Politician, Entrepreneur, Military Leader. Benjamin McFarland Long was the first white child born in Carroll County, Georgia when he was born to John and Nancy D Long on November 5, 1827. He grew up and was educated at Carrollton. He was one of the first volunteers in the Mexican War, and served throughout that war under the command of Robert E. Lee. He went into the mercantile business with his father and continued in this business for the rest of his life. He moved to Alabama before the Civil War and settled near Cordova, Walker County, Alabama. Although he was opposed to secession, he raised the first military company from Walker County for the Confederate Army and was elected its captain. He conducted his business in Jasper for a long while after the war was ended, then moved to Cordova, and founded that town and named it after the town in Mexico where he was stationed during the Mexican War. He was a leader in the coal development of Walker County, and was directly responsible for the location of Indian head mills at Cordova. He was a member of the constitutional convention in 1865; served in the Georgia legislature, 1872-1874, and in the Alabama legislature, 1880-1882; was presidential elector from the sixth Alabama district in 1884; was a candidate for governor of Alabama on the Republican ticket, 1890; and was the candidate of that party for congress in 1894. Politically, he was opposed to secession, was originally a Whig, then became a Know-Nothing, and after the Civil War was affiliated with the Republican party. At the time of his death, he was listed as the wealthiest man in the county with holdings including more than 35,000 acres of land and ownership in multiple coal mines in the county.
Politician, Entrepreneur, Military Leader. Benjamin McFarland Long was the first white child born in Carroll County, Georgia when he was born to John and Nancy D Long on November 5, 1827. He grew up and was educated at Carrollton. He was one of the first volunteers in the Mexican War, and served throughout that war under the command of Robert E. Lee. He went into the mercantile business with his father and continued in this business for the rest of his life. He moved to Alabama before the Civil War and settled near Cordova, Walker County, Alabama. Although he was opposed to secession, he raised the first military company from Walker County for the Confederate Army and was elected its captain. He conducted his business in Jasper for a long while after the war was ended, then moved to Cordova, and founded that town and named it after the town in Mexico where he was stationed during the Mexican War. He was a leader in the coal development of Walker County, and was directly responsible for the location of Indian head mills at Cordova. He was a member of the constitutional convention in 1865; served in the Georgia legislature, 1872-1874, and in the Alabama legislature, 1880-1882; was presidential elector from the sixth Alabama district in 1884; was a candidate for governor of Alabama on the Republican ticket, 1890; and was the candidate of that party for congress in 1894. Politically, he was opposed to secession, was originally a Whig, then became a Know-Nothing, and after the Civil War was affiliated with the Republican party. At the time of his death, he was listed as the wealthiest man in the county with holdings including more than 35,000 acres of land and ownership in multiple coal mines in the county.
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