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4/27/2001 ================================================================================= Posted 4/28/2001 Camp Hill must be run by IDIOTS Finley says he is back as chief “I received information today that I have
not been terminated,” Finley said at the meeting at Edward Bell School.
Finley was fired by council members at a special meeting Wednesday afternoon
for allegedly misusing town property. Finley said he was accused of misusing
town property during an undercover drug investigation but was not told by
council members what the misuse was. “They accused me of misusing
city property. They didn’t elaborate on the specific misuse,”
Finley said. “That didn’t happen. It never happened.” Reports
of him misusing town funds are false, Finley said. “The mayor and council members told me that I was never terminated.” Finley said the ordeal has damaged his character. He said was told by one council member after being terminated he would be arrested if he entered the police department. “I think it’s time for this community to come together,” he said. “If the individuals who took personal attacks on my character would spend their time focusing on coming up with resources for the town instead of attacking the police department we’ll be much better off.” Finley said he was immediately going back to work to clean up reports of juveniles selling drugs, loitering and causing disturbances in two areas. “My first stop is going to be Morningside Apartments and my second stop will be the Camp Hill Housing Authority,” he said. I think that this man has been one of the best Policeman and Chief of Police that Camp Hill has ever had. He was shot several years ago while doing his job and was hurt real bad. He helped Jimmy Eaton during some of his mental problems when he was acting out. |
Taken from the Alexander City Outlook website... Trash talking in Camp Hill: 'Where has the money gone?' By Brad Stewart ... e-mailto: michelle.jones@alexcityoutlook.com Working together and a promise to repay an outstanding bill of $55,800 was the result of a meeting between the Camp Hill City Council, mayor Danny Evans, two representatives from Waste Management and Sen. Ted Little. "My main concern is getting the services back to the people," Evans said. The meeting moved Camp Hill and Waste Management closer to resolving the two-week old battle that began with Waste Management removing residents trash bins on Dec. 6. Citizens met with the town council one day later questioning not only the lack of trash removal, but also asking for fiscal responsibility for past payments. "Wednesday, Camp Hill paid us $6,200 for December, so we picked up [trash] and will pick up for the rest of the month," Waste Management's business development-manager Gentry Shows said. A larger question was how would Camp Hill pay off the $55,800 that is in arrears. Councilman Joe Watson suggested that the council could raise the rates. "If we raise each customer a dollar a month, that would assure Waste Management of $7,200 a month with $1,000 of that for arrears. At that rate, according to Shows, it would take Camp Hill four and a half years to pay off the arrears. Little suggested that he and Rep. Betty Carol Graham could go to Gov. Don Seigelman and ask for help from the Discretionary Fund. Little said it would not be a bail-out. "We're not talking about big money," Little said. Little suggested the mayor and council meet with Perry Rockmore, director of the Alabama League of Municipalities, to discuss Camp Hill's best course of action for raising revenue to pay back Waste Management. Possibilities brought up included a hike in the gas tax and a raise in the sales tax. Little also said extra money that Camp Hill would receive from Amendment 1 might free up money already budgeted for infrastructure. "There are no immediate solutions, but there is some help out there," he said. Councilman Angela Calloway wanted to know when they could have the trash receptacles returned. "What do we have to do today to get our citizen's trash cans back?" she said. "Once a plan is in place that we all agree on, we will bring the trash cans back," Waste Management district manager Mike Malphrus said. Malphrus said he would go over the results of the meeting with his supervisor and might know something as soon as Monday. One question Shows wanted answered concerned Waste Management not receiving payments for August, September, October and November. "If the people were paying their trash bills, where has that money been going?" Shows asked. "Apparently, we were sending money in, but it was being applied to the arrears," Evans said. "I will get with the city clerk on that and straighten it out." ======================================================== Our View Alexcityoutlook.com It looks like the Camp Hill mayor and council dealt with a potential Open Meetings Law minefield, commonly referred to as the Sunshine Law, on Friday. Wednesday,The Outlook learned that there would be a meeting between the mayor, council and Waste Management concerning the more than $50,000 owed by Camp Hill and the lack of trash hauling. However, Outlook staffers were snubbed when they attempted to learn when the meeting would be held. "There is no meeting," a clerk said. "The mayor and council are just going to sit down with Waste