Old Gunton community holds many secrets, including answers behind unsolved murder of farmer in 1853

Saint Mary Community Church.

I was out riding around in western Wilcox County on Friday afternoon and found myself headed north on State Highway 5, between Pine Hill and Catherine. I eventually crossed over the Red Creek bridge and was reminded that I was near a long-forgotten rail station called Gunton.

According to historical maps, Gunton was located along what is now the Norfolk Southern Railroad, between Red Creek and Dixon Creek, just north of Flatwood. Sources say that this rail station first appeared on county maps in the early 1900s, but most people today have long forgotten that this railroad stop ever existed. This old rail stop is so obscure that you’d be hard pressed to even find a reference to it in old editions of The Wilcox Progressive Era.

Today when you pass through Gunton, aside from a few scattered homes, the most significant landmark you will find is the Saint Mary Community Church. According to old maps, this church is located just a stone’s throw from where the old rail station was once located. Only a thin strip of woods separates the back of the church property from the railroad tracks.

The Saint Mary Community Church is currently housed in a nice, modern metal building, but my feeling is that this building replaced an older church structure. According to a cement cornerstone cover propped against the north side of the building, the earlier church may have been built in the late 1960s. That cornerstone, which bears the date of Aug. 12, 1969, reads as follows: St. Mary A.M.E. Church – Stewards: J. Thurman, Robert Harris, Emma Moton – Trustees: Marvie Martin, Lillie Boykin, Polley Forster – C.M. Sanders, Clerk; Rev. H.B. Plunkett, Pastor; Rev. W.T. Minefee, P.E.; Rev. H.N. Robinson, Bishop.

From the church I eased up to the narrow bridge across Dixon Creek and pulled over into the grass for a closer look. As I stood there, I was reminded of an old story I’d heard about an unsolved murder that occurred along its banks in December 1853. The victim in that case was a “respectable, well-to-do old farmer” named Eli Menderhall, who moved to Wilcox County from Claiborne in 1833.

Sources say that around four o’clock on the day of the murder, the 70-year-old Menderhall was traveling home alone on horseback along a road that ran along the creek. Some unknown assailant in the bushes shot him in the back, side and arm with a load of buckshot, but the old man managed to make it to his home, about a mile away. Even though a doctor was sent for, Menderhall died later that night.

A runaway slave named Jack was arrested for the murder, but he was released after he was able to provide a solid alibi. Apparently, he proved that he was about six miles away from the crime scene when the murder took place. Although largely forgotten today, this was a scandalous crime at the time and remains unsolved.

Climbing back in my truck, I drove the short distance up to Jones Convenience, a store located just north of the creek. After buying a pack of peanut butter crackers and a Pepsi, I asked the smiling woman behind the counter if she’d ever heard of Gunton. She wasn’t familiar with that name and said that most people consider the store to be located in Catherine.

We chatted for a few more minutes before I eventually got back in my truck and pointed it towards home. The weather was nice and sunny and as I headed south, I could not help but wonder what Gunton must have been like in its heyday. Perhaps there is much more than meets the eye in this old rail stop community.

In the end, let me hear from you if you have any additional information about the old Gunton community. I’m especially interested in any information about how it got its name. Also, let me hear from you if you know any old ghost stories, local legends or Indian lore about this area.