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Alabamians, if you know something about Winston County help me out here

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bluestateguy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-05-05 02:57 PM
Original message
Alabamians, if you know something about Winston County help me out here
I was looking at some old election returns, and I noticed that Winston County was a Republican stronghold long before the GOP was making gains in the South. For example, Winston County voted for McKinely in 1896 and for Teddy Roosevelt in 1904. They even voted against fellow southerner Woodrow Wilson in 1912-16.

What is it about this county that made it a Republican stronghold even during the days when the Democratic party ruled the South? Was it pro-union during the civil war? No slaves? I don't know. Educate me.
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Gayla Donating Member (103 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-05-05 03:14 PM
Response to Original message
1. The free state of Winston County!
Yeppers, they sided with the North during the "War Between the States"...and if memory serves me, Winston County seceded from the
Confederacy.
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Rowdyboy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-05-05 05:12 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. Jones County in south Mississippi also "seceded" from the state
during the war. They were poor dirt farmers with no slaves and no interest in dying for rich folks. A group of locals hid out in the swamps and ambushed confederate and union supply wagons until they were caught. The area where they were executed is still known as "Crackers Neck".

Several books have been written on the subject.
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Alamom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-05-05 05:29 PM
Response to Original message
3. Winston County didn't side with either.
They held meetings regarding seceding from the state of Alabama, but never did.

The county gained notoriety during the Civil War for its reluctance to support the Confederacy or the Union, hence the nickname "Free State of Winston." For many years, Winston County was the only county in the state where the majority of voters belonged to the Republican Party. Today, almost all elected officials are Republicans.

http://www.aces.edu/Winston/


From North to Central areas of Alabama & Mississippi there were people who supported the Union and those who supported the Confederacy. The stories of brother against brother are very true.
I know about Al & Mi due to researching my family tree. I have letters and pictures.
My 3rd Grandfather fought for the Union and his brother fought for the Confederacy. Other family members did the same. They were poor farmers and did not own slaves.
From letters I have, they just shared a difference of opinon.

From research I've done, is was not uncommon for families to split in these 2 states. Most likely the same in other Southern States...I only have documentation in these two due to my family living in them.

Once the war was over, they all came home and went back to farming.
As a matter of fact, my (GGG) uncle had a wedding once everything settled down and everyone went regardlesss of which side they had fought on. I have a picture of the small Wedding with my (GG) grandfather as the best man.

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quaoar Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-05-05 09:09 PM
Response to Original message
4. You should check out The Incident at Looney's Tavern
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Thom Little Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Oct-10-05 06:33 PM
Response to Original message
5. Winston County is nowhere-land
There were almost no slaves in Winston county cuz you can't grow jack squat there. Got to be some of the worst soil anywhere.

I recently saw a U.S. Census map that showed nationwide population density for African-Americans. Without exception, the highest rural population density of African-Americans in the South corresponds exactly with the places in the South that have the richest soil. We're talking about both sides of the Mississippi River, the lowland areas of South Alabama, South Georgia, and North Florida, the coastal areas of Virginia and the Carolinas, plus the cotton country of East Texas.

BTW, the population of the county is almost non-existent. My brother recently moved down there and believe, even when you're in one of the rare few towns they have there it still feels like you're way out in the country. Pretty much the whole county is in the Bankhead National Forest which the Forest Service runs like one big logging camp.
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jody Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Oct-10-05 07:24 PM
Response to Reply #5
6. Have you been to Winston County? If not, why judge it so harshly.
From your comments I must conclude you don't like most rural areas or more undeveloped areas.

Suggest you join the Sierra Club in your area and learn more about the beautiful things nature has provided.

:hi:
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Thom Little Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Oct-10-05 11:50 PM
Response to Reply #6
8. Yes, I know Winston county well.
And yes, I'm a loyal member of the Sierra Club. That's part of why I get bad vibes when I go to Winston county. I'm just not very impressed with the idea of turning an entire county into a big log farm. When I travel through the Bankhead Forest the landscape I see leaves me very, very depressed. It's a testament to everything that's wrong with the U.S. Forest Service.
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newyawker99 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Oct-14-05 06:06 AM
Response to Reply #5
9. Hi Thom Little!!
Welcome to DU!! :toast
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BamaLefty Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Oct-10-05 09:30 PM
Response to Original message
7. n/t
Edited on Mon Oct-10-05 10:07 PM by BamaLefty
error.
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