Butler County, Alabama - Chapter 21, 1885

This pleasant little town is situated near the line where the black, prairie soil of the cretaceous formation is overlaid with the white, sandy drift. The water is freestone, of the best quality, and the locality is as healthful as any other in the State. One may ask if Monterey has a history; yes, it has. In 1 8 17, Thomas Hill had a trail cut from the Flat to the present Steen's Ford. This trail passed through Monterey, and was used for several years before a permanent settlement was made in this beautiful forest of oaks and sour-gums. Dave Elder built the first house in 1820. He settled on the top of the hill coming from Wolf Creek, where he afterward built a gin-house. He removed in 1835, to the place where Thomas W. Traweek now lives, and built a double-pen log-house. In 1 83 1, John Cannon settled back of where Jackson Luckie now lives. William Powell soon settled the J. M. Donald place, and William Miller the school-house lot ; the former owned all the land, and sold it out to the people as they moved in. J. M. Yeldell located the place now owned by W. H. Traweek, Esq., and opened a mixed store in

Ion. William H. Traweek came from the prairies the same year, and built a house where Captain T. A. Knight's gin-house now stands. There was so much sickness in the prairie regions, that nearly all the white people had to move out. Monterey being the nearest point, and very healthful, most of the farmers located here, where they could go to their plantations in the day, and return to their homes at night. Accordingly, as soon as a few planters had tried the change, nearly every one left the sickly, muddy farms on the creeks, and bought lots in the new village, then called Goblersville. It was given this name from the fact that large droves of wild turkeys frequented this beautiful grove of oaks in the fall, for the purpose of feeding upon the acorns, which were in abundance. The farmers had turkey every day while the acorns lasted. After Esquire William H. Traweek's return from the Mexican War, he gave the place the name of Monterey, in memory of the battle fought at the city by that name in Mexico, and this name was retained when the post-office was estabHshed. In 1838, T. M, B. Traweek built on the place which is now the home of Mrs. Telitha C. Barge. David Gaston built the Tom Smith old house, and Dr. J. W. Atkins built the house now occupied by Dr. J. G. Donald. Hon. James R. Yeldell built the house in which Dr. C. J. Knight now lives. Henry Smith and Monroe Watts started a store. Jonathan Yeldell started one soon after, and did a good business. Jonathan Yeldell will long be remembered by the people of this locality, for superior business qualities and powerful influence upon the people. He was the first to take hold of every new enterprise that he thought would be of any service to the people. He was very rich, and merchandised and farmed until his death. When he died, he left his family well provided for. He was twice married and started a large family, but was not permitted to live long enough to have them educated as he had often said he wanted them to be. The names of his children now living are, John, Robert, William, Edward, Fenner, Frank, Mary and James. After the death of Mrs. Yeldell from smallpox, in 1873, the family was separated, and some of the children have since gone to Texas. Jonathan never catered politics, although he had considerable influence throughout the county, and would have made a model county officer. James R. and Robert Yeldell both raised families here, and were men of wealth.

Among the other families most conspicuous in Monterey's earliest history, are the families of Billy Powell, who was the father of Judge J. L. Powell, now of Greenville, William H. Traweek and Jesse Knight.

There was a considerable amount of whisky sold at this place before the war, and the village bore the reputation of being one of the rowdiest places in the whole section of the country. This was caused from the fact that a great many of the young men, then living in the vicinity of Monterey, would come over and get under the influence of whisky, and in this state, they often had difficulties with persons in whose company they happened to be. In those days, it was no uncommon thing for a man to be cut all to pieces in a fight at Monterey. However, there were not many lives lost compared to the number of fights. Horseracing, cock-fighting, and amusements of a similar nature, were frequently indulged in, and many hundred dollars were spent in gambling and betting. All this was done in the "flush times of Alabama," before the country was drained of its money by the war between the States.

The fight between Joe Yeldell and Dr. James Longmire threw a damper on rowdyism at Monterey, which lasted for some time. Joe Yeldell was killed by Dr. Longmire, and the latter was cleared in the courts for the deed.

