The Waldo family is not from this area, so we actively seek out those who know more about the original family who lived here,
and the enslaved people who built it, and did the work which brought those early settlers great wealth.
The home was built by a young family - the man was from the Jackson family and woman was from the Hall family. We have been grateful that both Jackson and Hall descendants have contacted us to provide us with the history we have provided below. We have met both Black and White Jacksons and Black and White Halls - all of whom have traced their heritage to the people who built this home. The information provided below has been provided by them. We gratefully welcome all other information and even visits from those who can trace their roots to this place. We can be contacted through the web site: www.elmsevents.com/contact us.
The Elms was built during the 1830's by Absalom & Emma Hall Jackson and operated as a cotton plantation for 100 years . At its prime it was the plantation home for a 16,000 acre area. Absalom & Emma were married September 28, 1826 in what was then called Autauga County.
Absalom Jackson was the son of James Jackson & Temperance Motley. (see photos below) James Jackson was an early Alabama Senator and helped write the first Alabama State Constitution. Absalom Jackson listed his occupation as Farmer. He was a wealthy Planter with a substantial personal worth in 1860 of $70,000.00. He was also an attorney and married the daughter of Bolling Hall, another wealthy Planter. He built the Elms Plantation located in Coosada in the 1830s. The Elms was purchased by Bolling Hall’s son, Bolling Hall, Sr., in 1890 from Walter Jackson, a son of Absalom Jackson.
You can also read more about the history of Coosada in this article: The history of Coosada
We are grateful to descendants who have provided us with all of the following historical information.
From Maye Johnson Suddath, a great-great-great grand daughter ofstill still Absalom & Emma Jackson. The following Jackson family information was compiled by Mary Francis Jackson Hudson (called Mamie). She was born August 9, 1866, and married February 4, 1886, Ezekiel Augustus Hudson. The typed record is annotated in her own handwriting. She died in Montgomery on December 28, 1952. Emma Bolling Hall was married to Absolom Jackson, September 28, 1826. Their children were the following:
1. Walter Clark Jackson, born July 14, 1827. Married to Mrs. Frances E. Saffold, December 5, 1855.
2. Jane Abercrombie Hall Jackson, born March 7, 1829. Married to Dr. Wilson of Pickens County, Alabama, December 16, 1860.
3. Temperance Jackson, born February 7, 1831. Married William Ivey, December 16, 1852. Died November 12, 1853.
4. James Jackson, born September 9, 1832. Married to Margaret Long, March 10, 1852. NOTE – Mary Francis Jackson Hudson has penciled in next to this the word “Papa.”
5. Mary Anne Jackson, born August 30, 1834. Married to Washington T. Lary, December 16, 1852.
6. Emma Bolling Jackson, born March 9, 1837. Died of cramp December 25, 1838.
7. Bolling Hall Jackson, born March 25, 1838. Married Mary Ganzales, and died in Louisiana.
8. Crawford Motley Jackson II, born July 19, 1840. Married Lucy Young in 1862. died August 11, 1897.
NOTE from Maye Suddath – This is my great-grandfather who was born at the Elms. He fought in the War Between the States and his son, Crawford Motley, Jr. was my mother’s father. His uncle for whom he was named was Crawford Motley I who never married.
Sons & son-in-law of Absalom jackson & EMMA. HALL. (Seated)- Dr. Walter Clark Jackson, Col. James Jackson, Dr. Bolling Hall Jackson, Col. Washington T. Larry (inlaw), (Standing) - Capt. Crawford Motley Jackson, Dr. Absalom Jackson, II, William Holt Jackson
Jackson & Hall Family History
From JJ. Smith re: Crawford Motley: There were two Crawford Motley Jacksons. The first was Absolom Jackson’s brother who did die unmarried. The Absolom refered to in the prior sentence is the Absolom Jackson that built The Elms. The first Crawford Motley Jackson was born between 1817 and 1820, Auburn Hill, AL, and died February 26, 1860. This Crawford had quite a distinguished career in Alabama history. See History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, page 888 -891.
9. Absolom Jackson, born January 26, 1842. Married to Leila Gilder, then to Laura Scott, both of Auburn, Alabama.
10. William Holt Jackson, born October 29, 1843. Married Ellen Thompson.
11. Emma Jackson, born May 5, 1845. Married John Zimmerman, then Percy Barron.
12. Amanda Jackson, born September 22, 1846. Married to Mr. Long of Alabama.
Other Bolling Hall info gleaned from web sites...
