A Capital Idea

Economic Development Council marks
20 years of collaboration and success

Story by Paul South
Photos by Graham Hadley
and Jamie Collier

In a sense, economic development is like growing a garden. Everything comes in season – tilling, planting, watering and fertilizing, waiting for the effort to blossom. For the past 20 years in St. Clair County, government, industry, small business and the citizenry, have come together like seed, soil, sun and rain to grow one of Alabama’s fastest-growing counties.

With a basketful of projects in progress or in prospect, plus a recent capital campaign meeting its fundraising goals, the St. Clair County Economic Development Council appears poised for another bountiful harvest.

The EDC has just completed raising its $500,000 goal in its annual capital campaign, Partnership for Tomorrow. The fundraising effort not only fuels the EDC’s regional, national and international recruitment reach that extends from Europe to the Pacific Rim, but also foots the bill for things as mundane as paying salaries for the EDC’s small staff and keeping the lights burning.

“We’ve always been very fortunate to have community support in these endeavors. We have a 20-year track record of being both good stewards of the funds given to us and being very productive in utilizing those funds,” said EDC Executive Director Don Smith.

The EDC is also about to embark on a new five-year plan, crafted after feedback from business, government and St. Clair County citizens. Education and workforce development, job recruitment and retention, marketing and leadership development remain as goals from previous plans.

The new plan includes a focus on developing tourism, an effort to trumpet the county’s rich history, attractions and natural resources. A slice of the capital campaign includes raising an extra $100,000 to hire an individual to promote and market tourism.

The practice of crafting and executing five-year plans began under former EDC Executive Director Ed Gardner Jr., who succeeded his father, Ed Gardner Sr., in the role. Gardner Sr. was the EDC’s first executive director. He laid the foundation for the EDC’s history of success.

And the five-year plans begun under Gardner Jr. have helped build the EDC into the success it is today. This will be the second five-year plan on Smith’s watch. It’s hoped the tourism push will, like a stone skipping across one of the county’s cherished waterways, have a ripple effect in all sectors of the county’s economy. The Coosa River, Neely Henry and Logan Martin lakes, Little and Big Canoe creeks, Chandler Mountain and Horse Pens 40 are the surface of the county’s tourism treasures. Through the efforts of the EDC’s push, the county has embraced the Forever Wild initiative, aimed at preserving the environment for future generations.

An important note, tourism-driven initiatives spark high return on investment

“Tourism really does feed into the other areas on which we have previously been focused, Smith said. “This will help bring new residents into the area, which will increase our workforce pool. It will also bring in new sales tax and tourism dollars, which will be beneficial to the funding of the municipalities, schools and also bring more sales to our small business owners in the county.”

In this, Alabama’s bicentennial year, the county’s history is also something to be celebrated through festivals around the county.

“I believe that what we want to do is really market our strengths. We are blessed in this county with beautiful lakes and streams, mountains and valleys, a variety of wildlife and foliage. We want to make sure we have opportunities for people who are here to spend time outside and enjoy what we have here. We want to pull people from the urban areas, to be able to enjoy outdoors activities as well.”

Tourism can also spark the county as attractive for retirees or for families seeking a second home.

“Our philosophy is the more people that come and visit St. Clair County will only create more believers that this is one of the best counties in the state,” Smith says.

Along with the tourism push, the county will continue its efforts in manufacturing and retail recruitment, workforce development, education and building future generations of leaders through Leadership St. Clair.

The EDC works closely with Jefferson State Community College and the St. Clair County, Leeds and Pell City Schools to train workers and connect them with recruiters.

“I believe with things like creating a new apprenticeship program, developing a site-ready pad in the Cogswell Industrial Park in Pell City, and really engaging the public school systems in the importance of career readiness, allowed us to have success on a grander scale than we had initially thought possible,” Smith says.

Jason Goodgame, vice president of the Goodgame Company, has been involved in the construction and expansion of a number of local industries, including Eissmann. The long relationship has expanded business and created jobs. He has pitched the county’s assets to firms around the globe.

“We have a great source of employment. We have great people that are here. We have a great quality of life with the lakes and the school system and we work to make firms around the world a part of things here. … Relationship is what we do. … We always try to cultivate what we have in common.”

“Currently, our project and prospect level is extremely high,” Smith noted. “We have some 20 projects or prospects we’re managing right now. We’re trying to get a lot of the prospects into an announced project status and a lot of the projects into a ‘completed’ status.” The expansion in Steele at Unipres, Charity Steel’s new location in Riverside, TCI of Alabama, Impact Metals, and Allied Minerals’ new investment in Pell City as well as unannounced retail projects throughout the county are a testament to the economic vitality of all of our communities.”

On top of the new investments, Charity Steel pours a portion of its profits back into the community, Trinity Highway Safety Products was honored with one of Gov. Kay Ivey’s Trade Excellence Awards, and WKW was just named Supplier of the Year for the second straight year by the Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association.

The recent large expansion at Eissmann is another reason for optimism. All of this success highlights a high level of collaboration between the county, its municipalities and the business community with the EDC.

“The leadership component is so important. One of the things that we stress is the ability to do great things when we’re all working together, Smith says. One city, partnering with another city to share sewer and water, or police and fire protection is really not possible unless you have good cooperation.”

Joe Kelly, chairman of the EDC board of directors for the past three years, and a member of the board since its inception, credits local governments for allowing the EDC to do its job, sparking strong growth.

“One of the great things about our county and our county leadership is that they not only have allowed the EDC to do its work, they have been a tremendous source of encouragement as our staff goes out and slays the dragon, so to speak.

The future of that working relationship is bright, as St. Clair works with its northern neighbors to grow the Interstate 59 Corridor.

“We’re going to continue to focus on wealth creation, which is the continued recruitment of employers and making sure we have good quality companies coming into our community. We’re going to have population growth that’s going to take place,” Smith said.

“We’re going to continue to educate elected officials on the importance of community planning so we can eliminate the hodgepodge of development that takes place a lot of times, where you have incompatible neighbors. We’re going to continue to plan to address congestion and traffic issues. Those are things we’re going to try to have as part of our plan going forward.”

“Each time, we have exceeded the goals that were put forth for us,” Smith said. “This just adds on to the previous 10 years that the EDC has been in operation. The EDC has been active for 20 years and has an incredible track record of being fiscally responsible, very effective in achieving our goals and growing our county.”

No one could have foreseen the success of the EDC when it began its work 20 years ago, Kelly said. The initial focus was on industrial recruitment and job creation but blossomed into much more.

“That was done, but it has transformed into many other aspects of improving the quality of life in St. Clair County,” Kelly said.

The secret to the EDC’s success in its 20 years? “One of the things that we’ve done best is not talking a lot but listening a lot,” he explained. “We actually solicit that kind of advice from our business community.”

As the EDC wraps up this capital campaign and embarks on the new five-year plan, Kelly reflected on the EDC and its history, seasoned with a basketball analogy. And he praised the staff and the board over the two decades of toil.

“I don’t think when we started, we had the vision that in 20 years we were going to be going and growing, but I do know . . . when we brought in Ed Gardner Sr., it was like when Auburn hired Bruce Pearl. We set a standard when we brought (Gardner Sr.) in, and so we couldn’t back away. And we haven’t,” he said.

“Everybody on the board – past and present – have focused on what’s best for St. Clair County. We’re often asked, ‘How do you do it?’, and it’s the quality of the people.”

