William Brownblazed his way to Jefferson County, Alabama, Possum Valley
(Dolomite) ca. 1815.  He came from Lincoln County and Giles County,
Tennessee.  He searched around and liking the area, he went back to Tennessee
to get his family.  He applied for land in 1819.  Recorded in the Alabama
tract book on file in the Jefferson County Probate Court record room.  His
sister and brother-in-law, Jerimiah Jones were already settled somewhere in
the vicinity.  Brown was here a year and-a-half before he found his
brother-in-law.  He accidently ran into him while hunting in the woods. 
Brown settled in what is now called Brown Town, located behind the historic
Bethlehem Methodist Church which he help organize in 1818.  The old Brown
Family Cemetery is located about two miles behind the church.  The Brown
family have gathered there for years for a family reunion.  Brown had a
family of seven sons and two daughters.  His sons were John, Isaac married
Elizabeth Snow; James married Sarah Gilkie Rutledge; David married Lucinda
Robertson; Robert W. married Elizabeth Taylor; William Burrus married Matilda
Fields; Joseph married Mary Ann Cox; Eliza D. married James East; Mary Easter
married John Elliott.

The Robertson, Hulm, Butler, were very early settlers in this area. 

David Wilson Brown, son of Issac, was born November 28, 1851 in Dolomite,
a half mile from where his daughter now lives.  He was born in a log cabin
that burned down around 1915.  D.W. built a home on Edwards Street around
1882.  His mercantile store was next door.  His daughter, Mildred, and the
one who is giving this history still lives in the old home place and was also
born here.  Brown bought this piece of land around 1837 from a man named
William Hulm.  Hulm evidently left this area as noting is known of him.

I have a ledger from my father's store dated 1883-1884.  Some of the
names listed in the book are:

Will Jordan, Blake Jones, William Johnson, A. S. Brown, Harley Caldwell,
B. F. Plotte, John W. Brown, John Nunnalley, Isiah Herrin, Dave Belle, Dock
Dowdelll, W. I. Brown, E. R. McElroy, Frank Harrison, E. A. Harrison, Jasper
Howard, Reubin Robertson, William Meridith, Jim Blackwell, Edd Tarrant, Mrs.
Joe Vance, Alex Glasgow, James Spencer, Tomm Crooks, E. M. Bratton, James A.
Goolsby, William H. Snow, Lewis Chapman, Lucius Anthony, Ike Caldwell, J. E.
Brown, Jim Gray Snow, Dock Galsgow, Asberry Chapman, Andy Murdock, Alex
Alley, Marion Hallman, Fanny Winston, Joe Alley, Bill Harrison, Curry Huey,
Sam Howton, Whit Thompson, John Powell, John Earley, John Roberts, William
Johnson, Allen Cost, John Kelley, E. M. Bratton, Cutt Hamilton, Dave Belle,
A. Wolf, John Thompson, J. N. Milstead, Rob. Boyd, Reubin Salter, Morgan
Thomas, A. Omsted, Nely Meigs, Bill Justice, Jim Warnic, Mrs. Caroline Hodge,
Bill Shivers, and John Gallagher.

Farming was the chief occupation before the Civil War.  After the Civil
War, men from the north came down prospecting for minerals they had seen
while here.  One of them stayed in the Brown home.  It has been handed down
the man would leave and be gone several days and then return.  Unknowing to
the Browns, he was testing minerals.  It was first thought there was Dolomite
here.  That is how Dolomite got its name, but it turned out to be coal.  The
story is that one day all the Brown boys were goine and Mr. Brown sold a lot
of his land.

I don't know what year the Woodward Iron Company formed.  I have been
told the No. 1 mines was sunk in 1884, but whether this date is correct, I do
not know.  Dolomite started growing.  No. 2 mines opened and Dolomite was a
booming mining town.  It was one of the largest mining towns around.

There were only two churches.  The Bethlehem Methodist and the Dolomite
Baptist.  The preacher came to the Methodist church every other Sunday.  This
was also true of the Baptist church.  They had their services every other
Sunday.  I remember we all went to the Methodist church on their day and then
everybody went to the Baptist on their day.

