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The People Who Lived on the Land that is Now Redstone Arsenal, page 324
show the 1917 Probate Record Book entries for the deceased John W. Woodward. The possessions listed in probate give insight about farm equipment that was on the farm as well as financial circumstances. In the 1930 census, John (“Jack”) Woodward, the twin of Charles, born in 1889 as shown in the 1900 record, was living on the pre-arsenal lands where the family cemetery is located. Also in 1930, Lee W. Woodward (a son of John W. & Sallie) born in 1898 per the 1900 record was enumerated as living in the Lincoln Village (cotton mill) area. Lee later became the owner of the land around the Woodward Cemetery, when his siblings converted their interest in the property to him in 1935. No stone in the Woodward Cemetery has an inscription that is more recent than the one on the monument of John W. Woodward, who was interred in 1913. John W. Woodward (1853-1913). Woodward Cemetery. Photograph by John P. Rankin. THE DARWINS AND THE WOODWARDS In a telephone discussion with Evelyn Darwin, she explained to the researcher the relationship of Tyler Darwin to the Woodward family who lived on pre-arsenal land. Evelyn Darwin stated that Tyler Darwin, who died in his 80's, was the son of Edna Woodward, of the Woodward family who lived on the land that was to become RSA. Tyler's father (Edna's husband) was Jeff Darwin. Jeff Darwin died in 1918 during the great influenza epidemic. Edna Woodward Darwin lived to be 101. She died January 28, 1989 and was buried in Maple Hill Cemetery. However, Evelyn Darwin said the family still considers the Woodward Cemetery on RSA to be “theirs.” She said she intended to visit it soon, if her son would escort her there. Evelyn Darwin told both John Rankin and the researcher that the local Darwin families are descended from the famous Charles Darwin, who proposed the theory of evolution. She stated that he was a religious man who had sons in Christian ministry. The information John gained about the marriage of Edna Woodward and Jeff Darwin is interesting to note when considering property ownership and the pre-arsenal community 324 - (4357)