John Donalson

A Life in the Skies

Story by Carol Pappas
Photos by Michael Callahan
Submitted photos

When Jack Fincher and sister, Linda Wood, were growing up in Roebuck, John Donalson’s family lived across the street. Donalson was the first director of aviation for Alabama and after settling into the suburban Birmingham neighborhood, the family lived at the nearby airport in an apartment above his office.

That was before World War II. After the war, he commanded the Air National Guard for the state, was among the inaugural inductees to Alabama’s Aviation Hall of Fame, patented a steel casting process and became a steel company executive.

But what happened in between is the real story, said Fincher and Wood, both of whom now live in Pell City.

Fincher refers to the decorated war hero simply as “Papa.” In later years, Donalson’s wife and Fincher and Wood’s father passed away, and three years after Donalson’s wife died, “he came out here and proposed” to their mother, Almeda “Boots” Hines Fincher.

She had been a nurse and took care of Mrs. Donalson in her final days. Their spouses died a few months apart in the same year.

Humble hero

Fincher and Woods’ story about ‘Papa’ is deeply rooted in those in-between years when Lt. Col. John Donalson led the main airborne invasion of Normandy – D-Day – 75 years ago. More than 800 C-47s dropped over 13,000 paratroopers into the epic battle that would change the course of World War II and history. And Donalson was the commander.

A photo in his hometown newspaper in Birmingham captured the moment back home, his wife, Blanche, his three children, Beverly, 16, and John Jr. and Eugenia – just toddlers – listening to the broadcast of the invasion on radio in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944. The youngest, John Jr., is seen clutching a photograph of his father.

They may not have been able to understand the events as they unfolded in real time, but Daddy would come home with a chest full of medals and would rise to the rank of Major General.

That’s All, Brother

In the years that followed, the plane that took the lead in the invasion, That’s All, Brother, had gone from its pivotal role in D-Day to a post-war commercial stint to a scrap metal yard when it was salvaged, restored and began its journey anew to Normandy for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 2019.

As part of the Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing, That’s All Brother joined 15 other C-47/DC-3 airplanes to retrace the ferry path – United States to Canada to Greenland to Iceland to Scotland to England. In Duxford, England, That’s All Brother and three other planes headed to Normandy to commemorate the anniversary. Then it was on to Germany to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.

In 1945, the historic aircraft was sold to the civilian market and over the next few decades and through multiple owners, it finally was sold to be scrapped in what the Commemorative Air Force described as “a boneyard in Wisconsin.”

As fate has a way of intervening, two historians from the United States Air Force discovered its whereabouts, the CAF acquired it, and through a Kickstarter program, donors and volunteers, That’s All Brother is flying once again.

Fincher was one of those donors and when That’s All Brother landed in Birmingham in May, Fincher and members of his family boarded for a trip of a lifetime. “I was stoked,” said Fincher. “Everybody sat on little tin seats and buckled up with the original equipment.”

He and members of his family were able to experience a step back into time when Papa flew the skies over Normandy. Members of Donalson’s family did as well, aboard a later flight.

After takeoff, passengers could wander around the airplane and cockpit, which had been fully restored to its 1944 look and condition. “It was like brand new,” Fincher said, noting that not a detail was missed. The original paint scheme, even surplus parts from 1944 were used in the restoration project.

“Papa was the command pilot,” he noted. “There were 82 airplanes in his command.” He selected the name, That’s All Brother, “as a message to Hitler.” The actual pilot that day was David Daniels, also from Birmingham, with Donalson aboard in command of the entire operation. Also aboard that day was a Scottie dog, the pilot’s pet. A stuffed dog to commemorate him is on the present-day flights.

“Papa’s plane was Belle of Birmingham,” Fincher said, “but because a radar beacon was required to be installed underneath the lead aircraft, Papa was loathe to cut a hole in the belly of his beloved ‘Belle,’ so he made the switch.”

Looking back

Wood and Fincher pore over old newspaper clippings and a scrapbook as tall as a three-layer cake. The sense of history and heroism, intertwined, is ever present as they turn each page.

They talk of Donalson’s flight with 80 more planes over the English Channel that fateful night with no lights, no radio.

Wood recently discovered his memoirs – 100 pages handwritten in pencil. In typical form of what has been called the Greatest Generation, “there was very little about D-Day,” she said.

In his own words

But in the family scrapbook is the copy of an official report Col. Donalson filed on June 6, 1944, where he had this to say about the day’s mission:

Our second mission consisted of fifty Gliders, thirty-six English Horsa and fourteen American CG-4A gliders.

All were marshalled, that is placed in a double row with tugs attached, so that they were able to take off starting from the front, one tug and glider every 25 to 30 seconds. We put the CG-4A in front because they could get off better. They were led by Maj. Gates who was to form over the field at 1800 feet and wait until all the Horsas were off and formed at 1200. Lt. Col. Daniel and myself were in the first tug with Horsa. Cawthon was all over the sky trying to keep it trailing. We formed up and got on course a little early in order to make our departure point on time. When we passed Cherbourg on our way in, it was quiet as a church-mouse. Guess they used up all their ammunition the night before. Off to our left, the surface convoy was stretched as far as you could see with boats going to the beaches.

There were a line of battleships and cruisers laying off the shore, all quiet at the moment, but waiting to silence any shore battery that was there and headed for our DZ. I had given all the preparatory light signals and was just ready to give the signal for cutting loose when Capt. Cawthon, the Glider Pilot, recognized his field and cut.

We pulled ahead, dropped our tow rope, and turned to head for our base when some Krauts with tommy guns started hitting us. One explosive shell came through and wounded our Radio Operator and Crew Chief. We hit the deck and started home. On the way back, I was checking to see how many planes we had lost. I could account for all but two. One of those had to re-service before he could make it in. The other made a crash landing in France and the crew got back in a couple of days.

My hat is off to the Glider pilots for they did a marvelous job under fire. They landed right on top of the front line with snipers all over the place. As soon as they got on the ground, they were in crossfire from machine guns and the Krauts had their mortar zeroed on the fields. The Glider pilots started returning the following day and are still coming in. So far we have definite proof that three have been killed and feel sure that three more were killed but cannot confirm it yet. Half of our airplanes were hit with small arms fire with the majority of hits in the engine and gas tanks. They are not leak-proof either.

This was our second mission and they were both 100 percent perfect. Considering the number of people involved in the operation, it is almost beyond belief that everyone would do exactly as he should.

There is not much of a report to make on these missions except all went according to plan.

We were the third group in and when we got back to the DP we were still meeting groups on their way in.

The boys are all on the peg awaiting a chance to go back on another mission and getting ants in their pants.

The memoir

Donalson’s memoir comes from a unique vantage point of the days leading up to the invasion as only he could tell it.

When I got to our field in central England, it frightened me that I would be responsible for everything on the field. They had fields all over England and if you became lost, you got on the radio and said Darkey, and a field would give you a course to fly to the field that you wanted to go to.

These were low output radios that you had to be near the field broadcasting to hear them. The first time the airplanes were out on familiarization flight, about twelve got lost over the North Sea.

Maj. Gen. Ridgeway, in command of the 82nd Airborne Division, was pressing me for a practice jump for his men. Brig. Gen. Gavin, his executive officer, was very impatient I made them wait 3 or 4 days while the pilots became familiar with flying at night over England…

I went with Gen. Ridgeway in his car to the drop zone about 10 miles from the point of take off, and the formation arrived at the prescribed time. Just after daylight we stood on the drop zone and had to dodge helmets and equipment falling. One man broke his leg landing on a frozen river. This drop pleased Gen Ridgeway since the old units returned from North Africa had dropped his outfit in a bombing practice area. I believe that was when he picked the 438th to lead the invasion on France.

