Henry County AlArchives Biographies.....Darby, John Isaac June 18 1851 - living in 1893
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Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 26, 2004, 9:49 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
    JOHN ISAAC DARBY, physician and surgon of Columbia, was born in Stewart
county, Ga., June 18, 1851. He was one of six children born to John W. and Susan
( White ) Darby, the former of whom was born in Twiggs county, Ga., in 1834, and
followed the occupation of a planter, until the breaking out of the Civil war,
when he volunteered in the Forty-seventh Alabama infantry, and lost his life
from sickness in 1863 at Quitman, Miss. The mother of Dr. Darby was born in
Anson county, N. C., and grew to womanhood in Harris and Talbot counties, Ga.
She was married at about the age of twenty years, and was the mother of seven
children, five of whom now survive, viz.: S. J., an attorney at Birmingham, who
was solicitor for the fifth circuit for six years; James W., a planter of Elmore
county; Mary, single, and living with James W., and Dr. J. I. Darby. After the
father's death, his widow was married to Mr. Johnson Burk, by whom she had one
child, Anna S. Mr. Burk died in 1884, and she died in 1886. Dr. Darby received a
common school education, and studied medicine, in 1873, with Drs. A. L. Warren
and S. C. Elliott, and attended his first course of medical lectures in the
Alabama Medical college, in 1873-4, and practiced his profession in central
Alabama a few years, after which, he attended the Louisville Medical college,
and graduated in 1880. Since then he has attended three post-graduate courses of
medical lectures, the last of which was in the New York Polyclinic, during the
winter of 1892. He came to Columbia in 1884, since which time he has been
engaged in the drug business, and practicing his profession. He has been married
twice, the first time to Miss Loudie E. Espy, daughter of Hon. John S. Espy, of
Barbour county, Ala. She was born in Barbour county and educated at Union female
college, of Eufaula. She was married at the age of nineteen, and became the
mother of one child, Susie E., now attending the Columbia high school. She died
of pneumonia in 1884, and Dr. Darby was again married in December, 1884, to Miss
Lavonia Hill, of Lawrenceville, Ala. Her father is well known in southeast
Alabama, as an upright and worthy citizen. He now resides at Abbeville, and has
been prominently identified with all the movements looking to the advancement of
the county. The present Mrs. Darby was well educated at the Lawrenceville
schools. She was married in her twentieth year, and has no children. Dr. Darby
has been prominently identified with all the enterprises of a public nature in
his town and section of the state. He was elected mayor of Columbia, in 1890,
and served one term, and he has been a member of the board of aldermen for four
terms. He has been reasonably active in politics, and has always, from his
majority, been identified with the organized democracy, and filled several
places of honor at their hands. He was chairman of the memorable Geneva
senatorial convention of 1889. In 1889, he purchased the Columbia Enterprise,
and changed the name to the Columbia Recorder. This paper he has published ever
since. Soon after assuming control of this paper, he began the agitation of the
question of the establishment of manufacturing institutions in the place, and,
as a result of this agitation, a meeting of the citizens was called and steps
taken to inaugurate the building of a cotton mill. Dr. Darby was made chairman
of this meeting, and presented the project to the people in such manner as to
interest the moneyed men to the extent of subscribing $50,000, with which a
splendidly equipped and good paying cotton mill has since been built, and is now
in successful operation. Dr. Darby made the opening address at the dedication of
this mill. This is now looked upon as the beginning of a new era for Columbia,
and it is confidently expected that other, and perhaps, more important,
enterprises will follow this one, so auspiciously inaugurated. Dr. Darby is a
member of Omersee lodge of F. & A. M., and both himself and wife are members of
the Missionary Baptist church. They both are highly esteemed for their many
excellent social qualities.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 1081-1082
Published by
Brant & Fuller (1893)
Madison, WI

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