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Farming For A Better Future, page 310
(Top) Excerpt from the 1900 Census Showing the Household of Gilbert Turner (Above) Excerpt from the 1910 Census Showing the Household of William Allen
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Turner-Allen Cemetery
The Turner-Allen Cemetery is a family burial ground southwest of Athens. Located northeast of the intersection of Evans and Reid roads, the cemetery was also referred to as the Moseley Cemetery (on the 1936 topographic map) or Turner Cemetery (on the 1951 topographic map). This African American cemetery contains about 17 graves. The first known interment is Rev. Gilbert Turner (1835-1902). According to the 1900 census, Turner and his wife, Emily (1840-1916), owned a farm in the area by the time of his death. The most recent interment was Theodore Brown Allen (1905-1982).
Twelve of the 17 individuals in the cemetery had the surname Allen or Allan. Among those buried here are Will Allen (1864-1930) and his wife, Dora Allen (18651932), who owned a farm off Browns Ferry Road from at least 1910 to 1920. Some of their children are buried in the family cemetery, including Maxie Allen (1887-1968), Archie Allen (1888-1961), Clifton Allen (1894-1963), Andrew Allen (1900-1956), and Monroe Allen (1905-1918).
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Veto
Town of Veto is along the Tennessee state line. It is enumerated on the census as a small district containing few African American households, farmers, and landowners. Between 1900 and 1940, the district averaged 200 total households.
Of these, an average of 2.5% were African
American-owned farms. In 1900, there were six African American farm owners, while the seven in 1920 was the highest number reached in the first half of the 20th century. The number dropped to three in 1930 and rebounded to six in 1940. African American
(Below) 1936 USGS/TVA Topographic Map of Veto, Elkmont, Alabama Quadrangle
farm owners in the Veto area included James R., Jerry, and Thomas Brown; Arch Reid; Mattie Payne; Richard Malone; Mary Daly; Jack McPaine; Laura and Luther Holt; James and Janie Martindale; Weeks Sibley; Earnest Coleman; Will B. and Aris Trotter; Joe
S. Whitfield; Alonzo Gaine; and Joe Howard. Although only 19 individual African American landowners lived in Veto in the early 20th century, the community was close-knit with a school and cemetery.
Payne School (Rosenwald)*
The Payne School is sometimes referred to as the Veto School. It began under the guidance of Tuskegee Institute. Local history says that Mr. Booker T. Washington came to the community of Veto-Pettusville and spoke to the community about building a school in 1917. By 1920, $1,100 had been raised to build a one-teacher school. The contributions were divided among the African American community ($400), public funds ($300), and the Rosenwald Fund ($400). - (4838)