The Greene County Democrat

Tag: Greene County Historical Society

  • Eutaw celebrated America’s 250th anniversary

    Eutaw celebrated America’s 250th anniversary

    By Maya Quinn, managing editor

    On Saturday, June 27th in Eutaw’s Historic District, the Greene County Historical Society and Chamber of Commerce sponsored an event to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. The celebration featured a parade, a special presentation, a barbecue luncheon, and a fireworks show. 

    The parade began down Boligee Street and circled the historic district with horse-drawn wagons, classic cars, and other vehicles operated by Greene County citizens. Following the parade, a presentation was orchestrated by the historical society. The presentation featured singing by the children’s choir and Loretta Webb-Wilson, recognition of veterans with a memorial wreath, and a speech by keynote speaker Chief Warrant Officer Five Darren L. Cook (retired).

    The Democrat was able to interview Councilwoman and committee member of the historical society Carrie Logan. She was inspired to help organize the event to share the stories that make the community unique. “The City of Eutaw, the Greene County Historical Society and the Chamber of Commerce all recognize that preserving our history and investing in our future go hand in hand,” she began. “Community events like this strengthen local pride while encouraging economic development and tourism.”

    When asked why hold a celebration here, Logan stated that it was important to celebrate in Eutaw’s historic district because it is the heart of the community. “It represents generations of history, architecture, and culture that deserve to be appreciated and preserved. Holding the celebration there allowed participants to experience the beauty and significance of the district firsthand rather than simply hearing about it. It also highlighted the importance of preserving these historic spaces while encouraging people to visit downtown, support local businesses, and see the district as a vibrant place where history continues to come alive.”

    When asked why Cook was chosen as the keynote speaker Logan stated that the organizers wanted a speaker “who could connect history with hope for the future—someone who understood the value of community, leadership, and service.” She was impacted by Cook’s words as they served as a reminder that “every community can shape its future by valuing its past, investing in its people, and working together.”

    Logan also informed us that The Greene County Historical Society will be hosting its annual Tour of Homes on October 3rd, 2026.

    Featured Image: Chief Warrant Officer Five Darren L. Cook (retired)

  • Carrie Logan seeks Eutaw Council Seat District 5

    Hello! My name is Carrie Logan and I would be honored to serve as your City Council Representative. My husband, Tony, and I have been married for 30 years and we have raised our two sons in Eutaw.. I am an active member of my community, church and the city of Eutaw.. I serve on the vestry at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. I regularly volunteer for church functions, community clean-up days and support community events. I have served as President of the Chamber of Commerce for 4 years, member of the Greene County Historical Society, member of the Eutaw Garden Club and organizer of the City of Eutaw’s Annual Christmas Parade..

    I believe all citizens are important to the growth, success and future of our city. I will strive to serve with integrity, as your voice and advocate for the needs and concerns of District 5 citizens. With your help, it is my goal to work with our mayor and council to continue to move our city forward. Let your voice be heard. Elect Carrie Logan for District 5 City Council. Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and VOTE.

  • EDITORIAL

    Historical accuracy is important

    It has come to the attention of the publishers of the Greene County Democrat
    that the Greene County Historical Society of Alabama plans to give its Distinguished Service Award to Judge J. Dennis Herndon.

    Herndon is deceased and was a founder of the Greene County Historical Society, but there are some historical facts that suggest that his contributions to Greene County and adjoining counties were not worthy to be considered as “distinguished service” to a multi-racial democratic society, which most of us are trying to build.

    Judge Herndon was the official responsible for deliberately leaving the names of Black officials, running with the National Democratic Party of Alabama (NDPA) off the ballot in 1966 and again in 1968. The NDPA had to challenge him in court and take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court to secure a special election on July 29, 1969, which led to the election of a majority Black County Commission and School Board. The Supreme Court of the United States held Circuit Judge J. Dennis Herndon in contempt for his actions to prevent Black people, in a majority Black County, from exercising their democratic right to vote for candidates of their own choosing.

