My Dad was born in Eutaw! His name is Glenn French Salter, Sr. He will be 89 years old in August. His parents were Robert Pearson & Elsie French Salter. William French was my great grandfather and Robert Young Jr. and his wife my other great grandparents. They are all buried in Mesopotamia Cemetery.
My Mom was born in Eutaw at Kirkwood mansion in 1912. Mrs Kirksey whom the house was built for in 1860 was still alive and living there when my grandparents lived there.
Margaretta Kirksey Bir
I would really like to get in touch with you. Did you know my father, Robert Kirksey?
Great blog! I have wonderful memories of several days I spent in Eutaw in 2009. During a professional development workshop at Carver Middle School, I mentioned an old friend who had influenced my life. I said, “I’m sure she’s dead by now.” I was assured she was not. A teacher called the friend and made arrangements for me to visit her home that afternoon. It was a touching reunion after so many years.
Great information. I have wonderful memories of time spent in Greene County.
Patricia Hall
Thank you so much for this article. I loved looking at the pictures of the homes. I could just imagine what the home of my 2nd great grand aunt(Eliza Jane Greer, daughter of Robert and Eleanor Diane(Sadler) Greer) was like. She is the wife of Samuel Rainey Murphy(Dr.S.R. Murphy mentioned in the article).
Eliza Jane(Greer) Murphy and her son, Dr. Robert Greer Murphy are buried in Mesopotamia Cemetery in Eutaw. Eliza’s Father, Robert Greer is also buried in Mesopotamia Cemetery.
[…] by the County. Possibly the most interesting picture in the library is the pretty old print of the Eutaw Mesopotamia Female Seminary that Mr. and Mrs. Owen Meredith, Sr., of Tuscaloosa found, had framed and presented to the Greene […]
Daniel
Does anyone have an idea where the “old swimming hole” was? I found with a little research a potential location to the right, off present day hwy 11 just north of Eutaw. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Patricia Cork Presley
I was born in Tuscaloosa, lived in Jena, Al; when I started school, I rode the bus from Jena to Eutaw. Can remember the wonderful memories. Had an aunt who lived in Eutaw for several years, till she moved to Akron,Al.
David Drake
My wife and I just make a quick visit to Eutaw this past Saturday. It’s a fun little town. Just wish I’d had this information before I went. There’s more info about historic buildings in the area at http://greenecountyhistoricsociety.org. After the visit we drove north to Ralph, Alabama and ate lunch at Robertson’s Barbecue, Catering and gas station. Delicious!
Mary Ellen Ahlstrom
I have spent many days in Eutaw Court House researching my ancestors who were there in mid-1800’s. Also spent days in all the cemeteries in the area. My ancestors, Coleman,
Bonds, Horton, &Thompson. In reading the articles on Greene County I see two homes,
both listed as the Smith House at 220 Main Street, Eutaw and both photos made in 1939,
however, they can not be the same house as the roof is different, the columns are not the
same and windows are not the same. Can you identify both?
The William McAlpin mentioned in the article is my husband’s ancestor. William and sons established a plantation in Eutaw. We have discovered several descendants of slaves and William’s sons using DNA matching. These slave/McAlpin descendants are scattered though-out the US.
G. Bria
My grandmother rented Kirkwood from the owners from 1949 until 1960. The owners lived on the top floor and my father, his 3 sisters and my grandmother lived on the bottom floor. The Coppola on top of the roof did not exist the way it looks today. Parts of the home were very coarse/rough but there was very fine, beautifully carved furniture in the main rooms. My aunts told me they use to hide in the giant armoirs when they would play hide and seek with my father. He would always count and they would always hide.
During that period of time, large homes like Kirkwood had fallen on hard times and were out of vogue. My family lived there because they were poor and it was all they could afford. My grandfather had died in 1945 during the war, and left my grandmother to support the family by baking pies, taking in washing and being a seamstress. She had a fourth-grade education. She told me she didn’t pay rent the entire first year they lived at Kirkwood, instead, the owners would accept one pie a week for payment. My grandmother would cry when she would speak of their kindness to her. Her name was Gertrude Bria but the family always called her, ‘Pudding’, because she was so sweet.