The night before

In his memoir, Donalson writes about the night before when a Baptist minister gave a pep talk. …he evidently thought everyone was afraid they would be killed…

I followed with my talk and told the men that they were going to attend the greatest show on earth, and they had earned their ring side seat.

D-Day arrives

D-Day was scheduled for the 5th of June and had to be postponed on account of high wind over the channel. We painted three broad white stripes on each wing with three stripes around the fuselage on the night of June 4th. This was done to prevent a repeat of the invasion of Sicily, where the Navy shot some of the Allied airplanes down.

When Gen. Eisenhower cancelled the invasion on the 5th, no one thought to advise the men and women in the office. Someone notified the American press that the invasion had started and with the difference in time, it hit the headlines in the U.S.A. on the 4th.

We had beefed up until we had 18 airplanes in each squadron…which gave us 81 airplanes. Actually two groups.

We had enough brass to line up along the runway for half its length. Gen Eisenhower had been shaking hands with all the paratroops. Lt. Gen. Brereton was in the lead airplane talking to the paratroops. When I was ready to taxi into position for takeoff, I had to ask him to get out as it was time to move out.

We took off and formed over the field waiting for the second half to get into position for takeoff. This was a little before dark. I had split the group in two. I guess you could say 438th A and 438th B…We flew over the channel over a boat off the coast of Normandy. He flashed us an O.K. with his light in the shape of a cross. Also they had rolls of aluminum tape that could be picked up by the German radar to confuse into thinking the landing was to be made at some other place…

Our two sections dropped their paratroops about ½ mile from each other. Gen. Gavin wrote us up for not dropping his units in the same place. We cut our throttles and glided down to 400 ft. to let the paratroopers jump. As soon as the paratroops were all out, we gave the engines full throttle and climbed to 3000 ft. flying over incoming planes.

Coming home

Donalson came home to Birmingham, returning to a life in the steel industry, Air National Guard and with his family, not talking much about the war except in interviews with media wanting to know more about this hometown hero.

In a television interview after returning to Birmingham, Wood said the colonel described the unprecedented air power that filled the sky that day in simple, but vivid terms: “You could damned near walk from one airplane wing to another.”

A newspaper account from Birmingham when he was home on leave paints a picture of  Donalson, the man. “Calm in manner and voice, the Birmingham colonel has eyes that penetrate. Their grayness have the flash, the sharpness of tempered steel…

“He wears the distinguished flying cross with two oak leaf clusters, also the Presidential group citation. Three battle stars are on his ETO ribbon.”

“Your family were pretty glad to see you weren’t they?,” he was asked. “And the colonel—who made history on D-Day—answered as you or anyone else might have answered, ‘Yeah.’ ”

About the man

An engineering graduate from Georgia Tech in the 1920s, he was an engineer for Connors Steel before and after the war. His diploma, Fincher said, “is on a real sheepskin.”

He later formed his own steel company, and he patented his continuous steel casting formula. He and “Boots” lived happily 10 years in Trussville and two years in Pell City until his death in 1987. “They were well suited for each other,” said Fincher.

“Papa was very close to us,” added Wood. “He loved us dearly, and we loved him. He was the only grandfather my kids ever knew.”

“I think Papa’s modesty prevented our knowing more about his historic actions,” added Fincher. “A natural leader: courageous, capable. It makes me wish we had more like him around today. It’s my privilege to have known him and called him, Papa.”

Guardians of the River

Coosa Riverkeeper and lake associations work to protect treasured waterways

Story by Paul South

Submitted photos

Even in the bleak midwinter, in a season of heavy rain and rising water, Gene Phifer, Linda Ruethemann and Frank Chitwood can almost set clocks by the nature’s magic on the Coosa River.

For Phifer, president of the Neely Henry Lake Association, the White American Pelican returns to entertain each winter, nesting near Phifer’s Neely Henry Lake home. For Ruethemann, a board member and past president of the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association, small black ducks – Ruethemann calls her feathered neighbors “diving ducks” – plunge for food under the Army khaki green water in the mornings, delighting a human audience.

And for Frank Chitwood, the Staff Riverkeeper and founder of the environmental watchdog group Coosa Riverkeeper, anytime is a good time on the river. But the special times are when the sun rises or sets, painting an ever-changing pallet, the moon is full and glowing, or in those seasons when colors, not crowds, clamor for attention.

The lake associations and the Coosa Riverkeeper are united in a singular mission – to protect the Coosa River system that runs through Alabama, downstream from the river’s headwaters at the confluence of the Etowah and Oostanaula rivers near Rome, Ga. The heart of the mission – to protect the quality and quantity of the waters of Coosa and its six lakes and by extension, the overall environment and economy.

Phifer calls Neely Henry, the Coosa and its sister lakes, “a treasure.” The three organizations are carrying on a love affair with the water.

“It’s really a treasure to have something like this, Phifer said. “There’s no other way to put it. We’re so fortunate. We have a river system that flows through the center of Gadsden and then on downstream. With a river like this with all the recreational and all the aesthetic and environmental benefits of it, goodness, it’s a treasure to have this. You don’t see this when you go across the United States.

 Native peoples called the Coosa home long before Hernando DeSoto became the first European to see the river in the 16th century. Neely Henry and Logan Martin were man-made bodies of water, the result of Alabama Power’s construction of hydroelectric dams in the 1960s. While these days, the river and lakes are in better health, there was a time in the not-so-distant past when Logan Martin, Neely Henry and its parent river were a dumping ground for all manner of human refuse from beer cans to busted refrigerators.

“The river system years ago was a biological eyesore as far as the way the water was being treated at that time. Something needed to be done,” Phifer said. “Things weren’t being done the way they should have been done by residents and the communities. Renew Our Rivers moved to the cities and counties, and a groundswell of law enforcement, schools, businesses and the media got involved, too. Etowah, St. Clair and Calhoun all got involved.”

The result was Renew Our Rivers. Started in 1998 on Neely Henry and quickly spreading to other Alabama waterways. On Neely Henry alone, some 500 tons to debris has been cleaned out of the river. On Logan Martin, the first year saw tons of debris pulled from the lake. The amount has decreased over the years, thanks to increased awareness throughout the water system.

Team work

Keeping the Coosa River system clean is only part of the story. For example, an all-volunteer army of trained Logan Martin residents take to the river monthly to test the waters. The effort springs from an Auburn University initiative called Alabama Water Watch.

 Since 1996, the water tests have been carried on come rain or sun, sleet or snow. Ruethemann is a trainer for the testing effort, which looks for warning signs in the water. “You don’t have to be a chemist to be a tester,” she says. “If you can follow a recipe, you can do this.”

Testers don’t worry much about weekly reports but search for trends in quality.

“When I’m out testing and someone sees me, they say, ‘Is the water good?’ And I can tell you what the numbers are today. But what you’re really looking for are the trends,” she says. “Is the water quality getting better? Is it getting worse? Do you suddenly see changes in certain areas of water quality that we need to take notice of and say, ‘Something’s changed here, what is that?’ Then you start going upstream to where the issue started.”

Like the associations, Coosa Riverkeeper is focused on water quantity and quality. Chitwood, founder of Coosa Riverkeeper and the retiring staff riverkeeper for the organization, patrols the waters in a quest to safeguard the river. He founded Coosa Riverkeeper in 2010 after volunteering for other Riverkeeper organizations around the country.

