The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for Dec. 31, 2024

U.S. Senator Jim Allen

14 YEARS AGO
DEC. 23, 2010

Evergreen weather observer Harry Ellis reported .05 inches of rain on Dec. 16 and .10 inches on Dec. 17. He also reported a high of 70 degrees on Dec. 16 and lows of 20 degrees on Dec. 13 and Dec. 14.

For the first time in over six years, the Town of Repton will soon have a full-time police chief, but the council had to increase water rates to pay for the protection.
The council approved the hiring of Daryl Knowles as the full-time chief. He has been the part-time chief for several years and works fulltime as a deputy with the Conecuh County Sheriff’s Office.
Mayor Terri Carter said the town needs more police coverage, but they don’t have the resources to cover the cost.
Carter said a $10 increase to the base water rate – an increase from $13 to $23 – should be enough to pay Knowles and handle the additional administrative costs the town will incur.

The Hillcrest High School Student Government Association recently held their 2010 Winter Beauty Pageant. Winners were Heather Smith, first alternate; Victoria Walden, Queen; and Sequoya Stallworth, second alternate.

Evergreen Elementary School Principal Tonya Bozeman, faculty, staff, students and families would like to thank 35^th Judicial Circuit District Attorney Tommy Chapman and his office for the donation of this beautiful live Christmas tree. The tree is proudly displayed at the entrance of the school and admired by all who enter.

32 YEARS AGO
DEC. 24, 1992

Local weather reporter Harry Ellis reported .52 of an inch of rain on Dec. 15, 3.41 on Dec. 16, .06 on Dec. 17, .06 on Dec. 19 and .08 on Dec. 20. He reported a high temperature of 73 degrees on Dec. 20 and a low of 38 on Dec. 17.

The Conecuh County Economic Development Authority Board of Directors officially welcomed Rosalyn Skipper back to the area last Tuesday evening with a reception at the Quality Inn of Evergreen. Ms. Skipper was recently named as the executive director of the EDA and of the Evergreen-Conecuh County Chamber of Commerce.

Members of local volunteer fire departments proudly display their awards as ‘Volunteer of the Year’ from each department. The winners are Judy Poole of Sandcut, Aline Quinley (accepting for Elmer Quinley) of Flat Rock, Harvey Boatright of Pine Orchard, Elbert Mooney of Burnt Corn, Ruby Powell (sister of the late Lois Reeves) for Lyeffion, Mrs. McMillian (accepting for the late Robert McMillian) of Repton, Mrs. Helen Nelson (accepting for the late L.M. Nelson) of Evergreen, Sonny Holmes of Johnsonville, Johnny McDonald of Range, Michael Lambert of Belleville, Zolen ‘Skeeter’ Pugh of Brownville-Owassa and Melinda Morrison of the Conecuh County Rescue Squad.

42 YEARS AGO
DEC. 30, 1982

Evergreen weather observer Earl Windham reported .05 inches of rain on Dec. 24 and 1.04 inches between 4:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Tues., Dec. 28. He reported highs of 72 degrees on Dec. 23 and Dec. 24 and a low of 28 on Dec. 20.

Winston Pierce was recently presented a plaque by City Councilman Lomax Cassady in recognition of Pierce’s 35 years of dedicated service with the City. Looking on are Street and Sanitation Superintendent Matthew Davis and Mayor Lee F. Smith. Winston, a member of the Class of 1943 at Evergreen High School, served with the U.S. Army Infantry in North Africa, Sicily and Italy during World War II and was decorated for his courageous service. He is married to the former Gertrude Perdue of Evergreen, and they live on Pierce Street. Winston started working with the City of Evergreen in November 1947.

Mrs. Ellen Winifred Weaver Key, 96, of Evergreen died Fri., Dec. 24, in a Monroeville nursing home after a long illness. She was a member of a prominent pioneer county family and was much loved and respected by all who knew her. She was a longtime resident of Evergreen and her late husband was an educator who served this county as superintendent of education.
Survivors include one son, Circuit Judge Robert E.L. Key, Evergreen; one daughter, Mrs. Frances Scott Key Bateman, Lexington, Tenn.; three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

47 YEARS AGO
DEC. 22, 1977

Local weather reporter Earl Windham reported .43 of an inch of rain on Dec. 14 and .88 on Dec. 17. He reported a high of 70 on Dec. 17 and a low of 24 on Dec. 12.

U.S. Senator Jim Allen visited Conecuh County on Thursday of last week. Here the outstanding senator visits with some of his constituents: County Commission Chairman David L. Burt Jr., Al Ball and Alton Johnson. The senator spent the afternoon in the county commission office talking with country folks. Earlier at noon he addressed the Evergreen Rotary Club. His talk was based on prayer in recognition of the National Day of Prayer, which was observed Thursday.

District Judge Tommy Chapman presents a silver engraved serving tray to Leon A. Salter in recognition of his long service as Circuit Clerk. Salter retired Nov. 30. The tray was presented by ‘The Bar and Bench’ of the Conecuh County Bar Association. Judge Chapman is president of the County Bar Association and also of the 35th Circuit Bar Association. The presentation took place Monday morning in Circuit Judge Robert E.L. Key’s office.

Demphsey McNeil was awarded Conecuh County’s Distinguished Leadership Award for this year at the recent Auburn University Extension Service Leadership Awards Banquet in Selma. Attending from Conecuh County were the Rev. Fred Bailey, Mrs. Avie Lee McInnis, Mrs. Helen Watson, Mrs. Joyce Watson and Mrs. Lucy Watson, all representing the Bermuda Community Improvement Club, Mrs. Mildred McNeil, Commissioner McNeil, Mrs. Louise Ostrom and Herbert Oakley.

55 YEARS AGO
DEC. 25, 1969

Beloved Citizen Dies After Brief Illness: Rufus Reid Rushton, age 79, died at the local hospital Thursday p.m., Dec. 18, following a brief illness. Mr. Rushton was born in Rutledge, Crenshaw County, Ala.
He moved with his parents to Andalusia when a young boy and resided there until he moved to Evergreen more than 50 years ago. He engaged in the contracting business till he retired about 10 years ago.
He was a veteran of World War I and a member of the American Legion. He was a lifelong member of the Baptist Church and a regular attendant of Sunday School and Church.

Strange things happen – especially during the Holiday Season. Employees of City Drug Store were surprised and frightened last Wednesday when a car crashed into the front of the store. The woman driving the auto reported that its brakes failed. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Proprietor Cecil Hagood said that there was some damaged stock but that damage to the store was slight.

James Ansley and Danny Petrey were co-chairmen of the Evergreen Jaycees’ annual Christmas Shopping Tour for underprivileged children. The 20 children chosen for this project and Jaycee members and their wives assembled at the Courthouse Auditorium, Sat., Dec. 20, for a party. Each child was given money and taken to town on a supervised Christmas shopping tour.

The Monroe Journal's News Flashback for Dec. 30, 2024

Lee Roy Jordan of Excel

12 YEARS AGO
DEC. 27, 2012

Christmas comes alive in Frisco City: The biblical story of Jesus Christ’s birth came to life in a big way last Friday and Saturday nights in Frisco City when Revive Frisco City, 300 volunteers and 20 churches presented a live, drive-through nativity.
The event encompassed an entire block in Frisco City, and organizers said 1,300 people rode through to view the 10 stations, starting with the announcement of a coming savior and moving through the story to the birth of Christ in a manger.
In addition to the 10 stations, there were also choirs singing in downtown for visitors to enjoy as they waited in line.

