tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77257743014790713892024-03-05T14:20:06.220-08:00Madison Station Historical Preservation SocietyMadison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-37780938019494809512020-10-26T16:53:00.000-07:002020-10-26T16:53:47.811-07:00Vintage Vignette: Telephone Memories Percy Keel<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />TELEPHONE MEMORIES OF PERCY KEEL</span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>(A Vintage
Vignette by John P. Rankin, June 27, 2010)</b><b><o:p> </o:p></b><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Before his passing in January of this year, Percy Keel wrote
his memories of Madison's telephone history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A subsequent article will recount the history of the telephone company
itself, but this is Percy's story, as he wrote it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8WpNOubHAB609D96XYJOQJAAfpxM_5dQ_lfsgMq3Tr0wvvUbUmToUbhEp9sdilbI9YXYFyRl3tNkprLPL6hD6Qmi9jL1SYmwZLvlQ9cVArQFYn33ODzk11DYJm8kpsyYEe9fkLVBsG0/s878/Photo_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8WpNOubHAB609D96XYJOQJAAfpxM_5dQ_lfsgMq3Tr0wvvUbUmToUbhEp9sdilbI9YXYFyRl3tNkprLPL6hD6Qmi9jL1SYmwZLvlQ9cVArQFYn33ODzk11DYJm8kpsyYEe9fkLVBsG0/s320/Photo_1.jpg" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“My mother Viola Styles Keel, my brother Ralph 'Buddy' Keel,
and I moved to Madison from Gurley when her nephew, Robert 'Pud' True, bought
the Telephone Company in 1939 from Mrs. Woodie Collier Cain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had the first apartment at the top of the
stairs, which were outside, at the back of the Humphrey-Hughes Drug Store
building on Main Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The entrance to
the telephone office was located on Garner Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The apartment had only two rooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One where the switchboard was located had a
cot so we could answer calls at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mama usually slept there, and Buddy and I slept in the other room, which
had two beds and also contained the kitchen.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“After we both entered service in WW2, the office was moved
downstairs to a building behind the drugstore, on Garner Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water tank was located on Martin Street,
erected in 1936.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A gauge on the tank
told how much water was in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would
keep an eye on the gauge to see when the water level began going down, as this
happened quite often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we would call
our customers, about 25 of them, and tell them to catch some water as the gauge
was going down.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“The switch for the fire siren was located on a pole outside
Humphrey Brothers store at 112 Main Street <i>(later West Station Antiques and
then Hale Fire Glass, now unoccupied)</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The siren was located on top of the store so it could be heard at a
greater distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When there was a fire
someone would call, and we would run outside and turn the siren on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we had only one fire truck, the first one
to arrive would drive the truck, and the rest would follow in their cars or
trucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The switch was later moved to
the telephone office so we wouldn't have to go outside any more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the new city hall and jail <i>(now Main
Street Cafe)</i> was completed on Main Street in 1955, the siren was moved
there.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“One of my friends, John Logan Lanier, would sometimes come
up for a visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the time Mama
would take some time off and leave me to answer the calls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and I would get into a wrestling match on
the cot by the switchboard and wrestle until we gave out or someone would
call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We nearly destroyed the cot, but
Mama never did mention it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another thing
I thought was so funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My brother would
drink coffee for breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One morning
he tasted his coffee and said, 'Mama, this coffee doesn't taste like it usually
does.'<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mama replied, 'I don't know why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made it like I always have.'<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she emptied the pot she had left the
dish rag in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don't remember if
Buddy drank any more of her coffee or not.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Percy went on to tell how he had always loved peanut butter
and banana sandwiches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Arthur Humphrey,
who had the store in Main Street, knew this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When he would have some overripe bananas he would call me, and I would
run downstairs by the back door and get them, hoping nobody would call while I
was gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most memorable thing that
happened, which would change my life forever, was while working the switchboard
I got to flirting with a sweet-voiced long distance operator by the name of
Helen Finley in Huntsville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>(Madison
to Huntsville was long distance at that time.) </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talked every chance we could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally got up enough nerve to ask for a
date, and she accepted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This started a
whirlwind romance, and we were married about three months later on January 24,
1947.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This romance lasted until February
2, 1997, when Helen went to be with the Lord.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It seems that the operators of the old manual switchboards had
opportunities to reach out and contact others in many ways.<o:p></o:p></p>Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-16584363714505405912019-11-20T12:44:00.001-08:002019-11-26T06:45:19.846-08:00Christmas Card Lane Information <h2 style="text-align: center;">
Christmas Card Lane</h2>
Christmas Card Lane is an annual showcase presented by the Madison Arts Council. Homes along Church and Front Street in the Historical section of Downtown Madison will have custom painted Christmas cards on display for the holiday season. It is a great way to showcase the downtown area. <br />
<br />
<div>
<b>Q&A</b></div>
<div>
<b>How are the Christmas Cards constructed? </b></div>
<div>
The cards are 4x6 sheets of plywood that have been painted by either a professional artist or an art student in the local school system.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>How will the cards be displayed and erected? </b></div>
<div>
MAC will place the cards uniformly along the road at a point that is roughly six feet from the curb/sidewalk. MAC will deliver and setup each card, place a front facing spot light to illuminate the card at night, run an extension cord to an outside power outlet on the property, and include a timer that automatically turns the spot light on at dusk and off four hours later. (Roughly 5pm to 9pm) Since some homeowners incorporate other outdoor holiday elements to their yard, they may wish to use their own timer (to encompass all lights/automated features) and/or extension cords. If you do not need MAC to supply extension cords or a timer, please mark it on the consent form. <br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>As a homeowner, what are my responsibilities? </b></div>
<div>
We kindly ask that you serve as a guardian over the card. If wind blows it over, place it upright. If something on the card is damaged or if the lighting stops working, we ask that you let MAC know (256) 682-7686 Tina Clark) so we can correct it quickly. Since the spot lights are electrical, we kindly ask that you allow us to use a power outlet on the outside of your house/building. (MAC does not cover any additional electrical fees, which should be minimal < $5)<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Can I select the card that will be placed on my property? </b></div>
<div>
We ask participating artists to create Christmas cards in one of three categories: whimsical, religious, or traditional. On the Host Consent Form, you can mark which card theme you prefer. If you plan to include additional outdoor holiday decorations, please et us know that information too. We will try to allocate a card that will complement your personal outdoor decorations. (Example: I will be using bright reds and greens. Or, I will be using Victorian style elements in my outdoor Christmas decorations.)</div>
<div>
<br />
<b>Will cards from the previous year be used again this year? </b>Several cards from previous years will be used again. However, we will be introducing new cards too.<br />
<br />
For questions: Contact Tina Clark with the Madison Arts Council at (256) 682-7686 or email <a href="mailto:tinalclark1971@gmail.com" target="_blank">tinalclark1971@gmail.com </a></div>
Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-42504977700556339012019-10-21T14:20:00.000-07:002019-10-21T14:20:21.462-07:00Vintage Vignette: Annie Hertzler Anderson<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">ANNIE<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>HERTZLER<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ANDERSON<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>(A Vintage
Vignette by John P. Rankin, September 18, 2011)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Annie Rachael Hertzler was born on August 2, 1860, in the
Springfield Township of Clark County, Ohio.
Her father was Dr. John Huber Hertzler, a son of Jacob Hertzler of
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. At
about the age of nine she came to Madison, Alabama, with her family around
1869. At the age of 27 on January 17,
1888, in Mount Joy, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, she married Matthew Harvey
Anderson. In 1858 Harvey was likewise
born in Springfield Township, Clark County, Ohio. Harvey's father was John Brown Anderson. He was born in Pennsylvania but lived in Ohio
before coming to Alabama in late 1867 or early 1868. It is likely that the two families knew each
other in Ohio before their respective moves to Alabama. The marriage of Annie to Harvey linked two of
the most prominent families of Madison at the time. A detailed description of their out-of-state
wedding was found in Pennsylvania newspapers of the day and in the book “Jacob
Hertzler and His Descendants” by Katharine D. Anderson (1975). The following account was summarized from
those sources.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A January 1888 Lancaster newspaper reported that, “The
bride was beautifully attired in an elegant costume of white cassimere with
white point lace bodice over dress, with sparkling diamond pin and ear-bobs,
while the groom was donned in conventional black with white kids and tie.” Only a few immediate relatives and friends of
the bride were invited. Among them were
“...Miss Mollie and Mr. John Hertzler Jr., sister and brother of the bride;
Grandfather John (Jacob?) Hertzler of near Maytown; Mr. and Mrs. John S.
Nissley; Mrs. Snyder and Mrs. Eli Nissley, of near Mt. Joy; Mr. and Mrs. Amos
Zeigler of Stackstown; Major J. C. Redsecker and son; (and) Dr. and Mrs.
S. R. Nissley of Elizabethtown. Upon the
approach of the bridal party the guests rose and formed a semicircle. The Reverend Mr. Roeder performed the
ceremony. Miss Lizzie E. Hertzler
rendered the music of an elegant wedding march for the occasion. After the ceremony, the guests were invited
into the dining room where a sumptuous collation was spread and awaited them.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The bridal party left on Wednesday morning for
Philadelphia, where they intend to remain a short time and upon their return
they expect to spend several weeks, visiting the extensive relationship of the
bride in Lancaster County.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After which
they will visit some of the relatives of the groom in Ohio, and on their
homeward trip will spend several days at Washington, D. C. before going to
Madison, Alabama, where they will reside in the near future.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is interesting to note that the newspaper article
identified Miss Annie Hertzler as “one of Huntsville, Alabama's fairest
young ladies”, while Matthew H. Anderson was listed as “ a young and
prosperous merchant of Madison, of the same state”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is highly improbable that the Pennsylvania
writer had surveyed the town of Huntsville to determine which were the
“fairest” of the young ladies of the town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Furthermore, Annie lived in her father's “town” house at the
intersection of College and Church Streets in Madison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also resided in his “farm” house on land
that is now Redstone Arsenal's northwestern corner, much nearer Madison than
Huntsville of those days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, the
Pennsylvania writer could know nothing of such things other than what the bride
and groom or the family members may have related.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After their return to Madison, Harvey remained a prosperous
merchant, became President of the Bank of Madison, and owned extensive
acreage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around 1897 Harvey constructed
the large house at 17 Front Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
house was recently renovated by Tony and Cindy Sensenberger, at today's
intersection with Sullivan Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Andersons lived there until 1926.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harvey
“retired”, and they moved to Locust Street in Huntsville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harvey died in Huntsville in 1934 and was
buried in Maple Hill Cemetery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Annie
lived in their house on Locust Street until she broke her hip in 1953, at which
time she left to live with her daughter Annie Anderson McKinney in Nashville,
Tennessee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She died in 1958 and is also
buried in Huntsville's Maple Hill Cemetery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-70197961578713829152019-10-21T09:03:00.000-07:002019-10-21T09:03:15.653-07:00History of Madison School -- 1936Scanned from a photo originally preserved by John Rankin on the CD-Collection for Madison's History<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
1936 - 1996</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The History of Madison School</span></div>
<br />
The community of Madison has always been concerned and actively supportive of their<br />
school system. We are here today to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of this particular<br />
Madison School. which it located in the Madison Historical District. Without the past<br />
and present, we would have no future for the education of the children of our Madison<br />
community. The heritage granted us as attendees of this school continues today, as<br />
evidenced by the many improvements and excellent upkeep of the original structure, 60<br />
years old this year.<br />
<br />
The original brick structure was built during the depression years under a grant totaling<br />
$27,000.00. The W.P.A constructed many public facilities and parks under the "New<br />
Deal," and then, President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The total construction cost was<br />
$60,000.00, and the remainder required ($33,000.00) was provided by the County Board<br />
of Education System, with funds currently supplemented by the town of Madison under a<br />
Special Education Tax voted to support the school system. The minutes of town meetings<br />
and election records document that during the period between 1921 and 1924, a three-mil<br />
school tax was voted in to aid the school system; hence, the Madison community has, and<br />
still does support the education of their children.<br />
<br />
The brick structure and entrances remain the same as they were in 1936. There were<br />
originally eleven (11) classrooms, including a domestic science and reception or banquet<br />
room laid off in the "new" structure. The Huntsville Times devoted a large section in their<br />
Sunday Times describing a new school with "every feature to the smallest item of<br />
equipment is modem. The auditorium is well planned. Designed for a gymnasium as well<br />
as an assembly room, this part of the building is 170 by 160 feet in dimensions. At one<br />
end is a large stage equipped with new drapery and furniture." The Huntsville Times<br />
