The Coppinville Experience - From Poverty to God's Will: The Autobiography of Frederick L. Hamilton

By Frederick L. Hamilton

Born into poverty, yet rose above it by the Grace of God.

This book is a testament that it's not where you start, but how you reach your potential. It speaks to how God exalts you to unbelievable heights and guides you to bless others.

Frederick L. Hamilton was born into poverty, but by God's

• Language: English
• Publisher: Frederick L. Hamilton
• Release date: Nov 16, 2023
• ISBN: 9798868996955

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Coppin ville

Experience

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Coppin ville

Experience

FROM POVERTY TO GOD'S WILL

The Autobiography of Frederick L. Hamilton

THE COPPINVILLE EXPERIENCE: FROM POVERTY TO GOD’S WILL

Copyright © 2023 by Frederick L. Hamilton All rights reserved. Neither this book, nor any parts within it may be sold or reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

Contents

Introduction

3

1. Community and Family History

7

2. The Move to the Coppinville Community

17

3. Mom and Dad Begin a Family

25

4. School Integration

33

5. From Coppinville Jr. High School to Dauphin 51

6. Enterprise High School Years

61

7. Heading to Austin Peay

73

8. The Auburn Experience

83

9. My First Professional Job

95

10. My Calling Realized

103

11. Education Expansion and Work

125

12. A New Job on the Horizon

137

13. The County Reorganizes & My Work Changes 155

14. Tony Marries and My Work Continues

173

15. The Dam Breaks and the Department Keeps Working 177

16. A Natural Disaster Strikes Jefferson County & Work Continues 187

17. Trouble on the Horizon and a Great Loss 205

18. Trusting in God is the Only Way

221

19. Can You Stand the Pain?

229

20. Trouble Don’t Last Always

237

21. What has made the Difference in my Life?

249

Conclusion

253

References

255

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Introduction

The Coppinville Experience is the life story of Frederick Hamilton who was born into poverty, but by God’s will and favor is exalted into a career of public service to improve the lives of low-and-moderate income persons like he experienced as a child. The book goes back to the birth of his great-great-great-great-grandparents being born into slavery and ending up in Coffee County, Alabama. The book focuses on the history of family, Alabama, Coffee County, and Enterprise, Alabama.

Slavery comes to an end and the freed Blacks of Enterprise desired a formal education for their children and Coppinville and other areas of Enterprise would play a significant role in this endeavor.

The book explores the life of his great-great-grandmother and great-grandmother.

His great-grandmother’s life is described as one of struggle, including being raped by a family member, but having strength to work hard and be able to move to the historic Coppinville community to make a better life for her daughter, sometimes breaking the law.

His grandmother’s life is presented to include her early years, school years, and meeting a handsome man and starting a family. However, she holds to her mother’s vision for a better life and would later complete college.

The book also presents his mother and aunt’s early years growing up in Coppinville and being educated in the community. During his mother’s high school years, she meets a handsome man, and they later marry. After being married a year or so, they start a family with the birth of his brother. Shortly thereafter, the responsibility of family is more than his dad could absorb and they separate. This put his mom on a course of being a single parent, but she is prepared because of the strong work ethic she received growing up.

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Frederick would be born the following year and a few years later be baptized and develop a relationship with God due to him being intrigued by their Pastor’s preaching.

This would lead to him imitating the Preacher’s preaching around the house and a local barbershop to be told by his mother he had a big life ahead of him and wait until he was older to see if God had called him to preach. Although the preaching ended, his love for God remained.

Soon thereafter, his brother and he realized they did not have all they needed, particularly their father. Even after hauling water from their grandmother’s house to flush the toilet, they did not know it was defined as poverty based on the love they experienced at home. Consequently, they learned at an early age God was with them.

Later, everyone in Enterprise experiences school integration and he and his brother meet unknown Black and White children. Consequently, they quickly learned of the socioeconomic differences.

He’s now a teenager at Coppinville Jr. High School meeting new friends and experiencing new teachers. He began participating in extracurricular activities like sports and music. He also takes an interest in girls and starts out liking a pretty girl he did not know was his cousin.

The summer leading to his first year in high school, he and his brother meet a family from Savannah, Georgia that had a major impact with his walk with the Lord and this meeting impacted him into manhood.