Management and talk." WZLM-Radio aired a news report about the meeting which said that the meeting was, "not open to the public" and was a "closed meeting." According to Alabama law, the only exclusions of the public can take place if good name and character are involved or a meeting involves discussion with a lawyer about pending litigation. And clearly this meeting was not about an employee or litigation. It was about garbage, which seems funny unless you have your garbage piled in your driveway. It was also about the money the town of Camp Hill claims to have been paying Waste Management. These are pretty major issues for a town council to be talking about behind closed doors. Sometimes our elected officials, boards, councils and commissions think it is OK to retreat behind closed doors anytime a person's name is mentioned or the issues concerning the public's money demands tough decisions. It's not. These elected officials are paid with public money and decide how to spend public money - our money. The public is entitled to know how they perform their jobs, and they have a right to know specifically how the money is spent - or what has become of unaccounted for funds. Camp Hill officials, led by Sen. Ted Little, did the right thing by opening their meeting to WZLM and The Outlook. The mayor and council worked to solve the problem with Waste Management, led by Little. Currently, there are three communities in the Lake Martin area dealing with questions of missing public funds. Meetings that are open to the entire community, not just the press, are the only way to deal with those and everyday problems faced by local boards and elected officials. Our public officials weren't elected to do the easy or less embarrassing thing, they were elected to do the right thing. And they were elected to do it in public. =================================== 8/22/2000 Speak out By Kristie Willis Camp Hill residents were invited to speak out at rally - and that's just what they did Repairing streets, running an honest city government and attracting business to an economically struggling community: these are some of the issues about which the people of Camp Hill are concerned. More than 20 people gathered at Mt. Lovely Baptist Church in Camp Hill to listen as town council and mayoral candidates addressed these challenges. Mayoral candidates Danny Evans, Dwinderling Finley-Higgins and James Rhodes; Place 1 candidates James Woody and Ezell Smith; Place 3 candidate Matilda Woodyard-Hamilton; Place 4 candidate Anthony Pogue; and Place 5 candidate Angela Calloway attended the meeting. Mayoral candidate Lester Griffin; Place 2 candidates Annie Willis and Joe Watson; Place 3 candidates Larry Brooks and Jerry Wren; Place 4 candidate Dorothy Veasley; and Place 5 candidates Johnny "Rabbit" Caldwell and Lydell Vines were not present. During a question and answer session, discussion became lively as townspeople asked each candidate what he would do to attract industry - and more money - to Camp Hill. Woody, the Place 1 incumbent, said the current administration already has a plan for economic development. "Part of [the plan] is clearing away old run-down properties. No one is going to want to move into places that look like dumps," he said, adding that getting businesses into town is a "drawn-out process." "We have had people come into town looking," current mayor Danny Evans said. "The appearance of the town is important. That's why we're forcing property owners to clean up." Rhodes said that if elected, he would use his connections with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, which recognized him for fiscal responsibility, to help bring industry to town. "You need to go with someone recognized by the government," he said. Pogue, a Place 4 challenger, said publicity is key. "We have to let people know. We have to establish a rapport and let people in contact with the state and with companies know," he said. Place 1 challenger Smith said she planned to use her contacts with governmental agencies to attract economic growth. "I'd like to … use my connections with ADECA and other agencies. I remember when Camp Hill was flourishing. I have that vision now, to try to restore that," she said. Finley-Higgins plans to use her business connections and work hard. "You have to have contacts in the business world. I have friends, and I will call them. Grants are another way," she said. Calloway suggested making Camp Hill an attractive place where companies could do business. "Maybe we could give incentives to businesses - maybe waiving a business license for the first six months. Give them a reason to come to Camp Hill," she said. Hamilton agreed with everything the other candidates said, but believed the reason for Camp Hill's economic woes ran deep. "We've got to deal with attitudes here. We have an ingrained attitude that we have to go to Opelika or Dadeville to buy food and clothing. That's what we've done for so long," she said. "We've got to be willing to pay a few pennies more and support hometown business." =============================================== 12/21/2000 Waste Management not ready to return receptacles By Brad Stewart Despite a promise to repay an outstanding bill of $55,800 at a meeting on Friday Dec. 15 between the Camp Hill City Council, Mayor Danny Evans, representatives from Waste