Marshall County AlArchives News.....History of Grassy December 14, 1934 ************************************************ 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: Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 January 26, 2023, 8:28 pm The Advertiser-Gleam December 14, 1934 The Grassy post office was established in the year 1882. There was a pond and nearby was very grassy, and they called the post-office Grassy. The school is named Grassy and Beat 27 is named Grassy. The post office was kept at the dwelling house of W. J. Thompson. It seems that he was postmaster and his daughter, Mrs. Gena Thompson-Hewett, was assistant. The office was supplied from Cullman and Warrenton, and later Guntersville. The late Asa M. Lee was postmaster a while. He kept the office where Ammon Terrell lives. S. L. Hyatt was the last postmaster. Kept his store and office in the same building near where Elder Moses (Mose) Sparks lives. Those who have been merchants at Grassy include S. L. Hyatt, W. W. Gregg, Roy Stephens, W. L. Carpenter, Jesse Dodd, H. B. Bodine and M. A. Johnson. D. Wright, L. Hewett, W. W. Gregg and James Ellenburg ran stores near the Rocky Mount church. J. T. Ellenburg, Sr., and James Ellenburg ran a blacksmith shop near the church where Grassy is. John Henson ran a blacksmith shop, and Grady Clemons runs a shop and grist mill. Dr. W. L. Hughes lived at Grassy and died at Grassy. Elder Moses Sparks still lives at Grassy. W. L. Carpenter built a large store house and it had an Oddfellows Lodge above. The first school building, which was destroyed by fire stood at Grassy. The last building stands a half mile south of Grassy. The land was given by the late J. T. Ellenburg, Sr., and J. M. Dodd. They gave 2 acres each. J. T. Ellenburg, Sr., and H. L. Forrester operated a syrup mill in this community. J. T. Ellenburg, Jr., and L. M. Cox operate a steam cooking outfit and run the cane mill by steam. J. M. Dodd, Otis Dodd and J. T. Ellenburg, Jr., have operated a gin in this community. Otis Dodd was burned out and J. T. Ellenburg, Jr., was burned out. J. M. Dodd, H. B. Bodine, the Farmers Union and Edgar Rhinehart run stores in the Grassy community (Doddville). B. R. Hamby and William Kelly operated a gin near Shoal Creek, on the place where H. M. Brooks lives Hamby from South Carolina and Kelly from' Georgia. The late William (Uncle Billy) Brock operated a grist mill and sash sawmill by waterpower on one prong of Shoal Creek and his son, Albert (Al) Brock operated the mill when his father died. I was told they were part Indian. I was told Albert Brock run a turning lathe and made pipes out of ivy. Mrs. Clemons owns the place now. There was a Methodist church named Brocks Chapel. It was a log building. There was a cemetery near the Brock Mill. I will give the history of the other Brock Mill in my history of Friendship church. The Ellenburg family came from Clay County, Alabama. Rev. John Ebilee (Eb) Canon came from Randolph County to Marshall County in 1880 and lived near where M. A. Johnson lives at Grassy. I moved in an ox wagon, said Mr. Canon. There wasn't any Grassy then; it was all in the woods. I was born in Randolph County Oct. 30, 1860. My parents were John Calhoun Canon and Permilee Burson-Canon. The mail carrier from Cullman when it rained spent the night at my home and went on to Warrenton the next morning. From that they came from far and near and would stop at my home. I married Miss Salona Meadows. Dr. Jenkins married us Dec. 1878. Wife and I and five orphan children joined the church 57 years ago at Mt. Moriah, Clay County. Rev. James Jordan baptized us. I joined the church when I came to Marshall County at Ebenezer (now Union Grove). The church stood on the late Thomas (Tom) Thompson's place. I guess the reason they named the church Bro. Thompson always called me Ebenezer. Rev. P. J. Corley was an evangelist from Mt. Carmel Association in 1880, and he heard of me and came to our church. One night Bro. Corley said: Bro. Canon will preach tonight, and I begged to get out of it, but he pressed me into service. I made a complete failure and went home to die. Bro. Corley came to see me and my wife told him I needed a doctor and Bro. Corley laughed and said I didn't need any doctor. I gave up and went to preaching. Bro. Canon showed me a picture where he baptized 18, and 4 years later he had a picture where he baptized 18 more. He showed me a picture of the family reunion and his birthday dinner. His father, J. C. Canon, was a doctor in Clay County. He volunteered and went to the Civil war and died. His mother Pamilee Canon, came to Marshall County and entered the place where Ammon Terrell lives at Grassy said Bro. Cannon, I lived at Grassy about 29 years, and went into the woods and entered 160 acres of land. Henry Terrell and J. B. Hawk own part of the place. I lived at Arab one year and went back to my place, stayed a year and went to Eddy and run a store 13 months and went back to Arab and run a store 8 or 9 years. I stayed at Alabama City two years and ran a store. I guess there were between 600 or 700 converts under my ministry. I averaged 35 a year. I married numbers of couples. I received very little compensation for my services, but I felt it my duty to preach the gospel, and I never murmured. Bro. Canon now lives near the 16th section. They call it Egypt. It is in the Ruth community (Arab Rt. 3). He has been in bad health but is improving at this writing. I have known Bro. Canon 35 or 45 years. He is a good man. He served as road overseer. He has a board his father, J. C. Canon, mixed medicine on, which he prizes very highly Evans Reynolds, a local preacher, lived in the Grassy community. J. E Canon preached at Friendship 17 years, Gilliam Springs 7 years. New Caanon 17 years; pastored New Home a number of years, Beech Creek 7 or 8 years and Ruth some year and Mount Tabor 6 years. J. A. Thomason, Guntersville, Ala., Rt. 1. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/marshall/newspapers/historyo1971gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 6.3 Kb