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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Christine Thacker CGT714@AOL.com February 22, 2005, 3:36 pm

Source: Ariton History, Ariton Alliance-Naomi J. Weimer part 2
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http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/dale/photos/gph1415wellwind.jpg
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The History of Ariosta  (Ariton)by Naomi Jones Weimer, Part 2, March 1992.

  Ariton Alliance  ( the Newspaper was a Monthly Newspaper, Established 1991, 
by Dr.Charles W. Gann , the Paper is no longer in business , All articles from 
this Newspaper are from the files of Mary Vic Paramore of Ariton. )
  

  Several men, of course, wanted the firSt lots. It was decided that they draw 
straws for these lots. Mr. Oscar Barfield got the choice lot, #1 Mr. Jacobs got 
#2 and S. S. Jones, #3, and Mr. George Bray got #4. Uncle Buster, his full name 
was Simeon Sylvester Jones, and he was born on July 4, 1861, near Charleton, 
Alabama, just after the start of the Civil War, was a Notary Public for the 
State of Alabama and was appointed to sell land and to make and notarize deeds. 
The lots sold from $10.00 to $30.00, depending on the location. The f1rst four 
sold for $30.00 each.
  A builder by the name of Overtree and Sons agreed to build a store for Uncle 
Buster and one for Mr. George Bray on lots 3 and 4. He agreed to finish them at 
the same time, as they joined and had a common wall between them. But Uncle 
Buster got a bad summer cold and had to go to bed for a few days. He agreed for 
Mr. Overstreet to contine on Mr. Bray's store until he was able to be back to 
watch the finishing touches, so as a result, Mr. Bray's store was completed two 
days before Uncle Buster's. However, they had their grand opening on the same 
day. A large crowd attended these openings. Uncle Buster's store was completed 
on June 15, 1905.
  Since this was a union of two towns it was fitst called Union City. But due 
to the fact that there was already an incorporated town by that name, we could 
not use it, s0 it was decided to take" Ari" from Ariosta and "Ton" from 
Charleton and name our two town Ariton So Ariton came into being in 1905 and 
incoorporated in the late spring of 1906.
  In 1905 my father returned home from traveling with the, American Picture 
Company out of Chicago. This company went out in the country and look pictures 
for people who could never get into a town with a studio and have a likeness 
made. The pictures were hand tinted and with big beautiful frames tinted in 
gold and silver. It was quite the thing at the turn of the century to have 
these pictures made, and anyone who could afford them, had them. My father had 
a crew of men and went as far west as Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado selling 
these pictures. He had grown up poor and knew how to save money, so when he 
came home in early 1905, he had what was then a "lot" of money. When he arrived 
and saw the new town, he walked it over and talked with his Uncle Buster (S. S. 
Jones) who helped him pick out the prettiest lot on the hill above the town on 
Atlantic Street. At that time, Atlantic Street extended only half way up the 
hill, but Dad picked a spot a ways up, where the lots had been staked out, and 
bought a lot for $10.00. 
  When Dad was young and had to get his dad to sign for him, he had bought a 
parcel of ground up the River Road and coming through the swamp one day, pulled 
up a slender oak sprout and planted it on this ground. He later told this to 
Uncle Nelson and Aunt Pearly Slater. They enjoyed this ahade tree for half a 
litetime. Only a few years ago it was struck by lightening and had to be cut 
down. Some of the Slaters still live there.
  Dad got Aunt Pearly and Uncle Nelson Slater to clear his lot in Ariton. (This 
same family worked for my Grandpa and Grandma. Their children, Lil and Gator 
Slater, worked for my parents and now Jeanette Slater is working with me. They 
are a fine family.
  A Mr. Carpenter came to Ariton in search of work. Uncle Buster sent him to 
see Dad. He told Dad, "My name is Carpenter, and that is what I am. I want to 
build your new house." Dad talked with him a while and found that he seemingly 
knew what he was talking about. They discussed and agreed on price, time and 
materials. He had some plans and gave prices. Dad selected heart pine without 
knots and a floor plan he liked, including a dug well on the back porch and 
window blinds,to protect the windows from elemepts, and lightening rods, which 
Uncle Gabriel Norman King waS selling at the time. He also added in a latticed 
porch on the back and a latticed chicken run half under the house to keep the 
chickens out of the front yard, yet give them protection from the weather, 
until proper housing could
be built. For all this and by a certain time, Daddy paid a total of $700.00 
for "lock & key job". This house on Atlantic is where Otis and Nell Edwards 
live now. Dad sold it

continued on Page 2
Ariosta continued from page 1

to his cousin, Uncle Busters only child, George Tillman Jones, when Daddy 
bought out in the country and moved to Ariosta.
  Daddy had married Mary Harriet Greens in 1906, whom he had met during his 
travels. He moved Mary into his new home and gave up traveling and bought into 
the store with Uncle Buster and became a merchant. However, this peaceful 
existence was not to last, for in less than a year, Mary died during childbirth.
  In 1908, Daddy married Nettie Catherine Sanford. who became my mother, whom 
he had also met during his travels. He was again selling pictures and got off 
the train in Deatsville, Alabama, and started knocking on doors to sell 
pictures. Who should answer the first knock, but Mr. Sanford, the big burly 
supervisor on the train that the boy had slipped off and climbed the pine 
sapling to see the train. He recognized the young man and Dad thought he 
recognized the man as the one who had asked him to take a ride on the train 
that day...it was! And soon they were talking like old friends. Mr. Sanford 
introduced him to his family and "Miss Nettie" seemed to fall head over heels 
in love with "Mr. Harvey". So they were married some three months later. 
  The first two daughters were born in this same house and two wives and two 
children later, Dad moved Mother into her own home where she lived from 1913 to 
1967, when she died. 
  This is one of the first two houses built in AriOsta. My husband, Eddie. and 
I still live in it and enjoy every day of it.	
  So much for retrospect and childhood. I'll pull my wandering mind away from 
memory land and get on my research and facts. I stand corrected, if memory 
failed me.

  Dates could be wrong on the Part one posted, I forgot to put the dates on 
back of the article and on some I may have cut the dates off while putting all 
the papers together for scanning.
  I wish to Thank the Troy Bank & Trust in Ariton for coping all the papers 
that they copied for me so that i can post this info online for others to read.
 CGT.

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