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The first white person who claimed the
territory including Madison County by
purchase were the members of the
Tennessee Land Company desiring their claim
from a cession of the Georgia Legislature of
1795-6 General Oglethorpee charter from the
British Government included all Mississippi
and Alabama except portions south of the
31st. Parallel of latitude which was
claimed by apain.? The United States
based its claim to this Territory on the
following grounds, 1st. that when Georgia
___ rendered all right to jurisdiction of
the Territory beyond th elimit of Georgia
Colony property being the present state of
Georgia and the Territory of Ala. and Mississippi reverted to the
crown and was ceded to the United States in
the treaty of 1783, but Georgia claims that
the war left the States separate and revered
__ and an the result of the war Georgia was
left in possession of the Territory. To the
Mississippi river as Virginia retained title
in the great northwestern Territory.
These question involved rights of the States
and the extent of stats f__ ver___ ___ but
wars amicably settled by Legislation and
compromise. The United States while
claiming jurisdiction and control of the
Indian Territory in the limits of the treaty
of 1783 yet acknowledged the right of the
Indians as origin__ occup__te of their
territory and this title the Government
extinguished by purchase and conquest.
But before the Indians titles were
extinguished and while Georgia claimed this
territory certain corporations were formed
in the state of Georgia that induced the Co__
Legislatore to sell them the Territory
including nearly all of the States of Ala.
and 1st rosting one showing as it does that
such enterprises and the ___ of
accomplishment has not been completed to the
present era of _____________
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fraud and corruption I propose to give a
brief outline of these, transactions known
in the day as the Yazoo Land Frauds which
caused grant excitment and indignation among
the people of Georgia. There were
three of these companion known as the
Georgia, the Tennessee, and the Yazoo or
Lower Mississippi land companies but as
several of the parties belonged to all three
of the companies and the methods adopted
identical, I shall confine myself to the
action of the Tennessee land Co. that
purchased North 1 stating however, that the
cession to the three companion embraced
nearly all of the present states of Alabama
and Mississippi. On the beginning of
the year 1796 Zachoria Lease, Michael
Maker and others formed the Tenn. Land
Co. and proposed to purchase from the State
of Georgia the lands from the Tennessee line
South to 34010 N latitude and running from
the head waters of Bear Creek and hundred
and twenty miles embracing the greater
portion of present _ Ala. on the day of
January 1796. The bill making the
cession passed the lower branch of the day
of January 1796. The bill making the
cession passed the lower branch of the
Georgia Legislature by a vote 19 to 9 and
next day passed the Senate by a vote of ten
to eight received their signature of Gov.
Matthews and became a law. The act
of the Legislature making this cession set
for the right of the state to this domain
and declared the purpose of this sale
to be the payment of the late State Troops
and for other purposes and for the better
protecton of the frontier and for other
purposes. The passage of this bill
created great indignation throughout the
State and it was openly charged that its
passage was effected by bribery and
corruption and when the Legislature of
1796-7 convened a committee was appointed to
investing to this matter. The
committee of which James Jackson was
chairman after taking evidence in the case
made the following report.
"Resolved, that all such proofs relating to the Fraude
and corruption practiced to obtain the act
for "The disposal of the western Territory
of this state be entered by the clerk on the
journals of teh house in order that the
testify ___ taken may be
perpetuated as well for the satisfaction of
the Legislature __d to show
------------------------
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grounds on which they proceeded as to hand
down to future Legislatures the ___ ____ by
which the rights of the people were
attempted to be b_stored away and this
report was adopted by the Legislature.
Although the preceeding Legislature was so
severly rebuked and this whole transaction
repudiated as a fraud of the Legislature of
'97, yet these land companies holding a deed
under the seal and signature of Gov.
