Questions abound about Wilcox County's old Kimbrough community

Located on State Highway 5, just a few miles north of Pine Hill, the old Kimbrough community is one of the most unique places in Wilcox County.

According to the book “Place Names in Alabama” by Virginia O. Foscue, the Kimbrough community was probably named after its first postmaster, Flavius F. Kimbrough. Kimbrough was appointed postmaster when the post office was established there in 1889. Other historical records reflect that the Kimbrough post office remained in operation until it closed in 1966.

Last Friday afternoon, I happened to be passing through Kimbrough and decided to take a few minutes to scout around to see if I could locate the community’s old post office building. For those of you familiar with Kimbrough, you’ll know that most maps show “downtown” Kimbrough to be located where Highway 5 and Highway 162 intersect, just south of Annemanie. When I arrived there on Friday, I turned down Highway 162 and then down Kimbrough Street.

Kimbrough Street took me past a number of residences and eventually down to the Kimbrough United Methodist Church. I stopped there for a few minutes and searched unsuccessfully for a cornerstone that would tell me when the church was established. A sign out front noted that Dawn Bond serves as the church’s pastor.

From there, I rode back down to Highway 162 and pulled over in front of what looked like an old store. Almost directly across the road from this old brick building stood an even older wood building that may have been an old store or warehouse at one time. Had one of these old buildings once served as the Kimbrough post office?

Anyone who has ever looked at a map of the Kimbrough community will also know that two railroads intersect there at a sizeable interchange yard. As I stood there by my truck between the two old store buildings, I could hear the distant booms of railcars as workers moved them together in the nearby railyard. I suspect that this major railroad intersection had much to do with the growth of the Kimbrough community in its early days, and it would make sense for the post office to be located near the railroad.

Back in my truck, I studied my maps once more and noted that a number of creeks also pass through this area, including James Creek, Turkey Creek and Goose Creek. All of this freshwater flowing through the area would have made it prime real estate for ancient Indians, who would have needed a good water supply to survive. I couldn’t help but wonder if there were any old Indian mounds or ancient village sites in the vicinity.

I eventually headed back towards “downtown” Kimbrough, looked around a little more and then pointed my truck back towards Camden. As I made my way back to the county seat, my thoughts returned to all that I’d seen during my brief tour of Kimbrough. As so often is the case, I was left with more questions than answers.

Where was the old post office located? When were the railroads constructed though Kimbrough? Are there any ancient Indian sites near the Kimbrough community? Are there any old ghost stories or local legends associated with this unique place on the map?

In the end, let me hear from you if you know the answers to any of these questions. I’d also like to hear from anyone with any other information about the Kimbrough community’s early history. No doubt, there is much to tell, and it would be a shame for it to fade away into the forgotten fogs of history.