finchburg were among Monroeville friends the first of the week. Boll weevil has made its appearance in both neighborhoods.

A town with two official names is about as rare a circumstance as a town without any name whatever, but that is the situation as regards the coming metropolis of South Monroe. Its corporate name is Jones Mill, and in that name all municipal matters are transacted, but at Washington and for postal purposes, it will be known as “Roy,” a petition to that effect having been recently approved by the post office authorities. Until the next municipal election, this anomalous condition must continue.

Little remains of the old Glendale community on Sand Bottom Road in Monroe County, Alabama

Bethel Baptist Church No. 1

I got the urge to do some exploring last Friday morning and eventually found myself on County Road 30 near Peterman. On a whim, I turned down the old Sand Bottom Road, a dirt road that runs about four and a half miles between County Road 30 and Burnt Corn. As I eased along, I passed Nettles Mill Road, crossed the short wooden bridge over Brushy Creek and was then reminded that I was in the old Glendale community.

Like many such communities, Glendale has faded from the memories of most folks today, but this was once a thriving community between Peterman and Burnt Corn. Glendale was once large enough to have its own post office, which was in operation from 1879 to 1899. Old maps show that “downtown” Glendale was located a short distance east of the Brushy Creek bridge, on the north side of Sand Bottom Road, between the road and what is called McKinney Branch.

Aside from a few scattered homes, about the only landmark near old Glendale that you will find today is Bethel Baptist Church No. 1. This church is located a little over two miles from the Brushy Creek bridge and about a mile and a half from Burnt Corn. According to a sign in front of the church, the Rev. Jerol Preyer is church’s current pastor.

One of my best maps shows two old cemeteries located along Sand Bottom Road, including one at Bethel Baptist Church. However, on Friday, despite my best efforts, I was unable to locate either one of these old cemeteries. My feeling is that they are either behind locked gates, shrouded in vegetation or so far off the road that they can’t be seen by passersby.

Back at the office, the oldest reference that I could find to the Glendale community in archives of the newspaper was in the July 14, 1879 edition of The Monroe Journal. In that newspaper, Editor H.R. Hood told readers that he was pleased to announce that the paper had added a new correspondent from Glendale. At this time, community correspondents were the newspapers chief source of local news, and these correspondents were also usually the postmasters in their respective communities.

In that week’s paper, the new correspondent, who went by the initial “M,” wrote Hood to say that “the application for a post office at Dr. McMillan’s mill, to which you referred a few weeks since, has been granted and the new office established. The name of the new office is Glendale, with W.W. McMillan postmaster. It is eight miles from Monroeville and five from Burnt Corn and will be supplied with mails twice a week from Monroeville until the mail contracts are let out again, when the department promises to keep it on the daily route from Monroeville to Evergreen.”

“M,” who was likely W.W. McMillian, also reported that “crops in this neighborhood, which have been very promising until recently, are now suffering severely from drought. The creeks are getting so low that the boys bump their heads against the bottom whilst bathing. One of them ‘drove off’ a few days since and reaching rock bottom rather unexpectedly, received such injuries as to require medical attention.”

“M” also asked Hood to “stir up the people” regarding the Selma & Gulf Railroad. “It seems to me that nothing can be of greater importance to the people of this county, at least those in the northern and eastern portion of it, than the completion or extension of this road.”

In the end, I’d like to hear from anyone in the audience with more information about the old Glendale community. I’m especially interested in any old ghost stories, local legends or Indian lore from this part of the county. If you know of anything along these lines, please let me know so that I can pass it along to readers in the weeks to come.

Tuscaloosa Paranormal Research Group investigates 'Most Famous Courthouse in America'

Members of the Tuscaloosa Paranormal Research Group.

Investigators with the Tuscaloosa Paranormal Research Group spent the night in the Old Monroe County Courthouse this past weekend to see if they could capture evidence of the supernatural in the “Most Famous Courthouse in America."