The murder of Richard Hartsfield, by two slaves in 1862, created more excitement among the people of the surrounding country than anything that ever happened at Monterey, before or since.

The following are the facts of the case : Richard Hartsfield was a mechanic, and ranked high among the people who knew him as a man of honor and integrity, and was a first-class contractor. He was born in the State of Georgia, April 28, 1830, and was killed on the morning of February 10, 1862. He purchased two slaves, Simon and Lewis, from the Peaster estate. These slaves soon began to hate their master, and accordingly began to make plots to kill him. Their plans were executed on a bright, frosty morning in February, 1862. Their master gave orders to have some hogs killed, which had been fattened in a pen near a spring, about two hundred yards from the residence. Mr. Hartsfield came down to the spring to shoot the hogs for the negroes, but found that the water was not hot enough to scald, and he began to stir up the fire around the kettle. While Hartsfield was stooping down, punching the fire, Lewis struck him with an ax, crushing his skull. Simon struck him with a fence rail, and terminated his life immediately. One of the negroes then ran to the house, asked their mistress for their master's horse, telling her that the hogs had broken out of the pen and the horse was needed to get them back. The horse was saddled and brought to the spring. It was the intention of Simon and Lewis to put their dead master on the wild horse, fix one of his feet tightly in one stirrup, and turn the horse loose, and say that he was thrown and killed. The animal was a fine, ambitious bay, and had only been managed by his master, and emphatically resisted all attempts to place the dead man upon him. The heartless murderers, failing in this part of their plot, smeared a small stump with blood, and dragged their master from it some distance, and left him lying dead. They then turned loose the enraged horse, which ran many miles, snorting and looking back as if pursued, and seemingly greatly frightened. They immediately informed their mistress of the death of their master, telling her that he was thrown from his horse, and his foot was caught in one stirrup, and was dragged some distance before it was released. The frightened horse, with bloody saddle, stopping and snorting at every house on the road, and instantly galloping on, showed the people that something terrible had happened, and every man thus informed immediately repaired to the bloody scene. When the neighbors saw blood on Simon's shirt; that the hogs were never killed ; that there was blood on the saddle ; they immediately saw through the whole plot, and had the murderers arrested. After the burial of Mr. Hartsfield, at which every person for ten miles around was present, T. M. B. Traweek, Justice of the Peace, called a preliminary trial of the case, and, from the evidences brought forth, found the negroes guilty, and ordered them to be carried to jail, at Greenville, the next morning. Lewis Knight, a prominent citizen in the neighborhood, made a touching speech to the excited assembly, and ended by saying, that ' ' all those in favor of burning these bloodthirsty devils, will step on the, opposite side of the road." Every man immediately stepped on the other side of the road, except the Justice of the Peace and the four men who had been appointed to carry the prisoners to jail. Those in favor of burning the murderers then resolved themselves into a mob and adjourned, to meet next morning at the post-office before sunrise. Next morning long before the appointed time of meeting, the little village was astir with excitement, and the streets were thronged with the enraged mob, bent on the destruction of the helpless prisoners. After some delays, the mob marched up the Greenville road, about three-quarters of a mile from the post-office, and stopped on a small hill. Here they waited several hours for the victims of their wrath to pass on their way to Greenville. Finally they came. They were taken from their guard, and locked with chains to two pines, standing close together. Pine knots were collected from every direction and piled around the trees. The mob had, by this time, increased to over one thousand persons. Everything being ready, the torch was applied, and the angry flames soon licked the tops of the trees. It is said that a fire never burned more energetically, and flames never leaped more triumphantly, than in the burning of these two murderers. Shortly before the burning, Simon confessed the deed, and related the details of the murder, but Lewis never did confess it.

