Blount Springs

For close to a hundred years Blount Springs was the center of society for many of the elite of Alabama and the South. It served as a watering place and social gathering spot serving the planter class and later the industrialists of the New South. Patrons came to enjoy the health-giving water, dancing, spirits and especially legal gambling Preserving history is an important aspect of our society that, unfortunately, is often overlooked in our fast-paced, I want it now world. Slow down and take a look at a time when leisure and socializing were the preferred way to spend time. Look back at a cure for life's ills and pains that were available at the "Saratoga of the South".

Information comes from over 4,700 Blount County men who filled out cards and submitted them to the Selective Service System. Information often includes full names (first, middle, last), full birth date, occupation, next of kin, marital status, and number of children. Birth dates range from 1870 to 1901 of service aged men who submitted cards in 1917 - 1919. Most of the birth dates are from the 1880s and 1890s. This book is a good substitute for the missing 1890 Federal Census. Additionally, the data is annotated with hundreds of marriages and death dates from Blount County marriage records and cemetery records.

Many of the people and events in Blount County history are well documented. Others, not so much. This book of essays is an attempt to revisit some of the well known events of our county's past, add a little more background, and present our history from a Blount County point of view. In addition to illuminating some familiar topics, this book attempts to bring to light people and events who played significant roles in the development of Blount, but were somehow overlooked or skimmed over by the primary reference books-people and events which were the topic of conversation among our ancestors but over time, have been forgotten. These fun to read tales will promote a greater understanding of the history of Blount County.

The Blount County News was established by Lawrence H. Mathews in Blount Springs as the Blount Springs News in March of 1877. In 1887, Mathews' newspaper merged with the Blount County Dispatch to become the Blount County News-Dispatch. Mathews moved his paper for the last time in 1889 when Oneonta became the new county seat. Mathews died in 1896 but his paper continued until 1903 when it succumbed to the dominance of a new paper called the Southern Democrat. Microfilmed copies of the News-Dispatch were studied page by page and within this volume are found every mention of births, marriages, deaths, obituaries, and news important to the genealogy and history of Blount County. This volume also contains a rare and complete collection of Mary Gordon Duffee's Sketches of Blount County. Hidden nuggets of information of interest to the descendants of Blount County pioneers are found within this volume.

The Blount County News was established by Lawrence H. Mathews in Blount Springs as the Blount Springs News in March of 1877. Mathews moved his paper to Blountsville the following October after the citizens of Blount County elected that town to remain the county seat. In 1887, Mathews' newspaper merged with the Blount County Dispatch to become the Blount County News-Dispatch. Mathews moved his paper for the last time in 1889 when Oneonta became the new county seat. Mathews died in 1896 but his paper continued until 1903 when it succumbed to the dominance of a new paper called the Southern Democrat. Microfilmed copies of the News and News-Dispatch were studied page by page and within these pages are found every mention of births, marriages, deaths, obituaries, and news important to the genealogy and history of Blount County. Hidden nuggets of information of interest to the descendants of Blount County pioneers are found within the pages of this volume.

The Southern Democrat was established by Forney G. Stephens at Blountsville in 1894. After fellow newspaperman Lawrence H. Mathews of the Blount County News-Dispatch died in 1896, Stephens moved the Democrat to Oneonta. When the News-Dispatch folded in 1903, the Democrat was the preeminent Blount County newspaper. Stephens died in 1939, but the Democrat continued to publish in Oneonta for almost 100 years. In 1989 the old Southern Democrat was renamed the Blount Countian. Microfilm for the old Southern Democrat was acquired from the State Archives in Montgomery and studied page by page. Every mention of births, marriages, deaths, obituaries and news important to the history and development of Blount County was reproduced here. This book is vital for any serious student of Blount County, Alabama genealogy and history.

Mary Gordon Duffee wrote: "When the drums beat, and the bugles called for men to march to the front, I tell you old Blount responded nobly, and sent hundreds of her gallant sons to march, fight, suffer and die for the flag that now lies furled forever." This series of books attempts to identify all the Confederate soldiers who enlisted in organizations from the Blount County area, along with those who moved to Blount County after the Civil War. Whole company rosters are captured and entire service records, pension applications, birth dates, spouses and marriage dates, newspaper clippings and obituaries, and dozens of pictures are contained in these volumes. This is the first time ever all this information has been available in a single reference book. Volume 3 contains information on soldiers who enlisted in other Alabama organizations and those who moved to Blount County after the Civil War. These books are vital to any serious student of Blount County, Alabama genealogy and history.