Clarke County historical marker describes important Alabama mill town

Historical marker in Town of Fulton in Clarke County, Ala.

This week’s featured historical marker is the “FULTON, ALABAMA” marker in Clarke County, Alabama. This marker is located on Main Street Circle in front of the gazebo that’s across the street from Fulton Town Hall.

This marker was erected in October 2010 by the Alabama Tourism Department and the Town of Fulton. There’s text on both sides of this marker, and both sides are different. What follows is the complete text from the marker.

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“FULTON, ALABAMA: Fulton, first known as Wade’s Station, developed in the 1880s along the Mobile to Birmingham Railroad. With the railroad came an influx of lumbermen from the North, Marcus Behrman was the first of the lumbermen who came to establish a lumber mill in what is now Fulton. Deeded property along the railroad in 1888, Behrman formed Virgin Pine Lumber Co. which produced shingles and provided lumber, and the town became known as ‘Behrman.’ In 1889, the company was sold to Alexander McTaggert who established Scotch Lumber Co. The company was sold again, and on Sept. 23, 1896, the name of the Behrman Post Office was changed to Fulton, supposedly after Fulton, N.Y. William Dwight Harrigan and his associate, Fred Herrick of Rhinelander, Wisconsin purchased the Scotch Lumber Co. at Fulton by 1902, and Mr. Harrigan became postmaster, serving until May 29, 1914. (Continued on other side)”

“FULTON, ALABAMA: (Continued from other side) The first church in Fulton was built around 1900. It was a union church, used in rotation by Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians. This custom continued until about 1950, when the church became Fulton Baptist Church. School in Fulton was first held in two rooms of the church. Later, a schoolhouse was erected on the hill in the northern part of town. Around 1916, land was purchased from Rev. J.H. Fendley for the site of a larger school where elementary through high school students were taught until the late 1940s.”

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I encountered this historical marker last Friday while geocaching in Clarke County. I’ve driven through the area many times on State Highway 43, but had never turned off to go through “downtown” Fulton. I was actually very surprised by the size of the lumber mill there, which I’ve heard is the largest east of the Mississippi River (or was at one time).

According to Scotch Land Management’s Web site, the mill at Fulton was founded on Nov. 22, 1888 as a partnership between Behrman and Joseph Zimmerman, who formed the Virgin Pine Lumber Co. On March 5, 1902, W. D. Harrigan Sr. of Rhinelander, Wisc. and Fredrick Herrick of Lac Du Flambeau, Wisc. purchased the mill, which was then called the Scotch Lumber Company.

Harrigan also became the community’s postmaster as well as secretary-treasurer of the mill company. He served as postmaster until May 29, 1914 and died at the age of 56 on Jan. 19, 1919.

In the end, visit this site next Wednesday to learn about another historical marker. I’m also taking suggestions from the reading audience, so if you know of an interesting historical marker that you’d like me to feature, let me know in the comments section below.