Matthews did not relinquish their claim
but bought, sold and conveyed these lands
until the year 1810. When Georgia
ceded these lands to the general government
in 1802 and the United states began to
exercise ownership over them those companies
menalyed Congress for relief, Georgia
seat upon the papers of the committee which
show conclusively the fraud and corruption
practiced and in March 1803 the Secretary of
State, Secretary of treasurer, and Attorney
General were appointed a committee to adjust
these claims. After the repudiation of
this sale by the State of Georgia many of
the parties released their claims on the
lands and whatever money had been paid by
them to the State of Georgia was refunded by
the act of 1803 proof of purchase was
required to be plied in the land offices
except to parties claiming in lands
belonging to the Indians whose title had not
been extinguished but by legislature at
different periods the tribe of filing claim
was extended as late as January 1815 while
these land companies did not realize their
magnificent scheme for riches and power, yet
they probably made a great deal of money by
their enterprise. On March 31st, 1814
Congress appropinated the sum of six
hundred thousand dollars to identify the
purchases from the Tennessee Land Company
which was distributed prorata among the
claimants. Each claiment received a
certificate of Mississippi stock to be raid
out of the proceeds of the _les of land in
Mississippi Territory which certificates
were receivable for public lands in
proportion of ninety five dollars stock and
five dollars cash on the hundred dollars.
All claims under these land companies filed
to January 1815 where the purchases money
had not been refunded by the State of
Georgia more so adjusted and all claims of
like character not filed at the time were
made void and ---------------------------
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___ ts. ejected in some instances by the
Military and in the year 1815 the United
States had perfected their title to all
these lands.
Indian Cessions in Madison
County ---
When
Georgia ceded Mississippi Territory to the
United States in 1803 Madison County was the
property of the Cherokees and Chickasaws.
This boundry between these tribes was by
consent of these tribes established and
surveyed about the year MORE TO
COME
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Settlements
East of Flint River.
This
includes from Hickory Flat to Maysville.
Elijah Franklin entered the Petty
place on the state line on the Limestone
road, James Walker, Rubin __do and
J___ Wood settled around Plovna Post
Office on Winchester road and Samuel
_avis and John Weaver and J.
Milem about the Bostic place on
same road. Garland Miller, Wm.
Steadman and Labon Rice located
the lands west of main street in New Market,
and George Smith the land east of the
same in sec. 33 Charles Robertson
made an entry at the old McCrary Young
place further down the Deposit road.
Stephen Kennemer entered the Ceron
place, James Hamilton who carried out a
company in 1812 lived at the John Bigsby
place, John Peters at the George
Anderson plance and William
Derrick owned the old Beasley place
and the west part is now M___ville.
Geo. Taylor lived near the Bridge over
Flint River on Bellefonte Road and
Charles McCarthey had a house
near where Brownsboro depot now stands.
John Sprowl at the Ben Lawler
place
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[MAP of
CHICKASAW BOUNDARY]
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on Deposit road, Ebenezer Byram and
John Derrick owned the land from the
cross roads in Maysville south of the
Belleforte road. John Derrick
to Flin Jordon line and E. Bryam
beyond and including Dr. Jordans
residence. Levi and Samuel Byram
entered the Allen Stephen homestead
which was the end of the settlements in this
direction. These localities are of
settlements in the county in 1809. The
diagram on opposite page gives the location
of the settlement in the year 1809.
There were of course many settlers who did
not buy lands until later but the
settlements were located as I have given
them on the opposite page. The war of
1812 checked for awhile the tide of
emigration as Tecumsey visited the
southern tribes and endeavored to rouse them
against the whites. His eloquence does
not seem to have had much effect on our
nearist neighbors, the Chickasaws and
Cherokees. They had come in contact
with the white man often enough to become
satisfied and in Jacksons war 1812-13
many of them joined his forces as scouts.
But many who had intended emigration, and
purchased lands here did not bring
their families here until after the war and
1812 was virtually ended by the
extermination of the old Creek tribe.
On proclamation of peace in 1815 the tide of
emigration set in a new and was
greater than ever. An inspection of
the diagram will convince any one acquainted
with the topography of the county through
these old fellows know how to select good
land but they could not buy it all and by
the year 1816 most of the land of the first
quality in the old county was taken up.
