This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, White, Bostick Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1912.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: There is a brief biographical sketch of Benjamin F. ROPER within the book History of Pickens County, Ala: From Its First Development is Eighteen Hundred and Seventeen, to Eighteen Hundred and Fifty-six, by Nelson Foot Smith (Carrollton, Ala: Pickens Republican Office, 1856), in the chapter discussing the various Sheriffs of Pickens County: "Mr. Benjamin F. Roper was the next Sheriff, succeeding Henry White, whose deputy he had been nearly all his term, being elected in 1832. Mr. Roper left Virginia with his family in 1826 for this country, and on his journey had the misfortune to lose his first wife. He married his present wife in Pickens, Miss Montgomery was her maiden name. Mr. Roper is among the oldest settlers of this county, and has seen it in all the phases of its history, civil, religious and political. He has raised a large family here, and it is to be regretted that he has removed from among us to the city of Mobile. He is too well known to our readers to require a history from us, having been twice Sheriff of this county, and held several minor offices, besides having been the landlord of one of the Carrollton Hotels for many years. He sold out the Phoenix Hotel, now kept by the widow of General F. W. Bostick, in 1853, and has just opened the "Roper House" in the city of Mobile, where, for two ! seasons he has kept an excellent Hotel." [at pages 84-5] This book is available for FREE at the Google Books web site. The quoted section above can be found at: http://books.google.com/books?id=bPcxAQAAMAAJ&dq=&pg=PA84#v=onepage&q&f=false * * "Mr. B. F. Roper was again chosen Sheriff in 1841, and served out his second term as an efficient public officer. Mr. Roper having ever been a decided whig in his political opinions, was both times elected as such." [at page 86] * * "Mr. Davis became a candidate for the office of Sheriff in 1841, but as we have stated above that Mr. Roper was elected that year. In 1844 he was again a candidate and successful, receiving a majority of all the votes polled, his opponents being Mssrs. Renfroe and Upchurch. ..." [at page 89] * * "Mr. Jesse W. Bryan, the late landlord of the "Exchange" was the next Sheriff, elected in August 1849, over two whig competitors, Mr. B. F. Roper and B. G. McAllister. Mr. Bryan is a native of Kentucky, was born in Christian county, August 17, 1819. ..." [at page 100] * * "Mr. Barnabas G. McAllister, succeeded Mr. Bryan in 1850, the vote in the previous contest between these two now ex-Sheriffs, showing a difference of only twenty-nine, a third candidate (Roper,) being in the field. B. G. McAllister was born in Bedford county, Tennessee, and removed to Greene county, Alabama, with the rest of his father's family in 1826, where he remained until 1842. ..." [at page 105-6] * * "RECAPITULATION SHERIFFS OF PICKENS Adino Griffin David Taggart Thomas Davis Henry White B. F. Roper G. G. Childs J. F. Nabers B. F. Roper W. H. David J. W. Bryan B. G. McAllister T. P. Duncan Of the eleven, every man filled out his ful [sic] term, (Mr. Roper two,) except of course, the present incumbent. The two Davises are not related, five are democrats and six are whigs -- six, and until lately, seven reside still in Pickens county and four at Carrollton. Two reside in Mobile, and one out of this State -- the other two are dead; the widow of one resides at Carrollton. Six, or more than half are South Carolinians, and four from the famous home of John C. Calhoun, the District of Abbeville. Of the other five, but one was born in this State. The Sheriffs of Pickns have been men of the people. Self-made, plain, business men. Taken together, they will undoubtedly compare most favorably for efficiency and ability, with the same number of Sheriffs, for the same period, and length of time, of any county in Alabama." [at pages 109-10] http://books.google.com/books?id=bPcxAQAAMAAJ&dq=&pg=PA109#v=onepage&q&f=false * * * * * Those who are actually descended from Benjamin F. ROPER of with a keen interest in Alabama history would be well counseled to read the entire book. Since it was written in 1856 and spans only several decades of county history, it is reasonably compact. A thorough reading may give you some other insight into the county, life and times of Benjamin ROPER which I cannot afford to take the time to relate. * * * * * A photograph of the Phoenix Hotel in Carrollton, Alabama, can be found at the Alabama State Archives: http://digital.archives.alabama.gov/cdm/ref/collection/photo/id/8289 Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>