MCHS Tigers pound the Excel Panthers: The fourth-ranked Monroe County High School Tigers remained unbeaten with an 80-48 pounding of Excel last Thursday night, led by Tytus Howard’s double-double. Howard scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, plus a block, an assist and three steals.
(Other top MCHS players in that game included Deveon Kimbrough, Laderian Odom, Mario Richardson and Skyler Stallworth. Karl Johnson was MCHS’s head coach.)

Former Beatrice mayor and current councilman James B. Bigger Jr., 75, died Sun., Dec. 23, at the USA Medical Center in Mobile.
Since 1966, he was continuously elected to the Beatrice Town Council and served one term as mayor.
Bigger graduated from Beatrice High School in 1956 and was valedictorian of his class. Following graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in Washington, D.C. and aboard the aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Essex.

37 YEARS AGO
DEC. 24, 1987

Barnes’ ribbon-cutting: The Dec. 18 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Billy Barnes Enterprises trucking facility outside Frisco City was attended by almost 200 people. Remarks were made by Monroe County Probate Judge Otha Lee Biggs. Biggs, Frisco City Mayor Ronnie Ray, company vice president Terry Kilpatrick, company founder and president Billy Barnes and vice president Donnie Barnes shared in the ribbon-cutting duties.

Randy Brown’s sensational senior season was further enhanced Dec. 10 when he was named the recipient of the coveted Roy Stacey Award during Excel High School’s football awards banquet at the school.
The award is presented each year to the outstanding senior football player in behalf of the late Roy Stacey, who was a former standout athlete at Excel and a dedicated Excel supporter.
Brown rushed for 1,469 yards from halfback this season to help the Excel Panthers post a 10-2 record. In addition to receiving the Roy Stacey Award, Brown was named the Panthers’ most valuable offensive back.

New well being drilled at Megargel: The drilling of a new prospective oil and gas well began last week at Megargel.
Conoco Inc. began drilling the wildcat well Dec. 17. The proposed depth is 14,200 feet, and drilling was at 2,903 feet Monday, according a to State Oil & Gas Board spokesman.

62 YEARS AGO
DEC. 27, 1962

Lynam Home Burns Here On Dec. 23: The home of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Lynam on Washington Street in Monroeville was destroyed by fire Sunday morning.
The flames apparently started from a hot water heater located in the kitchen. Mr. Lynam was at work and Mrs. Lynam and the children were at church, according to firemen, when the fire was discovered.
Mr. Lynam said a couch, table and television set were saved from the blaze which was so far advanced when firemen reached the scene that it was impossible for them to effectively fight the fire.

Lee Roy Jordan Day Is Planned For Jan. 19: Lee Roy Jordan Day is planned for Jan. 19, 1963, with activities at the Excel High School during the afternoon and a banquet at the Community House scheduled at 7:30 p.m. when Coach Bear Bryant will be featured speaker.
W.C. Myrick is chairman and Coy Stacey, Jim Anners, Carl Brown and Owen Dawson are members of the special committee in charge of the event. The Excel Quarterback Club is sponsoring Lee Roy Jordan Day.
Plans are for about 500 tickets to be sold for the banquet.

Army Pvt. Kenneth C. White, the son of Mrs. Nettie M. Hilgeman, 4670 Durham Drive, Pensacola, Fla., completed the 15-week manual central office repair course at the Southeastern Signal School, Fort Gordon, Ga., Dec. 7.
Pvt. White entered the Army in June 1962 and completed basic combat training at Fort Jackson, S.C.
The 18-year-old soldier is a 1962 graduate of Escambia High School.
His father, Cleon White, lives on Route 1, Frisco City.

87 YEARS AGO
DEC. 23, 1937

Music Recital Thursday Evening: A large audience enjoyed a recital by the pupils of Mrs. F.F. Feagin at the High School auditorium last Thursday evening. The following took part in the program: Mary Smith, Emma Lou Agee, Betty Chambers, Margaret McMillan, Ida Jenkins Wiggins, Virginia Hybart, William Bowden, Jennings Carter, Vivian Driggers, Jean Morris Feagin, Louise Snowden, Myrtle Huey Greer, Sara Ann McCall, Barbara Estelle Locklin, Elizabeth Snowden, Nancy Sheffield, Nell Lee, Pauline Dale, Sara Ann Hundley, Patsy Lazenby, Emily Finklea and Sonny Gardner.

County Schools Close For The Holidays: The Monroe County schools closed Wednesday and will remain closed for the Christmas holidays until Mon., Jan. 3.

Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Hendrix, Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Hendrix and Mr. and Mrs. Evans were painfully injured when the car they were driving collided with another car between Monroeville and Mexia, on Saturday night. They were blinded by the lights of an approaching car.

First National Declares Dividend: At their December meeting, directors of the First National Bank of Monroeville declared an eight-percent dividend on the Capital Stock of the bank and passed to the surplus account an amount equal to two percent of the capital account. The dividend will be payable Jan. 3, 1938 to stockholders of record Dec. 31, 1937.

Dr. A.B. Coxwell has been advised that his name will be included in the 1937-38 edition of “Who’s Who Among Physicians and Surgeons” together with a sketch of his life and activities. This is a distinction that is accorded only to professional men of outstanding reputation and ability, and is an honor worthily bestowed.

112 YEARS AGO
DEC. 26, 1912

Head-on Collision at Corduroy: Failure to properly lock a switch at Corduroy, a few miles north of Beatrice, caused a head-on collision between the northbound passenger and a freight train on the siding at that point on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Saturday night, resulting in the death of Engineer Byron Shofner and John McMillan, a fireman. Engineer John Day of Pensacola and a fireman whose name has not been learned were injured. Both engines were derailed, delaying traffic several hours.

Mr. Chas. McArthur Killed: Mr. Charles McArthur met a tragic death near Dottelle on the Manistee & Repton Railroad Friday afternoon. Mr. McArthur, with four or five others, was a passenger on the motor car returning from Manistee Junction, when, evidently frightened by the popping of the engine, he jumped from the car which was running at a speed of some 20 miles per hour. His head struck a crosstie fracturing the skull and bruising his body otherwise, causing his death within a few moments. He was about 53 years old and is survived by his wife and several children.

LOST – Dec. 19, between Jones Mill and Tekoa, one .38 caliber pearl handle, Smith & Wesson pistol, five in barrel. Five dollar reward for return of pistol to this office or to W.C. Neville.

Rev. M.E. Lazenby was called to Pine Apple on Saturday on account of the sickness of one of his children and his appointment to preach at the Methodist church last Sunday was called in. He expects to preach her next Sunday.

100-year-old news highlights from December 1924 editions of The Wilcox Progressive Era

Capt. Emmett Kilpatrick

Today marks not only the last Friday in December, but it also marks the last edition of the newspaper for this calendar year. With that said, let’s take a trip down memory lane and look at some of the interesting things that happened in Wilcox County a century ago, way back in December 1924.

In the Dec. 4, 1924 edition of The Wilcox Progressive Era, editor Stanley Clifford Godbold reported, under the headline “Capt. Emmett Kilpatrick Honored By French,” that “one of the highest honors in the French literary world was yesterday conferred on an American, Mr. Emmett Kilpatrick of Camden, when he was awarded by the Sorbonne the degree of Doctorates Lettres. Mr. Kilpatrick’s success in winning his degree, which few foreigners have ever obtained, is the result of eight years of intensive study the subject chosen for his thesis dealing with the history of the Southern Confederacy during the American Civil War period.”

Also that week, in news from the Lower Peachtree community, it was reported that the “recent forest fires around here have done serious damage to valuable tracts of timber, also loss to property owners has amounted to many dollars. Six houses in the country from here in different directions have been burned to the ground.”