His high school football years allowed him the opportunity to play collegiate football out of state, but after a football injury he is led to a major college in Alabama. He could see God’s hand moving in his life since his choice for a major happened by chance and he soon met a professor who hired him after college and mentored him into becoming a public servant.

His next job led him to God’s calling on his life, where his work helped improve the quality of life of people, particularly those who were in poverty as he experienced as a child. After 15 years of service, he began a new job that expanded his ability to serve more people.

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The book presents Frederick’s success, struggles, challenges, personal failures, and personal loss. You will learn through it all, he learns to depend on God and see how God delivers him, which he credits to his personal salvation.

The following chapters go into the specific details (good and bad) of his life and shows how God can use anybody to do His will, even if you start in poverty and have many personal failures.

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1

Community and

Family History

According to the 1840 U.S. Census, my great-great-great-great-grandfather Sam Matthews was born into slavery in Virginia around 1810. Africans were first brought to Colonial Virginia in 1619 from Africa from present day Angola and arrived aboard the ship called White Lion. My great-great-great-great-grandmother, Dolly Delphy was born in Georgia around 1815. During this time, Georgia was getting slaves from Africa, mainly Angola, Sierra, Leone, and Gambia. My great-great-great-great-grandparents would later end up in Coffee County Alabama, marry and start a family.

Four years later, Alabama was organized as a territory on December 14, 1819 and became the 22nd state to join the union. Approximately 22 years later, Coffee County was created by an Act of the Alabama State Legislature on December 29, 1841 from the western section of Dale County. Watson states (1985), "From its creation in 1841

until 1868, when Geneva County was formed, Coffee County extended south to the Florida state line, including the towns of Geneva and Samson" (p. 17). The county was named after General John R. Coffee, a soldier in the Creek War of 1813-14.

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Beginning in 1845, my great-great-great-great-grandparents gave birth to five children. These children are as follows:

1. Major Matthews

2. Henry Sanders

3. Sara A. Mills

4. Rose Hayes

5. Marry Thompson

The name difference of the siblings is due to them taking on the last name of their slave owners. Although their names were different, they were brothers and sisters.

Historically, a small amount of people in the south were born north of the Mason Dixon Line. Most of the early settlers were poor and some did own slaves. According to Watson (1970):

The United States census of Coffee County in 1850 showed a population of 6,940, of whom 6,380 were white, 557 were slaves, and 3 were free persons of color. There were 893 white families in Coffee County in 1850, with an average of 6.03 people per family (p. 104).

In 1852, Elba Alabama was chosen to be a new seat of government and the courthouse was built the following year on a site called the Courthouse Square. It was now 1860 and the county’s population was increasing, and slave ownership had grown to 1,417.

Alabama seceded from the union in 1861 to become a part of the confederacy. The Civil War impacted Coffee County. Watson (1970) states: The county contributed a large amount of men to the Confederate Armies. The first combat unit was known as the Coffee Rangers, which was Company D of the 12th Alabama Infantry at Richmond, Virginia in 1861.

Coffee County also contributed men to the Bullock Guards, which was known as Company A in the 18th Alabama Infantry, which was organized in Auburn, Alabama on September 4, 1861 (p. 227).

The war was coming to an end with President Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Freedom was a great privilege for the freed slaves.

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However, freedom was not without problems. The former slaves did find it hard to find work and many chose to stay and work for their master.

A couple years later, Henry Sanders mentioned above, my great-great-great-grandfather married Virginia Bryant also known as Grand Ma Ginny and they had 13 children beginning in 1865. These children were as follows: 1. Jim Sanders 1865

8. Jessie Sanders 1883

2. Laura Sanders 1866

9. Marrion Sanders 1884

3. Sam Sanders 1868

10. Archie (Henry) Sanders 1885

4. Dan Sanders 1870

11. Mose Sanders (unknown)

5. Emma Sanders 1871

12. John Sanders 1886

6. George Sanders 1875

13. William Bud Sanders 1890

7. Mattie Sanders (unknown)

My great-great-grandmother, Laura Sanders (also known as Mama Laura), was born in 1866 during the time many slaves realized they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. Mama Laura enjoyed her childhood as much as possible during those tough socioeconomic times.

