Former Alabama Governor, John Patterson, Dead at 99
Gov. John Patterson got his start in politics after his daddy, Albert Patterson who was an attorney in Russell County, Alabama and had just won the states Democratic nomination as Attorney General, was gunned down outside his law office in the town of Phenix City. Young John stepped in, vowed to clean up Phenix City from the vices of organized crime including prostitution and gambling, and was elected as the states AG. Phenix City, AL is located just across the Georgia line from Ft. Benning. GA. It had a reputation for years as being a den of vice often times preying on young soldiers who were in town on leave. In the early days of WW2, the situation was so bad that Gen. George Patton threatened to roll his tanks into the town and clean it up once and for all. Of course, Patton did not and things rocked on "business as usual". After Albert Patterson was killed, the state demanded justice and justice they got. Albert's son, John, went on to be first elected as the Attorney General of the state and then elected governor of the Alabama running on a segregationist platform. The younger Patterson was a greater proponent of segregation than George Wallace. This was before my time, but most people older than I thought Patterson made a pretty good governor. This is all history and available for the world to see, but what I find intriguing about all of this is the fact that AL.com (a very liberal news outlet down here) hammered Patterson for his racist views, but failed to mention that his predecessor, Gov. Big Jim Folsom and successor, Gov. George Wallace, and John Patterson, who had the support of the Ku Klux Klan, were all Democrats and cut from the same bolt of cloth. You know, it is whatever fits their narrative at that particular time. If you'd like, the rest of the story can be seen HERE.
I like history, thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, here is the text from the historical markers of the Old Russell County Courthouse and the Russell County Courthouse. Simeon O'Neal was my great-great-great grandfather
OLD RUSSELL COUNTY COURTHOUSE
During the Federal occupation of the former Confederate States of American, the Alabama Legislature created Lee County primarily from the northern half of Russell County in 1866 and ordered the selection of the county seat "more centrally located." Government in Russell County was practically non-existent at the time; few records were kept and taxes levied only for favored political purposes. An election was called; Seale won. Simeon O'Neal and Cicero McBride selected this commanding site. John Lewis was architect.
Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and Russell County Courthouse Association 1984.
RUSSELL COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Political opportunists kept confusion reigning; another election was held in 1868; Seale won; excavation began; records were removed from the former county seat at Crawford to a nearby store until rooms were sufficiently complete. Permanent funding was not enacted until 1871, the total cost being $9,600. Simeon O'Neal was the contractor. The wing rooms, the inside chairs, and the exterior rebricking was accomplished in 1908. In 1935 the branch at Phenix City was elected the county seat with Seale remaining a branch until it was closed in 1943.
Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and Russell County Courthouse Association 1984.
Good story Shamrock17. Thank you as well.
DeleteHey Jeffrey;
ReplyDeleteI remember the story of "Sin City", I was a kid living in Fort Benning in the early 1970's, my Dad was a CID agent with the U.S. Army and yes the crime from the city kept things busy, a lot of people got rich fleecing the soldiers from Benning. My dad told me a story that to get the attention of the city fathers that they needed to get their house in order before the commandant of Benning put most of Phoenix on the "restricted" list was to have to soldiers paid in dollar coins for 1 paycheck, and when the city fathers saw how much dollar coins went through the local economy, it kinda got their attention. This was in the 1950's I believe and they started to clean up their act when they saw how much money the G.I's contributed to the local economy and it would be a shame if the cash cow mooed its last, if you know what I mean. That's when they started cracking down on the more egregious crap going on in "Sin" city. Granted it still is a hive of wickedness and villainy, but it is a shadow of its former self. Man the memories.
Thanks for sharing MrGarabaldi. I've heard very similar stories from those who were there.
DeleteSame with San Diego and the US Navy
ReplyDeleteHistory is made by the author if you are a faithful leftist "journalist". You know; like Yamiche Alcindor. Not somebody like Andy Ngo, because he is not a journalist, right Twitter?
ReplyDelete