Baldwin County AlArchives Biographies.....Spencer Sharp October 23 1809 - ?
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 11, 2004, 9:50 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
    SPENCER SHARP, the well known horticulturist of Montrose, Baldwin. county,
Ala., was born in Wood county, Va., October 23, 1809, and is a son of Spencer
and Ann (Arnold) Sharp. The father was also a native of Wood county, born
February 13, 1762, was reared a farmer in the Blue Ridge mountains, and in the
latter part of the Revolutionary war was old enough to take an active part, and
was present at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. He was married in his
thirty-first year, continued to farm in the Blue Ridge until within a few years
of his death, when he moved to Ohio, where he passed from earth in 1851, noted
for his up-right life and honest methods in his business transactions. Mrs. Ann
(Arnold) Sharp was born in eastern Virginia, September 22, 1772, was married
when twenty-one years of age, and. became the mother of eleven children, all of
whom reached maturity. All are now deceased, save Spencer Sharp, whose name
heads this sketch, and one daughter. The mother died in 1816. It will be seen
that the parents were born the subjects of King George III., and that the father
was old enough for compulsory attendance at state church and the unwilling
reading of its catechism. Spencer Sharp, the gentleman with whom we at present
have most to deal, was reared a farmer, but on reaching his majority sought
other employment for a livelihood. He first engaged as a teamster for the Ohio
canal company, but at the end of four months became tired of the life and turned
his attention to the trade of a carpenter and joiner, which he acquired in due
course of time; but, being of a somewhat frail constitution, he found the work
too laborious and was compelled to relinquish it. For several years he followed
various lighter occupations until 1839, when he came south with a Capt. Tatem,
and for a year worked as carpenter on his boat. Miscellaneous occupations then
employed Mr. Sharp's time until 1846, when he located on Mon Louis island, in
the southeast end of Mobile county, and engaged in orange culture, being the
first to try the experiment in Alabama. As the fruit was propagated from the
seed, it took eleven long years of patient waiting before Mr. Sharp realized a
substantial reward. He resided on Mon Louis island thirty years-the last twenty
of which were passed in comparative ease. In 1879, he set out a grove of 3,000
orange scions for Capt. Frank Stone, near Montrose, but repeated frosts
neutralized the venture. Mr. Sharp still continues his residence with Capt.
Stone and has entire charge of the latter gentleman's interests. Mr. Sharp has
never married, nr affiliated with any church or secret society; he is a democrat
in politics and cast his first presidential vote for Martin Van Buren and the
last for Grover Cleveland.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama"

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