The George Powell Family
Excerpt from Forgotten Ancestors copyright 1991 by Kenneth O Sims
George Powell, pioneer settler, historian, and educator of Blount County, Alabama was born in the Pendleton District of South Carolina in 1794. According to Thomas Mcadory Owen (History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography Vol. IV, (Chicago, 1921)), Powell was the son of James and Rebecca (Bynum) Powell; the grandson of John Jr. and Alice (Brewer) Powell; and the great-grandson of John Sr. and Mary (Cromwell) Powell. Mary Cromwell was purported to be a relative of Oliver Cromwell. He married Elizabeth Davis, daughter of Jonathan and Nancy (Kirksey) Davis.
| George Powell born in Pendleton County, S.C. November 11, 1794; moved to Blount County, Al.; educator, geologist; Blount County Surveyor, died February 5, 1872; buried at Nector Cemetery, Blount county, Al. |
Much of the following sketch is from Owen.
George Powell was educated in the log house schools of the Pendleton District and continued his education in a local study club that progressed through the subject of trigonometry. He read, and later studied, surveying and geology. In 1812 he married Elizabeth Davis, the daughter of Jonathan and Nancy (Kirksey) Davis of Pendleton. He moved to Blount County Alabama in 1819 and acquired lands on Turkey Creek in Blount County. His parents, and probably some brothers and sisters, also moved to Blount County and lived nearby. Because of his knowledge of surveying and Geology, he was able to be of important service to the U.S. Surveyors in the original survey of the region.
In 1821 he began to teach. He moved his school about to suit the convenience of the settlers. He was appointed to survey Blount County and was the county surveyor for forty years as well as a farmer. He is also said to have piloted the first flatboat down the warrior river to Mobile.
In 1838 he began the study of geology. His private explorations and discoveries of mineral deposits attracted the attention of Michael Toumey, Professor of Geology and Mineralogy at the State University and the State Geologist. In 1848, Mr. Toumey visited Mr. Powell and from time to time cooperated with him in mineral surveys of Blount, Jefferson, Winston, Walker, Marion, Lawrence and Franklin Counties.
In 1850 he was a member of the order of the Sons of Temperance and an ardent prohibitionist. He was a Whig; then a democrat and a states rights man.
In 1855, the Alabama Historical Society was attempting to have the histories of all Alabama Counties recorded. Professor Toumey, a member of the society, and acquainted with Powell's abilities, insisted that Mr. Powell write the Blount County History. "Mr. Powell wrote a manuscript under the belief that he was merely furnishing material to be wrought by another hand into a more complete shape before publication" (Remininences of Fifty Years, Transactions of the Alabama Historical Society, 1899-1903). Instead, the society thought it in the best interests of their intent" to publish it without "changing, to any material extent the original manuscript". At the annual meeting in Tuscaloosa July 9th and 10th, 1855, the society passed resolutions directing the publication of the 'History of Blount County,' written by Mr. George Powell, of Blount. and making George Powell of Blount County... a life member of this Society with fee remitted.
This, the History of Blount County by George Powell, is today the basis for any historical work done in the county and has itself been re-published several times by family members and the Blount County Historical Society.
George Powell died at his home on the Warrior River near Nector, Blount County, Alabama, on February 5, 1872 and is buried at the Nector Cemetery. The following inscription appears on a roadside marker at the cemetery:
Homesite and Grave of George Powell Planter, trader, historian, geologist, surveyor. Gathered authentic data from early settlers and Indians for his History of Blount County, published in 1855. Made original survey of Blount County.
- Owen lists the following children of George Powell:
- 1. Anthony Wayne, a son.
- 2. Jonathan Winchester, a son.
- 3. Christopher Columbus, a son who was born April 26, 1831 in Blount County, Alabama. The following sketch on Christopher Columbus was taken from Christopher Columbus Powell by Thomas David Yeilding a great great grandson and is used here with permission. Please credit Dr. Yielding when using this data.
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On March 13, at age 28, Christopher Columbus married Isabella Sapp (the daughter of Benjamin Harrison and Harriet Debell (Ringo) Sapp) in Blount County, Alabama. Christopher Columbus appears to have followed his father's occupations of farming, school teaching and surveying. Dr. Yielding's family tradition has it that Christopher Columbus surveyed the first railroad built in Alabama. Christopher Columbus was enlisted on January 24, 1863 at Blount springs, Alabama, into Company F, 29th Regiment, Alabama Infantry by his by his father-in-law who held the rank of Captain. Probably in 1867, Christopher Columbus and Isabella, with their children moved to Texas where they initially settled near Mount Pleasant in the northeastern portion of the state. In about 1873 or 1874, they moved into Hamilton County, Texas. Family tradition records that he taught in the first school created in Hamilton County. He was a Mason and was the county surveyor of Hamilton during 1876-78. Christopher Columbus Powell died in Hamilton County, Texas where he is buried at the Powell-Brown Cemetery.
- 4. Mary, a daughter who was born February 14, 1818 in the Pendleton District of South Carolina. In 1819 her family moved to Blount County, Alabama. About 1838 she married in Blount or Jefferson County to Jesse Hughes (1811). Jesse Hughes was probably the son or grandson of George and Rhoda (Garrett) Hughes (1769). Mary C. Powell Hughes died in June, 1882 and is buried in the Bethel Cemetery in Northeast Jefferson County, Alabama.
5. Nancy Kirksey, a daughter who married Julius Tidmore
6. Rebecca Laura,
7. Lumima Rogers, a daughter who married Thomas Eubanks
8. Alice, a daughter who married Tyler Dickerson
9. Violaulta Elizabeth, a daughter who married Wilson B. Clowdus, of Oneonta, Blount County.