Management and Sen. Ted Little, Camp Hill residents shouldn't expect their trash receptacles back any time soon. "[After the meeting] I had a conference about the situation with my superiors on Monday," Waste Management district manager Mike Malphrus said. "We are not ready to redeliver the receptacles at this time until Camp Hill has made a significant payment on the past due [bill] and have a plan in place as to how they're going to pay it off," he said. The meeting was supposed to move Camp Hill and Waste Management closer to resolving the two-and-a-half week old battle that began with Waste Management removing residents trash bins on Dec. 6. Citizens met with the town council one day later questioning not only the lack of trash removal, but also asking for fiscal responsibility for past payments. "Wednesday [Dec. 13], Camp Hill paid us $6,200 for December, so we picked up [trash] and will pick up for the rest of the month," Waste Management's business development-manager Gentry Shows said. The larger question is how will Camp Hill pay off the $55,800 that is in arrears. Councilman Joe Watson suggested that the council could raise the rates. "If we raise each customer a dollar a month, that would assure Waste Management of $7,200 a month with $1,000 of that for arrears. At that rate, according to Shows, it would take Camp Hill four and a half years to pay off the arrears. Little suggested that he and Rep. Betty Carol Graham could go to Gov. Seigelman and ask for some help from the Discretionary Fund. Little said it would not be a bailout. "We're not talking about big money," Little said. Little suggested the mayor and council meet with Perry Rockmore, director of the Alabama League of Municipalities, to discuss Camp Hill's best course of action for raising revenue to pay back Waste Management. Possibilities discussed included a hike in the gas tax and a raise in the sales tax. Little also said extra money that Camp Hill would receive from Amendment 1 might free up money already budgeted for infrastructure. "There are no immediate solutions, but there is some help out there," he said. One question Shows wanted answered concerned Waste Management not receiving payments for August, September, October and November. "If the people were paying their trash bills, where has that money been going?" Shows asked. "Apparently, we were sending money in, but it was being applied to the arrears," Evans said. "I will get with the city clerk on that and straighten it out." "That's absolutely false," Malphrus said Wednesday. "The last bill we received [from Camp Hill] was in August and that was for the month of July" In the meeting, Malphrus asked themayor if he had any of the cancelled checks. "If you've put any checks in the mail we haven't received them,' he said. The Outlook was unable to contact Evans for additional information. ================================================= 12/22/2000 Camp Hill taking steps to pay trash debt By Mike Clements A Camp Hill councilman said the town wants to pay money it owes Waste Management and ensure this kind of problem doesn't come up again. He also said the company shares at least some responsibility for the problem. Councilman Joe Watson said that when he came on board last October, the town already owed Waste Management around $40,000. Since then, the debt has ballooned to more than $50,000 and resulted in Waste Management repossessing the town's trash bins. Camp Hill and the waste company have worked out a deal for December and are continuing to look for ways to keep the trash trucks rolling, Watson said. As the council looked for the source of the problem, Watson said at least part of it appears to be that the town was being billed for trash bins that were not being used. He said that Waste Management inventories its bins once a year and bills its municipal customers accordingly. The company had originally sent more than 500 bins to Camp Hill. However, throughout the year, people moved and quit using their bins and subsequently quit paying for them. Town workers were supposed to pick up unused bins and return them to Waste Management. For some reason that didn't happen, so the town wound up paying around $1,200 each month on bins it received no money for. Watson said that money can now be applied to paying the debt. "That's a pretty substantial payment there," he said. Watson said he feels that Waste Management is at least partly responsible for the size of the debt because it didn't try to collect the money earlier. He said he believes the company was probably trying to help the town by not pressing the issue, but in the end it only made matters worse. Still, he added that the company has indicated it is still willing to work with the town as it tries to dig itself out of this financial hole. During its regular meeting Monday night, the council discussed a number of steps to pay the bill. Most have to do with cutting expenses. One of the first steps is for the council and mayor to accept a reduction in pay. Watson said they are prohibited by law from voting a pay cut for themselves, just as they are not allowed to vote for a raise. Still, he said the council and mayor all agreed to accept less money. Council members currently receive $150 per meeting and the mayor is paid $800 per month. At its meeting Monday night, the council agreed to reduce