Riley's 'History of Conecuh County' details many county 'firsts'

'History of Conecuh County, Ala.'

I recently finished reading a book that I recommend to every resident of Conecuh County, especially school children and people who are interested in local history, “The History of Conecuh County, Alabama” by Benjamin Franklin Riley.

Originally published in 1881, this 246-page book includes a wealth of information about the county’s early history and the important people from the county’s past. I was especially impressed by the many “firsts” that Riley documented in his book, which he spent two years writing for the Conecuh Historical Society. Here’s just a sampling of the many Conecuh County’s “firsts” that can be found between the covers of his book.

· The first permanent settlement of whites in Conecuh County was made near Belleville in the latter part of 1815. Belleville was originally known as “The Ponds,” but the name was eventually changed in honor of John Bell, who came to the county in 1819.

· The first white child born in the county was Richard Baggett of Castleberry, who was born on March 30, 1817.

· The first courthouse was built in 1817 at Hampden Ridge, which was also known as the Autrey Settlement in its early days. Hampden Ridge was founded by Alexander Autrey, who was living in the area as early as 1816.

· The first sermon every delivered in Conecuh County was preached by David Wood, a blind Baptist minister, who moved to Conecuh County from Georgia in 1817. He delivered the sermon in a “small, rude cabin” on the spot where the graveyard near the Belleville Baptist Church is now located.

· Conecuh County was first organized into an official county in 1818.

· Richard Warren was the county’s first representative in the Territorial Legislature, which met at St. Stephens in Washington County. Ransom Dean was the first sheriff, tax assessor and tax collector. Joel Lee was the first Justice of the Peace.

· The first mercantile establishment ever built in Conecuh County was erected in the Belleville community by Robert C. Paine, who came to Belleville in 1818.

· The first building erected on the site of Old Sparta was a log cabin built by Malachi Warren. The first hotel at Sparta was called the “Gauf House,” and was erected by a Mr. Gauf, who moved to the area in 1819.

· The first person to receive a Masonic funeral in Conecuh County is said to have been Murdock McPherson at Sparta.

· In 1820, a new courthouse was built at Sparta, which was named by attorney Thomas Watts, who moved to the area from Sparta, Ga.

· The first county jail was erected on the road between Sparta and Brooklyn.

· The first settler in what is now the Brooklyn community was a man named Cameron, who established a ferry across the Sepulga River.

· In 1820, Edwin Robinson of Brooklyn, Conn. bought out Cameron’s ferry business, opened a store and named the community Brooklyn after his hometown.

· The first boat “sailed” on the Conecuh and Sepulga rivers got underway in 1821 and is believed to have belonged to George Stoneham.

· The first gin-house in the county was built in 1822 at Burnt Corn. The first frame house built in the county was built by Captain Hayes at Burnt Corn.

· The first school ever instituted in Conecuh County was established by John Greene Sr.

· The first mail route that penetrated any portion of Conecuh County was along the Old Federal Road, which divides Conecuh and Monroe counties. The first post office was established at Burnt Corn.

· The first public road built in the county was constructed in 1822 by order of the legislature. Known as the “Old Stage Road,” it ran from Cahaba, through Old Turnbull and Belleville, to Pensacola.

· In 1823, another courthouse was built at Sparta by a man named Simmons of Tallahassee, Fla. The local Masonic fraternity gave him $500 to add a lodge room and attic above the ground floor. In 1866, the county courthouse was moved from Sparta to Evergreen.

· The first chairman of the Board of Trustees for Evergreen Academy was the Rev. Alexander Travis. Evergreen Academy was established in 1840.

· The first tannery in the county was established in January 1844 near Belleville by J.R. Hawthorne and John H. Farnham. It furnished leather to not only Conecuh County, but also to all the counties surrounding Conecuh County.

· The county’s probate court was established in 1850, and A.D. Cary was the county’s first probate judge.

· The county’s first newspaper was established at Sparta in 1856 under the management of editors Witter and McGinnis.

· The first telegraphic line in the county was established in 1858 and ran from Greenville to Mobile with an office located in Evergreen.

· What eventually became the L&N Railroad began operations in the county in 1859, running from Montgomery to Pensacola through Evergreen.

· The first train depot in Castleberry was established in 1861 by John M. Henderson.

In the end, if you’re interested in reading this book for yourself, you can purchase nice, hardbound copies of it from the Evergreen-Conecuh County Public Library for $28 each. For more information, contact Sherry Johnston at the library at 578-2670.