    Another example of Circuit Judge Herndon’s inequitable administration of justice was his treatment of the Panola Land Buying Association (PLBA), when he blocked their efforts to purchase 1,164 acres of land in Sumter County for three years from 1967 to 1970. The 40 members families of the PLBA were tenant farmers evicted from plantations in north Sumter County for engaging in civil rights activities. They just wanted some land to continue farming and build housing. The PLBA and their supporters, worked together with a white merchant in Gainesville, who had lost three tracts of land in a foreclosure, to exercise his redemption rights, under Alabama law to recover the land.

    Every time the PLBA went into Judge Herndon’s court for three years he postponed and blocked a decision in their case. The lawyers for PLBA had to remove the case to Federal Court in Birmingham to get a judgement that adjudicated the redemption in their favor and allowed them to purchase the land. The Federation of Southern Cooperatives assisted the PLBA in purchasing, financing and paying for the land, a portion of which is now the organization’s Rural Training and Research Center.

    We raise these concerns because we feel the Greene County Historical Society needs to appreciate the full evaluation of Judge Herndon and other white people’s past actions before giving them awards. We hope our raising these concerns will lead to a more open and truthful dialogue between Black and White people in Greene County on how to work together for a joint future with truth and justice for all.

    CORRECTION

    Letter to the Editor

    Dear Editors

    Having read your editorial regarding the late Dennis Herndon and your calling for historical accuracy please check your facts regarding who served at the 17th Circuit  Court Judge during the time frame of your Editorial content regarding PLBA. 

    It was in fact, Emmett Hildreth, who was appointed by Alabama Governor Chauncey Sparks in 1943 to serve as Circuit Court Judge for the 17th Judicial District comprising of the counties of Greene, Marengo, and Sumter. Hildreth was subsequently elected to the position and was re-elected such that he served in the position for thirty years until his death in 1973. 
    

    Dennis Herndon served as the Probate Judge of Greene County from 1959-1971. 

    Sharon S. Trammell
    Editor
    Greene County Independent

    Editors Note: We stand corrected. We regret our error; however we understand that both
    Judge Herndon and Judge Hildreth used the Alabama judicial system in a racist and exclusionary manner toward Black people, during the period prior to 1970.

  • Greene County Commission approves implementation of $361,500 grant to Historical Society for repair of the inside of old Courthouse

    At its regular monthly meeting on Monday, August 11, 2023, the Greene County Commission agreed to accept a plan for use of a $361,500 grant awarded by the Alabama Historical Commission for repairs to the interior of the historic old Courthouse, on the central square in Eutaw.
    The grant was made to the Greene County Historical Society. The Courthouse building and square, apart from some of the buildings, has been leased to the Eutaw Area Chamber for maintenance and improvement. The Courthouse Square is part of the central business and administrative district for the City of Eutaw and Greene County.
    The Chamber enlisted the support of the Greene County Historical Society to seek funding to restore the old Courthouse building, which housed offices on its first floor and a courtroom/community meeting room on the second floor. There are photographs in the new William M. Branch Courthouse of historic mass meetings held in the old courthouse when Black officials were elected to county offices in 1969 and 1970.
    Lloyd Dawe, President of the Greene County Historical Society, said, “We met all three criteria for this grant, it was a government building built before 1840; it was involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and it was listed on the National Register of Historic places.”
    Dawe continued, “We asked for more funding than we received to fully renovate the inside of the old Courthouse. We plan to scrape, sand, and paint the interior, fix and reinforce the ceiling, plaster and stucco the walls, fix the windows and doors, redo the restrooms, and do other things necessary to make the building useable as a welcome center and community center for the county. We will need to raise more funds to complete the work and move from the first floor to rehabilitate the second floor as a community meeting room for the county.”Commissioner Garria Spencer pointed out that although the Commission has accepted the grant, they want to be informed in writing of all steps the Historical Society and Chamber of Commerce take in restoring the old Courthouse. “At our work session before the meeting, we made clear that we expect written reports to the Commission and our Legal Counsel as the work progresses,” said Spencer.
    The Commission also granted the Greene County Historical Society permission to inspect the former Miles College Building for possible renovations and restoration work. Lloyd Dawe said, “The Miles College Building was established originally as the Mesopotamia Female Seminary in 1846 and was a post-secondary educational institution for white women, at a time when education and equal rights for women was not an accepted societal standard.”
    The Commission owns the Miles College Building but has not used it since the college and other groups using the building moved in the early 2000’s.
    The Commission approved a letter of support to ADECA for a grant to the Spectrum Southeast LLC for $7 million of state and federal funds to provide high speed broadband to rural communities in Greene County that currently lack service. Spectrum is the Internet Service Provider (ISP) that has expressed the greatest interest in bringing fiber optic cables for service to Greene County. ADECA is currently working on a plan to provide broadband services to underserved communities across the state, using federal and state funding.