Also, worthy of mentioning is Mama Laura’s sister Emma Sanders. She had four children named Berlove, Anna Love, George, and Ophelia. Ophelia had several children and are as follows: Damascus Crittenden Jr. who would later become a Coffee County Commissioner, Sara Crittenden, Henry Crittenden, and Easter Emma Lee Langston. Brenda Crawford, Mrs. Langston’s daughter is very close to our family today.

It was early in the 1880s, William J. Alberson arrived in what later became Enterprise and Watson (1970) describes what he saw as follows: He came from Blackman’s Mill, 10 miles south of Geneva, in Florida, and homesteaded 160 acres of land in Section 15, now known as the Glover place. Alberson was one of the first township trustees and helped to sell the southwest half of Section 16, Township 4, Range 22, to Ben Howell.

This was state owned school property, and other school lands were sold to R. H. J. Hildreth, J. M. Health, L. T. Hildreth, W. B. Stokes, Daniel Beasley, and E. F. Price.

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The Ben Howell entry sold to J. Henry Carmichael in 1881, who came from his farm in near Haw Ridge to Enterprise. Carmichael was the first citizen of Enterprise, and built the first residence, which stood for years across the street from the present location of Rawls Hotel (p. 41).

Education for Black children was now becoming a reality. Edwards, Fox, and Abercrombie (2021) added:

The first areas of Coffee County settle by Africa Americans were Mt. Zion Community, Westgate Area, Coppinville Area, Daleville Road Area and Martin Community. The settlers wanted a place to worship and founded the Mt. Zion Baptist Church. The church served as the first school for the children of early settlers who were taught by Mr. Bullard.

During the 1880s, the New Zion A.M.E. Church was formed. They began two groups, the Odd Fellows for men and Ruth for women. These societies constructed a two-story building. The upstairs was the club hall and the downstairs was for the school. The building was known as the Old Edwards School and Odd Fellows Hall (p. 1).

During this period, our family did not have the opportunity for a formal education, and they continued to work as cheap farm labor, as they did when they were slaves.

A few years later there was a break away from New Zion A.M.E. Church. Simmons (2020) mentions:

In 1889, a quarterly conference held at New Zion granted permission to some members of New Zion to withdraw for the purpose of forming a new A.M. E. congregation nearer to the residence on what then and is now Geneva Highway. Members of the Johns Family in the group authorized to organize a new church. The Johns family invited those members that left to meet on the property. Jason Jake Johns gave two acres for the new congregation, which began the creation of Johns Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (p. 2).

Since this was a Black Methodist Church, the community became known as Methodist Side.

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The first Pastor of the church was named Reverend W. L. Lewis. There were two additional Pastors, Reverend S. Griffin and Reverend Hillard, who served before the church entered the South Alabama Conference.

Mama Laura and many of her siblings were attending Johns Chapel at this time.

The early pioneers of the Methodist Side community included the Baileys, Johns, Bells, McCray’s, Fords, Simmons, Bensons, Boykins, Hendersons, Williams, Donalds, McClouds, and Baxters.

Another historic Black neighborhood is Bennett Side, where my paternal great-grandmother lived, which is slightly east of downtown. The layout of the streets indicates many significant families that lived in the community. These streets still remain and are McGee, Larkin, Hull, Cook, Diggs, Sanders, and Pierce.

One of the significant historic sites on Bennett Side was the Masonic Hall, which still stands to this day. This would be the place I preached as a very young boy. It was the first floor of the Hall that was converted into a Barbershop.

Friendship Baptist Church, the Triumph Holiness Church, and the Church of God in Christ were all rich in historical significance.

On December 1, 1889, my great-grandmother Phadie Wilkerson was born to Mama Laura and Columbus Wilkerson. They had four additional children and their names were Jep, Snobie, Ben, and Gideon Wilkerson.

During the early years of my great-grandmother’s life, she enjoyed playing with her brothers and sister, but had to begin working around the house and doing other chores to help the family, including babysitting her younger siblings. In most cases, when children became of age, they began working in the fields picking cotton, peanuts, tomatoes, and other seasonal crops.

A few years later, John Henry Carmichael built a small store, which is now the North Main street of downtown Enterprise, Alabama. The city became incorporated in 1896

with a population of 250.

By this time, many Black people were becoming business owners. Mr. Billy Ray, or BR

Sconiers established the first Black funeral home in Enterprise, which was located in the block of College Street between where the current courthouse sits today to the Boll Weevil Monument. This funeral home served the Black communities for many years.