reported three hundred and one pupils as a slight increase over the previous year's<br />
enrollment.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizc0IVvuHRkKU9AuFAPnZ1FBioxMJysoKRSc51CVypiRgNhfnxz6UaRXF-aWW-1V5XerKdBzecCN0W9suaGdL6AwWxBH_sC3llGZieib6gqLM0DsCU_49ZdFeyftYNZSzIAOKIjs6z7H8/s1600/1936_1996_60thAnniversaryBrochure_a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="949" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizc0IVvuHRkKU9AuFAPnZ1FBioxMJysoKRSc51CVypiRgNhfnxz6UaRXF-aWW-1V5XerKdBzecCN0W9suaGdL6AwWxBH_sC3llGZieib6gqLM0DsCU_49ZdFeyftYNZSzIAOKIjs6z7H8/s320/1936_1996_60thAnniversaryBrochure_a.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
<br />Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com4284 Sullivan St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.697406220646045 -86.75069091904907734.695774220646044 -86.753212419049078 34.699038220646045 -86.748169419049077tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-21691116061629000332019-10-18T09:51:00.002-07:002019-10-18T09:51:53.870-07:00Vintage Vignett: Annie Viola Styles Keel<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">(A Vintage Vignette by John P. Rankin, January 5,
2010)</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The 1969 Madison telephone
directory had four pages of subscriber listings, about ten in the 741
exchange.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest were still in the 772
exchange created for the town in 1960 when Southern Bell bought the company and
set up automatic dialing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This allowed
toll-free calls from Madison to Huntsville for the 353 telephones that were in
service at the time of Southern Bell's purchase on July 10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the end of 1960 the number of phones in
Madison had increased to 429.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It reached
over 1500 by 1970.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, party lines
were still in use until the 1980s in some areas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The 1960 system spelled the
end of the need for switchboard operators in Madison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pud True sold the Madison Telephone Company
(with 79 customers) to J. P. Martin in 1950.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was too dangerous for Pud to keep climbing the poles for company
operations and repairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His aunt, Viola
(“Vidy”) Keel, had been switchboard operator from 1938 on the second floor of
the Humphrey-Hughes Drugstore at 200 Main Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Martin moved the switchboard to the old post
office building on Garner Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
one of only two people in Alabama who owned a telephone company while working
as an employee of Southern Bell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He employed
Carl James as an installer and repairman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Carl sometimes was also nightime operator, while his wife was the day
operator for the system in the 1950s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As another mark of the end of
the operator era, Vidy Keel passed away in 1968 and is buried in the Gurley
Cemetery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was born in 1892 in
Gurley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1912 she was married to Percy
Brooks Keel, Sr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to
Ancestry.com postings, she gave birth to Leo Louis Keel, Cecil Glen Keel, Ralph
Hardy (“Buddy”) Keel, and Percy Brooks (“Tootsie” or “Toots”) Keel Jr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vidy's famous relatives per Ancestry.com
include an impressive array of U. S. Presidents plus Elvis Presley and many
well-known authors and actors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When Vidy moved to Madison in
1938 as Madison's switchboard operator, she was divorced and brought with her
only Buddy and Toots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Louis had passed
away in his fourth year of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cecil
got<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>married in 1937 in Louisiana,
leaving Vidy with two sons still at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Buddy played on Madison's first football team in 1938.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had four games and scored a total of 50
points versus their opponents' total of 44 points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The games were against Hazel Green (twice),
Tanner, and Riverton.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Toots had a leading role in
the 1941 eleventh grade class play, “Always in Trouble”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other characters in the play were portrayed
by such Madison notables as Harvey Hardiman, Milton Carter, Edward Cobb,
Tillman Williams Jr., Lorinda Thornton, Dora Cain Apperson, Katie Mae Stewart,
Lillian Yarborough, and Gertrude Hovis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Gertrude married John Calvin Smith in 1942, and Dora married Marcus Tuck
(a classmate) in that same year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toots
married Helen Frances Finley in 1947.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They had two sons and a daughter, but one son was born and died on July
13, 1957.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kathy and John still live and
have their own families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toots and Helen
lived at 209 Mill Road, in the house immediately west of the Madison City
Cemetery, where Toots resided until his passing on January 2 of this year(2010).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Helen passed away in 1997 and they are buried
in Maple Hill Cemetery, even though Toots spent many years watching over
Madison-area cemeteries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Toots graduated from Madison
High School in May of 1942 and enlisted in the Navy in July of that year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was stationed at San Diego, Seattle,
Astoria, Pearl Harbor, and the Marshall Islands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His duty involved scouting for enemy
submarines until his discharge in 1945 at the Memphis Naval Air Station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He worked a variety of jobs after discharge
until he became an employee of the Madison Post Office in 1948.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He served there until 1982 when he
retired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His routes as a mail carrier
included Triana and points south of Madison along the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Helen had jobs with the telephone company in
Huntsville (they “met” over the switchboard) and later with Thiokol,
McDonnell-Douglas, and others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
retired in 1983.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are missed in
Madison today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com209 Mill Rd, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.6997211 -86.746882134.6995171 -86.7471971 34.699925099999994 -86.7465671tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-64818141760572781872019-10-07T12:55:00.004-07:002019-10-07T13:05:16.422-07:00History of Madison: The Early Days -- By John P. Rankin<div class="MsoTitle">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Madison Station Historical Preservation Society owes a significant debt of gratitude to Mr. John Rankin. John has served this community well over the years in researching and making available the history of the Madison area. It is through his efforts that we now have much of the history available at our fingertips. Mr. Rankin can often be found at events that celebrate the city and our history. If you encounter John, please share your thanks for his efforts.</span></div>
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HISTORY OF MADISON</div>
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THE EARLY DAYS</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal;">By John P. Rankin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /><br />According to the account given in a book about the “<b>Sims Settlement</b>,” the Cherokee had surrendered their claims to the land in the “Great Bend of the Tennessee River” in 1806. The Cherokee had realized that the large influx of squatters onto their land had rendered it untenable for them to occupy exclusively. In fact, the Cherokee people often remained on the land after its cessation and adopted the ways of the white settlers to an extent, including extensive intermarriage with the white pioneers. White people had been coming into the area of the Great Bend from Europe in the earliest explorer days. The first land grants given for North Carolina included “…land westward to the Mississippi River”. Lewis and Clark had reached the Pacific Ocean in 1805, so much was known of the continent, including what is now the southeastern United States.<br /><br />The state of Georgia also laid claim to the region that is now north Alabama and north Mississippi. By 1784 Georgia had chartered a speculative land company that began selling acreage in the Great Bend by 1785. It referred to the land that is now north Alabama as “Houstoun”. Apparently, there was no lack of buyers, as several land companies began selling the same parcels, and sometimes even a single land company would sell the same acreage to more than one buyer. The Tennessee Land Company had purchased the Great Bend area of Madison County from Georgia for pennies an acre, and they sold large sections of it at huge profits. The Yazoo Land Company and others entered the picture, and the situation became so corrupt that the multitude of land fraud lawsuits and counterclaims got the attention of Washington DC. <br /><br />Even George Washington was involved in addressing the conflict. During his last year as President (1796), George Washington appointed Benjamin Hawkins as Indian Agent for the area. Benjamin Hawkins was chartered to secure the Great Bend from further encroachment of settlers (an impossible task), indicating that there were already a sufficient number in the area to warrant federal action. Protection was also denied any white man squatting on the Indian lands of the Great Bend. Swamped with legal actions regarding the lands, Georgia in 1802 sold all of their “rights” to the western lands (the Mississippi Territory, northern Alabama) to the federal government for $1.25 million. The federal government then declared all previous land sales in the area to be null and void.<br /><br />According to the account in the FOREWORD of Margaret Matthews Cowart’s book OLD LAND RECORDS OF MADISON COUNTY, ALABAMA (available in the Heritage Room of the Huntsville main library), surveyor Thomas Freeman took a census of the inhabitants of the land in January 1809. Upon completion of a survey of the area, he acted as Registrar and took squatters’ applications for their land. After paying the associated fees, the squatters were allowed to remain as “tenants at will” on the land, with the right to purchase the land at auction during a subsequent public land sale. Of course, due to being outbid (as was John Hunt at the big spring in what is now Huntsville) and due to overlapping claims resulting from the land company frauds, some of the very earliest settlers lost their lands during this time of recording titles to surveyed boundaries. <b>These actions made Madison County the first in the nation to be systematically surveyed, with legitimate titles recorded by the federal government.</b><br /><br />Some of the early settlers on land in the Madison area were legally on acreage that was within the 1805 Cherokee cessation and east of the Chickasaw Indian Boundary Line. Others squatted on Chickasaw lands west of the Boundary Line. Those who legally were living east of the line (but near Indian Creek) would have associated themselves with the town of Madison (if it had been established in the early 1800s), as their descendants did in later years. [For example, in 1860 the census records show that those who lived on most of what is now Redstone Arsenal were enumerated in the “Madison Station Post Office” district.] Several of the families that later appear in the Madison-area land records (on and after February 2, 1818, when it was legal to purchase the land near where the town was later established) first took land east of the Chickasaw Indian Boundary Line. They moved slightly west (or simply recorded the land where they may have already been living or farming) in 1818 and thereafter, when the government officially allowed the purchases.<br /><br />Unfortunately for the earliest squatters, due to politics mostly associated with concern for Indian relations in view of the impending War of 1812 against Great Britain, the federal government was not always agreeable to their presence on Indian lands. There were several military actions by the government against the settlers west of the Indian Boundary Line – burning their crops and cabins in attempts to force them off the Indian lands – beginning in 1809 and continuing until the declaration of war against Great Britain in June of 1812. After war was declared, the soldiers received assignments to other regions, so the pressure was off the squatters. In fact, some of the squatters became part of the “Madison Militia”, formed in the latter part of 1813 under Lt. Col. Peter Perkins in the 7th Regiment. They were called upon to defend western Madison County against a perceived threat of possible Indian attack from the west and south. Peter Perkins owned land in western Madison County, and his unit included some men known to be among the earliest of the area settlers. These included Elisha Rainbolt (sometimes spelled as Rainboll or Rainbatt), who settled the flat land immediately to the north of Rainbow Mountain. It is surmised that his name was somewhat distorted as people moving along the old Athens Pike (now Highway 72) may have asked about who lived by the mountain. Perhaps the mountain more properly should be known as Rainbolt Mountain.<br /><br />Names of other “Sims Settlement” pioneers who can be associated with early Madison-area lands include William Slaughter and the Priest family, consisting of Samuel (Senior), and sons James, Menan, and John. (Some of the younger Priests settled west of Triana). Other Sims Settlement names that appear to be area-related are: James Garner; Archibald, Walter, John, and Michal Trimble; William, James, and John Smith; Thomas Dodd; John Humphreys; David and William W. Capshaw; William Martin; and James Slawter (Slaughter).<br /><br />By the conclusion of the War of 1812 and the associated war with the Creeks, the Chickasaw knew that they had lost their leverage with the U. S. Government for removal of squatters by guaranteeing peace in the area. Andrew Jackson, with his victory over the Creek Nation, was able to negotiate a treaty regarding the land with the Chickasaws in 1816. After all, the already-present large number of white squatters had ruined the land for hunting and for other aspects of the Indians’ way of life in the region. In this treaty, the Chickasaw surrendered claims to the land that now comprises parts or all of Lawrence, Limestone, Lauderdale, and Madison Counties.<br /><br />Nobody knows the whole truth of who, how, where, and when the first individuals came to any area. However, this perspective is written to provide the account that can be ascertained from the records left by the earliest settlers of the area around what is now the City of Madison, in Madison County, Alabama. It is fully recognized that many significant events were of course unrecorded, so they have been lost in antiquity. However, some of the accounts published in the latter half of 1900s dealing with the history of Madison credit John Cartwright as being the first settler in the area that became the town. There has been no record found to substantiate that claim, and the source of the story is unknown. The fact is that John Cartwright was simply one of at least 19 men who on February 2, 1818 recorded lands adjoining or near (but not “in”) Section 16 of Township 4 South and Range 2 West. [This is the legal land location designation for the original town of Madison. The date in 1818 is the first time of legal sale of surrounding area lands by the federal government to private individuals. The land of the town itself was allocated to the State of Alabama by the federal government, to be used to support public education. Such lands (the 16th sections) were known as “school lands”, and the Madison town land was not sold by Alabama to private individuals until the 1850s.] The exact time of day each man purchased his land in 1818 is not known, but it is almost certain that the initial 19 men already lived and farmed on the lands they acquired. It is furthermore likely that they had done so for several years prior to 1818. However, it is unknown as to which of the 19 men may have moved into the area first, before 1818.<br /><br />The 19 men who recorded land in the Madison area on the first day of sale by the government for the area west of the old Chickasaw Indian Boundary Line were:<br /><br />Charles Betts Roland Gooch<br />Thomas Matthews John N. S. Jones</div>
