Editorial

Marion County High School opened on Sept. 11, 1912, in the same place it is currently located, although the school is located in its second building currently.
Shown here, courtesy of Marion County School Board Member Don Jones, is the first building, constructed in 1912, after renovations. The photo was taken about 1970. This first building burned on June 24, 1971.
Even though other towns in the county sought the county high school, Guin won the bid. The cornerstone to the first school building was placed in a ceremony on June 5, 1912.

The legislature had their every four year organizational session in January. It is exactly what the title states. They are organizing for the next quadrennium of lawmaking. They officially chose their leadership and adopted the rules for the two chambers.

On the rather appropriate date of Friday, Jan. 13, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) released their dreaded final ruling banning pistol braces, and in 120 days when the ruling goes into effect, millions of Americans will arbitrarily become felons if they don’t surrender their guns or register them with the ATF.
Several years ago, when companies first started introducing  stabilizing braces to the market, it presented an interesting legal question. as a weapon with a rifled barrel and a stock that is intended to be fired from the shoulder.

Research indicates this is the starting lineup for the 1947 Hamilton High School Aggies football squad. The photo was submitted by Barbara Webb.
This picture was reproduced in a book with the names being out of order and one missing. Through research and comparing the players in this photo to other photos, we have found what we believe to be the correct order of the names.

The inauguration of our Alabama constitutional officials was Jan. 16. Our state constitution calls for the inauguration to be held on the third Monday in January. As you would expect and as almanac’s suggest, it is usually a cold day. Over the years I have had countless folks harken back to their high school band experiences of marching in the inaugural parade, especially ladies who had been majorettes. They had to march and twirl a baton in 20 degree weather with skimpy, legless, bathing suit style attire.

Flint, Mich. is not the only place where there is a problem with contaminated water.  Guin, Ala. also has a problem. There has been a second lawsuit filed to bring attention to the water supply in Guin and the dangers that it presents to the people who live there.

By Tracy Estes
With the beginning of a new quadrennium in the Alabama Legislature, members are provided their respective standing committee assignments for the upcoming four-year term. Such was also the case for me, as I begin my second term serving House District 17.
Committee assignments are selected by Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter, who previously served as majority leader and will be replacing retiring speaker Mac McCutcheon.

Nathan Andrew Musgrove was born July 18, 1839 in Fayette County. He died June 6, 1921, and is buried at Winfield City Cemetery. He married Harriet Susannah Smith, who was born on June 1, 1846 in Tippah County, Miss. She died on Oct. 25, 1921, months after Nathan did. She was the daughter of James and Loucinda Smith.
This photo was submitted by Gary Randolph, and those identified in the photo are, back row from left, Sudi Musgrove, Ella Paralee Musgrove, Nathan Musgrove and Harriet Musgrove. Front row from left are a Mrs. Smith (most likely Loucinda) and Clara Musgrove.

For many years, Alabama has been ridiculed in national publications for having fewer women in political leadership positions than other assumed to be progressive states. States like Colorado, New York and California were lauded for having an inordinate number of females in public office. Well, folks, take a cursory look around at Alabama’s political landscape, and it is a new day in the Heart of Dixie, and unlike the above mentioned liberal states our slate of women leaders are conservative Republicans.

(Editor’s note: This letter is in response to the letter published in the Jan. 11, edition, “Pointing fingers is not making a difference,” by Lynda Kirkpatrick.)

A controversy arose before the current courthouse was constructed. The citizens at the time did not want to be taxed for yet another courthouse, which would be the third in Hamilton within 20 years. However, the sandstone building was finished and opened in 1901.

I spent many years running onto football fields on game days across the country and can say nothing beats the feeling of a new season.

Richard Shelby walked out of the U.S. Senate this week after 36 years. Walking out with him is almost all of Alabama’s seniority and power in Washington.
Seniority equates into power in the Halls of Congress, especially in the Senate. National publications have illustrated the fact that Alabama has benefited more than all 50 states from federal earmarked funds due to one man: Shelby.

It’s always easy to point fingers at failure when we look at our deteriorating roads, homelessness, drug addiction and the problems we have in Alabama. We are fifth in the nation for poverty and next to the bottom in education. We have a failing healthcare system and rural hospital closings that have put our citizens in harm’s way.  Why does this not change after an election? There is this old saying that insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. Same elected leadership means the same problems.

