_William POWELL _____+
| (1530 - ....) m 1555
_Richard POWELL _____|
| (1560 - ....) m 1582|
| |_ ELIZABETH _________
| (1535 - ....) m 1555
|
|--Johes
|
| _____________________
| |
|_Elizabeth __________|
m 1582 |
|_____________________
[1440]
!WILLIAM CARTER FAMILY ORGANIZATION % Mary Ann Carter Smith
!WILLIAM CARTER FAMILY ORGANIZATION % Mary Ann Carter Smith
_James BULLOCK ___________+
| (.... - 1833) m 1779
_Thomas BULLOCK _____|
| (1779 - 1856) m 1806|
| |_Isabel CALDER ___________+
| m 1779
|
|--James BULLOCK
| (1806 - 1850)
| _William BOAL OR (BOYLE) _+
| | (1759 - ....) m 1779
|_Janet BOYLE ________|
(.... - 1839) m 1806|
|_Cathrine HENDRY _________+
m 1779
[485]
!James came with his family from Scotland to Canada in 1820 and they settled in Hopetown. He married Mary Hill at Lanark, Ontario. They went to Nauvoo, Illinois in October 1842 with a large family and left with the Mormons for Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1847.
JAMES BULLOCK
(1806-1850)
JAMES BULLOCK, son of Thomas Bullock and Janet Boal (Boyle) was born 16 Nov 1806, Kirkintillock, Dumbartonshire, Scotland; christened 23 Nov 1806, Campsie, Stirling, Scotland; married 28 Mar 1836, MARY HILL, at Tosorontio Township, Simcoe Co., Ontario, Canada; died 10 Aug 1850, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah; buried Aug 1850, Salt Lake cemetery, Salt Lake County, Utah.
James Bullock emigrated with his father's family to Canada in the Spring of 1821. Five hundred Scottish emigrants came to Canada on this ship, which was lost the next year. James and his parents settled at Hopetown, Essa Township, Simcoe Co., Ontario. Here they engaged in clearing the forest, farming, and making maple sugar. When James was in his thirtieth year he married Mary Hill, who had emigrated to Canada in the same ship as James. James and Mary purchased property in Essa Township, where their first three children were born.
In 1840 Samuel Lake came as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He preached in Toronto and in Tosorontio Township, Simcoe Co., Ont. James and Mary were soon converted. They were baptized 1 Apr 1840; and became members of the Essa Branch. In the year 1841, James and his little family, and his brother William, left Canada for the United States. They arrived at Nauvoo, Ill., early in Sept 1841. James worked on the Nauvoo House and Nauvoo Temple until the winter of 1845-46. James and Mary saw and heard the Prophet Joseph Smith, and his brother, Hyrum, preach on many occasions.
On 27 Jun 1844 the Prophet Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith were murdered in Carthage by a gang of 150 to 200 ruffians, disguised and painted black. On 8 Aug 1844 a special meeting of the Church was held at Nauvoo, Illinois. Sidney Rigdon asserted his rights to the Presidency of the Church, by reason of his having served as first counselor to Joseph Smith. The twelve apostles, through their President, Brigham Young, also asserted their right to lead the Church. This latter claim was recognized by the unanimous vote of the assembled congregation. James and Mary were at this meeting, and they saw the mantle of Joseph Smith fall upon Brigham Young. They heard Brigham Young preach with the voice of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his countenance appeared as that of the Prophet.
At this time James and Mary were suffering persecution at the hands of the Gentiles in the surrounding country. They were earnestly seeking the destruction of the Saints, and longed to possess their homes and hard-earned property. The Saints made an exodus from Nauvoo in the Spring of 1846. James and Mary made this long, tedious journey with Orson Spencer's family, which consisted of his wife and six children. Catherine Curtis, the mother of these six children was delicate, and was not able to endure the hardships. She died on 12 Mar 1846, at Indian Creek, Keosauqua, on the Iowa plains, and was buried by the wayside. James and Mary gladly served as foster parents to the six small Spencer children. They arrived at Winter Quarters, (now Florence, Nebraska), late in the autumn of 1846. They made preparations for the approaching winter. Orson Spencer was soon called as a missionary to England, and left his children in charge of James and Mary. Through the lack of food, fever, and other sicknesses, they endured many hardships during their stay at Winter Quarters.
