Smoke Signals and other news
As mentioned in a previous column, Vacation Bible School begins this month. Byhalia United Methodist Church will host Stellar Vacation Bible School June 11-15 from 6:00 p.m. To 8:00 p.m. For Pre-k through 4th graders. Registration will be held Sunday, June 11, at 5:30 p.m.
First Baptist Church of Byhalia will host “Keepers of the Kingdom” on June 19-23 for kids who have finished K - 5th grade. Registration cards and a drop-off box is located at the church’s back door.
The Margaret M. Grow Youth Camp for the Arts begins Monday, June 5, at the Old School Commons. The art camp is always a wellattended fun-filled event. While the art portion of the camp is full, there were still spots available for drama. My granddaughter, Mary Claire Herring, began attending this camp when she was almost eight years old. Now that she is almost seventeen, this will be her third year helping with the camp by choreographing the drama portion. She loves working with children and dancing and is very talented in this area. Many people work together to make this camp successful.
This past week Brunswick Park got new metal roofs on the gazebo and the well house. Fresh paint will appear on both very soon. It is nice to see the improvements taking place all over town.
Last week I had trouble with my lawn mower. The tire was flat. Once the tire on the lawn mower was aired back up, I took on the serious job of cutting the ankle-deep grass. It was two and a half hours of continuous cutting to get most of it cut. There are still areas where limbs have fallen that I have not gotten picked up, but that is in the plan this week. It will be time to cut again by the time that’s done. Mowing grass is something I enjoy. I’m quite a sight to see in my attire when mowing grass. I am wearing a hat, sunglasses, and headphones. Sometimes I wear a mask if it is dusty. I’m sure I’m quite a sight to see.
Byhalia has a new Fire Chief, Leslie King II. He has already taken the step of promoting Cody Garrison to the Assistant Fire Chief. We now have two experienced leaders at the Fire Department. Hopefully, I will get to complete a full interview with them soon.
Tandy Kee Young moved to Byhalia in 1838 from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Young was married to Rachel Maroney, the daughter of Phillip and Martha Semms (Massey) Maroney. Rachel’s dad, Phillip Maroney, was born in County Clare, Ireland, in 1734. The original family name was O’Maroney, but when he settled in Annapolis, Maryland, the “O” was dropped. Phillip entered the Continental Army as a captain of the First Maryland Battalion of the Flying Camp in the Revolutionary War. Captain Maroney fought at White Plains, Brandywine, and Yorktown, where he witnessed the surrender of British General Cornwallis. In 1785, he married Martha Maroney in Franklin County, North Carolina, later moving to the Greenville District of South Carolina, where he ran an inn until he died at age 96. Mrs. Maroney came with her daughter and son-in-law to Alabama and later to Byhalia. She died August 20, 1858, at the age of 93 and is buried in Watkins-Ingram Cemetery.
Tandy Kee Young was one of the early farmers here and was Casey Young’s father. Casey received tutoring from his father and later attended Marshall Institute, becoming an attorney in Memphis in 1859. Casey joined the Confederate cause in 1861 and became a Lieutenant Colonel of Cavalry under General Nathan Bedford Forrest. He saw action in the skirmish at Byhalia, where his knowledge of the land was invaluable in the Confederate withdrawal. After the war, Casey Young returned to Memphis and his law practice. He won the Memphis seat in Congress in 1874, 1876, 1878, and 1882 elections. Casey had a distinguished career as a Congressman, primarily responsible for obtaining authorization for the original Memphis Bridge and the first Customs House in the city. He died August 17, l899.
Please share your news with me at jchwagg@gmail.com or text or call 901 246-8843. You can message me on Facebook as Clair Wagg.