By Guest Contributor Clay Nordan
A true son of Chilton County and the Coosa river specifically, my grandfather, W. M. “Mack” Wyatt (1892 – 1966) was born and raised on the Chilton side of the Coosa River not far from what we know today as Higgins Ferry Park on Lake Mitchell. He was the oldest child of James Madison Wyatt (1872-1936) and Pharriba Robinson Wyatt (1873 – 1923) and had two sisters, Alice and Edna, and a younger brother T. E. “Gene” Wyatt.
The Wyatt clan was among the first white settlers in Chilton County, having come into Alabama from South Carolina around 1804 and devoting several unsuccessful years attempting to put down roots in both Pike and Autauga Counties. Mack’s great-grandparents, Bucky and Mariam Wyatt, ultimately made their way to a spot in the deep wilderness within two miles of the Coosa around 1810 that offered them the wild game and fresh water for fishing they were looking for.
A true son of Chilton County and the Coosa river specifically, my grandfather, W. M. “Mack” Wyatt (1892 – 1966) was born and raised on the Chilton side of the Coosa River not far from what we know today as Higgins Ferry Park on Lake Mitchell. He was the oldest child of James Madison Wyatt (1872-1936) and Pharriba Robinson Wyatt (1873 – 1923) and had two sisters, Alice and Edna, and a younger brother T. E. “Gene” Wyatt.
The Wyatt clan was among the first white settlers in Chilton County, having come into Alabama from South Carolina around 1804 and devoting several unsuccessful years attempting to put down roots in both Pike and Autauga Counties. Mack’s great-grandparents, Bucky and Mariam Wyatt, ultimately made their way to a spot in the deep wilderness within two miles of the Coosa around 1810 that offered them the wild game and fresh water for fishing they were looking for.
|
Mack’s father, J.M. Wyatt, known locally as “Uncle Jim” eked out a living as a small farmer and by renting boats and selling live bait to fishermen on the Coosa. He was the type of man, known as a “river rat”, that a life spent in close proximity to the water sometimes produced. As if to underscore the path he had chosen, he died suddenly in 1936 in a way that he might have selected if he had been given a choice. A newspaper item that appeared at the time said, “The body of Mr. Wyatt was found dead in his boat at Crumpton’s Camp on Walnut Creek about noon Sunday”.
Mack and his brother, Gene, although both products of the Coosa, chose a different career path and went into business together in the years before World War I running the Republican oriented Union Banner newspaper in Clanton. Mack became editor of the paper in 1913 and capitalized on his lifelong love of the river and its environs by paying close attention to the Alabama Power Company’s stewardship of what was known then as “Lock 12” (Lay Dam today). When plans were made public in 1920 to build a second hydro dam at Duncan’s Riffles, 14 miles downstream, Mack ran numerous stories on the project as news emerged about what would become Lake Mitchell in 1923.
An unabashed booster for what he believed were the enormous benefits that Alabama Power had brought to both Chilton and Coosa Counties, Mack Wyatt would become a strong local voice speaking against anyone who could not appreciate the great progress and commercial advantage that Alabama Power’s river projects had brought to the area. Local newspapers in those days took a stand politically and battled other papers over their chosen political philosophy. Mack decided to run as a Republican for the state legislature in the early 1920’s and defeated the editor of Clanton’s Democratic oriented paper. He served only one term, finding state government not to his liking, and returned full-time to the newspaper. |
Above is a newspaper ad from 1933 that J.M. Wyatt's sons ran for him in the Union Banner newspaper promoting his bait and boat rental business at Walnut Creek.
The photos you see here were in one of Mack Wyatt's old albums. That's Mack at the top of the page, and he's the pipe smoker carrying the racks of fish. Accounts from Lake Mitchell's first years boasted about huge catches coming from the lake, and it was common for fishermen to land catfish weighing as much as 60 pounds.
|
He and his brother remained partners in the Union Banner until Mack was presented with the opportunity to buy the Montevallo Times in nearby Shelby County in 1935. He then sold his interest in the business to Gene (who operated the Banner until his death in 1974) and moved his family to this nearby college town and the challenge of reinvigorating a paper much in need of an experienced newspaper man.
Montevallo provided the kind of stimulation and fodder for news stories that Mack was looking for. After a dozen years there, he decided to run for mayor just to see what kind of support he could drum up. To his surprise, he was elected by three votes and went on to serve five consecutive terms, each unopposed. He used the bully pulpit of his newspaper to sell his policies and proposals and became respected locally for his sense of civic duty and fairness to all. He died during his fifth term as mayor at the age of 74 in 1966.
Montevallo provided the kind of stimulation and fodder for news stories that Mack was looking for. After a dozen years there, he decided to run for mayor just to see what kind of support he could drum up. To his surprise, he was elected by three votes and went on to serve five consecutive terms, each unopposed. He used the bully pulpit of his newspaper to sell his policies and proposals and became respected locally for his sense of civic duty and fairness to all. He died during his fifth term as mayor at the age of 74 in 1966.
About the AuthorClay Nordan grew up in Montevallo and is a graduate of Montevallo High. He earned a Bachelors degree from Auburn University and a Masters from the University of Montevallo. His professional career in printing and publishing began in his grandfather’s newspaper and printing business, culminating in a 32 year career with Southern Living magazine in Birmingham. He retired as Managing Editor in 2008.
In 2020, at the time of the writing of this article, he was writing stories and editing the newsletter and website for the Montevallo Historical Society and also serving as the group’s vice-president. |
|
