The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-09
Notable Man Passes in the
 Death Of Jos. A. Mcconnell

Joseph Andrew Mcconnell, one of the most well know, we'll beloved and honored citizens of Alabama, passed on to the beyond from his home, the Conner Place." near the village Mcconnell, Sumter county. on tue afternoon of March 26. MT. Me Connell came of Scotch-Irish stock If Scotch Covenanter Presbyterian an
 cestry. His people were always in
 the forefront of those who served their coutry in high places faithfully and well.
 The first of the name in South Carolina was Capt. John Mcconnell of the Revolutionary army. The
 father of the deceased was Dr. John A. Mcconnell. pr. Mcconnell moved from York county, S. C., to Sumter county. Ala, to York, town prob ably named, through choice and sug-
 gestion of Dr. Mcconnell for his native county. Dr. Mcconnell in York married Martha J. McCorkle. In this town Dr. Mcconnell practiced his profession till his death. He lies
 buried in the cemetery of Sumter vile, Ala.
 In York. March 6. 1852. was born
 the son, Joseph Andrew Mcconnell, the subject of this sketch. At the
 death of pr. Mcconnell the widow,
 with her three small children, re-
 moved to the old home of the Mo Connells in York county. s. c. There lived Joseph A. Mcconnell until as youth of Is years he came to old
 Elyton, Ala, to enter business life. In the early seventies. the first boom" days of Birmingham, MT. Mo Cornell moved from Elyton to Bir-
 mingham. He often related to his young sons the stories of hunts about the valley where now run the teem- ing streets of the great city.
 Particularly he remembered on one nights hunt rounding up five coons
 near about where now stands the Union station. After several years in
 Birmingham Mir. Mcconnell was ad-
 vised by physicians to quit the con
 fining life of merchant and live in the open as tuberculosis was threat
 ened. It was then that MT. McCon-
 nell moved to York and became
 Identified with that section of Ala
 bama, and a leader in all the pro-
 gress and growth of that community. There MT. Mcconnell engaged in ex-
 tenssve planting operations, inter ested himself in timber interests and
 in other outdoor industries. In the l
 ways exerted a mighty influence for
 uplift.
 With the leaders of the reconstruc- tion period of our history he bore strong part. large landholder, he yet was one of the first to realize
 the trend to small farms and di- versified crops It was largely through his example and influence that the fruit, berry and truck plant ing and shipping. now so profitable to the section about McConnell's, York and Cuba, was instituted. Tim Der. saw mill, shipping, canning in- | dustry felt the impulse of his initi- l ative and of his enthusiastic support. He may well be named as pioneer and urbujlder of York, now so growing | and progressive a little city at the | function of the railways.
 MT. Mcconnell was one of the few | of the typical old southern planters | whose munificent hospitality lasted l in it's pristine, bountiful and gener- ous style to the present day. His |! annual barbecues at his country home, Corner Place" had reputa- tion that was more than state-wide. barbecue in 1918, given by him to all the returned sailors and soldiers 1 of Sumter county and their relatives,
 was an occasion of gathering of many l hundreds of guests upon the wide | lawns of the "Corner Place." So typ 1 ical of the generous hospitality of the i old south was this princely entertain ment that accounts of it's liberal charm reached even the papers of | Boston and the north.
 Mir Mcconnell was himself the highest type of the south's best
 standard of man and citizen. He was
 A man of rugged. unassailable hon. I esty; man of high ideals; a man Of | strong convictions; a man of un-
 flinching bravery. He was ever an original thinker. He was always a powerful but unostentatious leader. 1 No man ever had more friends and no man ever sought popularity less. Once the valued gift of his friendship bestowed, there was nothing deemed | by him too much trouble Tor him l to undertake for his friends. In his home life he preserved. and required all about him to preserve, the high
 standard of the old south. He was
 a stern but loving and devoted father l in all of his relations with family. friends community he was wholly un-
 selfish in his aims and practice. Such | a life, such a character Is priceless heritage to his descendants. The nu-
 merous tributes to this good and hon. ored mans memory attest that the great lessons of his life will not be forgotten. The letter, herein given in extracts. written to one of the sons. captain in the late World war, expresses the sincere an. deep feel ing of many at the lamentable loss