Historian once spoke of old history of Pike County at Kiwanis meeting

This article ran on February 29, 1944 after Peter Brannon spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Troy on the old history of Pike County.

Dianne Smith

Peter A. Brannon, the leading historian of the State Department of Archives and History, of Montgomery, was honor guest and speaker at the Kiwanis luncheon Monday evening. His address dealt principally wit the early history of Pike County and was listened to with intense interest.

“Andrew Townsend, William Cox, Jacinth Jackson, Alexander McCall and Daniel Lewis,” said the speaker, “were the original commissioners named by a Legislative Act in December, 1821, to fix the seat of justice for this county.” These commissioners being lax in their duties were succeeded a year late by Mr. McCall, Mr. Lewis, Obadiah Pitts, James Arthur and Edmond Hobdy, who named Louisville as the site, and a little later it was moved to Monticello where a frame structure was erected to be used as a court house. About ten years later the county seat was moved to the section now known as Troy, then called Zebulon. A log house was built by Nubal Moore which was used as a court house until 1852 when a frame structure was erected, and in 1888 the present brick building was erected.

Mr. Brannon made reference to Dr. A. N. Worthy, one of the early settlers of Troy, who represented Pike County in the Legislature during the years of 1868-1872, “Pike County enjoyed the unique distinction,” he said, “in having, during the last two years at least, the only Democrat in a reconstruction senate of Republicans and radicals. Mr. Worthy was a rather unique character being a lawyer, a physician and a Baptist preacher.”

Continuing the speaker said: “Dr. Worthy was the author of a treatise on the theory and practice of medicine, he wrote a history of the Baptist Church of Troy, and he seems to have been as well right much interested in politics. His descendants and many kinsmen are here at Troy today.”

Sam M. Adams, Mr. Brannon stated, started the first newspaper in Troy in 1853 known as the Union Advocate and in the latter part of the same year, “sold out to Gappa T. Yelverton who moved the type and presses to Elba where he and Mr. Yelverton issued the States Right Democrat. In 1856 Mr. Adams bought the Independent American from E. B. Ares and he published that paper until sometime during the war. In 1866 he started the Southern Messenger which he sold to W. J. Blan in 1868. Mr. Blan and his son, Sidney, ran The Messenger, as you know, for a long time.”

Mr. Brannon in his interesting address mentioned many other items which are of historical value to the people of this section, but space forbids the mention of all of them. Suffice it to say that those who heard the talk were very much impressed, and have a vivid picture of the early history of Southeast Alabama, and Pike County in particular.

The program was in charge of Alfred Vaughan, who introduced the speaker. He was warmly thanked by Irwin Hammer.

Visitors present were Hamilton Jones, Alex Brantley and M. B. Folmar, guests of Alfred Vaughan; M. C. Perryman, guest of Hub Motes; Frank Whaley, guest of W. M. Anderson; Pete Greene, guest of Sam Hanchey, and P. K. Elam , guest of Rube Lawrence.

All of these articles can be found in previous editions of The Troy Messenger. Stay tuned for more. Dianne Smith is the President of the Pike County Historical, Genealogical and Preservation Society.

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