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Benjamin Bledsoe Michael Farley</div>
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Thomas T. Mosely William S. Mosely</div>
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Elijah Hussey John Withers</div>
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James Manning William Thompson<br />William T. Crenshaw Daniel Mitchell<br />Gross Scruggs Stith B. Spragins<br />Reuben Crutcher David Monroe<br />John Cartwright<br /><br />Of these 19 men, Benjamin Bledsoe, Charles Betts, and David Monroe lived closest to the land that later was divided into lots for Madison Station in the 1850s. (Roland Gooch lived in what is now the geographic center of Madison.) Their holdings were adjacent to the west half of the Alabama state school land reservation of Section 16, T4S-R2W, that was later laid out in lots by James Clemens to establish the town of Madison Station. Of course, these men would not have known anything about a place called Madison or Madison Station. Before the town acquired those names, the area was first known as part of the “Sims Settlement” (referring to the region), later as “McElhaney’s” (referring to the immediate area), and then for a short time as “Clemens Depot” (referring to the actual earliest town development).<br /><br />While John Cartwright was among the early settlers in the immediate area, he was unlikely to have been the first, and he was definitely not the closest to where the town would later grow. This is true especially with respect to where the original town of Madison was centered. The original boundaries of the town of Madison excluded the land of John Cartwright and the other 18 purchasers in the immediate area. The first sales of the land that became the original town occurred in January and March of 1854, going to James Clemens and William M. Gooch, with another portion sold to R. L. Irwin and James H. Pride in June of 1859. The land of John Cartwright was located two miles west of the School Lands that became the original town of Madison.<br /><br />Studies of the early records strongly indicate that the population center of the current City of Madison area has shifted from north to south and back to north during its history of settlement. Initially, settlers entering the area mostly traveled along the old Huntsville-Athens Pike, now known as U.S. Highway 72. They tended to settle along that route, close to the wagon trails in order to “stay in touch” and have access to markets. Thus, we find that the early tax lists in the mid-1800s referred to the area as “McElhaney’s” (community). This reference was adopted from the family of David M. & wife Nancy McElhaney, who owned property on the north side of present-day U.S. 72 and bounded on the west by the current Wall-Triana Highway. The land is now occupied by Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse Store and other businesses on the north borders of Madison.<br /><br />There is also some evidence in a number of old accounts of churches that were built in what is now the geographic center of the Madison area, before the town was founded. For example, the long-gone Providence Presbyterian Church was located in Section 5 of Township 4 South, Range 2 West. It was on a hilltop east of Balch Road by about 250 yards and about an equal distance south of Gillespie Road. There is no trace of the church today, but the cemetery on church property of the time remains. Correspondingly, there are accounts of an old “Shiloh Baptist Church” that was located immediately beyond the east side of the Madison city limits. It was west of Indian Creek, in what is now the Creekwood housing development. The legal land description of the location is W/2, SE/4, S35-T3S-R2W. Nothing remains of the church, but the associated cemetery is found on the south side of Vistawood Court off Rebecca Pines Drive. These two churches roughly set the east and west “markers” for the early community population center.<br /><br />An early Baptist church was located not far north of today’s Madison city limits, at the junction of Wall-Triana Highway and Capshaw Road (“Nebo” area). There was likewise a Methodist church on land donated by early settler Roland Gooch, at today’s intersection of Old Madison Pike / Browns Ferry Road and Hughes Road. These two churches roughly set the north and the south bounds of the early population area.<br /><br />Churches were generally built in an area where they would be accessible to a maximum population density, so these churches in aggregate define a population center that was a bit north of the railroad route that came later. In fact, after the railroad drew the population to cluster around its tracks, the Methodist church was moved to its present location on Church Street in the downtown historic district of Madison. This move was accomplished by rolling the church on logs as it was pulled by mules about 1873, when the property at the present location was purchased. The move of this church, and the demise of the other churches before the dawn of the 20th century, reflect the shift of the population toward the south within the area as homes were built in the town near the railroad tracks. Only in the last decade has the population again shifted significantly to the north, back into the originally settled areas and away from the historic district beside the tracks. The coming of the railroad not only caused some churches of the area to die out, but it also caused the nearby prosperous river port town of Triana to become a ghost town. Until the railroad took over the cotton shipping business, Triana had been a very prestigious place to live, and many of the most prominent north Alabama citizens had either primary or secondary residences there. The town of Madison became the destination of many of the Triana emigrants.<br /><br />Rainbow Mountain was likewise a prime settlement spot for early settlers due to its numerous springs. Now it is a prime housing area due to its scenic vistas. And, once again, the old travel corridor of U.S. Highway 72 is a drawing card for easy access to major shopping areas. However, the seeds of change have been planted for another southerly population shift that is in its infancy now, as Interstate Highway 565 is providing equally attractive access to jobs and shopping areas, while the Tennessee River offers recreation appeal. Of course, with the ease of travel by automobile, population will no longer shrink simply due to remoteness from shopping and churches and jobs. In fact, there is a growing tendency to shun high density population centers and to seek the solitude of country settings. In the “old days” this was not the case for the majority of people, as access to markets was essential except for the most independent of the pioneers.<br /><br />This understanding of the significance and basis of population shifts was what James Clemens exhibited in the 1850s. Mr. Clemens postured himself to purchase from the State major portions of the “school lands” of Section 16 in Township 4S, Range 2W. His son Jeremiah was a U.S. Senator, with widespread connections. In fact, the great grandfather of James Clemens was also the great, great grandfather of Samuel Langhorn Clemens, who is better known as the great American humorist and author “Mark Twain”.<br /><br />James Clemens, from his son the Senator, no doubt knew early that the railroad would pass through this property in Madison County, and he coordinated the location of a water and fuel stop for the locomotives, roughly ten miles west of Huntsville and ten miles east of Decatur. Accordingly, he bought the land along the tracks in 1854 and developed plans for a depot and town lots, thereby becoming the Founder of Madison – originally called “Clemens Depot” by Mr. Clemens, but later designated “Madison Station” by the railroad.<br /><br />James Clemens came to Huntsville from Kentucky in 1812. According to the 1850 census record for Madison County, James was born in Pennsylvania in 1778. His lineage is documented back to the 1500s on internet web sites and by materials in the Clemens family folder at the Heritage Room of the Huntsville – Madison County Public Library. James Clemens’ ancestry included Gregory Clemens (or Clements), who was a member of the English Parliament at the time of Oliver Cromwell. According to a master’s thesis entitled “THE LIFE OF JEREMIAH CLEMENS” by Vergil Lee Bedsole (1934, University of Alabama), Gregory signed the death warrant for King Charles I of England. Gregory was later beheaded and his estates confiscated, but his widow Frances moved with two children to Virginia in 1664, according to tradition. Thus descended the line of the Virginia Clemenses, some of whom moved into Pennsylvania and later into Kentucky.<br /><br />When James Clemens moved to Huntsville, he entered into partnership with a Mr. John D. Clifford, who moved back to Lexington, KY by 1818. While in partnership, they did business under the name of James Clements & Co., according to some old records. Other records show the name as James Clement & Co., while yet others have it as James Clemens & Company. Mr. Clemens bought many parcels of land in Madison and Limestone Counties in his early years in Huntsville. Among his Huntsville holdings were Lots 43 and 44 near the public square, located on the south side of Clinton Street and bounded on the west by Gallatin Street (now Church Street) and running south to Spring Creek, which flowed from the Big Spring. This is where James Clemens built his house in the early 1820s. The house stood on this site until recently, but it was moved by Huntsville Utilities to the junction of Pratt Avenue and Meridian Street in 2004-5. By the time of his death in 1860, James Clemens had bought and sold two lots in Mooresville (Limestone County), he held many parcels in Madison County, and he owned three “plantations” in Madison County with residences on them.<br /><br />By the 1850s when James Clemens began to plan the town that became Madison Station, his wife had died (she died back in the 1830s, and he never remarried), and he had freed his household slaves. One of his former slaves was still living in his household with the surname Clemens in the 1860 Madison County census, when James was listed as age 83. In fact, James Clemens died soon after that census was taken. His death date was June 7, 1860. Even his son Jeremiah died in 1865, and the will of James was contested throughout the 1860s. <br /><br />Considering that James Clemens was 83 in the 1860 census, he was therefore about 77 years old in 1854 when he bought the “school lands” from the State of Alabama to mark out lots for the town that became Madison. In fact, Madison County Deed Book CC, page 521, shows that James Clemens himself sold Lot 24 of his town to Edmund Martin on March 5, 1860. This is the last record of a land sale by James (rather than by his estate’s administrators) prior to his death 3 months later. <br /><br />However, he was still buying land in the area of the town as late as March 31, 1860. At that time he purchased the SE/4 of Section 16, Township 4S, Range 2W, from William M. Gooch and his wife Maria H. Gooch. That purchase is recorded in Deed Book CC, page 549. It indicates that James still was pursuing his belief in the vitality of Madison when he was age 83, as he purchased that portion of the original “school lands” that he had not acquired when it was first available. According to the 1870 tax lists, that portion of the land was later owned by E. T. Martin and James H. Pride. The land of the purchase from Wm. Gooch extends from the area where the Post Office is now located, along Hughes Road to Madison Boulevard and from Wal-Mart north along Lanier Road to where the Halsey Grocery warehouse is found. It lies southeast of the original historic district of the town.<br /><br />Maps of the original lots as laid out by James Clemens and subsequently by the administrators of his estate are found on the CD-ROM set of the Madison Memories Collection, which is available from the Madison Station Historical Society and at the Chamber of Commerce, the Main Street Café, the West Station Antique Mall, or Hartlex Antique Mall at the cost of $5 for any particular CD. The CD set also has photos of the older houses of the town, often with inclusion of historical notes about the houses and their owners. The CD set in fact has a collection of photos of contemporary Madison scenes (which show the houses as they are today) and of tombstones in the area cemeteries plus a compilation of historical tidbits about the town’s leaders and development through the years. Interviews with some of the older residents of the town have been recorded (audio), and those are on the latest CDs. Genealogical data about some of the pioneer families of the area have been researched, and that data is included in the CD set. That data shows that the immediate Madison area had several families with connections to George Washington and his wife Martha Dandridge Custis; to explorers Lewis & Clark; to Alabama governors Thomas Bibb, Clement Comer Clay, and Reuben Chapman; and to various European members of royalty or nobility. Throughout its early history, the leaders of the nation had their eyes on the Madison area, as this was home to some of their relatives and to very influential people. The town has returned in recent decades to its initial prominence. May the citizens of today maintain the strength and integrity of the community for generations to come.<br /><br />John P. Rankin January 15, 2003<br /> Revised May 19, 2005<br /></div>
Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.comMadison, AL 35758, USA34.7091114 -86.76174900000000934.5001659 -87.0844725 34.918056899999996 -86.439025500000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-22472190875467370892018-12-05T09:05:00.001-08:002018-12-05T09:05:43.563-08:00People of Madison: Dr. John Slaughter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdhUlpQ3TtJ9ev7i3zkyM65f-EoMrUazIZjTdbyqBO_XDAlbJbj8vG2jg5pl_UMSkEMt4TE6UvSTzwwytXXSopa0Y7jnMeDOg_veYq1wriCmGhUi2L-mG0SfSn26Ftg49-vcevgfKmUA/s1600/Slaughter_DrJohnR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="547" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdhUlpQ3TtJ9ev7i3zkyM65f-EoMrUazIZjTdbyqBO_XDAlbJbj8vG2jg5pl_UMSkEMt4TE6UvSTzwwytXXSopa0Y7jnMeDOg_veYq1wriCmGhUi2L-mG0SfSn26Ftg49-vcevgfKmUA/s320/Slaughter_DrJohnR.jpg" width="274" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Dr.
John Slaughter</span></b>, namesake of Slaughter Road, married Mary Lanford and
had a daughter Charlotte (“Lottie”) who married James H. Cain, a Madison
merchant. Dr. Slaughter’s wife lived was
raised in the mansion of her father, William Lanford, who was a son of Madison
County pioneer Robert Lanford. Robert
and Bartholomew Jordan (a Revolutionary War patriot) were charter members of
one of the earliest Methodist churches in north Alabama, known as Jordan’s
Chapel, located near the Botanical Gardens on Bob Wallace Avenue. Robert had come to the area with LeRoy Pope,
the “Father of Huntsville”. Robert’s son
William married Bartholomew Jordan’s granddaughter Charlotte Fennell, daughter
of Isham J. Fennell and his wife Temperance Jordan. The Fennell monument is one of the largest in
Huntsville’s Maple Hill Cemetery.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dr. Slaughter was a physician in Huntsville when he married
Mary Lanford, but when her father William developed stomach trouble in his
latter years, he moved his practice to the Lanford mansion on the east side of
Indian Creek, immediately north of the “S-curves” of Old Madison Pike. The mansion today is almost entirely hidden
from view by trees, but it is still one of the most impressive in the region,
having been the social center of the area, with many elaborate dance parties
held there in the 1850s and 1860s. After
William Lanford’s death in 1881, his plantation was divided between Mary and
her sister Martha (Landford’s son Robert had been killed in the Battle of
Shiloh), with Mary inheriting the house and the southern portion of the
estate. Dr. Slaughter built a small
brick office building for his practice in front of the mansion, using the
mansion’s basement as a laboratory.
However, after his death and Mary’s passing in 1913 the house was sold
out of the family. Eventually, Dr.
Slaughter’s office was used as a hatchery for chickens, but today it is gone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Andale Sans UI"; mso-fareast-language: HI; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">Dr. Slaughter’s daughter
Lottie married James H. Cain in 1896 and moved to Madison. She had her new house built at the corner of
Arnett Street and Buttermilk Alley, which at that time was called Hobson
Street. Today Jeanne and Stan Steadman
live in the large dwelling. Jim Cain was
a brother of Robert Parham Cain, who married Lena Martin, a daughter of Elijah
Thomas Martin, who was a brother of George Washington Martin. Robert Parham Cain operated a store at 110
Main Street (Whitworth Realty today), believed to be the oldest store in
Madison. This building was constructed
for merchant G. W. Martin, who purchased the site on February 13, 1857, as the
first known sale of a lot in the town planned by James Clemens. A son of Robert Parham Cain, Robert Earl
Cain, continued to operate a store there, but tragedy struck in the 1920s. In April of 1928 his wife Annie Nance Cain
was struck and killed by a train as she crossed the tracks in Madison. In February of 1929, Robert Earl Cain Junior drowned
in a cistern behind the store, and his father moved away from town to Lawrence
County, where he became an automobile salesman.
