Black heroes lost to time: Stories of daring rescues in post-slavery Alabama
The words “rescued by a negro” — or some variant of that — appear in Montgomery Advertiser stories and headlines from the late 1800s through at least the 1960s. Though not all these heroes’ names were printed at the time, the Advertiser printed many of their deeds, which were often rescues of whites.
Such was the case in 1908 with “One-armed” Bob Goodwyn, a former slave and ferryman in Montgomery who rescued a white man from drowning in the Alabama River. The account of Goodwyn’s life and death was told over several stories. He briefly unified an otherwise segregated community, and in 1909 his funeral at Oakwood Cemetery drew hundreds of Blacks and whites together.
These kind of newspaper stories usually offered an awkward balance — praising Black rescuers while repeatedly referring to them as “negro.” It was print’s version of segregation. The word was injected into all stories constantly for any person of color. Even in stories when the hero was identified, “negro” was often used in place of the person’s name in many references.
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Though this is by no means a comprehensive list from the area, the Advertiser is seeking to shine a light on the deeds of these Black heroes that have been lost to time:
White man rescued after wagon overturns
In June 1867, just over two years after the end of the Civil War, Capt. Dick Allison of the Harmony Church neighborhood in Coosa County was returning home in a two-horse wagon when he attempted to cross a creek. The water was running swift, and his horses got caught in the current and drowned. Allison was saved by a nearby unidentified Black man.
Man saves little girl from drowning
From the Advertiser on Dec. 19, 1867: “A little negro girl was saved from being drowned in the basin at the Dillehay house yesterday. She was sinking the last time, when she was rescued by a negro man who was passing.”
Woman rescued after flooding
A white woman in west central Alabama was rescued in 1891 by an unidentified Black man. Mrs. Josiah Eddins was being driven near Coal Fire Creek. The road was flooded, and the driver couldn’t see a deep washout in it. They drove into an 8-foot hole.
The Advertiser wrote: “In the nick of time, a negro man appeared on the scene, and by heroic work saved the team from drowning... In a short time, Mrs. Eddins resumed her homeward journey with no serious injury to any, but an experience not soon to be forgotten.”
White man rescued from Tennessee River
In March 1899, two white men — Herbert Crews and Frank Carpenter — were out on the Tennessee River in a small skiff when they lost their balance and fell into the water. Crews was pulled under a nearby steamer and didn’t rise again. However, Carpenter was rescued by an unidentified Black man from the steamer’s deck.
White man from Montgomery saved in Mobile
In September 1900, Lewis Anderson of Montgomery decided to spend the afternoon sailing on the river in Mobile. After going out a short distance, the boat overturned and he was thrown into the river. Anderson “was rescued by a negro named Fisher.”
‘Black man saves Mrs. Helms from death in flames’
That was the story’s headline from January 1902, and yes the Advertiser used the word “Black.” But it was probably because they’d used “Rescued by a Negro” in a line above it.
In Midland City (near Ozark), the home of Josiah Helms was destroyed by an overnight fire while the family was home. While her family escaped, Mrs. Helms fainted in her burning home.
“A negro man entered amid the flames and carried her to a safe place,” the Advertiser wrote. “The building collapsed in a second after his escape with her.”
Her hero was identified as Andrew Durr, who was badly scorched during the rescue.
Athens man rescued after thrown from buggy
In April 1907, white Athens butcher Alvy McAnn was returning home when his horse team ran away with him and he was thrown from his buggy. The accident severely cut McAnn’s face, nearly severed an ear, and left him battered and unconscious. All we know about his rescue is that it was at the hands of an unidentified Black person.
Black man rescues mule
It wasn’t just saving human lives that made the news. In April 1924, an unidentified Black man on the property of W.H. Boswell in Troy saw a mule stuck in high water in the Conecuh River, tangled in the brush. Its head was just above water when the man untangled it and brought it to the shore.
Man dies while rescuing grandchild from fire
In April of 1930, a Black man named Will Dunklin burned to death in his home, 3 miles east of Greenville, after rescuing his grandchild. He and other members of his family had escaped from the burning home, but they discovered the child was missing. Dunklin rushed back in and made the rescue by putting the child out through a window. Unfortunately, Dunklin then attempted to save a family trunk. In doing so, he became trapped, and the burning walls collapsed on him.
Fiery car crash family rescue
While walking along Fairview Avenue on the morning of April 4, 1934, Black Montgomery resident Samuel Howard witnessed a fiery car crash, and immediately ran to the rescue of a white Michigan family of five. Howard went through flames, burning himself, to drag the husband, wife and children from the vehicle, with the assistance of the driver of the other crashed vehicle. A subsequent story called for the ”Montgomery Negro” to be given a medal. That June, Howard was presented with a “substantial check” from the city’s Chamber of Commerce and the Montgomery Safety Council.
A disturbing side to this praise for Howard was that the Advertiser printed the man's home address, 608 South Bainbridge St., in each story written about him.
‘Heroic negro woman saves 2 from water’
It wasn’t just Black men who were rescuers. On Feb. 14, 1956, in Demopolis, Frances Richardson pulled her husband, Joe, and white man W.C. Blankenship from the water of a slough into her boat. Sadly, her two foster sons Willie Armstead Jr., 13, and James Armstead, 9, drowned before she could get to them. It was reported that the two men and the boys were in a boat that capsized, and none of them could swim.
‘Uniontown negro hero rescues man, children’
It should be noted that it wasn’t just stories written by the Advertiser that made constant references to Black people as negro. Here’s one from Uniontown that came from the Associated Press in July 1965.
“A negro man pulled four injured persons including three children from a water-filled automobile after it overturned into a creek here Wednesday while almost 30 spectators stood idly by.”
The rescuer was William Henry Fitt, 52, a father of four who worked at a fertilizer plant in Faunsdale. He immediately lept in to assist a state trooper on the scene.
"I jumped into the water to help pull them out," Fitts said.
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He was praised for acting to help while around 30 other people just watched from shore while the children were crying in the vehicle. The passengers weren’t able to get out on their own because the vehicle’s doors had become stuck shut in mud. The male victim's wife was already free of the vehicle.
In another story, Fitts said he "cried for joy" at being able to save them. He also drove the injured man to the hospital.
Fitts also went back to the accident scene, found the purse of the trapped man's wife, and returned it with the $160 it contained.
Officials said it was the second time Fitts had assisted to save accident victims' lives.
Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel can be reached at at sheupel@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Black heroes lost to time: Life-saving rescues in post-slavery Alabama
