Category

There was a couple, husband and wife, whose names were Sam & Sarah Todd. They were married September 21, 1882. They were the parents of eight children, 4 boys and 4 girls: Nettie, Ella, Will, Agnew, Gross, Louella, Agnes, and Condie.

A photograph was not available to capture a visual picture of Sam Todd. In the memory of many, Sam was short in statue, dark in complexion and walked with a limp. To catch a vision of what Sam might have looked like, a composite portrait was drawn of Sam via photographs of his four sons. Sam’s parents were Pope & Ellen Todd.

Sarah Todd was a full-figured woman, light in complexion, generous, kind, courageous and very proud. Her parents were Idra Isham and Candace Bumpers Pugh. Sarah had six siblings they were Ester, Harriet, Josephine, Ann, Horace, and Gaines Pugh.

Sam and Sarah settled in the area of Clarke County while sharecropping on the land of a man named David Mathis, who later sold it to Nathan Molton. Years later, Sam and Sarah, along with their children and their children’s spouses gained full ownership of approximately eighty acres of this same land. This was accomplished with the help of God, through their blood sweat and tears.

We are thankful to God that our ancestors knew the value of education. Due to the distance to the nearest school (approximately 6 miles away) no means of transportation, walking through the paths of the roads, because of the lack of roads, enduirng the treacherous weather, barefooted and lightly clothed, our ancestors sought to erect a school. A total of fifteen ($15.00) dollars was raised, the lumber was purchased from Jackson Sawmill hauled by a wagon and mule to Toddtown. The community in unison built the school. Sam found a teacher to maintain the school, her name was Agnes Kiel and she was also Sam’s niece.

This school served a two-fold purpose, serving also as the first place of worship in the community. Due to the distance of traveling to Pine Chapel Baptist church No. 1 (our Mother church), in October of 1922 our ancestors established Pine Chapel Baptist Church No. 2. “Praise Be to God, both churches are still in existence and from generation to generation will always remain. The church is located in the middle of the community on County Rd 16 (now Toddtown Rd.)

As years passed the community had flourished. George McLendon saw the eagerness perseverance the continuous efforts, the will to be self-sufficient, the love and the leadership abilities of Sam and Sarah and their descendants and named the community Toddtown. From the early days until now the community has continued to prosper. We are now on the map and our population is growing. In 2009 we had approximately 300 citizens.

Quitman David Beckham (July 1902 – April 1966), entrepreneur and store owner, was born in Good Springs (Bethlehem/Winn), Alabama to Caroline Williams-Beckham and Raymond Beckham.  He grew up in the Bethlehem/Winn area and was a member of the Bethlehem Baptist Church. He was married to Peggie (Mrs. Piggie) Law-Beckham sometime between 1927 and 1930. The 1930 census show him as head of household living in Good Springs with his wife Piggie, a son Leroy Beckham, his mother Caroline Williams-Beckham, and a brother Arvin Raymond Beckham.  He had five additional sibling, four brothers (Wayne, Quay, Rhett, Elliot) and one sister (Nora or Aunt Lacy). The 1940 census show he had moved to Mcleods, Clarke, Alabama along with his wife Piggie and son Leroy to a 40-acre plot between Charlie Pugh & Bud Pugh on Nealton and Union Road. [These 40-acre plots became affectionally referred to as the “old places” after residents of Mcleods moved closer to highway 16 and Highway 3 which was later renamed Todd Town]. The 1950 census show him as head of household still living in Mcleods with his wife Piggie, daughter Caroline (Carolyn) and son Henry.  It is at this location along highway 16, i.e. Todd Town Road, next to what is now Pine Chapel #2 Baptist Church that Mr. Quitman built, opened, and ran the first black owned store in the Mcleods/Todd Town area.  Mr. Quitman’s vision of a thriving country store with a dance hall, and beauty shop was not fully realized, however it is incredibly significant that against all odds he was able to become a black business owner in Todd Town, Clarke, Alabama in the 1950’s.