People and Things From The Blount County News and Dispatch 1879 - 1889

376 pages; 8.5 x 11, softcover hard spine, full name index. For pricing, write bobwonda@hiwaay.net

Part of my on going research on Blount County Confederates has been to review early Blount County newspapers for articles involving the old soldiers. The earliest newspaper available was The Blount County News. It later merged with The Blount County Dispatch and renamed the News-Dispatch. The Southern Democrat began publishing about 1894. An obituary index of some of the earlier issues of the papers is located on this site; however, it was has been found to be incomplete and sometimes unreliable. The index starts with 1894, but available issues of the News begins in 1879.

Some Reviews so far:

This book is for you folks who have spent long hours going over newspaper microfilm looking for Great-Grandpa's obituary, only to discover you'd given up two issues short. Robin has transcribed ten years of obits, marriages and newsy stories of Blount Countyís heyday. Many of you will be able to prove and disprove much of your family's lore as well as finding little tidbits youíve never even heard of. Terry Jackson, Oneonta

I've just finished reading your new book and I truly enjoyed reading every article....many of the names I recognized from doing work in genealogy. What a dedicated person you have to be to set out to accumulate the materials for the book. We are in the process of adding to our collection of genealogy resources at the Public Library so this book will be shared with many. I also recommended it to the member of the Blountsville Historical Society.Keep up the good work. Jane Wright, President, Blountsville Historical Society

Dear Robin, Received your latest publication today. Wow, what a jewel! I immediately located both delightful and revealing information regarding everything from a 2nd great grandfather who killed a "monster rattlesnake" in Blount County to the other extreme of another 2nd great grandfather who  "...Tax Collector of this County, has entered suit against some of the newspapers that reported his being killed while trying to rob his own house..."  {Talk about the unexpected.} I embrace my interesting ancestors, thanks for allowing me the opportunity to read about my family members lives in Alabama. Your beautifully bound compilation provides the Blount County researcher with a plethora of unique as well as helpful information all in one neat and well organized package. Your publications are gifts to Alabama that will continue to delight , inspire and inform for generations yet to come. Best Regards, Mary Ann

The book is GREAT....Very interesting reading...hard to put the book down once I started reading. . . . After reading some of the old newspapers from microfilm...I don't know how in the world you put this book together....but thank goodness you did! Keep up the GREAT work!!! Linda Mardis

Hi Robin, the books are wonderful. . . . I'm waiting for your 1898-1903 to be ready. I like the cover and your introduction with the history of the "The Blount County News and Dispatch." The books are so interesting it's hard to put them down. The index makes it so easy to look up ancestors. Every geneologist needs these books. Thank you so much for doing these books. Melissa Tolbert

I received the books on the news papers. They are just great. I really loved them. I found a death announcement on gg grandfather Burgess. He is buried in an unmarked grave in the Cemetery at Blountsville behind the Methodist Church. I am so excited. Thanks so much, Diane Bryant

I am still reading the three [newspaper] books. The detail in these books is just simply amazing to me. I don't see how you still have your eyesight! As I read these old newspaper articles, I feel transported back in time to the social atmosphere in which my ancestors lived as if past events are an overlay upon the current map of the county in which I grew up and now live. Even if you do not read a lot about your own ancestors, you understand more about your heritage by getting a feel for the attitudes and perceptions of the times in which your ancestors lived. It is the mindset of these real personalities which helped to shape our society as we know it today. Also, the books make wonderful coffee table and conversation books--even for folks that do not share my interests in heritage and ancestry. Once I pick them up, I don't want to put them down again. Robin, the books are simply outstanding in quality and very entertaining, and I look forward to the release of the next one! Well done! I recommend them to everyone! Karen Ellsworth

Microfilm of the Blount County News-Dispatch were acquired from the Alabama State Archives and examined page by page and column by column. All mentions of births, marriages, and deaths were completely transcribed. Additionally, news items, Grand and Petit Jury lists, and articles of historical interest were completely transcribed. The result is the very first comprehensive review and abstract of ten years of the early history of Blount County from the available issues of The Blount County News and Dispatch. Much of this material has been available only to hard core researchers who spent hours in front of a microfilm reader.