Decorations are in place in this photo of the Brilliant Coal Mine’s company store. The most likely occasion for this would be during Christmas time. The photo was taken in 1930, and is courtesy of L.A. Doss originally, who loaned it to the Northwest Alabamian, which published this photo on Jan. 18, 1970.

Our iconic Senior United States Senator, Richard Shelby, will walk out of the Senate chambers in Washington, D.C. this week and come home to retirement in Tuscaloosa. History will reveal Shelby as Alabama’s greatest U.S. Senator, especially when it comes to bringing home the bacon to the Heart of Dixie. To say Shelby is the greatest is saying a mouthful, because we have had some great ones. Shelby will rest along with the likes of John Bankhead, John Sparkman, Lister Hill and Howell Heflin. He has served longer in the Senate than any Alabamian in state history – 36 years.

By P.J. Gossett
General manager
HAMILTON — Can you imagine not knowing your name? What about never recalling your parents’ names? There is something that makes me think about this.

This photo was purchased from eBay and is a mailed postcard. The front shows Winfield High School. The back has a message written from Demerica Kuykendall in Winfield addressed to Emma Henzie of Philadelphia. It was postmarked on May 27, 1942.
Winfield High School opened its doors on July 1, 1889. The first principal was C.D. Garrett, an 1889 graduate of the Florence Normal College. He became a notary public and justice of the peace in Winfield in 1890. Garrett was there for one year before moving to Moulton for one year, then to Alexander City and was there in 1893.

By P.J. Gossett
General manager
HAMILTON — This just might be a Christmas to remember. As this is being written, predictions are for a harsh arctic blast to sweep in Thursday night with the lowest temperatures we have seen in years. Some are talking about this being the coldest Christmas since 1989.

The Greatest of All Time. The GOAT. These words and titles are thrown around pretty flippantly now and typically used in sports arguments.
You have your favorite player, you call them the GOAT, then the arguments start.
But, how often do you actually label someone the greatest of all time and actually mean it?
There aren’t many athletes in my lifetime that I have seen who I’d be able to label as the greatest in their sport.
There are two sports where the argument has ever made sense to me: basketball and soccer (football if you are inclined to call it that).

Courtesy of Bill Weaver, this photo shows workers during the construction of Lion Service Station in Hamilton. Left to right are Hubert Ballard, Clint Hardin, Marvin Ballard, Sanders Williams, Henry Bobo, Earl Martin and Elton Sudduth.
This building was located on the corner where the Hamilton United Methodist Church parking lot is presently located. It consisted of a barber shop, cafe and the Lion Service Station itself.
Weaver stated the store most likely opened in the early 1920s. Sandy Sandlin mentioned the store most likely closed in the early 1970s.

As we begin to celebrate the Christmas season and close out 2022, allow me to share the story of two great Jefferson County/Alabama political legends.
Alabama Supreme Court Justice Mike Bolin is retiring at the end of the year from the state’s highest judicial tribunal. Bolin is a young 72 and would not have retired and would have sought and been elected to another six-year term if it were not for an antiquated state law that disallows someone running for a judgeship in the state after age 70. Bolin is one of the most popular and well respected judges in Alabama.

Laying my hand on the Bible in Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Parker’s office less than 24 hours after beginning my second term in the Legislature, I was taken aback to realize four years had passed since my inaugural oath. Lawmakers take office at midnight following the elections, which were held on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

The youngest daughter of William David Mitchell and Zilla (Frederick) Mitchell, shown to the right, kept this portrait hanging on the wall in her home. The portrait is now in the possession of her great-grandson, general manager of the Journal Record.
Dave and Zill, as they were known, lived most of their life in the Chalk Bluff area of Marion County, a few miles south of Hackleburg. Zill moved in with a relative in Hamilton after Dave died. They are both buried at Union Hill Cemetery near Hackleburg.

Allow me to share the stories of three of my favorite legislative colleagues. Two of these gentlemen are retiring from the Alabama House of Representatives this year, and one passed away in April.
Representative Victor Gaston of Mobile and Representative Howard Sanderford of Huntsville are going home. A third legend and true gentleman, Steve McMillan of Baldwin County, passed away during the last session in April.

