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Benjamin Franklin Appleby
Benjamin Franklin Appleby
His Ancestors and Descendants
Benjamin's Story: Continued
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Before going to Mexico, he had become a civil engineer. Benjamin Franklin built the wharves at Mazatlan, Mexico. The wharves are still in use today. (1981) . He, also, built the first paved roads on the west coast of Mexico.
One of the stories told by him to his children is know as the story of the "Gopher Hole". "At one time he was crossing the Mojave Desert with another man. It was at the height of summer and their water was getting low. The other man had used all of his water and seeing that Benjamin Franklin still had a half canteen of water, he decided to kill Benjamin Franklin. The man raised his pistol, took aim and as he was pulling the trigger, his horse stepped in a gopher hole. So, he missed, Benjamin Franklin turned and seeing what was happening, shot the man." We have been unable to find the exact date of his return to Macon County, Alabama.
On a visit to the courthouse in Tuskegee, Macon County, Alabama, Ralph and Ann discovered where Richard and Martha, Julia's husband, (the executors of Peter Ridley's will) had applied for $38.75 for the tuition of a daughter, Narcissus, for one year at the Alabama Female College in Tuskegee. This was about 1858 or 1859. They also applied for money for room and board.
Benjamin Franklin's mother and some of his brothers were still on the plantation. We also, learned that seeing Mary Francis Sego for the first time, Benjamin Franklin said that he was going to marry her. They married June 30, 1875 and had nine children.
Between 1875 and 1890 he greatly increased the size of the plantation. When he returned to the farm the war was over. The slaves had been freed, however a large number had remained on the plantation. He provided for such former slaves a house, a garden patch, and a cow. He also had a school for their children. He was a stern disciplinarian: Only married couples were allowed to live together. He insisted each tenant provide his own vegetables and raise their own pigs. They had to to take care of their own cow, send their children to school, and attend church on Sunday. If they disobeyed they were sent packing.
Seeing the need of a good road going west into Tuskegee, Benjamin Franklin and his ex-slave, Frank Appleby, built a road over a place known as "The Three Mile Swamp." The road was elevated about four feet. In two places it was necessary to build two steel bridges. He, also, planted cypress trees every thirty feet on each side of the road. People who saw it said it was a beautiful drive. The road, bridges, and trees are no longer there. Modern highways have by-passed it. Ralph, on a visit in the summer of 1980, found the man who had torn down the bridges.
The ex-slave, Frank Appleby, left Benjamin Franklin and went to south Alabama and became a road and bridge builder. If there are any black people in South Alabama, now, named Appleby, they could be descendants of this ex-slave.
Near 1900. Benjamin Franklin sold the plantation. Evidently, he sold it to the children of Julia Tally. There are many Tallys living in this area now. Benjamin Franklin and his wife and children moved to Lee County (now Russell County) just east of Phenix City, an area which is now probably the heart of Phenix City. His wife died in 1900 and was buried in The Little Texas Camp Grounds Cemetery.
Benjamin Franklin followed in the footsteps of his father, Peter Ridley, in educating his children. He was a religious man. He returned every year to the Little Texas Camp Grounds. He occupied the same cabin there each year. More will be written about The Little Texas Camp Grounds later.
16 August 2004 |