The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-15
PIONEER DAYS
BY MARY COR DON DuFFEE.


 1 conflict of politics, winning marked hon.
 ora. succeeded by strife and bitterness l in after years, ending in his chosen exile
 in after years beyond the Mississippi
 river. where, fascinated by a new ambi-
 ton of conquest and power, a daring plan ! to which he gave his allegiance, he gazed l with enra ptured devotion upon the lone
 star of Texas, so soon to hide amidst the
 battle snsoke of the Alamo, and his fu-
 neral pyre, only to rise still higher and
 shine in undimmed splendor over an em- l pue. He who bravely fought for the 1 Safety and glory of this state who loved 1t, and sighed for a home in it's valleys;
 he who lay so sick and helpless in the
 kindly, humble home of the pioneer of
 Jones valley; who, later in life, dominated
 the politics of thousands of Tennesseans,
 fought with the dauntless courage of a
 crusader, and died without even the priv l ilege of the Greek warriors, for the legend
 is inscribed in the deathless annals of
 fame:
 ''Thermopylas had one messenger,
 The Alamo had none."
 No wonder the Texan loves the lone
 star upon the historic flag, and bows in
 reverence when the names of Travis, l Bowie and Crockett are mentioned.
 The late MT. George Goffe, when owner | of Blount Springs, upon business trip :, to Nashville, personally met Colonel l Crockett, who made many inquiries about l Jones' valley, Murphree's valley and the 1 springs of Blount, expressing sense of l deep regret that his circumstances were such that he could not return and settle l down in what he still considered as the 1 fairest spot on earth. Afterward several 1 letters passed between the two, and when the news of the tragic death of the hero l of the Alamo was received MT. Goffe had 1 the hotel here draped in mourning, and 1 eloquent tributes were paid to his mem- ory. In after years Mr. Goffe removed 1 to Texas.
 From all I can learn it is my belief that
 John Jones came from Greenville district,
 South Carolina. In letter received from Dr. Andrew Jones of Amity, Clark coun- ] ty Arkansas, and dated December 18 | 1886, in reference to my sketches of the
 valley, then being published in the Bir- l mingham Age, he says; "As my ances- 1 tors were the settlers of that valley, and | gave 1t its name, of course it would be l interesting to me. The stories of my l father and grandfather are yet fresh in l my memory about the stirring times in 1 the settlement there. John Jones and ] MT. Roupe settled there in 1S16 This | John Jones was @ cousin to my grand ] father and wore the unenviable name of l Devil John" to distinguish him from l the many others of the same name, and
 because of his wild habits. My grand 1 father went there in 1917, and lived there 1 six years, some Indians being there at 1 the time. Some years after his settle
 ment he was followed by his brother, l Jolly Jones, who settled near Tuscaloosa 1 and lived and died there Soon after
 others came in and settled, MT. Friley 1 General Woodward, the Hanbys, Mark i Goodin, the Mitchells, McDuffs, McElroys
 and MT Duran. All the above having 1 come and settled there prior to the year | 1S25 at which time he left Alabama and | went to west Tennessee, and to his old | occupation of -braking for others. 1 remember to have heard him say that | he left Greenville district, South Carolina,
 In the year 1799, and headed caravan I of movers to the southern district of Ken l lucky, and stayed there until 1915, then 1 went to Hickman county, Tennessee,
 ehence in 1917, to Jefferson county. About the time he went to the valley John Jones 1 had a fight with MT. Roupe which result i ed in the favor of Jones, and Mir. Roupe
 sold out and went in the next valley
 below. and settled, and that took the
 name of Roupe's valley. I am glad to hear of that garden spot of creation 1 as my grandfather was wont to call it. l may add that was born in Hardman county, Tennessee, in 1927. and in 1885 went with the old pioneer to Pontotoc county, Mississippi. where he died at the age of a.
 I gave Dr. Jones' letter to Dr. Thomas
 M. Owen, director of the department of
 archives and history of the state of Ala
 bama.
 The names of those who first settled In
 Jones valley were, John Jones. Andrew Mclaughlin, William Prude, Williamson Hawkins, James Thompson, James Ma 1 tions, Jeremiah Jones and William Roupe Luther Morgan, who came down from
 Tennessee at the same time locating at
 Rlount Springs, soon after his arrival joining Col. David Crockett in his pros- pecting tour through the valley to Tus- caloosa.
 MT John smoth, one of the best and noblest men ever knew, came to the val ley in 1916, and made his first crop in 1877. His homo was on a beautiful eleva-
 ton, surrounded by large plantation and commanding and extensive view of the
 valley and Red mountain. A man of pro- found regard for the rights of others, and a lofty sense of justice, known and loved as ''the Good Samaritan of the Valley" because of his charitable deeds in which he was sustained by his sainted wife, he soon became the most influential power in the community. He used to say there
 was no trouble with the Indians only such as was the result of the cruelty of the whites toward them, which was often very
 great several being killed without much Investigations; and that he had always been astonished that the Indians had not
 arisen in their wrath and killed the whole of the settlers. From all accounts the game state of affairs existed in Tusca- loosa county.
 All the lands were sectioned in the years 1917 and 1918, and the first public land sale took place in Huntsville in 1819,
 when the land was put up at auction on credit at the minimum price of g per acre, and the sale resulted in some of 1. bringing as high as $40 per acre. Some years later another sale was held in Huntsville when most of Roupe's valley nearest to Tuscaloosa was sold. At both sales vast amount of land was bid in, but the purchasers had a hard time in making payments, and large number of them had to reinquish their claims. Only farming and timber lands were wanted, there being no demand whatever for nin- eral lands
 Tuscaloosa county was settled simul- taneously with Jones valley. The town of Tusca1oosa was their chief trading point, Tlyton serving the northern, and Jones' boro the middle parts of the vailed. After the country became thickly populated, besides their crops of cotton the farm