Old town of Yellow Bluff was once located on the Alabama River miles away from present location

One of the nicest drives in Wilcox County is the stretch of State Highway 10 that runs between Camden and Pine Hill. Last Friday afternoon, I found myself traveling through this part of the county, and I eventually came into the town of Yellow Bluff. It had been some time since I’d last been through Yellow Bluff, so I slowed down for a closer look.

Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church

I eventually pulled over in front of the Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, which is located across the highway from the International Paper mill. This stately red-brick church was established in 1878 and was remodeled in 2002. According to the building’s cornerstone, the Rev. E.L. Handy and the Rev. S. George were the church’s first pastors.

As log trucks rumbled by on Highway 10, I took a few minutes to walk through the cemetery next door to the church. Just eye-balling it, I’d say this old cemetery contains at least a hundred graves, many of which date back to the early days of the town’s history. Family names like Bennett, Chapman, Clancy, Johnson, Nicholson and others can be found throughout the cemetery.

As I climbed back into my truck, I recalled what I’d read about Yellow Bluff’s early history. Sources say that the town was originally located a few miles from its current location on a bluff that overlooked the Alabama River. It was called “Yellow Bluff” because of the unique color of the soil at this earlier location.

When logging operations ramped up in the early 1900s, the town moved closer to the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad. A post office was established at Yellow Bluff in 1878, but closed in 1966. According to the Alabama League of Municipalities, the town of Yellow Bluff was officially incorporated on June 7, 1985.

I’ve also seen references to an old river crossing called Yellow Bluff Ferry, which can be found on maps dating back as far as 1916. This ferry, which carried travelers back and forth across this river, was apparently located near the old town site. No doubt in its heyday it was an important place for many travelers, but like almost all of the old river ferries, the Yellow Bluff ferry has faded into the forgotten pages of history.

Because of the river and all of the creeks at Yellow Bluff, ancient Indians lived in this area for centuries before settlers and pioneers arrived. For whatever reason, these Indians usually lived on the west side of the river, and I’ve read tales of how soldiers would avoid the Yellow Bluff area in the old days because it was so dangerous. This would have been in the early 1800s, before Alabama became a state, back when most of the soldiers in this part of the world were based out of Fort Claiborne down in Monroe County.

In the end, I’d like to hear from anyone in the reading audience with more information about the history of Yellow Bluff. I’m especially interested in any old ghost stories, folk tales or local legends from this area, so if you know of anything along those lines, please let me know. I’m also interested in any information about old Indian mounds or village sites in this part of the county, so please reach out to me if you know of any places like this.