Randolph County AlArchives News.....History of Louina by F.W. Barnett July 15, 1923
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Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 February 21, 2023, 9:27 pm

The Birmingham News July 15, 1923
THIS is to be a story about a place that few know anything about present, unless 
they live in East Alabama but at one time it was the busiest center in all 
Randolph County. When Randolph County was created by the legislature, Dec. 18, 
1832, out of the last Creek cession, March 24, 1832, it was practically a 
wilderness, say for a few bold adventurous spirits who had either squatted or 
settled within its bounds. 
At the time of the organization of the county Wedowee, Roanoke and Louina were 
the chief trading points, and having already written about the first two, it is 
now proper to tell the story of Louina, which for considerable period was larger 
than both of them. 
It will take us back to the early days for the early pioneers acquired the lands 
by government entry and the Indian lands at public auction. It is, therefore, 
almost certain when chains of titles are run that the conveyance will go back to 
Uncle Sam or the red men. 
A singular thing about the early settlement of Randolph County comes from the 
fact that the families came in the beginning almost wholly from Fayette County, 
Georgia, and it would indeed be interesting to make a visit to it in order to 
trace the ancestry of the present leading families. 
It is hard to realize that less than 100 years ago things in the section were so 
primitive and in order to help you visualize, keep this in mind: The first 
courthouse built In Randolph County was without doors or shutters. There were no 
seats for the judge or jury, end therefore no need for the bailiff to cry. Let 
everybody be seated in the courtroom. 
The commissioners court in 1837 issued an order to the sheriff to have all 
necessary repairs made on the courthouse and to finish It with a judge's seat, a 
clerks table, seats for the jury and a substantial shutter for the door. There 
was no mention made of providing a place for the witnesses and the public to 
sit. 
In September 1837, the commissioners court let a contract for the building of a 
Jail, and in September 1839, a contract was let to build a new courthouse. The 
jail was completed Sept. 14. 1839, and the courthouse, Sept. 5, 1840. But to 
show just how backward the county was at the time, the proceedings of the 
commissioner court site rewritten with pencil on poplar bark as there was no 
paper to be had nearer than Wetumpka. 
Randolph County. 
Randolph County, as stated. is situated in the old Creek territory and naturally 
It is to be expected that some of their former towns were located in it. Among 
them are Kitcho-Pataki, probably on a creek of the same name, a few miles below 
Okfuskee; Lap Lako, of which there were two mentioned in 1832; Okfuskee, which 
was probably in the extreme southern part a few miles above Ninyaxana. 
This is Little Okfuski, Talua Mutehasi, the new name for Tuckabachi Talahani, 
was on the west side of the Tallapoosa River bear or across from Little Okfuski. 
It is old town Tukabachi, Tuxtukagi, or "Corn House," was on the western bank of 
the Tallapoosa River, 20 miles above Ninyaxana. A short distance below Walker's 
Ford is another cemetery, and then seven miles northeast of Wedowee on property 
formerly owned by G. O. Hill, and about a half mile southwest of his for 
residence is a circular structure of stories about two or three feet high, which 
has two entrances, one on the east side and one on the west. Running from the 
structure in a northeasterly and a southwesterly direction, several years since, 
could be traced for more than a mile, stones piled two feet high and about 100 
yards apart. But to get closer to the town about which this story Is written. At 
Hunters Ferry on the Tallapoosa River at Louina, on the west side of the stream. 
Is a large stone mortar which is said to hold perhaps 20 bushels. On an Island 
half a mile south of here is evidence of a large town site and cemetery. Many 
relics were unearthed by the freshet of 1886. 
Louina. 
There are some interesting Indian stories which cluster about Louina, but none 
more vivid than the one concerning an old Indian woman from whom the town took 
its name. It seems that old Louina kept a little store and had accumulated $250 
in silver. Her husband, Nickahago owned a lot of property. He entered a section, 
but later sold it for $30. For some reason Louina had to move away and she 
buried her silver hoardings. 
Now here is where whites, blacks and reds get mixed up for It's a tri-color 
yarn. It seems that John Y. Trammell in some way gave offense to Huldah. a slave 
girl, who for revenge burned his sin, which at the time meant death; and so, she 
was run down to Florida by Mr. Harris, her owner, and sold. 
Drusilla, his daughter, had a dream, and in it she saw where old Louina. the 
squaw, had hid her silver. She went to the patch where Silas Beavers was plowing 
and soon was scratching up the coin. He saw what she was doing and came over 
with a shovel and soon the $250 as uncovered. He married Sarah Ann, the older 
sister of Drusilla. and strange to relate, the money found through the dream 
purchased back Huldah, the negro girl, who after the war, returned with an 18-
year-old son who threw a rock and cracked the skull of a farmer and fled to 
Florida and was followed by Huldah on foot. 
