The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-28
TIE GIBBS GROVE ID BE DESTROYED Woodman'S AK Will Mar His-
 toric Spot WAS ANTE-BELLUM HOME Increase of River Trade on Tennessee During Present Year Is Said
 to Be Something
 Wonderful.
WAS ANTE-BELLUM HOME

Decatur, April 27-(special )-"The
 Gibbs Grove" one of the most historical
 groves in this section of the state. Is
 soon to be destroyed byN the woodsman's $
 aX' The grove is now the property of the
 Decatur Land company and that com
 pany Is now considering a proposition to
 sell the trees to a lumber company.
 The grove contains many acres and the
 trees are large, stately oaxs. which have
 withstood the storms of many centuries.
 no doubt. The grove is now situated with
 in the corporate limits of New Decatur. It | formerly surrounded the plantation home
 of the late Thomas Gibbs, but the build
 ings and fences. like their owners. have long since passed away.
 In the ante-bellum days this was con
 sidered the most charming plantation
 home within many miles of the Decaturs
 and many brilliant social function was l held there within the stately mansion which stood within this grove of giant I oaks. During the war between the states soldiers were camped almost constantly within this grove.
 Today the grove is surrounded with
 buildings, a portion of the city of New Decatur.
 Hon. Charles Bassett of Milwaukee is
 in the citw visiting old friends. MT. Bas-
 sett was the first city clerk of New De-
 catur and still holds large property in- terests here
 For the past few years MT. Bassett has
 been residing in the north. He says that he is very much surprised and most fla vorably impressed with the growth of New Decatur during the past few years.
 New Decatur's growth has been some
 thing wonderful" said MT. Bassett. "The increase in the river trade on the | Tennessee has been simply wonderful during the past year." said an old time steamboat man last night "The freight | business of the Tennessee river steamers now reminds one of the old days before 1 there were so many railroads in the coun- | try and people were compelled to ship their goods by river steamer. During the
 past year the merchants up and down the | Tennessee river have awakened to the
 fact that freight can be carried by steam | CT for about half what the railroads | charge" he said
 There are now several large steamboats
 on the river here which make regular
 trips and the amount of freight they are handling is wonderful.
 l Some time during last night the general l store of MT. Pullen, at Greenbrire, seven | miles east of Decatur, on the Southern | railroad. was broken open and several
 hundred dollars worth of goods of various | kinds and a small amount of money | taken There is no clue to the robbery | Wagon tracks near the store showed that l the goods had been taken off in wagon | but the tracks could not be followed far as then soon run into and merged with other tracks after leaving the store. Early this morning MT. Pullen }tele- phoned to L. P Couch of Decatur to bring his bloodhounds to Greenbrire and try
 to hunt down the robbers. Mir Couch left
 on the 10:30 o'clock train this morning. There is now considerable talk among
 the citizens of Decatur in regard to hav- ing a bill introduced in the legislature making the board of school trustees of
 Decatur elective by the people, instead of having them appointed by the state superintendent of education, as is now
 the case.
 Some years ago these trustees were elected by the people, but for some res- son or other this method was changed
 and since have been appointed by the state superintendent.