Like the Neely Henry and Logan Martin citizen groups, Coosa Riverkeeper is an advocate for the river system. While unlike the other organizations, Riverkeeper has a small paid staff, the goals of the groups are the same.

“What we do is patrol the river, educate the public and advocate on behalf of the river. Citizen-based, nonprofit,” Chitwood said. “We do a lot of the work that people expect the government does, but they don’t. In a sense, we are a watchdog organization. We do things like monitor water quality to make sure it’s safe to swim and to fish. We respond to citizen complaints. We go and speak to school groups or civic groups about the river and its importance. We monitor pollution sources and seek to reduce those sources of pollution.”

The public perception of the organization among river residents has changed since its early days.

“When we first started, not many people knew what the Coosa River was,” Chitwood said. “They thought of it as individual lakes. So, we talked to people on Logan Martin about the Coosa and they’d say, “We don’t know where that is, and we’d say, it’s right here.” That has changed a lot. They are more aware of the connectivity between systems and between the lakes and how we’re impacted by what people upstream of us are doing. That’s one big change.”

The other is changing the general perception that the Coosa is unsafe for swimming because it does have such a polluted history, especially on Logan Martin because of the PCB issue. What we did was start a program called Swim Guide, where we do water quality testing all over the river every week in the summer. We post that information free so people can see if it’s safe or not to swim that week in their location, instead of just speculation and hearsay. That has been really huge. A lot of people have been reassured about the safety of swimming in the river. But a lot more people are assured about the safety of the water.”

And Coosa Riverkeeper isn’t shy about using the legal system to protect the waterway.

While the lake associations closely monitor water issues and advocate and educate on behalf of the river system to schools, civic groups and government agencies, Coosa Riverkeeper will put its legal muscle behind its efforts.

“That’s why I’m really proud of our group because we’re standing up and doing something about it. And we’re making progress. It just takes people to stand up against industry and the government that are insanely powerful in Alabama and say that’s not really how we want things to happen in Alabama,” he noted.

“There are people out there that they know what they’re doing is not right. And they know that what they’re doing has an impact. But if they don’t get fined for it and they’re not going to spend however much money it is to do the right thing, there’s no consequence. It takes more than one approach to really address all these issues. That’s what sets our group apart. We’re willing to go toe-to-toe with industry, and we’re willing to call in the lawyers and file a lawsuit. There aren’t a lot of groups willing to do that. I think that we have to be willing to do that. If we don’t, we’re never going to change the status quo.”

Perhaps the dominant issue – one that would impact the three-legged stool of the lake associations’ mission to protect water quality, quantity and property values – are the so-called “Water Wars” among Alabama. Georgia and Florida.

In an effort to get more water for a thirsty, growing Metropolitan Atlanta area, Georgia wants to dam the waters that flow into the Coosa, which is downriver from the confluence of the Etowah and Oostanaula. Its impact reaches far beyond the Coosa, to the Tallapoosa and the Alabama Rivers. The Alabama is a navigable waterway, critical for barge traffic to the Port of Mobile.

Choking the flow of water to the Coosa, however, would damage a fragile ecosystem and parch the local economy. If you want an idea of how brittle the Coosa and its lakes are, consider indigenous beavers in the wake of February flooding. While it’s the opposite effect compared to lower water levels, the lesson here is environmental impact.

“Any change in the water level is going to affect the environment,” Ruethemann says. “While it’s the opposite of that, in the flood, beavers were wandering in people’s yards, and they were scared, not sure where to go.”

All of the Coosa advocacy groups are closely monitoring the mountain of litigation related to the water wars, Phifer said.

“We can’t continue to lose a lot of water without damaging us downstream in dry season. When nutrient levels in the water get too high, you have the potential for the nutrients to cause rapid algae growth and when the algae die, it sucks oxygen from the river system, damaging quality of life for the river. When you have dissolved oxygen, it becomes a pollution problem.”

In the years ahead, if the waters of the Cahaba – from which Birmingham derives much of its water – begins to run dry – there is concern that a parched Magic City might turn to the Coosa for water, putting the Coosa in the crossfire of two fronts in the water wars.

“That’s not just a battle for Alabama, Florida and Georgia, but there’s going to be a battle between Birmingham and the Coosa,” Chitwood says. “It’s only going to be so long before Birmingham comes for the Coosa. They’ve talked about it before.”

“When I train people in these (water testing) classes, I tell them, water in not a limitless quality,” Ruethemann says. “You can’t make new water. People say, ‘Why don’t you go to the Birmingham Water Works and get more water? Well, where do you think they get that water?”

One of her water testing students took a biblical view, she says. “Yup, that’s the same water that floated Noah’s boat.”

Ruethemann adds, “As it gets more limited and as we have more people, and we start growing more in urban areas like Atlanta and in the outskirts of Birmingham, people are going to be fighting for that limited amount of water.”

Other development-related issues, like sediment runoff from construction sites, sewerage and stormwater runoff concern the Coosa River organizations of Weiss, Neely Henry, Logan Martin, Lay, Jordan and Mitchell that make up what Ruethemann calls, “The Coalition.”

But another point of advocacy for Coosa Riverkeeper and the Neely Henry and Logan Martin groups is the development of a statewide comprehensive water management plan. Currently, Alabama is the only state in the Southeast without a water management blueprint.

“In my opinion, (if) we get to a courtroom, it’s hard for us to say (water) is of utmost importance when we don’t have a plan together. I think that plays against us tremendously.”

What happens to the Coosa if Alabama loses the water fight?

“We always think the worst. I think human nature is (to think) that everything will fall apart. I don’t know. There are many places on this lake that if the water stayed at 460 (feet), that a lot of people would not have waterfront property at all. You’d still see the diving ducks and the pelicans, but in these narrow sloughs, a lot of people would not have waterfront at all.”

Water quality and quantity should be on the minds of folks along the Coosa and across Alabama, as neighboring Georgia builds more reservoirs at the headwaters of the river.

“I would bet you if you talk to 90 percent of the people in this state, they don’t even think about water, Ruethemann says. “They turn on the faucet, and it’s there. They go to the beach or lake or river of their choice, and it’s there. We have a lot of water in Alabama – today.”

Should they think about it?

“Oh yeah,” she says. “At some point in time, it’s going to become an issue.”

 Meanwhile the groups collaborate, educate and advocate for the river system, pushing for clean, ample water, effective policies and responsible development. The reason is simple. “Anyone who spends time on our waterways in Alabama is going to appreciate them,” Chitwood says. “You’re not going to go kayaking on Big Canoe Creek and say, ‘Who really cares about that creek? ‘You’re going to say ‘Wow, that’s something worth protecting.”

LakeFest

Back bigger and better than ever

Story by Leigh Pritchett

Submitted Photos

Logan Martin LakeFest & Boat Show returns in May with more entertainment, more vendors, more boats, impressive giveaways and even an extra day to enjoy it all.

The weekend of events May 17-19 will mark the ninth year for LakeFest, an event that celebrates lake life.

This year, a pontoon boat and an all-terrain vehicle are among the many giveaways.

The free, family-friendly LakeFest – to be held at Lakeside Park at the Pell City Civic Center complex – is the largest in-water boat show in the Southeast, according to event coordinators Eric Housh and Justin Hogeland.

To date, the annual fundraiser has generated $250,000 that has been given to about 40 different charities, said Hogeland, a board member of LakeFest’s parent, Logan Martin Charity Foundation.

This year, LakeFest will again have a three-day format after having a two-day schedule for a few years. “We’re adding back a Sunday this year,” said Housh, who is also a foundation board member.

