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Five inducted into WashCo Hall of Fame
Frank W. Boykin "Everything is made for love," became a well-known phrase, not only in Washington County, but in the halls of the U.S. House of Representatives as well, during the lifetime of U.S. Congressman Frank William Boykin. Born Feb. 21, 1885 in Choctaw County, the fourth child of Glovinia Ermenia Ainsworth and James Clark Boykin, he became a resident of Washington County at the age of 8 when his family moved to Fairford just west of Calvert. The journey, which involved three wagons and four cows, took the family of nine three days to complete. Boykin's formal education consisted of just a few years of instruction in a one-room school, run by Ruth Turner, who said that "trying to keep Frank in a schoolroom was about as futile as trying to force an elephant into a cracker barrel."
When he was 8 years old, Boykin quit school and went to work to help his father whose health was failing. His first real job was for the AT&N Railroad, where he worked 12 hours a day, six days a week carrying water for the men building the railroad trestle. This earned him 35 cents per day. When the foreman asked Boykin if he knew someone else who could help carry more water, Frank asked if they would pay him twice as much if he carried four buckets. The foreman agreed and Boykin went home that evening and whittled a yoke that carried four buckets.
When he was 16, Boykin moved to Calvert and built a store with John Everett. It was the first brick store in Washington County. He made a trip to Washington D.C. determined to obtain a large crosstie order. In D.C., Boykin called on Sen. John Bankhead who introduced him to a Southern Tie and Timber agent and the young man ended up landing the largest crosstie order ever given.
In 1913, Boykin married Ocllo Gunn of Thomasville. They had five children, Frances, Frank Jr., Bob, Jack and Dick. They eventually had 16 grandchildren. Boykin's life took a political turn in 1935, when he was elected to the 74th U.S. Congress to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Rep. John McDuffie. He went on to serve 28 years in that capacity. As a U.S. Congressman, Boykin is credited with securing federal funding for roads and bringing numerous businesses and industrial plants to his district, creating thousands of new jobs. One way he helped secure these things was by entertaining politicians and influential businessmen at his hunting lodge in Double Gates.
His memory and tradition is carried on through his descendants, who still gather once a year for a reunion at the lodge. During Friday's ceremony, Rayford Blackwell, who as a young man was acquainted with Boykin, recalled several instances when the U.S. Congressman assisted him. "He (Boykin) had more influence in this part of Alabama than anyone I ever knew," said Blackwell. "He was the greatest man ever elected from this area. He did more for this part of the state before or since." Boykin's grandson, Riley Boykin Smith accepted the plaque honoring his grandfather, which was presented by Washington County Commissioner Willie Dixon. "It is a privilege and an honor to be here today to have our father and grandfather recognized," said Smith on behalf of himself and the other Boykin family members in attendance. "I have had many great times in McIntosh and thanks to my grandfather, I grew up loving the land. He instilled that in us."
Kimbrough Jr. M.D. William Edward Kimbrough Jr. M.D. practiced medicine in Washington County for more than 34 years, except for a twoyear tour of duty with the U.S. Army Medical Corp. during World War I. Born on July 17, 1890, Dr. Kimbrough graduated from Mobile District High School in St. Stephens and worked as a timekeeper at locks 2 and 3 on the Tombigbee River. In 1915, he earned a medical degree from the University of Alabama. He began his practice in Washington County in 1916, which continued until his death in 1950. He was offered a position at the practice of a former classmate Dr. Leon McVay's practice in Mobile when he returned from the war, but he refused, choosing to come home to Washington County. Dr. Kimbrough received a number of honors and awards, including Phi Beta Phi Medical Fraternity at the University of Alabama, Selective Service Medal - Examining Physician Oct. 14, 1940-March 31, 1947 and the naming of the Washington County High School athletic field in his honor (Kimbrough Field) in the late 1940s. A strong proponent of quality public education, Kimbrough was a visionary who advocated a strong countywide consolidated high school in the 1930s and 1940s. He was regarded as a man of high moral character who never failed to answer the call, whether it was day or night, to tend the sick without concern for their ability to pay. Dr. Kimbrough was a member of the Chatom First Baptist Church, American Legion, Washington County School Board and was a Mason and a Shriner. The St. Stephens Historical Park is located on land he once owned and is now leased from his heirs. Louise Rawls Kimbrough Dr. Kimbrough's wife, Louise Rawls Kimbrough, a native of Deer Park, lived most of her childhood in St. Stephens and attended school there. She graduated from the Mobile Infirmary Training School for Nurses in September of 1913 and worked as a private duty nurse in Mobile until she married Dr. Kimbrough Jr. in July of 1919. Mrs. Kimbrough served as her husband's only nurse until his death in October of 1950. She worked for several years after that for the doctors who assumed his practice. She, like her husband, was revered as a virtuous person and had strong religious faith. She was