Bolling Hall (1767 - 1836)
A Representative from Georgia; born in Dinwiddie County, Va., December 25, 1767; pursued classical studies; served in the Revolutionary War at the age of 16; moved to Hancock County, Ga., in 1792; held several local offices; member of the State house of representatives 1800-1802 and 1804-1806; elected as a Republican to the Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Congresses (March 4, 1811-March 3, 1817); retired to private life; moved to Alabama in 1808 and engaged in planting near Montgomery; chairman of the reception committee to welcome General Lafayette in 1824; died on his plantation, “Ellerslie,” in Autauga (now Elmore) County, Ala., February 25, 1836; interment on his estate. (http://groups.msn.com/AutaugaatWar/colbollinghalljr.msnw)
Bolling Hall, the grandfather of Col. Bolling Hall, Jr. CSA, came to Alabama from Georgia, along with his brother, Dixon Hall, about 1818. Both Bolling Hall and Dixon Hall were Revolutionary War veterans, having served in the Virginia Line. Dixon Hall established a plantation in the area that is now the Gunter Industrial Complex, where his grave can still be seen. Bolling Hall built his home "Ellerslie" in Millbrook, where it still stands toady. It is said that he brought with him glass for the windows of his new home, a first for this part of Alabama. It was in this home that Bolling Hall, Jr. was born, raised, and returned from war to die. An adjacent cemetery is the final resting place for Bolling and many of his family.
From JJ. Smith re: the Bolling Halls
The picture of Bolling Hall, Jr., on the web site is accurate, but he is the son of Bolling Hall and Jane Abercrombie. Mrs. Ashley’s information on your web site is correct about Bolling Hall. He moved to Alabama in 1818. He had several sons and daughters. One son was another Bolling Hall. One daughter was Emma Bolling Hall who married Absolom Jackson. The second Bolling Hall had twelve children six of whom were sons. Four of whom were killed in the War or died as the results of their wounds. Colonel Bolling Hall, Jr., pictured on your web site was one that died of his wounds right after the War. Absolom and Emma Bolling Hall were uncle and aunt of the Bolling Hall, Jr. pictured on your web site.
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000045
http://www.nps.gov/stri/historyculture/upload/Watson_P_W_Letters.pdf
http://lgabercrombie.com/p94.htm
From the Montgomery, Alabama, Advertiser of November 18, 1902:
Capt. James Jackson was born on the 4th day of September 1832 and joined the Confederate Army on the 1st day of March 1862 as Capt. of Company E, 45th Alabama, went first to Mississippi, was there at the battle of Shiloh; then to Kentucky and was in all the battles in Tennessee and Georgia; was wounded at Mufreesboro and Atlanta.; wounded again at Franklin Tennessee, the day General Cleburne was, killed in which Division he was. At that time he was acting Major of the Regiment. He had his sword hilt shot off and the ball went through the fleshy part of his thumb and shot out some of the bones in his wrist. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel before the war closed. He died in Montgomery, Alabama, April 5th, 1895
James Jackson’s obituary records his father as Absolom and cites his living brothers: Crawford, William, and Absolom, all also cited on your web site. Mrs. A.S. Cowan, cited in the obituary, was my great grandmother. She was born Emma Bolling Jackson and married Algernon Sydney Cowan. One of their daughters was Emma Bolling Cowan who married Joseph Judson Smith. Click here for James Jackson's will.
The 1850 Census has the following listing :
House number 370
Absolom Jackson age 45
Emma B. Jackson age 40
Walter C. age 22
Jane S. H. age 21
Tempe age 19
James age 17
Mary A. age 15
Boling (sic) H. age 12
Crawford H. age 14
William H. age 6
Emma B. age 5
Amanda age 4
Martha J. age 2
Absolom age 8
Historic Photos
Jackson Family Descendants
The Elms was also delighted to be contacted by another descendant of Absalom Jackson, named Brian Jackson, who lives now in Birmingham, Alabama. Brian is the descendant of Absalom and a slave named Minerva. Their child was named Brown Jackson (1835-1924). Brown was freed at age 21 and given land in the area now known as Millbrook. Brian Jackson’s ancestry research has also identified James Jackson (1773-1832), below, as his Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather
Brown Jackson (1835-1924) With his daughters ParaLee Jackson-Cotton and Julia Jackson-Bradford.
Hall Family Descendants
