The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-13
By Thomas M Owen LII D. Director of the Alabama De-
partment of Archives and History.


ment. In material progress the growth
has been unparalleled. as is evidenced by
the growth of mining, timber and manu-
featuring industries, the enlargement of
shipping interests, the increase of railroad
mileage, the Improvement of the public
roads and the founding of new towns. In
agriculture there has been marked prog
ress in scientific and progressive methods.
In Montgomery was built and operated
the first electric railway in the United
States.
The state geological survey. created first
in 1877, was revived in 1873 and under the
intelligent direction of DIR. Eugene a.
Smith, state geologist has opened to the
world the wonderful resources of the
state. and as an institution has become
model for many of the new surveys.
At Auburn Prof. A. #. McI<ssick con-
structed the first apparatus used in the
United States for the demonstration of
the x-ray.
The Alabama Polytechnic Institute at
Auburn was the first southern college to
establish a separate chair for electrical
engineering.
The establishment of the Alabama de-
partment of archives and history in 1901
was the first attempt in the United
States, through legislation, to meet the
duty of the state to its archives public
through separate department of govern
ment, administered by state officer.
Great Names.
Alabama has been the birthplace or the
temporary or permanent home of many
distinguished men and women. Some of
them are:
Henri de Tonty, explorer, buried at old
| Fort Louis first site of MOBILIZE, on 81
Mile Bluff, Mobile river.
Bienville, the father of Louisiana.
! Sin Robert Farmer, commandant of
Mobile.
| Ephraim Kirby, appointed first Judge in
| the Alabama section washington dis
tricD of the Mississippi territory, 1904,
| died the same year, and is buried near
the present Mt. Vernon, Alabama river;
| had served with credit in the Revolution
airy war; was the first general grand
high priest of the Royal Arch Masons in
| the United States; reported and published
the first volume (First ConnecticuD of
decisions of any supreme court in the
| United States.
| Harry Toumin, second territorial Judge
| of Washington district, Mississippi terri
! tory.
| Col. John Coffee, the right arm of
| Jackson in the Creek war, the first sur
| veyor of public lands in the state.
William Rufus King. long federal
| stnator and a Vice President of the
| United States.
member of the United States supreme
| court.
| William Lowndes Yancey, planter, edi
| tor, lawyer, member of the general
| sembly and state senate, member of Con-
| gress political leader, Confederate States
commissioner to Europe and Confederate
| States senator from Alabama.
! Henry Washington billiard, teacher,
member of Congress, preacher, diplomat,
| orator and author.
| General Leroy Pope Walker, first Con-
| federate States secretary of war.
| Col. Thomas Hill Watts. Confederate
| States attorney general and governor of
! Alabama.
David Hubbard and Col. Sutton S.
| Scott, successive commissioners of Indian
| affairs, C. s. A., the latter now residing
| at Auburn.
| Admiral Raphael Semmes. commander
of the cruiser Alabama" Confederate
| States navy.
John Archibald Campbell, Judge Of the
| United States supreme court bench and
assistant secretary of war, C. s. A.
Drs. Josiah C. Mott, J. Marion Sims,
J Nathan Bozeman, s. Ames, William Bolf-
ing, Paul II. Lewis, Jerome Cochran and
John A. Wyeth, all illustrious physicians
| and surgeons.
DR.. j. L. NJ. Curry member of Con-
gress, political leader and educator.
Gen. James Longstreet and Gen. John
| B. Gordon, both of whom were carried on
the rolls of the Confederacy accredited
J to Alabama, although both directly after
| the war removed to Georgia.
| Hon. Hilary A. Herbert, member of
| Congress and member of President Cleve-
lands second cabinet as secretary of the
| navy.
| Gen. Joseph Wheeler a nero OF two
/ wars, and member of Congress.
! Gen. John T. Morgan. federal senator
and father Of the inter-oceanic canal
! movement.
! Gen. Edmund W. Pettus, federal sena-
tor, and
Mrs. Caroline Lee Hentz, Madam De-
! tavia Walton Levert Mrs. Augusta Evans
| Wilson, Miss Julia Tutwiler, Miss Mary
| Johnston, Miss Howard Weeden, Miss
| Helen Keller and Mrs. r. D. Johnston.