There was a book of Antebellum Mansions back in the 1980s, Kirkwood was included. My aunt Rosina showed the book to me and said, the furniture in the photos was some of what she remembered being in the house. She also remembered the owners trying to sell the giant armoires to a man who came from town for 20 dollars, he offered them 5 and the wife chased him out of the house with a broom.
My brother has photos of my aunts dressed up in pig pouffy white gowns posing on the porch, and my dad in a bowtie and white dinner jacket posed by the fireplace of the house. My Aunt Rosina did custom bookbinding to earn extra money and the four of them were in the first new clothes they had ever owned (not second hand) for those photos at Kirkwood. It took her two years of saving for the wardrobe-it was for a dance where my dad was going to be performing with his band. He was a wild man on the clarinet. My aunt asked a friend from school to come and take the photos since they did not have a camera of thier own, and that is when my mom met my dad for the first time.
Back in the 1990s my aunts and father went back to Birmingham to visit family. They went by Kirkwood and met whomever the owners were at the time and toured the house. I think they took them copies of the photos also.
I don’t have any of my own memories of Kirkwood, but those are my grandmother, aunts, and dads memories as related to me. My kids roll their eyes when I tell them anything that doesn’t have to do with being glued to an iPhone, so I am glad I found a place to relate this and let my grandmother live on, now on the internet, so forever.
Thanks for reading my post.
Rhonda Roebuck
I would love to communicate more about your family and Kirkwood. I grew up in Eutaw in the 1950-60s and try to find as much history as I can about the town. You have wonderful memories here, and I hope there are more. If you are interested in communicating, please post here.
Thank you,
Rhonda Roebuck
LEONARD L. HENDERSON
MY FATHER WAS FROM BORN AND RAISED IN EUTAW ALABAMA AND I PLAN TO GO BACK THERE AND SEE WHAT LIFE WAS REALLY LIKE FROM MY FAMILIES PERSPECTIVE. I LEARNED VERY LITTLE ABOUT WHAT LIFE FOR MY FATHER WAS REALLY LIKE . WE STILL HAVE A PLOT OF LAND DOWN THERE ON KIRKSEY AVE .
Unlock with Patreon
Really, really enjoyed this slide show of old, ante bellum homes.
Love the homes in Green county
Jackie Jackson Broughton
Anita Jackson
Ashley Cross
My Dad was born in Eutaw! His name is Glenn French Salter, Sr. He will be 89 years old in August. His parents were Robert Pearson & Elsie French Salter. William French was my great grandfather and Robert Young Jr. and his wife my other great grandparents. They are all buried in Mesopotamia Cemetery.
My Mom was born in Eutaw at Kirkwood mansion in 1912. Mrs Kirksey whom the house was built for in 1860 was still alive and living there when my grandparents lived there.
I would really like to get in touch with you. Did you know my father, Robert Kirksey?
Ira Harris
Great blog! I have wonderful memories of several days I spent in Eutaw in 2009. During a professional development workshop at Carver Middle School, I mentioned an old friend who had influenced my life. I said, “I’m sure she’s dead by now.” I was assured she was not. A teacher called the friend and made arrangements for me to visit her home that afternoon. It was a touching reunion after so many years.
Great information. I have wonderful memories of time spent in Greene County.
Thank you so much for this article. I loved looking at the pictures of the homes. I could just imagine what the home of my 2nd great grand aunt(Eliza Jane Greer, daughter of Robert and Eleanor Diane(Sadler) Greer) was like. She is the wife of Samuel Rainey Murphy(Dr.S.R. Murphy mentioned in the article).
Eliza Jane(Greer) Murphy and her son, Dr. Robert Greer Murphy are buried in Mesopotamia Cemetery in Eutaw. Eliza’s Father, Robert Greer is also buried in Mesopotamia Cemetery.
Eutaw Al
I was born in Eutaw in the 1970’s and I grew up there. I have many fond memories of Eutaw & Greene County, and I really enjoyed your blog.
Such a lovely town.
Eutaw!
[…] by the County. Possibly the most interesting picture in the library is the pretty old print of the Eutaw Mesopotamia Female Seminary that Mr. and Mrs. Owen Meredith, Sr., of Tuscaloosa found, had framed and presented to the Greene […]
Does anyone have an idea where the “old swimming hole” was? I found with a little research a potential location to the right, off present day hwy 11 just north of Eutaw. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I was born in Tuscaloosa, lived in Jena, Al; when I started school, I rode the bus from Jena to Eutaw. Can remember the wonderful memories. Had an aunt who lived in Eutaw for several years, till she moved to Akron,Al.