James and his family, and the Spencer children, remained at Winter Quarters until the Spring of 1848. They commenced to make preparations for their journey westward. President Brigham Young and Isaac Morley organized a number of companies of 50 to 100 wagons each. Brigham Young was Superintendent of all the Camps of Israel, and Daniel H. Wells was his Aid-de-camp. On 2 June 1848 preparations were complete, and the saints began their arduous journey to Salt Lake City. The journey across the plains took nearly four months. They arrived at Salt Lake City on 20 Sept 1848.
James settled his family at 544 South State Street, where he built a neat one-story adobe house. This home stood for over 80 years. James was a farmer and acquired land at Mill creek in southeastern Salt Lake Valley. On one occasion he was cradling wheat on his farm. A sudden storm of rain and hail arose. There was no nearby shelter, and James became wet and chilled. He soon became ill with pneumonia. On 10 Aug 1850 he died leaving Mary with four small children.
The character of James Bullock and some of their pioneer problems are recorded in the life sketch of Aurilia Spencer as follows: "When our father, Orson Spencer, left for a three year mission in 1846, leaving us in charge of James Bullock and Mary Hill, his wife, they looked after our interest the same as their own. The Bullock cabin that faces ours was only a few feet from it so they could hear and watch us. When the weather was cold and stormy and we couldn't go out, the Bullock family would come over and play school, spelling classes, and sit around the fire telling stories.
"During the scurvy epidemic the Bullock family lost two children, and many times went hungry having nothing to eat but a little corn meal mixed with water.
"In a letter to the Spencer children our father wrote, 'I know you have the best of friends in Brother and Sister James Bullock, who will spare no pains for your comfort. I trust I shall never forget them in word or deed. I hope Brother Bullock will not be discouraged for better days are coming. I was very deeply affected when I learned of the death of the two Bullock children, and tell dear James and Mary I deeply mourn with them for their serious loss. I hope they will not be discouraged or murmur at the dealings of God or rather what he suffers to take place. Though He slay us, we should trust Him and all will be right. You say Brother Bullock works hard and does all he can for you, and that you live in terms of peace. I know he had a great charge upon him and that the faithful man shall not lose his reward, I have perfect confidence James will manage all your affairs well, and counsel you in the best manner. I want you to hearken to Brother Bullock and be kind to Alexander. I am very thankful you have such good friends and neighbors. May God bless them for their kindness to my motherless children.'"
James Bullock was one of the thousands of pioneers who paved the way for the establishment of Zion in the West. He endured many pioneer hardships, but remained faithful and true to the Church. He has left a numerous and growing posterity; many who are prominent in the Church and in business, civic and professional activities. It has been indeed a pleasure for the author to trace the ancestry and large posterity of James Bullock and Mary Hill.
Kenneth C. Bullock
[2817] From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
_Patrick DONALD _____+
| (1690 - ....) m 1714
_Patrick DONALD _____|
| (1720 - ....) |
| |_Helen HUTTON _______
| (1694 - ....) m 1714
|
|--Rollins DONALD
| (1756 - ....)
| _George TANOCHIE ____+
| | (1691 - ....) m 1718
|_Jean TANOCHIE ______|
(1722 - ....) |
|_Jean CHRISTIE ______+
(1690 - ....) m 1718
[1027]
!CHRISTENING: Scottish Church Records - 1995 Edition - Version 1.00
Batch: C113434 Source: 1040077
_William FAUNTLEROY _+
| (1562 - 1625)
_John FAUNTLEROY ____|
| (1588 - 1644) m 1609|
| |_Frances FAUNTLEROY _
| (1564 - 1638)
|
|--Moore FAUNTLEROY
| (1636 - ....)
| _____________________
| |
|_Phoebe WILKINSON ___|
(1587 - 1629) m 1609|
|_____________________
[2942] From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
_John GRANT _________+
| (1661 - ....) m 1685
_John GRANT _________|
| (1685 - ....) |
| |_Christian GRANT ____
| (1664 - ....) m 1685
|
|--Patrick GRANT
| (1699 - 1737)
| _____________________
| |
|_____________________|
|
|_____________________
_James RANKIN _______
|
_James RANKIN _______|
| m 1729 |
| |_Isobel TENNENT _____
|
|
|--Jean RANKIN
|
| _____________________
| |
|_Helen EWING ________|
m 1729 |
|_____________________
__
|
_Jacob RISOR ________|
| |
| |__
|
|
|--Arthur RISOR
| (1790 - 1854)
| __
| |
|_____________________|
|
|__
[1115]
!updated from family record of Marva C. Brown; age 60 in 1850 on 1850 Census in Autauga County, living in Wetumpka [later became Elmore County].