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In 1901, my great-grandmother’s life was turned upside down at the age of 12 when she was raped by her mother’s sister’s husband and became pregnant with her first child named Versie (my aunt) and gave birth at the age of 13. Times were already tough and this incest leading to a child at this young age had to be unbearable for her, both physically and emotionally. Aunt Versie was raised by Mama Laura.

My great-grandmother joined Johns Chapel A.M.E. Church and was a faithful member.

At this time, education was continuing to expand for Blacks in the community. Edwards stated (2004):

In the years from 1903 to 1905 a group began to expand the means of education by forming a Trustee Board. Afterward, they purchased 18 acres of land. The people of the A.M. E. Church began to set up homes in the area and built the first school. This plot of land became known as the Coppinville

in 1907 –in honor of the presiding A.M.E. Bishop of Alabama, Levi Jenkins Coppin. There were three-tenths of an acre allotted for the school building.

This school was named the Pryor’s institute. The original building included four spacious classrooms downstairs and a large auditorium on the second floor (p. 3).

Also, in 1905, my great-grandmother met Pete Anderson and they married. From this relationship, her first son, Sylvester Anderson was born in 1906 when she was 17 years old. She began working for white people in various capacities, but mainly as cheap labor for housework. Her son enjoyed his early childhood being raised by my great-grandmother, but for him it was like growing up as a single child since Aunt Versie was raised by Mama Laura.

Enterprise was continuing to grow with the Midland Railway company locating to the town as the town’s population increased to 3,750 by 1906.

In 1907, Coffee County was divided into two jurisdictions and a seat of government was established in Enterprise. This was not intended to replace the seat of government in Elba, but meet the needs of the citizens living in the southeast section of the county.

Education continued to expand for Black children on the north side of the Enterprise-Daleville road. This building was finished in 1908 and was called the Southeast Alabama Industrial School. Both schools ran separately for three or four years until public education was started and supported by the state.

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By this time my great-grandmother divorced Pete Anderson, and in1909 married Jim Baxter at the age of 20.

In 1915, the economy greatly changed in Enterprise, Alabama due to this little insect called the Mexican Boll Weevil making its way to Alabama from Texas. This insect fed on cotton, which was the main agricultural crop in Coffee County at that time and destroyed the county’s economy. Many farmers in the area filed bankruptcy. Of course, this event would have a negative economic impact on our family since many in the family worked as cotton farm labor. Fortunately, the family pulled together and shared resources during the difficult days.

Dr. George Washington Carver’s innovation of the peanut allowed local farmers to diversify to other crops. Enterprise later erected a monument of the Boll Weevil in the center of downtown on Main Street where it stands to this day. It was erected based on how this insect caused the economy of Enterprise to be diversified.

In 1916, the local farmers who had been planting cotton began planting peanuts on land where cotton had grown. Farmers from the surrounding areas sold peanuts to Mr.

H. M. Sessions, which was the beginning of peanuts being sold for commercial use, which helped the farmers revitalize their farming business.

Edwards (2004) states: In 1918, education was continuing to expand in Coppinville, and the school became known as the Coffee County Training School was open and served the first through eighth grade. The Principal and teachers are presented below:

1. Mr. E. H. Tindell, Principal

2. Mr. A.B. Edwards

3. Ms. H.S. Green

4. Ms. M.A. Green

5. Ms. M.P. Allen

6. Ms. Lue B. Allen

The principal taught vocational agriculture, which was a major program at the school.

Boys and girls were taught farming techniques in a field where Pleasant Grove Baptist Church is now located (pp. 8-9).

At the end of the year on December 8, 1920, my great-grandmother and her husband, Jim Baxter gave birth to her third child, my grandmother Mildred Baxter at the age of 31.

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A short time later she and Mr. Baxter divorced. Sometime later, my great-grandmother and grandmother moved to a community called the Valley, which was about a mile or so from the Coppinville community. Since my grandmother’s brother and sister were much older, she was raised like an only child. My grandmother was spoiled by the Sanders side of the family. She was very close to her cousins Clarence and Velma Sanders who were descendants of Bud Sanders, one of the 13 children mentioned earlier.

It was during the first few years of my grandmother’s life the members of Johns Chapel decided they wanted a brick building. The construction of this building began in 1922.

Later my grandmother joined the church. As a young girl she took part in all the youth activities.