The hours of LakeFest are noon to 9 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

During LakeFest, five boat dealers will display a total of 15 brands of vessels.

“Some of those boats will be in the water and people (who qualify) will be able to test drive, which is unique,” Housh said.

The personal watercraft vendor Speed Zone will have Sea Doos, Yamaha Wave Runners and Kawasaki jet skis that those who qualify can take for a spin.

“That will be a lot of fun,” Housh said.

In addition, Riders Harley-Davidson will show off motorcycles, and enthusiasts will get to experience the power, speed and thrill through a simulator.

On-site financing to purchase a land or water vessel will be offered by America’s First Federal Credit Union, LakeFest’s presenting sponsor.

In the beginning…

Jerry Woods of Woods Surfside Marina, Fred Casey of Tradesman Co., and Lee Holmes of Sylacauga Marine & ATV brought the first LakeFest to life, said Mark Hildebrant, Woods’ son-in-law.

“Jerry was one of the main forces behind the event,” said Housh. “… He was the brain of the original idea.”

The goal was to raise money for charitable causes, particularly Logan Martin Lake Protection Association (LMLPA), said Housh and Hogeland.

“Jerry’s dream was to give back to the community and have an event that showcased the lake and lake life,” said Hildebrant, a foundation board member and current owner of Woods Surfside Marina.

The event itself would be free, but sponsorship from boat manufacturers and local businesses would generate the funds that would go toward LMLPA projects and other community endeavors.

The inaugural LakeFest was held at a shoreline subdivision. The event brought together three boat dealers, about 20 vendors and a crowd estimated at 2,000. Three acts provided entertainment, with no stage and only a small public address system. About $2,000 was raised for LMLPA, funds that went toward constructing the wetlands boardwalk at Lakeside Park, Hogeland said.

The early years of LakeFest were a struggle because it was a new event, and being outdoors, it was at the mercy of the weather. In fact, rain canceled it one year.

But Woods and the foundation board members believed in LakeFest and its mission.

More boat manufacturers and local businesses gave their sponsorship, and the event expanded significantly.

When LakeFest relocated to Lakeside Park, the celebration really blossomed, greatly increasing the number of acts, vendors, dealers, attendees and the amount of money raised for charities.

The upcoming LakeFest will feature more than a dozen musical acts, performing on a 24-foot stage with professional lighting and sound. On Saturday, comedian Darren Knight – also known as “Southern Momma” – will make a special appearance.

In addition to the motorcycle and boat dealers, auto dealers will be on site. The inflatables and water slides in Kid Zone will keep the younger set entertained on Friday and Saturday. As many as 50 vendors will sell all sorts of items – from jewelry, art and furniture to food, food and more food.

One vendor even comes from Florida to sell crab cakes.

“The food is always a highlight,” Housh said.

This year’s LakeFest is on target to be the largest in the celebration’s history.

“We have exceeded our growth this year,” Hogeland said. “We actually have a waiting list of boat vendors.”

Housh added that the space for other vendors is at capacity as well. “We have to turn vendors away every year. We have to turn sponsors away every year.”

Even a place to dock a boat has become a premium, Housh said. His advice to those planning to go to LakeFest by water is to arrive early to secure a spot.

The appeal of LakeFest draws people from Birmingham, Montgomery, Anniston, Oxford, Huntsville and event Atlanta, Ga., Hogeland said.

“I like to see people coming here from other places because this is an idyllic getaway,” Housh said.

He noted that Pell City is, first of all, fortunate to have a large and attractive Lakeside Park that can accommodate an event such as LakeFest. In addition to that, it is unique to have an in-water boat show where people may test-drive models, talk to experts, and get on-site financing.

“Having LakeFest at Lakeside Park has been a wonderful experience,” said Brian Muenger, city manager for the City of Pell City. “It is a great community-building event, as well as a means of promoting the city and the lake in general. Last year was the biggest event yet. …”

Housh estimates the 2018 LakeFest attendance at 15,000.

“Any time you can bring that many people to the area, it’s a great thing,” Muenger said. “The lake is our biggest draw in terms of new residents, and LakeFest provides a huge amount of exposure for the city.”

LakeFest has provided about $50,000 for charities each of the last three years and while many charitable causes have benefited from LakeFest funds, Hogeland said Lakeside Park and the City of Pell City are two of the main recipients.

“The Logan Martin Charity Foundation has … been a generous supporter of (the) Fire and Police Departments, which we are thankful for,” Muenger said. “They have also partnered with the city to expand the docks at the park, which was a $50,000 project. We are working towards further improvements in the years to come, and with the continual growth of the event, I know its impact on the community will continue to expand.”

Tonja Ramey, LMLPA president, said LakeFest gives exposure to and promotes LMLPA’s work of keeping the lake clean and teaching about the lake’s impact upon humans, ecology and economy.

“The primary purpose of LMLPA is to educate the public on issues and activities that impact the use and vitality of Logan Martin Lake,” Ramey said. “… (At LakeFest,) we are able to set up a booth, mingle with the vendors and share information with the visitors about the importance of making improvements for the safety of swimmers and boaters, as well as protecting the quality of our lake. And it also gives us the opportunity to share information and possibly recruit anyone that may be interested in learning to be a water monitor. Events like LakeFest are also a great opportunity to sign up new members to LMLPA.”

A legacy remembered

Year after year, Woods’ influence continued to be a positive force in LakeFest.

Then, just four days before the 2017 LakeFest, Woods died, Hildebrant said.

Hogeland and Housh said it was very difficult to continue with LakeFest that year, but the group did so for Woods’ sake.

The activities this year will begin with a time of remembering Woods’ vision and commitment.

On Friday evening will be another time of remembrance, as LakeFest honors some residents of Col. Robert L. Howard Veterans Home in Pell City. The veterans will be transported in a procession to LakeFest, where they will be treated in the VIP tent (sponsored by State Farm agents Bart Perry and Brandon Tate) to dinner, followed by a fireworks spectacular (sponsored by Bennington, a maker of pontoon boats).

Speaking of pontoons, an 18-foot Avalon with a 50-horsepower Honda motor and an estimated value of $23,000 will be given away Saturday evening. So will an $8,500 Tracker ATV.

“I think that’s going to be pretty popular,” Housh said of those two giveaways at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

“Everyone who attends LakeFest gets a ticket free,” Housh said. The ticket allows each person to register at the LakeFest tent for the hourly giveaways.

Coordinating LakeFest is an undertaking that keeps Housh and Hogeland rather busy for many months. Nonetheless, “this is my favorite time of year,” Housh said, noting that it is gratifying to see the way the community shows support by attending LakeFest.

“One of the perks is the check presentations to charities,” Hogeland added. Giving those, he said, is reward for all the work.

Check out Logan Martin LakeFest & Boat Show on Facebook. To get sponsor and vendor information and applications, directions to the park, or a schedule of events, visit loganmartinLakeFest.com. In addition to Housh, Hogeland and Hildebrant, Logan Martin Charity Foundation’s other board members are Fred Casey and Lee Holmes. Judy Carr is the financial officer. The foundation is a 501(c)3 organization.

You gotta beat the fish

Bain, Colley set to defend the Alabama Bass Trail Series title

Story by Paul South

Submitted photos

When it comes to fishing, Adam Bain and Kris Colley hold to a simple truth, the same flame that burned bright in classic literature and on classic TV.

Whether it’s Melville’s Ishmael, or Mayberry’s Andy and Opie Taylor, it’s not about victory over another angler. It’s man vs. fish.

