The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-07

office and not that Hartford had any desire to further humiliate Dundee, but Hartford had become so important that 1t got to be center for a rural route system and Dundee had sunk to such unimportance that one of Hart l ford's rural routes supplanted the post ofice of Dundee. Such is the irony of fate.
 The prime mover in the founding of Hartford and one of the characters in this interesting little story was W. F. Clemmons, who is now one of the sub stantial and highly esteemed citizens of Hartford.
 MT. Ciemmons was an early settler, as early settlers go fin Geneva County. He has now lived in that county for thirty-three years. He moved to his present home within the limits of Hartford thirty-three years ago and has continuously resided there. It was not much of a country when Mir. Ciem- mons came to 1t Of course. the land was there and just like it is now, it was good farming land. But 1t was covered with trees, except for the few fertile farms that had been carved out Of the woods. It was just about the time the homesteaders were beginning to appear on the scene In some num- bers to take up the Govern mont iand. Part of the present town of Hartford was bought by Mr. Ciemmons and part of it was home steaded by him, although he did not by any means own all the iand the town was to be built upon.
 Beginning of Hartford.
 More and more the homesteaders come in and more and more the farm CTS of more northern counties of Ala bama began to hear of the rich pos abilities of the pine lands The coun- try in the early nineties began assum- ing a prosperous air.
 MT. Clemmons thought the outlook was promising for business. He thought steam mill would pay at Dundee and perhaps a town of some importance might be established there He wrote to W. J. Jerkins, who had been instrumental in building up Dothan in the early days Of that town to come down and help him with the steam mill project. For his assistance Mir. Clemmons deeded Mir. Jerkins some of his land In the present precincts of Hartford. 8. c. Burch, a brother-fn- law of Mir. Clemmons, an original hold CT of some of the land on which Hart ford is built, and at present a sub- stantial citizen of the town, was also party to the enterprise.
 These three went to the Dundee peo- pie with a proposition to put up a steam mill. buy land and help build a town. They were met cold1y and giv- en to understand that 'No Democrats need apply
 "At that time." said Mfr. CIemmons, in reoiting the incidents that led to the founding of Hartford, 'the Alabama conference of the Methodist Church had just established 8 new work called kAa TlrN-. supply this circuit was to reside in our neighborhood. We wanted to build not only the steam mill but the parsonage, and buy property as we'll But those people had nothing to sell Democrats at anything like reasonable price. Site of Towm Moved. We were, therefore, compelled to change our plan and come to the pres ent town of Hartford for d site for our enterprise. This was in 1898. I own part of the town site. a portion of which had homesteaded and MT Burch owned a part of the townsite. Land about here had previously been dirt cheap. Why twenty years ago I know 560 acres adjoining my place to sell for SEQ note. When we put up the steam mill I bought eighty acres of addi- tional land right here and paid only $200 for 1t. The public square of Hart ford is now on that land.
 'The first building erected was our steam mill, which was put up a little west of tho square. We then built the Methodist parsonage. A Methodist preacher, a Rev. Mr. Cottingham, put up the first business house in what is now Hartford It was only a small place, however, and only small bus mess was done in it. The first store of any importance was owned by John Grim and myself. All this, you must remember, was m the past nine years
 About this time the farmers began coming very rapidly and a number of people were moving into Hartford. Up until the time the railroad came in i've years ago farm land about Hartford was selling anywhere from S3 to Ss an acre.
 TOvn's Rapid Growth.
 When the rails were laid and the trains began running, Hartford grew rapidly, very rapidly. We had had a very nice town laid oR. The survey ing work was done by a Mir. Ghent whom we brought down from Dothan for that purpose. Ample room for a public square was left for some of these days we expect to have the Court House here in Hartford. The pubic road from Geneva to Columbia ran di- &9SA0AAS 0SAOSo NAO 6N4dE6 ChtCEAuE Ab one corner and running out the opposite corner. The square, however, was closed up and reserved for its future use as site for the County Court House.
 BRlekWs. Wood
 Tn the rapid growth of the town wooden stores were built around the square. but so marked has been the progress of Hartford that these are being rapidly replaced with brick build ings. The price of property advanced at a phenomenal rate. A lot facing the square now with a twenty-five foot front sells for $40o. The lands about the town are selling from S1O to S25 an acre. I know of farm lands ten miles from Hartford which brought SEQ an acre.
 These Hartford people are proud of their town, and their pride is well jus- tihed. For in truth the continued growth of the place is evident to the eye of the casual visitor.
 Just what the men of Dundee tbinXr