General Notes

Custom Field:<_FA#> 1870 Fed. Census records he attended school that year.@@S726784@@Date of Import: Jul 31, 2003
Custom Field:<_FA#> He lived to be 77 years and about 4.5 months old.@@S726784@@Date of Import: Jul 31, 2003
[coosa1.ged]
James Miller had a long mustache in which he curled up.  He was
grayheaded and had ears similar to Dad’s.  They called him Jim.  James A.
Miller and his wife Emma lived on hill where Avondale Mills is located, a
few miles north of Rockford, Alabama.  I heard that James Miller taught
school.(1)
(1)This information was given to me by my Dad, Evie Davis Bridges, Jr.,
on 12 Feb 1996.
"For probably sixty years, a Public School was run at Poplar Springs
Church.  A public school, at that time, was run at most all the churches,
and Poplar Springs was not an exception.  The Poplar Springs Community
stood for education as well as for religious training and development.
The author of this narrative recalls attending school at Poplar Springs,
when a small boy, and Prof. James A. Miller was the teacher.  He was an
excellent teacher, and disciplinarian.  Other teachers who taught at
Poplar Springs included J. A. Logan, John Alexander Darden, Father of
writer, D. Matthews, S. Suttles, J. W. Culberson, W. F. Darden and J.
Sharbut. (another teacher, Charles Conaway, later added by the author).
Prof. James A. Miller, as stated period, required students to read,
spell, cipher, or carry on any other study, vocally.  I understand from
him now this was done to make students concentrate on their studies in
the midst of noises. Prof. Miller says he took this up from Prof. J. A.
Logan, under whom he was student at Poplar Springs.  As the writer
recalls these vocal study periods were a real babel of tongues.
The school building, a one-room, log building, stood on the church
property between the church and the spring, east of the church.  It
served its day and generations well."(1)
(1)John A. Darden, "A Brief History of Poplar Springs Baptist Church,"
The Goodwater Enterprise, 23 Jul 1937.  I found the article in a box of
files (SG) located in the Alabama Archives.  The above quote is a
selection from the article.
THE CHRONICLE
Masonic
Rockford Lodge F. and A. M. meeting on Saturday before the third Sunday
in each month. The officers are: F. M. Selman, W. M.; A. B. Carlton, S.
W.; Wm Shurett, J. W.; S. M. Carlton, Treas.;  J. A. Miller, Sec'y; A. D.
Bentley, Chaplain; G. W. Miller, S. D.; Tom Johnston, J. D.; W. R.
Miller, Tile.(1)
Manning Items
"J. A. Miller is teaching music at the home of D. O. Manning."(2)
Local and Personal
"Jas. A. Miller, a professional farmer, is assisting in store management
this week at the business house of his son, who is yet confined to his
bed by reason of the injury he received while moving last week."(3)
Local and Personal
"Jas. A. Miller, of Sears Chapel, who is recovering from a case of
measles, was on our streets last week." (4)
(1) The Chronicle, Masonic, 21 Jan 1910, p. 5. Printed in Rockford, AL.
Microfilm: Located in the Alabama Archives and History, Montgomery, AL.
(2) The Chronicle, Manning Items, 29 Sep 1911, p. 5.
(3) The Chronicle, Local and Personal, 10 Jan 1913, p. 5.
(4) The Chronicle, Local and Personal, 1May 1914, p. 5.
1910 Federal Census of Coosa Co., AL. Precinct #7 Rockford. Dwelling #116
Miller, James A.    Head W M 49 AL Md 24 Yrs Father born in GA Mother b.
in AL
Emma J.   W F 43 AL Md 24 Yrs 9 Children 7 living Father & Mother
b. in GA
George W. Son W M 23 Father and Mother born in AL
Andrew J. Son W M 17 Father and  Mother born in AL
Mabel M. Dau W F 15 Father and Mother born in AL
Emma K. Dau  W F 13 Father and Mother born in AL
Lucy N.   Dau W F 10 Father and Mother born in AL
Arsua A.  Dau W F 4 Father and Mother born in AL
Researched by Ron Bridges on 31 Oct 2002.