Suppose four thousand settlers to have been
on the lands shown to be settled in 1809 and
then emagine ten thousand more to
have come here and occupied the land by 1816
and we can form an idea what a vast
difference it would make. The result
was that except the lands taken up by the
barrens, mountains and rivers it would make
the diagram nearly solid red and indicate
nearly the same lands entered in old Madison
as the maps now indicate. But in 1818
the rich lands in this part of the county
were surveyed and placed in the market and
land went up to an even more higher price.
Some of it being bidden at as high as one
hundred dollars per acre. The diagram
on the next page will show how rapidly these
lands were taken up after which I will give
the names of purchases that came in after
1809. This diagram shows the lands
taken up in the
[ Map
Madison County in 1809]
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now district up to January 1st, 1820 about a
year and a half after they were put upon the
market. There was about 70,000 acres
in this new survey added to Madison County
or about 110 square miles and it is by far
the most valuable body of land in the county
from the diagram about 40,000 acres _as take
to 1830 and many of the original
purchases who paid over enormus prices had
to obtain relief by act of congress when
cancelled the original sales and purchases
by loosing the money first paid, obtained it
by paying an additional preemption rate of
the dollars per acre. We find many now
names among the settlers some of whom came
here at an early day but had made no entries
until this time. Others came later had
made money and now invested in these lands.
Among the settlers whose reputations as men
of prominence and who were not here in 1809
are William Patton and James
Manning, old merchants of Huntsville.
Elisha Humbolt from whom we
have Humbolt Mountain near Madison.
Reuben Crutcher and William
Crutcher Baptist Ministers well and
favorably known in their time.
James Galbraith, Henry Moore, E. Massey,
Nathaniel Norwood, robt. Payne, The Wards,
Joel W. Jones, Samuel Matthews, R. Coach, T.
Solomon Mosely, Thomas and William
Brandon, E. H. Boardman, Eldred Rawlilns,
John Withers and Clement Comer Clay
and Gros_ Schruggs all names familiar
to our people and many of whom are credited
to something mor_ than a mere mention in
these pages. We also find the well
known names of William West, Wiley
Pride, Charles Betts and M_mes
Clemens, Michael Farley, Steth Spragins, E.
H. Boardman, John Cartwright, R. ___kley,
James Collier, Richard Jumer, John C. Ayres,
John W. Looney, William Weeden, Abram
Bradfor_, Charles Word, Arthur Jones, Harris
Toney, William I. Adair, John Lindsey,
Joshua and Ed. Dillard many of whom
bought large plantations in this section and
will receive farther notice hereafter, the
most part of the lands in this district not
bid off at the land sales in 1818 were
donated to Alabama by the General Government
for improvement of Tennessee river and were
nearly all bought by holders under sale of
1818. About the year 31-2 there is
very little vacant land in this
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part of the county and as it was bought by
slave holders and generally in large tracts
it became the home of large numbers of
slaves those descendants still prodominate
in the proportion of about four to one and
they contribute a large amount of the cotton
crop of the county as from their training it
is a favorite crop with them. At the
land sales in 1818 tracts of eighty acres
were the minimum quanity sold in each tract.
The lands in T. 3 R. 2 W and the west part
of T 4, R 3, W 2, about three miles south
and two east were pat of the Barrons, though
timbered and better land than the (Northern
Barrens) and is very healthy and well
watered. There is probably no
healthier little town in the south than
Madison that is situated on the southern
edge of this region. The southern part
of this survey for seven or eight miles from
the river is cut by sloughs made by Indian
Creek and Millbrook as they approach the
river and backwater from the Tennessee often
co___ the lowlands but while this makes
malaria prevalent in come localities yet
them, are many delightful and salutrious ol
dcounty seats on the ridges and then ___ by
a large white population the town of Trianna
was considered a very healthy pl___.
New Madison -----
Prior to 1817 New Madison was part of
the Cherokees Nation in which year Andrew
Jackson made the treaty with them that
completed the cession of their territory
north of the Tennessee to the United States.
