New historical marker tells of how Paul, Alabama got its Biblical name

Old U.S. Post Office at Paul, Alabama

This week’s featured historical marker is the “UNITED STATES POST OFFICE PAUL, ALABAMA” marker in Conecuh County, Ala. The marker is located in front of the old post office building in the Paul community on Bucket Branch Road, just off Conecuh County Road 8.

This Alabama Historical Commission marker was erected at some point in the past few months. There’s text on both sides of this marker, but both sides are the same. What follows is the complete text from the marker.

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“UNITED STATES POST OFFICE PAUL, ALABAMA, Conecuh County: Immigrants from South Carolina settled in this area of Conecuh County in the 1870s. As the local population increased, residents needed a local post office. David Robinson submitted a petition to the U.S. Postal Service requesting a post office with a Biblical name. The postal service approved the request in 1907 and named the post office, Paul. The post office opened in 1908 and David Robinson served as the first postmaster. His son, Erastus (Raz) O. Robinson, became the next postmaster in 1920. Raz would sit in his special wooden chair on the post office porch and listen to the locals share news and swap stories. Raz’s wife, Linnie Jane, managed the post office until 1970. Her niece, Lucy N. Pate, took over and operated the post office here until she opened a new location in 1975. The postal service closed the post office in 1987. The post office was the center of town activities and was a gateway to the world for many local residents. This property that was once owned by Erastus O. & Linnie Jane Robinson, A.R. & Lucy N. Pate, and Joseph E. & Julie P. Moore is listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. Dedicated by Joseph Tod Moore, the great-great-nephew of Erastus O. and Linnie Jane Robinson.”

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According to the Alabama Historical Commission, there are 36 Conecuh County sites listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. They include:

-         Arkadelphia Church at Loree

-         Belleville Baptist Church

-         Betts-Nash House at Burnt Corn

-         Brooklyn Baptist Church

-         19 structures in the Brooklyn Historic District

-         Brooks-King House at Skinnerton

-         Brushy Creek United Methodist Church near Lenox

-         Burnett House in Evergreen

-         Burnt Corn Historic District

-         Carey Street Historic District in Evergreen

-         Carter Hospital in Repton

-         Castleberry Commercial District

-         Castleberry Residential District

-         Cohassett Historic District

-         Evergreen Baptist Church

-         Flat Rock Saints Church

-         Rev. Dr. Hillary James Hawkins House near Evergreen

-         Hawthorne House site at Belleville

-         Horton House and Store

-         Robert Ivey House at Loree

-         Jayvilla Commissary

-         Jayvilla Plantation site

-         Asa Johnston House at Johnstonville

-         Caleb Johnston House at Johnstonville

-         Maxwell-Johnson House in Evergreen

-         Mt. Union Community Church & Center near Evergreen

-         New Evergreen Historic District

-         Old Beulah Cemetery near Jayvilla

-         Old Evergreen Historic District

-         Paul Post Office

-         Rabb Rosenwald School

-         10 structures in the Range Historic District

-         35 structures in the Repton Historic District

-         Dr. H.S. Skinner House near Belleville

-         Sparta site near Jayvilla

-         St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Evergreen

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.