History of Tuscaloosa County Alabama United States of America

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Local History Notes:

TUSCALOOSA, a county in the N. W. central part of Alabama, has an area of 1620 square miles. It is intersected by the Black Warrior river, dividing it into nearly equal parts, and also by Sipsoy or New river. The surface is hilly or uneven; the soil is remarkably fertile. Cotton, Indian corn, and sweet potatoes are the staples. In 1850 there were raised 73,561 bales of cotton, (being the greatest quantity produced in any one county in the United States;) 626,452 bushels of corn; 114,035 of sweet potatoes, and 50,271 of oats. There were 5 tanneries, 2 cotton factories, 1 iron forge, and 1 paper mill. It contained 53 churches, 3 newspaper offices; 404 pupils attending public schools, and 150 attending academies or other schools. Extensive beds of iron ore, stone coal, and carboniferous limestone are found in it. Steam-boats navigate the Black Warrior river from its mouth to Tuscaloosa, the county seat. A plank-road extends to Montgomery. Population, 18,056; of whom 10,579 were free, and 7477, slaves.

Biographies:

Joshua Hill Foster, educator, was born in Tuscaloosa county, Ala., March 17, 1819; son of James and Mary Ellen (Hill) Foster; grandson of John and Elizabeth (Savidge) Foster, and of Joshua and Nancy (Collier) Hill; and great-grandson of Arthur Foster and of Lovelace Savidge. The father of Arthur Foster came from (probably Yorkshire) England and settled in Southampton county, Va., about 1730. Joshua was graduated with honors at the University of Alabama, A.B., 1839, A.M., 1842. He was tutor in the university, 1841-44; teacher in the male high school, Tuscaloosa, 1844; spent 1845-49 on a farm; was tutor of mathematics, University of Alabama, 1849-50; pastor of the Baptist church, Tuscaloosa, 1853-54; joint principal of Alabama central female college, 1869-71; president of the college, 1871-73; professor of moral philosophy, University of Alabama, 1873-74; and of natural philosophy, 1874-76; and of philosophy and astronomy from 1876 to June, 1892. He received the degree of D.D. from Howard college in 1879.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Samuel Monroe Hosmer, educator, was born at Tuscaloosa county Ala., July 22, 1846; son of Silas and Esther Ann (Cowley) Hosmer and grandson of Samuel and Susan Hosmer. He graduated at Southern University Greensboro, Ala., B. P., 1874; joined the North Alabama conference in 1874; was presiding elder, 1888-96; delegate to general conferences, 1886-98; a trustee of Southern university from 1883, and on Feb. 16, 1899, was elected president as successor to the Rev. Dr. J. O. Keener, deceased, serving also as agent of the university and professor of biblical literature. He received the honorary degree of D.D. from Southern university in 1893.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Tuscaloosa County Alabama

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