In the Dec. 11, 1924 edition of The Progressive Era, it was reported that a “very heavy rain all over Wilcox County Monday broke the long continued drought, which has caused so much damage to forest, pastures and loss by fires of homes. The branches and creeks are full to overflowing.”

Readers that week also learned that Camden was “full of visitors from all over the county, who are attending court. The criminal docket being much larger than usual. The docket will not be cleared before Friday.”

In the Dec. 18, 1924 edition of the newspaper, it was reported that the “pecan crop in Wilcox County was very short this fall, and all the large Stuart pecans have been sold. There are only a very few of the smaller nuts unsold.”

Readers that week also learned that “Alabama Day exercises were held at the Camden Grammar School Friday morning when Mrs. D.H. Turner, in a most pleasing manner, presented an Alabama Flag from the local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter.”

In the Dec. 24, 1924 edition of the paper, it was reported that “Major Frank Boykin passed away at his beautiful antebellum home in Tilden on Dec. 17 at a ripe old age. He had the misfortune to break his hip several weeks ago and this with the infirmities of old age were more than his frail body could stand. He was laid to rest in the cemetery at Tilden, the last rites being conducted by Rev. Paul Engle.”

Readers that week also saw under the headline “DOUBLE WEDDING AT LIDDELLS” that “Judge Pat M. Dannelly issued legal papers last Saturday for the weddings of Mr. Claude Tart and Miss Kate Gilmore and Mr. John B. Guy and Miss Gladys Westbrook, which were solemnized on the upper floor of J.R. Liddell’s store. Furniture and merchandise had been removed and shelving covered with white muslin, holly and Spanish moss. After the impressive ceremony by Rev. J.W. Rosberough Jr., the two couples were congratulated by crowds of friends assembled and showered with rice.”

Well, I guess that’s all that space will allow for this month. Next week we’ll be into a new year and we’ll take a look at the events of January 1925 in Wilcox County. Until then, if you get the urge to research the county’s past yourself, take advantage of the Alabama Department of Archives and History’s excellent selection of old newspapers on microfilm and other resources. Their friendly staff will be more than happy to get you started.

George Singleton tells the story of the 'Ghost Lady of Locke Hill'

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 “The ghost lady of Locke Hill,” was originally published in the Oct. 25, 2001 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

As Halloween descends upon us the last of this month, all thoughts turn to stories about the spirits of the past and the ghosts of the area that wander aimlessly around the old abandoned home places and cemeteries that dot the landscape.

As I have stated many times, I have investigated several stories of the supernatural throughout our area that have been related to me by three good friends (now deceased) who were born and raised here. When I first arrived in Monroeville, I was most fortunate to become friends with these people. They were all well versed in the county’s history, and after finding out that I was truly interested in the ghostly happenings around the area, they related many stories which I investigated in the later years that I have been here.

Let us go back in time when the hill country east of the Franklin area was a thriving farm community. This place was, and still is, known as the Red Hills community. Nothing remains there today that can be seen, but a few old abandoned house places and the Red Hills cemetery. If one looks closely, one may find an old crumbled rock chimney or a few rotted timbers where once an old farm home once stood. Red Hills once boasted of a school, two churches and a post office. And I have been told that a small store was also located there.

East of the Red Hills cemetery is a very high hill known as Locke Hill. Several old home places dot the landscape around and atop this high and scenic hilltop. Off the old and little used dirt road, there was once a family who lived and farmed the fields beside the old road. It is said that the lady of the house and mother of the family was a tall and slender woman. Most always, so the story goes, this lady wore a long sack type dress. On her head she wore a bonnet that was common during this time in our South’s history. From under her bonnet one could see her long snow white hair hanging down her back. Since the well where the family got their water supply was located about 80 yards from the house, it is said that this lady could be seen at all times of the day going to and from the well, carrying a large water bucket of a sorts. In the early morning hours and during the hours of the late evening, she would be seen going to or coming from the well with the large bucket in hand.

This went on for a number of years, until many families of the area began to move to other locations and vanish from the high country around Locke Hill. It wasn’t long until only a family or two remained in the area to work a few of the hilly fields of which most now lay abandoned. The story relates that the only son of this tall lady chose to join the cause of the Confederacy and went off to war. It wasn’t too long afterward that the father of the family fell ill with fever and died. All that remained on the small farm was the tall lady and her small baby girl.

But, tragedy was yet to strike again within a short time of the death of her husband. Word has it that the baby also fell ill with a dreaded fever and died a short time later. The small farm began to fall into decay. The crops in the fields fell prey to wild animals and vandals, since there was no one to harvest them. The house and the family barn began to lean and sway due to the lack of repairs on them. Tall weeds grew up in and around the small yard of the old place. Only a small path led from the back of the kitchen out to the old well, located out at the edge of the grown up field.

Those that passed along the narrow dirt road continued to see the tall white haired lady, dressed in her long sack dress, with a large bucket in hand going to or from the well, traveling the narrow pathway through the tall weeds and grass of the grown up field. And, those who saw the tall lady, wondered just how she survived there on the abandoned and un-kept farm. No more did smoke twirl from the old rock chimney on the chilly mornings and late hours of the winter evenings. No one was ever seen around the decaying log house except when the tall lady went to the well at the edge of the nearby field. And no one ever knew the whereabouts of the son that chose to join the cause of the Confederacy. As far as anyone knows, he never returned to the small farm located on the high ground, known as Locke Hill. Did he fall in battle, or did he choose to settle elsewhere when the bloody war was over? The events as to what happened to the young man to this day remains a mystery.

No one knows either just what happened to the tall lady with the snow white hair. Some said that she just vanished. Others said that she continued to stay in the old fallen down house there in the grown up field, leaving the old house only for her daily trip to the well at the old field’s edge. There are those today who hunt wild game in the area who say that the ghost of the tall lady with the snow white hair has been seen walking along a narrow grown up pathway out to the old abandoned well site.

Walking with a large bucket in hand, she walks up to the well and proceeds to draw water from the old cave in and abandoned well. And, there are others who say that they have seen a tall slender lady, dressed in a long sack dress kneeling beside the tomb of an unknown Rebel soldier back up in the thick woods aways, quite some distance across the grown up fields from the ruins of the abandoned log cabin.

I have been to the grave of this unknown Rebel soldier many times. Each time I visit, I feel that I am not alone. A strange feeling comes over me. I feel that I am being watched. What is the mystery of this unknown Rebel and the ghost of this woman? Did the only son of the tall white haired lady return from the war wounded or sick, only to die and be buried by her atop the hill there in the woods? And, does the spirit of this mother return at times to her only son’s grave for a time of meditation and togetherness? Does she still walk the faint path of the old abandoned well with her bucket for her daily supply of water? Perhaps one day, somewhere beyond the sunset, we will know the answer. As for now, we can only speculate, as the ghost lady continues to walk the path that leads into the deep and dark shadows of the unknown.

(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, was bitten at least twice by venomous snakes, 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.)

Who was the “Mr. Jingle” in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?

Alfred Jingle in 'The Pickwick Papers'

Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” is like many novels in that a close reading of the book will lead you down some rabbit holes that you wouldn’t expect.

I was reading some of the book the other day, and one mysterious line in Chapter 18 caught my eye and left me scratching my head over its exact meaning. Fans of the book will remember that Chapter 18 contains the dramatic scene in which attorney Atticus Finch is questioning teenager Mayella Ewell in front of a crowded courtroom.

Early in this scene, Atticus asks Mayella a series of questions about her background. Mayella testifies that she’s 19 years old, that she’s the oldest of eight children and that her mother had been dead for some time. Atticus then asks if Mayella had ever gone to school, and her reply is that she can “read’n’write good as Papa yonder.”