1850 U.S. Census Wetumpka, Autauga, Alabama:
RISOR, ARTHUR 60 M W FARMER 0 SC 39A
RISOR, RACHAEL 55 F W 0 SC 39A
RISOR, JOHN 20 M W FARMER 0 AL 39A
RISOR, JULIA A 17 F W 0 AL 39A
RISOR, JACOB 14 M W 0 AL 39A
RISOR, ELIZA A 17 F W 0 AL 39A
RISOR, SUSAN A.L. 9 F W 0 AL 39A
Database: Alabama Land Records Viewing records 1-1 of 1 January 2, 2002 4:04 PM
RISOR, ARTHUR
Land Office: CAHABA Sequence #:
Document Number: 30539 Total Acres: 40
Misc. Doc. Nr.: Signature: Yes
Canceled Document: No Issue Date: August 12, 1837
Mineral Rights Reserved: No Metes and Bounds: No
Survey Date: Statutory Reference: 3 Stat. 566
Multiple Warantee Names: No Act or Treaty: April 24, 1820
Multiple Patentee Names: No Entry Classification: Sale-Cash Entries
Legal Land Description:
#Aliquot Parts Block # Base Line Fractional Section Township Range Section #
1 SENE ST STEPHENS No 19N 17E 22
Autauga Genealogical Society P. O. Box 680668 Prattville, Alabama 36068-0668
Home
1860 Autauga County
Autauga County History
Autauga County is located in the central part of Alabama, wholly within the coastal plain. The county has also held a central role in the Indian or aboriginal history of the state, its political history, agricultural history, and early industrial development. It is bounded on the north side by Chilton County, south by Lowndes County, east by Elmore County and Montgomery County, and west by Dallas County.
Historians agree that the name "Autauga" comes from the Creek Indian language. However, there are many differing opinions on its meaning. Autauga may mean "plenty," "land of plenty," "pure water," "border," or "corn dumpling." Each definition has its supporters. Whatever the meaning of the word, the county was named for the Indian town, Atagi, which was located on the western bank of the Alabama River where Atagi (now Autauga) Creek joined the river. These Indians were members of the Alibamo tribe who once inhabited the county. The site of this Indian village and stream would continue to be significant throughout Autauga County's history.
Early settlers entered Autauga County after the Creek Indian War terminated in 1814 with the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. They sought farmland and homesteads in the fertile soil of the area. The influx of settlers resulted in the formation of Alabama Territory separate from Mississippi in 1817. Seven counties were formed with St. Stephens becoming the capitol. The area was originally part of Montgomery County, but the territorial legislature at St. Stephens created the new county of Autauga on November 21, 1818. Alabama became the 22nd state on December 14, 1819. Autauga is thus a county older than the state. By Act of December 13, 1820 its borders in the north and northwest were enlarged. The borders of Old Autauga reached from Wetumpka and the Coosa River on the east, to near Clanton on the north.
The Act that created Autauga County provided that for the time being court should be held at Jackson's Mill on Autauga Creek. However, the legislation also contained the traditional escape clause of that era. If there was a lack of necessary buildings for holding of court at Jackson's Mill, then court could "adjourn to such other places contiguous thereto as may seem proper." Little is known of this first court site.
On November 22, 1819, one year and one day after the county was created, the territorial legislature appointed Robert Gaston, Zachariah Pope, Alex R. Hutchinson, Alsey Pollard and Zacchaus Powell to select a site for the permanent county seat of Autauga County. The five commissioners were also authorized to contract for and supervise the construction of a courthouse, jail and public pillory. Finally, the commissioners received authorization to purchase up to 40 acres for the public buildings of the county and they were allowed payment of $15 each for their services.