the amount it will accept by $50 per meeting for council members and $200 per month for the mayor. "The council should lead by example," Watson said. The council also discussed cutting back on vehicle expenses and having department heads adjust work schedules to save money without laying off employees. He said the cuts will probably not stop there. "I think you can look for some other cutbacks," he said. In an effort to prevent future problems, Watson said the council hired the accounting firm of Sellers and Assoc., of Dadeville. The accountants will work with town staff to review procedures. They will train town employees and help implement accounting procedures so the town can avoid this trouble. "They are going to be on site. They are literally going to police us," he said. One thing he expects the accountants to recommend, is an increase in utility rates. "That's going to make us really popular," he said. "But if we don't make these changes, this time next year we're going to have this problem on natural gas. "You just can't absorb debt." ================================================== 12/29/00 Thumbs down to the town of Camp Hill for not practicing better fiscal responsibility. Simple fundamental functions such as the collection of trash should not be a problem, but when a community is behind on its bill $55800, the trash doesn't get collected. The Camp Hill government has shown us that it is also not something that should be taken for granted. ============================================== Camp Hill mayor Danny Evans said his small town is facing big problems and he has one message for his constituents. "I sympathize, I apologize, I'm doing everything humanly possible to get their services restored," he said. Evans is talking about the more than $700,000 in debt the town is facing. Much of that consists of payments that have fallen behind and doesn't include bills owed to local businesses the town has been struggling to pay. Evans, and Dadeville accountant Ben Vance of Sellers and Associates, said the reason for the town's financial problems lay with shoddy bookkeeping and the lack of financial accountability on prior administrations. Evans said he accepts some responsibility because he spent six years as a councilman before being appointed mayor in 1998. However, he said his biggest mistake was trusting former Mayor Lester Griffin and town clerk Lisa Rowe. "(The council) voted on certain issues," Evans said. "But we trusted the mayor and clerk to handle the city's business." Since being appointed mayor, Evans said he has been trying to work out repayment plans with two bond companies, local banks, a gas company and Waste Management. The situation with Waste Management received much publicity after the company repossessed the town's garbage bins because the town owed it more than $60,000. Evans said he and Vance were scheduled to meet with Waste Management officials Wednesday afternoon. While he wouldn't be specific on what type of agreement would be discussed, Evans said citizens can expect a significant increase in utility rates and taxes. He said that for years the town took in less money than it spent and now it has to make up for that. "We project that the increase will be significantly higher," he said. Vance said that town officials realize the increased costs won't go over well, but the only alternative is to have bond trustees step in and handle the situation. "If the council doesn't go up on the rates, the bond trustee will," Vance said. He added that the trustee would be interested only getting the debt paid, not keeping city services in operation. In addition to working out payment plans and increasing rates, Evans and the council have agreed to accept less compensation and are looking at other ways to relieve the town's financial problems. Evans said the town is considering a proposal from Alagasco to purchase it's natural gas system. This would help provide the approximately $60,000 Camp Hill owes Southern Natural Gas and relieve it of the expense of maintaining the system. The town has also re negotiated some loans with local banks. Evans was appointed mayor after Griffin resigned in 1998. Rowe resigned in July 1997 after a review of the town's books by the state examiner's office revealed a number of discrepancies and problems in the town's bookkeeping system. A report issued by the State Examiner charged more than $30,000 back to Griffin, Rowe and the town council. Evans said Vance's firm was hired to ensure the kind of problems found by the examiners don't happen again. In addition to helping Camp Hill find ways to raise revenue, Vance said his company will make recommendations on implementing reporting procedures. Vance said that prior to 1998 there was little accountability in Camp Hill town hall. So, when it came time to review the books, there was little information on how money was spent. The examiner's report says that utility logs were poorly kept, deposits and expenditures weren't properly documented and cash was transferred from fund to fund with little or no record of the transactions. Evans hopes the accountants can solve those problems. "That's why we hired this firm, to help us get some internal controls," he said. Looking back over the situation, Evans says
he has learned some valuable lessons that could benefit any municipal official.