While all of this is going on, eight-year-old Scout Finch is watching from the balcony with her brother, Jem, and their friend, Dill. When Mayella tells the court that she can read and write as good as her father, Bob Ewell, Scout makes the following observation – “Mayella sounded like a Mr. Jingle in a book I had been reading.”

Many readers probably move past this off-hand remark without much thought, but a deep reading of the sentence will lead to many questions. Who is the Mr. Jingle that Scout’s referring to? He’s obviously a character in a book that an eight-year-old could read, but what book could this be?

A close reading of “To Kill a Mockingbird” revels many references to other books. Some of these references specifically mention book titles, while others do not. After a little research, I believe that the Mr. Jingle mention in “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a reference to Alfred Jingle, a character in Charles Dickens’ 1837 novel, “The Pickwick Papers.”

I have to admit that I’ve never read “The Pickwick Papers,” but I was able to dig up a little information on the fictional Alfred Jingle. Sources say that Jingle is an actor and trickster who is known for telling bizarre stories. He is also known for his “distinctive mangling of English syntax,” which is probably what brings him to mind when Scout hears Mayella’s testimony.

I also read that Orson Welles played Mr. Jingle in a 1938 radio broadcast production of “The Pickwick Papers.” My first thought was that Scout may have also heard this radio broadcast, but this wouldn’t have been possible. Tom Robinson’s trial took place in the summer of 1935, which would have been about three years before the radio broadcast was aired.

There were many print editions of “The Pickwick Papers” in circulation in 1935, including a hardcover edition published that year by Dodd, Mead & Co. That illustrated book was 637 pages long, and with a little imagination you can picture Scout totting this hefty volume around. Copies of this particular book are still in circulation today, and I found one being sold online for around $60.

In the end, if anyone in the reading audience has any additional information to add or has a different theory about Scout’s Mr. Jingle remark, let me hear from you at news@monroejournal.com.

Fear and Loathing in Claiborne: Part Two

I shoved the yellowed envelope into my shirt pocket and scanned the dark newsroom. The overhead fluorescents were off, but dim light shown through the windows along both sides of the long room, illuminating the ten desks that would be occupied by the dayshift in a few hours. The only motion that caught my eye was the slow turn of a metal desk fan that someone had left on at the end of the work day.

Over the sound of the relentless rain on the windows, I heard the faint ding of an elevator chime from two floors down. I ran towards the closed elevator doors at the end of the newsroom and saw that the ground-floor light was illuminated. Someone - no doubt the person who'd left the envelope - was exiting the elevator in the building's lobby.

I ran to the window and looked down into the cobblestoned street, expecting to see the person step out onto the sidewalk. I watched for what seemed like a long time and no one appeared. I stood there as long as I could stand it, then bolted for the stairs.

I burst through the stairwell door and bolted down the dark wooden stairs. The only light in the empty stairwell this time of night was the faint red glow of emergency lights over the fire alarm pull stations. Near the bottom of the last flight of stairs, I tripped over my feet and fell into the crash bar of the lobby door.

I plunged loudly into the lobby, causing Flynn Ewell, the nightwatchman, to jump behind the "Vampires Everywhere" comic book he was reading. "What the hell!" he cried as I ran across the room and to the main doors. Without answering, I attempted to shove my way out the heavy door, only to find that it was locked.

I spun on my heels and faced Ewell. "Who just came through here?" The white-bearded octogenarian was at a loss for words.

"What are you talking about?" he asked as he stepped from behind the desk that he'd occupied every night since Big Jim Folsom's last term in office. "Aside from the weather, the building's been as quiet as a church all night. Even the cleaning lady's got the night off."

Minutes later, I stood behind Ewell, watching as he rewound the footage from the lobby surveillance camera. Small drops of blood dripped from the gash in my forearm caused by my fall in the stairwell. On the monitor, I could see Ewell seated and reading moments before I burst into the lobby in pursuit of the person from upstairs.

"There, right there, stop the tape," I said, pointing at the screen.

Ewell had his cheaters on and leaned in with his nose almost touching the screen. "What do you see?" he said. "There's nothing there."

"Rewind it a few seconds then play it," I said, leaning in so close that I caught a whiff of Ewell's uniform, a smell akin to garlic. He hit play and I pointed in the background, where you could clearly see the first-floor light of the elevator wink on a second before the doors slide open and then closed. No one got off, and Ewell was obviously so hard of hearing that he hadn't heard the elevator.

As the footage continued to play, a few seconds passed before I could be seen running across the lobby and into the front door. Ewell turned in his chair. "See, wise guy, no one got off the elevator."

"No one that can be seen on camera anyway," I replied.

Ewell gave me a puzzled look. "Son, maybe you should take the night off. You're obviously overworked."

Ewell saw my bleeding arm, opened a desk drawer and produced a roll of paper towels. "Here, you're making a damn mess," he said. "You better be glad the cleaning lady didn't come in tonight."

Ewell tore off a paper towel and made to pass it to me. "I see you got your envelope," he said, his eyes focused on the old yellowed envelope I'd jammed into my shirt pocket. As I looked down into his face, it took me a few seconds to make sense of his words.

Ewell explained that when he'd begun his shift the envelope had been sitting on top of his desk. The words "For Eli McMorn" were scrawled across the front, so after he'd made his first round, checking to make sure that all ground level doors were locked, he'd gone upstairs and slipped the envelope under the McMorn's locked office door. "But that was hours ago, probably around eight o'clock," the old man said.

My forearm had nearly stopped bleeding, but I held the paper towel tight against the small wound to make sure it didn't get going again. "You gonna open it?" Ewell said. "Might be some money in there."

In all my running around the building, I hadn't thought to see what was inside the envelope. Ewell rummaged around on his desk and then handed me an antique letter opener. In faded white letters across its black handle were the words, “Claiborne Bible Society.”

I stuck the tip of the opener under one corner of the sealed envelope, careful not to damage anything inside. The opener was surprisingly sharp, slitting the envelope with the quickness. "Jesus Christ!" Ewell yelled as a black widow spider crawled out of the envelope and onto my hand.

Acting on instinct, I shook the spider off my hand and watched its malefic shape drop to the floor. Before it could skitter away, I slammed my boot down on it. I raised my foot to make sure I hadn't missed and saw its milky remains smeared on the floor.

I let out a sharp breath and turned to Ewell. In the excitement, I'd dropped the envelope, the contents of which had spilled out at Ewell's feet. He stooped to pick up the envelope and the single sheet of paper it contained.

"Can you read that?" he asked as he handed it back.

I looked at the paper and saw that it was covered in words written in an unfamiliar alphabet. "Looks like some kind of code to me," I said. "Can you read it?"

Ewell shook his head. "No, but I've seen it before."

I looked at the paper more closely. "Where?"

Ewell glanced out into the rainy night with the look of a man who was unsure of what to say. "I think I saw it on the cover of a book in my niece's store."

(All rights reserved. This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.)

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for Dec. 18, 2024

24 YEARS AGO

Jeff Sessions

DEC. 21, 2000

Local weather reporter Harry Ellis reported .05 inches of rain on Dec. 11, 2000, 1.40 inches on Dec. 13, .22 inches on Dec. 14, .32 inches on Dec. 15 and .22 inches on Dec. 16. He reported a high temperature of 77 degrees on Dec. 16 and low of 22 degrees on Dec. 17.

Saturday’s high winds destroy Christmas in the Park displays: Mother Nature took a hand in Evergreen’s annual Christmas in the Park this year, destroying most of the displays with high winds late Saturday afternoon.
The weather didn’t cooperate at all, beginning Friday afternoon with heavy showers, which continued into the night. Luckily, judges were able to choose the winners of this year’s event before the weather turned nasty.

