ghost town
Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to:
* Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned
Film and television
* Ghost Town (1936 film), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser
* Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...
located in present-day Hale County, Alabama, United States.
This was formerly the county seat of a larger Greene County, but the seat was moved to Eutaw in 1838 for the benefits of a more central location in a developing frontier area.
Erie declined without the benefit of county government business. When Hale County was organized in 1867, after the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Erie was within its boundaries. It was effectively abandoned long before the last house burned down in 1933.
Located at the "Erie Bend" on the east bank of the Black Warrior River, the former settlement is approximately east of Greensboro.
History
Originally located in Greene County, Erie was the first county seat.
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".
Located on a bend of the Black Warrior River, Erie became a shipping port for cotton headed to the seaport of Mobile on the Gulf Coast. The hauling of cotton by wagon gave employment to a number of professional teamsters.
Decline
Several factors led to a decision by the county legislators to move the county seat to Eutaw in 1838. Erie had "little and bad water and a muddy location", and was not centrally located. As population increased in the western part of the county, a more central location was desired. In addition, during the late 1830s, Erie suffered an outbreak of
yellow fever
Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...
, as did many towns on the river system. The settlement also suffered flooding.
The loss of status as county seat caused the decline of the frontier town. Erie was within the territory of what became part Hale County, Alabama when it was organized in 1867, following the Civil War. Erie's decline continued and the last remaining house was destroyed by fire in 1933.
The former settlement is now located on private property, and a few stones and bricks can be found there. The Erie Cemetery is located a short distance east.
Notable people
*
Thomas H. Herndon
Thomas Hord Herndon (July 1, 1828 – March 28, 1883) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Alabama who also served as an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.
Biography
Born in E ...
, elected to
Alabama House of Representatives
The Alabama State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency contai ...
and
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
.
*
Thomas Seay
Thomas J. Seay (November 20, 1846 – March 30, 1896) was an American Democratic politician who was the 27th Governor of Alabama from 1886 to 1890.
Early life
Thomas Jefferson Seay was born on November 20, 1846, near Erie in present-day Hal ...
, 27th
Governor of Alabama
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...