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Miss Effie Cowan's Interview with Mrs. J. C. Fountain, White Pioneer, Merlin, Texas. Formerly of Sparta, Alabama.
"I was born March 27, 1873, at Pineville, Alabama. My parents were W. D. and Mary Katherine Kyser, who came to Texas in 1875. I was reared in Merlin and attended the public schools of Marlin and a college for young ladies at Winston Salem, North Carolina."On December 20, 1893, I married Mr. James C. Fountain, Jr., who was born in the vicinity of Reagan, Texas, on October 21, 1871, and is the son of Thomas G. Fountain, who became a citizen of Texas about the year 1869. He was a descendent of Dossey Fountain of South Carolina, of Scotch ancestry. Mr. Thomas Fountain was a native Southerner, was born at Sparta, Alabama, in 1839 and spent his youth on a plantation which was tilled by slave labor.
"When the war between the States came on he joined the Confederate Cavalry and with his brother Henry was enlisted in the cause of the South until the end of the conflict. He enlisted in 1861 at Pineville, Alabama, in Company F, Fifty-third Cavalry, and was first placed in General Forrest's command. After the battle of Iuke, the regiment was ordered to Northern Alabama, where it joined the army under Gen. Roddy and remained with it until transferred to the command of General Wheeler a few months later. Mr. Fountain fought in the battle of Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, the defense of Atlanta, the campaign against the advance of General Sherman's army, following him through South Carolina.
"The last battle that Mr. Fountain fought in was at Statesburg, and he lay down his arms at Columbia, South Carolina. He then resumed the life of a farmer and began the labor of rebuilding the family estate. This was done under the greatest difficulties for the trying days of reconstruction came on and when he came to Texas in 1869 he had made small progress toward financial independence. He came by rail to Falls County and settled in the Hog Island community near Reagan with a wife and three children and seventy-five cents in money. For some years he was a tenant on rented land but prosperity finally came his way until he was enabled to move to Reagan, where he engaged in the lumber business and bought a farm nearby.
"He was named for tax collector and filled this office four years. His educational advantages included the public schools of Marlin and a year in College at Lebanon, Ohio and a course in Eastman's Business College at Poughkeepsie, New York. His first experience in banking business was with the Citizens National Bank at Waco, Texas and after a year and a half there he was transferred to the First National Bank at Marlin, as bookkeeper. He served in this capacity until 1907 having entered this place of business in 1892, and having been elevated from bookkeeper to cashier. After having served this time in the bank he was elected city treasurer of Marlin and served in this capacity for twelve years. At the time of his death he was acting as receiver of the Merchants National Bank of Brownsville, Texas, and died November 25, 1934.
"To my father and mother were born six children, namely; Alva, Ernest, Jasper C., Jr., Lula Lee, Ruth and Leah, twin sisters and the youngest in the family. The oldest married Mrs. R. E. Beard, is now manager of Cox Dry Goods Co., at Marlin. Ernest married Vera Wiley and is in business in Marlin. Jasper Jr., married Pearl Paul and lives at Mart, he is manager of the Texas Utilities Company. Lula Lee married J. Frank Cheavens, a Baptist minister of Victoria, Texas. Ruth married James F. Patrick and lives in Dallas. Leah married James Parrish and lives at Marlin.
"I have resided at the old home since our marriage and one of my daughters, Mrs. Parrish is living with me."
Source: Montgomery Advertiser, March 29, 1914; Submitted by Jo Ann Scott
LEE, DAVID, Baptist minister, was born February 4, 1805, in Johnston County, N. C.; son of Joel Lee (q. v.) ; brother of George and Hanson Lee (q. v.). Rev. Mr. Lee removed with his parents to Alabama and located in Conecuh County in 1817. He began to exhort in 1827, was ordained in 1833, and served the Hopewell church, Mount Willing, for over thirty-five years. Author: many religious papers.' Married: Mary Coleman, of Mt. Willing. They left many descendants. Last residence: Mount Willing
Source: History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, Published by The S. J. Clarke publishing company, 1921; Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer
LEE, GEORGE LASSITER, Baptist minister, was born November 28, 1819, near Burnt Corn, Conecuh County, and died February 16, 1867; son of Joel Lee (q. v.) ; brother of David and Hanson Lee (q. v.). He received a good English education and during his ministerial career served the Bethlehem association as clerk and moderator. Married: Nancy C. Henderson, of Monroe County. There were ten children born of this union. Last residence: Conecuh County.
Source: History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, Published by The S. J. Clarke publishing company, 1921; Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer
LEE, JOEL, pioneer settler and planter, was born January 4, 1773, at Smithfield, N. C., and died October 21, 1862. He came to Alabama in 1817, settling near Burnt Corn, Conecuh County. He was a planter and was the first justice of the peace in Alabama. He was a Baptist and a Democrat. Married: Media Lassiter. Children: 1. Owen; 2. Susan, m. (1) Mr. Williams, (2) Dr. John Miller, (3) Frank Farrow; 3. Martin, m. Nancy Partin; 4. Lee, m. Emily Witherington; 5. David (q. v.), m. Mary Coleman; 6. Eliza, m. Elazarus Carter; 7. Robert, m. Parthenia Autrey; 8. Mary Ann, m. Sebastian Witherington; 9. Hanson (q. v.), m. Mary Cates; 10. George Lassiter (q. v.), m. Nancy C. Henderson. Last residence: Conecuh County.
Source: History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, Published by The S. J. Clarke publishing company, 1921; Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer
LEIGH, NORVELLE ROBERTSON, lawyer, circuit judge, was born May 31, 1836, at Brooklyn, Conecuh County; son of John David and Nancy (Robertson) Leigh, who lived at Wil- llamsburg, Covington County, Miss., the former a native of Virginia, who moved with his father to Savannah, Ga., when a boy, and moved to Brooklyn, Conecuh County, in 1820. became a farmer and merchant, and died December 28, 1848; grandson of Norvelle Robertson a native of Georgia, of Scotch descent, a Baptist minister, who lived in Mississippi and preached the gospel for seventy-two years, and died in 1857, at the age of ninety-four years. On his father's side, his ancestors were Scotch-Irish immigrants who settled in Virginia in colonial days. He was educated in the common schools of Conecuh County, and when he was fifteen years of age became a clerk lu the mercantile house of Charles Willi- ford, at Quitman, Miss., remaining with that concern until 1855. During the latter year, he went to Milton, Fla., and became a clerk in a store owned by his brother. In 1857, he purchased his brother's stock and followed the general mercantile business until the beginning of the War of Secession. He entered the C. S. Army as second lieutenant of a company of mounted rangers, and on the reorganization of the company eight months later, was chosen captain of Co. E, Fifteenth regiment of cavalry, and commanded that company until the close of the war. For some time after the war, he engaged in farming in Conecuh County, but in 1867, entered the mercantile and timber business at Pollard, Escambia County, and continued in that business until 1879. He was elected probate judge of Escambia County in 1880, and was subsequently re-elected until he had held the position for twenty-four successive years. He is a Democrat, a Baptist and a Mason. Married: March 31, 1864, at Belleville, Conecuh County, to Catherine, daughter of John H. and Margarett (Donald) Burnett, who lived at that place. Children: 1. Maggie, m. David M. Hand, Birmingham; 2. Katie, m. E. S. McMillan, merchant, Brewton; 3. Norvelle Robertson, Jr., b. July 23, 1870, was graduated from the University of Alabama, LL.B., lawyer at Brewton, member of the constitutionalconvention of 1901; 4. John David, (q. v.) Residence: Brewton.
Source: History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, Published by The S. J. Clarke publishing company, 1921; Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer
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