The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-05-19
RUSSELLVILLE IS
YOUNG AND SPRY
In Spite of Her Ninety Years
of Age
WHAT PEOPLE ARE DOING
It Claims to Initiate More Freight
Than All other Points on
the Northern Alabama
Combined.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE DOING
BY WALTER HARPER.

AAk@NAtNAf(
Vile, Franklin county, was 30 years old
last February.
Ten more years will round out a
fun ripe century. And yet~the town is
young and spry with much vigor and
great promise for the future.
Russellville boasts of the first iron fur
mace in Alabama. The old Stag pile and
the remains of the stack are still to
be seen about six miles out from town.
1t was operated by the Napiers back in
the SOs. The graves Of these pioneers
and some of the employees are near the
spot. They were wiped out in a chol-
era epidemic and the property was al
lowed to go down.
In later years the iron ore industry is
being revived and this is now an i'm
portant factor in the development of this
section. The brown ore production here
now amounts to about 10000 tons an
nually and some valuable new properties
are just about to be developed
The DeBardelebens and associates have
important holdings here and are devel-
oping on an extreme scale. Other in
terests are active and the production
promises to be largely Increased in the
next. few years
Fine Quality Ore.
The quality of the ore is said to be
very fine and the deposits extensive.
Russellville was chartered in February
1919, one year after Alabama was adj
mtted into the Union as a state.
1t has an atmosphere of traditional
sanctity that marks the community as
distinct and exclusive. 1t is intensely
southern yet loyal to the common re-
public. 1t has produced among other
good things Edward L. Russell of the
Mobile and Ohio railroad and Russell NJ
Cunningham, ex-lieutenant governor of
Alabama. The town was named for Ed
Russelrs grandfather.
The town is located. at the western end
of the Russell and Moulton valley, a Sec
ton of the finest agricultural land in the
state.
Chickens and Eggs.
Russellville ships $4,000 worth of chick
ems and eggs and other produce of like
character annually. The volume of mer-
NhdA4AiSC AldldiEd III lAS lOWl llHudlly
is something more than $1,50o,0O0. The
town handles 1000 bales of cotton annually
and more than 200 car loads of lumber.
There is a very large cedar industry
here.
Fruit and vegetable growing lis COM
ing to be an important industry. Frank
lin county will soon be almost a solid
no I'd
farmers are planting strawberries with
promising success.
Stock Raising.
The people are also turning their at
tention largely to stock raising for which
the climatic and other conditions are adj
mirably adapted. The hill lands of Frank
lin in the very near future will bring rich
profits in fruit and live stock, while
the rich valley lands will increase their
production of fruits, vegetables, cotton
and corn.
The barnyard brings small fortune in
chickens and eggs.
1t is the boast of Russellville that it
initiates more freight business for the
Northern Alabama railroad than all 9TH
er points on the line combined.
The people are hospitable, contented
and prosperous. Franklin county is one
county in the state that is producing
almost or about as much stuff as it buys
and is prospecting accordingly.
The town of Russellville is enjoying the
general activity in building that is notice
able all over this section. During the
past T. months more than 100000 has
been spent in building. Several hand
some homes are now being erected and
a number have been recently completed
Good Business Houses.
The business district is a mass of i'm
posing and substantial brick structures
l am told by commercial travellers that
Russellville has one firm that handles
more business than any other in the
state north of Birmingham. The head of
this firm returned from his bridal trip
last night and was greeted by the blow
ing of whistles and the ringing of bells.
The engineer that brought the couple in
tied down his whistle four miles from
town and it kept up a busy and deafen-
ing shrek until Mr.. and Mrs ]. A.
Wilson were in the loving arms of their
friends and neighbors.
Never before was there such another
bridal homecoming witnessed in Russell
vile.
The first term of the Franklin county
high school is just closing. The attend
ance was large ana the people are
pleased The building is a large and hand
some brick structure occupying a COM
handing eminence just south of town.
Prof n. L. Yarbrough is principal.
The city public school is also closing
it's most successful term. Prof. b. B. Nc
Lauren is principal
Franklin has a handsome courthouse
and a good Jail.
Sergeant is Mayor.
Harry Sergeant an ex-Confederate SOL
der, is mayor of Russellville.
Speaking of Confederate veterans, | am
reminded to mention one of the truest
in the county John Pike Johns skin
is black but his soul Is white. He drives