Senator Jeff Sessions visited Evergreen this past Friday afternoon to discuss several important issues with local residents.

Joseph A. Bratton, Chairman and President of Regions Bank Covington-Conecuh, along with Pam Hammonds, Senior Vice President and Branch Manager, announce the retirement of Janella R. Baggett, effective Dec. 31, 2000, and the promotion of Carol H. Cook to Vice President and Branch Operations Officer.

BellSouth Pioneers donated bluebird houses to the Conecuh County Board of Education in an effort to help raise public awareness about the decline in the bluebird population over the last five decades.

39 YEARS AGO
DEC. 19, 1985

Local weather reporter Earl Windham reported 2.49 inches of rain on Dec. 11, 1985 and 1.60 inches of rain on Dec. 12. He reported a high of 79 on Dec. 12 and a low of 28 on Dec. 14.

The Greening Masonic Lodge on South Main Street was slightly damaged by a fire discovered at 6 p.m. Monday. The Evergreen Volunteer Fire Department was able to quickly put out the blaze.

The City of Evergreen recently improved the services of its Sanitation Department with the purchase of this new trash truck with knuckle boom loader. The approximate cost was $26,000.

Captain and Mrs. Ellis W. Golson (nee Rachel Ellis) of Killeen, Texas proudly announce the birth of a daughter, Amber Lynn, weight eight pounds, nine ounces born Dec. 15.

The Evergreen Industrial Park continues to expand. Work is progressing rapidly on this building for Interspec.

The FFA’s champion corn grower for the Southwest District is Maurice Lee of the Evergreen FFA Chapter.

This, the home of Randy and Rita Baggett, 103 South Main St., winners of first place in the Chamber of Commerce’s Spirit of Christmas Entrance Decorations Contest. They received a prize donated by Cassady Insurance Agency.

54 YEARS AGO
DEC. 17, 1970

Book published by Miss Riley: Miss Elizabeth d’Autrey Riley has published some of her memories in a book that will be of great interest to people throughout the country who enjoy a well told tale from local history.
The Evergreen Old Historical Cemetery as written by Miss Riley will lead one down each lane of this hallowed spot, and her comments concerning those buried there will bring before the reader a past that has faded away except as it lives in the memory of older citizens.
Miss Riley is well qualified for her role as historian being descended as she is from the representative pioneer families of South Alabama. She is a native of Monroe County, having been born in the ancestral mansion at Flat Creek Plantation, the daughter of Enoch George Riley and his wife, the former Narcissa Davidson. Her uncle, Dr. B.F. Riley, was an author and historian of note and a president of Howard College.
Miss Riley has already appeared in print, having written an account of an antebellum Christmas in South Alabama for the magazine of the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution. She is a charter member of Conecuh Chapter of this organization.
The Evergreen Old Historical Cemetery, Miss Riley’s latest work, will enrich those who share with her these memories and will add luster to her reputation as an historian.

69 YEARS AGO
DEC. 15, 1955

SELECTED SOLDIER OF THE MONTH: Army PFC Clayton C. Hale of Repton, Ala. receives congratulations from Lt. Col. Clyde Kennington, Battalion Commander of the Army Medical Service of the Army Medical Service School, after being selected Soldier of the Month for the enlisted student section at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. A dental laboratory technician at the school’s Medical Center, Private First Class Hale was selected for his soldierly appearance, knowledge of duties and military courtesy. He entered the Army in January 1955 and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Willie L. Hale of Rt. 1, Repton.

Robert Boone, administrator at the Conecuh County Hospital, was elected president of the Evergreen Junior Chamber of Commerce Monday night. He will serve a six-month term of office until the first of July 1956 and succeeds Bill Gaines.

Wayne Hutcheson, manager of the Cotton Tractor Co., Ford tractor and implement dealer of Evergreen, returned Sunday from a four-day visit to Havana, Cuba via Delta Air Lines.
This all-expense-paid trip was given to 42 Ford tractor and implement dealers in Alabama and Georgia by Southeast Ford Tractor Co. of Decatur, Ga. as a reward for excellent performance in a nationwide sales contest sponsored jointly by the Tractor and Implement Division of Ford Motor Co. and Southeast Ford Tractor Co. during August and September of this year.

Bermuda Community, representing Conecuh County in the State Community Improvement Contest, was visited by state judging team on Thurs., Dec. 8.

84 YEARS AGO
DEC. 19, 1940

Rat Extermination Campaign To Start This Week: On account of the general complaint of rat infestation the Mayor and Council have asked the Health Department to put on a campaign for the extermination of these pests and carriers of diseases, especially Typhus fever.
The P.W.A. crew will begin poisoning Thursday or Friday morning of this week, and we hope everybody will cooperate 100 percent since it is for the common good of all. This work will be supervised by Mr. Spann, county sanitation officer, and Mr. Kyle of the State Health Department. (Signed) E.L. Kelly, County Health Officer.

Former Resident Dies In Plane Crash: Funeral services will be held in Montgomery tomorrow afternoon at three o’clock for Clarence M. Dannelly Jr., son of Dr. and Mrs. Clarence M. Dannelly of Montgomery, formerly of Evergreen.
According to reports from the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, the 24-year-old ensign and a student pilot, Max Lettau of Manchester, Mass., were killed Tuesday morning about nine a.m. when the plane in which they were practicing water landings dived into the bay and sank. The bodies of Dannelly and Lattau were not recovered from the sunken ship until late Wednesday afternoon.
Ensign Dannelly was graduated from the University of Alabama in 1937, majoring in aeronautical engineering. Shortly after receiving his B.S. degree, he entered the Navy and received his training at the Pensacola Air Station, graduating about two years ago.
For two years, he was assigned to duty in the Panama Canal Zone and while there Ensign Dannelly was selected for special coastal survey work in Colombia and Ecuador. He remained in South America two months and shortly after his return to the United States was stationed at Charleston, S.C. Last September, he was sent to Pensacola as a flight instructor.
Surviving are his parents, Dr. and Mrs. C.M. Dannelly; two sisters, Hermione and Mary; one brother, Frank Perry, all of Montgomery; his grandmothers, Mrs. A.B. Farnham, Evergreen, and Mrs. J.M. Dannelly, Selma; four aunts, Miss Aline and Augusta Farnham, Evergreen, Mrs. George Hobbs, Selma, and Mrs. George Clinkscale, Spartanburg, S.C.; two uncles, Milton Dannelly, Birmingham, and G.R. Farnham, Auburn.

Masonic lodge in Camden to celebrate 197 years

Dale Masonic Lodge

Tomorrow – Dec. 20 – will mark the 197^th anniversary of the founding one of the longest lasting institutions in Wilcox County history – Dale Masonic Lodge No. 25.

According to the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Alabama, Dale Masonic Lodge No. 25 was founded on Dec. 20, 1827 in what was then called Dale Town, a community that later became known as Prairie Bluff. Dale Town, which was located on a high bluff on the west side of the Alabama River north of the present-day Miller’s Ferry Bridge, was named after early Alabama pioneer Samuel Dale. Known as the “Daniel Boone of Alabama,” Dale died in May 1841 in Mississippi.

Records reflect that Thomas Bivin Creagh, a prominent early Alabama Freemason, was elected to serve as the first Worshipful Master of Dale Lodge when it was officially organized in 1827. From there, Creagh went on to serve as the Grand Master of the Alabama Grand Lodge in 1828, 1829 and 1830, and it’s said that he is the only Grand Master to serve in that position for three consecutive years. Creagh passed away at the age of 73 in March 1842 and was buried in the Creagh-Glover Cemetery near Catherine.