He left his only surviving child, a daughter, in the care of his mother
and visited her in Madison frequently until his own passing. </span></div>
Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-45997312830031242142018-11-21T17:29:00.000-08:002018-11-21T17:29:47.032-08:00317 Church Street<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhty_h1dsnngPp7DiiOfRjJM7NH9GbtnDNCRQYo98Jpu5NMHRsAP5GL-MAGKVQBFQqffENC-tDkXbwAsbOuJDqG_yQRVd9u05a3V56jw9f2Pbw-s6_lnLQfYanh9rbmXkXftFiV-0KkInI/s1600/317-Church-St.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="407" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhty_h1dsnngPp7DiiOfRjJM7NH9GbtnDNCRQYo98Jpu5NMHRsAP5GL-MAGKVQBFQqffENC-tDkXbwAsbOuJDqG_yQRVd9u05a3V56jw9f2Pbw-s6_lnLQfYanh9rbmXkXftFiV-0KkInI/s200/317-Church-St.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0a0313; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Charles and Sandy Nola live in a landmark house in the southwest corner of Mill Road at Church Street. The house was built in 1998, and the tax assessor's website shows it as having about 2,906 square feet. Its appearance exudes an appealing ambiance of Southern comfort and functionality. Charles and Sandy both have been active for years in the Madison Station Historical Preservation Society and now </span><span style="color: #0a0313; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">in the Derby Days celebrations in the town.</span>Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com317 Church St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.699143 -86.748669534.698939 -86.7489845 34.699346999999996 -86.7483545tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-60709142501476819922018-11-20T10:24:00.000-08:002018-11-21T15:45:26.920-08:00200 Main Street - Humphrey – Hughes Drug Store<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmA0lw_K5wCzjXZ40lXvdapqoXfIpR159NSlyxMKCpDOJVjMFJ_Hi-jZ_rG43mRvnxB-irXqTfoGQ_BxK6bERHwLtpGf_b7l7TMhtbWl2ltZRuTheldw_xxWNtBvifqhY5YPGADQxlZs/s1600/image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="593" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmA0lw_K5wCzjXZ40lXvdapqoXfIpR159NSlyxMKCpDOJVjMFJ_Hi-jZ_rG43mRvnxB-irXqTfoGQ_BxK6bERHwLtpGf_b7l7TMhtbWl2ltZRuTheldw_xxWNtBvifqhY5YPGADQxlZs/s200/image001.jpg" width="200" /></a>This building was constructed around 1908 as the Burton
& Wise Drug Store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Burton and
Bradford families owned it until 1975, but G. W. Hughes rented it from 1925 to
1972.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The early manually-operated
telephone switchboard for Madison was located here, in an upstairs apartment
for many years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Operator Viola Styles
Keel slept on a cot beside the apparatus, while her two sons Buddy and Percy
shared a bedroom in the apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
downstairs was used as the drugstore of long-time pharmacist George Walton
Hughes, known to all as "Doc" because he attended to a variety of
medical conditions in the town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the
town had only two telephones, one was in Doc's store so that he could provide
medicine and news to the town folk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09H3S16SWIrABA1Z4fHvRe7KSw8Z0tMByaPkZdRzShYrNxx9ubZCRLQNDk7Cz-QEf3ylTC6CMz8jtB6KMeeYUB62uxL6pMus_IOlrz6M1bcd-ZQJWG1PAJFd-CyWAMvI9bGNLfVtLPqw/s1600/image002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="443" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09H3S16SWIrABA1Z4fHvRe7KSw8Z0tMByaPkZdRzShYrNxx9ubZCRLQNDk7Cz-QEf3ylTC6CMz8jtB6KMeeYUB62uxL6pMus_IOlrz6M1bcd-ZQJWG1PAJFd-CyWAMvI9bGNLfVtLPqw/s320/image002.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09H3S16SWIrABA1Z4fHvRe7KSw8Z0tMByaPkZdRzShYrNxx9ubZCRLQNDk7Cz-QEf3ylTC6CMz8jtB6KMeeYUB62uxL6pMus_IOlrz6M1bcd-ZQJWG1PAJFd-CyWAMvI9bGNLfVtLPqw/s1600/image002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>For
many years during the Great Depression of the 1930s, this building was the
location of Madison's renowned “chicken toss” on Christmas Eve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doc Hughes would go onto the roof and toss
off live chickens that would fly to the waiting crowd on the streets
below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each chicken had a prize coupon
taped around its leg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The coupons were
redeemable for merchandise in Doc's store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many families of the time received their only Christmas presents in this
manner, as well as getting a fine chicken dinner.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">In later years, Doc moved his chicken toss to the 75-foot tall city water tank that stood at Garner and Martin Streets behind the 2-story second City Hall.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">There are many stories of the Christmas Capers from Madison's early history. One is that the event was so popular and the resultant crowd so large during the Great Depression years that one time a chicken was able to fly all the way across Main and Front Streets to land under the house at 25 Front Street now owned by Dennis Vaughn. As the crowd chased the chicken to get the bird and the merchandise certificate, the press of people knocked down the fence in the front yard by the street. Several men crawled under the house, and one finally got the fowl. The certificates were not always for really large prizes as we think of such today. I (John Rankin) have heard that sometimes they were for pencils or pads of notepaper and such, but for those who otherwise would have nothing to take home to their families for Christmas, the chicken and the pencils or just about anything was welcomed.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMjBDI_Yyqm78eTjdYJR5zqsux5JqYq0DIMb1m1qCP8jF1DC1k21d55YghnyFLVM8hUHV8YxvTvo7X4GIDGI6zP1K1LRVMQfzpiVCFhyphenhyphenWtMW3MpVmRLhGtzysEer9tkDFwxYsi-NdYT8/s1600/image003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMjBDI_Yyqm78eTjdYJR5zqsux5JqYq0DIMb1m1qCP8jF1DC1k21d55YghnyFLVM8hUHV8YxvTvo7X4GIDGI6zP1K1LRVMQfzpiVCFhyphenhyphenWtMW3MpVmRLhGtzysEer9tkDFwxYsi-NdYT8/s320/image003.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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<br />Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com200 Main St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.6932557 -86.74881679999998634.693051700000005 -86.749131799999986 34.6934597 -86.748501799999985tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-47246837551101772762018-11-18T10:29:00.002-08:002020-10-27T19:53:23.195-07:00208-210 Main Street<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgtLTlfd6YphURWGlLkGmwxlcxPKzS3FHsrB4_xmfoYQtCk2wFXEqfyhvxau0jCxpXc5r0afElf-Z3BayMKKqNOXZsx3wIpd6AcGMs-c24Nw5cwLRrh65PPKV_OSDLei3UcB5Xa2t-5Q/s1600/208-210-Main.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="519" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgtLTlfd6YphURWGlLkGmwxlcxPKzS3FHsrB4_xmfoYQtCk2wFXEqfyhvxau0jCxpXc5r0afElf-Z3BayMKKqNOXZsx3wIpd6AcGMs-c24Nw5cwLRrh65PPKV_OSDLei3UcB5Xa2t-5Q/s320/208-210-Main.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Frank G. Hertzler, son of Dr. John Hertzler, operated a
hardware store at this 208 Main Street site in partnership with Matthew Harvey
Anderson, the banker who lived at 17 Front Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frank built and resided in the house at 25
Front Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The original store
structure here was destroyed in the 1912 fire, and the tax office records of the
county show that the current building was constructed in 1940.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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A couple of years after Robert Edgar (“Pud”)
True and his wife Gladys McFarlen True moved to Madison, they bought the
building and operated a grocery store from 1944 to
1976.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, during their first three
months in Madison, the True's rented a room in the former residence of Frank
Hertzler at 25 Front Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The True's built
a house in 1941 that was then in the county, just outside the town limits, at
318 Church Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They moved into their
new residence on January 1, 1942, and became leaders in the community and in
the Methodist Church on Church Street for the rest of their lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After Pud died, Gladys donated funds for the
electronic chimes in the church that still sound throughout the historical district
of Madison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">For a time this building was
also operated as an annex to the post office.when the post office was located
next door in the 206 Main Street location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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According to the 1890 Hartford Insurance Company map of
Madison, an early structure at 210 Main was the office of Dr. Richard M.
Fletcher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A later use of the location
according to the 1905 Alabama Mercantile Book was the drugstore of Pride &
Bradford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Thomas Logan Bradford was only
35 years old when he committed suicide by taking an overdose of morphine from
this drugstore. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had married Fannie
Burton, a daughter of John Mullins Burton, who owned the competing drugstore at
the 216 Main location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bradfords had
bought the house at 306 Church Street in 1906 and had a daughter born
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thomas had been employed by his father-in-law
for a while, but resigned to go into partnership in the store at 210 Main by
about 1904.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His suicide note mentioned
failing health and business losses.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVlcofYafeR5TWprsflWe23QCtpP0_HQgbOkIzJcXrlNuC6-FcXbhrhtTnYmF-kJ9B6B8gPXiq-coxkw_vu2wDZLQ7P0rLE2t0AF9qz649vMXMOQe8zKayznZifot9j0hu76sdA-e8HQ/s1600/image003.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="665" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVlcofYafeR5TWprsflWe23QCtpP0_HQgbOkIzJcXrlNuC6-FcXbhrhtTnYmF-kJ9B6B8gPXiq-coxkw_vu2wDZLQ7P0rLE2t0AF9qz649vMXMOQe8zKayznZifot9j0hu76sdA-e8HQ/s320/image003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">After the passing of Tom Bradford, there are indications the drug store reopened as the
Phoenix Drugstore. However, it may have also been the name for the rebuilt store after the fire of 1912
heavily damaged the structure. Tom's wife Fannie moved into her father's house
at 21 Front Street and wrote a weekly column about Madison for the Huntsville
newspaper for the remainder of her life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /><div class="MsoNormal">A vintage comic book business utilized the 208 building in
the 1990s, but it was later renovated by Walt and Larry Anderson to become the Bandito Burrito restaurant. The
restaurant occupied not only 208 Main, but it later included the location at
210 Main Street. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF98x1m4LYbqEJ5oaI3-u4vKt88hcQtdQ0UWWbPNujde0sxc43Wz2cq5ws2r4iDWn0gC03sK223tE79aJDMBTqcqQwan4dsfbxn_vwuU40sH3xJ8hwbCPo1Gc8-GhO6G9khtwsj6tsJF4/s1600/image004.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="601" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF98x1m4LYbqEJ5oaI3-u4vKt88hcQtdQ0UWWbPNujde0sxc43Wz2cq5ws2r4iDWn0gC03sK223tE79aJDMBTqcqQwan4dsfbxn_vwuU40sH3xJ8hwbCPo1Gc8-GhO6G9khtwsj6tsJF4/s320/image004.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">The Madison Drug Company was established at 210 Main by Dr.
Luther Wikle and his partner Ben Porter in 1912.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may then have been given the name of the
Phoenix Drugstore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wikle later sold his
interest to William Russell, a son of the constable of that name who also ran
the gristmill for which Mill Road is named.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Since 2015 208 and 210 Main have been occupied by Old Black Bear Brewing. Old Black Bear is a favorite hangout for locals and guests. Often on Friday nights during the summer there is live music on the patio to the east of 210 Main. </span></div>
<br />Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com208 Main St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.6933357 -86.74853200000001234.6931317 -86.748847000000012 34.693539699999995 -86.748217000000011tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-46825345126438716812018-11-18T09:55:00.001-08:002018-11-18T09:55:27.237-08:00206 Main Street<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqwJ-WAQTdDonuYYtIeUiD1GXdi_F2qm_W5HHCJvKb89XpSjO2H6kY5T1XpmhbU2m0_zPLtLnlVJbsOxIDY-2EEDgJ4AQ4cBmb4BUnIt9yGEgE1B0BRoZyg_t9uHxG55_zG_C9quf2uM/s1600/206-Main-Street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1014" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqwJ-WAQTdDonuYYtIeUiD1GXdi_F2qm_W5HHCJvKb89XpSjO2H6kY5T1XpmhbU2m0_zPLtLnlVJbsOxIDY-2EEDgJ4AQ4cBmb4BUnIt9yGEgE1B0BRoZyg_t9uHxG55_zG_C9quf2uM/s320/206-Main-Street.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Noteworthy in the time of an older generation of Madison
residents was when this structure functioned as the store of Dea Theodore
Thomas, who lived at 307 Church Street.
In much more recent years it has housed J's Salon. The first known business to operate at this
location was the store of George A. Fields, as shown on an 1890 Hartford
Insurance Company map of Madison. In
1912, this building along with 208 and 210 Main Street were
damaged by fire. The Thomas store had
begun operations in 1904, and it was only slightly damaged by the fire, while
the other two buildings were destroyed.
Dea continued operations in the store until his passing in 1917, when
his brother-in-law, William Wann, took over the business and ran the store until
1940. William Wann's sister Nora was
Dea's widow. When Dea died William was
already was doing business as a retailer in the store on the other side the old
bank building, at 202 Main Street where James H. Cain had his store.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUGEK-01nihNiquj24HvnQaEf1moJUk-Y6E7CGjPkz7yTkyMTKwVMbULxZIa9McBZyW5_GbcAgWxJl_eB-wfb4co8n1VGZbtkuCdA9ZiV5tA8G7Oz7kaUfZlcLE6J9oQB0xpzbYFFDZk/s1600/image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="850" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUGEK-01nihNiquj24HvnQaEf1moJUk-Y6E7CGjPkz7yTkyMTKwVMbULxZIa9McBZyW5_GbcAgWxJl_eB-wfb4co8n1VGZbtkuCdA9ZiV5tA8G7Oz7kaUfZlcLE6J9oQB0xpzbYFFDZk/s320/image001.jpg" width="320" /></a>There were a number of residents of old Madison who had come
from Woodville in Jackson County, Alabama, probably due to ease of travel and
moving household furnishings via rail between the two locations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The </span>Thomas and Wann families with children Dea Thomas and William Wann were enumerated in the 1880 Federal census as
next-door neighbors in Woodville. The
father of William and Nora Wann was listed as Andrew, known to be a son of an
older generation William Wann born in 1812 in Kentucky. Andrew's occupations in various censuses of
Woodville listed him as a schoolteacher, a merchant, and a Primitive Baptist
preacher. William Wann's wife was Vida
Barclay. Vida was a daughter of James Barclay and Mary F. Woodall. Vida's mother, Mary Woodall, also had roots
in Woodville of Jackson County. In 1900
the census of Woodville showed the family of James William Barclay with wife
Mary and daughter Vida (<i>at age 14, born Nov. 1886</i>) living in dwelling
36, while Andrew J. Wann was in nearby dwelling 48. Additionally, the Barclay family household
included a nephew, Tabor J. Woodall at age 5.