From various cause the survey of this part
of the county was commenced in 1819 and
continued with long intermissions until the
beginning of 1830. The year 1830 was a
memorable year in Alabama and Mississippi as
in the year occurred the event known to the
old citizens as the year of the great land
sales and to day it is an era from which
many of our old citizens recken the date of
events happening a few years before or a few
years after that date it being the year from
which many of the old landholders date their
settlement of their present homes, New
Madison differed then and still differs in
many respects from west or old Madison.
While old Madison offered great facilities
for opening large farms, New Madison
made up primarily of long valleys between
mountains in the midst of which valleys run
large clear creeks or rivers was favorable
for settlements
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all farmers and most of the settlers in
that region b___ with small tracts of 80 or
160 acres. Though many of them from
small beginnings worked their way to
prosperity yet but few accumulated large
property and this part of the county has
always been essentially white mans country.
Though over fifty years have passed yet a
large part of the lands in that section are
yet in the hands of the original purchasers
or their descendants. The
emigration to the new lands was great for
many years and it is still largely
increasing its population. It offered
many advantages to the class of settlers
whose means were sufficient to purchase a
home and also of the class that never have a
home of their own. The land was good,
timber and water in great abumdance and the
climate mild and healthy. This induced
large emigration not only from Tenn. and Ga.
but also from the older part of the
county which furnished many of its best and
most influential citizens. There were
but little distinction between the richer
and poorer as general social equality
prevailed and a man was estiamated by his
___ and not accident of birth or wordly
advantages. The man who worked hard
made money while as __ worked but little
managed to live comfortably.
Consequently in five of six years this
county was comparitively thickly settled by
a moral contented and prosp___ community.
In the year 1819 it was made part of
Jackson County. In 1821 it was made
part of Decatur County but when Jackson
county was organized in 1810 Flint River was
made the county line from the intersection
of the Cherokee line with the river to its
mouth, in the year 1823-4 Decatur county was
abolished and Madison county extended
eastward to its present limits. Thus
it happened that some of our citizens were
born in the Cherokee nation, lived in
Jackson and Decatur Counties and died in
Madison without ever changing their place of
abode. This country being separated
from the county city __ the __ onto _n_
mountain ridge with Flint River to cross was
for many yars cut off to some extent from
the old county and were a people different
in character and habits and manners and
customs from the people of west Madison.
The speculat___ __nia that characterized the
land sales in 1818 did not prevail in 1830
and the ____ds were __tered at from $1.25 to
2.50 per acre and in small tracts to actual
settlers. The south __at part of New
Madison is compared of that part of the
tract known as The twelve mile sq. that is
_. of Paint Rock River was reserved in the
treaty of 1817 by the Cherokees for
educational purposes, the lands in which are
still held at $1.25 per acre and is not
subject to home entry but all the tillable
__ in this district have long since been
taken up at government rates
[Map of
New Madison and old Madison]
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leaving he mountains and swamps that have no
value ex__ the timer on th__ is still the
property of the Cherokees. The timber
was once valuable but has been depredat__
___ until it is now of but little value.
The accompanying map shows the topography
___ __ Madison. It is very irregular
in outline. Decatur County embraces
the ___ south of the __otted line on South
Boundary of section row of Townships this
County extended
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attention, took care of the colored children
with her own ___ was able to half do out
door work getting one days service in the
___ for ___ and doing the ironing herself.
Her life was one of the arduous toil but two
___ of that day were patient healthy
economical and industrious wives and did
their whole duty in providing for their
husbands.
-------- Huntsville
--------
I
now propose to the take up the settlement of
the different towns in the County bginning
with the City of Huntsville. The land
on which Huntsville stands is in sections 35
and 36. As the ___ ___xed to the
article will show this land except the North
West quarter of Section 36 entered by
John Br__ was intered by Leroy?
