The age-herald., 1900-08-05
FIRST FAMILIES OF JEFFERSON
 AND THEIR ROMANTIC HISTORY
From Over the Sea, Through Track less WildernesseS, Down the
 Appalachians.

from, but they were passed by for a name absolutely without American meaning; and thus the old folk of Jefferson walked up to find Birmingham!
 They took advantage of their discovery, and they have kept advantage with won- derful success. AS Birmingham grew the old folk grew; as Jefferson developed their powers developed. Yea. and more than that immensely more. It was largely their genius, their energies, their virtues that sped Birmingham and Jefferson in the way of growth and development unexampled in the world They did not lose their heads; did not lose their places. They grew in knowledge and grew in wealth. grew in power and grew in merit.
 These old folk of Jefferson touched el- bows with the most astute men of all walks of life in America; parried the thrusts of the cleverest adventurers and swindlers on any continent; toed the mark with all the hosts, good and evil, that crowded the busiest and widest money making town in the world-they did all this and rose constantly higher and grew constantly stronger. Blood and breeding told triumphant every hour, as blood and breeding shall tell as long as mankind in herits the earth!
 The old folk of Jefferson never lost their power and leadership, and there is no like lihood they ever shall lose their rightful and well-deserved place in the most pro- gressive community in America or out of 1t. Look at bench and bar today look at the banks and the great mercantile es- tablishments; look at the churches and the railroads medicine and the arts, factory and workshop, mine and furnace-look at all these places of human endeavor and progressive human activity, and you find high-honored the representatives of the old folk of Jefferson
 And in these things you shall find studies in sociology and economics, the survival of that which is best, that are profoundly impressive.
 Take the Martins, the Mudds and the Walkers; the Earles, the Morrows, the Eubanks, and the Waldrops; the Jordans, the Porters, the McAdorys, and the Browns; the Smiths, the Gilespies the Laceys, the Terrels, the Naberses, and the Hawkinses; the Owenses the Hewitts, the Henleys, the Greenes the Davises, the Hoods, and the Chamblees. and you will find them leaders now as they have been, many of them, leaders any time for almost e century!
 There was a Mudd Town in Jefferson ninety years ago. and the Mudds have been leaders ever since 2 The Hawkinses and the Browns came to this county eighty-five years ago.
 The Greenes and the Chamblees came hither in 1921.
 The Earles, the Walkers, the Martins, and the Mudds were leading citizens of Elyton more than seventy-five years ago.
 h in 1921, and a Gillespie is clerk of court now.
 A Eubank was sheriff of Jefferson seven- ty years ago; when old Samuel s. Earle was a county guardian.
 A McAdory was captain of Jeffersons first regular military company seventy years ago As far back as 1920 Mortimer Jordan, John Smith, Darbey Henley, John Terrell, William Nabers, Thomas Owen, James McAdory, and Robert McAdory. William Walker, w. Eubanks, and Hugh Morrow were the largest slave-owners and planters in the county. Farming land then sold as high as one hundred dollars an acre.
 A Hewitt and a Greene were neighbors within six miles of Fifth avenue eighty years ago. Oddly enough that Hewitt was a great politician and Greene became a colonel
 In 1892 Walker was judge, and some of that ilk have been judges ever since.
 A Grace was clerk of the court in 1927.
 John Smith came hither nearly ninety years ago; and eighty-two years ago there was born here his son Joseph R. Smith, who was doctor sixty years ago, and has been ever since one of the most powerful personalities of the mineral region, and is today universally esteemed as the Grand Old Man of the old folk of Jefferson, the real first families of the land; and is the largest individual taxpayer of Alabama
 Take the present generation of the Smiths, for exampe-two of Joseph R. Smiths sons, Joe" and Charlie" have accumulated large fortunes by their own efforts, and a third son, "Tom," is one of the best known and most successful of Alabamians.
 Take the list of the names given, and you will find every name, in the direct line and collaterally, powerfully repre-