Alexander City's Timeline
"A Record of Progress"
Alexander City has a rich and varied history. Beginning with it's Indian heritage and running through frontier roots, natural resources have always been important.
That was amplified in 1926 when an Alabama Power project created the area's most recognizable natural asset -- Lake Martin. Before the lake was ever imagined, cotton played a major role in shaping the city, as it does today. Here are a few of the more important dates in the area's history.
1698 -- Capt. Thomas Welch, a trader, marks out the Okfuskee Trail through Tallapoosa County. The English establish trading stations near Flint Hill, Young's Ferry and Kowliga.
1814 -- The Battle of Horseshoe Bend secures U.S. government control of Tallapoosa County when Andrew Jackson defeats the Creek Indians in a decisive battle.
1830 -- An unnamed trader from Georgia sets up a pine pole lodge trading post in a location near when Russell Corporations' main office is now. The spot was known as the "Georgia Store" or "Georgia Trading Post" for approximately six years.
1832 -- The Creek Indian national cedes it's territory in Tallapoosa County to the U.S. Government.
1837 -- James Young acquires 320 acres, which comprise a large portion of present-day southwest Alexander City, including Russell Corporation and most of the land along U.S. Highway 280.
1866 -- Four Tallapoosa County townships are ceded when Elmore County is formed.
1872 -- A revival on Herzfeld Hill, now Hillabee Street, spawns the first two congregations of the community, First Baptist Church and First United Methodist Church.
1873 -- The Savannah and Memphis Railway comes to Youngsville, brought by S&M President Edward P. Alexander. The town is renamed in his honor and boundaries are extended to one mile from the center of the public square.
1874 -- The first train arrives in Alexander City.
1879 -- The first community school is organized and constructed with community funds.
1880 -- Alexander City begins calling itself "The Gold City" when gold mining activity in the area increases.
1884 -- B.F.C. Russell moves his family, including his youngest son, Ben to Alexander City.
1889 -- B.L. Dean, Alexander City mayor, spurs the movement to build a courthouse in Alexander City, paid for entirely by public subscription. Newspapers and a bottle of rum are put in the cornerstone and survived the 1902 fire.
1900 -- J.C. Maxwell and Reuben Herzfeld convince builders of a cotton mill to locate in Alexander City.
1902 -- Twenty-six-year-old Ben Russell begins what is today a Fortune 500 textile company, Russell Corporation. That first step wa a single knitting mill manufacturing women's and children's underwear.
1902 -- "The Fire" destroys the entire downtown district, with losses totaling $400,000 in 1902 dollars. By today's standards the loss would have been in the millions.
1905 -- Russell Mills has tripled in size and employs more than 50.
1907 -- T.C. Russell, Ben Russell's brother, is elected mayor for the first of 10 terms.
1909 -- A train carrying William Howard Taft, President of the United States, stops in Alexander City.
1919 -- Avondale Mills purchases Alexander City Cotton Mills and begins production in Alexander City.
1923 -- Alabama Power Company begins construction on Martin Dam at Cherokee Bluffs. By 1926, Martin Dam is completed and Lake Martin forms.
1941 -- Ben Russell dies of a heart attack, nine days after Pearl Harbor.
1950 -- A new high school is built with community funds.
1956 -- Horseshoe Bend becomes a national military park, 57 years after the action is first proposed by Alexander City Outlook editor F.O. Hooten and due in large part tomthe efforts of Judge C.J. Coley.
1965 -- Alexander City State Junior College opens in an old hospital on Lee Street with 442 students.
1966 -- ACSJC relocates t the old Willow Point Country Club site, it's present locations.
1988 -- Alexander City State Junior College and Nunelley State Technical College in Childersburg were merged and became Central Alabama Community College. The year also marked the death of Byron Causey, the first president of ACSJC, just weeks after his retirement from that post.
Information taken from "The South's Best Kept Secret 1997-98" a publication by the Alexander City Outlook.
Linda Shaffer, ABR
Serving the Lake Martin Area
e-mail: shaffer@lakemartin.net
256/329-0088 Home
256/794-4641 Cell
CENTURY
21 Amy Banks Realty, Inc.
440 N. Broadnax Street
Dadeville, Alabama 36853