“It’s kind of like a little puzzle. You have to figure out what the fish are doing and the time of the year, the depth they’re in and what they’re biting,” Bain says. “It’s just you and the fish. It’s not necessarily you against everybody else, it’s you against the fish. There’s as much competition there, as there is to figuring out if you can beat everybody else. You gotta beat the fish.”

Bain from Pell City and Colley of Ashville beat the fish and everybody else in 2018, capturing the Alabama Bass Trail Championship in their home county on Neely Henry Lake.

They’ve won twice on the ABT circuit over the years, once at Pickwick Lake on the Tennessee River, and the ABT title on Neely Henry last year. The pair finished second in 2017, narrowly missing the ABT title on Logan Martin, their day’s catch losing by slightly more than two pounds.

Sanctioned by the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series features two divisions. Each division –North and South – includes five tournaments on five different lakes. As many as 225 two-man boats can compete in each tournament.

Bain, a Realtor and Colley, who works in the railway industry, have made waves on the ABT circuit with their winning ways that combine old-school fishing techniques with high technology in the ever-evolving world of competitive angling.

While the ABT is considered an amateur circuit, each tournament champion wins a $10,000 grand prize, with $47,000 in prizes going to the top 40 teams. In recognition of Alabama’s Bicentennial in 2019, the 200th-place finisher will earn a $200 bonus. The total prize money for the 2019 ABT Series circuit is $568,000.

But for Colley and Bain, it’s not about the money. While they’ve knocked around the idea of moving to a higher level of competitive fishing, family comes first.

“There’s so much money at the local level now that you can stay around the house and win. But we don’t necessarily do it for the money, but for the competition. The money is an added bonus. The more money, the more competition.”

Colley agrees. The rush of the tug on a line is enough.

“We’re both competitive in that we always want to win. It’s not that we fish against each other, but we joke around and make fun of it. You know, fishing is fun. Between the both of us, we never take it to the point where it’s so serious that we take the fun out of it. Honestly, if it ever got to that point, I’d probably quit.”

That fun and love of fishing has helped hook a strong friendship. The two have fished together for about a decade. And their fishing style, forged since childhood on the stained Army-khaki waters of Weiss Lake, Logan Martin and Neely Henry complements each other.

“He’s probably a little more patient than I am. I like to throw stuff and wind it in, Bain says of his angling teammate. “I use a spinner bait or a crank bait. He will take a jig or a piece of plastic and flip it. He thinks that if I’m up there and catching fish that are active, he can fish maybe a different part of the water column.”

While most fishermen would probably never admit it, especially in the age of high-technology depth finders and trolling motors linked to smartphones and sonar-laced lures, luck takes a hand.

But when Colley is on his game, Bain has a simple strategy.

“When he’s on and when he’s getting bites and catching fish, I just stay out of his way. He’s kind of the same way with me. It may be his day a little more often than it is mine. He really does catch a lot of fish.”

Asked his own strengths on the team, Bain quips: “I run the dip net really well.”

While Colley can flip plastic lures into the tall grasses near the shoreline or under docks, Bain is the deep-water specialist, hooking big catches on spinner and crank baits. In the summertime, he generally does well because he catches them deep,” Colley says.

He adds, “We both kind of fish fast, but we do it different ways. When you have that and have two ways of looking at it, if one way’s not working, we’re really quick to switch to another. At the end of the day, you might fish the same, but it’s somewhat different.”

Like most kids who grow up near the lake, fishing has always been a simple pursuit. Joy can be had with a cane pole, a box of worms or a cage of crickets. But as with the rest of the world, technology snagged competitive fishing in its net.

The days of paper topographic maps of bodies of water are no more. Water temperature, depth, barometric pressure, the phases of the moon, all figure into fishing. And the new depth finders make learning an unfamiliar lake easier,

“They call it video game fishing,” Bain says. “As you’re trolling around, and you see a fish directly below you on your depth finder, you can drop a little worm straight down and watch the fish bite on the monitor. There are people who fish like that a lot. We’ve never gotten into that. Because we’re from and fish predominately on the Coosa River, which is shallow, the water stays kind of stained and the fish, most of the year live shallower than in other river systems. So, to fish competitively, you don’t necessarily have to fish out deep the majority of the year. Obviously, there are times you have to go out (deep) to win, even on Logan Martin and Neely Henry, but not as often (on those lakes) as some of the others.”

Colley is excited by the new technology.

“I think it’s great. It’s changed fishing. It’s sort of created a wide range of how to catch fish. You see people who fish on the bank and still win, and then you see people who grew up in the age of technology, and they know how to use it to their advantage, and they’re able to catch them offshore.

It’s changed the way that everybody fishes because at some point in time – we’re not the best in electronics – you’ve got to be able to read them to be competitive. Some of the lengths we go to, you have to know how to read them, or you’re going to get beat.”

Fishing, it seems, is booming. Bain, who learned angling from his father and grandfather, remembers fishing junior tournaments with only three competitive boats. Now fishing flourishes at the prep, amateur, collegiate and pro level. More than 200 boats compete on the ABT circuit, and some of the pros show up at those events. And amateurs compete in some of the professional “open” tourneys.

Bain believes the internet, technology advertising, money and media coverage have boosted the popularity of a sport that once seemed to be gasping for air on the rocks. And as a result, the competition is tough

“The fishermen have gotten good. Your average fisherman is a lot better now than he used to be. Whether that’s the depth finders or the material that’s he’s able to get to and read about and see the new techniques and all this stuff, the average fisherman has gotten much better than he was 20 years ago. It’s got to be the technology that’s doing that.”

Defending champs

Technology aside, Colley and Bain are philosophical as they begin the defense of their 2018 Alabama Bass Trail Series. Colley doesn’t see a bullseye on their backs as the new season began.

“It’s not. We look forward to being able to defend. We’re not going to change anything up. If we go out and do the best we can and if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

He adds, “We both have our strengths as far as what we like to do and how we do it. If it’s a bait or a certain thing he likes to do, he runs the boat. It just depends on crank or jerk bait like Adam does, or flipping a bait, that’s more my kind of deal. We try to keep each other up. You’re going to lose a big fish here and there, and when we do, we just try to make fun of it. We don’t really get down, we just make fun of and nag each other the rest of the day.”

Asked if the fishing friends are like an old married couple, Colley chuckles.

“Pretty much,” he says.

The pair calls the ABT championship their biggest thrill and their biggest victory in fishing. But even in these days of tournaments and tough competition, where anglers on the ABT try to land five fat keepers, the story always circles back to childhood and the thrill of that first big fish, fun and friendship

“We don’t do a whole lot different than anybody else,” Bain says. “Kris is an outstanding fisherman. I’m probably very lucky to be fishing with him. We’ve taken our lumps over the years, but we’ve put a lot of time in and worked really hard at it. We’ve paid our dues.

“Now that we do have families we aren’t able to fish all the time during the week, like we did growing up. But what success we have now, I can attribute to those days as a kid, fishing for hours, not knowing what you were doing, but just learning. Eventually, years down the road, that stuff does pay off.”

First Families of St. Clair

The foundation for generations

Story by Joe Whitten

Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.

Submitted photos

In 2017, Kathy Burttram and Rose Mary Hyatt had a bee of an idea buzzing in their proverbial pioneer sunbonnets. Together, they developed the idea into a reality that is as satisfying to a lover of local history as honey on a hot buttered biscuit was to a family at breakfast in a log cabin. They called their project The First Families of St. Clair County, Alabama, and brought it to fruition during the county’s bicentennial year, 2018.

