Hope Hull, also known as McGehees Switch, is an
unincorporated community in
Montgomery County,
Alabama, United States, southwest of
Montgomery.
It is home to the drive-through zoological park ''Alabama Safari Park''.
History
Hope Hull, a stop on the
Mobile and Montgomery Railroad was originally known as McGehees Switch in honor of local planter
Abner W. McGehee
Abner W. McGehee (1779–1855) was an American planter, businessman and investor. A plantation owner in Georgia, he moved to Alabama to invest in iron mines and railroads.
Early life
Abner William McGehee was born on February 17, 1779, in Princ ...
. McGehee later changed the name of the community to Hope Hull, in honor of a
Methodist circuit rider he met while living in
Georgia.
A post office operated under the name McGehees from 1875 to 1877, and first began operation under the name Hope Hull in 1877.
Hope Hull is home to Hooper Academy, and also the location of
Tankersley Rosenwald School
The Tankersley Rosenwald School, also known as the Tankersley Elementary School, is a historic American Craftsman-style school building in Hope Hull, Alabama, a suburb of Montgomery. This Rosenwald School building was built in 1922 to serve the ...
, which is listed on the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places.
Notable people
*
Bibb Graves
David Bibb Graves (April 1, 1873 – March 14, 1942) was an American Democratic politician and the 38th Governor of Alabama 1927–1931 and 1935–1939, the first Alabama governor to serve two four-year terms. He successfully advanced progress ...
,
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 ...
from 1927 to 1931 and 1935 to 1939.
*
Lou Thornton
Louis Thornton (born April 26, 1963) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divi ...
, former outfielder for the
Toronto Blue Jays.
*
Lucille Times
Lucille Times (April 22, 1921 – August 16, 2021) was an American civil rights activist. She was active in the struggle for civil rights in Montgomery, Alabama throughout her adult life. Times worked for the cause at a time when the city was at ...
, civil rights activist.
References
* ''Encyclopædia Britannica World Atlas'', 1958 Edition, p. 72.
External links
Hooper Educational Academy home page
Unincorporated communities in Montgomery County, Alabama
Unincorporated communities in Alabama
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