Meanwhile, the former Indian village of Atagi had been abandoned and by 1817 was overgrown in peach and plum trees. In 1817 white settlers established the town of Washington on the Atagi site. This town was named for George Washington and would also be known as Washington Ferry due to the river crossing at that point.
A group of investors had purchased land at this location at various government land sales. This land syndicate, consisting of Captain J. P. House, General Thomas Woodward, and Dr. Alexander Hutchinson, offered to give Autauga County land for the courthouse and jail if the courthouse were located at Washington. The commissioners accepted this offer and Washington became the first permanent county seat. Moulton and Murphy constructed a brick courthouse between 1820 and 1821. The woodwork was done by Mount, a northern man. Capt. House erected the first hotel. The first Circuit Court held in Washington was in that hotel, in the fall of 1820, before the courthouse was completed. The jail was built by Thomas Keith and was constructed of hewed logs and built double. A key supposedly to this jail was plowed up in the early 1950s on the farm of Oscar Jones.
The first settlers were John Mathews and sons, Wade Cox, his son-in-law, Kitchens, Holbrooks, Charles Rush, Abe Graham, David Goss, Moulton, Murphy and others. Edwin Fay was one of the early attorneys and also taught school. The first merchants were Lynch and Ted Robinson, Pickett and Lot Porter, Holbrooks and Doster. Wade Cox was proprietor of the tavern and operated the ferry. The first physicians were Hutchinson and Edwards. Rev. Mark Howard was an early Methodist minister who preached out of his home before any churches were established. The first sheriff of Autauga County was Capt. J. P. House. He was appointed by Gov. William Wyatt Bibb and re-elected by the people after his first term. His deputies were Benjamin Fitzpatrick and William H. House.
The first county judge was a man named Ashby, who lived one and a half miles below Washington, in the vicinity of Phil Fitzpatrick, who represented the county at that time. The next county judge was Ed Terry, the third was Alvin A. McWhorter, who held the office until the county seat or courthouse was changed to Kingston, he then resigned and Henly Brown, who was then clerk, was appointed judge in his place in 1832. He was elected twice by the legislature to that office and was elected Probate Judge by the people, at every election until 1862, when on account of his health he retired from public life. G. W. Benson was elected to fill the office.
The first jury at Washington met on April 12, 1820. This jury was presided over by John A. Elmore, Sr., who was chief justice of the Court of Justices of the Peace. He had fought in the Revolutionary War and moved to Alabama in 1819. Elmore was a resident of the eastern portion of Autauga County and was prominent in Alabama politics. He died in 1834. When Autauga County was subdivided on February 15, 1866, the new county created was named Elmore in his honor.
For a time Washington rivaled Montgomery politically, socially and industrially. Its population was also greater. Although little theaters and such forms of entertainment may seem of recent origin, such is not the case, as the act of the legislature which incorporated Washington allowed puppet shows to be one of the two taxable items in the town.
According to Tanner's Post Route, map of 1833, there were five post offices in Autauga County. These were Coosada, Washington, Vernon, Independence, and Statesville. Today Washington and Vernon are ghost towns. Coosada still exists in a small way in Elmore County. The others too are now but small hamlets.
Until 1866 the eastern boundary of Autauga County extended to the Coosa River, so Coosada (Koasati) Indian town site was in this county. Dr. William Wyatt Bibb, the newly appointed governor of the territory in 1818, selected this place to settle. According to the plat of the town, the first property owners were: D. H. Mayhew, Ross A. Pope, John D. Bibb, John McRhea, Bolling Hall, J. B. Clopton, Ann T. Robinson, Mary W. Bibb, Mr. Reese, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Dudley, Mr. Bradford and a square conveyed to Governor Bibb in trust for the "Trustees of the Academy." Today at least half of this square is in the river as the map shows the spring at the ferry landing in the center of the square, whereas now the river bank has caved and the spring is at the water's edge.
Front Street in Coosada fronted the Alabama River. There were East, Water, Center, Court, Spring and Dock Streets. The squares were two lots wide by four lots long. Each lot was six poles square. The streets were five poles wide. At the site the river flows almost west so the town was north of the river. New Coosada, where the Bibb homestead was located and where the Halls and Jacksons subsequently lived, is back a mile from the river. The Lewis family and several other Georgians settled in this latter locality.