First among those, he said, is to check things out. "I learned not
to take anything for granted," Evans said. "You need to do your
own work." At Camp Hill's last town council meeting the council learned that its money problems were even worse than expected. In addition to owing Waste Management more than $50,000, the town had run up a $200,000 bill from Southern Natural Gas. Vance told the council that there was little the town could do other than try to raise the money to pay the bill. The problem is that the town was forced to drop out of a gas buying consortium because it couldn't get credit. Towns in the consortium, including Dadeville, pooled their buying power to get a better price on gas. The only alternative it had was to buy gas directly from the pipeline company, Southern Natural. Since Southern Natural only contracts to transport gas, not sell it, the town found itself paying around 150 percent of market price. After that meeting, Vance said it appeared Camp Hill could lose gas service altogether. Meanwhile, Dadeville has been buying gas at a price far below market because it bought it last spring, when prices were much lower. Friday, Vance said officials in Dadeville contacted him about working out a deal to help Camp Hill out. Under the plan, Camp Hill will buy gas from Dadeville at the price that Dadeville is paying. In exchange, Camp Hill will allow Dadeville to use gas storage facilities it has already paid for. This should allow Camp Hill to keep its municipal gas service. While this doesn't impact the bill the town has already run up, it does give it some breathing room while it tries to work out a payment plan. "This will save Camp Hill tens of thousands of dollars," Vance said. Vance said the Camp Hill finance committee has been meeting with Southern Natural representatives in trying to work out a payment plan on the outstanding debt. He added that the town may see some light at
the end of the tunnel that first drew public attention to Camp Hill's money
woes. He said that if all goes well, he will present some resolutions to
the council concerning its bill to Waste Management. At the same meeting
in which the council learned of the gas bill, it approved a payment plan
in which it will raise garbage service rates to pay the company back. Evans was a councilman under former Mayor Lester Griffin. Evans said that the council routinely voted to authorize Griffin and former clerk Lisa Rowe to pay the town's bills without reviewing the bills or inquiring about the town's financial condition. This proved to be a costly mistake. A 1997 report by the State Examiners Office indicates the town's finances were seriously mismanaged. Thousands of dollars were charged back to Griffin, Rowe and the council. The problems uncovered almost four years ago haunt the town today, and Evans ruefully says he learned that municipal officials must "do their own work." What he means by that is local officials must know what is going on in their towns. He is right, but that doesn't stop at city hall. Citizens have a responsibility to keep tabs on how their government is operating. Under Alabama law, most public documents, financial records, court records and certain law enforcement records are to be available to the public. While there are some exceptions, the burden of showing a document is not a public record lies with the public official denying access. In other words, a simple refusal isn't enough. The official must show why, under the law, the record is not a public record. Likewise, meetings of city and town councils, county commissions and other governmental entities are to be open to the public. The law allows an exception to discuss the "good name and character of a man or woman," but the law never requires a secret meeting, even to discuss good name and character. This means that at any time, any citizen of
Camp Hill could have arranged to see what financial shape their town was
in. At any time they could have arranged to attend a council meeting, set
up an appointment with the mayor or question the council on what was going
on. So, those who blame officials in Camp Hill for the town's money problems
should keep in mind that citizens have a certain responsibility to keep
their government straight because, according to the law, they have that
right. Click here to visit the Alexander City Outlook for more news and updates. There is even some talk that someone set the fire to the old Chester's Drugs because the owner was active in trying to get to the bottom of the city problems. ADDED 4/7/01 from someone else from Camp Hill. I just read what Billy (has above) about the problems in Camp Hill and will go a little further with my knowledge. Camp Hill's problems go back to when Holley was mayor and Lisa Rowe town clerk.. Holley left the town head over hills in debt and they have been having a hard time since then. The present council have made mistakes, but I think they at least were honest ones. The bills for customers were not increased when the gas went up for them or when the waste control bills became higher for one thing. However, they are working very hard trying to come out from under this problem. Some facts the papers have not told has to do with the drag strip that started when holley was mayor. He is a part owner. They have never paid what was agreed to stay there and finally quite a few months ago the town sued them. After the hearing, the judge sat on it (why?) for probably a year, and now just this week I hear Camp Hill has won the suit and the drag strip will have to leave within 6 months. Of course, that doesn't get them any of the money they should have been paid. But, I personally think this is the best mayor and council Camp Hill has had since Doug Whitman. Someone needs to go to jail for what has happend there. Somebody had to have stolen monies from the people of Camp Hill, I don't know who but I am sure the people there have a good idea..... Bill.... Meeting canceled; officials arent sure why A notice on the door of the Camp Hill Town Hall
