Talladega receives its name from
two Indian words, tallafow, a town, and to kee, hills.
It is separated from Shelby county by the Coosa river. For delightful
scenery. Talladega county, perhaps leads every other in the State. While
it has rugged mountains in all their native wildness, it has vast
stretches of valley loveliness, dotted over with neat and thrifty farms,
blending in a most charming manner the useful and the beautiful. Some portions of Talladega county will
compare favorably with the famous Shenandoah valley, of Virginia. It has
an area of 700 square miles.
Population in 1870, 18,064;
population in 1880, 23,360. White, 10,856; colored, 12,504.
Tilted Land: 113,389 acres.—Area
planted in cotton, 32,841 acres; in corn, 40,376 acres ; in oats, 9,278
acres; in wheat, 13,235 acres; in rye, 143 acres ; in tobacco, 30 acres
; in sweet potatoes, 335 acres.
Cotton Production ; 11,832
bales.
Talladega county lies between a
range of high hills on the east, and the Coosa river on the west. The
prevailing soil is red, which fact is due to the presence of iron in
almost every part of the county. This is the most productive soil found
in this region. The valley lands east of the mountain ranges
constitute the most attractive part of Talladega county, and it would be
difficult to find anywhere a section which has greater natural
advantages than the belt of country lying east of the East Tennessee,
Virginia, and Georgia railroad, and extending as far south as the
Kahatchee Hills. These broad and fertile valleys are interrupted here
and there by ranges of forest-covered mountains and hills, while an
occasional stream of exceeding beauty lends additional charm to the
scene.
The most
diversified farming is carried on in every part of the county, and with
the most gratifying success. Cotton, corn, oats, and rye are the
principal crops. Every vegetable that grows in the Temperate Zone is
produced here. They thrive almost the year around. Fruits grow to
wonderful perfection, especially apples, peaches, pears, and grapes. The
soil and climate seem peculiarly suited to the growth of grapes. The
attention which has been given grape culture has been, in a number of
instances, abundantly rewarded. Indeed, fruits of every variety flourish
in these soils. Strawberries, raspberries, figs, and melons will
inevitably yield in proportion to the attention bestowed. All these
products find a ready outlet through the different channels of commerce
afforded by the railroads, which traverse several parts of the
county.
Talladega is streaked here and there
by perennial streams, almost all of which have their sources in the
mountain ranges in the east, and flow entirely across the county to the
Coosa river, which forms its extreme western boundary. Tallasseehatchee,
Chehawhaw, Cheekeleeke, Blue Eye, Talladega, and Clear creeks are the
main streams.
In every part of the county,
perpetual springs gush from the hill ranges, many of which are
freestone, while others are again impregnated with iron, sulphur, and
other minerals. Near the eastern border of the county, below the
Kahatchee Hills, is found the well known Sulphur Spring. It is said to possess the most attractive
surroundings of all the watering places in Alabama.
One of the coming industries of the
county will be stock-raising, as the greatest inducements to this
pursuit exist in abundance. Luxuriant grasses and wild clovers grow
spontaneously, and when cultivated they are quite fine. This
consideration taken, in connection with the prevalence of perpetual
streams, makes it a most desirable section for this branch of industry,
which is just now assuming such proportions in the South.
Within the limits of Talladega, are
found extensive forests of splendid timber. These forests embrace a
great variety of timber, consisting of yellow or long-leaf pine, the
different varieties of oak, hickory, yellow poplar, black walnut, red
cedar, ash, gum, elm, persimmon, and sassafras.
In some instances there are broad
domains of forest, as yet untouched by the rude hand of
invasion.
The minerals of the county are
varied and valuable. Investigation has shown that there are three
gigantic ranges of deposits of brown hematite ore running throughout
Talladega. These are calling into operation numerous furnaces, and are
causing the construction of an increasing number of railway lines. The
marble quarries of Talladega are noted; limestone, lithographic stone,
and slate are also found in considerable quantities, with limited
quantities of gold, silver, copper, and lead. Not until within the last
few years has silver, copper,
and lead. Not until within the last few years has public attention been
called to the vast mineral resources of this
county. Since that time,
there has been a continual growth of population, and real estate is
gradually increasing in value. Among the industries of the county, may
be mentioned the Clifton Iron Company, at Jenifer, the furnace at
Ironton Junction (formerly Alabama Furnace).
Formerly there were worked near
Talladega and Syllacauga, extensive marble quarries, but of late, the
work has not been prosecuted to any considerable extent. A block of
marble from these quarries has a place in the great Washington Monument,
at the National Capital. These valuable marbles will again win
attention, and resume more than their original importance in the
markets.
A gigantic enterprise, in the form
of a lumbering interest exists at Renfroe, in Talladega county. It is
located at the terminus of the Talladega and Coosa Valley railroad,
which is being extended across Coosa river to Broken Arrow, in St. Clair
county, making connection with the East and West Alabama railroad. Of
late, unusual attention has been called to the Cragdale water-power on
Talladega creek. This is a sudden plunge of a vast volume of water into
a valley lying beneath. The
hands of a Titan seem to have scooped out this great stony trough-way
for the passage of these mighty waters, and to have reared these rocky
ramparts on either side for some great
industrial
enterprise.
The point of greatest prominence in
the county, is Talladega, the county-seat, with a population of 3,500,
It is noted for the enterprise of its citizens, the size and character
of its institutions of learning, and the beauty and healthfulness of its
location. Talladega has a system of waterworks, superior perhaps, to
those of any city of the same size in the South. It is beautifully
lighted with gas. The citizens have recently erected an imposing school
building, and have adopted the public school system. Besides this, there
are two colleges of merit in the city—one white and one colored. It has
excellent churches, and is the location of the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind
Institute of the State.
Childersburg, Alpine, and Mumford,
are also points of interest. In the extreme southern portion of the
county are the Talladega Springs, which have long been a favorite resort
as a watering place. The popularity of such points with our people,
together with the superiority of these waters, warrants the belief that
they will
one day be considerably patronized.
The county enjoys considerable
facilities for railroad transportation, there being four lines, viz :
The East Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia, the Georgia Pacific, the
Anniston and Atlantic, and the Talladega and Coosa Valley railroads. These will doubtless be
largely increased in a few years, as English and Northern capital
is finding expression in different sections of the county in the
purchase of timber and mineral lands, and already plans are on foot to
establish furnaces near the city of Talladega. The social advantages of
the county are numerous and superior. The masses of the population are
more than ordinarily intelligent, thrifty, and well-to-do.
Lands may be purchased in the county
from prices ranging from $5 to $35, according to location, fertility,
and improvements. There is a wide-spread desire to have earnest,
wide-awake immigrants populate the unoccupied areas of the county. There
are in the county 34,840 acres of land belonging to the general
government, and this affords an additional inducement to
settlers.
Source: Alabama As It Is by Benjamin
Franklin Riley, D. D., 1887 , Transcribed by C.
Anthony
