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Winston County |
LETSON, WILLIAM PALESTINE, teacher, was born December 4, 1870, at Falls City, Winston County; son of William Henry and Susan Emiline (Steward) Letson, the former who was born in Fredonia, Chambers County, lived at Mountain Home, Sparta, South Lowell, and Glen Allen; grandson of George John and Nancy (Martin) Letson, of Fredonia, the former a Georgian, who came to Alabama about 1840, and lived in Chambers and Lawrence Counties, who served in the C. S. Army with Gen. Lee in all of his campaigns from the first of the War of Secession until the surrender at Appomattox, and of Manly Palestine and Susan Steward, of Jasper. The Letson family came from Holland to South Carolina, and the great-grandfather Let son served in the Revolution. Mr. Letson grandfather Let son served in the Revolution. Mr. Letson was educated in the common schools and the Glen Allen school. He began to teach at Poplar Springs, in 1888, and since that time has been teaching in Marion and Fayette Counties. He served as county superintendent of education, 1898-1900; and represented Marion County in the State legislature, 1911. He is a Democrat; a Methodist; a Mason; and an Odd Fellow. Married: March 29, 1903, at Stricklin, Marion County, to Martha Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. Andrew Jackson and Nancy Jane McWhirter, of that place, the former of Irish descent; great-granddaughter of Archibald Whitehead, who was with Gen. Jackson in the Creek War, 1813. Children: 1. Lorenz Hearsh; 2. Lothair Everett; 3. Burwell Braxton; 4. Kermit. Residence: Glen Allen.
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
LOVETT, JAMES ARCHIBALD BRADFORD, teacher, was born March 3, 1848, in Winston County, and died October 19, 1910, at Bessemer; son of Abel J. and Mary (Hard- wick) Lovett, who lived near Shelby, the former a native of Georgia; grandson of Thomas Lovett, of Georgia, who was of Scotch descent, and of James and Vloletta (Elder) Hardwick, who lived in Georgia, the former a memberof the Alabama legislature for several years, whose father came from England. He was educated at Ashville, and at the age of fifteen ran away from school to enter the C. S. Army. He was made drummer boy in the Fifty-eighth Alabama regiment, Co. G, under Capt. A. B. Vandegrlft, and after two months' service, waa captured, June, 1863, and held a prisoner at Camp Chase and at Fort Delaware until the close of the war. After the war, he worked his way through the theological department of the Cumberland university, Lebanon, Tenn., and was graduated with the degree of D. D. He received the degree of A. M. from the college at Winchester, Tenn. He joined the ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and was pastor of churches at Huntsville, Winchester, Tenn., and Beech Grove, Tenn. After giving up the ministry on account of throat trouble, he entered the profession of teaching. In 1882, he organized the Huntaville grade schools, and later was made superintendent of the city schools of Huntsville, and superintendent of education of Madison County. He was at one time secretary of the Southern interstate cotton convention, and was appointed as one of a committee to visit President Roosevelt in the interest of the expansion of the cotton market. He was elected to the presidency of Blount college in 1889; established Spring Lake college, at Springville, and later, the Montezuma university, since destroyed by fire, at Bessemer; and was twice elected president of the Ninth district agricultural school, which replaced Blount college after its destruction by fire. He was one of the founders of the Birmingham dental school in 1893, and of the Birmingham medical college in 1894. In the former he was professor of chemistry and metallurgy, and in the latter, of chemistry and toxicology. He was a Democrat; a Mason; and a member of Camp William Rose McAdory of Confederate Veterans. He established an educational journal, "The Teacher at Work," said to have been the first educational journal in the state, in Huntsville, about 1886. Married: September 2, 1866, to Frances Priscllla, daughter of William and Ellen Gilbert, who lived at Highland, Shelby County. Children: 1. Edward Goode, deceased; 2. Dr. James Marion, m. (1) Emma Mae Baker of Huntsville, (2) Olive Nichols of Delavan, Ill..; 3. Mary Eleanor, Bessemer; 4. Dr. William Abel, m. Fannie Kemp Dennis, Birmingham; 5. Richard Beard, deceased; 6. Susie Mae, deceased. Last residence: Bessemer.
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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