Taliaferro-Wilkes-Greene County GaArchives News.....In Memory of Alexander Stephens and The Hostesses of the Alexander STEPHENS HISTORICAL PARK June 22, 2005 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Terri Saturday http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002583 September 13, 2005, 9:45 pm Advocate - Democrat June 22, 2005 With the arrival of the train from Augusta, which came at 9:40 o'clock, brought perhaps as many as 5,000 people by 12 o'clock on May 24, 1893. The statue of Alexander H. Stephens, the commoner was unveiled in the Shadow of Liberty Hall on May 24, 1893 as stated in the People's Advocate. (Later known as the Advocate Democrat later this same year on October 6, 1893.) Hon. Horace Holden of Crawfordville, presided as master of ceremonies, and opened the exercises by introducing Rev. R. E. L. Harris, who offered a fervent and beautiful prayer. Miss Mary Corry, daughter of Alexander H. Stephens' niece Mary Matilda Stephens, stepped to the front and pulled the string attached to the head of the statue. Miss Mary Corry married the Hon. Horace Moore Holden a few days later on June 01, 1893. Judge Holden was the son of William Franklin Holden and born March 5, 1866. Mary Corry Holden was the daughter of Judge William Corry and Mary Matilda Stephens, charter member of the original Alexander H. Stephens Chapter of the United Daughter of the Confederacy and served as first hostess along with Mrs. Lula Gunn to Liberty Hall when it first opened Mrs. Lula Gunn Moore, daughter of William Robert Gunn and Emily Emma Dickson was born June 06, 1867. She married the late Clem G. Moore of Crawfordville, served as hostess at Liberty Hall when it first opened, several months prior to the first paid hostess. On February 28, 1896 the Advocate -Democrat issued by Clem G. Moore became the official county Organ. The UDC All American Cookbook published in 1954 was dedicated to Mrs. Lula Gunn Moore's memory as she served as UDC Chapter President for many years. She was one of the charter members of the original chapter in 1899. At this time the office of the Alexander Stephens was held in the library of the Alexander H. Stephens Home. Almorette Elizabeth Gunn was the first paid hostess at Liberty Hall. In her later years she married Red Lunceford. Red Lunceford and John Larkin Sisson ran a barber shop inside the Crawfordville Hotel. John and Red opened a shop next door to the Movie house after Mr. Lyle closed his business. This was when Mr. Elton Sturdivant joined the group in 1934. John kept the accounting books for Mr. Lunceford for many years. After the fires of 1910 the Hotel was reerected. The new building would occupy the site of the old hotel. It contained two or three state rooms, hotel office, lobby and sample rooms on the ground floor with about 20 rooms in the upper story for guest use. Laura Lee Crawford joined Mrs. Lunceford. Laura Lee was the daughter of June Crawford. A short time later, Laura Lee was joined by Mrs. Mable Moore Bird as hostesses in the Alexander H. Stephens home. Miss Mable worked at The Crawfordville Supperette located in uptown Crawfordville in the afternoons. Those may remember Laura Lee's dad driving the school bus for the Alexander Stephens Institute. Laura Lee's ancestor was no other than the Honorable William Harris Crawford. He was U.S. Senator, Sec. of Treasury under Monroe and Candidate for President in 1824. The town of Crawfordville is named for him. Mable Bird was the daughter of Sheriff Robert Matthews Moore and Daisy Taylor. Her husband Bubba Bird, a lifelong resident of Crawfordville, had retired as an electrician/plummer (sic). They were members of the Crawfordville Methodist Church. He served in Civilian Conservation Corps at Brooklet Ga. and for a number of years worked at U.S. Navy Shipyard in Charleston, S.C. Wife of Dr. Eulous Portwood who was a dentist for many years in Crawfordville. He along with his wife Mattie Gee, daughter of store merchant Charles Gee allowed their daughter Mrs. Martha Portwood Nelms to donate a large wardrobe when she was the hostess of Liberty Hall in 1993. This wardrobe had been used by our Portwood and Edwards families. Martha married George C Nelms in 1936. George had taught at ASI and Union Point before going into the service during the World War 2. In 1947 he was the Owner of the Crawfordville Hardware and Furniture Co., purchased from E C Gunn who had owned and operated the business for over 40 years. George took over the job of County Superintendent upon the retirement of his father in law Eulous T. Portwood for the term 1957-1957. Evelyn Edwards became Historic Site Supervisor of Alexander Stephens park and her assistant, Martha Schuff were remembered giving programs on the history of our county, Taliaferro. Mrs. Martha Schuff later Mrs. W. Edwin Neal worked as Interpretive Park Ranger at the Alexander Stephens home at this time and had just recently retired. A very special thank you goes to Mrs. Neal for preserving the history of the ladies that once served under the house where Alexander Stephens spent his days. Martha's father was Mr. James William Atchison was a retired cotton ginner, a merchant and contractor. A lifelong resident of Taliaferro County, he was a member of the Crawfordville Baptist Church and a member of the Crawfordville Masonic Lodge. Alexander H. Stephens was a man of the highest personal character and moral worth. His conduct at all times, weather in public or private, was regulated by the high standards of duty which he had set up for his guidance. He not only did what he believed to be right, but he had the wisdom and the understanding to know what was right. Come visit Crawfordville, then visit with Mr. Phil Dew and Margie Edwards at Alexander H. Stephens Home and then walk over to the monument of Stephens shadowing Liberty Hall carrying these words from a speech made in my home town of Augusta, Georgia in 1855: "I am afraid of nothing on earth, or above the earth, or under the earth, except to do wrong--th path of duty I shall ever endeavor to travel, fearing no evil" and dreading no consequences." A very special thank you goes to Miss Josie Bird, my Aunt Margie Edwards and Phil Dew for helping me gather the spirt of Alexander H. Stephens on my last visit with my mom, Alice Edwards Kimbrel and the home of Alexander Stephens. I hope to find you among the shadows there on Labor Day. Until my next adventure Terri Saturday File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/taliaferro/newspapers/inmemory834gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 6.9 Kb