Rev. Wells
history while sitting at the end of a dusty dirt road and watching an October sunset slowly slip beneath the horizon. A mile or so in the distance, the white steeple of Robinsonville Baptist Church rises above the peanut and cotton fields and creates a reference point for the community's history. The memories and history that flows across these fields and hedgerows calls out to tell its story as the church stands as a silent sentinel as if guarding the legacy of the area. .
It's easy to imagine the hardy families from Monroe and Conecuh who moved here and dealt with the seemingly overwhelming job of clearing timber land, building cabins and planting crops. Around 1896 a wooden building with rough-hewn planks made into pews was constructed. The floor was a split lumber "log" called puncheon according to the Robinsonville 100 Years of Fellowship publication from 2002.
Among the pastors called to preach over the years was Q.E. Wells, who came from Crenshaw County Alabama. According to census records, Wells was born around 1895. The Luverne Journal, May 24, 1917, noted the marriage of Wells to Miss Bettie Webb with Rev. W.T. Davidson officiating.
Wells was already well known in the Escambia County area when he took the pastorate at Robinsonville Baptist Church in 1930. According to the 1930 census, Wells was living on the Canoe/German-State Line Road, this most likely is now Canoe Road South. He listed himself as renting his home and his stated profession was Baptist pastor. Also living in his home in 1930 was his wife, Bettie and daughters Ora, Dorris, and Twinette Wells. The 1940 census shows Alex and Adam Webb-both in their 70s- as residing in the home as well.
Quintin E. Wells preached at several local churches to include Canoe First Baptist and many others. He taught school and was the principal at the Butler Street School in northwestern Escambia County, as well as at the Canoe School and possibly at the McQueen School. According to an Atmore Record article of January 3, 1921, one of his most memorable sermons was held at the Butler Street School which was entitled, "What Think Ye of Christ?"
Wells saw Robinsonville Baptist Church membership stand at 233 in 1931 and reach 276 in 1938. His salary was $175 for the year. He liked to have several revivals a year with a week long revival in the summer. Wells was sometimes paid with produce, hams, beef, or whatever was in season from the farms.
It was a desperate age, as the Great Depression spread over the land and people were looking for answers. During these years Wells baptized more people than all the other pastors in the Escambia Baptist Association combined in a certain year in the 1930s. Many of the baptisms from Robinsonville, Canoe and Sardis were held in Cowpen Creek and Sizemore Creek. Many of these baptisms were marked by the old familiar hymn, Shall We Gather at the River? being sang from the creek bank by other church members. While Wells was at Robinsonville the church transitioned from kerosene lamps to electricity in 1939.
He was also a noted farmer in the area. Wells raised many crops but was noted by the Montgomery Advertiser on January 31, 1937 as being busily engaged in the planting of 50 acres of English Peas.
While keeping to the duties of a faithful Christian, Wells was not a pushover, but was a man of determination and reliance. An event on the Blackshear Road between Butler Street and Uriah illustrates his personal will when faced with adversity. It was in late April or early May of 1922 when Wells was crossing a bridge in his car which ran over Wet Weather Creek. The bridge was said to be 8 miles from Atmore, this according to the Atmore Record of May 5, 1922.
As Wells slowed to cross the bridge, a bandit wearing a red bandana to cover his identity bounded onto the car and demanded Wells surrender his money or his life. A cool thinking Wells reached down beneath his seat, as if to disengage the car's transmission but instead he quickly deployed an iron rod and struck the bandit in the head in such a manner as to knock the would-be assailant from the bridge and into the water below. Wells than rapidly drove away, he returned a short time later with help, only to discover the bandit had ran off to other environs. Wells revealed he had a mere 40 cents in his pocket at the time of the attempted robbery.
Wells presided over the pulpit in a time of great uncertainty and two world wars. A senseless tragedy occurred while he was the pastor at Robinsonville. In the days of old, it was custom for the Alabama prison system to issue furloughs to prisoners so they could go home and be with their families at Christmas. These select prisoners were expected to return on their honor. In December 1933, many prisoners failed to get the expected furlough and a group of 29 staged a daring escape.
Meanwhile in Robinsonville, Grover C. Kirby and his two sons, Rayford and Jim, were working in their field on December 29, 1933 when they saw a man up a tree near them. They went over to see what he was doing in their tree, they were unaware he was an escaped inmate. When they neared the man he fired a gun and shot Grover Kirby. Nine year old Rayford and seven year old Jim witnessed the senseless killing of their father just four days after Christmas of that year. This had to challenge the faith of any family and it would have been a time when Wells would have been called upon to be a rock in the community.
It is also a well-known local story that during the Great Depression, Wells and a group of local farmers from Atmore, Robinsonville and Canoe travelled to Chicago for a meeting with an unruly potato broker who was withholding payment of money from local farmers at a time during the Great Depression when the local growers needed the income from their crops.
This may have led to Wells being one of the founding members of the Atmore Truckers Association and the long time manager of the co-op.
Wells was noted state-wide for his stewardship of the co-op. The Montgomery Advertiser noted on March 31, 1947, "Manager Q.E. Wells has been manager of the Atmore Truckers since right after its forming. It is generally stated that Preacher Wells has done as much towards creating a market for livestock and farm produce as has any one in this section." In another article from January 10, 1948, the Montgomery Advertiser stated "Livestock sales at the weekly Atmore Trucker Association auction reached an all time high of $48, 391.75 at Tuesday's sale according to Q.E. Wells, manager.
The cotton industry has always been important in the fields around Robinsonville, Canoe and Atmore and the 1940s was no different. The Montgomery Advertiser reported on October 19, 1949, "Jack Currie, speaking for his gin and Q.E. Wells, manager of the co-op gin, expected another 200-300 bales to be brought in to bring the total to 10,000 bales." Wells retired from his position with Atmore Truckers on January 7, 1952.
Wells watched this section turn from a wooded land of virgin pine to gently rolling seas of cotton, peanuts and crops. He helped farmers battle for fair prices and helped build the agricultural industry in the area, educate young people as a teacher and served the spiritual needs of the area. Wells left this Earth on January 30, 1954 while leaving behind a rich legacy in our area. Robinsonville Baptist Church established a scholarship for young ladies to attend Judson University which is named in his honor.
This year's Canoe Community Homecoming Festival will be held November 17, 2018 from 8am-2pm in beautiful downtown Canoe. Re-enactors, vendors, food and drinks and historical tours will be conducted along Lowery Lane in the heart of the old downtown. Make your plans to attend.
Shadows and Dust Volume III: Legacies is available for purchase in the amount of $30.00+$5.00 shipping and handling to PO Box 579 Atmore, AL 36502 or visit Lulu Publishing.com; Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles.com OR at the Monroe County Heritage Museum in Monroeville, Alabama or by calling 251 294 0293.