The Blount County News began publication in 1877, but the first issues which survive were only two issues of 1879; four issues from 1880 survive. Here's the complete list of the issues covered in this book:

1879: Mar 19, Dec 17
1880: Mar 17, May 26, Aug 26, Dec 30
1881: Jan 20, 27, Feb 10, Mar 3, 10, 17, 31, May 5 or 12, 19, 26, Jun 2, 16 23, 30, Jul – Aug, Sep 22, Oct 6, Dec 8, 15, 22
1882: Jan 26, Feb 16, Mar 2, Apr 20, May 18, 25, Jun 1, 15, 22, 29, Jul 13, Aug 3, 23, 31, Oct 26, Dec 7, 21
1883: Jan 4, Feb, Mar 1, 15, Sep 6, Oct 25, Dec 13, 27
1884: Jan 3, 10, 17, 31, Mar 6, Apr 3, May 1, 8, Jun 26, Jul 10, 31, Sep – Oct, Nov 13, Nov 20
1885: Jan 29, Feb 5, 26, Mar 5, 19, 26, Apr 30, May 28, Jul 9, 23, Aug 13, Sep 3, 10, Oct 8, 22, Nov 12, 19, Dec 10, 31
1886: Jan 14, 21, 28, Feb 4, 11, 18, Mar 11, 25, Apr 1, May 6, 13, Jul 8, 15, 22, 29, Aug 19, Sep 30, Oct 7, 14
1887: Jan – May, Jun 2, 9, 16, 23, Jul – Sep, Oct 6, 13, 20, Nov – Dec
1888: All issues
1889: All issues

Every mention of a birth, death, or a marriage was completely transcribed. In addition, news articles were selected based on their relevance to the history of the early development of Blount County: exploitation of her natural resources, political struggles over the location and reconstruction of the Blountsville Court House, the coming of the railroad which would soon prove to be the most significant event of the era, and moving the County seat to the new town of Oneonta.

These transcriptions capture some of the essence of our ancestors who were then alive and going about their daily business. This is what makes genealogy more than just collecting dusty dry dates and assigning them to lists of ancestor names.

The Blount County News and Dispatch contains genealogical nuggets of pure gold. While most marriages mentioned can be verified with Blount County Marriage License volumes found in the County court house, many births and deaths recorded in The Blount County News and Dispatch were seldom recorded in any other place. The paper also records marriages, births, and deaths which took place in Cullman and Jefferson County. It also keeps up with those former families of Blount who moved out West.

Many of the deaths described were for people who never had a tombstone, or if they had one, it has been lost to time. The transcriptions recorded here not only describe such vitals and births, marriages, and deaths, but also capture the humanity of the moment by including everyday Blount County activities which are sometimes tragic and sometimes humorous. This book will generate a real feeling of place and time as you read about your ancestors in so-called "real" time.

This book covers the years 1879 - 1889. Work is already underway on the next book which covers the period from 1890 - 1895.

Here is a complete Table of Contents with page numbers. Keep in mind this is only a brief Subject List and does not include all the births, marriages, and deaths to be found in the book. It also does not cover the scores of smaller news items which were only a paragraph or two long.

