Chilton County and Her People

The Union Banner 1960

Pg. 143,144

Two Hermits of the County

A famous hermit in Chilton county was a German by the name of Phillip Hessman. He lived out on what is now Kincheon road about the Peter Primm place. He truck farmed and peddled his products in Clanton; he moved away from here about 1901. Another hermit was John Tuttle, who lived in the vicinity of Pinedale. About 1900 as a tramp, Tuttle went to the home of Wm. J. Headley and asked to stay all night in Mr. Headley's barn; the permission was given. Tuttle remained and helped Mr. Headley on the farm. After a few years he had saved enough money to buy a farm of his own; he owned the farm later belonging to Marion France Ellison. In 1908 he sold out and moved to Defuniak Springs, Florida, where he married and lived happily for several years. He also was a German by birth.

Chilton County Old People in 1889

The following, relative to "Healthy Old People and Numerous Progenies"  is taken from files of the Chilton View, published in 1889.

Jerry Donevan was born in Ireland, and is 90 years old; he has resided near Stanton fifty years. He is the father of 16 children and is about the only Catholic in this part of the country.

Mrs. Polly Chambers, also of southwest Chilton, is over fifty years old and the mother of twelve children; and the grandmother of 65. All could be gotten together in twelve hours. One of her grandchildren has five living grandmothers. 

"Honest" John Parnell is 71 years old. He is in perfect health, a successful farmer, a moderate swearer and a pretty good old man. He was one of the commissioners appointed to organize Baker county.

Mrs. Ridah Klinner, is on the shady side of 70, is healthy and has 25 grandchildren.

Uncle Charlie Ingram is 72 years old, spry as a cricket and is a hard worker. He removed from Cahaba to Old Maplesville in 1838, and knows many interesting happenings away back. 

William Harper ran a tanyard on Goosepond Creek, now Clanton, fifty years ago. He is now seventy-some-odd. 

R.B. Adams, a native of Tennessee, is seventy, served in the Mexican War and draws a pension from the U.S. government.

Wash Foshee, now more than eighty, represented this county in the Legislature a few years ago.

A.G. Patrick, a native of South Carolina, is a Baptist preacher more than eighty years old.   

J.A. Minor was 70 on the 6th of February and is active as a cat; his sister, Mrs. J.A. Brown, lives at Vine Hill in Augusta and is 82.

"Grandma", Mrs. Amelia Sexton, was born in Camden, S.C., now lives at Clanton, and was 84 years old the day Mr. Harrison took the presidential chair. She attends all her household affairs.

William Vinzant, just across the line in Augusta, died last year at the age of 108.

Then there is Judge Jefferson Faulkner of Mt. Creek, who was born in 1810. He was a member of the State Senate. In 1845 when Tuscaloosa was the state capitol. He is a Baptist Minister of high standing.

Uncle Johnnie Goodgame of Clanton is 92 years old and his wife 89. They have 259 descendents, including children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. One of their married daughters gave birth to five children in 13 months.

Mrs. Gross, living five miles from Clanton, is 84 years old.

Elijah Myers, father of Rudolph A. Myers, who died three years ago, was 81 years old

Rev. William A. Wells, a Congregational Methodist minister, will be eighty in july; he came to this state in 1817. his wife is 75; they have been married 60 years. They have a son who is a preacher- Rev. Archibald C. Wells.

Mrs. J.C. Gibson, wife of Major J.C. Gibson, died at the home in Verbena Saturday, November 16, 1889. She was a sister of Clifford and Sidney Lanier, the deceased poet. Burial was at Montgomery.

Chapter VI

Early Settlers on the River of Eastern Arkansas and on the Arkansas River

Benjamin Fooy

The Fooy family in Arkansas sprang from Benjamin Fooy, a native of Holland, born in 1759. He tried to better his condition in many parts of the world and in 1794 found himself opposite the present city of Memphis in Spanish territory at the village of Hopefield, or as it was called then Camp Esperanza. The Commandant Augustine Le Grande granted him a concession of land, upon which he settled and upon which he died thirty years afterward, on December 27, 1823.

Thirty years in the forests of Arkansas, thirty years on the banks of the mighty Mississippi. Honored was he by the Spainiards while in control; honored again while the territory was known as Louisiana; honored still more in the days of the territory of Missouri, and most of all under the territorial laws of Arkansas. He was a justice of the peace for years and under the last control  a judge of the Court of Common Pleas. His character was above reproach, and his philanthropy and hospitality were only bonded by his means. He left an aged wife, a large number of children, and a still larger number of grandchildren, whose descendents still ramify eastern Arkansas. Lands were confirmed to him at Hopefield and Wappenocke as having been settled prior to 1799, and to Isaac Fooy at Hopefield under a settlement of 1801.

This region is now Crittenden county and the confirmed concessions recorded in 1811 and 1813 upon which patents were issued as follows;

Antoine Pena, Augustine Gonzales, John Francis Almendras, John Dominiques, John Andre Escriveve, Francis Groson, Jasto Martin, John Rodrigues and Elizabeth Jones, whose settlements were made between 1798 and 1802. Elizabeth Jones was also confirmed in her right to a farm on Elk Lake opened in 1801.

On Copperas Creek of the St. Francis the earliest settle in that region was John Hogan, in 1800, who was joined in 1803 by John Taylor. They and their families were not disturbed by other additions to their neighborhood until some time in 1810.

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