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 (This article appeared in the Chilton County News first in February of 1931 and again in a reproduction of that issue in November of 1983.)
(Feb. 1931) - The subject of this sketch is Mr. F. A. Gulledge, of Verbena, Alabama whose past life is as follows:
Born in Coosa County, Alabama, September 25, 1849, hence eighty-one years old. Born on a farm where he lived until he was twenty-seven. During his early boyhood days he obtained a limited education in the one-teacher school at Providence, sometimes missing one or two years and hardly ever getting more than six weeks schooling each year. Married at nineteen year of age to Cordelia Collier of the same community. She was born October 30th, 1845, hence eighty-five years old. To them have been born five children, all living and prosperous, in Verbena. His first home, bought with borrowed money, interest upon which was from 8% to 20%. Upon the sale of his home in the latter days of 1876, leaving him six hundred dollars, came to Verbena and invested in a small mercantile business which by strict economy, and perseverance his business increased from year to year until at one time it was the largest business in Chilton County. In 1884 he built the store now occupied by Gulledge Bros. and
which business grew more prosperous until 1889 he resolved within himself that e should leave business and enjoy a more quiet life. To this end onJanuary 1st, 1903, he locked the store doors, store full of goods, handed his keys to his five children with the injunction to follow his example. The business then prospered under the firm name of Oliver & Gulledge Bros. A few years later Oliver sold out his and his wife’s interest to J.H. and W.A. Gulledge who have since run the business under the name of Gulledge Bros.
Mr. Gulledge’s slogan in business was “The Best Goods for the Price, One Price to Black or White, Rich or Poor.” Gulledge Bros. have used the same slogan, result the same customers who traded here forty to fifty years ago are today customers of his old store now run by Gulledge Bros. Politically, Mr. Gulledge is an uncompromising Democrat, religiously affiliating with the Methodist Church, but deep down in his heart a natural non-sectarian. Yet, politically and religiously, he is not one of the intolerant kind.
Mr. Gulledge was born of English stock on his father’s side, a native of Anson County, North Carolina. His mother, Elizabeth Duke Mitchell, a native of Virginia, and pure Scotch-Irish, hence it is little wonder the stand he takes in both politics and religion. Mr. Gulledge, although advanced in age very spry, commander of a considerable real estate business with all the alertness in business, and with a social nature becoming a much younger man. Memory remarkably good, eye-sight fair and ready to undertake the solving of any financial question or social entanglement. He owns 4500 acres of land, more than one hundred pieces of property in Birmingham, all of which he looks after in person. For twenty years the largest individual tax payer in the county, taxes included in other counties of Alabama, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Large stockholder in different enterprises including three banks.
Mr. Gulledge’s argument and admonition to the young is to fix their ideal and go to it, and that a large percentage will reach the goal of their ambition.
Mrs. Gulledge is living and enjoying reasonable health (except for a recent accident) surrounded by her five children, seven grand-children and one, only great-grand-child, and all the live children in business of one kind or another.
In September, 1888, Mr. Gulledge resolved never to owe a man anything on the first day of any succeeding year. He amended that later by resolving to pay any little debt he might owe each Saturday night to his employees or to others. For forty-two years he has lived up to those resolutions and he admonishes his friends, especially the young to adopt the same slogan. In 1899 when Mr. Gulledge resolved to quit business he owned 12,000 acres which he resolved to sell and has since sold, on long time and easy payments, mainly to the poor, who otherwise, would probably have never owned land. As it is, they are nearly all owners of homes and doing well today. Mr. and Mrs. Gulledge, both born of fairly well to do people were broken up by the Civil War, and had absolutely not one penny in cash when they got married, in fact he borrowed the money o pay for his marriage license, and worked it out three months after, at 50 cents and one meal a day. |
