ODCL Information

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July 2019 Volume 22 Issue 7

416 James Street

Ozark, Alabama 36360
Phone (334) 774-5480
E-mail: olibrary@troycable.net
http://www.odcpl.com
Facebook.com/ozarklibrary
Board of Directors

Marie Black
Imogene Mixson Bill Johnson
Marian Jenkins Christina Faulkner

Library Staff
Part Time Staff
Admin Assist Jewnita Clark
Genealogy Librarian Joni Wood
Bookkeeper Jeff Devine
Children’s Librarian Cheryl Schwartzkopf
Cataloger Lou Harry
Processor Karen Speck
Circulation Clerk Darnell Johnson
Circulation Clerk/IT Andrew Godeke
Circulation Clerk/Amazon Oscar Dunn
Circulation Clerk Alexander Matthews
Custodian Barbara Daniels

Statistics for May 2019

Circulation 2,952
E-Books 460
Attendance 11,594
New Materials 49
Site Visits 741,313
Borrowers on Roll 11,826
Employment Searches 7.833 Dale County Genealogical/ Historical Society
Internet Use 1,908 The Society will meet on Monday, July 1st in the
Alice Doughtie Wing of the Library at 6:00.
Everyone is invited to attend.
Quote of the Month
Google can bring you back LIBRARY HOURS
Tuesday through Thursday
100,000 answers, a librarian can 10:00 a.m.— 7:00 p.m.
bring you back the right one. Friday and Saturday
10:00 a.m.— 5:00 p.m.
–Neil Gaiman
Closed on Sunday & Monday

From the Staff of the Library:
The Staff of the Library would like to wish Sandra
J. Holmes a very happy retirement! She retired from
her position as Library Director on June 6, and her
strong leadership and guidance will be greatly missed.
The Library’s Board of Directors have temporarily
named Karen Ashley Speck and Jewnita Clark as Co-
Interim Directors. The Library staff look forward to
continuing in our mission of providing optimal library
services to our service area.
Exciting things are happening right now at the
Library! The Children’s Summer Reading Program has
been a major hit, and we would like to thank all of the
parents and volunteers who have helped make this
year’s program such a success. We would also like to
mention that the July Lego Club meetings will be extra
special and fun! Tamaron Scarborough recently
donated a huge, 100-foot Hot Wheels set, complete
with track and a variety of Hot Wheels cars. Any
children (age 5+) interested in this fun program should
be sure to visit the Children’s Library at 4p.m. on July
2 & 16. Also, Tail Waggin’ Tutors is a terrific reading
program that incorporates specially trained therapy
dogs into the Story Time program! This wonderful
program allows children to build confidence in reading
as they visit with and read to some very special furry,
four-legged friends! The therapy dogs will be here on
the 3rd Thursday of each month at 10:30 and 4:00 (July
18, August 15, etc.). All Library programs are free to
attend, and you do not need to bring anything but
yourself!
The Library would also like to thank D.A. Smith
Middle School and Ms. Pam Nolin for their recent
donation of an assortment of yearbooks, ranging from
1982-2017. We also received the 1964-1965 edition of
East Gate Junior High’s yearbook. These yearbooks
were added to our Genealogy Department’s collection
and are available for viewing during the Library’s
hours of operation. This is just one example of the
many invaluable resources available for perusal in our
Creel Richardson Local History and Genealogy Room.
The Staff of the Library would also like to wish
everyone a happy and safe Fourth of July! We will
close July 4 & 5 in observance of this federal holiday.
We will return to normal hours of operation on
Saturday, July 6.
Page 2
From the Creel Richardson Room
By: Joni Wood
“I’ll split the county open if I have to do it with a broad
axe!”
~Arch Justice
Arch Justice ran for state representative in 1841 on the
platform of splitting the then Dale County right down the
middle to create a new county from the western half. His
slogan, “I’ll split the county open if I have to do with a broad
axe!” was not too hard to believe! He was a muscular & forceful
man who was widely known for settling arguments with
fisticuffs and weapons. According to Claybank Memories by
Val McGee, he was “so muscular it is said that he had to slit the
tops of his boots so his leg muscles could flex”. He earned the
recognition as the best fighter in Dale County through numerous
encounters in a makeshift ring in John Kimmey’s horse pen in
Daleville. Alsa. B. McCarty was the only man who put up a
fight against Justice and on numerous occasions, they sparred
with neither gaining the advantage. To this end, factions of
supporters for both men were created based on who they
believed was the better fighter.
But why was Arch Justice motivated to split the county
open? Sadly, that answer is obscure & lost to history; however,
an anecdote in Claybank Memories provided a personal
speculation as to why. In the late 1830s, he was a leader of a
small militia camp that chased Creek Indians throughout the
county and one such chase led to the capture of an Indian boy
and girl. The two Indians worked for him on his farm for many
years before Justice was later sued for a debt that led to the
public auction of his slaves and property. When the money
raised was not satisfactory, the sheriff grabbed the two Indians
and put them up for auction; however, Justice grabbed them off
the auction block. He then exclaimed, “These are full-blooded
Indians. They worked for me, but they never have been slaves
and they are not going to be sold into slavery now!” His
reputation widely known, no one stopped him and the Indians
were safe from slavery. Did the disdain towards the actions of
the then Dale County judges, sheriffs, and officers lead to his
personal vendetta of splitting the county and creating a new
county with new officials? That truth is lost to history.
However, there was no doubt many Dale County
citizens wanted the county split due to its sheer size – it was a
long ride to get to the county seat of Daleville. After Arch
Justice won as state representative, he passed a bill splitting the
county and Coffee County became the western half on
December 29, 1841. The newly established town of Newton
became the county seat of Dale County on February 9, 1843. As
a result, Coffee County and Dale County extended as far as Pike
County to the north and to the Florida line to the south. Later on
December 26, 1868 Geneva County was created from the
southern halves of both Coffee and Dale Counties, which led to
Ozark being named the new county seat in 1870.
 Page 3