I will give the location of the families as I remember as a pre-teen
child, ca. 1910.  Starting with my present home on Edwards Street.  We were
the first house.  The house next door use to be my father's store, The D. W.
Brown Mercantile Co., The next house across now Gillespie Road was the F. P.
Reynolds home, the next Della Reed home, the next Joe Reed home, next Will
Reed home, next name unknown and also the next name unknown, the next house
was J. R. Knight, tow other houses burned, names unknown.  Across the branch
was Burroughts home then the Dolomite School and Masonic Hall building.  At
the end of the road was the Robertson's home.  Coming back up Edwards Street
on the opposite side of the road some of these homes were being built. 
Across the branch was the Boyd home, next unknown, next one was where Harold
Purser lived, next home was built for the Supt. Ben Purser, next house the
Thomas, next house for Woodward Commissary managers, J. R. Wilson, later W.
H. Horton.  Facing this house was the bachlors home, later the doctor's home,
Dr. E. P. McEniry.  I cannot remember when the doctor's office was built.

Houses on the northside of my home was built by Woodward.  About four
houses on the same side as me.  One of there names I remember was the Deer's.
 I played with John and Laura Deer.

Now one street over is Pleasant Grove Road.  Houses were scattered around
in this area.  Along Pleasant Grove Road extending back to the Woodward
Railroad tracks were Woodward Houses as far back as I can remember.  Length
of the area of these houses was generally from the area where the pump house
now stands and goes down to the Commissary Street.  At one time, my
grandfather's home, Issac, was located near the pump house across the road. 
The house is still here and occupied by the Nath Chapman family.  The
Pleasant Grove Road did not go that far up until after I married.

I will list the Sweet Gum Flat houses that I remember over a long period
of time.  George Cunningham, Dan McPherson, Harrison, Rush, Hall, Totherow,
Hood, John Mondy, Lewis, Beulah Whatley, Allen, and Jim Reed.

The J. R. Owen home was on Owen Circle in the Garywood area.

Before I married, in 1919, and after, Dolomite got their mail either
addressed Route 1, Ensley, or Dolomite.  It was up to the customer.  Mr. Cot
Wheeler delivered our mail by horse and buggie.  I also remember a Mr. Payton
Rickles delivering mail addressed as Ensley, Route 1.  Ensley Route 1 was
discontinued some time after I married in 1919 and we got the mail addressed
as Dolomite.  Mr first memory of the Dolomite Post Office starts with the
post office being located in the Dolomite (Woodward) Commissary.  Miss Cora
M. Guthrie was Post Master.  Later Mrs. Exa L. Anderson and Camp Anderson
were Post Master.  Gladys Reaves Miller gave my daughter the following
information about the post office several years ago:  The post office was in
back of a store after if left the commissary near Mr. A. W. Mocks business. 
Emma Reaves Post Master.  It was later moved to Edward Street and at one time
burned down.  The old Post Office building that was used after the other
building burned is still standing today.  It is located on Edwards Street.  A
complete list of post masters is in the first article about Dolomite.

My father, David Wilson Brown and A. W. Mock were the Justice-of-Peace.

I have been told by an older cousin, Lucy Brown Jenkins, that there was a
schoold located near the present Jimez Restaurant.  She said she and her
brother were a student there and the Professor was named Professor Chase. 
Jack Smith's blacksmith shop was located in this area also.

The Dolomite School always had a big May Day.  I was May Queen one year
and Joe Boyd Ezell crowned me Queen.

At one time, my father built a large home in what is now called Garywood.
It was located about where George Knight's Grocery was located.  There was a
spring not far from the house.  Papa built up around the spring and piped
water to our house.  The house burned around 1917 or so.

When I was in my teens, we use to get the "Jitney" at the Dolomite
Commissary and ride to Brighton.  We caught the street car in Brighton and
either went to Birmingham or Bessemer.  This was the only public
transportation from Dolomite.  Johnny Harper and Thomas Wood were two of the
drivers of the "Jitney".  There were several Jitneys.

Coke ovens were located not far from my home.  They were located
somewhere back of where the Zimmerman's live now.  I could see them from my
house.

Dolomite had a tennis court located on the corner of Commissary Street
and Pleasant Grove Road when I was a teenager.

Peddlers came through with a pack on their back from Birmingham selling
cloth and lace, etc.  Joe Rosenbush was one of the popular peddlers.