The family of Emmett Woodall was living in 1900 in Woodville dwelling 50
per the census, while dwelling 49 was for a Gormley, another surname found in
Madison. Emmett Woodall soon afterward
left Woodville and moved to Madison, where he was enumerated living next door
to William Wann in the census of 1920.</div>
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From 1940 until 1962 the 206 Main structure housed the
town's post office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 1970s this
was the location of J&B Electrical for a few years.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<br />Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com206 Main St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.6933379 -86.74861010000000834.693133900000007 -86.748925100000008 34.6935419 -86.7482951tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-84189441540470397142018-11-14T11:41:00.000-08:002018-11-14T11:41:36.128-08:00Affair At Madison Station<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">May 17, 1864</span></u></b></div>
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<b><o:p> </o:p></b><b><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsepsfO_8ZwMCRbZr3PY3eJNEyBJtsh-Oj61h7ngbnE6IYjgHn9TtMT2-PJHgohYyFABN1g0xS4NcXyFfhoGi5hoRRhvoAE3fWyo0ydNcSemNm4L85DNnxNTmg7QWdFWUy7wJcs3xWhI/s1600/Marker_AffairAtMadisonStation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsepsfO_8ZwMCRbZr3PY3eJNEyBJtsh-Oj61h7ngbnE6IYjgHn9TtMT2-PJHgohYyFABN1g0xS4NcXyFfhoGi5hoRRhvoAE3fWyo0ydNcSemNm4L85DNnxNTmg7QWdFWUy7wJcs3xWhI/s320/Marker_AffairAtMadisonStation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Both Civil War engagements fought in and around Madison
occurred during unusual weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one
of December 23, 1864, at Indian Creek where Old Madison Pike crosses the water
and along the campus of Madison Academy at Slaughter Road, was fought on one of
the coldest days of a severely cold winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was so cold that not only did the creek freeze over, but guns were of
little use because no one could use their fingers adequately to reload after
firing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was largely a saber
fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, artillery and guns were
the weapons of the day when much warmer weather prevailed for the conflict that
occurred on May 17, 1864.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Both
engagements began at dawn as surprise attacks on the entrenched forces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The December Union attack started near the
Indian Creek railroad bridge and continued west toward the town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The May Confederate attack began in the town
and continued east along the tracks to the Indian Creek railroad bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May brought a Confederate rout of Federal
forces, whereas the December struggle was a Union rout of rebel forces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The December fight involved frozen water as a
factor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The May fight involved liquid
water as a factor, because it was raining so hard that the combatants could
barely see their opposition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Union
accounts described the December event as a “grand victory”, reportedly
involving far more rebels than could possibly have been present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the official reports claimed that 200
Union troops attacked a rebel force of 600, whereas more realistic descriptions
show that a maximum of 150 rebels were surprised by over 300 Federals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, the official Union accounts of the May
event term it as simply as an “affair” -- not even worthy of being called a
battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the May attack by the
rebel forces included four artillery pieces and over 1000 troops against a
force of about 350 Federals who occupied the town of Madison.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Confederate reports are sparse from those last months of the
war, but there are numerous documents of the engagement preserved in Union
accounts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most descriptive Union
reports were filed by Colonel Gorgas of the 13<sup>th</sup> Illinois
Infantry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He first told that a cavalry
force of about 1,000 with four artillery pieces attacked on May 17 about 8
o'clock in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When General
John Smith reported the engagement a day later, he stated that Madison Station
had been attacked at 8 a.m. from all directions by a large force, numbering
about 1,000 to 3,000 men with four pieces of artillery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gorgas recounted that “...we were obliged to
fall back, after a severe fight, and, being completely surrounded, we cut our
way through their lines, and fell back to the bridge and water tank, about
three miles east.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We formed and returned
to this place (Madison), and, after skirmishing, drove them from the town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They captured several of our men, what number
we are not able to say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our camp and garrison
equipage, together with all the regimental and company papers, are either
destroyed or carried off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The depot
buildings are burned, together with about 50 bales of cotton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(He said 70 bales in a later report.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The railroad is all right, telegraph lines
cut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are left here without rations,
and but little ammunition.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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A much more detailed account of the engagement was filed by
Gorgas a day or so later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In it, he
specified that the artillery consisted of “four 12-pounder howitzers”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wrote that the attacking force was under
the command of Colonel Josiah Patterson and included “two regiments of mounted
infantry”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He blamed the successful
surprise upon local citizens guiding the rebels to the locations of his five
pickets, who were then overwhelmed before they could sound the alarm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, subsequently the Union occupiers
arrested Madison residents Dr. Richard Matthew Fletcher, Edward Betts, and
James Harvey Pride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were taken into
Huntsville to be tried and hanged as spies for complicity in the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a gallows was constructed, a
recently-transferred and remotely-located but friendly senior Union officer who
knew that Dr. Fletcher had compassionately treated Federal soldiers during the
occupation years came to Huntsville and had the men released.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="text-align: center;">(A Vintage Vignette by John P. Rankin, December 23, 2010)</b><b style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></b>Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-4852127457719947632018-11-11T08:20:00.002-08:002018-11-11T08:20:28.198-08:00Veteran's Memorial Park - Madison AL<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhYCWjBi5KI0bFS7trK_ce0-NqdUAsI1ZraV_vMNZUwIxJNVi_xg-joBRUQaB1ZB3bQwKlBLomyEX6avyhZttEI0iKwue-IAjbt5PG0KTyFGp-7Eb3B1mBqdYr56QQiE56ZRn51MpYVQ/s1600/55a_VeteransParkMonument.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="653" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhYCWjBi5KI0bFS7trK_ce0-NqdUAsI1ZraV_vMNZUwIxJNVi_xg-joBRUQaB1ZB3bQwKlBLomyEX6avyhZttEI0iKwue-IAjbt5PG0KTyFGp-7Eb3B1mBqdYr56QQiE56ZRn51MpYVQ/s200/55a_VeteransParkMonument.jpg" width="200" /></a>The Veterans Memorial Park is located on the southwest corner of the intersection of Church and Front Streets. The park was designed and constructed by Madison American Legion Post 229 in the spring and summer of 2001.<br />
<br />
The park is dedicated to Jesse Ollie Wikle, Jr., who was the first <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9s29XhKvPF1upmu1fMS1u4zDaNeE0YsEiA4GmmobTXNppzXu4j6MN_KhnYVXbmygVljMl8Jlst-lM_7dThkHD378ichgw5_MEmSBb2uoXZLPJK5mGfO6bqJ23KL2vAVoa9bBobjrXMs/s1600/55c_VeteransParkPlaque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="850" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9s29XhKvPF1upmu1fMS1u4zDaNeE0YsEiA4GmmobTXNppzXu4j6MN_KhnYVXbmygVljMl8Jlst-lM_7dThkHD378ichgw5_MEmSBb2uoXZLPJK5mGfO6bqJ23KL2vAVoa9bBobjrXMs/s320/55c_VeteransParkPlaque.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Madison man to lose his life in World War II and to the members of the United States Military from the city of Madison who lost their lives during the wars of the 20th century. Captain Wikle was a "Flying Fortress" (Boeing B-1 7) pilot, who named his aircraft "The Flaming Maymie" in honor of his red-headed Madison girlfriend, Maymie Louise Dublin. He was shot down and killed over Tunisia.<br />
<br />
The flag pole was refurbished and relocated from its former location next to the old city hall on Main Street. Likewise, the monument was moved from its location on Main Street to its present location in<br />
the park.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKDjGFj2zVvoU4KYlAtYUNEa0E-ggAuUBnt-_3Gu67Z-VlLtYSC1BiARpN4cSSyEBC4oWL7XysXl_6qJkXVprkB4EGiyBSmXpSNV5hIAvpeIHXvPmhjJHrzq-4cLTfdc6ulgexi-fttI/s1600/55b_VeteransParkPlaque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="597" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKDjGFj2zVvoU4KYlAtYUNEa0E-ggAuUBnt-_3Gu67Z-VlLtYSC1BiARpN4cSSyEBC4oWL7XysXl_6qJkXVprkB4EGiyBSmXpSNV5hIAvpeIHXvPmhjJHrzq-4cLTfdc6ulgexi-fttI/s320/55b_VeteransParkPlaque.jpg" width="320" /></a>Water and electrical services were installed underground and the park was delineated by planting a hedge around it. A flower bed was constructed of landscaping bricks and is formed in the shape of a heart. The heart shape is symbolic of the Purple Heart Award presented to service men and women wounded or killed in combat operations.<br />
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There is a small plaque for each of the fifteen service men from Madison who gave their lives in our 20th century wars. Both the flag pole and the Purple Heart flower bed are illuminated during the hours of darkness.<br />
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The Veterans Memorial Park was dedicated on the 21st of September 2001 , only days after the<br />
United States found itself in a new kind of war it had never known - a war with terrorists.Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-29670414497063241722018-10-28T12:44:00.001-07:002018-10-28T12:44:19.359-07:00316 Church Street - Tribble - Beech Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxT0GHdDpLcWMbgONuK4BOw4wwDB2q-nVy4nLfT5ArmlMTS1FDb4WUZJMor_wXTjeS6dK2aY6V4jA4ds9FjBCnf98q2oQMOjU_5G8OPMjPu_1ck1TG8l9Nk4EN_VGtSalbAqwlRMne5j0/s1600/Image_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="256" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxT0GHdDpLcWMbgONuK4BOw4wwDB2q-nVy4nLfT5ArmlMTS1FDb4WUZJMor_wXTjeS6dK2aY6V4jA4ds9FjBCnf98q2oQMOjU_5G8OPMjPu_1ck1TG8l9Nk4EN_VGtSalbAqwlRMne5j0/s320/Image_001.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
Caudis H. Tribble and Ozelle Hereford were married in Madison County in 1924. Their house in Madison is recorded in the tax records as having been constructed in 1939. When Gladys McFarlen True and her husband "Pud" moved to Madison, the couples became close friends. After a year of renting rooms in a house on Front Street, Gladys wanted to live next door to Ozelle, and the feeling was mutual. The Tribbles gave the Trues a deed to the corner lot beside them without a penny being paid.<br />
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Still, Gladys and Pud paid their friends for the lot within a year.They built the house shown below within a year their house payment was $29.50 per month. The Trues owned and operated a grocery store at 208 Main (later Bandito Burrito and now part of Old Black Bear) for over 30 years, remaining lifelong friends with the Tribbles.<br />
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The Tribble Home is now owned by Geoffrey and Karen Beech.Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com316 Church St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.6989747 -86.74802139999997134.698770700000004 -86.748336399999971 34.6991787 -86.74770639999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-30686757671603725712018-10-28T12:12:00.000-07:002018-10-28T12:12:50.540-07:00314 Church Street - Balch - Wann - Marler Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bXF99d7cGOAApW8AOUHh00wj5DA_QBeF4ts-fJRn8s0Jl0HZBGJNqTR8ebJxjJuaLN0VDAwRIq9Fy8h6KUXnuIJd-hvmFauJsl4rzRxdOdmTOm5nP0zc6nRSu8Js5kfNLoUyRak5eyE/s1600/Image_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="410" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bXF99d7cGOAApW8AOUHh00wj5DA_QBeF4ts-fJRn8s0Jl0HZBGJNqTR8ebJxjJuaLN0VDAwRIq9Fy8h6KUXnuIJd-hvmFauJsl4rzRxdOdmTOm5nP0zc6nRSu8Js5kfNLoUyRak5eyE/s200/Image_001.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
This house was constructed in 1910 according to the Madison County tax assessor's records.<br />
In 1916 it was sold by Samuel W. Balch to Ora B. Wann. Her husband Fred was never mentioned on the deed, so he may have died by then. Ora was a long-time Madison postmaster; Samuel Balch was a long-time rural letter carrier of the Madison area. Samuel married Martha A. Parson in 1875, and they had at least 12 children, according to census records, but by 1910 only 8 were still living. Samuel's father was Hezekiah J. Balch, an area pioneer and charter member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church between Nance and Jeff Roads. <br />
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Hezekiah married Tabitha Vaughn, a sister of George Washington Vaughn, connected to the Hughes<br />