Grand and Petit Jury List for Spring Term 1880, 4
Grand and Petit Jury List for Fall Term, 1880, 6
Stories of People of Blount: Col. J.F.B. Jackson, 9
Stories of People of Blount: Dr. W.P. Parker, 11
Stories of People of Blount: Joseph V. Musgrove, 12
Stories of People of Blount: Austin Murphree, 13
Stories of People of Blount: Charles W. Christian, 15
Stories of People of Blount: Captain William Graves, 16
Proceedings of Commissioners Court, May 1881, 19
Grand and Petit Jury List for Fall Term, 1881, 34
Blount County, Climate, Mineral Resources, Etc. by Frank Burns, 36
Proceedings of Commissioners Court Aug 1881, 38
Blount County, Climate, Mineral Resources, Etc. by Frank Burns, 40
International Exposition in Atlanta, 1881, 42
Blount County, Climate, Mineral Resources, Etc. by Frank Burns, 44
Blount County, Climate, Mineral Resources, Etc. by Frank Burns, 48
Blount County, Climate, Mineral Resources, Etc. by Frank Burns, 50
Atlanta Exposition, 1881: Description by Blount County Lady, 53
Description of Blount County by L.R. Hanna, 56
Grand and Petit Jury List for Spring Term 1882, 61
Description of Blountsville Court House, 1882, 62
Proceedings of Commissioners Court Apr 1882, 64
Blount Springs, the Saratoga of the Sunny South, 65
Response to Description of Blountsville Court House, 1882, 66
Condition of the Blountsville Court House, 1882, 68
Removal of the County Seat by Dr. A.S. Davidson, 70
Graduation at Enterprise Academy and Foot Washing at the Primitive Baptist Church at Gum Spring, 1882, 73
Fourth of July in Cullman, 1882, 77
Grand and Petit Jury List for Fall Term, 1882, 81
Proceedings of the Commissioners Court, Aug 1882, 83
Opinion on the Removal of the Court House, 1882, 87
Rebuilding the Blount County Courthouse, 89
Description of the Texas Frontier, 1882, 89
Election Notice and Election Official on the Removal of the County Seat, Feb 1883, 90
Removal of the County Seat: Opinion by Henry Harrell, 92
Removal of the County Seat: Opinion by John D. Hendricks, 93
Removal of the County Seat: Opinion by Commissioner W.T. Hood, 94
Election Returns on Removal of the County Seat, Feb 1883, 96
Reaction to the Election on the Removal Question 98, 99, 101, 102
State Legislature and Blount County Boundaries, 104
Rock Springs Farmer’s Club, 106
Grand and Petit Jury List for Spring Term 1883, 108
Reunion of the First Alabama Union Cavalry in Cullman Oct 1883, 110
Grand and Petit Jury List for Fall Term 1883, 113
Proceedings of the Blount County Teacher’s Institute Feb 1884, 123
Letter from Texas by I.N. Morris, 1884, 127
Letter from Texas by S.W. Stewart, 1884, 128
Proceedings of the Democratic Convention of Blount County, 128
Grand and Petit Jury List for Fall Term 1884, 134
Selling Liquor in Blountsville, 138
Women on Juries, 139
Grand Jury Report Fall Term 1884, 146
Grand and Petit Jury List for Spring Term 1885, 151
Alvin O. Dickson Sues Newspapers for Libel, 152
Blount County Jail Burns, 154
Cullman Celebrates 12th Anniversary, 156
Condition of the Blount County Court House 1885, 156
Proceedings of the Blount County Teacher’s Institute Jul 1885, 158
Fourth of July 1885 at the Great Southern Cave, 159
Grand and Petit Jury List for Fall Term 1885, 162
Proceedings of Commissioners Court Aug 1885, 163
Accidental Poisoning of Children of Eli Glover, 168
Kirschner and Kirschmar Air Line: Humorous Story, 170
Demise of the Competing Blount County Newspaper, the Mineral Age, 171
Grand and Petit Jury List for Spring Term 1886, 188
Otto Puls Responds to Reports of Contractor Price Fixing, 198
Judge Haralson and Federal Troops in Blount County 1870, 200
Rome and Decatur Railroad, 209
Asa R. Griffith’s House Burns Jan 1887 209, 210
Description of Arkadelphia Jan 1887, 211
Grand and Petit Jury List for Spring Term, 1887, 213
Letter from Texas by S.V. Walker, 215
Letter from Texas by D.W. Hanes, 216
Letter from Missouri by John Lathom, 219
Graduation at Soule’s Chapel, 222
Letter from Texas by W.H. Robinett, 223
Senator Hamill: "Thank God the Cause Was Lost", 223
Grand Jury Report Spring Term 1887, 228
County Commissioners Resign, 230
Proceedings of the Commissioners Court April 1887, 235
Rebuilding the Court House: Opinion by Bill Duggan, 239
Proceedings of the Commissioners Court May 1887, 243
Discussion on Rebuilding the Court House by A. Cipher, 243
Opinions on Rebuilding the Court House, 247
Proceedings of the Commissioners Court May 1887, 248
Coming of the Railroad Jun 1887, 249
Birmingham Mineral Railroad Company, 251
Proceedings of the Commissioners Court Jun 1887, 252
Proceedings of the Blount County Teachers Institute Jul 1887, 256
Proceedings of the Commissioners Court Jul 1887, 256
Consolidation of the Blount County News and Blount County Dispatch, 260
Grand and Petit Jury List for Fall Term 1887, 261
Description of Bangor Cave, 263
Murder of John Rogers, 270
Description of the New Court House at Blountsville, 1888, 276
Death of Senator Chalmers F. Hamill, 276
Grand and Petit Jury List for Spring 1888, 277
Picnic at Village Springs on the Fourth of July 1888, 287
Confederate Reunion at Blount Springs 1888, 289
Grand and Petit Jury List for Fall Term 1888, 290
Coming of the Railroad Oct 1888, 293
John Livingston Obituary, 295
Sons of Blount County: How They Are Presently Engaged, 297
John J. Kleibacker Obituary, 299
Sallie Headrick Rice Obituary, 299
Grand and Petit Jury List for Spring Term 1889, 306
Act Providing for Vote on Permanent Location of the County Seat, 312
Immigration Views from 1889, 315
Synopsis of Proceedings of Commissioners Court, 8 Jul 1889, 320
Alabama’s Natural Bridge, 320
Blountsville Jailbreak, 324
Election Returns on Removal or No Removal, 325
Grand and Petit Jurors for For Fall Term 1889, 326
Synopsis of Proceedings of Commissioners Court, 12 Aug 1889, 327
Reaction to Vote, 328
Election Returns on Location of New County Seat, 329
Election Returns on Selection of New County Seat (Oneonta), 333
Reaction to Oneonta as New County Seat, 336
Rube Burrows Excitement, 336
Sheriff and Posse Searches for the Desperadoes, 340
Opinion of Moving to Oneonta, 341
Synopsis of Proceedings of Commissioners Court, Nov 1889, 342
Synopsis of Proceedings of Commissioners Court, 20 Dec 1889, 348
Index of Names, 350