___ in August 18__, The Tennessee Land
Company in 1810? deeded one thousand acres
with the Spring near the center to one
Martin __ty it being one of the first
deeds on the County records and I suppose
his claim was settled under the act of
Congressadjudinng the claims of parties
deriving their titles from the "YazooCompany".
We find the said deed specifies that this
tract was to include The Big Spring.
While explorers had come down the Tennessee
and the crossing at Deposit and Ditles
Landing were known to the Whites in the
year 180) Yet the Great Tennessee Bend was a
term excognita to them, up to 1804
few Indian traders had passports from Indian
Chiefs through the Creek Nation and Cherokee
Country. And some of these men had
prroblbly been at the big Spring.
It was a well known paint to the Indians who
told ___terful stories of the great creek
gushing f__ the Limestone cliffs and John
Hunt came here for the express purpose
of finding this spring and locating near it.
The line between the Chicks ___ and
Cherokees was rather an indefinate one until
established by United States a___rer under
the supervision of Commissioners
representing the United States and the
Indian tribes. This locality being
r))) as c___ property by the Indians & few
white settlers without lot or hindrances
from either tribe ___ly equitted? here and
by the year 1807 when the concession was ___
by the Indians several families ___ located
around the ____
HUNTSVILLE as laid out in
1810.
Map
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among whom was Stephen Neal the first
sheriff and Joseph _cklon who were
sons-in-law and the Morgans who were
also related to John Hunt. It
is important that the citizens of the town
have not been able to retain the identity of
Hunts first cabin, we only know that
it was built on a bluff near the spring some
maintaining that it was on the hill near the
old "okay school house and others that it
was on the bluff somewhere about Bank Row
which last supposition in improbable from
the locality of that point when in a state
of nature. Pioneers in building on
localities like this never selected a point
where they would have to go two or three
hundred years around a bluff to reach the
water but usually built nearer the level of
the spring. And along Henry Street
seems to be the most likely places for
settlement. By the year 18__ a
settlement of several hundred was located in
reach of the big spring, running back to
Ppoes Ridge and down the Whitesburgh Pike to
the Township line. There were no
building on west in now the public_ square
which was a rough rocky knowl sloping on
every side and with a large pond from the
Powers corner towards the jail. After
the County was organized in 1809, and act of
the territorial legislature dated Dec. 23rd.
1809 appointed Wm. Dickson, Edward
Ward, Alex Gilbreath, Louis Winston, and
Peter Perkins commissioners to select
a suitable site for the County seat of
Madison and were authorized to purchase not
less than thirrrry acres of ground and law
it off in half acre lots from which were to
be reserved three acres for public
buildings. The remainder of these lots
were to be sold on twelve months credit and
the proceeds when collected were to be
applied to erecting public buildings.
Loroy Pope had already purchased
these lands from the general Gov. and it
appears that he laid off the town as shown
in the plat of ___ some time in the year
1810. The plan of the town is given on
the opposite page. It contained
seventy two lots exclusive of the public
square, the whole town containing an area of
about sixty acres. Pope sold the south
half to the commissioners the line running
directly through the Court house to Bank Row
from which was excepted Lots No. 71 and 72,
_7 and )), but it appears that he donated
the other half of the squre and the jail lot
as there is no record of the __d to them..
In deeding this land Pope stiuplated htat
convenient ways should be kept open and to
the spring and no one allowed to damage it
by obstructing its waters.
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HAZEL
GREEN
The map of old Madison shows that in
1809 there was a considerable body of land
taken up on the Meridian line between Briar
Fork and Barron Fork and here on both sides
of the road in sec. 19 and 24 a town
with several stores two hotels and several
groceries was started soon after the land
sales in 1809 at an early day the Winchester
and Athena Road was opened which was a main
highway of Travelers going from Tenn.
westward and down the Meridian Pike come the
wagons to and from from Huntsville to
Nashville and back. And as the greater
part of the merchandise brought to
Huntsville came that route it soon became a
lively flourishing place. Charles
Cabiness, William Estil Talioferro,
Dr. Davis, Samuel Allen, Richard Cottsel
and many others who were men of culture and
wealth settled in the beautiful an fertile
region in and around Hazel Green.