said a special meeting had been called for 5 p.m. Wednesday night. At around
5:30 a reporter spoke to Council members Larry Brooks and They said Mayor Danny Evans had contacted them at work earlier in the week and told them he was calling a special meeting. They said Evans didn't tell them what the meeting was about. There have been unconfirmed reports that the meeting
was to be about a city employee allegedly misusing the citys vendor number
to purchase excess property from state agencies. Brooks I don't want to go on the record saying anything
about that, Callaway told a reporter. In the request, the paper asks to see all records on state property purchased in the past year, how much the property cost, whether the city still owns the property and how is it being used. Callaway said she would pass the request onto town
staff. Property owners Sammy and Scott Keeble, who are developing the track, say they will build a nice facility and utilize it with a minimum amount of disturbance to residents. However, a petition signed by residents against
the track stated their concern about the atmosphere and problems a race
track will bring including crime, noise and litter. "We feel like it will be a nuisance for sound. Outsiders will come in and litter," he said. We bought our property out there because of the peace and quiet. We'd like to keep it that way. A lawyer for the Keeble brothers said the track will be run in a professional manner and will have a security staff. In addition, he said the track will operate on Sundays only after 1 p.m. Those against the track pointed to the increase in crime in Camp Hill after a track was built there. After listening to the concerns of residents, commissioners told them they understood their concern but that there is nothing they can do. "The Tallapoosa County Commission can't do
anything. Right now there is no zoning in Tallapoosa County," commissioner
Bill Thweatt said. "I've talked with county attorney E. Paul Jones
Commission chairman Gerald McGill told the residents
that a few years ago the commission asked Rep. Betty Carol Graham and Sen.
Ted Little to introduce legislation that would allow the This did not go over well with residents living in the unincorporated areas and the legislation was dropped. "We have no authority to say whether a race track can or cannot go in," McGill said. Asked what they could do, McGill suggested hiring a lawyer and filing an injunction. --------------------------------- ADDED 4/16/2001---------------- Camp Hill seeks help By Mike Clements Officials in Camp Hill are looking to the state for help in propping up the financially struggling town. Last week the Mayor, Town Council and Tallapoosa
County legislative delegation met with officials from the Alabama Department
of Economic and Community Affairs and the East Alabama Planning Commission
at Lyman Ward Military Academy Friday to discuss the town’s options
when it comes to financing improvements. Sen. Ted Little said the town can
be made viable if it can pay for various improvements. “We want to
improve the quality of life in Camp Hill,” Little said. While it would be nice to attract business and industry to the area, Little said a more attainable goal would be to make the town a “bedroom community.” To do this, he said the town needs improvements to its streets, sewer and drainage systems. However, at the present time those improvements are far beyond the town’s grasp. Over the past several months Camp Hill has been dealing with huge debt. The money problems were so serious that the town’s waste company, Waste Management, repossessed the town’s garbage bins. Camp Hill officials have worked out a payment with Waste Management and the bins were returned. However, they are still working with other creditors and have been trying to figure out how to pay high natural gas bills. CPA Ben Vance, of Sellers and Associates in Dadeville, said the town has a long way to go, but he believes the money problems can be solved. Little said that during the public hearing representatives from the Planning Commission said they would work with the town on writing grant proposals and studying the town’s most pressing needs. Since most grants require matching local money – which Camp Hill doesn’t have – Little said he and Rep. Betty Carol Graham will be approaching the governor’s office. “I’m hoping we’ll be able to come up with some discretionary money,” Little said. He said they hope to find a “comprehensive” grant that will finance several projects. He added that since financial accountability has been a problem in Camp Hill in the past, there will be strict guidelines written into any grant the town receives. “We will want everything to be fully accounted for,” he said. |
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Camp Hill was originally called Brunt Hill and at one time it was Asbbank. The name Camp Hill was started when people started camping here on a high hill while on their way to market. Near an old Indian camp site is an old dug-out, half hidden by twisted
old oaks and reaching far into the hillside. It was dubbed by some of this
vicinity's first settlers as a hiding place from the Indians during an uprising.
It Is hard to find unless you are looking closely and it was here that a
couple of settlers and their families would lay in hiding for days upon
getting word of an uprising. They would slip to the house for food, and
in this manner, they would live until they thought it safe to venture out
again. This same cave was later used when rumors of war spread like wildfire
through the Southern states to cast fear and dread into many strong hearts.