The writer drove over to Louina while down at Milltown with Prof. Sullivan had 
the pleasure of meeting Frank Handley, one of the spryest old gentlemen in the 
state, for despite being 82 years of age, he gets about like a much younger man. 
He had just come in from a drive over to Wadley, where he went to see his son. 
We sat for an hour in the car where we listened with avidity to his 
reminiscences. He laughingly said that while he was not Irish, yet he was born 
on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1841. He is a brother of W. A. Handley, who with 
J. D. and Ben Moore established the great hardware business in Birmingham. James 
M. was also a brother. The Handley's for many years played a great part in the 
development of Randolph County. 
The Handley. 
William A. Handley had a remarkable career. The writer near Louina saw the site 
of the old log schoolhouse where he went as a barefoot boy. He served with 
bravery In the Civil War and was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-Second 
Congress. 1871-1873. hit seat being unsuccessfully contested by Benjamin 
baptized in his old age by an old comrade of his, Dr. John P. Shaffer, in the 
pool of the Roanoke Baptist church. It was on the night of the dedication of the 
handsome new edifice to which he had been a liberal contributor. He died June 23 
1909. 
Maj. James M. Handley, familiarly known as Jim, lived in Birmingham for years 
and the writer used to enjoy hearing him talk about his war experiences. He will 
never forget his telling about sitting in his tent one night on the eve of a 
great battle reading Lallah Rook. It seems that the book of poems had just come 
out and with true Southern fervor he was wild about Moores poetry. 
Francis Marlon Handley, known by the older citizens in Randolph County as 
"Frank," went to the famous old LaGrange Methodist College, on the mountain out 
from Leighton. He was there in 1860 and spent two years. He was greatly 
Interested in finding that recently the writer had visited the old college site. 
The writer was equally as interested in finding one of the old pupils who was. 
able to shed some light on the life of the students at the institution before 
the War Between the States. 
Mr. Handley lives in the home built by the pioneer from whom Walkers Ford took 
its name Louina for a long time also bore his name. The house which was built 92 
years ago is still in fine repair. The timbers are well preserved, and the brick 
chimney will stand many more years. In those days when a man built a home it was 
expected to last a century end this one will easily finish its first 100 years. 
There is something beautiful at the sight of an old couple who have not only 
celebrated their golden wedding but have lived side by side for 57 years. Mrs. 
Handley is in good health and gets about her household duties with perfect ease 
and comfort. She is a type of the ante-bellum women who, despite slaves, were 
good managers, caring for their households not a la card index, but with a 
common sense which discounts the modern fads. 
When Mr. Handley came to Louina there was only one store, and it was kept in a 
log house. It was run by J. M. Handley, an uncle, but was later bought by John 
R. Handley, his father. E. S. Barber, a Northern man, then bought it. He married 
a Miss Barron, a Southern woman. William E. Gilbert was the first to build a 
two-story storehouse. He did a big business and his place was the talk of the 
county. George Taylor opened a dry goods store. Up to this time the merchants 
ran general stores. W. A. Swann followed with a grocery store. F. M. Handley did 
a general merchandising business, as did Phillips and Heflin. 
First Hotel. 
The first hotel was run by Joe Barron; the first mill by Hiram Barron; the first 
gin by W. C. Adamson; the first blacksmith shop by John R. Hand-ley, who hired a 
negro slave blacksmith at a fancy price to do the work. (In those days 
blacksmithing was a big thing.) 
The first preachers known by Mr. Handley were Hiram Barron, a primitive Baptist; 
H. R. Moore, a Missionary-Baptist, and J. M. Towles, a Methodist minister. The 
first teacher was Jim Harris, who had in his school a dozen grown men, none of 
whom was able to learn to read, according to Mr. Handley, who said that as a 
young boy he I got much fun in listening to their vain efforts. The school was 
held in the old Baptist Church. The first physicians were Drs. Trent and Heflin. 
Mr. Handley says that the first buggy which ever appeared on the road leading 
through Louina caused a much greater sensation among the inhabitants than did 
the first automobile. Sylvanus Walker was the first wagon builder in the 
section. In those days the cotton was hauled by ox teams to Columbus, Ga., about 
65 miles distant. It was then unnecessary to carry along any feed, as the whole 
country was covered with came and it was only needful to unyoke them and let 
them graze at will until satisfied. 
The old settlers included the Walkers, Handleys, Heflins, Phillips, Grays, 
Hardnetts, Richards, Hunters, McMurrays, Stephens, Seymours, Knights, Woods and 
Leveretts. 
There was a lodge way back in the old days. It was known as Putnam Lodge No. 
