Escambia County AlArchives Biographies.....Strong, William H. ? - 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 23, 2004, 5:31 am

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
   WILLIAM H. STRONG was born October 27, 1853, in Russell county, Ala. His
father, Samuel D. Strong, was a native of Rockingham county, N. C., born in
1823, and at the age of twenty, in company with a brother, moved to Alabama,
settling in Chambers county, where, in 1843, he married Miss Alletha Stillwell.
Subsequently he located in the county of Russell, where he followed the
occupation of planting until his death, which occurred on the 22d day of
December, 1878. Mr. Strong was a man of fine mind, highly educated, and, as an
old line whig, strenuously opposed the secession of the southern states in 1860.
After the war broke out, however, he felt in duty bound to cast his lot with his
state, and for two years he served as a gallant soldier in the army of the
Confederacy. He was at one time an extensive slave holder, but never believed in
selling his slaves, and while in the army refused to exchange a number of his
colored people for a lot of cotton which, the following year, was sold for
$500,000. It is sufficient to say that Mr. Strong's wealth, which consisted
largely of slaves, was swept away by the war, and the close of the struggle
found him comparatively a poor man. Samuel D. and Alletha Strong reared a family
of seven children, whose names are as follows: John Z.; Charles D., died of
yellow fever in the epidemic of 1883; Maggie, wife of John A. Tarver; Thomas J.;
Louis W.; William H. and Nannie M., wife of W. A. Lovelace. Owing to the
unfortunate condition of affairs in the south at the breaking out of the war,
the early education of William H. Strong was sadly neglected, the almost total
loss of his father's property preventing him taking an intended college course.
At the age of thirteen, however, he became a student in the Hollywood academy,
where he pursued his studies for five years, acquiring during that time a good
practical education and a fair knowledge of several of the higher branches of
learning. At the age of eighteen he began the study of law in the office of J.
B. McDonald, of Russell county; but before taking the examination requisite to
admission to the bar he laid aside his books and engaged in the more
remunerative lumber business, which in a short time returned him a very liberal
profit. He gradually relinquished the idea of entering the legal profession,
and, in 1876, in partnership with a brother, moved to Escambia county and began
dealing in hewn timber, which business he conducted with success and financial
profit for a period of seven years. In 1883, in partnership with James Hunter,
Mr. Strong erected a large saw mill on the Alabama river in Monroe county, where
the firm also purchased 10,000 acres of land, to which 2,000 were subsequently
added, increasing the value to over $36,000. The firm of Hunter & Strong
continued to do business until the spring of 1884, at which time Mr. Strong
disposed of his interest and took a contract to furnish a large amount of hewn
timber for the European market, which engaged his attention until the winter, of
1885-6. In February, 1886, he was appointed United States commissioner for the
southern district of Alabama, and discharged the duties of the office until
1890, since which date he has been engaged in various lines of speculation,
giving particular attention to transactions in real estate. In 1887 Mr. Strong
was elected, without solicitation, a member of the common council of Brewton,
which body immediately thereafter appointed him secretary and treasurer of the
city, the duties of which positions he has since discharged in a manner highly
satisfactory to all concerned. He has also served for several years as township
superintendent of education, and as such has been active in promoting the
efficiency of the schools under his charge. Mr. Strong and Annie Lovelace,
daughter of B. M. Lovelace, were made man and wife on the 1st day of June, 1879,
and their marriage has been blessed by the birth of four children, three living:
Russell A., Annie V., and Willie M. Mr. Strong's popularity is second to that of
no other citizen of Brewton, and as a wide-awake, energetic business man,
interested in every laudable public enterprise, he stands deservedly high in the
estimation of the people throughout the county. He is now engaged in the
mercantile business in Brewton, Ala., wholesale and retail business, with a good
trade, and is prime mover in the Brewton water works and electric light system,
which will soon be in operation.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 1005-1006
Published by
Brant & Fuller (1893)
Madison, WI

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/

File size: 5.1 Kb