Vernon Landing as the place was generally called, was a noted steamboat stop of the former days. It was located on a great bend of the Alabama River, three miles southwest of the present Autaugaville and just above the mouth of Swift Creek. Vernon, like Washington town, is named in honor of George Washington, whose home was Mt. Vernon. The first roadway in the county ran from Washington, through Vernon and on by the mouth of Mulberry Creek to Selma.
One of the most memorable events in the history of the town occurred on the night of May 25, 1826 when sparks from its boiler furnace caught the steamboat "Alabama" on fire and threatened to explode a large quantity of black powder on board. The frightened passengers fled the boat as the crew continued to unload the freight. They managed to clear away most of the cargo before the boat exploded.
The firm of Davis & Perkins operated the first mercantile business at Vernon, with Bullard & Chase arriving soon afterward. Seaborn Mims was the first tavern keeper. "Pickett's Mills", named for Colonel Albert J. Pickett, is on a point near old Vernon bluff. It is located on the creek and not the river, and is said by some to have been the next settlement in the county after Washington. However the Thompson family claims that Will N. Thompson, Sr. made the first permanent settlement, even before Washington was founded, at a place about where Reese's Ferry Bridge (U. S. Highway 31) is today. The growth of Autaugaville, only three miles away, brought about the decline and death of Vernon in 1849.
Another factor in the decline of both Vernon and Washington as commercial and population centers was the sickness that prevailed at all river locations. Families were deterred from building permanently in these areas by the fevers that appeared about the first of July and continued until the frost.
The town of Independence was named in honor of the Declaration of Independence. It was a busy community in 1829 when Will N. Thompson served as its postmaster at a salary of $17.45 per year. When the courthouse moved from Washington to Kingston Mr. Thompson moved to that place and built a tavern, kept public house and a store, remaining there for the remainder of his life. He served as postmaster at Kingston, and at one time occupied the position of Clerk of the County Court. The village of Independence began to decline in 1836 and by 1840 most of the business establishments had left. In that year it was the site of a tan yard, a grocery, a blacksmith, and a woodshop.
Other early communities of note were Statesville which dates from 1829 and Dutch Bend which was settled in about 1820 by families of German descent who had moved here from Orangeburgh District, South Carolina. During the Creek War (1813-14) Dutch Bend became a place of refuge for the Creeks after their defeat at the Holy Ground. Here, William Weatherford's wife, Sapoth Lanie, died two days after the battle. Hamilton on the ridge between Little and Big Mulberry Creeks flourished in 1836, but was short lived. The community of Ezell's Store was opened in 1819 when Mr. Ezell bought in a fine stock of goods from Charleston in a one-horse peddler wagon. Daniel Gordon joined Ezell in 1821 and for many years they operated a pole boat freight service from along the Alabama River from Mobile. In 1825 Mr. Ezell bought three buffalo from a Mexican who had brought a herd of western horses into the county. The experiment of raising buffalo was not a successful one, as he could not keep them penned. They were eventually killed and used for food. Milton was another village which years ago was worthy of attention. Between 1828 and 1830 William Collins, who the following year sold out to John Prince, and he not long afterwards, to William Kirk, opened a store there. For several years the village continued to improve and from 1834 to 1840 was one of the most prosperous villages in Autauga County.
Among the most famous of our early county residents were William Wyatt Bibb, the first governor of Alabama and the only governor of Alabama Territory and Gen. John A. Elmore, already mentioned.
William Railford Pickett came to Autauga County in 1818. He served in both branches of the general assembly and was three times on the presidential electoral ticket of his party.
Albert J. Pickett grew up in Vernon. He is most famous as the state's early historian and author of "History of Alabama", written in 1861.
Other prominent Autauga County residents include Benjamin Fitzpatrick, governor of Alabama at the time of its secession from the Union; Dixon Hall, member of both houses of the legislature; Crawford M. Jackson, a leading citizen and planter, also represented the county in the state constitutional convention. He served as speaker of the House in 1857; and Thomas S. Woodward who came from South Carolina and settled in Washington in 1818. He was president of the Senate.