raised as a Methodist, but joined the Chatom Baptist Church and became an active member after the family moved to Chatom in 1933. Also a strong supporter of education, Mrs. Kimbrough was very active in the local PTA. She is remembered as being very devoted to her family and as an excellent cook and seamstress. She also enjoyed flower arranging and working in her yard, which was well-known for being beautifully landscaped. Washington County Probate Judge Charles Singleton presented the plaques in Dr. and Mrs. Kimbrough's honor, which were accepted by Judge William Kimbrough IV and William Kimbrough V. "I grew up hearing stories about St. Stephens and Chatom," said Judge Kimbrough. "I am honored to be here to accept this wonderful recognition." Dr. Paul Petcher A native of Citronelle, Dr. Paul Walter Petcher, was a wellknown physician in Washington County for many years. Petcher was born July 15, 1922 and graduated from Murphy High School in 1939. He attended Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Va., graduating in 1943. After attending the University of Alabama Medical School from 1943-45, he transferred to the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a medical degree in 1948. Dr. Petcher completed an internship at the Jefferson- Hillman Hospital in Birmingham from 1948-49. Following his training, he went to Garkida, Nigeria as a missionary, where he was the chief medical officer in charge of the Ruth Royer Kulp Memorial Hospital of the Church of the Brethren Mission. During that time he was the only doctor for an area with 250,000 people. The closest doctor was 100 miles away for five of his seven years there. Petcher also served as the doctor for the Garkida Leprosarium with 2,200 patients and helped care for 150 members of the mission family. While in Nigeria he performed approximately 3,500 major operations in seven years and supervised the delivery of 250 babies each year, including complicated deliveries and C-sections as needed. Returning to America in the mid-1950s, Petcher was associated with the medical group of Oswalt, Taylor and Rouse in Mobile from 1954-56. His practice centered on industrial surgery. In 1960, he located to Chatom and practiced with two other physicians at the Chatom Clinic until his retirement in 1993. While there, he had staff privileges in the Washington County Infirmary, Mobile Infirmary, Providence Hospital and the University of South Alabama (USA) Medical Center. Petcher worked with the group of physicians who studied the need for a department of family practice at USA medical school. After the department became a reality, his family practice group in Chatom were preceptors for the junior medical students from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and USA medical schools. He was appointed Clinical Assistant Professor in USA's Family Practice Department. To his credit, Petcher has written numerous papers and articles, which have been published in both national and international medical journals. He has been active in the Medical Association of Washington County and Alabama State Medical Association. An ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren, Dr. Petcher has held elected positions in local and regional churches. He has been on the Bridgewater College Board of Trustees for more than 20 years and is now a life trustee. His many honors and awards include Alumnus of the Year - Bridgewater College, Distinguished Service Award - Bridgewater College and the Humanitarian of the Year Award - Washington County United Way. Dr. Petcher is an advocate of local historical preservation and education. A personal introduction was given by Wayne Blackwell and he was presented with his plaque by Judge Jerry Turner. Upon his induction, Dr. Petcher said, "I didn't get to Washington County by accident. We had lived in a number of states and when we got to Washington County my wife and kids said, 'this is where we'll be,' and the rest is history." Isreal Pickens St. Stephens Historical Commission Director Jim Long gave an overview of the final inductee, an early Washington County settler, Isreal Pickens. Pickens, a U.S. Representative for North Carolina and a U.S. Senator from Alabama, was born near Concord, Mecklenburg (now Cabarrus) County, N.C., Jan. 30, 1780. He moved to Burk County, N.C. where he received instruction from private teachers and graduated from Jefferson College, Canonsburg, Pa., in 1802. A student of law, Pickens was admitted to the bar and practiced law. As a member of the North Carolina State Senate from 1808-09, he was elected as a Republican from North Carolina to the 12th, 13th and 14th Congresses, where he served from 1811 to 1817. Pickens was appointed to oversee the land office of the Mississippi Territory, which included what is now Alabama, by President James Monroe around 1817 and served as Washington County's representative to the state convention in 1819. He was elected as the state's third governor and served from 1821-1825. He was appointed to the United States Senate from Alabama to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Henry Chambers and served from February to November of 1826, when a successor was elected. He chose not to seek the seat in the election. In 1826, Pickens declined an appointment as judge of the United States Court for the District of Alabama. He died near Matanzas, Cuba on April 24, 1827 and was buried in the family cemetery near Greensboro in Hale County, Ala.
Wayne Blackwell accepted the plaque from Long on behalf of the Washington County Museum Board of Directors, which sponsored Friday's event.
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