and Spencer families of Madison. Tabitha's father was Micajah Vaughn, who was a signer of the first Alabama State Constitution in 1819. Hezekiah served as the first Sunday School Superintendent at the church. His land is today the location of Kelly Springs, along Jeff Road. Ora B. Wann has already been mentioned in association with the house at 302 Church Street. (Just imagine, Madison had an "0. B. Wann" long before George Lucas introduced a character with that name in the Star Wars movies.) The view of the Balch-Wann house below shows how deceptive the front appearances may be of the home along Church Street. The lots were very deep, so the houses were expanded behind the front faces over the years. This house is recorded in tax records as having 2456 square feet of space, typical of such homes along the street. The tax records also show that the current owner is Linda L. Marler.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAYT4kKVc5KudEwi208RS9EByaT-92a61cBHJpMJ16-affoi8VDaGfI9hURoZcm7sMsQkBZ1ZWnvxA9xGEMJ-ZQgKM1LOhKeTwsdD1UupopOTmu3WDpwjNNrJkp0udkRz_tYZ5c2zP7s/s1600/Image_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="568" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAYT4kKVc5KudEwi208RS9EByaT-92a61cBHJpMJ16-affoi8VDaGfI9hURoZcm7sMsQkBZ1ZWnvxA9xGEMJ-ZQgKM1LOhKeTwsdD1UupopOTmu3WDpwjNNrJkp0udkRz_tYZ5c2zP7s/s320/Image_002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com314 Church St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.6988032 -86.74806060000003134.698599200000004 -86.748375600000031 34.6990072 -86.74774560000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-35532412853767103702018-10-26T07:05:00.000-07:002018-10-26T07:05:14.850-07:00313 Church Street<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0L_gN59BTarPE8aAn9pGgtaYfaLR-0YR0hZPqB8a6FhwSeshj8yp6ZyiulupJAL2U5q3TEpW8nnggIfjEYlSpjzoauAVrjlo8tSLlWHmFcV1tgDo4lBiI0Y3PO0_ntY5jaJnoDkGhW68/s1600/Farley_HessieGILLESPIE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0L_gN59BTarPE8aAn9pGgtaYfaLR-0YR0hZPqB8a6FhwSeshj8yp6ZyiulupJAL2U5q3TEpW8nnggIfjEYlSpjzoauAVrjlo8tSLlWHmFcV1tgDo4lBiI0Y3PO0_ntY5jaJnoDkGhW68/s200/Farley_HessieGILLESPIE.jpg" width="85" /></a>(Originally published on the blog of the current owners, Billie and Susan Goodson)<br />
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My previous post dealt with the topic of how we came about being the proud owners of Ms. Hessie's House, located at 313 Church Street in Madison, AL. Some may be wondering who/why Ms. Hessie while others may be asking the question of where is Madison, AL. I have to admit, when we lived in Huntsville in 1987/8, we never really even knew that the sleepy little berg of Madison lay only a little piece to the west of the apartment we lived in for the year. I wish we had driven through Madison then, although we probably wouldn't have remembered much about it. When we returned to Madison county in 2007, we were shocked at how expansive Madison City had become, especially considering we missed it entirely 20 years before! Madison is a growing, vibrant community that we have really grown to love in the several months now that we have lived there. You can learn more about Madison by visiting their city website <a href="http://www.madisonal.gov/index.aspx?nid=247">here</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6A5Fqn-c4BCsIziSuIWmYQ3D44uqkQdsCmpJ1m0FSq0CDV1kqFh0Z7vXT-ITpYs3WMOWFQl-5RkXUwse13JYz6-fu9fUwxod5usocyoIC0IpqAm5m97QWtOWZom682Vw6pTYrxuU7KEk/s1600/2005-313+Church+Street.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6A5Fqn-c4BCsIziSuIWmYQ3D44uqkQdsCmpJ1m0FSq0CDV1kqFh0Z7vXT-ITpYs3WMOWFQl-5RkXUwse13JYz6-fu9fUwxod5usocyoIC0IpqAm5m97QWtOWZom682Vw6pTYrxuU7KEk/s320/2005-313+Church+Street.JPG" width="320" /></a>Being a huge fan of history, I embarked on learning who Ms. Hessie was to add to my knowledge of the home. To me, understanding the personal side of the history of the home just adds so much character to the features of the home. That is what distinguishes in my mind between a house and home. Knowing the previous generations that have called this house a home helps us preserve the unique legacy of this house as a home.</div>
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The house at 313 Church Street was originally constructed for Nancy Hesseltine (Hessie) Gillespie Farley in 1911. Miss Hessie (as she would be known) was the daughter of Campbell Milton Gillespie and Narcissa Lorinda Clark. She was born on July 22, 1866 in Maryville, Tennessee. The family moved first to Morgan County, Alabama in 1870 then relocated to Madison, Alabama in 1879. Miss Hessie would graduate from honors from the Huntsville Female Seminary on May 30 1888 and became a teacher. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTD9Du32_eNtk1spitClhek6pnMy0s31RSX4Z1F6JsI31wzXscBSsAhe1TUFVzPkGIZ7aCuEQoh0nopV1UIhWcPrJhvWhJLpiiwDiVD87aPS2K3W_3Xk2m630jFPa5SNBf01KGsbkE0lk/s1600/313-Church+ca+1920+maybe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTD9Du32_eNtk1spitClhek6pnMy0s31RSX4Z1F6JsI31wzXscBSsAhe1TUFVzPkGIZ7aCuEQoh0nopV1UIhWcPrJhvWhJLpiiwDiVD87aPS2K3W_3Xk2m630jFPa5SNBf01KGsbkE0lk/s200/313-Church+ca+1920+maybe.jpg" width="149" /></a>Miss Hessie married Joseph Bruce Farley in 1892. The couple had one daughter, Frances Lorinda Farley who was born in 1893. Mr Farley unfortunately passed away from malaria in 1894 at the age of 28 and Miss Hessie would never remarry. For a few years she went into partnership with her brother, William Gillespie to run Farley and Gillespie Drug Store in Madison. After the store was sold, Miss Hessie accepted a teaching position in Tuscumbia. She would return to Madison after the passing of her father in 1910 (her mother passed in 1907). Her sister, Miss Nora (Narcissa Elizabeth or "Sister") could not live alone, so Miss Hessie had the home at 313 Church Street constructed. </div>
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Miss Hessie started teaching first grade in Madison, and Lorinda studied music at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia until 1914. Lorinda would marry Herbert Lafayette Thorton on January 21, 1920, shortly after he returned home from serving in France during World War I. Their first daughter, Frances Farley, was born February 12, 1921 at Miss Hessie's home in Madison. Two other daughters were also born in Madison: Nancy Kate on March 16, 1923 and Lorinda Clark on October 24, 1924. In 1935 Herbert became a charter member of Alabama's new Highway Patrol. <br />
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Although a life-long Presbyterian, Miss Hessie taught Sunday School in the Baptist Church. She was active in school, church and many civic organizations. She taught her forty-two consecutive years. She had a deep love for teaching and dreaded the day she would have to retire. That would never happen as she would suffer a stroke during the Christmas holidays and died on January 1, 1939. She is buried beside her husband Bruce in the Farley Family Cemetery. As a side note, following Miss Hessie, Mrs. Howard Hughes was appointed to replace her as the first grade teacher. She would hold that position for thirty-seven years. Combined, Miss Hessie and Mrs. Hughes taught first grade at Madison Elementary for 65 years!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6co2ArmoRlxpjZTZM5XS2KyHsqe2r11u9rGdxG1sIFSXCAaFug1CT5b-cGkEwgMwRLzpkwLEAoZBf7ZYjgI539Fi2N2z-KEFE1dFONq17ptMRIQXaRDQCBSMaQQ-Q9-5T90SgZsuaJg/s1600/FarleyThorntonCooperHouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6co2ArmoRlxpjZTZM5XS2KyHsqe2r11u9rGdxG1sIFSXCAaFug1CT5b-cGkEwgMwRLzpkwLEAoZBf7ZYjgI539Fi2N2z-KEFE1dFONq17ptMRIQXaRDQCBSMaQQ-Q9-5T90SgZsuaJg/s200/FarleyThorntonCooperHouse.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Nancy married J.B. Womack from Lynchburg, Tennessee. Herbert died on August 7, 1961. He was buried in Madison the Madison Cemetery. Nancy and J.B lived with Lorinda until she died on January 1, 1966. She is buried beside Her<span style="font-family: inherit;">bert. After J.B. passed, Nancy married Orval Cooper. <span style="background-color: white;">Nancy would pass on December 13, 2004, and Orval would pass on July 31, 2016. Nancy had two daughters, Pat Womack Edwards and Kathy Womack Williams Lee. A rich heritage laid within the walls and boards of the home at 313 Church Street. </span></span></div>
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It is our sincere hope that the home on Church Street will continue through the ages to be a home where family is loved and cherished. May the walls of this home soak up more generations of love and may the feet that cross the threshold always find joy within the walls. We so deeply appreciate the rich heritage of this home and strive to honor it. May it always be Miss Hessie's, who laid a deep foundation in service and love to her family and community.</div>
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<br />Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com313 Church St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.698899 -86.7491119999999688.5010084999999975 -128.05770599999997 60.8967895 -45.440517999999969tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-69284349874783895812018-10-26T06:45:00.004-07:002021-01-16T08:37:25.507-08:0020 Main Street<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GBBgXdg5EaJg31OnDLn7jSjz8MwqCmRnvMNn3Y1RovVUpXS25H4jemb2qLlAnFvPjiIuaX7PhE1h1eqA-Ke2Ruu90SF8xBiJd853UtIs2jdIS1lr3DYzmcS86KnLBHefRYS_ipaHWs8/s1600/image001.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="470" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GBBgXdg5EaJg31OnDLn7jSjz8MwqCmRnvMNn3Y1RovVUpXS25H4jemb2qLlAnFvPjiIuaX7PhE1h1eqA-Ke2Ruu90SF8xBiJd853UtIs2jdIS1lr3DYzmcS86KnLBHefRYS_ipaHWs8/s200/image001.jpg" width="200" /></a>The building now on this site was constructed as a post
office and dedicated by pharmacist and former mayor George Walton (“Doc”)
Hughes on May 6, 1962.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Since the relocation of the Post Office, businesses and a church have occupied the space. The lot was the original location of the store owned/operated by George Washington
Wise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George's brother James Arthur
Wise was his partner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">James and his
family lived in the house at 16 Main Street for several years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The store was torn down after 1910.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George Washington Wise was a son-in-law of
Madison's first merchant, George Washington Martin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>G. W. Wise lived just a short distance away,
across Martin Street.<o:p></o:p></div>
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See the article on G.W. Wise <a href="https://madisonstationhistorical.blogspot.com/2018/10/madison-people-george-washington-wise.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<br />Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com20 Main St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.6929335 -86.7496320000000234.692729500000006 -86.74994700000002 34.6931375 -86.749317000000019tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-90186285868118175032018-10-26T06:36:00.001-07:002018-10-26T06:36:35.653-07:00Madison People: George Washington Wise<br />
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<b><i>George Washington Wise</i></b> was born in 1854 in Virginia to
Samuel and Sarah Wise. Though they had
several children in Pennsylvania and Virginia, Samuel and Sarah purchased a
farm just south of Madison, moving here in 1872 with their two youngest sons,
G. W. and James Arthur. By the early
1880s, G. W. was a merchant in Madison, and James was a farmer in Limestone
County. During the next several decades,
both brothers bought several parcels of land in Madison. George became a partner of the Burton & Wise
Pharmacy, but soon set up his own general store with his brother. He was also in partnerships with the Hertzler
family and with B. F. Harper, mayor of Madison in 1900.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsQjkmT4HGBzyk0TZ5Vn3YieEWpiUdcKSsyIbDSbU905EMDB2oTxCGsB-s3HCkADzbkUoggfYxWkVPnHkYAPXfI1Den9fv5RgTm45hCCZmaWnaGP8uATWQO4vzCK88BLqyCzqO_N0iFM/s1600/image003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="463" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsQjkmT4HGBzyk0TZ5Vn3YieEWpiUdcKSsyIbDSbU905EMDB2oTxCGsB-s3HCkADzbkUoggfYxWkVPnHkYAPXfI1Den9fv5RgTm45hCCZmaWnaGP8uATWQO4vzCK88BLqyCzqO_N0iFM/s320/image003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George Washington Wise in center. The other two men <br />are unidentified, but the man on right with similar mustache <br />may be brother & partner James Arthur Wise.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Among his other accomplishments, G. W. became the President
of the Bank of Madison and a trustee of both the Madison Training School (1913)
and the Madison Male and Female Academy (1885).
In 1893 he married Hattie Martin, a daughter of Madison’s first lot
owner and merchant, George Washington Martin.
Hattie was a twin sister of Hassie, who died tragically in a railroad
accident, as did their mother, Nancy Leeman Martin, in an earlier
accident. Perhaps the best life summary
of G. W. Wise was given in his obituary as published in the <b><i>Huntsville
Daily Times</i></b> on September 10, 1931:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“<i>George W. Wise, 78, for 40 years a leading merchant of
Madison Station, died at his residence yesterday afternoon after a brief
illness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr. Wise was born in
Winchester, Va., and moved to Madison at the age of 38 years (should be <b>18</b>
years).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was one of the leading
residents of the community and took an active part in all community affairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was an active member of the Methodist
Church.”<br /><o:p></o:p></i><i><o:p> </o:p></i><i>“Surviving are a son, George W. Wise, Jr., of Madison,
and a daughter, Mrs. R. S. Banks of Birmingham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Funeral services were conducted from the Madison Methodist Church this
afternoon at 4 o’clock, the Rev. Ted Hightower officiating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Burial followed in the Madison cemetery, with
Womack in charge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following served
as pallbearers:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>D. S. Lanier, J. L.