Mr. McGehee bult a mill two miles north
on Fowlers creek. Hazel Green became a
well known resting place for travelers and
when incorporated in 1821 it had
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__ thres or four hundred people in its
corporate limits. The corporation
extended from the south bound and of the
sections named near where Robert Irwin
then had a store and run north, half a
mile and two hundred (1/2 mile) yards east
and west on each side of the road. For
a period of nearly thirty years Hazel Green
was a considerable town, but the splendid
lands in its neighborhood became the
property of capitalitts who gradually
crowded out the white population and brought
negroes instead. These large property
holders were generally eneies of little
towns because they demoralized the negroes
and thus it happened that when the
Townsends bought up the Country round
old Hazel Green that McDavid mills
(Old McGee) became a stopping point
and round Mound Inn kept by Mrs.
High Brown Soutt the much married woman
for the travelers over the western road and
the cotton patch encroached on town lot
after town lot until the whole place was at
length absolved. The Townsends
died just about the time of the war and the
lands were divided into small tracts and
sold to white settlers, the white population
is gradually working its way back and there
is a probability of a revival of the town __
or near McDavids old mill where there
is a store. The Townsends
cleared up all the fine level lands along
the road leaving their timber on the broken
lands on creek East of the road so that the
purchaser of a small tract on the road would
have to go two or three miles for timber but
this is a desirable country in other
respects and would be a desirable location
for a large colony that by turning their
attention to stock and grain for which this
County is specially adopted would prosper
and make this one of the most desirable and
valuable portions of the western part of the
county.
--------
Merridianville
--------
Between the Briar Fork and Beaver Dam Creek
extend from their junction westward is a
large extent of valuable and fertile lands.
Here in 18809 was a large settlement attach
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-------- New Market
--------
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attention to stock and grain and are in a
prosperous condition. This is the
trading point for the accupants of
the fertile lands on Mountain Fork and Upper
Hurricane and it is quite probable that the
local trade to Now Markert will keep the
town in its present flourishing condition.
The town was again incorporated in 1868 with
local prohibition which has contributed on a
remarkable degree to the peace and property
of the town.
-------- Extinct Villages
--------
I
have noticed briefly the towns in the
original County of Madison and would be
gratified to give fuller details of
their grouth and progress. As there
are many interesting reminiscences connected
with them from which could be obtained the
material for an entertaining volume but
would exceed the scope intended in my
sketches of our old County towns. But
before I take up again the history of the
County there are a few towns that once
existed either in the imagination of the
projector or had their brief existence and
then disappeared. While Brownsboro and
Hazel Green preserve their names thou_ with
some change in locality the villages I
propose to preserve from aflivion? In
the settlement of the County many settlers
from the State of Tennessee came down the
settled along the present deposit road
as far down as Brownsboro. The
Settlement also tended Eastwardly from the
Merridian rad in the direction of Flint
River bridge about which a large emigration
gathered about half a mile up Barron Fork
from its mouth or junction with Briar Fork
at the bridge. Mr. Hardan built
a mill where in 1812 a voting place was
established. Near there on the
highlands south of the river was laid off a
town to be called Manchester which in the
course of time was known as Glascocks
and if ours had been a manufacturing
community there would doubtless have been a
flourishing town established at that point.
But the Bell Factory company took down the
old mill an and the settlement was broken
up. Yet the day may come when the
splendid water power in __ vicinity will be
utilized and a New Manchester may spring
from the ashes of the old ___. It is
singular that while there is not half a
dozen settlots in the Country that can
__collect that such a town was over oven
contemplated yet any one who is curious to
locate
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Manchester can do so on any large map of the
State where it is invaraibly seen in 1 __
letters on Manchester Road just a short
distance eastwardly from the Forks of the
river. In my sketch of New Market I
have already mentioned Hillsboro as the
original voting place for that part of the
County and any one who will look at the
County Map will find that the Hillsboro Road
leaves Winchester Road at Mr. Ropers
goes by the Blankenship place and
Moores Will just beyond which it turns
east from the Sulphur Spring Road by Dr.
