The earliest Meadows ancestor to arrive in Covington County was James Meadows, a native of Georgia. His family was enumerated in the 1850 census with James as a farmer. He was 43 years of age and his wife, Elizabeth, 36. At the time they had the following children: William, 20; Martha, 17; Elizabeth, 15; Marion, 13; John, 11; Maryan, 8; James, 4; and Amanda, 2.

In 1853, James Meadows was a Justice of the Peace for Beat Three. He purchased 120 acres of government land in 1854 and another 120 in 1855. These tracts were located in the Panther Creek Township. M.F. Meadows, probably James's son Marion, acquired 200 acres in the same community in 1857.

In 1860, there were only two Meadows households enumerated, James and Marion T. James and Elizabeth's family was slightly different as to children. Presumably, the oldest four had left home and three more had been born: Joseph, 9; Eliza, 5; and Georgia Ann, 1.

In 1862, M.F. (Marion ?) served as a private in Co. I, 40th Ala. Inf. Regt. of the Confederate Army. James was serving as a private in 1864, at age 58 years, in the Company of Cov. Co. Militia (Second Class). In the same company was a J.P. likely one of James's sons, serving as a private at 19 years of age.

By the taking of the 1870 census, there was not a single household headed by a Meadows; however, there were several of James's younger children who were residing with older sisters and their husbands. Apparently James and Elizabeth were deceased by this date. Amanda had married Josiah Hart and had G. (Georgia Ann) in their family. Mary had married Hilliard May, and they had the youngest two children, W. and Martha, with them. Martha J. had married J. McKiney, and they had B. (Eliza ?) with them.

Almost two decades later, late 1890s, members of another Meadows family moved to the Burnout Community of this county near the northern border. They were descendants of a James Marion Meadows, also a native of Georgia. James M. was the son of Riley and Elizabeth (Pollard) Meadows of Georgia. Other children in the family included Joshua M., Benjamin Franklin, Miles and Dock as well as others.

James M. was born in 1827 and was married in 1854 in Pike County, Alabama, to Sarah Barron, daughter of Thomas M. and Elizabeth (Doss) Barron. They lived in the Little Oak community near Troy in Pike County. They reared the following children: Joseph Alfred, b. 1854, m. Liny Crow; Marcus Alexander, b. 1855, d. 1919, m. S. Frances Willis; Susan Celesta, b. 1857, d. 1943, m. Benjamin Floyd; Thomas Riley, b. 1859, d. 1956, m. (1) Ida Lynn (2) Bessie Eudora Holloway; Mary Helen, b. 1861, m. Tobe Wilson; Sarah Elizabeth, b. 1856, m. Dove H. Lassiter; Nancy Lou, b. 1866, m. William H. Powell; William Joshua "Billy," b. 1869, d. 1949, m. Sarah A. (Richburg) Chandler; James Martin Jr. or Alonzo James, b. 1869, d. 1909, m. Rosa Lucas; and Martha "Mattie" Ann, b. 1862, m. Gus Davis.

An obituary written in the June 12, 1893, edition of The Troy Daily Gazette stated, "Mr. James Meadows died at his home seven miles south of Troy yesterday. He was well known and highly respected and among the county's best citizens. For a number of years he had been a great sufferer from a neuralogic affliction and for a great portion of the time was confined to his bed. He was about 70 years of age."

Joseph Alfred and Linzy had the following children: Effie Meadows, m. Perry Griffin; Zeddie, m. Eugene Whittle; Ernest; Oscar; Dora; and Walter.

Marcus A. and Tanny had the following children: Sally Lou, Annie, Lee, Esker, Osburn, Minnie, Alice, Beartha, Jammie and Lon.

Susan Celeste and Ben Floyd had the following three children: Osburn, m. Ella Beasley; Annie, m. Carey Jinright; and Susie, m. Tennis Austin.

Thomas R. and his first wife, Ida Lynn, lived in the Sassers' Crossroads and had the following children: Frank, b. 1884, d. 1945, m. Lindy Bryant; Vernon, b. 1886, d. 1950, m. ?; Shelby, b. 1887, d. 1951, m. Barbara Davis; Alfred, b. 1889, d. 1974, m. Annie Frazier; Riley Martin, b. 1890, d. 1892; William, b. 1893, d. 1983, m. ?; Otis, b. 1894, d. 1972, m. Lula Mills; Calvin, b. 1895, d. 1988, m. (1) Carolyn ? (2) Mrs. Johnson; Lillian, b. 1897, m. Martin Wyatt; Charlie Lynn, b. 1898, d. 1910; Prince, b. 1900, d. 1979, m. Annie Deshazo; Laura Bell, b. 1901, d. 1910; Eula Mae, b. 1904, d. 1907; and Roe, b. 1906, d. 1992, m. Bertha Parr.

Sarah E. and her husband, Dove Lassiter, had the following three children: Sanders, m. Georgia Jordan; Kate, m. Clarence Hooks; and Bernice, m. Ferris Andrews.

Nancy Lou and her husband, William H. Powell, had the following children: Woodfin Grady, m. Lela Johns; Amber Jewel, m. Wendell Johns; Forrest Clellan, m. Pet Bennett; Truby Chastine, d. at age 4; Ruby Allene, m. Newton Straughn; and Lisa Wilba, single.

William J. "Billy" and Sally (Richburg) lived in the Burnout community and had the following children: Willie Estelle, b. 1892, d. 1980, m Albert Courtney; Annie L., b. 1893, d. 1895; Frances "Fannie" Colman, b. 1895, d. 1986, m. Sidney Willis Merritt. Edgar Eugene, b. 1897, d. 1988, m. (1) Mollie Belle McCord (2) Lucy Belle Farris; and Sarah Emmer "Dixie," b. 1901, d. 1970, m. Claude Windham.

Mattie Ann and her husband, Gus Davis, had the following four children: Joe Tom, Willie Jim, Walter and Ruby.

Some have called the youngest son, James Martin Jr. and others Alonzo James. He and his wife, Rosa Lucas, lived in the Hepzibah community of Pike County and had the following children: Milton, Dewey, Mamie, Susie, Jimmy Dee, Addie Bell and Edna Earle. Alonzo died of tuberculosis in 1909 at the young age of 40 years. He left Rosa a widow at 33 years of age with seven children ranging in ages from 1-11 years old. Rosa died in 1927 from an accidental burning. The home of this family was moved to the Pike Pioneer Museum in Troy and restored.

Appreciation is expressed to two descendants of this family who contributed their family history records, Wilson Meadows of Andalusia and Atrice (Merritt) Reeves of Crestview, Fla. Wilson is the son of Edgar Eugene Meadows and Atrice is the daughter of Frances (Meadows) and Sidney Merritt.

Anyone who might have corrections or additions to the above is requested to contact Curtis Thomasson at Route 9, Box 97, Andalusia, AL 36420 or Email: chthom@alaweb.com

HISTORICAL MEETING:

The Covington Historical Society will meet on Thursday, April 25, at 7 p.m. in the Andalusia Public Library. The program will be a panel discussing area cemeteries. A special guest, Lisa Franklin, will be a member of the panel. Guests are welcome.