Also in 1922, education continued to expand in Coppinville. The Coffee County Training School expanded with Mr. John Dobbs becoming the principal and he began recruiting boys to play football. He also started a basketball team, established home economics, encouraged the first hot supper meal, and established the school’s first band. The school served Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Covington, Pike, Houston, and Henry counties (pp. 9-11).

My grandmother began going to the Training School around 1926 or 1927 and rode a horse and buggy until she was able to walk to school.

In 1928, Mr. E. A. Washington became the principal of the school and he added home economics to the school curriculum.

In July 1929, Mr. Wilson became the Principal. Edwards states (2004): With him came the idea of making the school a senior high school. He began his plans by telling the students if 12 or more of the prospective eleventh graders were to return in the fall there might be chance to get the senior high department. During the 1930-31 school year, student enrollment increased and subsequently the school became a Senior High School. There were 14

students to graduate. They were: Vida Shipman, Cecelia Sconiers, Adelle Upshaw, James Grubbs, Agnis Carroll, Jessie Griffin, Beatrice Clark, Johnnie Clark, Clara Boykins, Polly R. Jones, Alma Boykins, Annie G. Stokes, Edna Green, and Z. I. Fleming Sr. (p. 12).

In October 1929, shortly after the new school year began, the crash of the stock market significantly changed American lives for the worse. There were several

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underlying problems in the country. This included a drought, overproduction of goods, bank failures, stock speculation, and consumer debt.

The Great Depression harmed Alabama because of the declining impact on agriculture.

The economic effects of the Great Depression lasted until the 30s and early 40s, which was longer than some other states in the country.

My grandmother went to school every day and enjoyed learning. Between church and school, my grandmother’s social skills began to develop. She had a pleasant personality and did not meet too many strangers. At this time in her life, my great-grandmother started teaching her daughter the values of hard work, loving and respecting people, and the importance of sharing and caring for your neighbors.

On April 1, 1931, Uncle Sylvester married Sadie Gertrude Forward. Aunt Gertrude was born on September 22, 1914 in Stockton, Alabama, which is located in Baldwin County, which is close to Mobile, Alabama. She was an entrepreneur and owned a café in the segregated section of downtown Enterprise, which was located behind the stores off of Main street. One of my greatest memories of Aunt Gertrude was she could play the drums like a professional. The first time I heard her play I thought I was at a disco.

Uncle Sylvester worked for Sessions Peanut Oil Mill and later became a contract employee for Northrop Worldwide Aircraft. He also raised hogs behind the house in Coppinville.

To their union in marriage, 10 children were born. Their names are as follows: 1. Earnest Anderson

6. Cloteal Anderson

2. Alonzo Anderson

7. Deveda Anderson

3. Jerome Anderson

8. Geraldine Anderson

4. Annie Anderson

9. Deloral Anderson

5. Glennievere Anderson

10. Pam Anderson

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2

The Move to the Coppinville

Community

In the early 30s, my great-grandmother and grandmother were still living in the Valley about a mile from the Coppinville community where the school was located.

During this time my grandmother was walking back and forth to school and this was very difficult for her since she had some minor health issues. There was a white man named Mr. Jess Ellis who owned land in the Coppinville community.

With Colored people settling in the community, the land was very cheap. My great-grandmother bought close to 10 acres of land and built a house that we still own to this day. This allowed my grandmother to only have to walk a couple of blocks to school.

My great-grandmother was able to afford the land because outside of her normal occupation of housekeeping work she was bootlegging. The Coffee County Sheriff paid a lot of visits to her home. My great-grandmother buried the homebrew in the ground and grassed the area. The Sheriff looked diligently for the homebrew and as the story was told to me, he would say, I know this mess is out here somewhere.

Unknown to him, he was standing right on top of it in the yard. If he would have bent down on his knee, he could have left with a few spirits in his hand. My grandmother asked her mother why she was breaking the law bootlegging to get the response, so you won’t have to. She did not want her doing manual labor like working in white people’s homes or the fields as many had to do. She wanted her to become educated and get a professional job.

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During these difficult days, the people of the Coppinville community were very close and looked out for each other. They shared food, they disciplined each other’s children, the children played with their friends, and they could go to a neighbor’s house for cookies and snacks, and in some cases the adult neighbors would read to them. The village did raise the children of the community and later many of them became productive citizens in society.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Works Progress Administration or WPA into law by Executive Order on May 6, 1935. This was the New Deal designed to bring the country out of the Great Depression. The goal of the program was to help unemployed people work by building projects like highways, airfields, public buildings, planting trees, and rural rehabilitation.