Macons and Wm. M. Stones crosses
the river at Bledsures ford thence by old
Betheney skirting the Sledge place
ancrossing Hesters crook near the
line between Tal____ ___ker, Some
where about the old mill on the side of the
ridge was Hillsboro hard to locate correctly
and remembered by few. Madison __
cross Roads was also the site of a
considerable village then at the crossing of
the Elktons and Limestone roads when the
father of Jas. B. Ellis the present
owner kept public house and where there was
generally one or two stores. Half a
mile this side of whites__ just above high
water mark was laid off a considerable town
by old man Jacobs Captain of a
Militia Company and whose was the first
voting place established in that part of the
County. LIBERTY had a short existence
and took the liberty to move to the river
and changed its name to WHITESBURG that
still lives and flourishes. But west of Blue
Spring Creek near Henderson
Brandons mill Henry Bibb,
James Barclay and others laid off
__ suburg to Huntsville to which I have
already alluded under the name of
Mechanicsville, a summer resort on Monte
Sano was a favorite project of many of the
old settlers ___inating in laying off the
town of _ipduta? in 1832 lots were sold near
the famous ___ ___ spring and several
excellent house erected. The Monte
Sano Turnpike was run to the Cold Spring and
but for the war this wold soon have been a
flourishing summer resort. The Town as
laid off contained eighty acres and near it
was the Rowe Academy built of Mountain
sandstone where James Rowe kept up a
female seminary for many years. It is
quite likely that the turnpike will be
repaired and a hotel built at no distant day
for it is made accessible and convenitnt
it will be one of the most charming and
healthy summer re___ in the South.
-------- Trianna
--------
Crabbs afterwards Fletcher Forn on the
County line was and old crossing place on
Tennessee River before the Whites occupied
the Couaty and one of the first roads opened
by legislature encatment was up the county
line to Burruss Stor ___on miles north from
Tennessee River from Crabbs Forry it was
intended to open a road to Tuscaloosa but
there was no favorable site for a settlement
in the neighborhood and there was a road
from Trianna down the river to this Ferry.
The Chickasaws at the beginning of the
century had a settlement at the Big Prairie
near Mrs. Rice's place which was the
only trace of the large settlement in the
county. There the white people, when
they explored the county found in the midst
of an __ forest growth a tract of land in a
circular form as clear of timber and
undergrowth as a town meadow where Indian
traditions ___ was once a large Indian T__
___ as Chickasaws old fields to the first
explorers of this region. The v__
farming region shown in Map No. 2, as I have
already stated was taken up ___dy and
generally by man with large capital.
One of the first acts of the legislature
dated November 13, 1819. About one
year after the land sales, was th_ __portation
of the town of Triana. The corporate
limits was as follows: Beginning at
mouth of Indian Creek and running up its
east side to mouth of Barron (Fork), thence
west to West Boundary of tr. __c. 22, thence
south to a ___ Tennessee river fifty yards
from low water mark, thence with the river
to __ beginning. Henry Chambers,
William Adair, John T. Lindsay and
Thomas Bibb _ trustees for the town
entered the west part of Sec. 22, and Fr.
Sec. 27, c___ __ing three hundred and
nineteen acres and a town was laid off in
18_0 by H. S_____ a well known engineer who
drew an excellent map of the New Town.
On 21st of Dec. The Indian Creek
Navigation Company was incorporated with
LeRoy Pope, Thomas Farn?, Stephen A. Ewing,
Henry Cook and Samuel Haggard as
commissioners. A stock company to
receive subscriptions of stock in shares of
fifty dollars. This company when the
sum of ten thousand dollars was subscribed
were to elect a president and proceed to
open Indian Creek from Huntsville to Trianna.
Whenever the creek was made navigable for
boats drawing ton inches of water They were
empowered to re
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