John B. Thomas was superintendent of the mines at one time.  I think it
was after I married, but I am not sure.  I moved away from here in 1919 when
I married.  I moved back in 1938.  I lost out on some of the happenings
during this time.  When I moved back, "Pinnacle Hill" was built up near the
pump house.  It was a street of houses, and the overhead bridged was built
near by over the railroad tracks.  It was called "Pinnacle Hill" for years. 
I don't know if they still call it that or not.  I haven't heard it in a long
time.

When I was a child, they had square dances at the old school in Sweet Gum
Flat.  I can remember of going there and watching.

During the depression in the 1930's and early 1940's, the mines only
worked from one to three days a week.  At first, the mines only had two
shifts, the day and night.  Later the third shift was added.

A. Mr. Lewis was manager of the commissary at one time.  Later J. R.
Wilson, W. H. Horton and Lee Huey.  I cannot recall any more but there were
others.  Ben Purser was supt. of the mines.  After Purser, John B. Thomas.  I
think Clous was supt. at one time.  Mr. T. R. Barnes was manager of th meat
market.  Samora Alley Dennis "Toots" was a clerk.  Some of the other clerks I
recall are Bert Mize, O. L. Kouglar, and Percy Rasberry, A. Z. Strain, Bill
Cowden, Camp Anderson, Benney Rambeau, Thomas Dickey, Brook Lawrence.  Later
Willene Horton, Ola Franklin, Audrey Suit Harris, Jackie Harbin, A. D.
Shoemaker, S. Juinkins, Josephine Strain Junkins.  There were other I cannot
recall and I have not listed the above in order.

I also have a store ledger from my father's store dated 1913.  I will
list some of the names.  I have separated the names the best I could.  I will
list the white names first.  I separated the names for the benefit of both
races.

1913 to 1920 White names:
Charlie Rush, John Lacey, George Cunningham, Will Reed, A. L. Hall, John
McKee, W. G. Rush, Herbert Knight, W. D. Milstead, Jesse Huey, L. M.
Crawford, B. E. Purser, Tom Warnick , Tom Dabbs, Edd Cunningham, John B.
Thomas, Jr., Eugene Robertson, Mrs. R. F. Mims, T. C. Totherow, Charliey
Wolf, Earl Hood, Prof, J. B. Owens, Raymond Lewis, Boss Crowder, Jim Reed, J.
T. Sloan, Dave Barnes, Dr. P. E. Gwin, Harold Purser, Lon P. Staggs, John
Knight, Windowm Lewis, W. J. Lawrence, J. B. Thomas, Harry Owen, W. L. Clark,
W. E. Herald, O. L. Kouglar, J. M. Morris, John Mundy, L. A. Reaves, H. C.
Reid, Walton Price, Della Reed, F. F. Robertson, Clyde Nail, Frank Lewis, A.
W. Mock, Claude Wilkes, Aaron Evans, M. M. Hughuley, Dr. S. W. Right, Burton
Dixon, Dr. McEniry and Dixon, Dr. Mortimer H. Naff, Dr. J. A. Pow, M. S.
Kyzer, Herbert Thomas, John B. Thomas, Supt, Dr. J. M. Bonds, Ed. Bilitz, Dr.
A. A. Meek, Mrs. Beulah Whatley, J. J. Suit.

Black Customers:  1913 to 1920
Ben Jenkins, Rodgers Fomley, Will Denson, Garney Echols, Jake Frost,
Manuel Hubbard Will Goodwin, Jim Reed, Steve Echols, Jim Johnson, Dock Terry,
Limas Grogins, Jim Young, Jim Goodwin, Dave Coleman, Eliza Hubbard, Cap
Allen, Maggie Lee Floyd, Annie Mae Moore, George Green, Horace Black, Charley
Porter, Mollie Walker, Charley Mitchell, Dave Johnson, Core She, Morris
Munsford, Dave Mitchell, Smith Sanford, Jeff Buckner, Tom Gregory, Will
Daniels, Milly Smith, Prof, L. F. Johnson, Oscar Echols, Dave Johnson and Jim
Green.

Prof. Treadwell was at the black school for years.

The above history is just a small portion.  Only one person's
recollections.  Dolomite has much more history that I am not able to give.

I forgot to mention that in 1922 the No. 3 mine blew up killing about 99
men.  It was a terrible day for Dolomite.  I also forgot to mention the
nurse, Mattie Wall, who worked with Dr. E. P. McEniry for so many years.