P C Smith (1872-1921) Chilton County Alabama

This is a page from "Chilton County and Her People" by Thomas Wyatt, 1940.

"Said to have been the first to raise peaches commercially in the county was the late P C Smith..."

I believe this is Paul Clifford Smith (1872-1921), my husband's great great grandfather.
His obituary is from the Chilton County Alabama Union Banner, June 16 1921.

Group of children in Clanton, Alabama late 1920s

Among my husband's grandmother's photos, I found a photocopy of this picture and another page with a list of possible identifications.  I created the labeled scan of the photo above.  My husand's grandmother Frances Smith is seated on the second row next to her sister Annie.  Frances was born in 1924 and Annie was born in 1922.  This picture was most likely taken in Clanton, Alabama where they lived.  If you see someone you recognize who was not identified in the photo, please let me know!

These are the identification guesses noted for the above photo.
Top row:  Celia Gerald?, unk, unk, Atkinson?, Peggy Page? (Could one of these girls in the top row be Theda Wyatt?)
Second row:  unk, Neal Ousley, unk, Frances Smith, Annie Smith, unk, James C Martin, Nell Rocket?, unk
Front row:  Jimmy Wyatt, Flem Higgins, Joe Frank Higgins, Wilbur Prince (standing), Ann Callen?, Billy Callen, unk, Martha Higgins?, Oscar Jones, Eric Hart?

Finds from Chilton Union Banner newspaper archive: Smith and Higgins

I have found Facebook to be a great resource for genealogy.  There are many pages specific to the history of  certain surnames and places.  One that I have been following is the Chilton County (Alabama) Historical Society page. My husband's maternal grandmother is from Clanton, Alabama.

A recent post was in regards to the newspaper archive of the Chilton Union Banner provided by the University of Montevallo.  It can be accessed through their website here:  W. M. "Mack" Wyatt Digital Archive and through Archive.org. 

 From this archive I came across some great finds!

The death notice of my husband's third great grandmother Josephine Smith Higgins (1845-1913).  This is from the issue dated May 8, 1913.

Also the wedding announcement of his great grandparents Milton Smith and Inez Higgins.  This is from the issue dated April 7, 1921. 

I spent a day or two trying different search methods to locate the information I wanted.   Since I already knew the death date and the wedding date, I went to the issue immediately after the event I was interested in.  Opening up that issue, I could search within that issue for the name I was looking for. 

For a more broader search, I used the Google site search of Archive.org with the name Union Banner in quotes followed by a full name or surname.   I came up with several articles that mentioned my husband's ancestors or family. 

Alice D Lenoir White and N J Callaway

Alice D Lenoir was born January 30 1859 or 1860 to Robert C Lenoir and Emeline Jones.
(She states in her widow's pension application after the death of N J Callaway that she was born in 1859.  The 1900 census says 1858.   Her tombstone says 1860.)

The 1870 Baker Co., AL census lists Alice D Lenore age 10 in the household of RC Lenore.

She married David Robert White on November 20, 1879 in Chilton County,  Alabama.  This marriage record is available at FamilySearch.org in Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950.

The 1880 Chilton Co., AL census lists Alice White age 19 wife of Robert White.  They later have two daughters, Eva born November 1880 and Annie born February 1882.



David Robert White died in 1885.  You can view his FindaGrave Memorial here: David R White

Alice Lenoir White marries second N J Callaway on  January 5, 1891 in Chilton County, Alabama.
N J Callaway was widowed and Alice becomes the step-mother of his seven children:  Evan, Lucian, Luther, John, Ammie, Bettie, and  Katie.  They have one daughter together, Gussie Callaway.

The 1900 Chilton County, Alabama census lists N J Callaway, Alice, John, Luther, Katie, Gussie and Eva White.


N J Callaway died 1921 in Chilton County, Alabama.  You can view his FindaGrave memorial here: N J Callaway  His first name is listed as Newton in the 1850 and 1860 census records. All other records say N J.

Alice D Lenoir White Callaway died 1931 in Chilton County, Alabama.  You can view her FindAGrave memorial here:  Alice Callaway
 
You can find the transcribed obituaries of Alice and N J Callaway (here spelled Calloway) at http://www.alagenealogy.com/Some-Obituaries-of-Central-Alabama.htm.
These transcriptions say Alice Drucilia and Newton Joseph.  I do not know if those names are in the original obituaries or were added.  

Higgins Family Cemetery, Chilton County, Alabama

While doing genealogy searches I came across the Lake Mitchell Home Owners and Boat Owners Association.  Located in Chilton County, Alabama, Lake Mitchell is near the town of Clanton.  A local resident with an interest in the history of the area posted an article about the nearby Higgins Family cemetery.  One of the photos is the headstone of Benjamin Franklin Higgins and Josephine Smith.

B F and Josephine Higgins are my husband's 3rd great grandparents.  Look here to read the article and see the photo of their headstone: Higgins Family Cemetery article and photos

Chilton County Alabama Yahoo Group and John O Smith

I joined a Yahoo group yesterday for Chilton County Alabama researchers that led me to some interesting discoveries.  While searching through posts and looking at files for this group, I found a list of Chilton County names that come up in the Alabama Inventors Database.  One of my husband's ancestors, John Owen Smith (abt 1833-abt 1900), invented an apparatus for drying and curing lumber!  The Inventors Database connects to the U. S. patent drawings and specifications for his invention.  I was so excited to find something like this!  Patents for John Owen Smith

In the files of this Yahoo group, I also found a reference to a database on FamilySearch.org of Alabama County Estate Records.  This time I found the estate records and will of John Owen Smith, the inventor!

For more information on John Owen Smith, see also this page that is a personal recollection by one of his grandsons:  John Owen Smith.

John Owen Smith is my husband's great-great-great-grandfather.