According to lead investigator David Higdon, the group used a wide variety of ghost-hunting equipment to investigate the building for several hours before going to sleep in the main courtroom around 3 a.m. on Sunday. Other investigators involved in the investigation included Heather Boothe, Ashley Kirkland, Jonathan Kirkland, Craig Rackley and Abby Rayburn.

Using highly-sensitive audio recorders, the group captured the sound of footsteps on the building's ground floor when no one was in the area, Higdon said. They also captured the sound of a disembodied woman's voice around 1 a.m. in the main courtroom upstairs, Higdon said. He noted that the group is still busy reviewing other audio and video footage from their courthouse trip to see if their equipment captured anything else out of the ordinary.

Higdon said that he and the group were very impressed with the museum and with the way it has been maintained. He also thanked the museum's board of directors for giving the group permission to investigate the building.

“It was a great honor to have been inside a building that has so many stories to tell,” Higdon said.

Higdon, along with co-author Brett Talley, is the author of the 2013 book, “Haunted Alabama Black Belt.” This book contains an entire chapter on supposedly haunted locations in Monroe County. Those locations include the Old Courthouse, Rikard's Mill near Beatrice and others.

Pine Apple was almost the county seat of a newly proposed Alabama county in the late 1870s

Alabama maps would look very different if a man from Pine Apple had had his way in the late 1870s.

I was looking through some old newspapers the other day and ran across an unusual news item from December 1878. That short news story said that “an effort is being made to form a new county out of portions of Wilcox, Conecuh, Butler and Monroe, and a gentleman of Pine Apple is now in Montgomery with a map of the proposed new county, and is making strenuous exertions to secure legislative action.”

The newspaper never mentioned the name of the “gentleman of Pine Apple” and never gives his reasons for wanting to establish a new county. However, The Monroe Journal newspaper in Monroeville reported that “the proposed new county would cut off beats twelve, eleven, eight and a portion of five in Monroe County. We are opposed to the new county, and believe that nine-tenths of the people of this county are.”

A few weeks later, in January 1879, newspapers reported that “the failure to establish a new county out of portions of Dallas, Wilcox, Perry and other counties dampened the ardor of the promoters of the movement to form a new county from parts of Butler, Wilcox and other counties, making the county seat at Pine Apple.”

The following month, newspapers reported that the “advocates of a new county to be formed from Wilcox, Monroe, Butler and Conecuh have concluded not to push their claims any further for the present.”

All of the above raises many questions. Who was the man for Pine Apple who was trying to create a new county with Pine Apple as its county seat? What would the new county have been called? Who were Wilcox County’s legislative representatives at the time and what did they think of the proposed change?

When it comes to Wilcox County’s borders, the county map has gone through many changes over the years, just not in the 1870s. Wilcox County was created on Dec. 13, 1819 from portions of Dallas, Monroe, Montgomery and a small part of Marengo counties. In December 1822, Wilcox County increased in size when it picked up another portion of Dallas County.

In January 1829, Wilcox lost portions of its territory to Clarke and Marengo counties. The following year, in January 1830, Wilcox picked up a part of Clarke County and lost some territory due to the creation of Lowndes County. One year later, in January 1831, Wilcox lost territory to Clarke County.

Almost a decade later, in December 1840, Wilcox lost a small area to Butler County. Wilcox County’s borders remained the same for the next 61 years and didn’t change until December 1901. At that time, Wilcox again exchanged small areas with Clarke County.

With all of this in mind, if you live on either side of the present-day borders of Wilcox County, chances are that where you live was at one time inside of another county. In the end, if anyone in the reading audience can shed more light on the proposed county border change in the 1870s, please let me hear from you. It would be interesting to know if any additional details can be uncovered.

Singleton encourages readers to remember nation's sacrifices, D-Day

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Let’s not forget D-day,” was originally published in the June 2, 2002 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

We Americans are a lucky people, but sometimes we tend to let slip by many past events that did much to mold our lives and our society.

