William Calmes Buck II

William Calmes Buck II, my great grandfather, was born on March 3, 1861 in Newbern, Alabama to Charles Willis Buck and Susan Croom Sparrow Buck.  

In the U. S. census of 1870, nine year old William is shown as living with his parents in Choctaw County, Alabama along with his brother Charles and sisters Susan, Mary and Miriam.  His father, Charles Willis Buck was a minister.  William is listed as “attending school”.

In the U. S. census of 1880, William is again shown as living with his parents but in Lee County, Brownville and Whittens, Alabama.  The family includes his brothers Charles, Robert, John and sisters Susan, Mamie, Belle, Bessie and Katie.  His father’s occupation had changed from minister to farmer and William is shown as working on the farm.

W. C. Buck and Martha Elizabeth Clardy were married on December 1, 1881 in Russell County, Alabama.  His wife’s name is given as Mattie Clarida on the marriage license – perhaps that is why she was so insistent on the proper spelling as “Clardy” in later years.  The marriage was performed by Charles Willis Buck, Sr., father of W. C. Buck II.

Martha Elizabeth Clardy was the daughter of William Clardy and Sarah W. Kelly.  She was born in November 1859 in Georgia.  In the 1880 census, she is shown as living in Beat 1, Gerard, Russell County, Alabama with her parents.  She worked in a cotton mill along with her father and brother, John.

After marriage, W. C. Buck and Mattie Clardy Buck lived in the Columbus, Georgia area for about eight years where he became a prominent businessman and city councilman.  He was an active member of the Missionary Baptist church.

W. C. Buck and Mattie Clardy Buck then moved to the New Decatur, Alabama area about 1888.  W. C. Buck came to Decatur to fulfill two general building contracts he had won.  His winning bid had beat out the two lumber yards in Decatur and the locals refused to sell to him.  He had to find a lumber supplier and found one in the Yancey family, on Brindlee Mountain, south of Huntsville on U S. 231 in eastern Morgan County.  For several years, lumber was shipped by wagon from the Yancey’s in the Union Grove community to Decatur - a trip of almost 40 miles.  His friendship continued with the Yancey’s for many years.  Two of W. C. Buck’s grandsons, Gordon and Nelson, spent several summers working there with the Yanceys.

In New Decatur, W.C. Buck, and his wife, Mattie, were founding members of the First Baptist Church.  This church was organized on October 3, 1889 with fourteen members.  Elder John Speer was the first pastor.  W. C. Buck was the clerk.  J. J. Sawyers and A. M. Lee were deacons.  When New Decatur became Albany, the church changed its name to First Baptist Church of Albany.  In 1923, Albany became part of Decatur and the church was again renamed to become Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church. 

Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church prior to 1980

W.C. Buck also was listed on the building committee of the Central Baptist Church about 1894.  In 1903, he was awarded the contract to build a house on Fourth Avenue for its pastor.

In New Decatur, W. C. Buck was primarily a building contractor but in the early 1900s he also owned retail stores.

Advertisement in New Decatur Advertiser 6/12/1903

Advertisement in New Decatur Advertiser 12/2/1904

Unfortunately, his retail businesses must not have worked out well because he declared bankruptcy in May of 1908.  After closing his retail businesses, he opened a saw mill and a lumberyard.  He also owned quite a bit of property including various lots in east Decatur, Alabama. 

In 1900, W. C. and Mattie Buck lived on Grant Street in New Decatur along with their children Carlisle, Helen, Lois, Murray, Hubert and Charles.  His occupation was described as a “house carpenter”.

Sometime before 1910, W. C. and Mattie Buck moved to Wolff, Alabama.  Wolff, now known as Union Hill, is on Brindlee Mountain where W. C. Buck was getting his lumber.  The 1910 census lists the family as including Lois, Murray, Hubert, Charles and David.  (His son, Carlisle, had married Susan Elizabeth Masterson in 1910 and remained in Decatur.  His daughter, Helen, had married Harvey Howard Masterson in 1910 and also was still in Decatur.)  William’s occupation is given as sawyer in a saw mill for which he was an employer.  His house was rented and was on a farm.  Several members of the Yancy family lived nearby.

After a few years in Wolff, W. C. and Mattie Buck moved to Birmingham.  His occupation was given as contractor/builder in his own business.  They must have moved to Birmingham before 1913 since the Birmingham City Directory for 1913 includes them as living on North 49 Street.

Sometime between 1920 and 1924, W. C. Buck moved to Florence, Alabama where he continued to be a building contractor.  In the early 1920s, the W. C. Buck house in Florence burned and all of his personal effects, records and photographs were lost.  Knowing that he was dying of cancer, he purchased an annuity for his wife, Mattie, from Metropolitan Life. This was her income during the depression.   W. C. Buck died of cancer on January 28, 1924 in Florence, Alabama.  He was buried in Decatur.

Mattie must have remained in Birmingham when W. C. Buck moved to Florence because she is included in the 1925 City Directory as the widow of W. C. Buck.  However she apparently moved to North 42 Drive.  Her name is also in the 1928 Directory. 

Sometime in the early 1930s, Mattie Buck moved in with her son, Hubert N. Buck.  According to the 1940 census, she lived with his family in 1935 and 1940.

Martha Elizabeth Clardy Buck died on January 12, 1950 in Decatur, Alabama. 

William Calmes Buck and Martha Elizabeth Clardy had the following children:

• William Calmes Buck III (1884-1888)
•  Carlisle Lamar Buck (1887 -1959) ; married Susan Elizabeth Masterson
•  Charles Clardy Buck (1900-1993) ; married Hilda C. Girten
•  Helen Dooley Buck (1891-1958); Harvey Howard Masterson
• David Edgar Buck (1902-1919); died in a boating accident
• Lois Buck (1893-1929)
• Murray Sandlin Buck (1896-1982); married Thelma Black
• Hubert Nelson Buck (1897-1974); married Vivian Eileen Watson. He drew a Buck Family Tree which is still widely used.
• Inez Buck (1890-1890)
• Two unnamed infants.

(to be continued)