John Austin Darden
"John Austin Darden was born at Bentleyville, Coosa county, Ala., on the 2nd day of April, 1879. He is the son of John Alexander and Georgia Elizabeth (Webb) Darden. His father and mother were born and reared near Hanover, Coosa county, Ala. His paternal grandfather, Uriah Addison Darden, was a native Georgian and moved to Talladega Ala., about 1845, and in 1850 to Coosa county, where he died in August, 1903, at the age of seventy-nine years. His paternal grandmother was a Miss Mary Logan, daughter of Alexander Logan, one of the veterans of the War of 1812, and one of the earliest settlers of Coosa county, where his daughter was born. Austin Pain Webb, who was also a native Georgian and an early settler of Coosa county, was his maternal grandfather. His maternal grandmother was a Miss Mary Elizabeth Thomas, daughter of Stephen Thomas, who came to Coosa county soil in early pioneer days. John Alexander Darden, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a teacher by profession, and spent his life in Coosa county, dying on Jan. 20, 1885, leaving his wife and four children, John Austin, William Anderson, Georgia Hester, and Annie Alexander, the oldest being only six years of age. He was a Democrat and identified himself with the Baptist church, of which his wife was a member. In 1890 the mother of John Austin died. After the decease of the mother the brother and sisters, together with John Austin, made their home with their grandfather Darden. John Austin, the subject of this article, had very meager opportunities for schooling; being the oldest, he was the mainstay for helping his widowed mother to make a living on the farm, where he plowed from the time he was eight years old. After the death of his mother he continued to work on the farm as before with his grandfather. In the meantime he had studied diligently the two or three months he was permitted to attend school and between schools he continued his studies daily at home, sitting up late at night Lincoln-like. At the age of seventeen he hired a hand to help gather the crop, so he might attend one full term of winter school at Andrews' Chapel. Here he had only attended a month when his uncle, Addie Darden, who was teaching school in the community where young Darden was living, was taken sick and John Austin was selected temporarily to teach his school until the recovery of his uncle. His uncle failed to recover for several months and the patrons continued their neighbor boy in the school for the remainder of the session and as long thereafter as they could secure his services. In the following spring, young Darden, then eighteen, asked his grandparents the permission to attend school, having missed his winterís schooling, whereupon they told him if he could make his own way he might attend, as they were unable to aid him. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he entered immediately the Flint Hill high school at Bentleyville, where, under the direction of Prof. A. R. Jones, he prepared himself for college. The next fall he enter the sophomore class of the Fourth District Agricultural college, where he attended for three session, teaching in vacation, and graduating in 1900. In 1901, Mr. Darden entered the University of Alabama, taking the degree of bachelor of laws, 1903. He is now practicing his chosen profession at Goodwater, Coosa county, Ala., where he enjoys a lucrative practice. He is a true Democrat, a Knight of Pythias and a consistent member of the Baptist church. On Sept. 23, 1900, Mr. Darden was married to Miss Vashti Olie Sellers, of Nixburg, Coosa county, Ala., daughter of Sampson Elija and Martha J. Sellers. Mr. Sellers move to Coosa county form Georgia when a small boy; died in 1903 at the age of seventy-nine. Mrs. Martha Jane (Johnston) Sellers survives. Mr. Darden carried his wife with him when he took his law course and she assisted him in paying his way by taking boarders. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Darden: Mabel Clara, born Oct. 2, 1901, and Eschol Sampson, born Jan. 9, 1903."
--- Notable Men of Alabama: Personal and Genealogical with Portraits, Vol. II
He had five more children with Mrs. Darden and went on to serve as a state representative and senator in the Alabama Legislature from 1914-33. He was also publisher of the Goodwater Enterprise newspaper.
and still had time to father at least one black daughter. Angela's mother, Sallye Margarite Bell Davis, grew up in a foster home and never knew her biological parents.