We forget as the years begin to grow in number and time passes into the pages of the past. This date, June 6, 1944, is one of those dates that we need never to forget. On this date, the greatest invasion force that man has ever assembled stormed ashore on the beaches of Normandy.

On this date in 1944, during the frightful days of World War II, the allied forces launched the greatest invasion force the world has ever known in hopes of defeating for all time the evil forces of Hitler’s army.

On June 5, Gen. Eisenhower set into motion a plan to lay the groundwork for the Normandy Invasion to be launched the following day. This day would be recorded in history as “D-Day” throughout the known free world.

Let us look back and try to visualize the magnitude of this invasion force. On June 5, 1944, over 3,000 American and British bombers, protected by the famed P-51 fighter planes, dropped thousands of tons of bombs on the Nazi forces that were dug in on the high cliffs that overlooked the beaches of Normandy.

The following day, ships from a hundred ports, numbering over 4,000, began crossing the English Channel. These ships would put ashore over 176,000 men in the first wave that landed on the sandy beaches. In less than three weeks that followed, over one million men and 170,000 vehicles made their way across the bloody sands of the Normandy beachhead.

Thousands of young men, many no more than 18 or 19 years old, never reached the sandy beaches. Many of these young men had no combat experience, except less than eight weeks of basic training, before they shipped to overseas ports to help make up the other thousands of the allied invasion force.

As the landing of troops increased, so many died there on the beach until bulldozers were used to push the dead bodies aside, so that the men and equipment yet to come ashore would have open space to maneuver as they fought for the high ground.

Should you visit the many military cemeteries that dot the landscape throughout Europe and see the thousands upon thousands of whip crosses that mark the graves of our fallen sons and brothers, then you will realize the price we paid that fateful day.

In 1986, I had the chance to visit one such cemetery. The row upon row of snow-white crosses in the Luxembourg Cemetery gave witness to the many thousands who sleep there. As I searched for the grave of a cousin who fell in the heavy fighting of the invasion, I remembered being told that he had not reached his 19^th birthday prior to his death.

I remember that day as a student in high school when the principal of the school called an assembly. This was the day after school had started in September. Mr. Johnson, a World War I veteran, read out the names of those who had gone to school there at Sweet Water High and had fallen in battle that fateful day of June 6.

I remember that the old man wept as he called the names of seven young men from a prior graduating class that had fallen there on the bloody beaches of Normandy. This class would lose a total of eight young men, both in the Pacific and Europe, before the dreadful war’s end.

There are those who say that we should bury the past and let bygones be bygones. But, I believe we should remember those brave young men who gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy today. We should hold in high esteem the memories of those who died in battle so that we can continue to live as a free people.

We should forever remember those who never knew the joys of raising a family and having the chance to grow old with their children and grandchildren.

We, as a nation, cannot know where we are going unless we know where we have been. We must not forget those who gave their all for our way of life that we so often take for granted.

As we remember the millions who died in our past wars, we should remember that they too wanted to live a full and happy life. They didn’t want their lives to end there on the blood-soaked sands of Normandy, or on some unknown island in the Pacific. They didn’t want it to end on some frozen hillside in far off Korea or the steaming jungles of Vietnam or in the parched deserts of the Middle East.

We Americans are a forgiving people; for the want of wealth, we sell our homeland and even our souls to the very ones who tried to hard to destroy that which we cherished.

We turn a deaf ear to the cries of the millions slain who tried to protect us from the armies of the aggressor. The jingle of money pushes from our ears the cries of the dead who also wanted to live and enjoy a part of our tomorrow.

We allow our sacred flag to be burned in public places by deadbeats who have contributed nothing to the freedom they enjoy. One day we must learn that freedom is not free. Freedom has to be wanted. It has to be cherished. There comes a time when it has to be fought for and protect.

