This is taken from the July 28, 1921 edition of The Cullman Democrat.

Pioneer resident recalls interesting occurrences here

By Vol Fuller

Some interesting facts about the early days of Cullman have been related by Vol Fuller, in the article below. Mr. Fuller was reared in this county and is now one of our most successful men.

Mr. Fuller states that the three oldest houses, which are now standing in Cullman to his knowledge, are: Kullman’s Hall, the old Stahmer residence and the Boub log barn on the west side. This was the biggest barn that was known of in the county, forty years ago.

It was quite a curiosity at that time and all of the boys thought that it was built for a hotel. There was no hotel in the county at that time and it was to clearly understood as to just what a hotel was. The first hotel or rather boarding house, ever erected here, was built by John Fromholdt. It was built of logs and stood where the store of Lovelady and Wallace, now stands.

The first livery stable was run by Bud York. It stood where the Leeth National bank now is. There were no buggies here then and Mr. York had Mr. Hammer to build one open buggy for him. He went over into Morgan County and purchased one second handed top buggy. He used this for drummers only. The open buggy he hired to the lawyers and the editors and the most prominent people of the town.

The other people had to use wagons, if they rode at all.

The first merchant in Cullman was G.A. Prinz. His store stood where the Wilhite & King store now is. Mr. Prinz sold flour at $20 a barrel, when he could find a customer.

The postoffice was kept in the store, by Mr. Printz. The building was a small frame one and the postoffice, the only now for ten or twenty miles around. All of the country people used to come in on Sunday to get their mail. There would be hundreds of them here at once. Mr. Prinz would stand on the counter and call out the names and deliver the mail to the people, much like an auctioneer selling goods. It generally took two or three hours to deliver this mail.

In regard to the old school buildings and equipment fifty years ago, the schools were built of wood and were exceedingly small buildings. The seats too, were of logs and the floor, a dirt one. There was only one book, the blue backed speller. The school took up at sun rise and remained in session until sun down. The students were not allowed to take their eyes off a book except at recess.

The rules were done up in a small package in the form of a long hickory stick, which stood in the corner of the room. Nobody was allowed to write, except those about ready to graduate. At certain hours of the day only, the larger boys and girls would go up to a split log leaning against the wall, and write. The ink was made out of polk berries and the pen points tied on a stick.

On one memorable occasion, Loss Manning and Fred Thompson had a fight. This was a criminal offense, so the teacher called them in and cut a hickory stick five feet long out of the school house, where it had grown out from one of the logs in the wall. They were severely chastised. Fifteen years ago, when they were talking about building a high school here, Mr. Manning said that he has never been in but one high school, and that was the one above described, which stood on a high hill.

There were only two clocks in the settlement within a radious of fifteen miles. People who had luck enough to have a county surveyor visit their houses, had what they called sun marks that the surveyors had put there with a compass, so that the owner of the house could tell, when 12 o’clock came.

The school house stood near where the John Harker place now is.

The teacher was afraid of the superintendent and always put in a full day. On a cloudy day, he would send one of the larger boys down to a neighbor’s house to see when the chickens went to roost in order to see when to turn out the children. He was afraid he would lose his place, if he dismissed too soon. 

Renter shot in neck by owner of farm

A deplorable affair took place on the Carr farm out near Eidson’s Chapel on Thursday, when Jim Joiner was shot in the neck by Sam Carr.

It is reported that Joiner was shot at twice, only one shot, however, taking effect. This hit him in the neck and did not come out. He is now in a very critical condition at the hospital here.

It is said that Sam Carr, who with his father, owns a considerable tract of land near the Chapel, had posted some parts of his farm, warning people not to trespass thereon.

Joiner, a young man 23 years of age, came from Georgia several months ago and rented land from the Carrs. It is reported that he trespassed on the above land, which had been posted, and that Sam Carr shot him for this.

Carr was arrested under a charge of assault with attempt to murder. He made $1,000 bond and was released.

Immediately after the shooting, Sheriff Lambert and Deputy Willoughby went out to the scene. The injured man was brought to town for treatment. The date of the trial has not been set.

Interesting family coming to Cullman

Mr. Murphree, county superintendent of education, has arrived and taken charge of the office here. Mrs. Murphree and the children will come to Cullman, about the first of the month.

In the Murphree family there are two children, John, a boy of sixteen, who will be a senior in the high school here this year, and Glenn, the pretty little baby daughter, four and one-half years old.

Cullman people will be glad to welcome them here.

Hoop snake chases another through the house

In recalling the many thrilling experiences which people here have had with snakes, perhaps none is more exciting that that related by Mrs. J. Mackentepe.

Mrs. Mackentepe tells of an experience she had during the earlier days of Cullman, when she and Mr. Mackentepe were making their home at Bremen.

It appears that Mrs. Mackentepe heard a commotion in the front lawn and stepped out into the large open hallway, to see what the trouble was.

She was horrified to see two immense snakes fighting right near the front steps. One of the snakes finally tore loose and ran directly through the open hallway, the other reptile then taking its tail into its mouth, and made a complete hoop of itself and rolled through the hall in pursuit.

Before Mrs. Mackentepe could get any kind of an implement to kill the snake, both had disappeared.

Fine peaches

J.R. Whitlock, of Cullman, Route 6, brought to this office this week, some of the finest Elberta peaches that we have seen this year. He has sold forty bushels from his orchard.