Brewer, R. E. Cain, J. S. Cain, Ernest Cain and C. H. Dublin</i>.”</blockquote>
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George’s father Samuel died in 1876 at age 65.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His mother Sarah died in 1895, after a life
of 79 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His wife Hattie died in
1915.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His brother James died in 1889,
living to only the age of 28 and having a son Arthur Sydney who died at 7
months of age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James in 1884 married
Lucy F. Harris, daughter of Thomas Harris, who has the earliest death date on a
tombstone in the city cemetery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lucy’s
father Thomas was a son of Dr. Algernon Sydney Harris of Madison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thomas died in Madison in 1869, before the
Wise family came to Madison, from wounds received at the Battle of Manassas.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZEWTSFWL2UegOR2uNjdOqqcFix2YNrb0k7gUIL8c1NPdul8N6JLhwXOFpR6MKgn26ov-jcsfD-rbxM8vrNnE9qAzsAhyHv45Jci0_x7HFfrQbd-muQLgtq5WwfEZhf5DNKkAlQO8uBkM/s1600/image004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="660" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZEWTSFWL2UegOR2uNjdOqqcFix2YNrb0k7gUIL8c1NPdul8N6JLhwXOFpR6MKgn26ov-jcsfD-rbxM8vrNnE9qAzsAhyHv45Jci0_x7HFfrQbd-muQLgtq5WwfEZhf5DNKkAlQO8uBkM/s200/image004.jpg" width="200" /></a><o:p> </o:p>Postcard photo of home of George Washington Wise, located at the southwestern corner of Garner and Martin Streets. The dwelling is long gone, but it was truly impressive for its day. George married Hattie Martin, a twin of Hassie, daughters of Madison's first merchant and lot owner, George Washington Martin and his wife Nancy Leeman, a granddaughter of the owner of Leeman's Ferry.</div>
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It is ironic that one of the most involved and prominent early citizens of Madison is buried in the city cemetery without a tombstone. There is an enclosed plot for the family of George Washington Wise, including his parents and a brother – all of whom have monuments except G. W. himself and his son of the same name. It is not known why G. W. has no headstone, but his life certainly had a strong influence on the town.</div>
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G. W. Wise and his wife Hattie had sons G. Cantor (1898) and
George Washington Wise Jr. (1904).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
also had a daughter named Sarah Betty (1901).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sarah married Robert S. Banks in 1926 and lived in Decatur before moving
to Birmingham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George Jr., a farmer,
never married and died in 1937 in Decatur at his sister’s house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is buried beside his parents in Madison’s
city cemetery, without a tombstone, just like his father.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-28165691079075552162018-10-25T16:17:00.001-07:002018-10-25T16:17:42.778-07:00106 Main Street -- Opie Balch Realty<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExj9BiN9afk1r1Gba5vTHEN2cfk0KBUptvidu89qmSG4woQG-MqHeJFs4x5sUcqF6xxXCHHYAgbOkYG1NgFGBIlZBjBO7jJun5zYnLsK4pQ6icKRucKNZJcAVrUPVFpkk0drKRmuVjpI/s1600/image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="336" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExj9BiN9afk1r1Gba5vTHEN2cfk0KBUptvidu89qmSG4woQG-MqHeJFs4x5sUcqF6xxXCHHYAgbOkYG1NgFGBIlZBjBO7jJun5zYnLsK4pQ6icKRucKNZJcAVrUPVFpkk0drKRmuVjpI/s320/image001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Elbert and Opie Balch operate a realty company in this
building now, also containing an office for their son, Matthew J. Balch,
Attorney at Law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The present building
had been constructed as a post office in 1928.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It served that function until the early 1940s when it was moved to the
Dea T. Thomas building at 206 Main Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The building at 106 Main was then sold to Robert Shelton for his
barbershop following the 1942 fire in Jim Williams' store building at 100
Main.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shelton's barbershop was operated
by his son Hoyte Shelton after Robert retired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hoyte lived at 114 Church Street and died in 1997.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>building was inherited by Teresa Reed and Pat Whitworth, his
nieces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a while the building was operated
as a florist shop, then leased to Dana Burrows for her hair and nail salon
business called Studio 106.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2012
Studio 106 moved to 16 Main, perhaps in a sense losing only the “0” from the
name.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<br />Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com106 Main St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.693159 -86.74923189999998434.693057 -86.749389399999984 34.693261 -86.749074399999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-33239556924341933252018-10-25T16:01:00.000-07:002018-10-25T16:01:54.799-07:00104 Main Street - Zion Gourmet Popcorn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmM7SafJIVf0zrejVzXHB77oqADyivnl-JNs45-lQ3tiVOa-7HxF9Z3CdZ2FfAcGxSDoPUf396pW7Gc5NJApOjEmbYnryrTkSBmk_d9qvSf1X8v__vF4gHVK9X_A_Db8Ozb6KblVHx8RQ/s1600/image002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="496" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmM7SafJIVf0zrejVzXHB77oqADyivnl-JNs45-lQ3tiVOa-7HxF9Z3CdZ2FfAcGxSDoPUf396pW7Gc5NJApOjEmbYnryrTkSBmk_d9qvSf1X8v__vF4gHVK9X_A_Db8Ozb6KblVHx8RQ/s320/image002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Now hosting Zion Gourmet Popcorn, this structure previously housed Sallie's Whistlestop Sweet Shop. The structure was previously the
office of Billy Nolan Drake, a grandson of Jim Williams. This location was also part of the site of
the Jim Williams' store that encompassed the parking lot along Wise Street as
well. The large oak trees shown in front
of the building have been removed since the older photograph was made.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1fLYmCSdEX4lSSxQ-OeiwLTPRz05dgpyYCFTOwx7TRobuqwGcnWlV5uz40L9gjlu8JkH1fK46Bx2sdc-CCIwlFqdk7t-BjKimQgK2yjg0p9IeSoYRxV-AaLHnJU521UiN_TL8ZQ1emk/s1600/image003.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="665" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1fLYmCSdEX4lSSxQ-OeiwLTPRz05dgpyYCFTOwx7TRobuqwGcnWlV5uz40L9gjlu8JkH1fK46Bx2sdc-CCIwlFqdk7t-BjKimQgK2yjg0p9IeSoYRxV-AaLHnJU521UiN_TL8ZQ1emk/s200/image003.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com104 Main St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.6931841 -86.749317731.310074600000004 -91.9128917 38.076293600000007 -81.585743700000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-38131426543950713612018-10-25T15:12:00.001-07:002020-10-26T16:24:42.979-07:00101 Main Street -- Main Street Cafe<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHgRJ6Eg9W-4mvVcAXuA-61bL_zizqEyVrCliRvWugD4Ba0Z4uL7Tz9eBtdhBRi0uhfbcq3k7UozTzT8GQbw3lEu7WQuQdCAtkV_WkwN_snzY-ZTNahMpc7-BfI4r46MSMhotIM55axc/s1600/image001.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="664" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHgRJ6Eg9W-4mvVcAXuA-61bL_zizqEyVrCliRvWugD4Ba0Z4uL7Tz9eBtdhBRi0uhfbcq3k7UozTzT8GQbw3lEu7WQuQdCAtkV_WkwN_snzY-ZTNahMpc7-BfI4r46MSMhotIM55axc/s200/image001.jpg" width="200" /></a>This structure was erected in 1954-5 as a multi-function
third City Hall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first City Hall was
the original Roundhouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second was
a two-story wooden building located at the southwestern corner of the intersection
of Garner and Martin Streets, where George Washington Wise's house had
been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The City Hall building is visible
in the upper right of the 1951 aerial photograph below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the early 1990's Madison has enjoyed a
modern fourth City Hall on Hughes Road, also depicted below in an aerial
photograph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The facility at 101 Main
Street is a restaurant, with
an outdoor pavilion and inside seating, including two of the 1950's jail cells.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZcTgHJgBjHUgZEitl6TOeJw0DWMKdYbXRSwEs1qdGZi_yZPMqXWzM9ab5jr5_Bv9fbaInU5Of_3qHd0ZFODOMjbHitImihS7e14Vdo7TUaIfYl4T1u1m4aH07Yd0Nj_0IJfqMszqqRI/s1600/image002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="334" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZcTgHJgBjHUgZEitl6TOeJw0DWMKdYbXRSwEs1qdGZi_yZPMqXWzM9ab5jr5_Bv9fbaInU5Of_3qHd0ZFODOMjbHitImihS7e14Vdo7TUaIfYl4T1u1m4aH07Yd0Nj_0IJfqMszqqRI/s320/image002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com101 Main St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.6933634 -86.74958140000001134.693159400000006 -86.749896400000011 34.6935674 -86.74926640000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-79216942484642181052018-10-25T14:47:00.001-07:002021-02-07T13:52:55.667-08:0016 Main Street -- Clay House<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLJHjc0MPRJFVTMLh2Pg8NCr5lBhG8CDEA5FvGPDcsXv9pP2hDgLb2f8tiutGPoPHqiWbC6fBu8qjQLmXTKMruFpKLN7Li4t7xknEnorbx1Bn4lty-NKzeYQrEJwpBEfBoXw76-fkjQ4/s1600/image001.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="663" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLJHjc0MPRJFVTMLh2Pg8NCr5lBhG8CDEA5FvGPDcsXv9pP2hDgLb2f8tiutGPoPHqiWbC6fBu8qjQLmXTKMruFpKLN7Li4t7xknEnorbx1Bn4lty-NKzeYQrEJwpBEfBoXw76-fkjQ4/s200/image001.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Sarah Russell Clay, Civil War widow of Andrew Clay, was the
first owner of Lot 7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, she
initially lived on the south half of Lot 7, later dwelling on Lot 9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The north “part” of Lot 7 was deeded by Sarah
to Thomas and John Hopkins, grandsons of Alabama's second governor Thomas Bibb,
acting as agents for a Protestant Episcopal Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The deed stipulated that the property was to
be used as a "Poor House" for widows and orphans of soldiers and
other destitute persons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The occupations
of subsequent owners indicate that the structure was used through the years not
only for family residences, but also probably as Madison's first hotel,
mortuary, hospital, museum of fine china, and art gallery.</div>
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Today the structure is the business location of Studio 106
and several other enterprises.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is not clear as to whether or not a Protestant Episcopal
Church was ever built on the lot after Thomas and John as trustees purchased
the north part of Lot 7 in 1874.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, it is certainly possible that the original structure at the
location did serve as a church and/or an orphanage for a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is further known that Thomas B. and James
B. Hopkins were two of the group of five or more men who in 1884 formed a
committee to incorporate a public school that had begun operations in 1883 as
the Madison Male and Female Academy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
school was located in the area along what is now the southern end of Pension
Row on the west side of Sullivan Street.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Hopkins family members associated with Lot 7 of Madison
have a rich history in the town and in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These local Hopkins men were grandsons of
Governor Thomas Bibb through his daughter and youngest child Eliza, which
probably accounts for their middle initials as “B.” for Bibb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They no doubt would have attended various
parties and social functions in Huntsville and in the nearby Limestone County
community of Belle Mina, where Governor Bibb had impressive homes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eliza married Arthur Mosely Hopkins, whose
father Arthur F. Hopkins (1794-1866) served as a chief justice of the Alabama
Supreme Court and as a U. S. Senator for the state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was also the President of the Mobile &
Ohio RailRoad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arthur Mosely Hopkins
fought for the Confederacy in battles at Selma and in Tuscaloosa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His own accounts of participation in the
conflicts can be seen in correspondence contained in the Frances Cabaniss
Roberts Collection of the Special Collections Archive of the Salmon Library at
the University of Alabama in Huntsville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Images of the correspondence may also be accessed via the Internet on
the website of the University or by selection of the Roberts Collection at <b>dkdayton.net</b>
for as long as that private server hosts the digitized data.<o:p></o:p></div>
the state.<br />
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In the 1840s there was a firm of Bibb & Hopkins
operating in Huntsville, probably involving the governor and Arthur F.
Hopkins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the 1870s and 1880s
there was the firm of “John W. Hopkins & Brother” doing business in Madison
as grocers, dry goods, and cotton buyers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a “sister” store also in Nashville, Tennessee, involving
Hopkins. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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The 1870 census shows Eliza Hopkins as 48 years old, a
widowed head of household in Madison with her son Thomas B. at age 25 living in
her house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next door was the household
of John W. Hopkins at age 29 with his wife Anne and two children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thomas and John were both listed with the
occupation as retail grocers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eliza's
occupation was given as seamstress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John
was also the administrator of the estate of prominent Madison merchant Charles
H. Rhea in the 1870s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the late 1880s
the Hopkins families sold their properties in Madison and moved away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An 1887 deed shows James B. Hopkins and his
wife Madeline selling Lots 21, 22, 24, and 25 to Isaac Hoffman, including a
notation that parts of the property had been owned by the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That church had
moved into a building shared with the local Masonic chapter under an agreement
that specified the days each organization would have use of the structure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The building was also located in the Pension
Row area.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEc7I-gYLTQary0hQf4H9-bMxmnIa9ujRKN_N8GMRQcR0CV_-_cTJ4PpmANS8UV0rp_Hg_Kt5cJa2F8_tHK_YpVByiWBWjdp3zdl4Suf3Xkn4lxSmOUKFnhjHc5wORh8CHN2JKSZ4l93k/s1600/image003.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="618" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEc7I-gYLTQary0hQf4H9-bMxmnIa9ujRKN_N8GMRQcR0CV_-_cTJ4PpmANS8UV0rp_Hg_Kt5cJa2F8_tHK_YpVByiWBWjdp3zdl4Suf3Xkn4lxSmOUKFnhjHc5wORh8CHN2JKSZ4l93k/s200/image003.jpg" width="200" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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Prior historical accounts from verbal memories and tradition
have attributed the structure now designated as the Clay House on 16 Main to be
the house of Sarah Russell Clay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, later in- depth research has proven that she never actually
occupied the north half of Lot 7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet,
she did in fact purchase the complete Lot 7, but she then soon sold the north
half of it to the Hopkins brothers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Land
deeds indicate that Sarah also owned Lots 8 and 9, residing on the southern
half of Lot 7 for a time, then living on Lot 9 at the time of her passing in
1886 when her daughter Maggy Clay Gray sold the rest of the lands that she
inherited to James Arthur Wise, brother and store partner of George Washington
Wise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com16 Main St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.6928787 -86.7500051000000134.6924707 -86.75063560000001 34.6932867 -86.74937460000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-82450737941186875772018-10-25T13:46:00.000-07:002018-10-25T13:46:15.022-07:0012 MAIN STREET, The Strong – Whitworth House<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks9wIlPYxdTGRcnhY-hx_v09rcJvbK9P88p0B_gMe8MVSOi50jrvVu3sF0VqQVO7wK3vKn7plilW9PZWiAmmxdVSE1XZFI5na3A9jcsKrurvTcyDIjhoA5-Xa0XKdfDfMk6iFsaUra5w/s1600/image003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="312" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks9wIlPYxdTGRcnhY-hx_v09rcJvbK9P88p0B_gMe8MVSOi50jrvVu3sF0VqQVO7wK3vKn7plilW9PZWiAmmxdVSE1XZFI5na3A9jcsKrurvTcyDIjhoA5-Xa0XKdfDfMk6iFsaUra5w/s200/image003.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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The house at 12 Main stands on Lot 2 of the original town
plat of James Clemens' land that became the City of Madison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lot 2 was first purchased at the October 5,
1868, Clemens estate auction by Hamilton G. Bradford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The property changed hands many times until
Seymour and Indiana Doolittle built their home here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also purchased in an 1876 auction the
adjacent Lot 1, which had been bought at the 1868 auction by John J.