In 1902, an Alabama woman’s experience on a snowy day produced one of the most commonly used inventions of the modern era. While riding a streetcar in New York City, Mary Anderson noticed that her driver had to frequently get out of the vehicle and wipe snow off the windshield. This sparked an idea that led her to design the first operational windshield wipers, improving driving conditions for all drivers who would come after her.

Masons of Boston, later Brilliant, are shown in this photo of about 1905 and submitted by Beth Gibbs. The first Masonic Lodge in Brilliant was in the Brilliant School, which had two classrooms on the first floor and one classroom and the lodge on the second floor.

Students of Alabama political history will rightly remember the 2022 midterm election. This election saw the majority of Alabama voters cast their ballots for Katie Britt, who will be the first woman elected to represent Alabama in the U.S. Senate. Governor Kay Ivey easily coasted to victory to gain her second full term in office, continuing her reign as the first Republican woman to serve as governor. Republicans from the top of the ballot on down cemented their control of the state government by huge margins.

Editor’s note: This letter is in reference to the Ernest Riley story the Journal Record featured in the Nov. 9, edition.
In the summer of 1941, our family sharecropped on Papa Burleson’s farm in Marion County, AL, about halfway between Guin and Winfield. Wymon Burleson, my father, had a younger brother, James Dalton, living and working in Winfield.

This photo was made in Brilliant in April 1944. The brick building is a general merchandise store and was constructed about 1918 by D.T. Cochran. Behind the horse is the west side of the Dickinson General Store. The horse and buggy, owned by John Leonard, delivered the Birmingham Post newspaper to town residents in the late afternoons. Guest riders this afternoon were Clair Hipp and Doris Dickinson. Photo submitted by Jim Dickinson.

The legendary Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Tip O’Neill, is credited with coining the slogan, “all politics is local.” He quoted it often and lived it.

I was severely bitten by a dog in September and had to go to the hospital twice. The people who own this dog have it both on a leash and enclosed in a fence at this time.
However, I am now being chased on my daily walk by two more dogs. I have emptied two canisters of spray and have gotten no response from the owner of the worst of these.
Why isn’t there a leash law in Marion County? I called the sheriff’s department and was informed there is none.

Jo Bonner was officially sworn in as the fourth president of the University of South Alabama on Sept. 23, 2022.
The University of South Alabama is the crown jewel and flagship of the Alabama Gulf Coast. It is a sprawling, manicured, beautiful and functional modern campus. It is currently the third largest university in the state. Under the leadership of Bonner, it will grow and prosper to where within the next decade it will be thought of as one of our premier “Big Three” major flagship universities along with the University of Alabama and Auburn University.

Mrs. Bythel Earnest, who has be substituting for Mr. Grady Dillard, who has been ill for six weeks, asked the fifth graders of Winfield City Schools to write what they are thankful for. She was so impressed by the paper turned in by Janie Lindsey that she brought, as it is written, to the Daily Northwest Alabamian for publication.

By Janie Ellen
Lindsey

My, how the years have changed. This photo is the grammar school in Hamilton and dated 1910. It is courtesy of Bill Weaver.
Things to look for: notice the hat on the window and a little boy in the front row making a face by pulling below his eyes. While many are dressed in their “Sunday best,” several have no shoes on their feet.

Dear Editor:
It is time to come together on behalf of over 400,000 American children and youth who are in foster care because their families are in crisis, and they cannot currently provide safe, nurturing home environments. Approximately 5,700 of these children are in Alabama’s foster care system, and 34 of them are right here in Marion County. These children need safe, stable and loving homes where they can stay until they can safely reunite with their biological parents or establish other lifelong family relationships.

This 2022 Election Year in Alabama has been monumental and memorable. Any gubernatorial year is big in the state. It is the brass ring of Alabama politics to be governor. However, the race to succeed our Senior Senator Richard Shelby has been the marquee contest. This year will be the last hurrah for our two leading political figures in the state.
Senator Richard Shelby is retiring after 36 years in the U.S. Senate at age 88. Governor Kay Ivey will be elected to her final term as governor at 78.

Submitted by Dan Wiginton, this photo shows the Wiginton School in 1914. Shown, front row from left, are Almon Miller, Ernest Evans, Ray Cantrell, Elman Miller, Elvis Barnwell and Marvin Cantrell. Second row, Ethel (Pig) Cantrell, Mona Belle Cantrell, Maggie Frederick, Ethel Miller, Theola Scott, Myrtle Bottoms, Iva Lee Scott, Orela Scott, Lou Bertha, Geneva Fleming, Fannie Barnwell, Victoria Fleming and Verdell Partain.