My wife and I just make a quick visit to Eutaw this past Saturday. It’s a fun little town. Just wish I’d had this information before I went. There’s more info about historic buildings in the area at http://greenecountyhistoricsociety.org. After the visit we drove north to Ralph, Alabama and ate lunch at Robertson’s Barbecue, Catering and gas station. Delicious!
I have spent many days in Eutaw Court House researching my ancestors who were there in mid-1800’s. Also spent days in all the cemeteries in the area. My ancestors, Coleman,
Bonds, Horton, &Thompson. In reading the articles on Greene County I see two homes,
both listed as the Smith House at 220 Main Street, Eutaw and both photos made in 1939,
however, they can not be the same house as the roof is different, the columns are not the
same and windows are not the same. Can you identify both?
The William McAlpin mentioned in the article is my husband’s ancestor. William and sons established a plantation in Eutaw. We have discovered several descendants of slaves and William’s sons using DNA matching. These slave/McAlpin descendants are scattered though-out the US.
My grandmother rented Kirkwood from the owners from 1949 until 1960. The owners lived on the top floor and my father, his 3 sisters and my grandmother lived on the bottom floor. The Coppola on top of the roof did not exist the way it looks today. Parts of the home were very coarse/rough but there was very fine, beautifully carved furniture in the main rooms. My aunts told me they use to hide in the giant armoirs when they would play hide and seek with my father. He would always count and they would always hide.
During that period of time, large homes like Kirkwood had fallen on hard times and were out of vogue. My family lived there because they were poor and it was all they could afford. My grandfather had died in 1945 during the war, and left my grandmother to support the family by baking pies, taking in washing and being a seamstress. She had a fourth-grade education. She told me she didn’t pay rent the entire first year they lived at Kirkwood, instead, the owners would accept one pie a week for payment. My grandmother would cry when she would speak of their kindness to her. Her name was Gertrude Bria but the family always called her, ‘Pudding’, because she was so sweet.
There was a book of Antebellum Mansions back in the 1980s, Kirkwood was included. My aunt Rosina showed the book to me and said, the furniture in the photos was some of what she remembered being in the house. She also remembered the owners trying to sell the giant armoires to a man who came from town for 20 dollars, he offered them 5 and the wife chased him out of the house with a broom.
My brother has photos of my aunts dressed up in pig pouffy white gowns posing on the porch, and my dad in a bowtie and white dinner jacket posed by the fireplace of the house. My Aunt Rosina did custom bookbinding to earn extra money and the four of them were in the first new clothes they had ever owned (not second hand) for those photos at Kirkwood. It took her two years of saving for the wardrobe-it was for a dance where my dad was going to be performing with his band. He was a wild man on the clarinet. My aunt asked a friend from school to come and take the photos since they did not have a camera of thier own, and that is when my mom met my dad for the first time.
Back in the 1990s my aunts and father went back to Birmingham to visit family. They went by Kirkwood and met whomever the owners were at the time and toured the house. I think they took them copies of the photos also.
I don’t have any of my own memories of Kirkwood, but those are my grandmother, aunts, and dads memories as related to me. My kids roll their eyes when I tell them anything that doesn’t have to do with being glued to an iPhone, so I am glad I found a place to relate this and let my grandmother live on, now on the internet, so forever.
Thanks for reading my post.
I would love to communicate more about your family and Kirkwood. I grew up in Eutaw in the 1950-60s and try to find as much history as I can about the town. You have wonderful memories here, and I hope there are more. If you are interested in communicating, please post here.
Thank you,
Rhonda Roebuck
MY FATHER WAS FROM BORN AND RAISED IN EUTAW ALABAMA AND I PLAN TO GO BACK THERE AND SEE WHAT LIFE WAS REALLY LIKE FROM MY FAMILIES PERSPECTIVE. I LEARNED VERY LITTLE ABOUT WHAT LIFE FOR MY FATHER WAS REALLY LIKE . WE STILL HAVE A PLOT OF LAND DOWN THERE ON KIRKSEY AVE .
Todd McCraw. You have probably have seen this before but just in case, here it is again.