BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
For many lovers of history, old Autauga County history in particular, they have found a safe haven in the Old Autauga Historical Society organization.
Trying to keep up with all of the activities of OAHS is a daunting task. Considering their small, but still growing membership, the projects they have taken on are impressive. We truly enjoy sharing some of their stories, with permission, in the Elmore/Autauga News.
I find it quite refreshing that the OAHS tells stories of ALL historical significance. They include a lot of stories that are sometimes left only to history, including the African American stories. Currently the group is working to restore and save the Old Mulberry School house in Autauga County. It is the last one-room school house that served to educate young African Americans. At the chance of editorializing, I will state this plainly. History should be shared, but not just for the select few. All of it is important.
Saving history, to include old, seemingly forgotten buildings, and stories is their prime drive. They have regular meetings, tours and gatherings. Have you ever driven by an old house, or cemetery, or seemingly abandoned building in Autauga County and wondered about the history? OAHS members can tell you, and that old building may even be on a list for future projects. Better still are the buildings that are off the roadway, down dirt roads, unseen by travelers. With the way this area has grown, most people probably don’t even know the building is back there, and what it meant to history. But OAHS knows, and you could, too! $10 a year is nothing compared to the knowledge you could garner, and the interesting stories that are waiting to be told.
Many may not realize that part of old Autauga County is a portion of what is today western Elmore County. There is a great abundance of history to be shared, and OAHS is always on the lookout for new members, stories, photos and historical documentation.
If you are interested in joining the Old Autauga Historical Society, the dues are just $10 per year. See informational graphics on this page. For more information, contact President Larry Caver by email at [email protected]
The following is just one excerpt from the most recent Quarterly report of the OAHS. It is shared with permission of Larry Caver, OAHS President. For the full version of the Quarterly newsletter, you must be a paid member. Back issues are also available.
By Christine Smith Davis
The Lutheran Church always served as a central focus in my life during my childhood. In 2018, while serving as a member of the Autauga County Bicentennial Committee, I had the opportunity to research the contributions of the Lutheran church to the Autauga County community.
Through my research, I discovered this denomination greatly contributed to the spiritual and educational development of hundreds of African-American children in Autauga County. Although many of the original congregants, including my grandmother (Mattie Floyd Deramus Smith), have since passed, my inquisitive nature led me to the Lutheran Missouri Synod. I was directed to Rev. Thomas R. Noon, Pastor Emeritus at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
Rev. Noon graciously provided me with a synopsis of his unpublished narrative entitled, “The Evangelic Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio/American Lutheran Church Conference/ African American Missions in Alabama, 1916-1960.” Since I was particularly interested in Autauga County, Pastor Noon provided documents pertaining to two Lutheran mission churches in Autauga County. Their names were St. Matthew Lutheran Church and School, located at Booth, and St. Phillips Lutheran Church and School, located in Prattville.
According to Pastor Noon, the St. Matthew Mission/Congregation/School was located at Booth, which is an unincorporated area in Autauga County, and named after the family of Charles Booth who moved to this county in the 1830s. The mission was established in 1922 and was located along present-day U.S. 82 and AL Route 6. It was located north of the city of Prattville. Pastor Noon also noted a post office was also established at Booth in 1899.
As early as 1922, Booth showed a Sunday School enrollment of 35 and a day school enrollment of 30 pupils. At the height of the enrollment in 1934, it was noted that Booth made a significant increase from 872 confirmed church members in 1932 to a total of 95 confirmed in 1934, and a day school enrollment of 47 pupils. The last recorded documentation of the Booth entries revealed no official reports in 1955, 1956, and 1957.
St. Phillips Lutheran Church School was established in Prattville, Alabama, in 1916. It was located near the corner of 6th Street and near the present-day Martin Luther King Drive. According to Pastor Noon, St. Phillips Lutheran Church was the FIRST Alabama mission located not far from the State Capitol of Montgomery.
At the peak of enrollment at St. Phillips in 1946, the Prattville mission numbered 19 members with a Sunday School enrollment of 18, and a day school enrollment of 70 students. However, Pastor Noon reported that a decision was made between the 1946 and 1950 convention to close the mission at Prattville. Rev. Noon noted “the property was sold to the Autauga County Board of Education for $5,000.” Rev. Noon reported the Board of Trustees authorized the sale in May 1948 and the land offered in May 1949.
It had been sold by the Board meeting of August 3, 1949. The 1950 Convention approved the sale. In researching the history of the Lutheran School, I discovered that most of the former alumni of North Highland High School had fond memories of their education experience, but knew little about the origin of the name, Lutheran School, and the connection to St. Phillips Lutheran Church.
Even after the St. Phillips Lutheran School was sold to the Autauga County Board of Education, African-American students who entered its doors continued to affectionately call this edifice “the Lutheran School.”
For more information, or to become a member of OAHS for just $10 per year, contact President Larry Caver at [email protected]
See more photos below. All photos courtesy of OAHS.