Richard Hartsfield left two children, Livia and Mary - both of them are grown and married; the older was married to J. W. Weaver, and the younger to Ransom Scale, Esq. Mrs. Catherine Hartsfield still lives at Monterey, and is loved and highly esteemed by all who know her. The first families that settled at this place were from South Carolina and Virginia, and were families of culture. They gave a high tone to the society at Monterey, which is still very characteristic of the people of this village. A majority of the citizens living at this place were wealthy before the war, but much of their wealth has disappeared since the abolition of slavery. They have always had a high regard for those versed in the fine arts, and have taken great interest in the education of the young. The author was unable to procure the names of all the teachers to whom the people of this place are under many obligations for valuable services rendered in the school-room. Among the female teachers, Miss Anna Bonum is remembered above all others ; more, however, for her peculiar notions of discipline than for her superior mode of instruction. Ransom Scale was an instructor of rare parts, and had the force of character to enforce any regulation necessary for the advancement of his pupils, or to sustain the reputation of his school. He resigned in 1874, to accept the position of Clerk of the Circuit Court of Butler County, to which he had been elected by the people of the county. Young Columbus Norris is the next teacher worthy of notice. He took charge of the school in 1875, and is regarded by all those who patronized him as a faithful preceptor. Prof. John Moore, A. B., of Howard College, was offered the position of Principal of the Monterey Academy by the Board of Trustees in 1879, ^nd remained in that position four years. He was assisted by Mrs. M. C. Jones, of the Judson Female Institute.

The school flourished more while Prof John Moore was Principal than ever before, and the people had to build a larger academy for the accommodation of the increased number of students in 1882. The scholars advanced very rapidly while going to Prof Moore; but it is said by some that they did not learn as much as when they went to other teachers that advanced them more slowly, but learned everything thorough as they went.

Prof Andrew W. Hayes, A. B. , a graduate of the University of Alabama, was elected Principal in 1883, and was assisted by Miss Tinie Gullette, of Camden. Miss Alice Adams, of Tuskegee, taught the school in i^jy-y^^ and Miss Hattie Stewart in 1878-79. Both of these ladies were well qualified, and rendered good service to the people, but, of course, could not give the satisfaction to the general public that male teachers give.

The first church at this place was built in 1838, and was called the Monterey Methodist Church. The church was moved in 1870 from the schoolhouse lot to where it now stands, and was used as a union church until 1878, when the Baptists completed their house of worship. Since that time, it has been known as the Methodist Churchy A

Union Sunday-school has been organized for several years, and meets every Sabbath evening at the Baptist Church. Alexander Stewart was the Superintendent for over six years, and made one of the best the school has ever had. Both of the churches are badly in need of a coat of paint, and it is hoped that the citizens will attend to this at their earliest convenience.

The peculiar selfishness of the land-holders has retarded very much the progress of Monterey. They will not sell an acre of land to any one, and the consequence is, a new house has not been erected at this place for years. Several more dwellings could be built without the least inconvenience to those now living here.

Monterey has furnished the county with a number of noble citizens, some of whom have been honored with positions of public trust. She has sent to the halls of the State Legislature : Hons. James R. Yeldell, William H. Traweek, John L. Powell, and Dr. Conrad Wall ; to the County Courts of Justice, Hon. John L. Powell ; Ransom Scale to the office of County Clerk ; and Captain Ira Y. Traweek to the office of Sheriff.

While Hon. Nathan Wright was in the Legislature from this county in 1880, the sale of whisky was prohibited within five miles of this place, and everybody is well pleased with the result. The majority of them are now in favor of prohibition in the whole State, as well as in Butler County.

Dr. Thomas H. Barge was the druggist of the place, and always kept on hand a full line of drugs. He died in the spring of 1884, much to the regret of all who knew him. He was a man of fine business qualities.

There are two practicing physicians here, although it is a very healthful locality. Dr. James G. Donald has been here for many years. Dr. J. J. Garrett came here in 1882. Their practice is confined almost entirely to the section of country lying north and northeast of Monterey. Dr. Comer J. Knight lives at this place, but has retired from practice. The society at this place will compare very favorably with that of any other town in the county.