Claiborne, Alabama | |
|---|---|
 A street in Claiborne during the 1850s | |
  Claiborne  Claiborne | |
| Coordinates: 31°32′25″N87°30′56″W / 31.54016°N 87.51554°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| County | Monroe |
| Elevation | 180 ft (50 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 36445 |
| Area code | 251 |
Claiborne is a ghost town on a bluff above the Alabama River in Monroe County, Alabama. [2]
Situated near the Federal Road, Claiborne began during the Mississippi Territory period with a ferry over the river. During the Creek War a large stockade fort, named Fort Claiborne, was established at the site by General Ferdinand Claiborne. He used the fort as a base for the invasion of the Creek nation with the Regular Army of the United States, the Lower Tombigbee Militia, and friendly Choctaw. The community of Claiborne began in 1816, on the former fort site. [3]
Following the war Claiborne became one of the largest and fastest growing communities in what would become Alabama. Early settlers included three future Alabama governors: John Gayle, John Murphy, and Arthur P. Bagby. William B. Travis, a hero of the Alamo, lived in Claiborne for many years before leaving for Texas in 1831. [3] [4] Other prominent politicians included James Dellet and Charles Tait. The community was surveyed in 1819 by General John Coffee, with lots being numbered and sold. It was incorporated as a town on December 20, 1820 by the Alabama Legislature. [3]
The first paddle steamer, the Harriet, to reach this far up the Alabama River landed at Claiborne in 1821. At that time the population had reached 2000 people. It had grown to 2500 by the time that the Marquis de Lafayette visited in April 1825 during his famous tour of all 24 US states. He was entertained in the newly built masonic hall, a building which, along with the William B. Travis house, still exists but was later moved to the nearby community of Perdue Hill. The town continued to expand during the 1830s, with the population peaking at roughly 5000 people. Claiborne served as the first county seat of Monroe County until 1832, when it was moved to the centrally located Monroeville. By then the town boasted two large hotels, numerous stores and business establishments, a cotton warehouse, a boarding house, a jail, a school, several churches, and a few hundred residences. At this point outbreaks of yellow fever and cholera stemmed further growth of the town. [3] During his visit of North America, Charles Lyell collected fossil samples in Claiborne. [5]
Claiborne remained an important shipping port and trading center throughout the 1840s and 1850s. The coming of the American Civil War saw the construction of batteries along the lower Alabama River and at Claiborne. The town was heavily looted at the end of the war. [6] Following the war, the town quickly lost importance in the new economy. By 1872 the population had dwindled to approximately 350 people. [3] When the new railroad through Monroe County bypassed Claiborne in the early 20th century, the fate of the settlement was sealed. By 2008 the site contained only the James Dellet House and three 19th century cemeteries. [3] [6]
Claiborne had a newspaper, the Alabama Courier, that was published by Tucker and Turner from 1819 to the 1820s. [5]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 199 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census [7] | |||
Claiborne appeared only once on the U.S. Census, in 1880, as a separately returned community. Its population was 199, which made it the largest in Monroe County.
Claiborne is located at 31°32′25″N87°30′56″W / 31.54016°N 87.51554°W and has an elevation of 180 feet (55 m). [2]
Monroe County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,772. Its county seat is Monroeville. Its name is in honor of James Monroe, fifth President of the United States. It is a dry county, in which the sale of alcoholic beverages is restricted or prohibited, but Frisco City and Monroeville are wet cities.
Monroe County is a county located on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,250. Its county seat is Madisonville, and its largest city is Sweetwater.
Ouachita Parish is located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 160,368. The parish seat is Monroe. The parish was formed in 1807.
Greenville is a city and the county seat of Butler County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,374. Greenville is known as the Camellia City, wherein originated the movement to change the official Alabama state flower from the goldenrod to the camellia with legislative sponsors LaMont Glass and H.B. Taylor.
Evergreen is a city in Conecuh County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 3,944. The city is the county seat of Conecuh County.
Wetumpka is a city in and the county seat of Elmore County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,220. In the early 21st century Elmore County became one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The city is considered part of the Montgomery Metropolitan Area.
Troy is a city in and the county seat of Pike County, Alabama, United States. It was formally incorporated on February 4, 1843.
Tazewell is a town in and the county seat of Claiborne County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,165 at the 2000 census, 2,218 at the 2010 census, and 2,348 at the 2020 census. The town is named for Tazewell, Virginia, which itself was named for Henry Tazewell (1753–1799), a U.S. senator from Virginia.
Gonzales is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, with a population of 7,165 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Gonzales County. The "Come and Take It" incident, the ride of the Immortal 32 into the Alamo, and the Runaway Scrape after the fall of the Alamo, all integral events in the War for Texas Independence from Mexico, originated in Gonzales.
William Barret "Buck" Travis was a 19th-century American lawyer and soldier. He is known for helping set the Texas Revolution in motion during the Anahuac disturbances and commanding the Misión San Antonio de Valero as a lieutenant colonel in the Texian Army.
James Clinton Neill was an American soldier and politician, most noted for his role in the Texas Revolution and the early defense of the Alamo. He was born in North Carolina and served in the Alabama House of Representatives between 1825 and 1827.
James Dellet was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama.
The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to the U.S. state of Alabama.
Prairie Bluff, also known as Dale and Daletown, is a ghost town in Wilcox County, Alabama.
Perdue Hill is an unincorporated community in Monroe County, Alabama. It has one site listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage, the Perdue Hill Masonic Lodge. The home of William B. Travis is located along U.S. Route 84 in Perdue Hill and was moved here in 1985 from Claiborne.
Fort Claiborne was a stockade fort built in 1813 in present-day Monroe County, Alabama during the Creek War.
Suggsville is an unincorporated community in Clarke County, Alabama.
Fort Dale was a stockade fort built in present-day Butler County, Alabama by Alabama Territory settlers. The fort was constructed in response to Creek Indian attacks on settlers in the surrounding area.
Fort Madison was a stockade fort built in August 1813 in present-day Clarke County, Alabama, during the Creek War, which was part of the larger War of 1812. The fort was built by the United States military in response to attacks by Creek warriors on encroaching American settlers. The fort shared many similarities to surrounding stockade forts in its construction but possessed a number of differences in its defenses. The fort housed members of the United States Army and settlers from the surrounding area, and it was used as a staging area for raids on Creek forces and supply point on further military expeditions. Fort Madison was subsequently abandoned at the conclusion of the Creek War and only a historical marker exists at the site today.
Fort Montgomery was a stockade fort built in August 1814 in present-day Baldwin County, Alabama, during the Creek War, which was part of the larger War of 1812. The fort was built by the United States military in response to attacks by Creek warriors on encroaching American settlers and in preparation for further military action in the War of 1812. Fort Montgomery continued to be used for military purposes but in less than a decade was abandoned. Nothing exists at the site today.
Media related to Claiborne, Alabama at Wikimedia Commons
Municipalities and communities of Monroe County, Alabama, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
