Historical marker describes 1865 Union encampment at Canoe Station

Canoe Station Historical Marker in Escambia County, Ala.

This week’s featured historical marker is the “CANOE STATION” marker on U.S. Highway 31, between Atmore and Flomaton. This marker is located on the south side of U.S. Highway 31, in front of the gas station between Hill Street and Baker Street.

This marker was erected in 2007 by area residents, the William Carney Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the Alabama Historical Association. There’s text on both sides of this marker, but both sides say the same thing. What follows is the complete text from the marker.

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“CANOE STATION: Settled by A.J. Hall in 1852 and occupied by Confederate troops because of its value as a railroad stop during the War Between the States (1861-65), Canoe was the site of a March 27, 1865 encampment of Union forces. The 1870s brought expansion through the A.M. Lowery sawmill. The Farrar, Lowrey, Stanton, Watson and other stores prospered (1890s-1950s). Schools educated the young and the L&N Railroad provided passengers service (1890-1960s).

“The mineral springs was a social center and water was bottled and shipped from the site (early 1900s). WPA employed residents during the Great Depression (1930s). Local sons fought in WWII (1941-45). Many businesses had closed by the mid-1960s as larger commercial centers attracted Canoe’s residents.”

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I’ve always found Canoe interesting because of its Civil War history. As mentioned above, Union troops numbering around 10,000 used Canoe as a camp in March 1865. From there, they marched on Fort Blakely in Baldwin County, where one of the last battles of the war was fought.

If you’re interested in reading more about Canoe’s Civil War history as well as the history of the surrounding area, I highly recommend that you read two books by Civil War writer, Kevin McKinley – “Shadows and Dust: The Journal of the Confederate Experience in Northwest Florida and Southwest Alabama” and “Shadows and Dust, Vol. II: More Stories from the Confederate South.” These books are well written, well researched and are great resources for anyone wanting to know more about the history of the area.

I encountered this historical marker several months ago while out riding the back roads of Escambia County, Ala. This marker is one of several in this area, including markers in nearby Atmore and further east at Pollard and Flomaton. If you’re ever in the area, be sure to check those out as well.

Geocachers in the reading audience might like to pay Canoe a visit as well. There’s at least one geocache within a short drive of this marker, in addition to those in Atmore and across the state line in Florida. By my count, there are nearly 25 geocaches within just a short drive of the “Canoe Station” historical marker, and even more in larger cities like Brewton and Flomaton.

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.