Thank you, Charles Henderson

Gov. Ivey is promoting teaching “cultural history;” the program will be housed at the college Henderson helped establish. Also, another beautification project & local soccer athletes excel.

The Ivey Center will be located at John Lewis Hall and will promote a different way of teaching history. Gov. Ivey and Chancellor Hawkins listen to Dr. Linda Felton-Smith make remarks at today’s event. The straight news story will come tomorrow, but this event inspired a column for today’s dispatch. (Photo by Bill Rice).

Commentary By BILL RICE, JR.

This morning I covered a Troy University press event attended by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. The purpose of the event was to announce a new program that will be housed at the University and will promote a different approach to teaching the subject of history.

The program is funded by the Ivey Foundation, which honors the history teaching of Gov Ivey’s late uncle, a long-time history professor at Auburn.

Per several speakers, too many students learn only the rudimentary storylines of important history, often employing “rote memorization” to remember a few key dates, figures and events.

A better way to teach the subject is to show students how different “cultural” developments actually caused changes - good and bad - in society (or our hometown). 

I’ve always thought the best way to teach history is to show how one person, or series of events, influenced or determined the important events that followed.

Our last Troy Citizen dispatch, written by Kassey O’Hara, provides a perfect example of how the life of one person produced incalculable positive developments for our community. This example is Charles Henderson.

Charles Henderson transformed Troy in at least four ways.

According to traditional history, the only thing many local residents might know about Charles Henderson is that he once served as Alabama’s governor. (Local residents also know two schools - plus “chick-chick” - were named for him.)

However, any policy changes or initiatives that happened in Henderson’s gubernatorial administration are NOT why his life was so important to today’s Trojans.

In fact, the lasting influence of Charles Henderson is better appreciated due to the profoundly-significant local ventures he made possible. 

This, to me, proves the wisdom of the adage that one should always “think local” - as real “movers and shakers” are far more likely to “make something happen” when they only have to convince a relatively small number of local citizens that X “needs to happen.”

Many people were excited to hear Alabama’s governor speak. As Chancellor Hawkins said, Gov. Ivey has visited Troy’s campus more times than any governor before her. Gov. Ivey’s late uncle was a well-known history professor at Auburn. She said his class was very demanding. An Auburn grad herself, Ivey said she knew not to take her uncle’s class.

Four events Charles Henderson made possible - all hugely significant

In retrospect - viewed through the lens of history - Charles Henderson transformed everything that would follow in our community via at least four acts.

First, Henderson, who was elected Mayor of Troy at the age of 26, got the City of Troy into the electric power business in 1891 by making sure Troy owned its own utility company.

Even today, Troy still owns its own electric utility company. This means local residents don’t pay a power bill to Alabama Power; we pay our light bill to “Troy City Utilities.”

What this means to you and me is The City of Troy does not depend solely on tax revenues to fund civic projects and myriad improvement projects.

My brother Rush is an investment banker, who for decades has worked with City mayors and administrators to put-together myriad bond issues to fund road projects, recreation department projects and even one football stadium expansion project that helped make possible Troy University’s move to Division I athletics.

I don’t fully understand Rush’s business, but I do know that bond issues are just loans, loans that have to be paid back via debt service. These bonds are rated and every city wants the top bond rating so institutional investors will buy the bonds that make big projects possible.

One of the main reasons Troy has always secured a top bond rating is that the City owns its own utility company. That is, loaning money to the City of Troy is not considered a great credit risk. 

Charles Henderson, all by himself, made this possible.

One example of the importance of civic-improvement projects financed with bond issues …

In my opinion, Troy boasts one of the best youth sports programs and recreational facilities  in our state. The late Bo Gaylard possessed this vision, which his successor, Dan Smith, brought to fruition with the help of Mayor Lunsford and now Mayor Reeves. 

The bond issue that made possible the Sportsplex and our exceptional adult and youth recreation programs was underwritten by the utility business Charles Henderson made possible.

