Lauderdale County, Alabama
Miscellaneous Newspaper Articles
The newspaper articles listed here will relate to people, places, events and things in Lauderdale County, Alabama that are too small to have a page of their own or that cannot be easily put in any category or section already on this site. If you have an article that you would like to share, please email lauderdalealgenweb@gmail.com.
From The Florence Times, 3 Sept 1892, Page 3:
Resigned
Alderman W. Whitlock, of the first ward, has sent in his resignation as a member of the city council. Mr. Whitlock has moved with his family to the upper (or Elk river) division of the Muscle Shoals Canal to take a responsible position in the government work there – hence his resignation.
New Photographer
Mr. T.T. Echard of Columbus, Mississippi has rented from Mr. Will Reeder the splendid photograph gallery in the third story of the Reeder building on Tennessee street, and will occupy his new quarters about the 15th of the month.
Messrs. J.W. Bradley and Z.J.H. Liles of Green Hill, were in the city Thursday and paid THE TIMES an agreeable visit. They say Green Hill will be out in big force at Mars hill tomorrow.
Last week Sheriff Wood carried sixteen Talladega convicts to the coal mines.
Mr. And Mrs. J.W. Brooks of Centre Star, paid a visit of several days to Russellville this week and were the guests of Mrs. Josephus Douglas.
Judge Joseph O’Neal and daughter, Miss Stella, of Ohio, returned to Florence Wednesday and are stopping at the Silver Moon.
Mr. Goodwin H. Williams has severed his connection with the Florence Herald and Mr. T.R. Gordon again becomes the city editor of that paper.
Mr. C.A. Turrell and Mr. Ed Norvel left this week for Milton’s Bluff to assist in surveys on government work.
Mr. Oscar Price, head bookkeeper of the So. B and L. Association of Huntsville, was among his old friends here several days this week.
Mr. Adolph Spielberger, of the Boston Store, left this week for Louisville, Cincinnati and Chicago to buy a full stock of fall and winter goods.
Miss Lula Wade, one of our most deservedly popular young ladies, is visiting friends in Athens, Limestone county and will be absent several weeks.
Prof T.B. Price and family left this week for Day’s Gap, where he will have charge of the night school the coming season.
Prof. W.E. Powers left the early part of the week for the field of his labor, Russellville, where he goes to teach in the high school.
Misses Louise Leftwich and Daisy Hargrove, who have been spending several months at Iuka Springs, returned home Wednesday.
Mr. Roland McFarland will leave Monday for Lebanon, Tenn., to take law at the Cumberland University. THE TIMES’ best wishes go with Roland.
Mr. J.C. Little has resigned his position as express baggage agent between Florence and Tuscumbia and expects to go into business here.
Mr. John Reston, representing a large commercial establishment of New York, was in the city several days the past week and paid us a very pleasant call.
Mr. B.P. Joiner and wife left Tuesday for Sulphur Springs, Texas where they will probably remain until January. Mr. Joiner has a large contract for paving in Texas.
Miss Annie Patterson, of Memphis, spent several days in the city last week with her aunt, Mrs. J.B. Weakley, Sr., en route to her home after a month’s sojourn at Bailey Springs.
Miss Mary Porter Weakley, of Nashville, Tenn., who has been visiting her sister, Mrs. J.V. Allen, at Sheffield, spent several days in the city this week, enroute to her home in the “Rock City.”
Miss Minnie Louise Myers, of Dallas, Texas, who spent several months here last winter, will be married next Wednesday to Mr. Edgar Herbert Loyd, a prominent young lawyer of Charleston, W.Va.
Miss Mary McDonald of Bell Mina, arrived in the city last week to attend the Normal Institute and enter the Normal College for the ensuing year. She stopped with Mr. Simpson’s family on Poplar Street.
Our friend Mr. J. J. May, of Cloverdale, passed through the city Tuesday, on his way to Texas, where he goes prospecting. Mr. May is one of our best young citizens and we hope he may determine not to leave Lauderdale permanently.
Mrs. Mary McMurtrey, wife of Mr. C. G. McMurtrey, formerly of this county, died at Knoxville, Arkansas on the 17th instant. They had many acquaintances here who will be pained to hear of her death.
Weather Report.
Florence, Ala., Sept. 2, 1892
The maximum temperature for the month of August was on the 7th, 91 degrees.
The minimum was on the 14th, 61 degrees.
The amount of rainfall was 3.92 inches.