Having loved local history for years, the two women were knowledgeable and capable of accomplishing their goal. The aim of First Families is to collect and preserve the lineages of families who settled in the county by 1818 or earlier. To be accepted as a member of First Families, the applicant had to provide documented proof of descent from the settler-ancestor.

With plans finalized by late 2017, announcements appeared in libraries and newspapers, and soon requests for application guidelines began to arrive. As completed membership forms came in, the project team began vetting documentation, the number of names on the eligible list increased, and on November 20, 2018, First Families presented membership certificates to 51 descendants of early settlers.

Wendy Smith’s documentation as a descendant of James Ash arrived first. Later, four others joined under his name.

From Franklin County, Georgia, James and wife Nancy Martin Ash arrived in this area shortly after his brother John Ash had settled in Beaver Valley in 1817. James Ash prospered as a successful farmer and acquired much land. He died in 1860, leaving a large estate.

James’ son, William, born in Springville in 1819, also farmed and owned 357 acres in Branchville.

When the Civil War began, William and his sons, James Lafayette and William Gilbert, joined the First Tennessee & Alabama Independent Vidette Cavalry at Bridgeport, Alabama. However, William’s brother, Gabriel Simon, fought for the Confederacy.

In August 1864, William and William Gilbert, with a unit that had loaded cotton for Union use onto wagons, had stopped for the night near Woodville, Alabama. That night, Confederate troops ambushed them, killing all but 14. William and son died. The survivors were taken across the Tennessee River, where they were mowed down in a volley of shots. However, John Kenner survived to tell of the experience.

James Lafayette survived the war and returned to St. Clair County.

St. Clair County had a number of Union sympathizers. In her History of Steele, Alabama, Vivian Qualls noted that only 14 percent of St. Clair landowners owned slaves. Most farmers took care of themselves, with family members doing the work. Mrs. Qualls wrote, “…brothers fought against each other, one with the North and one with the South.”

Twenty persons qualified for membership with ancestor Absalom Autrey. (The name came to be spelled “Awtrey.”) Gerald Tucker, first to qualify as a descendant of Absalom, lives today on the farm that belonged to his great grandfather, James Monroe Awtrey, who was the great grandson of Absalom. James Monroe had inherited the farm from his father, James Henry Awtrey. Gerald Tucker records that James Henry wasn’t a wealthy farmer, but that he gave each of his sons $2,000.00 and “…told them to go out and make their own way.” Tucker also stated, “James Monroe Awtrey, having fought for the North in the Civil War, chose to go to Missouri afterward. He and his wife both died of an illness within five months of each other. James Henry Awtrey brought the two children, Phillip and Zula, back to St. Clair County to live with him.” Frances Leona Awtrey, daughter of Phillip, was Gerald Tucker’s mother.

One Autrey/Awtrey family historian states that Absalom came into our area in 1806 or 1807, settling at the foot of Blount Mountain. Later he owned 153 acres at Greensport on the Coosa River.

However, in a November 29, 2018, St. Clair Times article, qualifying descendant James South stated that the Absalom Autrey family came here toward the end of the 18th Century. “There was an Indian massacre that killed his wife and two or three of his children. He moved back to Georgia territory, and in 1800, he moved back into St. Clair County near Greensport.”

According to oral history, Absalom died November 13, 1833 — the night of the spectacular meteor shower which still lives in state history as “the night stars fell on Alabama.” He was buried near Greensport.

Mary Dearman is the only woman through whom a membership in First Families has come. Moving her family here from South Carolina around 1816-17, Mary is known as the founder of Dearman’s Chapel Methodist Church near Steele — a worthy remembrance by any measure.

Four joined First Families through Revolutionary War veterans Noel Battles and Captain Edward Beeson.

Mattie Lou Teague Crow recorded that Noel Battles lived in Albemarle County, Virginia, in 1776 when he enlisted in “Captain Clough Shelton’s Company which saw service under Colonels Edward Stevens, John Green and Samuel Cabell, respectively.”

At the Birmingham Library, Mrs. Crow discovered on microfiche Noel Battles’ account of his three years in the American Revolution. In an article she wrote, “He fought in the Battle of Trenton and stated that the battle was brief and bloody. The enemy was soon overcome as many of them were drunk after the long Christmas celebration. …The Battle at Brandywine Creek was a painful experience as they were badly beaten by General Howe’s men. Seven hundred were killed or taken prisoner and Noel Battles received a flesh wound in his right arm.” Battles was wounded again at the Battle of Monmouth, June 1777.

After the war, Noel and his wife, Rhoda, moved to Georgia, and from Georgia, into what would become St. Clair County Alabama. He and Rhoda are buried in Old Shiloh Church Cemetery on Highway 11 between Steele and Attalla. This church’s location is now in Etowah County, although it was in St. Clair County when the Battles died. On April 19, 1998, the Etowah County Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution honored the memory of Noel Battles with a grave marker.

According to local records, Edward Beeson / Beason and wife, Ann, settled in today’s St. Clair County around 1814, where they built a log cabin and “…lived among the Indians until they were removed.”

Edward enlisted in the army in the spring of 1778, Guilford County, North Carolina. He was commissioned Captain in April 1779 and served in Captain David Brower’s Company.

Edward and Ann are buried at Union Beason Cemetery. His grave was marked by the Nancy Hart Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Edward’s son, Curtis Grubb Beason, participated in county and state government all his life. He served on the Alabama Constitutional Convention in 1865, according to The Heritage of St. Clair County, Alabama. The antebellum home he built (c1840) still stands, well-kept, in Beason’s Cove between Ashville and Oneonta.

Rev. Thomas Newton and wife Ann Martin Newton were the parents of Margaret Newton who married John Ash, of political renown in St. Clair County. In 1817, both families joined a westward bound caravan from South Carolina as it journeyed through Georgia. The caravan had stopped to rest in today’s Beaver Valley a few miles below present-day Ashville. When a tragic accident left Betsy Ann Ash dead, John and Margaret Ash and Thomas and Ann Newton chose to settle in Beaver Valley rather than abandon Betsy Ann’s grave.

The log home that Ash and Newton first constructed in 1817 stands — the oldest surviving structure in St. Clair County. Both families lived there until John Ash built his own dwelling in 1818.

As years progressed, John Ash added to his home, until it stood a welcoming home in the county.

Some of our older readers will remember the white-painted home standing pristine in the sun; however, the home today stands forlorn in Beaver Valley.

John Ash helped organize the government of St. Clair County. Records show that he was the first elected judge in the county and that he served three terms as state senator. The naming of the county seat Ashville honored the legacy of John Ash. One person provided proof of John Ash lineage.

In his book, Branchville, Alabama: The History of a Little Town, 1819-2007, Kenneth Hodges wrote about Rev. Thomas Newton, stating that, as a minister of the Presbyterian church, “Thomas was an excellent, impressive, emotional preacher with the ability to deliver sermons that would often melt both the speaker and the listener to tears.”

In Georgia, Newton had been a circuit-riding pastor, preaching at a different church each Sunday of the month. Hodges records that when the westward migration began, church membership dwindled as the population of communities decreased. Hodges gives this as a reason for the Newtons joining the westward caravan.

Both a Newton historian and Mattie Lou Teague Crow mention that the Newtons were instrumental in organizing the Presbyterian Church in Ashville. The denomination first met at Mount Pleasant Meeting House, which was also the place of worship for the Methodist and Baptist. In 1879, the Presbyterians erected their own modern Victorian church, still standing in Ashville today.

Three persons gained membership on Rev. Thomas Newton’s name.

