The Southern Advocate - Huntsville, Alabama - August 1, 1855

Died at the residence of his father, Rev. F. P. Scruggs, in Decatur, Alabama, on the 15th, Phineas T. Scruggs, in his 24th year courtesy C R Lane (46928647)
LOCATION:
LOCATED IN DECATUR ON LAFAYETTE STREET, BETWEEN BANK STREET AND RAILROAD STREET.
THIS SECTION OF LAFAYETTE STREET WAS ONCE CALLED "DEAD MAN'S ALLEY" IN THE LATE 1800'S AND EARLY 1900'S, NOT BECAUSE OF THE CEMETERY, BUT BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE MET VIOLENT DEATHS ON OR NEAR THE NARROW PASSAGEWAY. ALSO KNOWN AS BANK STREET CEMETERY "T5S R4W SEC 18". COPIED MAR 23, 1983.

THIS IS A VERY OLD CEMETERY WAS NEGLECTED BUT LOOKED OK THIS JULY 27, 2005.
INFORMATION WAS TAKEN FROM MORGAN COUNTY CEMETERIES BOOK 1984 BY MARILYN SUE SHORT MARINE AND IVYDENE SIMPSON WALLS.

MRS KATHLEEN PAUL JONES AND PAULINE JONES GANDRUD COPIED THIS CEMETERY AND PUBLISHED IT IN ALABAMA RECORDS, VOLUME #32, IN JAN 1936.

JUST A NOTE: WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY I PLAYED AT THE RED SHEILD BOYS CLUB, THE BUILDING NEXT TO THE CEMETERY AND DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE CEMETERY WAS THERE. IT WAS COVERED WITH GRASS AND TREES.FRANK IRONS SR.

Bio by Phil Wirey: Was born in Colbert County in 1830, son of Methodist Minister Finch Philip Scruggs and Martha Elizabeth Kittrell. Reverend Scruggs was the minister of the Decatur Methodist Church in 1844. After the death of Finch's first wife he married Susanna J. Boyce whose daughter by her first marriage, Elizabeth Marshall Murphy, would marry Phineas in August of 1854. Reverend Finch lived a couple of houses down from Michael Sensabaugh and close to John D. Rather, Morgan County Representative 1849, 1851 and Senator 1857-59. Phineas was the father of Thomas M. Scruggs who was born two months after his father's death. Thomas M. was a lawyer and the Secretary of the Decatur Mineral and Land Company where W. W. Littlejohn was treasurer. Thomas had various financial dealings in Decatur and Memphis
- Phil Wirey
Added: Aug. 16, 2007