Download [Page] [Document]
mcc-bc1-162
The People Who Lived on the Land that is Now Redstone Arsenal, page 148
Where He Lived Arthur said his grandparents, James and Elizabeth, had twelve children. Some of them died. Those he named were: James, Jr., Lankford, Nina (the oldest), Gertrude (who married a Burns), Odell (who married a Payne), Elizabeth, and Newman (his father). Arthur said the land where his grandfather lived was owned by Otis McDaniels. While Francis Horton (wife of the Everett T. [“T.”] Horton) owned a large number of acres in Mullins Flat on what is now the north side of Martin Road, she also owned land further south, just north of Huntsville Spring Branch and west of what is now Dodd Road (C140). She sold a parcel adjoining her land there to Nina McDaniels (C-142A). It is reasonable to assume that this is the property that Arthur thought was owned by Otis, because Nina McDaniels was his mother. The Neighbors. Arthur could not place the land where he lived with his great aunt and uncle; however, he said it was near Walter Jacobs and Darphus Love in Mullins Flat. He remembers the nice stucco house Frank Jacobs had. He said Frank's brother Gene also had one like that. Morris Jordan had a frame house. He grew cotton, and his oldest son Herbert helped him. Arthur commented, “Everybody grew cotton. Everybody was poor.” Arthur remembered Paris Branford (Parcel C-130). Paris had a big house. Arthur said Paris was “so stingy that he would screech when he walked.” He had a nice house and a nice car, and “for mattresses, corn shucks.” Arthur explained that poor people would stuff cotton in the mattress. He said Paris' wife would drive the car when she went up to Merrimac to sell eggs and butter, and Paris would charge her for the gas. Daily Life Crops. Arthur emphasized that almost everyone grew cotton. When asked about peanuts, he said there was no market for peanuts. People took their corn to Bates mill in Triana. Cooking. Arthur commented: Sometimes the kitchen wasn't built onto the house and sometimes people might not have a kitchen. If they cooked beans, they put them on a rack over the fireplace. If they were making some hominy, some used to cook in a wash pot that you boiled in [over the fire]. People made soap in that pot, too. It was used for everything. Some people grew peanuts for themselves. If people wanted to parch them, they would hang them up over the fireplace. If they were shelled, they were put in the oven of the wood stove. 148 - (4181)