unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
Conecuh County
Conecuh County () is a county located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the population was 11,597. Its county seat is Evergreen. Its name is believed to be derived from a Creek Indian term meaning ...
, United States. It is located near the source of Burnt Corn Creek, at the intersection of two historic trading paths. It has been noted for its unusual name.
History
The settlement and the creek may have been named for an incident in which passersby found a pile of parched corn, a food often used by
Creek Indians
The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsCreek War in the early 1800s. Those same oral traditions say that nearby Murder Creek was named because victims of the Creek War were thrown into the creek during the conflict.
In 1798, the area was included in the Mississippi Territory but was controlled by the
Creek Nation
The Muscogee Nation, or Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The nation descends from the historic Muscogee Confederacy, a large group of indigenous peoples of the South ...
. Between 1805 and 1811 the area became a stop on the Federal Road through the Creek Nation. Burnt Corn was a regular stopping point for stage coaches traveling between the east and the port cities along the Gulf Cost.
The
Battle of Burnt Corn
The Battle of Burnt Corn, also known as the Battle of Burnt Corn Creek, was an encounter between United States armed forces and Creek (people), Creek Indians that took place July 27, 1813 in present-day southern Alabama. The battle was part of th ...
, an episode of the Creek War in July 1813, did not occur at Burnt Corn, but at a ford of Burnt Corn Creek to the south, in present-day
Escambia County, Alabama
Escambia County is a county located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,757. Its county seat is Brewton.
Escambia County is coextensive with the Atmore, AL Micropolitan Sta ...
. When the
Creek Nation
The Muscogee Nation, or Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The nation descends from the historic Muscogee Confederacy, a large group of indigenous peoples of the South ...
was forced to cede land to the United States in 1815, Burnt Corn Spring was included in a land grant to Jim Cornells, a Creek Indian who fought on the U.S. side in the war.
U.S. postal service to Burnt Corn began in 1817, when the village also became part of the
Alabama Territory
The Territory of Alabama (sometimes Alabama Territory) was an organized incorporated territory of the United States. The Alabama Territory was carved from the Mississippi Territory on August 15, 1817 and lasted until December 14, 1819, when it ...
. The post office was closed in 2002 and the 36431 ZIP code retired. Structures in Burnt Corn include Lowrey General Store, where the post office had been located, a Masonic lodge, and the Duck Waters Barber Shop.
Demographics
Burnt Corn appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census with a population of 33 residents. This was the only time it appeared on the census.