The maximum temperature for the week ending September 2nd was on Monday, the 29th, 90 degrees. The minimum was on September 1st, 52 degrees. No rainfall.
A New Teacher
Miss Esther R. Beale, of Aberdeen, N.C., will succeed Miss Mary Jones in the faculty of the Normal College. Miss Beale has been teaching in the city schools of Norfolk, Va., and comes to the State Normal with the highest recommendations. She is a very accomplished lady and will be quite an acquisition not only to the college, but to the society of our city.
A large party of ladies and gentlemen, mostly from Florence, numbering between 30 and 40, attended a pleasant party at Mr. Whitworth’s, a short distance north of Florence, last Wednesday night. Music by Heupel’s excellent band was interesting teature of the occasion.
Mrs. R.O. Pickett has lately been the recipient from a friend in Texas of a full-blooded greyhound, not fully grown, which is a very fine animal. [Contributed 15 Jun 2004, by Judith M Miller ]
From the Florence Herald, Thursday, January 3, 1895, p. 1:
EVENTS OF A YEAR.
Notable Happenings in Lauderdale in 1894.
THE YEAR IN TOWN AND COUNTY.
A Summary of the Year's Events Compiled for Herald Readers.
The HERALD has compiled a complete summary of the notable happenings of the past year in Florence and Lauderdale County[.] It makes interesting reading and is well worth preserving for future reference.
January 1.---Residence of Frank Blake, col., on Tuscaloosa street, burned.
Jan. 2.---Grigsby Bro's. grocery store entered by burglars.
Jan. 5.---Steamer William McKinley sold at Florence landing
----R. H. Walker, merchant at Reserve, assigned.
Jan. 6.---Embrey, Son & Young's Cotton Mill burned. Loss $25,000.
Jan. ---Employee's Improvement Association of Florence Wagon Works Organized
---Florence Pump & Lumber Co., commenced operations.
Jan. 28.---Mr. Joseph Milner died.
Jan. 30.---T. M. Scott, merchant at Center Star, assigned.
Feb. 4.---Post office and Cigar stand at Bailey Springs robbed
---J. W. Jordon's [sic?] store entered by burglars.
Feb. 6.---Wade's grocery store entered by burglars---Burglars attempted to
enter Kashmiere [sic] & Locker's [sic] saloon.
Feb. 21.---Florence Land, Mining and Manufacturing Company made an assignment.
Feb. 26.---Six inches of snow fell in Florence.
March 13.---Miss Webster, an actress of the "Breezy Times" company,
shot at the M. & C. depot.
March 21.---Charlie Whitlow, col. drowned in the river near the Wagon Works.
Mar. 22.---Big sale of 100,000 warps made by Cherry Cotton Mills to the
Knoxville Woolen Mills.
April 3.---Natural gas found on Keithly creek, this county.
April. ---S. D. Rice appointed postmaster of Florence.
April 11.---Officers of the Lauderdale County Fair Association elected.
April 16.---Residence of Mrs. Whitten, on Military Avenue, burglarized and
set on fire by three negroes.
April 26.---During this week there were five fires in Florence. The most serious
being the burning of Kreisman's store, in East Florence and the
residence of John W. Gray, on Hawthorn Heights.
April 29.---Officer Howell shot at three times by burglars in the Reeder building.
May 3.---Corner stone of Trinity church laid with imposing ceremonies.
May 23.---H. C. Harvey, a well known merchant, arrested for attempted arson.
May 24.---Dave Mills, charged with burning a church, captured by
Deputy sheriff Pomeroy.
June 3.---Gilmore Kennedy, col., killed by Collins Hogan, col., at a picnic near town.
June 11.---Mr. Ben B. Jones and Miss Julia Douglas married at Center Star.
July 16.---Miss Minnie Jones died.
July 17.---Rev. W. R. Smith and Miss Cora Lee McCluskey married.
July 18.---Mrs. John Sanderson drowned near Florence by a cloud burst.
July 27.---H. C. Harvey sent to the mines for attempted arson.
July 29.---Alligator caught in the river near Florence.
Aug. ---Harry Nelson died.
Sept. 13.---Masonic District Convention met in Florence.
Sept. 17.---J. W. Morgan, Jr. died.
Sept. 25.---J. A. Lents, a clerk, shot by burglars at Oliver.
Sept. 30.---Luke Lavender, aged 79 years, committed suicide at South Florence.
Oct. 1.---Florence Northern Railroad sold to Neely, Smith & Co., for $25,000.