So, today, Thursday, June 6, 58 years since the sands of Normandy beach turned red with the blood of our brave young men, we need to stop and remember. It doesn’t take much time. Find a quiet spot and raise your arms to the heavens and thank God that you have been allowed to live in this great land of ours. You will be heard if you are sincere, and those who sleep beneath the white crosses and unmarked graves in those forgotten cemeteries in some far off land will know that they are remembered.

Do not let the spirits of those young men who fell in battle on a thousand battlefields wander forever on the winds of oblivion. Take time to be proud and let the world know that you are proud to be an American. Our country is approaching the crossroads of history. We must stand up and be proud. We cannot let that which we love cross over the point of no return.

There is a graveyard far, far away
Where a forgotten soldier lies.
No flowers there are sprinkled,
Nor tears from mourners eyes.

I stood there not so long ago
In remembrance for these brave,
When suddenly I heard a soft fait voice
Speak out from the depths of a grave.

“Did we really win our freedom
That we battled so hard to achieve?
Do we still respect that tiny flag
Above that empty sleeve?”

Wonder if those who planned it
All are really satisfied?
As they sing and dance and live it up
After many thousands died.

I am that forgotten soldier
And maybe I died in vain
But, if I were alive, and my Country called,
I’d do it all over again.

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born to Vincent William Singleton and Frances Cornelia Faile Singleton, during a late-night thunderstorm, on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1946, served as a U.S. Marine paratrooper in the Korean War, worked as a riverboat deckhand, lived for a time among Apache Indians, moved to Monroe County on June 28, 1964 and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from June 28, 1964 to Dec. 14, 1987. He was promoted from the enlisted ranks to warrant officer in May 1972. For years, Singleton’s columns, titled “Monroe County history – Did you know?” and “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. It’s believed that his first column appeared in the March 25, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal. He also helped organize the Monroe County Museum and Historical Society and was also a past president of that organization. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for June 13, 2023

25 YEARS AGO
JUNE 11, 1998

Evergreen weather observer Harry Ellis reported 0.82 inches of rain on June 5. He also reported a high of 95 degrees on June 1 and lows of 57 degrees on June 6 and June 7.
Ellis also reported lows of 76 and 77 on June 3 and June 4, respectively. Those low temperatures were the highest ever recorded on those dates. Ellis took temperature readings at 6 a.m. for the previous 24-hour period.

The Alabama Department of Transportation has begun work replacing the bridge on No Name Creek on Alabama Highway 83. The project is expected to take approximately 45 calendar days. Many of you may have noticed the detour signs directing you to travel up I-65 to the Owassa exit. During construction, traffic will be routed through this detour to Owassa and then to Conecuh County Routes 22, 29 and 30.

Reception planned for the new pastor at First United Methodist: The Rev. Edward Deabler has been appointed by the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church to serve as minister of Evergreen First United Methodist Church.
Rev. Deabler, his wife Nancy and daughter Taylor moved to Evergreen June 2 from Crestview, Fla.
He has served churches in Opelika, Wetumpka, Selma, Jackson and Crestview.
A welcoming reception will be held at the church on Sun., June 14, at 5 p.m. Worship services will follow at 6 p.m.

50 YEARS AGO
JUNE 14, 1973

Greening Lodge, F&AM, elected officers at its annual meeting Tuesday night. New officers are Howard Fore, Worshipful Master; Melvin Watts, Senior Warden; A.K. Williams, Junior Warden; Lofton Shell, Senior Deacon; Delma Bowers, Junior Deacon; B.H. Neese, Tyler; G.D. McKenzie and E.K. Tatum, Stewards; Quinton Buras, Chaplain; and Earl Brown, Marshal.

It rains and rains and rains: This year of 1973 may not wind up as the “wettest” year on record, but it should rank right up there at the top if rainfall continues at the present pace.
The Courant’s official weatherman, Earl Windham, says that according to the gauge at his house, total rainfall for May was 7.9 inches. Through Monday, the total for June was 6.5 inches.
This latest report brings the total rainfall for the year up to 48.4 inches with over half the year left. The average for a year in this area is around 60 inches.
Rainfall by months has been: January, 3.9 inches; February, 5.6; March, 16.9; April, 7.7; May, 7.9; and June (11 days), 6.5.

