Arthur S. Colyar Biographical Files

Large endowments were subscribed, principally from Louisiana, and the corner-stone of this institution was laid on the 10th day of October, 1860. The laying of the corner stone of this institution marked an epoch in the history of this country. It was perhaps the first great educational institution to be conducted under the auspices of the Episcopal Church, that had ever been started in this country. The day was a propitious one, bright, breezy and balmy: the whole mountain top was alive with people, more than two hundred bishops and clergymen, in their robes, forming a magnificent procession marched to the site where the corner stone was laid - the matchless John C. Preston, of South Carolina, being the orator of the day. There were practically no houses here at that time and the large crowd was cared for in tents. Dr. Wallace? Estill and his family had a tent here, I had a tent with my family, and remember that Bishop Gregg was the guest of Dr. Estill on that occasion, and regret very much that the lapse of time has caused me to forget who I entertained on this occasion.

The Civil War came on soon after, practically nothing was done until after the close of the war in 1865, which left practically the whole South in such an impoverished condition that the large endowment fund that had been raised before the war, was practically swept away by the ravages and devastation of that terrible strife. The ten years had almost elapsed and the title to the property would revert if the school was not opened. Major George R. Fairbanks of Florida had located here in the meantime, built the famous log house known as "Rebel's Rest." A few days before the ten years elapsed, he assembled a few mountain boys and formally opened this school, and thereby held the title to the property.

Prior to the Civil War but little was known in this country about the Episcopal Church or its service. I think the first sermon that was ever preached by an Episcopal Minister in this County was preached by Dr. Quintard in the Court House at Winchester.

name. At the time the name of the postoffice here was "University Place." The matter was dropped, and upon investigation we found that there was a little hill down in West Tennessee, in the Mississippi bottom, where a post office had been established and called Sewanee. In a few years, however, that post office was abandoned, and the name again became open. Before we found it out, however, Maj. Fairbanks discovered the fact and made application to the post office authorities at Washington City and had the name "University Place" changed to "Sewanee." I think this gives me the right to say that you are guilty of larceny.

This place is entitled to the credit of being the origin and originator of what is known as the "Four Mile Law", perhaps the greatest temperance law that has ever been passes, and is the basis of all the temperance laws that have been passed in this State since that time. Soon after the constitutional convention of 1870 Maj. Fairbanks came to me and stated that he wanted a bill drawn to prohibit the sale of whisky within four miles of this institution, in ever direction. In looking into the question I discovered that we could not pass a bill prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors within four miles of the University of the South, but that we could pass a bill prohibiting the sale of whisky within four miles of an incorporated institution of learning, outside of the corprate limits of any city or town. Col. H. R. Moore of this County was then a member of the Tennessee Senate. The bill was drawn, and my recollection is that at the first session of the first session of the legislature it failed to pass for the want of constitutional majority. It, however, passed at the next session of the legislature.

For some years this was known as a bill that was passed exclusively for the benifit of the University of the South, and no other institution in the state attempted to take advantage of it until the fact dawned upon them that any school, by becoming an

Jessie Ball duPont Library

Archives Department

CROSS REFERENCE SHEET

NAME OR SUBJECT:

A. S. Colyar

REGARDING:

7 letters, Correspondence with Col. Charles R. Barney concerning University lands.

DATE 1858/1859

(See)

NAME OR SUBJECT:

The Collection of Col. Charles R. Barney

Also 2 letters in Fairbanks Collection March and June, 1867