Volunteers to Build Sheffield
Sheffield under construction.
The first building on Montgomery Avenue was the Cleveland Hotel. City planners had already planted trees along the broad main street of Sheffield.
In the late 1880's, the discoveries of the deposits of iron ore, coal and phosphate beds, all within a very small radius in north Alabama, led to the speculation that this area could become an industrial center. The news spread widely, and workers from all over, looking for the opportunity to participate in the building of the new town, responded.
One such responder from Marion County, Mississippi, wrote a letter to an unknown addressee and did not date his correspondence. It was important enough to the recipient to keep, though, ending up in the archives of the Sheffield Public Library where it was discovered and posted on the Internet at the rootsweb.com website.
The spelling and grammar suggest that the writer could have profited by attending SHS--although the high school and our great teachers were yet to come in the late 1880's.
My "translation" of this old script:
Poplarville
Marion Co
Miss
........we
have Before us an advertisement of the late discovery of phosphate
beds in north alabama near the Tenassee River and allso of new town Being
Built up By name sheffield & allow wanting many carpenters &
laborers. we have carpenters
or at least three of us that will Emigrate to your Town & help to
Build it up if this advertisement be true & we can ascertain the fact.
I will enclose stamp to you for Replying
you will grant us A great Favor in so doing & let us know if
there is carpenters needed at Sheffield
you will much oblige us by replying to us & give us some
information concerning the work in your new town
Address W. W. Beasley
Poplarville
Marion Co
Miss