The Evergreen National Guard Unit, Detachment 3, 778^th Maintenance Co. is preparing for its annual two weeks of field training. Evergreen is commanded by 1^st Lt. John E. Harris. The unit will be leaving for Camp Shelby, Miss. June 16.
Evergreen will carry about 76 men from this area to Camp Shelby, Miss. Most of these men are from Conecuh County and the surrounding area. The unit will return home Sat., June 30.

75 YEARS AGO
JUNE 10, 1948

Prominent Physician Succumbs To Stroke: Following a short, critical illness, Dr. Edward Lamar Kelly, age 77, died at his home in Repton Sat., June 5. He suffered a stroke several days prior to his passing and had been in serious condition from that time until death occurred. He was one of Conecuh County’s most popular and beloved citizens and his passing was the source of keen sorrow to his numerous relatives and friends.
Dr. Kelly was born in Monroe County June 11, 1871. He received his education in the schools in that section and at the High School at Georgiana. He graduated from the Medical Department of the University of Alabama, then located at Mobile, in 1900 with an MD degree.
For four years after his graduation, Dr. Kelly practiced at Wallace and Foshee in Escambia County, Ala. He then went to Repton in Conecuh County where he remained in active practice until 1928, when he came to Evergreen to assume the directorship of the Conecuh County Health Unit, retiring Oct. 1, 1946 after 18 years of service.
He was a member of the Masonic Order and is past master of the Repton Lodge. He was a member of the Woodmen of the World and the Methodist-Episcopal Church. He served as steward of the Methodist Church at Repton for 63 years and was Sunday School Superintendent for 45 years. He held local Methodist Preacher’s license and served as pastor for the remainder of Rev. Cameron’s term upon his death. He was Chairman of the Conecuh County Board of Education for 18 years.

102 YEARS AGO
JUNE 8, 1921

H.G. Culverhouse of the State Highway Department was here on Monday and formally received the state and federal aid road from Travis bridge to the Butler line.

Solicitor Dickey and Court Reporter Letford are at home after the Baldwin term of circuit court, and will have a rest spell until the special term of Monroe court which is scheduled for July 12.

J.T. Fincher and B.M. Johnston represented Conecuh at the dedication of the White House of the Confederacy at Montgomery on Friday night.

New Train Schedule: The new schedule of passenger trains passing Evergreen beginning on Sunday last is given below: Southbound – No. 1, 2:07; No. 3, 11:10 p.m.; No. 5, 9:40 a.m.; Northbound – No. 2, 4:13 a.m.; No. 4, 3:35; No. 6, 2:07 p.m.

The Advertiser says: “The Castleberry strawberry season has come to a close. That little Alabama community is reported to be $250,000 better off than when the season opened, having shipped the equivalent of 200 cars of berries. Why not change the name of the village to Strawberry anyhow?”
The name of Castleberry at once suggests the luscious fruit, which has made the place famous far beyond the confines of Alabama. It will always be Castleberry and we hope will never cease to produce the toothsome berry.

127 YEARS AGO
JUNE 11, 1896
THE CONECUH RECORD

Hotel Magnolia – Jno. M. Cobb, Proprietor – Newly Furnished and Renovated – Headquarters for Commercial Travelers and Winter Guests – Evergreen, Ala.

The Conecuh Guards, 40 strong, left for Mobile on Monday morning, where they will remain in encampment seven days.

The Board of Confederate Pension Examiners passed favorably on pensions to 30 widows and 39 disabled Confederates in this county.

The second story of the Hamil building was completed about 10 days ago, and the upper rooms have been nicely furnished by Messrs. Gantt & Son. This is a desirable addition to that section of town and is convenient to the traveling public.