Some six or eight men, rather than enlist in the Confederate Army, and to
escape conscription, hid themselves in this same cave when informed of the
approach of an army official. The general trend of knowledge from "old times" has It that
an Indian Chief, Tyalor by name, ruled over the band of Indians who inhabited
the camp. Tyalor also owned the land upon which the dugout stands. Tyalor
was a good Chief and knew when he was whipped; thus, he gave up his land
quietly when the peace treaty with the Indians was drawn up. Weary post traders used the camping ground located between the old towns of LaFayette and Wetumpka, and exchanged their tales of mirth and woe. This camping ground saw life, it flourished with the years and expanded. The town became permanently inhabited and today it is Camp Hill. Lyman Ward Military Academy Is located here. |
A BRAVE CHIEF DEPARTS In 1832, after Tallapoosa County became a county and was named after the Tallapoosa River, Courthouse Commissioners were appointed to select a permanent site for the Courthouse and they used an extraordinary, method in their selections: As Principal chief of the Creeks, Menawa was granted Section 4, Township 21, Range 23 East in the Tallapoosa Land District, Alabama, containing 638.92 acres (all heads of Indian families were granted lands by the terms of the treaty of 1832, however, only half the amount of principal chiefs)· Much effort was exerted by the courthouse commissioners to obtain the grant of Menawa's for the site of a Courthouse. On the 6th day of April, 1840, as signed by M. Van Buren, Jr., secretary for president Martin Van Buren, transferral was made to Benjamin S. Tarver. Thomas D. Berry, James W. Townsend, Charles Bussey and Benjamin Young as courthouse commissioners for the County of Tallapoosa, Alabama. from Joseph Bryan, Irvine Lawson, Charles McLemore and Peter Dudley to whom Menawa had conveyed said section on the 7th day of May, 1835. Menawa, who had chosen to stay in Tallapoosa County, his home, sent his son to fight for the Americans in the Seminole War in Florida. However, it was destined that he emigrate along with other Creeks. In 1836, before taking a final leave of the land of his fathers, he requested permission to visit Oakfuskee, his favorite residence. He remained there one night and the next morning crossed over the Tallapoosa to take up the dreaded journey to a strange land . After crossing the Tallapoosa, he seemed abstract and uneasy. His conduct was that of one who had forgotten something and under this supposition, it was proposed to him to return so as to correct the omission. But he said, "No, last evening I saw the sun set for the last time, and its light shine upon the treetops, and the !and, and the water, that I am never to look upon again. No other evening will come, bringing to Menawa's eyes the rays of the setting sun upon the home he has left forever." He then sorrowfully took his place at the head of the caravan and began the long journey to the new land which they understood vaguely to be at a great distance in the direction of the set ting sun. However. Menawa was destined never to see the new land for he died when the Creek Nation died. Somewhere beside the long trail to the west, overcome by fatigue and exposure, he fell. Where he is buried is not known. Dudleyville was an established town before Tallapoosa County became a county. It was named for Peter Dudley, one of the, first settlers in the county. The grave of Major Lemuel P. Montgomery (for whom the County of Montgomery was named) who was killed as he tried to mount the breastworks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, can be found in Dudleyville. His body was transferred there in the 1820s from Its original resting place to be put in a civilized resting place. The body of Abraham Mordecai, an Indian Trader, is in the Dudleyville graveyard. He was mentioned in Deed Record A, of the records of Tallapoosa County, as certified by Benjamin Hawkins, agent for the Creek Indians. as being beaten by a bandittee of Indians and having his left ear cut off (on. December 5.1804) at the town of Coosada. It has puzzled historians as to why this Instrument, written in 1804, was recorded in the records of the County which was organized in 1832. Pickett, the historian, having talked with Abraham Mordecai prior to his death, gives an interesting point of history; which is a logical explanation for the recording, Mordecai had amorous Intentions toward a married Indian squaw and was attacked by about a dozen braves one night, badly beaten, his ear cut off, and they burned the first cotton gin in Alabama, Which was owned by Mordecai. The United States Hotel in Dadeville was built around 1836 and was known after Civil War days as the Dennis Hotel. It Was owned by Sumeral Dennis. who was a noted man of his day and a good friend to General Jackson. He fought in the War 0f 1812 