Historical marker describes Alabama's smallest incorporated town

'Town of Oak Hill' historical marker in Wilcox County.

This week’s featured historical marker is the “TOWN OF OAK HILL” marker in eastern Wilcox County, Ala. The marker is located at the intersection of State Highway 21 and Dale Drive.

This historical marker was erected by the Alabama Tourism Department and the Town of Oak Hill in April 2010. There’s text on both sides of this marker, but both sides are identical. What follows is the complete text from the marker.

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“TOWN OF OAK HILL: Originally known as ‘The Ridge,’ Oak Hill was settled c. 1830 primarily by former South Carolinians. During the early 1800s, Ebenezer Methodist Campground was located here. Due to a malaria outbreak, settlers from nearby Hamburg moved to Oak Hill in the 1840s. In 1856, Bethel Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church was established. A Baptist church was erected in 1910 but disbanded c. 1928. One of the first African-American Lutheran congregations was established at Oak Hill. The Oak Hill Academy, a boarding school for girls, existed here from 1849-1869. In the 1870s, a coeducational school was established which was eventually absorbed into the public school system. The school closed in the 1940s. A post office was established in 1894. Circa 1900, Oak Hill had four general stores, a drug store, gin, blacksmith shop and a Masonic hall. In 1940, Oak Hill was incorporated as a town. Benjamin Meek Miller, Alabama Governor 1931-1935, was born here in 1864. He was known as the ‘sturdy oak of Wilcox.’ In 1998, Oak Hill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.”

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I passed through Oak Hill last Friday afternoon on a trip from Montgomery to Monroeville. Instead of taking the interstate through Evergreen, I took State Highway 21 south from Montgomery, and that highway takes you right through Oak Hill. If you’re traveling south on Highway 21, the marker described above will be on your left as you enter Oak Hill.

Oak Hill is a small, but neat little town, and if you’ve never been there, check it out sometime. With a population of around 40, it’s the smallest incorporated town in all of Alabama. Located 14 miles southeast of Camden, the county seat of Wilcox County, Oak Hill also supplied a number of military volunteers when Alabama seceded from the Union. It’s said that five of those soldiers died during the war.

I was interested to read that Oak Hill had once been the home to a sizable Masonic lodge. I didn’t spend a lot of time in Oak Hill on Friday, but I didn’t see the old lodge building when I passed town. The building's either not there any more, or I just missed it. Currently, the only active Masonic lodges in Wilcox County are located in Camden and Pine Hill. For more information about Oak Hill, visit www.oakhillal.com.

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.