Wilcox County's Bellview community was once a thriving crossroads village

Wilcox County's Bellview Crossroads

I enjoy looking at old Wilcox County newspapers and reading news from communities that were once much larger than they are today. One such community is Bellview, a once-thriving crossroads village located just north of the Monroe County line, not far from Hybart and Vredenburgh. According to historical records, “downtown” Bellview was located about a mile and a half from State Highway 41, where County Road 6, County Road 12, McMurphy Road and Piney Woods Road all run together.

According to the book “Place Names in Alabama” by Virginia O. Foscue, Bellview’s name was probably derived from the French word “belle,” which means “beautiful,” with “view” added to the end. Other sources say that an earlier name for the community was “Sallie.” The Bellview post office was established in 1907 but was discontinued in 1931.

I was out riding around on Friday and took a few minutes to explore the old Bellview community. When you arrive at the crossroads, there’s nothing much to see there now but a few residences off in the distance and fields dotted with the occasional shooting house. Visitors to this once sizeable community will notice a tall, gnarled oak that stands watch over a pair of signs that directs travelers down McMurphy Road to Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church

This church was founded in 1895, and I’ve seen it marked on many old maps. I struck off down McMurphy Road to see this historic church for myself and found it three-tenths of a mile from the Bellview crossroads. Those who have seen this church for themselves will know that it’s a stately old church with a tall steeple that towers high above the surrounding fields.

Also on the church grounds, you’ll find a large, iron bell that harkens back to a time when it tolled the start of services years and years ago. I examined this bell closely on Friday, but could find no clue as to when and where it was manufactured. I did notice a long, white rope attached to its clapper, and the rope’s clean look indicated to me that this bell is still used from time to time.

From there, I headed back to the crossroads and decided to travel up County Road 12. A sign said “Bridge Out 1.2 Miles Ahead,” so I figured I’d go at least as far as the bridge and turn around. The bridge spans McCalls Creek, and when it came in sight, I spotted a crew of hardhat-wearing workmen busy replacing the bridge.

I turned around and on the way back to the crossroads, I stopped for a few minutes at the Dees Family Cemetery, which isn’t far from McCalls Creek. I’d estimate that this old cemetery contains about 30 graves, and the oldest that I saw was the grave of Cora Dees, who departed this world in 1905. As you would imagine, most of the graves there were those of the Dees family, but others there included Finkleas, Freemans, Hannons, Johnsons and Robinsons.

Closing the cemetery gate behind me, I got back in my truck and headed towards Bellview on County Road 12. Not far from the graveyard, just off the side of the road, I spotted a lone, red brick chimney sticking up out of the underbrush, the remnants of a house destroyed by some long ago fire. Just as I passed this peculiar landmark, a large doe and a yearling bolted across the road in front of me on their way to pressing business elsewhere.

Back at the crossroads, I cut south on County Road 6 and had not traveled far when I spotted what looked like an old store on the west side of the highway. Beside it was what looked like the remnants of an old barn or warehouse. Behind this appeared to be an old, shortstack grain silo with a weathered tin roof.

In the old days, post offices were often housed inside community stores. Had I stumbled across the remains of the old Bellview post office? As far as I could tell from my vantage point on the road, there were no signs to indicate what these old buildings were once used for.

A little farther down County Road 6, I came to a short bridge over what I believe to be an unnamed tributary of Tallatchee Creek. There were no cars in sight, so I stopped on the bridge and noticed that the beavers had been hard at work. I could see a stout dam not far from the bridge, causing the sluggish waters of the creek to pool and spread on the east side of the road.

A glance at my watch told me it was time to head home, and on the way there my thoughts were filled with what I’d seen in Bellview. What had the community been like years ago when many more people lived there? What would they think of the community today? In the end, it’s hard to say, but I’d like to hear from anyone in the reading audience with more information about Bellview’s history. No doubt there is much more than meets the eye when it comes to the history of this once-thriving community in southern Wilcox County.