Dale Town (sometimes spelled as “Daletown”) started to decline in the 1840s, not long after the county seat was moved from Canton Bend to Barboursville, which was renamed Camden in 1841. During the 1840s, the members of Dale Lodge voted to move their lodge to Camden, where the lodge remains today at the intersection of Broad Street and Clifton Street. Sources say that the cornerstone of this majestic building was laid in November 1848, which was about a decade before the Wilcox County Courthouse was built.

Another story that’s commonly told about the Masonic lodge in Camden is that Union troops camped at the lodge while passing through Camden in April 1865. For many years, I have tried to pinpoint the exact date that Union troops moved through Wilcox County, but have not had much luck. Presumably, these troops were part of what’s known as Wilson’s Raid, a cavalry operation across Alabama that took place in March and April of 1865. It would be interesting to know which Union units were involved, who their commanders were and if there were any famous soldiers among their number.

Also, while doing research on Dale Lodge, I ran across a reference to a book called “History of the Dale Lodge, Camden,” which was published by the lodge in 1909. I suspect that this book would shed more light on the lodge’s early history, but, to date, I have been unable to put my hands on a copy of this book. If anyone in the reading audience has a copy that I could view, please let me know.

In the end, let me be among the first to wish the Masonic lodge in Camden a happy 197^th birthday. It’s often said that the object of Masonry is “to make good men better,” and there is no doubt that the members of Dale Lodge have successfully carried on this tradition for nearly two centuries in Wilcox County. It is my fraternal hope that they continue to do so for many, many more years to come.

The Monroe Journal's News Flashback for Dec. 16, 2024

Lavaughn Hanks

FOUR YEARS AGO
DEC. 17, 2020

Longtime Monroe County physician Jack Meadow Whetstone passed away at his home on Sun., Dec. 13, following a long, well-lived life and a year-long battle with cancer. He was 89.
Dr. Whetstone came to Monroeville in August 1961 to practice family medicine and general surgery with Dr. Francis Nicholas. Their partnership lasted 35 years and their friendship, a lifetime. Dr. Hardy Downing and Dr. Charles Eddins became partners and friends as well.
Dr. Whetstone is survived by the love of his life, his wife of 66 years, Mary Elise Jones Whetstone.

MCHS blasts Blacksher: Monroe County High School (MCHS) went 2-2 last week, defeating J.U. Blacksher High School (JUB) 79-37 in Uriah and going 1-2 in the Andalusia High School Invitational Basketball Tournament.
In the victory over JUB…T.J. Wiggins led the team with 26 points and two rebounds. Akel Gibbs had 23 points and a rebound.
(Other top MCHS players in that game included Jekelvon Booker, Nick Childs, Devonte Diggs, Javis Dortch, Justin Hollinger, Arthur Johnson, Conor McPhearson, Admyian Parker and Amadeus Rivers.)

Outlet’s last day is Dec. 24: Vanity Fair (VF) Outlet in Monroeville will close Dec. 24, according to flyers posted at the store on Mayfield Street and on social media.
VF Outlet is owned by Kontoor Brands of Greensboro, N.C., which specializes in the Wrangler and Lee brands. The Monroeville store is managed by Kathy Johnson.

29 YEARS AGO
DEC. 21, 1995

Kenny Cross named EMT of the Year: Kenny Cross, 31, of Excel has been named Emergency Medical Technician of the Year.
The Excel man is employed by Simmons Ambulance Service. He received his 1995 award from Southwest Alabama Emergency Medical Service System, Inc. during a Dec. 8 symposium in Mobile.

Blacksher girls unbeaten: J.U. Blacksher High School’s varsity girls remained unbeaten and took an early lead in the 1A Area 1 standings last week when the Bulldogs defeated Frisco City and Fruitdale high schools.
After trailing through the first half, Blacksher rallied Tuesday of last week at Uriah to pound Frisco’s Whippets 55-33. The Bulldogs followed it with a 57-38 victory over Fruitdale’s Pirates Friday in Fruitdale.
(Top Blacksher players in those games included Latoya Chilsom, Tanjai English, Kristy Flowers, Roxanne Gregson, Summer Harrison, Jennifer Johnson, Katrinka Johnson, Latasha King and Melissa White. Eugene Garrett was Blacksher’s head coach.)

Claiborne focus of museum magazine: Monroe County Heritage Museums bi-annual magazine, “Legacy,” focuses on historic Claiborne in its current edition.
The 30-page magazine features photographs, drawings and articles about various aspects of the 19^th century boom town. Museums director Kathy McCoy describes Claiborne as “one of the most important cities in Alabama at one time” and “an important outpost during frontier days.”

54 YEARS AGO
DEC. 17, 1970

Patsy Mattmuller Named 1971 County Junior Miss: Seventeen-year-old Miss Patsy Mattmuller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John R. Mattmuller, is Monroe County’s Junior Miss for 1971.
Selection of the pretty member of the senior class at Monroe County High School came last Saturday night at the annual pageant held at Greer Auditorium here under the sponsorship of the Monroeville Jaycees.
Crowned by Miss Debra Wiggins, 1970 Junior Miss, Miss Mattmuller also won awards for poise and appearance and for physical fitness.

Tigers Defend Crown: The MCHS Basketball Tigers are hosts and defending champions in the annual area Christmas basketball tournament. The first game will be played at 6:30 tonight (Thursday) when Georgiana meets MCHS. All tournament games will be played in the Monroeville Coliseum on Drewry Road.
(Players for MCHS that season included Mark Adams, Pete Black, Randy Booker, Curtis Hill, Leon Hollinger, Kenneth Kidd, Robert Rankin, J.W. Rowell, Philip Shirley, Larry Snowden, David Stallworth and Joe Whatley.)

Stewart Becomes Editor of U. of Georgia Paper: Steve Stewart of Monroeville has been chosen editor of the University of Georgia’s bi-weekly student newspaper, the Red and Black, for the winter quarter.
A senior journalism major, Stewart previously served as managing editor. He is currently campus correspondent for the Associated Press and has worked as a reporter for the Augusta Herald and interned with the public relations office of Southern Bell Telephone Co.
He is a member of the University Leadership Board and Sigma Delta Chi professional journalism society.

79 YEARS AGO
DEC. 20, 1945

Capt. Edwin C. Lee reached home last Thursday after spending more than two years in the European Theater of Operations. He has been returned to inactive status.

Jesse R. Harrison, radio technician, first class, of Frisco City, is getting ready to rejoin the ranks of civilians, together with thousands of others going through the Naval staging center at Pearl Harbor, according to news received from the fleet hometown news center.

MONROEVILLE DEFEATS FRISCO CITY 20 TO 11: Monroeville played their second basketball game Friday night, Dec. 14, in the High School Auditorium. Bubber and Skipper were high point men, Bubber making 10 points and Skipper making six points. The boys played a good game and at the end the score was 20 to 11.

Nolvin Andrews is at home with his family at Drewry, having recently been discharged from the Army. Most of his service was in the South Pacific.

Phillip Turberville of Uriah has been discharged from the Army after serving three years. He wears the good conduct medal and American theater ribbon.

Edison Jay returned from the Pacific last week and received his discharge from the Navy after three years of service. For the present, he is visiting relatives at Tunnel Springs and Uriah.

Mr. Lavaughn Hanks of Frisco City has accepted the position of sixth grade teacher in the Monroeville Middle School.

104 YEARS AGO
DEC. 16, 1920

LOST – Dec. 6, one pointer bird dog, two and one-half years old, liver and white color, compactly made, rather large heavy neck, named Joe. Communicate with J.U. Blacksher, Uriah, Ala.