For high school students, choosing a career path can be a difficult decision. They weigh many factors, such as personal interests, the rising cost of higher education, earning potential and accessibility of job opportunities. And in recent years, the challenging economy and job market has left many students uncertain about taking their next steps. A 2019 survey found that only about half of our high school students feel prepared for the workforce.

The teacher in this photo of Buttahatchee School students in 1944 is Pearl Holcombe. The school was located at the intersection of what is now Chalk Mine Road and State Highway 253, on the south side of the highway from the Buttahatchee Cemetery, which is all that is left of this long ago thriving place.
It was more than just a school. Vaccinations, adult education classes and Extension classes, among other events were held here.

Believe it or not, our 2022 General Election is upon us, Nov. 8 to be exact. It seems to be going under the radar screen of most Alabama voters. There will be a record breaking low voter turnout because there are really no contested statewide races. Why? Because we are a one party state when it comes to state offices. All 21 of our state elective offices are held by Republicans. The Democratic party does not field serious candidates because it is a foregone conclusion that a Democrat cannot win elective statewide races in the Heart of Dixie. The best they can hope for is 40 percent.

He was a young pastor neither immoral nor heretical, but simply naïve and unskilled in human relations. He could conjugate Greek verbs but didn’t know how to take time to earn the trust of the congregation before he could lead them. Additionally, he listened to some famous pulpiteers who taught pastors are vice-regents under God and “overseers” in a very real sense. One of these pastors called himself a “benevolent dictator.”
An older minister, sensing a collision about to happen, counseled humility.

Quietly reading a book while in Montana with my daughter on a medical school rotation in Oct. 2019, I received the call I will never forget. The voice on the other end was informing my rapidly-beating heart of a heartbreaking story—Aniah Blanchard was missing and law enforcement officials were fearful she could be dead.

Once again, and for the last time, I am responding to Joe Hamm. I know the readers are getting a kick out of the ridiculous debate that has turned into a narrative far from the subject of my original article.

Our Alabama Congressional delegation will all be reelected next month, as usual. We are no different than any other state when it comes to the incumbency advantage of being a congressperson. When someone is elected to the U.S. Congress, they are usually there for life unless they run for higher office. They probably would not be defeated unless they killed someone and that probably would not be enough. It would probably depend on who they killed.

In the early days, mail was delivered by any means possible, including horses, dog sleds, steamboats, trains and automobiles. This photo shows a rural mail carrier in Guin using a horse as locomotion.
The Guin Post Office was originally established as Caudle on April 24, 1883. It was changed to Guin on March 31, 1888.
The nearest post office when the name changed in 1888, was Pikeville, the oldest post office within Marion County.

Made and contributed by Bill Weaver, this shot of downtown Hamilton at night was taken about 1968 on Military Street North at the main intersection.
The courthouse is on the left, and the Marion County Bank Company building is in the center. This is now Wells Fargo. The Lion’s service station (a 24 hour service store according to the sign out front) across U.S. Highway 278 can be seen. A telephone booth is on the corner on the south side of 278.

As mentioned last week, all polling points to a significant Republican pickup of congressional seats in the upcoming November General Election. It is a historical fact that the party that loses the White House in a presidential year, picks up congressional seats in the following midterm elections. Furthermore, Democrats are in disfavor because of runaway inflation. Voters blame Biden and the Democratic Congress for the inflated price of gas, groceries and everything else. Americans vote their pocketbook. It’s the economy that counts, is what they say.

By P.J. Gossett
General Manager
HAMILTON — “When I was in school, we played washers.” This statement I overheard in Hamilton a couple of weeks ago brought back my own childhood memories of playing the game in our front yard. It made me think about the history of the game, if it is still played today and if the younger generation knew what it was.
A quick search revealed not only is it known today, but there are actually “official” boards one can buy to play the game. There are official rules, though they are nothing like what I played in the mid-1980s.

I am responding once again to Lynda Kirkpatrick for the sake of defending the Christian worldview, not her attacks against me. I am writing as a Christian, not a registered voter. I have no allegiance to any political party, which allows me to critique them all with equal veracity.