Dale County AlArchives Biographies.....Doster, Simeon J. 1825 - living in 1893 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 18, 2004, 5:37 pm Author: Brant & Fuller (1893) SIMEON J. DOSTER, a prominent farmer of Dale county, was born in Mecklenburg county, N. C., in 1825. He is a son of Joel and Mary (Winchester) Doster, the former of whom was born in North Carolina, October 17, 1777. Joel Doster grew up in the state of his nativity, and was married there and lived there until 1836, when he moved with his family to Talbot county, Ga. Here he bought a farm and engaged extensively in farming until 1846, when he moved to Alabama in wagons and settled in Dale county, near where the village of Ariosto now stands. Here he bought a large plantation and continued farming until his death in May, 1854. Politically he was an old line whig, until the whig party ceased to exist, after which he was a democrat. He was a man of vigorous constitution and of great force of character. He was a zealous Methodist, and lived a consistent christian until his death. The mother of our subject was born in Mecklenburg county, N. C., 1790. She grew to womanhood under the parental roof and received such an education as the times and schools afforded. She married at the age of sixteen, and had ten children, nine of whom reached maturity, and of these only our subject and one sister are now living. She was pious from early life and became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at the age of thirteen. The christianity of husband and family is due greatly to her fervid piety and exemplary character. She was of great intellectual force and of a charitable disposition, and of that bright and sunny nature, which is loved by all. She died in 1862 and sleeps with her husband and children in the churchyard near the old homestead. The subject of this sketch was brought up on a farm in the simplicity of a country life. He was born a cripple, which he overcame to a great extent as he came to manhood. He was able to labor, and learned, under the guidance of his father, how to manage a farm, which was of great use to him in after life. He had received such an education as the common schools and his limited means allowed; his ambition for books was not satisfied. At the age of sixteen he began teaching school, in Talbot county, Ga. By this means he was enabled to enter the Collinsworth manual labor school, under a learned faculty, and a bright roll of students, McTyre, Harris, Goeman, Key, and many others, who were crowned in after life with honor bright. Here our subject began his classical course and continued it until money failed. In 1844, he, the friendless stranger, with no means, no introduction, but an iron will to succeed, began to teach at Midway, Ala. He used the vacation months of the first year to attend John's Classical institute, at Tuskegee, Macon county. In 1852 he left for the university of Virginia. After one year's stay he spent the balance of time and money in observation at Washington and New York, Yale college, Boston commons, Bunker Hill monument and Saratoga-all a rich store for thought and useful knowledge, and with the pleasing comfort of paying his own expenses. In the fall of 1853 he returned to Midway and resumed teaching. He continued in that vocation, at Midway, Clayton, Louisville, and Troy, aggregating forty-six years. Success and popular approval attended all his schools. This was when academy schools of high order prevailed in Alabama. They were the colleges of the poor boy and schools of profit. He was a good disciplinarian and instructor. His school became the reformatory for culprits and condemned exiles from other schools. He had among his pupils many who afterward rose to prominence in the state, such as A. A. Wiley, of Montgomery, H. D. Clayton, of Eufaula, R. H. Pearsons, of Birmingham, W. F. Vandiver, of Montgomery, I. H. Parks, of Crenshaw, John Tullis, of Eufaula, beside many others scattered over the gulf states. Our subject, although not a, politician, kept posted on government and politics, and was elected to the legislature in 1876, serving one term, during which he was the author of several important bills regarding public schools, which he was instrumental in getting enacted into laws. In 1853, he bought the plantation on which he now resides. He lost much property by the war, but by industry, economy and general good management he has made the farm productive and insured a competency for old age. He retired from public service in 1884, and now lives at his ease, though still directing the operations on his farm. In September, 1869, he was married to Miss Sarah Tucker, daughter of James Tucker, who was a native of Georgia, who at a later day moved to Barbour county, Ala. Mrs. Doster was born in Barbour county. She was a student at Cuthbert college, Ga., and was married in her thirtieth year. She is now the mother of three children: Mary E., James J. and Sarah L. Mr. and Mrs. Doster and their daughter are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, and in politics Mr. Doster was formerly a whig. He admired the talent and American policy of the party. He is now a steadfast democrat and for the constitutional rights of the whole people. He is in every sense of the word a self-made man, having attained his present standing by his own unaided and self-directed efforts. He now enjoys the love of his pupils, the respect and confidence of good citizens. He enjoys the pleasant memories of the past and steady, bright hopes of rest in the future. Additional Comments: from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 814-816 Published by Brant & Fuller (1893) Madison, WI This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 6.0 Kb