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Farming For A Better Future, page 433
households living and farming in Priceville in 1930 and 1940. The Ryans and the Aldridges often had at least two farming households.
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Rather Cemetery
Somerville
Springwood
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Provident (Providence)
Missionary Baptist Church
Also known as Providence Missionary Baptist Church, this church is associated with the Campground Cemetery. It served the community of outer Danville since at least the early 20th century. Because the cemetery dates to about 1880, there has likely been a church or some place of worship in this area since that time.
In the county land books from 1920-1928, the church
is noted as “Nigroe Church - Camp Ground.”
(Below) 1920-1928 Morgan County Land
Books, Township 8 South, Range 5 West,
Section 10 (Morgan County Archives, Decatur, Alabama)
This cemetery contains about 100 graves and
is situated just southwest of the town of Cedar Lake. The earliest marker is that of Emma Mitchell who passed away in 1918. The land surrounding the cemetery was all owned by African American members of the Cedar Lake community. The Rather family (specifically Dick and Willis Rather) owned the land the cemetery occupies until at least 1937. Many of the Cedar Lake landowners are buried here, including: Daniel W. Matthews (1886-1970), whose grave maker denotes him as a member of the Queen of Sheba Lodge No. 197 of the Free & Accepted Masons; his brother, Deacon Haywood V. Matthews (1885-1954); Emma and Richard Mitchell (1918 and 1919), the earliest graves in the cemetery; Richmond Rather, Minnie L. and Rev. Wiley A. Wilhite; and Private James Skinner (1897-1965) of the U.S. Army, a WWI veteran. There is also a large section of unknown graves marked with white wooden crosses - 61 in total. The cemetery is still in use.
The census district of Somerville appears to be
relatively large as it encompasses a vast amount of north central Morgan County. However, various censuses have split the area; sometimes north and south, sometimes east and west. The majority of the African American community were in clusters mostly to the north and east of the district.
In the census records from 1900 to 1940, Somerville has upwards of 400 to almost 900 total households. However, the African American population never breaks 30% of the total households. In the early 20th century, the African American households is highest in 1900 at 28%. This number declines over the next four decades to a low of 11% of households. Although the number of African American households declines with time, the number of landowning farmers held firm with the exception of the year 1910. Through this time, African American-owned farms held consistent from 27 to 34 farms in Somerville, or about one out of every four African American households. But in
Plantation
The Price-Wooten Home is all that remains of the Springwood Plantation. The house, built circa 1855, by Dr. Charles W. Price is situated southeast of Priceville on the south side of Highway 67. Records show that Price owned 80 acres of land adjacent to the house in 1853. He owned another 160 acres to the southwest of Priceville and 120 acres south of Flint. In addition to being a large landowner, Dr. Price was a slaveholder as well. The 1840 slave schedule records Price's 14 slaves. By 1850, he owned more than double that number of slaves and by the eve of the Civil War, Price owned no less than 44 slaves at Springwood Plantation.
The Price-Wooten Home was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on October 17, 1980. The Price Family Cemetery remains on the site as well.
Sand Hill Missionary Baptist
Church and Cemetery
The church and cemetery date to the first years of the 20th century. The cemetery has at least 173 graves - the oldest burial is that of Maria Thompson (1852-1903). The cemetery includes individuals from prominent families in the Priceville area such as Aldridge, Garth, Strain, Straughter, and Ryan. Here is the final resting place of local African American landowners and farmers, William Roundtree Aldridge (1862-1935) and Ben Butler (1878-1925). Although little is known about the church, it can be assumed that those buried at the cemetery were parishioners.
1910, there were 43 African American-owned farms, representing 41% of the African American population.
A few families stood out as prominent African American landowning farmers. One such family was the Garners, who owned land in Somerville from 1900 to 1940, at one time owning five farms. Another significant farmer was Millard Breeding who is enumerated on the 1900 census. Breeding was living on his newly bequeathed land from his white father. By 1910, there were four Breeding men farming the previous plantation lands - Millard and his sons. After Millard Breeding passed away, his family either moved away from Somerville or portions of their land were redistricted into the neighboring Valhermoso Springs area. Other families with multi-generational farms include the Draper, Jackson, Ragland, Robinson, and Russell families.
St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church
This is one of three churches in the planned African American community of Cedar Lake. It is most likely the first church planned, as evidenced by the original name of Cedar Lake Road as Church Avenue.
The church is located on land originally owned by Jake Johnson, one of the founders of Cedar Lake and an African American farmer. His descendants still live on the parcel just south of the church.
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