Washington remained the county seat of Autauga County for approximately ten years. However, as the county grew, dissatisfaction over the courthouse location rose. Washington was located on the southern edge of the county. It was inconvenient to many citizens of the county, some of who lived as far as 40 miles away.
On December 28, 1827, the legislature responded to the dissatisfaction, authorizing an election to be held in August 1828, for the purpose of determining the wishes of the citizens on removal of the courthouse. The actual vote tally of that election is lost to history. However, on December 2, 1830, the legislature again appointed a five-member commission to select a seat of justice. This time the commissioners were charged to select a courthouse site with due regard to "centrality, population, health, and general convenience."
The commissioners chose the town of Kingston, which various sources claim was named for a town in England or one in north Georgia. Kingston was located in the approximate center of Autauga County. It was situated about eight miles northeast of the town of Independence. Although it was at the center of the county, Kingston was not the center of population. One newspaper editor in Wetumpka scornfully referred to it as the "Great Sahara" because of its location in the wilderness. Kingston never really prospered as a county seat. Its population remained quite small. In addition to the county officers there was one "grocery keeper", a tavern keeper and one physician. The actual move of the county seat to Kingston took place in August 1832. Henly Brown, Meshack Holman and Edmund S. Dorgan (judge) were kept busy superintending the removal of the county records, etc. from Washington to the new county seat. William Walker built the courthouse at Kingston at a cost of $6,400.00.
After removal of the courthouse to Kingston, Washington gradually declined and by 1879 was all but deserted. Today all that exists at the site of this once prominent town are the remains of the cemetery. Overgrown with weeds and trees, the few headstones are difficult to read. The large brick walls that surrounded private lots have crumbled and many of the monuments have toppled. The site is on property owned by Union Camp.
Kingston is best known as the old home of General Edmund Shackleford, who was long associated with the State militia and was once in command at Tuskegee, when cooperating with Generals Winfield Scott and James Jessup during the Indian troubles of 1836.
The only historic event of significance to take place in Kingston was a great rally in 1863. The rally was called for the purpose of raising a quota of soldiers from Autauga County for the Confederate Army. A big barbecue was held and a number of patriotic speeches delivered. One of the leaders at this rally who volunteered to equip the soldiers was a transplanted northerner who had arrived in the county only a few years after Kingston was selected county seat. In 1863, he was Alabama's leading industrialist and a very wealthy man. His name was Daniel PrattR
Daniel Pratt, who was born in Temple, New Hampshire in 1799, was an architect and builder by trade. He had moved to Georgia in 1819, eventually winding up in Clinton, Georgia where he managed Samuel Griswold's Gin Factory in 1831. It was here that Pratt learned the manufacture and sales of cotton gins.
In 1832 he persuaded Griswold to build a branch of the factory in central Alabama. However, Griswold changed his mind due to Indian uprisings in the area. Pratt was determined to carry out the plan and purchased material for fifty gins and in 1833 he, his wife and two Negro servants began their journey to Alabama. He settled temporarily on Mortar Creek where he assembled and painted the fifty gins he had brought from Georgia. They sold very quickly to the local planters and Pratt began to look for a more permanent location. He leased a waterpower site on Autauga Creek near Washington, known as McNeil's Mill for five years. For the next five years Pratt produced an average of two hundred gins annually.
Daniel Pratt determined to expand his facilities so in the fall of 1835 he purchased from Joseph May, the present site of Prattville. The two deciding factors in the selection were the availability of waterpower for the mills and the abundance of yellow heart pine for the manufacture of the gins.
Pratt moved the Gin Factory to its present location in 1839 and began to build a town modeled after New England mill towns. The Pratt Gin Company became the largest Gin Factory in the world and the demand was so great that in 1854 a new brick factory was built which had the capacity of 1500 gins annually.
Pratt once stated that his objective was, SRto give employment to as many operatives as means can justify, and to furnish them with educational and religious advantages.T He was a man of his word. He built small, comfortable homes for his workers and provided them with gardens so that they could grow their own food. He built a Methodist church building at a personal cost of $20, 000 and was responsible for the 1858 construction of the Prattville Male and Female Academy.