Women under WPA could work in clerical positions, gardening, canning, librarians, seamstress, etc. My great-grandmother excitingly told her children and grandchildren how she worked in the program.

In 1937, my grandmother graduated from high school with the ambition to go to college. However, she met this handsome man named Tommy Diggs and they began dating. They were a very social couple and enjoyed dancing and attending house parties, playing cards, and other activities. My grandmother was A.M.E. and grandfather was Baptist so they enjoyed going to each other’s church together.

On Sunday February 28, 1938 the school was destroyed by fire and had to operate from the school shop area near Pleasant Grove Baptist Church for the remainder of the year. The trustees immediately began looking for land to rebuild the school. Land was purchased by the trustees from Mr. J. E. Nance to build the new school and it still stands to this day and is owned by the Union Grove Baptist Church.

My grandmother and grandfather later married in 1939 and had their first child, Barbara Diggs who was born on February 25, 1940. My grandfather’s mother, my great-grandmother, Carrie Hood lived on Bennett side. She was born on February 18, 1902, in Brundidge, Alabama and we called her Mama Carrie. Many people don’t know, Civil Rights Leader, Congressman John Lewis attended the Pike County Training School in Brundidge, Alabama, which is 10 miles south of Troy and about 25 miles from Enterprise. Mama Carrie later married Doward Wheeler and to this union were born Genoba and Tommy, my grandfather. Later, she would give birth to her youngest daughter, Bessie Evans. Therefore my grandfather is a Wheeler, but he did not have a good relationship with his father and changed his last name to Mama Carrie’s brother,

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which was Diggs. His first name was also Tommy. In reality my mother is a Wheeler, but she always went by her father’s last name, Diggs.

With Aunt Barbara being the first-born child, she was loved very much by both sides of the family, but the Diggs were very close to her being my grandfather’s first child. She spent a lot of her time with this side of the family.

The Coffee County Training School was continuing to grow and expand. Edwards (2004) states: In 1940, Mr. Robinson became the principal, and he increased the school staff and added extracurricular activities. During this time, the school grew significantly due to rural schools closing or consolidating. This led to students from Sconiersville, Shady Grove, St. Mary, Oak Grove, New Brockton, and Shiloh going to the Coffee County Training School (pp. 14-16).

On November 22, 1942 my grandmother and grandfather gave birth to my mother, Eva Diggs. My grandmother stayed home and raised their children and my grandfather worked at the cleaners, as well as other odd jobs.

Several years later, my grandmother began pursuing her dream of going to college at Alabama A & M. Pursuing her dream meant she was the first person in the family to go to college. While away at school, mom and Aunt Barbara primarily stayed with their dad, as well as Mama Carrie and their maternal grandmother, who they referred to as MaDear in Coppinville.

Edward (2004) states: The school was continuing to expand and in 1945 Mr. Monroe became the Principal. Due to the growth of the school, transportation was needed to get students to and from school. Consequently, Mr. James Askew purchased and operated the first school bus for the next few years with additional operators later (p. 16).

Around this time, Mr. Billy Ray Sconier’s son, Mr. Charlie Ray Sconiers senior took over the funeral home and moved it to West Watts Street and it continued to serve the Black community.

In 1947, my mother began attending the Coffee County Training School at the age of five and Mrs. Mattie Rogers taught her through the fifth grade. She recalls playing with the children and the great atmosphere of the school.

Mr. B. F. Garth, who would become a great educator and administrator in Enterprise was from Decatur, Alabama. He earned a B. S. Degree and M. A. in Education from

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Alabama State College and served as the principal of the Coffee County Training School from 1948 to 1959.

Edwards (2004) states: In 1949, the decision was made for the Coffee County Training School to become a junior and senior high school. This led to the elementary division moving to the Enterprise Academy known as Carroll Street Elementary School, which is located on Baptist Hill (p. 17).

Mom was seven years old at the time and in the third grade. Mom and her friends were bused to the school since it was approximately five miles away from Coppinville. Some of the teachers at the school included Mr. Galvin, Mr. James Mullins (our uncle who