Oct. 6.---Capt. Geo. W. Goethals transferred to Washington
---Residence of G. L. McCorkle, near Cloverdale, burned.
Oct. 7.---Annual Baptist reunion held
---Reorganization of the Lauderdale Bible Society perfected.
Oct. 9.---North Alabama Presbytery met in Florence
---R. E. L. Dinwiddie elected professor of English and Latin at the
Normal College.
Oct. 15.---Lieut. McIndoe arrived to take charge of the Government office.
Oct. 19.---William Smith burned to death at Threet, Ala.
Oct. 21.---Annual meeting of the Florence Benevolent Association and election of
officers.
---Drouth broken by good rains.
Oct. 24.---Miss Brownie Robisson ? died.---Forest fires did much damage in the
county.
---Julius Winenwetscher [sic?] held up and robbed of $240.00 on Court
Street by unknown men.
Nov. 4- 5.---Mrs. F. G. Robinson, mother of Mrs. A. E. Walker, died
---Mrs. S. S. Babcock died.
Nov. 8.---Flower show opened---R G Banks appointed recording secretary to
Governor Oates.
Nov. 12.---W. L. Douglas' gin and mill and seventy-five bales of cotton burned at
Center Star---Forest fires destroyed fences in the county.
Nov. 13.---Turner Rice elected chief of the fire department---H. P. Davis appointed
Justice of the Peace for the Third District.
Nov. ---Bennie Bucket Factory sold to J. H. and R. A. Dempster.
Nov. 17---Preliminary survey of the river begun.---Doll Price, a former Florentine, shot
his wife in Texas---Miss Lulu Jones elected a teacher in the public schools.
Nov. 18---House at Covington owned by N. F. Coffee burned.
Nov. 20---Gen. W. W. Allen died in Sheffield, was buried at Florence.
Nov. 21---First day of the Lauderdale County Fair.
Dec. 10.---J. Overton Ewin appointed receiver of the Spathite Iron. Co.---Officers of
street repair and night policeman abolished by the city council.
Dec. 12.--- Henry C. Sherrod champion Autoharpist of the world, played in Florence.
Dec. 14.---First number of the "Florence District Methodist" issued.
Dec. 18 ---Navigation resumed on the upper Tennessee after four months of low water.
Dec. 21.---The Lauderdale Hotel burned. Loss $8,000.
Dec. 22.---Survey of the river discontinued on account of high water---Hon. T. R.
Roulhac appointed judge of the Eleventh Judicial circuit---Mrs. Louisa J.
Hodges died.
Dec. 23.---Mr. John Mc. C. Hooks died---Alliance Bagging Factory leased to
Whitehouse & Dyer for a barrel hoop works.
Dec. 25---Zeb B. Graves, a lecturer, struck Florence and caused trouble by getting on
a big Christmas drunk.
Dec. 27.---Knights of Pythias elected officers.
[Submitted 20 Jul 2004, by Lee Freeman]
From the Florence Herald, Thursday, March 14, 1895, p. 1.
ONE GEORGE-THREE JOHNS.
A Wildly Exciting Episode in a Florence Chinese Laundry.
There was war in Chinatown Sunday night and as usual the Celestials were imposed upon.
In the gable end of the Chinese laundry on Tennessee street, conducted by an almond-eyed Celestial named Charlie George, there is a large hole where some of the weatherboarding has been knocked off.
Sunday night several negro boys amused themselves by throwing rocks through the hole. The noise of the rocks falling upon the ceiling of his room, aroused the laundryman from his dream of peace. He went out to remonstrate with the negroes but they commenced throwing at the celestial.
The Chinaman retaliated by firing his pistol in the air, but not until the window had been broken by the negroes.
The negroes skipped out and were last heard from in Sheffield. There were three of them and it is said that two of them went by the name of John-Blue John and Yellow John and one unknown. They are all candidates for the donjon.
2 Note: Charlie George’s Chinese name was Chang Fou.
[ Contributed 8 Aug 2004 by Lee Freeman ]
From the Florence Times, 25 Sept 1908, page 7:
Baby Adopted
The Memphis Commerical-Appeal of Saturday says: "R.P. Pounders and wife Lizzie Pounds, giving their home as Flornece, Ala., legally adopted a three-weeks-old boy through the probate court yesterday. The child has been known at the Memphis Foundling Home as Robert, and the decree of adoption simply adds Pounders to this."
[Contributed 10 Jul 2003, by Judith M Miller NOTE: She is not connected to this family.]