MASONIC PICNIC: The Masonic Lodge of this place has arranged a picnic on June 24 at Magnolia Mineral Springs, the occasion being a public installation of officers, to which neighboring lodges are invited. The ladies are expected to bring baskets.

The Conecuh Guards gave an exhibition drill on Friday night of last week at which a number of ladies were present. After the drill, all repaired to Delmonico Restaurant, where refreshments were served.

We are informed that Prof. Charles B. Glenn, who is so favorably known here, will take his degree from Harvard University of Cambridge, Mass., the latter part of this month, after making a brilliant record there this session.

Old newspaper excerpts from The Monroe Journal newspaper of Monroe County, Alabama

EIGHT YEARS AGO
JUNE 11, 2015

FC to buy bank: Frisco City will purchase the former Superior Bank building next week for its new Town Hall.
The town is buying the building from veterinarian, Dr. Hal Noble, for $125,000.
Last year, black mold was discovered in the present Town Hall and the town was forced to find a new location.

Dixie Youth announces Ozone all-stars: Monroeville Dixie Youth League recently named its Ozone all-star team. Team members are Jackson Tatum, Jon Byrd, Chico Hixon, Trinity McDonald, Matthew Owens, Caleb Powell, Tayvis Davis, Corey Barnes, J.T. Lolley, Dagan Feaster, Jordan Witherington, Brody Byrd and coach Ricky Powell.

McPhaul’s Mercantile opening in Excel: There will be a grand opening celebration for McPhaul’s Mercantile in downtown Excel Friday from 4-7 p.m.
Owners Ashley and Jessica McPhaul purchased the former Excel Hardware and are breathing new life into the store.

Officers announced: American Legion Post 61 meetings are held on the second Thursday night of each month at Vanity Fair Golf Club at 6:30 p.m. The 2016 officers for American Legion Post 61 are Bob Steward, First Vice Commander; Wayne Crutchfield, Adjutant; Tommy Wright, Post Commander; Herb Kennedy, Sgt. At Arms; Hillary Grimes Jr., Finance Officer; Bill Scruggs, County Commander; Mac McKinley, Second Vice Commander; and Charles Sawyer, Chaplain.

33 YEARS AGO
JUNE 14, 1990

Area students are attending Boys, Girls State: Several Monroe County students are attending Boys State and Girls State this week. Boys State is being held at Samford University in Birmingham, and Girls State is at Huntingdon College in Montgomery.
Those chosen to attend were: John Godwin and Amy Scruggs of Excel School; Benjamin Malone and Melissa Butler of Monroe County High School; Jesse Nicholas and Tracy Dunn of Monroe Academy; and Spence Maughon and Amy Cave of Frisco City High School.

Bishop, Johnson in all-star game: When the third annual Alabama-Mississippi Shrine High School All-Star Classic football game kicks off Saturday in Mobile’s Ladd Stadium at 7:15 p.m., Excel’s Bo Bishop and Brady Johnson will be there.
Bishop was selected to help coach the Alabama team after leading Excel High School to the finals of the 1A state playoffs in December. Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound senior lineman, is the only player in the 1A classification on Alabama’s roster.

Recycling addition set for ARN: A $55.6 million wastepaper recycling plant to be built at Claiborne was announced Tuesday by Parsons & Whittemore, Inc. of New York and Abitibi-Price, Inc. of Toronto, Canada.
Abitibi-Price chairman Bernd K. Koken and Parsons & Whittemore chairman George F. Landegger, whose firms are partners in Alabama River Newsprint Co., Inc. (ARN) at Claiborne, announced the companies would team up again to build the recycling plant. They hope to have it built and in operation by late 1991.
The recycling plant is the most recent addition announced for what will become a $1.4 billion pulp-and-paper complex at Claiborne, which company executives say will be the largest of its kind in the world.

