Landmarks harken back to the heyday of Monroe County's old Hybart community

Old U.S. Post Office at Hybart, Alabama.

The old Hybart community is located in northern Monroe County, between Tallatchee Creek and the Wilcox County line. Most maps show “downtown” Hybart to be located at the intersection of State Highway 41 and Monroe County Road 56, not far from the Alabama & Gulf Coast Railroad. From the Courthouse Square in Monroeville, it’s about 26-1/2 road miles to Hybart.

Most sources agree that Hybart takes its name from James Willis Hybart, who was named postmaster when the community’s post office first opened in 1926. Other sources say that the community was named after French Huguenot, Dr. Henry Hugh Hybart. Dr. Hybart, a War of 1812 veteran, died in Monroe County in 1846.

On my way up to Wilcox County the other day, I found myself passing through Hybart and decided to take a few minutes to visit some of its old landmarks. I first stopped at the Tallatchee Creek Bridge on Highway 41 for a closer look at this sizeable creek, which flows into the Alabama River just up from the Bells Landing boat ramp. As I stood there, I remembered tales of people finding ancient seashells and old Indian artifacts along the banks of this meandering creek.

The name of the creek itself is derived from two old Muskogee Indian words. Sources say that “Tallatchee” is a compound word made up of the Indian words “italua” and “hatchi.” Respectively, these words mean “settlement” and “river.”

From the creek, I eased up Highway 41 and then cut east onto County Road 56. A short distance later, I pulled over at the old Gaines Grocery store, which is located next door to a small wooden structure that bears a sign reading “US POST OFFICE.” Many will remember when this store was known as McGraw’s Store, and some of the community’s older residents may remember when Hybart’s post office closed for good in 1976, just a month or so shy of the 50^th anniversary of its establishment.

From there, I crossed over the railroad tracks, turned north on McMurphy Road and eased up to the Wayman Chapel Cemetery. This cemetery is one of the most remote in Monroe County and looks to contain about 150 graves. The oldest that I saw belonged to a woman named Annice Dortch, who passed away in 1915 at the age of 26.

The Wayman Chapel AME Church itself is a little farther down McMurphy Road and sits a stone’s throw from the Wilcox County line. This small country church was established in 1895 and features a large, iron bell on its grounds that is apparently still used today. From the looks of this old bell, it has no doubt called worshipers to services at the church for a very long time.

Another prominent church at Hybart is the Pine Flat Missionary Baptist Church, which sits on a hill east of Highway 41, not far from Tallatchee Creek. According to the church’s cornerstone, the church was established in 1913 when J.M. Pritchett was the pastor. The church was later remodeled in the early 1940s.

While there, I took a few minutes to look around the adjacent cemetery, which also looks to contain about 150 graves. This cemetery isn’t as old as the one at Wayman Chapel. The oldest grave that I found at Pine Flat was that of Laura Hunt Conner, who passed away in 1949 at the age of 61.

In the end, let me hear from you if you know any additional information about Hybart’s history. I’m especially interested in any old ghost stories, local legends or Indian lore from this part of the county. If you know of anything along these lines, please let me know so that it can be documented for the future generations to come.