Erie, Alabama
Erie, Alabama | |
---|---|
Ghost town | |
Erie, Alabama Location in Alabama | |
Coordinates: 32°43′3.6″N 87°47′50.24″W / 32.717667°N 87.7972889°WCoordinates: 32°43′3.6″N 87°47′50.24″W / 32.717667°N 87.7972889°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Alabama |
County | Hale |
Elevation | 548 ft (167 m) |
Population | |
• Total | 0 |
Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
GNIS feature ID | 138975[1] |
Erie is a ghost town located in present-day Hale County, Alabama, United States.[1]
Located at the "Erie Bend" on the east bank of the Black Warrior River, the former settlement is approximately 11 mi (18 km) east of Greensboro.[2]
History
Originally located in Greene County, Erie was the first county seat (Erie became part of Hale County in 1867).[3]
Erie was incorporated in 1820, and was a thriving town with stores, a hotel, a jail, and a population of approximately 1,500 who "dwelt in pomp and circumstances with all the bickerings and intrique (sic), the ambitions, love and hate that surrounds a prosperous town".[4][5]
Erie became a shipping point for cotton headed to Mobile, and the hauling of cotton by wagon gave employment to a number of professional teamsters.[5]
Decline
Several factors led to a decision to move the county seat to Eutaw in 1838.[3] Erie had "little and bad water and a muddy location", and was not centrally located.[6] As well, during the late 1830s, Yellow fever spread through Erie, and the settlement experienced flooding.[3]
No longer the county seat, Erie was soon abandoned, with the last remaining home destroyed by fire in 1933.[3]
The former settlement is now located on private property, and a few stones and bricks can be found there.[3] The Erie Cemetery is located a short distance east.[7]
Notable people
- Thomas H. Herndon, elected to Alabama House of Representatives and United States House of Representatives.[8]
References
- 1 2 "Erie (historical)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
- ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Erie Bend
- 1 2 3 4 5 Causey, Donna R. (October 29, 2015). "Erie Was Once a Vibrant Town of 1,500 and County Seat of Greene County, Alabama – Now Nothing Remains and it is in Hale County". Alabamapioneers.com.
- ↑ "Second Generation". Monnett Genealogy. Retrieved March 2016. Check date values in:
|access-date=
(help) - 1 2 Yerby, William Edward Wadsworth (1908). History of Greensboro, Alabama from its Earliest Settlement. Paragon Press. pp. 25, 27.
- ↑ "Green County First Towns". Greene County, Alabama GenWeb. Retrieved March 2016. Check date values in:
|access-date=
(help) - ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Erie Cemetery
- ↑ Memorial Addresses on the Life and Character of Thomas H. Herndon (a Representative from Alabama). U.S. Government Printing Office. 1884. pp. 25, 26.