    In other actions, the Greene County Commission:
    • Approved a $168,786 bid from Central Alabama Asphalt and Construction for road building and improvement projects in the county.
    • Approved a revised quote of $63,500 from the original of $55,000 to repair the roof on the William M. Branch Courthouse building.
    • Approved a travel request from the Assistant Engineer to attend floodplain training; and the Board of Registrars to attend an October 5th election conference in Tuscaloosa.
    • Approved a $62,069, 2023-24 Worker’s Compensation Self-Insurance Fund contract with the State Association of County Commissioners.
    •Tabled a proposed Greene County Wastewater Ordinance, pending more information.
    • Approved a travel policy which included an option for the traveler to either fly or accept vehicle mileage rates for a trip, based on Federal government reimbursement rates.
    Mac Underwood, CFO presented the County financial report for August 2023, showing $8, 123,248 on deposit in Citizens Trust Bank, of which $2,615,487 is unrestricted; $4,038,760 in Merchants and Farmers Bank, of which $2,903,842 is unrestricted. There is also a Bond Sinking Fund of $887,902. A total of $666,206 was spent for claims in August and another $129,845 in electronic payments were made. Most of the departments are on budget as of the end of the month, which is the 11th month of the fiscal year.

  • Bingo distributions for November total $482,954.80

     

    On Monday, December 20, 2021 Greene County Sheriff Department issued a listing of the distributions for November, 2021, totaling $482,954.80 from four licensed bingo gaming facilities. The November distributions reported by the sheriff does not include the additional $71,000 from Greenetrack, Inc. distributed to the same recipients, independent of the sheriff.
    The bingo facilities distributing through the sheriff include Frontier, River’s Edge, Palace, and Bama Bingo. The recipients of the November distributions from bingo gaming include Greene County Sheriff’s Department, the cities of Eutaw, Forkland, Union, and Boligee, the Greene County Board of Education and the Greene County Hospital (Health System).
    Sub charities include Children’s Policy Council, Housing Authority of Greene County, Greene County Historical Society, the Greene County Library, Guadalupan Multicultural Services, Greene County Golf Course, Eutaw Housing Authority, REACH, Community Services of West Alabama, and This Belongs To Us.
    Bama Bingo gave a total of $113,019.88 to the following: Greene County Sheriff’s $60,502; City of Eutaw, $9,250; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $3,875; Greene County Board of Education, $10,500, and the Greene County Health System, $12,500. Sub Charities each received $1,011.40. Community Service of West AL. $459.73 and This Belong to Us $91.95.
    Frontier (Dream, Inc.) gave a total of $113,020 to the following: Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $46,095; City of Eutaw, $9,250; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $3,875; Greene County Board of Education, $10,500; Greene County Health System, $12,500. Sub Charities each, $1,011.40; Community Service of West AL. $459.73 and This Belong to Us $91.95 and Sheriff’s Supplement, $14,407.12.
    River’s Edge (Next Level Leaders and Tishabee Community Center Tutorial Program) gave a total of $118,288 to the following: Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $48,070; City of Eutaw, $12,543; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $3,875; Greene County Board of Education, $10,500; Greene County Health System, $12,500. Sub Charities each, $1,027; Community Service of West AL. $467 and This Belong to Us $92 and Sheriff’s Supplement, $14,275.
    Palace (TS Police Support League) gave a total of $138,626.92 to the following: Greene County Sheriff’s Department, $65,182.92; City of Eutaw, $12,543; and the Towns of Forkland, Union and Boligee each, $5,254.50; Greene County Board of Education, $14,238 and the Greene County Health System, $16,950; Sub Charities each, 1,375; Community Service of West AL. $625 and This Belong to Us $125 and Sheriff’s Supplement, $2,199.50.
    In this current distribution report, three of the licensed bingo facilities contributed to the Sheriff’s Supplement, Frontier, River’s Edge and Palace..