Whatever happened to the passion of the people…

Lawrence County Alabama Courthouse in Moulton, year 1880.

it used to be there even before government education and control was rampantly destroying the fabric of our country. I can remember even as a child how very few if any had anything for gubment help of any kind except antipathy, even down to the safe keeping of the votes and the location of government buildings.

Our forefathers had spunk. They were well armed. They basically did not mess with anyone and would not tolerate anyone messing with them or theirs. I do not see that spirit today. It seems that America is now all hat and  no cattle. Americans today are all so afraid of not being politically correct. I came across an interesting story from way back in 1893 from Lawrence County, Alabama. It was published in the Vernon Courier, a newspaper in Lamar County. The date of publication was 10 August 1893. The article reads as such:

COUNTY SEAT WAR – A Birmingham Special of the 11^th says: News comes from Lawrence county of a red hot controversy which has grown out of the election in that county for the location of the court house.

The court house has always been located at Moulton, which is in the mountainous region away from the railroad. Courtland is a growing town on the Memphis and Charleston railroad, wanted the court house, and as a result of it an election was ordered to be held last Monday to decide the location. The peculiar part about it is that the result of the election has never been determined so far as known, both sides claiming the victory.

The mountaineers rallied to the support of Moulton, while the people residing in the Tennessee valley favored Courtland. The sheriff was favorable to Courtland and the probate judge was for Moulton.

While the sheriff was at Courland yesterday a report reached him that a number of ballot boxes at Moulton had been stolen and he organized a posse and proceeded to that place. On his arrival he and his entire posse were overpowered by a party of mountaineers and placed in jail

When the people of Courtland heard of this a rousing crowd was at once organized and armed and sent post haste to Moulton. It was expected that bloodshed would result when they reached Moulton and attempted to release the sheriff and his posse. The latest report is that the sheriff and his crowd made bond and was released before the Courtland delegation arrived. Excitement is running high in Lawrence and the opinion seems to be that unless the court house squabble is settled serious trouble will result. Source: Vernon Courier, Lamar County AL, August 10, 1893

It seems that many families in the Shoals area at one time or another either lived or passed through Lawrence County. Many veterans of the War Between the States relocated to the northwest section of Alabama after the hostilities were over. I can just see my large family of Terrys, Peebles and all related families discussing this topic. Funny is it not, how passion for standing up for something seems to have vanished. Those families stood up for what they believed in. If this is in question whatsoever in your mind, then just think upon this. Records and documents, even modern-day technology thinks that the Hillsboro Post Office is at the intersection of Latitude 343813N and  Longitude 0871133W. And it is on the Hillsboro map. However, it was not always located at that exact spot. Just ask those Terry, Peebles and allied neighbors who moved the Post Office in the middle of the night one night long ago so that it would be more conducive to ‘ladies’ patronizing the post office.