All local history students should know the name Urban Jones …

Gov. Henderson is not the most influential person in Troy history. That person is Urban Jones, who made sure a railroad line passed through Troy in 1870. With no railroad coming through Troy in the years after the Civil War, Troy would probably be a sleepy little town of 2,000 citizens today.

However, Charles Henderson ensured a second major railroad line passed through Troy.

I’d always associated people like E.H. Harriman with railroad development, but I now know that local business people also had to take major risks to get the trains to come through their towns.

From my late father’s history books, I know that Urban Jones did, eventually, bring the railroad to Troy … but he went bankrupt doing it! 

This is an example of “cultural history” local history students need to know. The lesson is that great history is made by huge risk-takers.

Charles Henderson, who must have been a better businessman than Urban Jones, never went bankrupt and his railroad must have been an instant success - to the benefit of everyone who used said railroad line.

Another measure of a great citizen is answered by this question: how did the person use his wealth?

This bank has stood the test of time …

Charles Henderson kept starting important businesses (like Troy’s first telephone and telegraph business).

However, his greatest legacy - even more significant than getting Troy into the power business - might have been starting Troy Bank & Trust Company (with his brother).

For many decades, TB&T was just another local, albeit important and successful, small-town bank.

However, today, Troy Bank & Trust has more than $1 billion in assets and TB&T has locations in Auburn, Enterprise, Dothan and several other neighboring towns.

While major banks like SouthTrust and Colonial embarked on a buying frenzy and eventually went out of business, Troy Bank & Trust, quietly, kept focussing on fundamentals and prospered and grew and grew.

Because of the unique manner Charles Henderson structured the bank, TB&T can never “sell-out” to one of the mega banks. 

Almost no major project happens without money from bank loans - financing TB&T has provided for more than a century.

With no locally-owned and ultra-successful Troy Bank & Trust, Troy would be a far less prosperous and happy community today. Again, thank you, Mr. Henderson!

Oh yeah, he helped start a local college …

Besides the above “historic” developments, the biggest event in Troy history was the establishment of a State Normal College in Troy in 1887. Troy was one of four Alabama towns chosen for these colleges, which were created to train teachers.

That little college became Troy University, which is now Alabama’s “Most Beautiful Campus” and serves more than 7,000 undergraduate students.

(At today’s event, I learned that Troy University has 2,000 alumni in … Vietnam!)

Several community leaders made sure Troy Normal came to Troy, and one of the most important was … Charles Henderson.

The Most important historic events in Troy history

If I was going to rank the top three events that occurred in the history of Troy, my list would be:

1. The railroad coming to town.

2. Troy Normal coming to town.

3. Highway 231 passing through town.

Of course, No. 3 and No. 2 would never have happened if No. 1 hadn’t happened first.

Aside: One day I’m going to count the number of businesses that front or are easily accessible via Highway 231 in the City Limits of Troy. This number must now be over 300 businesses … which equates to thousands of jobs and tens of millions of dollars in annual sales and property tax receipts.

All of these businesses buy their electricity from the City of Troy … and the bank Charles Henderson created is the prettiest of these 231 businesses.

Charles Henderson’s will - set up in a trust administered by the bank he started -  paid for the construction of several county schools, one of which is my high school alma mater.

I graduated college from Troy University, which probably wouldn’t be here if Charles Henderson never lived in Troy.

Also, many leaders with great power make terrible decisions which have tragic consequences for existing and future generations. 

Learning why or how so many members of society embrace Bad Decisions is another reason well-educated citizens study history. 

The thought is: Don’t make the same mistakes.

The approach to teaching history once championed by Gov. Ivey’s uncle should/could result in more history students understanding that it was inspiring leaders like Charles Henderson who changed our country for the better - one small town at a time.

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More Troy Beautification Projects …

The main entrance to the Troy University Campus is no longer an “eyesore.”