Potato Growers Meeting: A special meeting of the Potato Growers Association is hereby called for 10 o’clock Saturday morning, Dec. 18, at the courthouse in Monroeville. All who have indicated that they wish to plant Irish and Sweet Potatoes should be present, as matters will be finally closed at this meeting. – L.J. Bugg, President; Q. Salter, Secretary-Treasurer.

Mr. and Mrs. R.D. Hendrix were called to New Orleans Saturday on account of a serious injury sustained by their son Robert in an accident on the Texas & Pacific Railroad on Tuesday. The young man was thrown from a moving train and one leg so badly crushed as to necessitate amputation. He was removed to one of the city hospitals, where the operation was successfully performed.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT JONES MILL FRIDAY: A destructive fire occurred at Jones Mill at an early hour on Friday morning of last week, which for a time threatened the entire business district, but was finally brought under control after four business houses were abandoned to the flames. The fire broke out in the millinery establishment of Mrs. Lambert and spread rapidly to the adjacent buildings. Owing to the early hour, the fire had gained considerable headway before it was discovered and little could be done beyond confining it to the doomed area.

George Singleton tells of the bygone days of picking cotton by hand

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 “Remembering the hard work and fun from the cotton fields,” was originally published in the Sept. 24, 1998 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

As the autumn season slowly makes its way across the land, memories of many wonderful times fill my mind. Thinking back to my experiences as a young boy, in the country, I almost feel sorry for our youth of today because of the many good times they have missed.

A few days back, the ninth of September, my wife and I made our way down through the southern part of our county. As we passed cotton fields, becoming snow white with the open cotton glowing in the cool afternoon air, it was almost like going back in time. The long rows of cotton brought back memories of gathering the fluffy cotton by hand while dragging a long cotton sack.

Our youth of today know absolutely nothing about a long hot day in the cotton fields. They could not describe a day of bending over and picking cotton from dawn to dusk. Looking back, I remember how I used to hate that long cotton sack and that 12-hour work day. But, as I traveled the opened cotton fields near Uriah, I almost wished I had the chance to pick more cotton the old fashioned way. Remember, I said I almost wished.

As we rode along down Highway 59, I asked my wife if she had anything I could cover my head with. I told her I had a severe pain in my back. Believing that I was having back pains, she couldn’t understand why I needed to cover my head. I told her that seeing all that cotton, and the memories of having to pick the white stuff caused the pains in my back. Needless to say, she didn’t think that very funny.

If I had to select the one of the fondest memories, one would be when the cotton pickers stopped for lunch. Lunch was sent from the house in several large pans. Near the field we called the “Lewis” field, was a large creek. Under the shade of several oak trees on the high bank of the creek was where dinner would be served. After the blessing by Uncle Tony, an old black man my family cared for, the fun time got under way. Words can hardly describe the excitement experienced by a small country boy there under the large oaks. Tall tales, told by the older workers were almost breathtaking.

When the work day was done, this tired, small boy would lay awake and re-live the stories he had heard.

Almost every farmer had a “cotton house.” This was where freshly picked cotton was stored until enough had been picked to carry to the cotton gin. My fondest memory is being allowed by my darling mother to spend Friday and Saturday nights, sleeping on the fluffy cotton in the cotton house. I don’t believe a bed exists that is as comfortable as that large fluffy pile of cotton was to this small country boy. My bed partner was always a very large cur dog we owned named “Jack.”

Jack would curl up against my back and sleep the entire night, unless something moved or made a noise of some kind.

Jack was good natured, but everyone knew that when he growled, Jack meant business. Always after I had gone to sleep, my guardian angel Uncle Tony would come to the cotton house and lay down nearby. If the air was chilly, he would cover me with an old quilt or put cotton over me to keep me warm.

But cotton picking was not the only thing going on at this time of year. This was also the time for cooking lye hominy.

Fresh shelled corn would be placed in a large wash pot and cooked over an open fire for several hours. The good times was getting to be around the cooking fire as the hominy was cooking. There was always the chance to get a tea cake or large piece of peanut candy from my dear friend, Aunt Lellia.

This wonderful old black lady had no family, so she depended on my family. Since Aunt Lellia had delivered me when I was born, I was very special to this dear and wonderful lady. She always saw to it that I got special pieces of candy or any samples of pie or cake that might need to be tasted.

Aunt Lellia was the absolute authority in the community on cooking lye hominy. She was always sought out by various families when there was hominy to be cooked. No one dared question this dear lady about her cooking knowledge. But everyone knew that when she said it was ready, the hominy was ready.

A hominy supper would most times be held on Friday or Saturday night. Several families would get together for a wonderful time of fellowship and hominy. Other food, such as cakes and pies, would be brought along. Those who have never attended a lye hominy supper in a country community have missed a great event. The fun and games and the fellowship was something to be remembered.

If you have never tried to eat two or three half-ripe persimmons, then tried to whistle, you wouldn’t have been a good contestant in the around-the-fire games. Always someone would show up with a small paper sack full of half-ripe persimmons. After the meal, it was time for the persimmon and whistle contest. Take it from me, it’s not an easy thing to do. Nevertheless, the fun and good times was worth the drawn-up mouth.

These good times that some of us experienced as children played a very important part in the molding of our lives. I will be the first to admit that times have changed since those days of the middle 1930s. But as I see the careless, don’t care attitude of some of our youth, we might need to go back to the long cotton rows and the heavy cotton sacks. As for now, we can only hope. Only time will tell what awaits on the horizon.

(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, was bitten at least twice by venomous snakes, 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.)

How did the Mineola community in Monroe County get its name?

George Turberville headstone.

Buffy Tucker from Uriah stopped by The Journal on Monday to conduct some business, and before she left we got into a discussion on the history of the Mineola community. Through the woods, I grew up about a dozen miles from Mineola, but as Mrs. Tucker and I talked, I realized how little I really knew about the Mineola community. After she left, I got the itch to delve into the subject a little deeper.

I first turned to one of my favorite reference books, “Place Names in Alabama” by Virginia O. Foscue. My hope was that this book would tell me how the community got its name and other facts. Unfortunately, between the entries for Mims Creek and Minter, there was no entry for Mineola to be found.

I then turned to sources provided by the University of Alabama’s Department of Geography, which said that the Mineola Post Office was in operation for a grand total of seven years. It opened in 1898 and closed in 1905. Back in those days, community post offices were almost always located inside the local country store with the store owner serving the dual role of postmaster.

Next, I turned to the trusty maps in my National Geographic Atlas to get a good fix on exactly where “downtown” Mineola is located. According to that source, “downtown” Mineola is located on County Road 2, between the Mineola Church Road and Manack Bridge Road intersections. This location is due north of Little River, a short distance through the woods from the Baldwin County line.

Prominent landmarks in the community today include the Mineola Methodist Church and the Mineola Baptist Church, which are across the road from each other on Mineola Church Road. Interestingly, these churches share the same cemetery, which is located beside the Methodist church. I have been to this large cemetery many times, and I would guess that it contains nearly 600 graves.

The oldest marked grave that I’ve found there belongs to an infant named George Lesesne Turberville. The son of Zachariah and Callie Turberville, George was born on March 16, 1901 and he died the next day. “Asleep in Jesus,” his small headstone reads.

Turning to old editions of The Monroe Journal, the oldest reference to the Mineola community that I could find was in a legal notice that was published in the Jan. 11, 1900 edition of the newspaper. That notice was a land claim filed by settler William M. Harris in the Montgomery Land Office. Witnesses to the fact that he had continuously lived and farmed on the land he was wanted to claim were George W. Melvin Jr., Alex A. Sizemore, Robert Melvin and George Nolen, all of Mineola.