Jeremiah Collins arrived here penniless in 1818—according to some accounts. However, Jeremiah Collins’ great great granddaughter, Barbara Goldstein Bonfield, stated in an email interview that Collins researcher, Kathie Collins Jones, “…found land records from South Carolina with Jeremiah and William Collins listed on them, tons of them.” Great great grandson Jimmy Goldstein believes this indicates that Jeremiah didn’t leave South Carolina so poor he had to bring his possessions to Alabama on a sled instead of a wagon, as some researchers have written.

Writing for The Heritage of St. Clair County, Alabama, Bonfield said that Jeremiah settled along the Coosa River and announced his goal of becoming a landowner. Records show that he owned land in Easonville and Ragland in St. Clair County and substantial acreage in Talladega County. Bonfield tells of a deed, dated June 25, 1842, which transferred to Jeremiah 300 acres of land in the “Coosa Land District acquired by the United States in a treaty with the Creek Indians.” President Tyler signed the deed.

Jeremiah achieved his goal of possessing land, but his son, Jesse Collins had other goals —preaching the gospel of Christ. What a disappointment to Jeremiah, who desired his son to become prominent in Alabama politics. Bonfield writes that Jeremiah told Jesse “…he was not raising a son to be a ‘back-woods Baptist preacher.’”

Jesse returned to South Carolina where he continued to study theology, professed his faith in Christ, and became a minister of the Gospel. Jesse returned to St. Clair County with his bride and began pastoring Baptist churches in the county. During his ministry, he pastored several churches in St. Clair, Shelby and Calhoun counties and helped found a number of Baptist churches.

Jesse had obtained his goal of preaching the Gospel, but his father, Jeremiah, had never embraced Christ nor expressed interest in Christianity. Jesse longed for his father to accept Christ and be baptized. His longing was fulfilled, when at age 91, Jeremiah became a Christian and was baptized.

But who baptized Jeremiah? Mattie Lou Teague Crow wrote that “…frail Jeremiah was strapped into a small chair and the preacher son lowered him into the waters of the Coosa River in baptism.” However, Barbara Bonfield records that in a 1927 written document, Jeremiah’s granddaughter, Magnolia Embry, stated that “…her grandfather was baptized by Reverend Renfro in Chocolocco Creek near Schmit’s Mill in Talladega County. Such are the mysteries of family history.

Jeremiah died in 1873, age 94. Jesse died tragically of a pistol shot. The fact that accounts differ on how the pistol discharged doesn’t diminish the Gospel ministry of Jesse A. Collins and the spiritual legacy he left in St. Clair County. Collins was well-known among Alabama Baptists.

B.F. Riley, in his History of the Baptists of Alabama, recorded that “As financial secretary of Howard College, corresponding secretary of the East Alabama Baptist Convention, and pastor in St. Clair County, Mr. Collins rendered valuable service.”

One other minister must be noted. Hezekiah Moor settled in today’s Moody/Leeds area. Moor history is recorded at length in Leeds…Her Story. Hezekiah’s son, also named Hezekiah, was a Baptist minister who helped organize churches in St. Clair County. The record of his death and the vengeance of his son are matters of record.

Rev. P.S. Montgomery wrote in the Southwestern Baptist, February 4, 1864, that Hezekiah was murdered by a bushwhacker on Kelley’s Creek Road during the Civil War. “Having returned home on furlough, he found much mischief was being done by robbers in this county. …Bro. M. gathered a company of men and was indeed successful in catching them. But alas! About the middle of May 1863, as he was returning home alone, a wretch secreted himself by the way, and committed the awful deed and fled.”

The Leeds history states that the man who killed Rev. Moor was Jeff Darty, a soldier who had deserted the company commanded by Hezekiah’s brother.

Hezekiah’s son, Joseph, was eight when his father was killed. When he turned 14, he set out to find Darty in Texas where he had fled. Joseph joined up with a cattle drive, and within three years ended up in the same cattle drive as Jeff Darty.

The cowboys ended a long-day’s drive, and “…after all the cowboys had rolled up in their blankets for a night of well-earned rest, Joe slipped to Darty’s bedroll, took out his knife and slashed Darty’s throat, killing him instantly. Vengeance was his at last. Joe saddled his horse that very night and came back home to Alabama.”

The enchantment of St. Clair County family history lies in such stories as these.

In planning this project, Burttram and Hyatt took direction from First Families projects in other counties in Alabama and other states,

Aware that Etowah County historian, Jerry Bartlett Jones, Sr., had assigned to the Northeast Alabama Genealogical Society any proceeds of his First Families of St. Clair County and Northeast Alabama, Burttram and Hyatt wanted the proceeds from this project to be shared equally by Springville Preservation Society and St. Clair Historical Society.

The Springville Preservation Society, formed in April 1992, helps protect and maintain Springville’s historic downtown and collects and preserves artifacts of the area’s history.

The Preservation Society owns three buildings in Springville: the Masonic Lodge, which serves as a museum and archives on Springville and the surrounding area; the Little White House, which also serves as the Springville Welcome Center and is rented out for special events; and the old Rock School, their current restoration project. Frank Waid is president of the society.

The St Clair Historical Society was organized in 1972 with the purpose of preserving the county’s history. The primary focus of the first years was restoring the John Looney double dog-trot log home, which is the only surviving example in Alabama. Published from 1993 until 2009, Cherish: The Quarterly Journal of St. Clair Historical Society, focused on both history and genealogy. Cherish can now be accessed online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. The president of the society is Sandi Maroney, librarian at Ragland Public Library.

There are African-American citizens in St. Clair County whose lineage goes back to the earliest years of our county, and Burttram and Hyatt are hopeful that some will make application for membership. Lineage can be hard to establish, but here are some sources. Antebellum church minutes list first names of slave members, and often gives the slave owner’s name. Antebellum court records, accessible at the Ashville Museum and Archives, can provide avenues of research.

And don’t overlook obituaries of former slaves, for quite a number were published in county newspapers, as in the following.

 “Mar. 2, 1899, Southern Alliance: Oldest Man in the County Dead. Dock Collins, colored, age 106 years, died at his home near Riverside on the 12th day of Feb. 1899. He was born in Lawrence District, South Carolina, in 1793, and was sold at public auction at Lawrence Court House when he was about 7 years of age, and bought by Jeremiah Collins, who was the grandfather of Attorney Jas. A. Embry, of our town. He was brought to this county just after the sale, where he continued to reside up till the day of his death.

“He was also the first Negro to own land in the county and a peaceable law-abiding man all his life. He was owned by the same Jeremiah Collins when freedom was declared, having had no other master since a boy. He was almost a life-long member of the Methodist church, and the good advice which he had always given to his race resulted in many of them securing homes around and near him. The influence exerted by this old man among his people was wonderful, he never failing to advise them to be truthful, industrious and honest.

“During his life, he was married twice, and was the father of 14 children, 5 of whom are now living, and some of them property owners. He died within a quarter of a mile from the old home of his master, and the cause assigned for his death was old age. He passed away seemingly without pain and retained his mental faculties till the very last.” l

Editor’s Note: St. Clair County history is rich and exciting. Discover hopes our readers will become excited as well and join in the task of preserving our treasured past. Since the First Families of St. Clair County is an ongoing endeavor, if your family has roots in our county from 1818 or before please connect with Mrs. Burttram or Mrs. Hyatt at firstfamiliesstclairal@gmail.com. Descendants of families settling here in 1819 through 1820 may apply for membership in First Families as a Founding Family member.