“Studdivant” (<i>Sturdivant</i>) of Limestone County.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Doolittles likewise purchased Lots 3 and
4 that had initially been purchased by Theodorick S. Clay, a brother of Thomas
J. Clay and Andrew Clay, all of whom appear in the history of Madison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andrew died in the Civil War while his family
lived in Limestone County in the Shoal Ford area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Andrew's widow Sarah Russell Webb
Clay moved into Madison and ended up purchasing Lots 7, 8, 9, and 10 by
1869.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Theodorick and his wife Jane
purchased Lots 17 and 18 for their house across the tracks near Thomas J. Clay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sarah Russell had married Robertson Webb, a man 41 years her
senior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 1850 census she was 24,
and he was 65.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had several children
together in addition to being guardians of the three Clay brothers, who were
children of Robertson's sister (<i>or daughter?</i>) Nancy Webb Clay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After Robertson passed away, Sarah married
Andrew Clay, one of the matured children that she and Robertson had raised, but
who was still closer to Sarah's age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>More of Sarah's story is told in relation to the Clay House at 16 Main
Street.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Doolittles built a log house on Lot 2 and operated a
large blacksmith shop on their adjacent <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in Madison County of Alabama he
married for a second time in 1875.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
second wife was American Indiana Pocahontus Gewin, a member of the Gewin family
who lived with the Chickasaw Indians in Mississippi for a time but became a
postmaster family of long duration in Madison from 1875 to 1915.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1902 the Doolittles sold Lots 1, 2, 3, and
4 to Charles and Maggie Strong and J. A. Strong (<i>an unmarried man</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Strongs were also blacksmiths, and they
added a gasoline-powered gristmill to the blacksmith operation on the property
by 1913.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The original Doolittle log home
burned in 1905, but with help from the townspeople, a new house was constructed
on the lot within the same year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFj5Js6Lzc0aDVzzwFPCr6NTrqcNvExz9H_CJHhk5VslyYD4HDOKy9yS_3crKNwZDNNbjT56aFXZ7nPcYmIHjtqbP_9BUnsc-iJOCJtahQ6a34myT_JTbJ1i-Z4KudYYJUsOA8YqxOJs8/s1600/image002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFj5Js6Lzc0aDVzzwFPCr6NTrqcNvExz9H_CJHhk5VslyYD4HDOKy9yS_3crKNwZDNNbjT56aFXZ7nPcYmIHjtqbP_9BUnsc-iJOCJtahQ6a34myT_JTbJ1i-Z4KudYYJUsOA8YqxOJs8/s1600/image002.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Historic Bailey family cabin in <br />home of Dr. Charles Whitworth </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
properties with Seymour's brother
Jared. Seymour Doolittle was born in Connecticut, where he married for the
first time and then had children born in Michigan.<br />
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<br /></div>
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The Strong house was extensively remodeled by Thomas and
Sara Landman Whitworth, who purchased it in 1952.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both Whitworths passed away in 2008, and then
the property became owned by Lottie S. Downie but occupied by David<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ballard and Daniel Stagner, co-owners of the
Animal Trax exotic pet store beside the railroad tracks on Church Street in
Madison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, the older residents of
Madison associate the house at 12 Main with Sara Whitworth as its resident
owner of many years.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Sara Landman Whitworth was a
descendant of William Landman, who is buried on Redstone Arsenal in a family
cemetery on his land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>William was a son
of a German immigrant, and he patented 160 acres of arsenal land in 1813,
owning 240 acres by 1815.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His children
included Perlina, who married Joshua H. Beadle, a prominent Madison-area
landowner who had a store in Huntsville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another child of William was George Landman, who lived beside three
Beadle families, including Abraham Beadle and his nephew Joshua.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George had a son James Henry Landman, who
worked as a clerk for six years in the store of Joshua Beadle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James was later assistant quartermaster in
Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s command.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James became Madison County’s Tax Assessor in
1880.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By his second wife, James had at
least four sons, including Charles T. Landman, who was the father of Sara.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Thomas Jerome Whitworth was
licensed to marry Sara Landman on March 1, 1950, per Madison County Marriage
Book Volume 95, page 22.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sara Whitworth
was best known to Madison residents as the owner of Whitworth Realty, operating
out of the oldest storefront in town, at 110 Main Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As advancing years curtailed Sara’s active
business participation, her realty office became for a time an art gallery of
her son “Jerry” (Thomas Jerome, Jr.), of Paris, France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jerry himself paints, as well as collecting
art in Europe and New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another son,
Dr. Charles Darwin Whitworth, is a local veterinarian, who lives in a house on
Mill Road that incorporates and preserves the two-story log cabin of James and
Sarah Bailey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That log cabin is almost
certainly the oldest house in the Madison area, if not all of northern
Alabama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is believed to date back
before 1818, when it served as the first stagecoach stop on the route from
Huntsville to Mooresville at Bailey Springs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHTeS5NaLq0NiFejJQcnitIapyAlYQysMBCN_HC7y21nEmkFKdCEYBD6AIJzn-udjeh4SOD13KVwIwdOCKt3F7fzFCcqKd9LxR1j-iSkuDE_Jugn8473Qr3D70w0c03M-cOT1E7TKRdU/s1600/image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHTeS5NaLq0NiFejJQcnitIapyAlYQysMBCN_HC7y21nEmkFKdCEYBD6AIJzn-udjeh4SOD13KVwIwdOCKt3F7fzFCcqKd9LxR1j-iSkuDE_Jugn8473Qr3D70w0c03M-cOT1E7TKRdU/s1600/image001.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sara Whitworth in her office <br />at 110 Main Street in 2004</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: black;">The Whitworth heritage of the area
goes from Thomas Jerome to Arthur David, called “Dutch” Whitworth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dutch married Leona Alvada Sexton in 1912 and
had seven children: Brazzie (died young), Arthur David Jr. (“Shine”),
Jeffolene, John Marion (“Buck”), Kathryn, Thomas J., and Emma Jeanne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shine married Edna Doris Tuck, Jeffolene
married Stanley Vance, Buck married Willie Metta Strong, Kathryn married Jack
Lewter, and Emma Jeanne married Marshall McAfee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dutch’s father was John David Whitworth, who
married Emma Virginia Tribble in 1896 and had eleven children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emma was a daughter of Robert Donnell Tribble
and Mattie Gooch (granddaughter of Roland and sister of William Tell Gooch, who
married John David’s sister Ada).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">John David Whitworth was a son of
William Whitworth and Mildred Bowers, who were married in 1858.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mildred was a daughter of David Bowers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>William’s middle name is reported as Jason,
Jansen, and Jefferson in various records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was a son of Daniel Whitworth and Elizabeth Dedman, who were married
in 1833.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elizabeth was a daughter of
Madison County pioneer Francis Dedman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of John David Whitworth’s siblings, Mattie Susan married Madison
entrepreneur Jim Williams and lived at 19 Front Street, Laura married William
Dublin, Ada married William Tell Gooch (brother of Mattie Gooch Tribble, mother
of John David’s wife Emma), Archie married Mattie Trotman, and Charles Hatton
married Maggie Donaldson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John David’s
father William J. had siblings Samuel Thomas, James Edmund, Elizabeth, Martha
Ann (<i>married Charles Carter</i>), Powhatan, John, and Carter or Cortes (<i>also
known as Toby)</i> Whitworth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Samuel
married Ann Carter and was severely wounded at Cold Harbor during the Civil
War, while Powhatan was killed at Chickamauga.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Daniel’s father was Rowland Whitworth, earliest known of the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rowland married Martha, a daughter of Daniel
Walthall, in Virginia in 1790.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their
children besides Daniel were Jane, Thomas (<i>who married Susannah Winn</i>),
Nancy (<i>who married Walter Aday</i>), William, Sophia, Elizabeth, Edmund, and
John (<i>who married Francis Alice Watson</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>John, Edmund, Elizabeth, and Nancy are all known to have come to Madison
County, as well as Daniel Whitworth and his descendants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps no other pioneer family was so
extensively integrated by marriages into the fabric of Madison.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYgVkKSSRRemZnNSbvAgmIrDk8pliR_X24liCPcws7-TxoCtYjNR1kkk-fQzEi5JHc0WNdjM3jq1y6M2jIm7CFVTyU_Uyc9AyE-t1EA5ZwPJHh6YUGTGw7-fF0usRXO1zsDxsDa7xCUQ/s1600/image004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYgVkKSSRRemZnNSbvAgmIrDk8pliR_X24liCPcws7-TxoCtYjNR1kkk-fQzEi5JHc0WNdjM3jq1y6M2jIm7CFVTyU_Uyc9AyE-t1EA5ZwPJHh6YUGTGw7-fF0usRXO1zsDxsDa7xCUQ/s1600/image004.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Below are shown the 2012 senior Madison Belles: <br />(L-R) Ramsey Griffin, Juliana Johnson, Alecia Eidsaune, <br />and Joylyn Bukovac at 12 Main Street.</td></tr>
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<br />Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.com12 Main St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.692498 -86.7507269999999838.49108 -128.05932099999998 60.893916000000004 -45.442132999999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-37127628938759345912018-10-25T13:30:00.000-07:002018-10-25T13:30:27.789-07:00Main Street Madison<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpXxGWrAWjzvND9sXPEIxJzZos6XTP8aRTdlWjvvxgAkmBj9zCsmCI_-HdVmdVkTfOZp4fvWFk_kvoACDOjF5yFMcElvLSkjD25u7B2iDkw2MNVbgXw17pkYlrlH1fXRaVULhyDUSNUA/s1600/Image_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="431" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpXxGWrAWjzvND9sXPEIxJzZos6XTP8aRTdlWjvvxgAkmBj9zCsmCI_-HdVmdVkTfOZp4fvWFk_kvoACDOjF5yFMcElvLSkjD25u7B2iDkw2MNVbgXw17pkYlrlH1fXRaVULhyDUSNUA/s200/Image_005.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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When Madison was established in 1857 by the sale of lots in
the town planned to be called “Clemens Depot” by initial landowner James
Clemens as his namesake along the railroad, it consisted of only 55 total
lots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of these, 29 fronted to some
extent along the railroad, intended by Clemens to serve as “storefronts” and
called such by the fact that an owner would operate a store in the front of any
structure, while living with his family in the back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later, about a dozen of these 29 lots would
hold only residences, but even some of the lots not fronting along the railroad
had stores at various times in the 1800s.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBjZNSrgz9KkqpPmWJSpDgu21WfFppLH9bafO108ghmk0-WdZOBDuprgB7zjK5oCybySvbh_9f0WiAJlOqcwEtIgi6hz28BtV5lC43qCoNXTit4V-myvm0qbcGj_a6fb71A6Xj6xn5n8/s1600/Image_003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="588" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBjZNSrgz9KkqpPmWJSpDgu21WfFppLH9bafO108ghmk0-WdZOBDuprgB7zjK5oCybySvbh_9f0WiAJlOqcwEtIgi6hz28BtV5lC43qCoNXTit4V-myvm0qbcGj_a6fb71A6Xj6xn5n8/s200/Image_003.jpg" width="200" /></a>Today the old business district includes various retail and
commercial establishments along Main Street and a few more around the
intersection of Church and Front Streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, there are a couple of old homes along Main Street, one of which
has been converted entirely into business operations. The additional residences
along Church, Martin, Arnett, College, Maple, Martin, and Sullivan Streets are
also considered be in the historical district, but these locations are
typically not occupied for commercial enterprises – still with a few exceptions
for businesses.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Main Street itself was not given a name in the plat by James
Clemens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is known that on the 1890
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clemens' plat showed Lots 1 – 13
from west to east along the south side of today's Main Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also included Lots 46 – 48 on the eastern
end of the street, where it connects with the southern end of Church Street
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Church Street was initially
called the Huntsville – Triana Pike after it got any name at all as part of a
county road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today's Garner and Wise
Streets were not shown on the original plat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They were later created from alleys taken from the bounds of various
lots along their routes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Martin Street
was shown on the original plat, but it had no name initially.<o:p></o:p></div>
Hartford Insurance Company map of Madison, this street was titled as “Broadway”
and what is today's Front Street north of the railroad was titled as Railway
Street.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8M8Psm4hNRA-YHxmnWu07uSAi0hj2DzwFB5ZFHGv_oP4U-FaR3BF5TURsTYLU5fnTOSc7jnbjHZMElS8lrd24zQFPFShydPqB8h8HiGL7sHpijuf7VM8KnguD_s9DB02e4lW7zK69L2g/s1600/Image_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="442" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8M8Psm4hNRA-YHxmnWu07uSAi0hj2DzwFB5ZFHGv_oP4U-FaR3BF5TURsTYLU5fnTOSc7jnbjHZMElS8lrd24zQFPFShydPqB8h8HiGL7sHpijuf7VM8KnguD_s9DB02e4lW7zK69L2g/s200/Image_002.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Lots 1 – 13 along Main Street were typical of Clemens' plan
for storefronts facing the railroad, as were Lots 14 -23 along today's Front
Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That plan laid out lots that
were 66 feet wide and 198 feet deep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was based upon the 66-foot length of the standard surveryor's chain
for measurements – one chain wide, three chains deep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This choice of lot dimensions allowed for a
dwelling structure to be constructed for merchants that would measure basically
up to 66 feet wide and 66 feet deep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
front of such a structure would be used for merchandising, facing the street
and the railroad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next 66 feet of
depth in the lot would nornally be used for such things as a cistern, possibly
a chicken yard or coop, and perhaps a small vegetable garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The back 66 feet of a lot would be used for
pasture for a milk cow or a horse, plus the location of an “outhouse” (outdoor
toilet) as far from the living quarters as possible in the lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, James Clemens envisioned a town
populated by merchants in the most favorable locations for such
livelihoods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other lots were mostly of
varying dimensions, as can be seen in the plat.</div>
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<br />Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.comMain St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.693297 -86.74950000000001234.691665 -86.752021500000012 34.694929 -86.746978500000012tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725774301479071389.post-52003750581364223142018-10-23T13:54:00.000-07:002018-10-23T13:55:18.710-07:002018 Madison Tour Of Homes<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The first official event of Madison's 2019 Sesquicentennial is the December 1st, 2018 Tour of Historic Madison Homes. The tour, sponsored by the Madison Station Historical Preservation Society will kick off the holiday season in beautiful Madison, AL! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">From 11:00 - 3:00 the first Saturday in December downtown Madison will be the place to be with five outstanding historic homes beautifully decorated for the holidays, carolers in period costumes performing throughout the tour at the Gazebo and downtown businesses welcoming shoppers and visitors! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Ticket information coming Soon -- Tickets should be on sale in early November!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">For more information visit: </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.Madisonal.gov/Madison150&source=gmail&ust=1540414226710000&usg=AFQjCNESpIoJA-dzRtTIR1a19nUZsNBkeg" href="http://www.madisonal.gov/Madison150" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">www.Madisonal.gov/Madison150</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">or Madison150@Madisonal.gov</span></div>
Madison Station Historical Preservation Societyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939921152693049413noreply@blogger.comMain St, Madison, AL 35758, USA34.693297 -86.74950000000001234.691665 -86.752021500000012 34.694929 -86.746978500000012