As Troy Citizen readers must already know, highlighting campus and town beautification projects will be a recurring feature for this on-line publication.

As I pointed out in my story on the Lagoon Project, one goal of such campus projects is to convert former eyesores into places of aesthetic beauty.

This, however, is not always completely possible. For example, City officials, the State Highway Department, Troy University and Alabama Power could not move the utility sub-station located at the corner of Highway 231 and George Wallace Avenue (the main entrance to the Troy campus).

The solution, as much as possible, was to conceal or cover-up this particular “eyesore.” I think all Trojans would agree the new campus welcome sign and a handsome brick wall that replaced a chain-link fence is a major aesthetic improvement.

As I’ve learned from prior research, the highest traffic count in Troy is the intersection of U.S. Hwy 231 and State Highway 167 (at Burger King). The second highest traffic count in Troy is the George Wallace Ave. intersection.

In the near future, I hope to provide a “before” photo and more details of this much-appreciated and needed City Beautification Project.

Troy Soccer teams excel at State Tournaments

Thank you to David Dickey of the Troy Parks and Recreation Department for providing me the names of the members of the Troy all-star soccer teams that won either a state title or finished as state runner-ups in recent Recreation Department state tournaments.

Two Troy all-star teams won state titles and four more teams finished as state runner-up. Needless to say, this is extremely impressive and shows how popular soccer has become in our community. (When I was growing up, Troy did not offer youth soccer programs).

Congratulations to these talented soccer athletes …

12U Girls - State Champions!

Adlyn Allen, Rilee Belch, Kirsten Gailes, Harper Gordon, Lila Joachim, Harper Little, Caroline Murphy, Mary Pennington, Ella Rhodes, Skileigh Sharp, Emme Slay, Jenna Vaughan. Coaches Brent Rhodes, Joe Murphy and Michael Slay.

19U Boys - State Champions!

Jealin Atwell, Jack Burttram, Cruz Cueyactle, Jesus Gutierrez, Sam Kreis, Howell Leverette, Robert Lawrence Lindsey, Dunn Lindsey, Cade May, Carter May, Jacob Meadows, Jahao De La Rosa, Kaden Simmons, Allen Tomas Solis, Christian Sutherland, Jose Tzitzihua. Coaches Doug McLendon, Baylor Barnes, Jaron Knox and Jaylen Hall

8U Girls - Runner Ups

Sawyer Blair, Claire Dixon, Lakynn Gordon, Libby Paul, Emerson Rhodes, Ansley Starling, Birdy Stephens, Zoe Sutherland, Mary Thomas Weed, Caroline Yarbrough, Coaches Jonathan Blair, Will Starling, Troy Weed.

10U Girls - Runner Ups

Cate Barron, Kennedy Bell, Brooklyn Brown, Baxley Holmes, Dara Joachim, Taylor Johnson, Finlay Jordan, Maria Cueyactle, Emri Ramirez, Za’Laiya Reynolds, Emmerson West. Coaches Derrick Bell and Charles Jordan.

12U Boys - Runner Ups

Cayden Allums, Felix Arellano, Bryant Barron, Brooks Boyles, Gray Garner, Adien Horn, Nate Jennings, James Johnson, Johan Solis, Noah Stillwell, Santiago Valencia. Coaches Travis Jacques and Cole Garner.

14-and-under Boys team recently finished as Runner-Up in the State Tournament held in Dothan. See names, in no particular order, below:

14U Boys - Runner Ups

Felix Arellano, Juan Arellano, Jadan Atwell, Troy Bolden, Joseph Drink-water, Jaxon Flowers, Currell Glenn, Wade Maddox, Wyatt Lindsey, James Wade Murphy, Tripp Royal, Patrick Slay, Christopher Vazquez, Will Yarbrough, Marcos Montealgre. Coaches Doug McLendon, Jaron Knox and Brady Barr.

You get a big trophy for finishing second in the state, plus an individual trophy.

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