and died in Dadeville at the age of 103 years. This was the main hotel for a number of years, being on the direct road to New Orleans and also on the road between Montgomery and North Georgia. It was used also as a post office. For the first years of its existence, people traveled mainly by means of stagecoach, This being one of the stopping places for the stage coaches, sometimes the occupants spent the night and sometimes stopped only long enough to change horses. Johnson Jones Hooper lived in :this hotel for quite a time, having one of the corner rooms. Many of the stories of "Simon Suggs" were Written here about Bird H. Young, of how the Indians were cheated, the taking of the census and other exaggerations. However, Mr. Young, being one of the earlier settlers, was known as an honorable citizen. Mr. Hooper was Secretary of the Confederate States of America. The first white marriage rite in Tallapoosa County was performed in this Hotel. It was in the early 1930s about th time the Creeks were selling out to the United States, that the community which evolved Into Dadeville was started with a trading post as its nucleus. A few stores, with the inevitable barroom, grouped themselves at the junction of the old Georgia and Tennessee Roads, which were the paths for the hardy adventurers who were spying out the wilderness in "New Alabama," even before it had been plotted and surveyed or the State got into action. Traders brought cattle, hogs and fruit from far away Tennessee and the mountains of North Georgia, and often tarried while they sold their stock and grain. Cockpits came Into being, race tracks were laid out and gambling joints were opened. It was a rough life, but out of it has come the modern town of Dadeville with her cultured people and her churches, schools and lovely homes. Dadeville was first incorporated in 1858, but during the War Between the States it forfeited its charter, and the town was reincorporated in 1871. Dadeville was named for Major Francis Langhorne Dade, a gallant Georgian, who fought in the Seminole war and was massacred with his entire command in December, 1835. Alabama's first medical school was a family institution located in the present city limits of Dadeville. Philip Madison Shepard, founder of Graefenberg Medical Institute, spent a childhood of hard work and as much time as possible striving to add to his meager education. His father died when he was but thirteen, adding the responsibility of supporting his mother, one brother and four sisters. When he was about nineteen, his mother remarried. He was able to study medicine with Dr. John B. Boon, of Social Circle, Georgia, and remained there for eighteen months, He was to begin practicing medicine when someone furnished him the money to continue medical school. In February, 1835, he married Louisa Fielder of Social Circle. He moved to Dadeville in 1846, where he was to live and work the remainder of his life. |
| YEAR | |
|---|---|
| 1519 | Alonso Alvarez de Pineda of Spain probably sailed Into Mobile Bay. |
| 1540 | Hernando de Soto explored much of what is now Alabama. |
| 1559 | Tristan de Luna established several temporary settlements in what is now Alabama. |
| 1702 | French Canadians founded Fort Louis on the Mobile River. In 1711, the colony moved to the present site of Mobile. |
| 1763 | France gave the Alabama region to Great Britain. |
| 1783 | Great Britain gave the United States much of the territory that became Alabama. The British gave the Mobile region to Spain. |
| 1795 | The United States and Spain signed the Treaty of San Lorenzo, setting the southern boundary of the United States at the 31st parallel, across Alabama. |
| 1813 | The United States captured Mobile Bay from Spain. |
| 1814 | The Creek Indians surrendered nearly half the present state of Alabama to the United States. |
| 1817 | The Alabama Territory was created. |
| 1819 | Alabama became the 22nd state on Dec. 14, 1819 |
| 1861 | Alabama seceded from the Union on Jan. 11, 1861 and became the Republic of Alabama until Feb. 8, when It joined the Confederacy. |
| 1868 | Alabama was readmitted to the Union on June 25. |
| 1880 | The state's first blast furnace began operating in Birmingham. |
| 1901 | The present state constitution was adopted. |
| 1933 | The federal government created the Tennessee Valley Authority. |
| 1940s | The Redstone Arsenal at Huntsville became a center of rocket and spacecraft research. |
| 1944 | Alabama's first producing oil well began operating at Gilbertown. |
| 1956 | Archaeologists discovered historic Russell Cave in Jackson County. |
| 1960 | The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center was established in Huntsville. |
| 1965 | Martin Luther King, Jr., led a march from Selma to Montgomery to demonstrate Negro demands for an end to discrimination in voter registration. |
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