During the Great Depression the
Works Progress Administration (WPA) was an employment program created
by President Roosevelt in 1935, Over its eight years of existence,
the WPA put roughly 8.5 million Americans to work. The Federal agency
employed tens of thousands of actors, musicians, writers and other
artists to capture the essence of American life. Many authors
throughout Alabama interviewed and wrote interesting stories about
people in Alabama. This is a biographical sketch by Marie Reese
W.P.A.
Alabama Writers Project
Life Histories/Stories
By
Marie Reese Writer
life of
Miss Gussie Woodruff,
educator
201 Alabama Ave
Montgomery, Alabama
From: Ala. Blue Book
and Social Register, p. 367
(Transcribed exactly
as written with grammatical errors on March 4, 1939)
Miss Gussie Woodruff, teacher and generally known as “Miss
Gussie” was born December, 1844 at Wetumpka, Elmore County,
Alabama. She was the daughter of Lorenza Nathan and Eugenia Augusta
Woodruff, and granddaughter of David and Lucy Holbrook Woodruff. Also
was the granddaughter of Col. John Michael and Ann McCall Houghton.
She was educated in Montgomery schools.
Miss Woodruff was a well known educator and devoted 60 years of her
life to this profession in the capitol city. She was first chosen to
teach in a school organized by the First Presbyterian church. She
then taught in a private school conducted by Miss Petrie and later
organized her own private school which was taught in her residence on
201 Alabama Avenue, in the year 1870.
Starting out on her own with only a few pupils and only using one
room for a class room, her ability and reputation as an instructress
spread rapidly and with it her school grew rapidly and from year to
year it became more popular. She very shortly grew to 100 pupils and
five rooms in her home had to be converted into class rooms. Next
there were 200 applications for entrance, and if she could have taken
care of so many there would have been twice that many.
Miss Woodruff had an extraordinary career and some most unique
experiences. She taught the parents and grandparents of some of her
scholars. During the while she was assisted by four teachers, but
each day she made a rule to make a personal visit to each room and
make a personal contact with each pupil there by getting a “check-up”
on their progress.
She was modest, retiring and unassuming. In addition to her
educational work, she was interested in the literary and patriotic
clubs of the city. Was a member of Francis Marion Chapter of the D.
A. R.’s. Sophie Bibb Chapter, U. D. C. Life member of Robt. E. Lee
chapter of children of the Confederacy. Chapter Member of Magazine
Club. Her hobbys were children and teaching. This able and noble
woman laid the foundation for many of the outstanding men and women
of her home city. Her lovely character endeared her to all who knew
her and there were those who had met with success could trace it back
to the first principles instilled in them — by her.
Died December 28, 1928 – last residence, Montgomery, Alabama.
After
the Revolutionary War, free bounty land was offered by the federal
government to citizens and soldiers for their service.
This
book is the 2nd Volume in a series of books which includes
genealogical and biographical information on some Revolutionary
Soldiers who were in early Alabama and/or collected military pensions
for their service. Some of their descendants still remain on the
bounty land they received. The soldiers in this volume include: JACOB
HOLLAND, CHARLES M. HOLLAND, THOMAS HOLLAND, COL. JOSEPH HUGHES,
CHARLES HOOKS, DIXON HALL, BOLLING HALL, WALTER JACKSON, WILLIAM
HEARNE, THOMAS HAMILTON, GEN. JOHN ARCHER ELMORE, REVEREND ROBERT
CUNNINGHAM, JAMES COLLIER, THOMAS BRADFORD, REUBEN BLANKENSHIP, HENRY
BLANKENSHIP, DANIEL BLANKENSHIP with a special story about the
patriotism of CHARLES HOOKS sister…MARY HOOKS SLOCUMB
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