NEW MATERIALS Donors

BESTSELLER FICTION Wiregrass United Way Sue Switzer
13-Minute Murder by James Patterson Friends of the Library Barbara Sink
BESTSELLER LARGE PRINT FICTION Eddie Hawkins Joni Wood
Lieutenant’s Nurse by Sara Ackerman Walter Platt Mike Whaley
Parade by Dave Eggers Jim & Elaine Land Dolores Martin
Crown Jewel by Christopher Reich Matthew Roberts DeAnn Medley
Little Faith by Nickolas Butler Beth B. Ramsey Linda Barefield
Home is Where the Heart Is by Linda Byler Pat Coffey Linda Robinson
When Secrets Strike by Marta Perry Lee Sentell Janet Brooks
Flight of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse Ozark Rotary Club Bradley Deal
Kinship of Secrets by Eugenia Kim
Verity by Lisa T. Bergren In Memory of Donor
Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon Danny Tarter Judith J. Mobley
Danny Tarter Dr. & Mrs. Doug Williamson
Bargained-For Bride by Marcia Lynn McClure
Danny Tarter Mackie H. Jordan
Distorted by Christy Barritt Danny Tarter Imogene M. Mixson
Justice Delivered by Patricia Bradley Danny Tarter COL (RET.) Wendell R.& Mrs. Gideon
Hotel Sacher by Rodica Doehnert
Baggage Handler by David Rawlings
Daughters of Northern Shores by Joanne Bischof
Just After Midnight by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Outbreak by Davis Bunn NEW BUILDING DONATIONS
Half Finished by Lauraine Snelling
Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport Alpha Delta Kappa
Stone Cold Heart by Laura Griffin Judith J. Mobley
Dr. & Mrs. Doug Williamson
Eighth Sister by Robert Dugoni
Mackie H. Jordan
Redemption Point by Candice Fox Imogene M. Mixson
Cliff House by RaeAnne Thayne COL (RET.) Wendel R. & Mrs. Gideon
Home Again by Shirlee McCoy
MATERIALS FOR YOUNG ADULTS
Lovely War by Julia Berry BOOK SALE ROOM
Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben
Philippe
To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan Shop for good deals on books. The selection
changes weekly. We have paperbacks, hardbacks,
nonfiction, National Geographic Magazines, fiction,
videos and audiobooks.
 FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
by Jeff Devine

We had an exciting time at our first-ever Day at the Carnival fundraiser! I would like to thank all
of the volunteers who helped make this possible. Thank you for all of your hard work. We raised
nearly $800 for the Library’s New Building Fund. I look forward to working with everyone on
planning our next carnival fundraiser. I have received a lot of valuable insight and feedback from
volunteers and those who participated in the fundraiser, and we can work together to make our next
event even more successful!
I would like all of the members of the Friends of the Library to think about ways we can support
the Library’s fundraising efforts moving forward, and I invite all suggestions and ideas. If you can,
please attend our next Friends Board Meeting on July 10 at 10:30. I will be available at the end of
the meeting to take any written suggestions or ideas to submit for consideration and/or approval.
Finally, we want to wish everyone a happy Independence Day! This is the time of year when we
honor the fact that our forefathers fought to build an independent nation, free from the rule of a
monarchy style of government.

JULY 2019
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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6
Library 9—Computer Class
Closed 10:30—Kids’ Art
1—Pokémon

7 8 9 4—Lego Club 10 11 12 13
1-Pokémon 10—Book Work Day 5:30—AA 9-Library Board 2:00—Writer’s Noon—AA 9—Computer Class
Noon—AA Forum 2—Tech Class 12:45—Popcorn & a
10:30-FOL Board
6-GEN/HIS Noon—AA Movie
1—Pokémon

14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1-Pokémon 10—Book Work Day 5:30—AA Noon—AA 2:00—SRP Noon—AA 9—Computer Class
Noon—AA 2—Tech Class 1—Pokémon
6—Friends of Ozark

21 22 23 24 25 26 27
1-Pokémon 10—Book Work Day 2—FOL Book Club Noon—AA 2:00—SRP Noon—AA 9—Computer Class
Noon—AA 4—Lego Club 2-Tech Class 1—Pokémon
6-—Concerned Citizens 5:30—AA

28 29 30 31 27 28 `29
1-Pokémon 10—Book Work Day 5:30—AA Noon—AA 2:00—Writer’s Noon—AA 9—Computer Class
Noon—AA Forum 2—Tech Class 10:30—Kids’ Art
2:00—SRP 1—Pokémon