212. It is now located at Macedonia. Some of the worshipful masters were A. C. 
Wood, J. H. Moody and T. L. Gregg. 
Louina at present has one store run by W. A. Phillips, but before the war, when 
it was the biggest town in Randolph County, it had three bars, six dry goods 
stores and several general stores. It not only had churches, and schools, but 
boasted of a tenpin alley. 
There was a quarter mile racetrack at the edge of the Tallapoosa River; and one 
enterprising chicken fighter a wagon made specially to carry his birds from one 
main to another. It was the day of free fights end there was never a dull 
Saturday afternoon, but at present a great peace has fallen on the place. Old 
Concord. The writer drove out four miles east of Louina to the best-known 
country church in all the section. 
Old Concord, which from time immemorial was kept up by the primitive Baptists. 
It was once. in membership, the biggest church in Randolph County, and the 
strongest financially, but at present it has only 13 members with no regular 
services. It is situated in a beautiful grove and nearby is a never-failing 
spring. 
But it's the cemetery around which interest now centers. The grounds had been 
cleared off for the memorial exercises held on May 20 under the lead of Pastor 
Maples of Milltown. of the M. E. Church, South. It always brings out a great 
throng. They come from every section of the county and even from the adjoining 
ones. 
The five old farmers who more than four score years ago entered 40 acres for 
religious purposes for any denomination acted with wisdom. The Primitives and 
the Methodists availed themselves of the chance and for years have the spot for 
religious gathering, The Louina Campground was famous for years. Cottages and 
tents were erected and the grove was alive with people. It is said that while 
many were converted some got killed in the fights for in the earlier times there 
were always rough characters who flocked to such places on mischief bent. 
It was in the old cemetery of Concord Church that the writer felt in closest 
touch with the men and women who had made the Louina community, for many of them 
slept in the graves all about him. The graves were of every description, from 
the unmarked to ones covered by rude native stones. Some of the latter were most 
interesting from the size of the rocks and they had been made roughly into shape 
by rude tools. There were also imposing monuments, the shaft above the grave of 
John T. Heflin being most imposing. There are many handsome ones. It is in this 
cemetery that Dr. Wilson Lumpkin Heflin and wife are buried, as are some of the 
Handleys. Some of the slabs are of a greenish tint. They were cut out of native 
rock. It seems that William Jackson was able to saw the rocks by rigging up an 
apparatus by which he was enabled to use a number of old and worn out buggy 
steel tires to do the polishing. 
History Quoted. 
Here is a picture taken from West's History of Alabama Methodism, which sheds 
light on the community: According to data in hand. McGill's Church, located in 
Randolph County, near and on the west side of the Tallapoosa River, a little 
north of Hutton's Ford, now Louina, was organized by the Rev. John Hunter on a 
weekday In the Summer of 1837. The principal members who constituted the society 
were the Hardys, Harrises, McGills and Smiths. Spencer Smith, who had just 
settled a home at the place where Daviston has recently sprung up, was appointed 
class leader at McGills Society upon its organization. The house built there for 
worship, was made of split logs and was 18 by 20 feet, covered with rough 
boards, held on what was called weight poles, and had a dirt floor, covered with 
pine straw and seats without backs, made of puncheon. 
This gives some idea of the primitive way in which some strong churches got 
their first foothold in the section. It showed that even from the start year of 
and was received on trial in the Alabama Conference in January the people of the 
community were in earnest about religion. 
Continuing, Dr. West says: Spencer Smith in after years became a local preacher 
and was useful in that country. He died at Rockford, Coosa County, in Alabama, 
in 1883, at the advanced age of 100 years, his wife, who was one of the charter 
members at McGill's, having preceded him to the better land a few months. 
In 1838 two men, who held membership at McGill's, were licensed to exhort who 
were afterwards licensed to preach. Mr. Harris, the elder of the two, made a 
useful local preacher. The other, George R. W. Smith, the son of the class 
leader, was adopted into the heavenly family when 12 years old, was at a 
quarterly conference held for Lafayette Circuit at Day's Campground, Oct. 15, 
1838, as an exhorter, was licensed to preach in 1839. being then 19 years of age 
and appointed for that year junior preacher on the Tombigbee Circuit; in 1841 
was in charge of the Coosa Circuit; for 1842 he was at Pensacola. Fla; and for 
1843 he was appointed in charge of the Apalachicola. Fla. He died in the midst 
of an effort to build a house of worship at Apalachicola, Fla., April 18. 1843. 
The writer regrets that he was unable to get any light on the old Baptist 
Church, either as to when it was constituted or the names of the charter members 
or of any of the preachers....
[Article goes on to talk about the Heflin family history]  


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