A month-by-month guide to enjoying Wilcox County history in 2020

The Wilcox Female Institute in Camden, Ala.

This week’s paper marks the first edition of 2020 and during a time when many readers are making their New Year’s resolutions, there’s no better time to think about the interesting things you can do in the coming year. Wilcox County is blessed with a wide variety of interesting places, especially for people who enjoy local history. Here’s a month-by-month list of places you might want to explore during the year to come.

January: Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year falls on Jan. 20, and this is a good time to take a field trip to the historic Antioch Baptist Church in Camden. King spoke to large crowds at this church at least twice during the mid-1960s. Listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage, this church was founded in 1870.

February: When you think about February, it’s hard not to think about Valentine’s Day, and there’s no better time to take your significant other to dinner at one of our fine local restaurants. More than a few of these restaurants are located in historic buildings, including Gaines Ridge and The Pecan on Broad.

March: The month of March provides us with one of the county’s top annual events, the Wilcox County Tour of Homes. Hosted by the Wilcox Historical Society, this year’s tour of homes is scheduled for March 28 and features some of the most historic buildings in the entire county, including River Bluff Plantation, Liberty Hall, the First Presbyterian Church and others. If you love local history, this is a “must do” event.

April: Easter is the top holiday in April, and many of our local churches will see big crowds on that day. The fine spring weather of April will provide you with the chance to visit many of the county’s historic churches. Those that I’d recommend checking out are the Ackerville Baptist Church of Christ, the Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church in Camden and Bethel Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church at Oak Hill.

May: Memorial Day this year falls on May 25, so take the time to visit the grave of a servicemember who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. Cemeteries throughout the county are home to the graves of numerous servicemembers who died on foreign soil, and the least we can do is take the time to remember them. Better yet, take some flowers to place on their grave.

June: The first official day of summer this year is June 20, and there are few better ways to while away the long, hot summer days than with a good book, especially one written by a local author. I highly recommend “With a Southern Accent” by Gastonburg native Viola Liddell and “Marbles” by Camden native Oxford Stroud. Another great book that you’ll want to read is “Lummie Jenkins: The Unarmed Sheriff of Wilcox County” by Delynn Jenkins Holloran.

July: Independence Day is the top holiday in July and this July the 4^th, you might want to check out the burial sites of the county’s Revolutionary War veterans. Wilcox County was settled by more than a few Revolutionary War soldiers, and their graves aren’t hard to find if you know where to look. Two of the easiest to visit are the graves of George Fluker and Hugh Gaston, whose grave markers can be found in the Gastonburg Cemetery.

August: School bells will be ringing as local students return to class for the new school year, and the month of August is a good time to visit some of the county’s historic school buildings. Those that I would recommend include Moore Academy at Pine Apple, the Prairie Mission campus near Miller’s Ferry and the Snow Hill Institute campus at Snow Hill. Of course, in Camden, it’s hard to beat the Wilcox Female Institute, which serves as the headquarters for the Wilcox Historical Society.

September: Labor Day this year falls on Sept. 7, and there is no better time to visit one of the county’s top parks. Top of the list are Roland Cooper State Park and the Millers Ferry Campground. Also, why not hop a ride on the Gee’s Bend Ferry and go check out the Chilatchee Creek Campground at Gee’s Bend?

October: Thanks to Halloween, October is the spookiest month of the year, and it’s prime time to check out some of the county’s supposedly haunted locations. Those that I would recommend are the Old Castro Tree in Camden, Gaines Ridge in Camden and Institute Creek at Snow Hill. Of course, it’s hard to top the Purifoy-Lipscomb House at Furman, which is featured in Kathryn Tucker Windham’s book, “13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey.”

November: Veterans Day and Thanksgiving are the two biggest holidays in the month of November, so why not kill two birds with one stone? Take the time to visit the Wilcox County Veterans Monument in Camden and thank a veteran for their service. Dedicated in 2005, the monument honors all persons from Wilcox County who served in the nation’s armed forces.

December: Christmas 2020 will be here before you know it, and the best place to find a unique gift is Black Belt Treasures in Camden. This non-profit opened in 2005 and features goods made by a wide variety of regional artists and craftsmen. They’ve also got a great selection of local-interest books.

In the end, I hope everyone reading this has a safe and prosperous new year. Also, if you can think of a cool Wilcox County “field trip” that I didn’t mention above, shoot me an e-mail and let me know. I’m always looking for new ideas, and thanks to the newspaper’s loyal readers, I never have a shortage.