Other industries established in Prattville prior to 1850 that were connected to Pratt were the sash, door and blind factory, a horse mills factory, machine and blacksmith shops, a tin manufactory, a wagon manufactory, and a flouring mill. The sash, door and blind factory supplied articles for the many fine homes in central and south Alabama. The wagon manufactory became widely known manufacturing wagons, carts, drays, carriages, and buggies. The horse mills factory made mills for grinding corn. The tin manufactory made tin roofs, gutters, cooking utensils and any other kind of tinware. The flouring mill was built in 1840 and had the finest machinery available at that time.
The Prattville Manufacturing Company was, next to the gin factory, the most important factory. It was organized by Pratt and incorporated in 1846. It was to become one of the most successful cotton and woolen mills in the Antebellum South.
A wooden plank road was built from the site of the new village to the docks of Washington on the Alabama River. When it came time to erect signs directing travelers to the new site, the sign painter was about to list the name as "Pratt's Mill", but Amos Smith suggested the name "Prattville" as more appropriate for the emerging town. Daniel Pratt agreed and the town had its name.
As throughout the South, the War Between the States had its effect on Autauga County's economy. Cash was in very short supply. Goods and essentials were cut off by the Northern blockade and industry withered. Agricultural production was totally disrupted by the departure of the counties young men to join the army. Victory by the North meant the end of slavery and the cotton-based economy of the South. Plantations and factories closed. Autauga County's bright future as the center of industry in Alabama fell alongside the young men of the county and their cherished flag.
Following the War Between the States, Autauga County was reduced in area and population. In 1866, Elmore County was created from land taken from eastern Autauga County as well as Coosa, Tallapoosa, and Montgomery counties. In 1868, Baker County, later called Chilton, was created from land taken from northern Autauga County as well as Bibb, Perry, and Shelby counties. The population of Autauga County dropped from 16, 739 in 1860 to 11,623 in 1870.
In the midst of these changes, a movement began to relocate the courthouse. By 1868 Prattville had long since become the real center of wealth, population, and business activity in the county. That year the legislature named it the county seat, leaving Kingston to become nothing more than a ghost town.
Daniel Pratt was unanimously elected the growing townus first mayor, and he served in that office until his death in 1873.
The first courthouse built in Daniel Pratt's town was constructed in 1870 at 147 South Court Street directly across from the creek, dam and industrial complex in Prattville. The building is brick, rectangular, and two stories in height. It has seven windows lengthwise, and three windows along its width. The gabled roof has wide eaves supported by paired scrolled brackets. This building is an example of the Italianate style of architecture. A high-ceilinged courtroom occupied the second floor of the courthouse and county offices were found below. The jail was located behind the courthouse building.
The first Prattville courthouse and jail were sold for $5,000 sometime about 1905, and these proceeds were applied to the cost of the new courthouse and jail. The interior of this 1870 building is now gutted and serves as a warehouse. A service station was added to the west side of the building some time around 1924.
The second and present Prattville courthouse is located at 134 North Court Street. Construction began in 1905 and was concluded in 1906. The Bruce Architectural Company of Birmingham was the architect and Lewman & Company of Louisville, Kentucky, were the contractors. At the same time, Dobson & Bynum of Montgomery contracted to design and build a new jail.
Prattvilleus population remained fairly constant from just after the Civil War until 1940. Then from 1940 to 1980, the town grew from 2,664 to 18,647. The population increased 30% between 1990 and 1998, making it one of the fastest growing cities in Alabama over the last ten years. The population of Prattville today is about 30,000. Growth in the county has not been confined to Prattville. East and central Autauga County, along the I-65 corridor has also seen phenomenal growth. The future looks bright for Autauga.
*******
Sources: "Autauga County Courthouse" by Samuel A. Rumore, Jr. [May 1995 Autauga Ancestry]; "Autauga's First Courthouse Finished in 1821" by Judge Frank Gaddis [Spring 1998 Autauga Ancestry]; "Through the Years: Old Towns in Autauga County" by Peter A. Brannon, March 5, 1933 Montgomery Advertiser; "History of Autauga County" by Shadrack Mims; "Autauga Older Than State", Prattville Progress July 22, 1982; and "Daniel Pratt: Southern Industrialist" as appeared in The River Region Magazine.
"The Rose of Alabama", the wonderful tune on this page is from Taylor's Traditional Tunebook
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