In the old days, the bulk of the news in The Journal came from community columnists, who were often the owners of community stores as well as local postmasters. The first Mineola community news column I could find was published in the April 12, 1900 edition of the newspaper. Among other news, that unnamed columnist reported that Miss Cora Ferrell “was in our midst one day this week endeavoring to organize a school,” and that the “veteran turkey hunter Mr. Chas. Weatherford brought in a fine gobbler a few weeks ago.”

In the end, I am certain that there are readers in the audience who know far more about Mineola’s history than me. If anyone would like to send me more information about the community’s history, please don’t hesitate to do so. Send it to news@monroejournal.com, and I will be sure to pass it along at a later date.

George Singleton: The business of banking sure has changed

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 “The business of banking sure has changed,” was originally published in the Aug. 27, 1992 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

I often think about how much things today have changed. We take so much for granted in this day and age; it causes me to wonder just how we made it through the rough days of the Great Depression.

Today, we do our banking mostly from the window of our automobiles. Or if we should, by chance, need a certain amount of cash, we can just go by the Connexion and insert our card – the money we want falls out in our hands.

And this can be done any time of the day or night. We deposit our salaries into our bank accounts without ever seeing them. Money can be sent around the world on a moment’s notice. Truly, the age of the computer has done wonders for all mankind.

In the area where I grew up, there was only one bank. Sweet Water State Bank was the largest and the smallest bank around. It was also the only bank around.

Small country banks

Farmers used this small country bank for their money needs in the farming communities of the surrounding countryside. Getting the chance to go in the small bank was almost like going into another world for a small country boy like myself. But the time was soon to come when I was to make the trip to the bank for the first time – all by myself.

It was cotton-picking time around the countryside; almost all the local farmers had made a good cotton crop, and the fields were white with opened cotton. This was before the time of cotton-picking machinery that could go down two or three rows and pick everything at once. All the cotton was picked by hand. One could pass the snow-white fields and see pickers pulling cotton and putting it in long sacks that hung from their shoulders by long straps. Take it from me, this was work in its most primitive form.

One morning as my family sat at the breakfast table, it was announced that I was going to be sent to the bank at Sweet Water. I was almost seven at the time; I thought I could handle anything along about this time in life, but I was not ready for this. My older brothers had work to do, and they had to stay close by to help handle the cotton that was being picked.

Each sack, when filled, had to be weighed and the correct pounds credited to the right picker. At this time, I was the only one available for the journey to the bank because I was too small to do much work.

Catch the horse

When breakfast was over, I was ordered to catch the horse I claimed as mine and get ready for the trip. My father told me to go to the bank at Sweet Water and see Mr. Vice, the president of the bank.

I was to tell Mr. Vice that my father needed some money to pay the cotton pickers. He wanted $150: $50 in five-dollar bills, $50 in one-dollar bills and $50 in halves and quarters. I was to tell Mr. Vice that when my father came to town, and he didn’t say when, he would come by and settle up with him.

A very nervous and uneasy young boy rode the five or so miles to the town of Sweet Water. As I tied my mount to a fence near the bank, I was frightened like I had never been before. Almost unable to speak, I slowly made my way into the small bank building. As I approached the cashier, I managed to get the words out that I wanted to see the bank president, Mr. Vice. A smiling lady stepped to a nearby door and spoke something to someone inside an adjoining small room. Out stepped the bank president.

“What can I do for you, young man?” spoke the president of Sweet Water State Bank. After much stammering and studdering, I answered, frightened and shaking, and gave him the message my father had instructed me to give him.

Reaching into his pocket, the bank president pulled out a nickel and handed it to me. “Take this and go down to Lewis Bros. Store and get you a stick of candy. When you come back, I will have the money ready for you,” Mr. Vice said.

Stick of candy

A much-relieved young boy dashed to the door of the bank. Upon reaching the store down the street, I purchased a long stick of candy that had peanut butter blended in the candy stick.

When I returned to the bank, Mr. Vice was waiting with the money. He had placed it in two heavy paper bags. I had never seen so much money before. I walked outside and jumped aboard my waiting steed.

The smiling bank president handed up the paper sacks with the money inside. No note was signed; the money was not counted. It was given only on the word of a man who had always placed honor and trust foremost in all his dealings. No date was mentioned when this country farmer from a nearby community would come in and settle the transaction. Only the honor of these two men was the binder in this agreement.

Happy and excited, I made the return trip home, daring to peep from time to time into the heavy paper sacks that contained more money than I could imagine existed.

Between peeps, I licked the most wonderful-tasting candy stick that could have been found on this planet anywhere. A busy day of serious banking business can play havoc on the nerves of an almost seven-year-old boy. That bank president certainly knew what he was doing when he prescribed a stick of peanut-butter candy to calm my system and settle my nerves.

(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, was bitten at least twice by venomous snakes, 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.)

How did Haines Island get its name?

My son James got the itch to put his boat in the Alabama River on Sunday afternoon, so I put on a light jacket and hopped in the truck with him for a short run up to Haines Island. He didn’t plan to hunt or fish. He just wanted to scout out some places for future trips with his buddies.

We headed up County Road 17 through Finchburg and Wainwright before turning onto Ferry Road. We then negotiated Nancy Mountain before arriving at the Davis Ferry. A few minutes later, the boat was in the water, and we were headed south down the river.

At Haines Island, James guided us into the channel that runs around the south side of the island, where the waters are still – almost stagnant – and heavily shaded. I hadn’t been around that side of the island in years, but it looked about the same. Eventually we reached the far end of the island and reentered the river, where the sun was shining brightly from clear blue skies.

On the way home, I could not help but think about the part of the river we’d been in. The names – Haines Island, Davis Ferry and Nancy Mountain – are in such common usage by local folks that most of us, myself included, don’t give their origins much thought. Who were they named after and when?

Back at the office on Monday, I did some research, and the earliest reference to Haines Island that I could find in old newspapers was in the Dec. 20, 1889 edition of The Monroe Journal. In that week’s paper, a brief paragraph talked about the removal of logs and snags from the Alabama River, including around Haines Island. Much of this work depended on the depth of the water.

Dickey Andress recently showed me a really cool mapping website called caltopo.com. Using this website on Monday, I was able to determine that Haines Island is about 1.1 miles long and that the channel around it is about 100 feet wide. Of course, these measurements are at the mercy of the river’s depth, and I imagine that there have been times when the island has been mostly under water.

The earliest newspaper reference to the Davis Ferry that I could find was in the Jan. 24, 1901 edition of The Journal. Readers that week learned that Drew Massey had repaired and erected a “very attractive” rail fence on the Davis Ferry road. I believe this was noteworthy because much of Alabama was still “free range” for livestock at that time.

Prior to 1963, I could find no reference to Nancy Mountain anywhere in back issues of The Journal. Former Monroe Journal columnist George Singleton, who passed away in 2007, often said that this high point was named after “Crazy Nancy” or “Aunt Nancy,” who supposedly still haunts this area today. Much has been made of this local ghost story, but that is a tale for another day.

Even though I didn’t have much luck finding these names in old Monroe Journals, I know that these place names are old, and it would be interesting to learn where they came from. There is no entry for Haines Island, Davis Ferry or Nancy Mountain in Virginia O. Foscue’s authoritative book, “Place Names in Alabama.” Sources do say that Davis Ferry can be found on old maps as far back as 1837.

In the end, if anyone in the reading audience can shed more light on these places names, please let me know. You can reach me by email at news@monroejournal.com.