Singleton writes of 'huge' Indian mound northwest of Claiborne, Ala.

Map showing where Limestone Creek enters Alabama River.

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Indian mound along the river served one of several purposes” was originally published in the July 15, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

Traveling west along Limestone Creek near the point where it flows into the Alabama River, one will find a huge manmade earthen mound. Constructed during the prehistoric Indian occupation of this area, the mound measures about 100x40 feet. It is about 18 feet high at its uppermost point.

The mound is well preserved, probably because of its location and the fact that the top is covered with timber. The trees and undergrowth that cover the mound cause it to blend in with the rest of the countryside, thus causing many to pass it by without noticing it.

The mound probably was used as an observation point or for escaping high water of the river during flooding.

It was also custom to place the dwelling of the chief or medicine man upon a mound so that he would be on a higher level than the rest of the village.

This type of mound is quite common in southwestern Alabama. There is evidence that some of these manmade hills were used for burials. Many of the mounds that have been excavated have yielded evidence of this. This method is still followed today to a certain degree. A shortage of real estate was no problem for the prehistoric citizen of this area.

Taking everything into consideration, this form of burial was not a bad idea. A modern day census shows that we now have more land in cemeteries than we have in public recreation parks.

Many baskets of soil and a lot of back-breaking labor went into the making of this mound. The use of the primitive tools with which the early Indians had to work added to the struggle and the hard life of the early citizen of that era.

(This column was also accompanied by an aerial photo by Aaron White that carried the following caption: Dotted line marks location of Indian mound where Limestone Creek spills into the Alabama River.)

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born during a late-night thunderstorm on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1946, served as a U.S. Marine paratrooper in the Korean War, worked as a riverboat deckhand, lived for a time among Apache Indians, moved to Monroe County on June 28, 1964 and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from June 28, 1964 to Dec. 14, 1987. For years, Singleton’s columns, titled “Monroe County history – Did you know?” and “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. It’s believed that his first column appeared in the March 25, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)