58 YEARS AGO
JUNE 10, 1965

Jimmy Brooks of Uriah won grand champion of the Monroe County 4-H Fat Calf Show & Sale last Wednesday with his Hereford steer. Jimmy is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Brooks.
Sammy Wiggins, son of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Wiggins of Excel, took reserve champion honors with his Angus steer at the 4-H Fat Calf Show & Sale in Frisco City.

First Cotton Bloom Grown At Uriah: The first cotton bloom turned in to The Journal this year was grown on the farm of J.C. Mims & Sons at Uriah. The bloom was sent in last Wednesday, June 2.

Albert G. Simmons Receives Degree: The Medical College of Alabama announces that Albert Grayson Simmons of Monroeville received his M.D. degree at commencement exercises held at the University of Alabama, May 30.

Industrial Board Names Officers: L.L. Dees was named Chairman of the Monroeville Industrial Development Board at an organizational meeting Monday. The meeting was the first of the full seven-man committee and was for the purpose of naming officers.
Named vice-chairman was Norman Barnett with Mickey Kennedy being named secretary-treasurer of the board.
The board was formed by the Monroeville City Council in January for the purpose of promoting and gaining new industries for the Monroeville area.
Members of the board, other than the officers, are Shall Dunning, B.C. Hornady, Bill Owens and J.P. Williamson Jr.

83 YEARS AGO
JUNE 13, 1940

Mr. George Thomas Jones left last week for New York City, where he will spent two weeks with friends and taking in the World’s Fair.

Mrs. C.F. McKinley and Mr. J.C. Finch of Atmore are visiting Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Lee.

EXCEL F.F.A. WINS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: The Excel Future Farmers of America basketball team won the “Little River State Park District” F.F.A. basketball tournament held at Frisco City Friday afternoon.
Excel F.F.A. boys making the team were Jim Gardner, Merril Faircloth, Clemmie Sims, James Murphy, Winford Petty, J.T. Petty and Shelly Sims.

Boxing Bouts To Be Held Here On Monroe Mills Day: The entertainment committee for Monroe Mills Day, June 21, has arranged a boxing match for the visitors that day, and has secured several fighters who have the reputation of being the best in their section.
Battling Kid, a welterweight and undefeated fighter from the State Prison Farm at Atmore, has issued a challenge to any boxer to meet him in a bout here over the 15-round route. A handsome purse will be given the winner.
Battling Kid has only one leg, but this does not seem to handicap him as he has won every fight of his career.
Several preliminary bouts have also been arranged and all boxing fans have a real treat in store for them here on Monroe Mills Day.

Prof. J.S. Lambert of the State Department of Education, Montgomery, was a visitor to Monroeville last week.

109 YEARS AGO
JUNE 11, 1914

Prof. Geo. A. Harris attended a conference of principals of county high schools in Montgomery last week after which he spent a few days at his old home in Pike.

The dwelling of Mr. L.W. Hanks at Lufkin was destroyed by fire on the night of June 3, together with all household effects. The loss amounted to about $800 with no insurance.

The “first” cotton blooms have been received at The Journal office. One was sent by Mr. S.A. Barnes of Franklin on June 5, and the other by Mr. F.L. Taylor of Mexia on the 10^th inst. Mr. Taylor reports boll weevils plentiful in his crop.

A carload of cement consigned to the Claiborne Ranch Co. was handled by the Manistee & Repton Railroad last week. The cement will be utilized in the construction of concrete silos for the preservation of forage. These will be the first silos of the concrete type to be erected in the county.

Mrs. J.T. Sawyer died at her home near Tekoa on Mon., June 8, after an illness of several days. Interment was made at Shiloh cemetery on Tuesday, the service being in accordance with the ritual of the Order of the Eastern Star of which the deceased was a member. Several members of the local chapter attended the funeral.

Mr. E. Talbert is at home after several days absence demonstrating harvesting machinery.

There will be an ice cream supper at the Mexia Schoolhouse June 18, Thursday night, for the benefit of the Mexia Baptist Church. All invited to attend.