The county of Walker was established in
1824. It is attracting remarkable attention at this time by reason of
its immense resources of coal. From present indications, Walker is the
richest of all the counties of the State in its mineral deposits. It
seems to be almost an unbroken coalfield from limit to limit. The coal
is of a hard, bituminous character with but small percentage of ash.
Various geological reports point to the existence of five or six
valuable seams, which lie in successive layers one above another. There
are various outcroppings, indicating from the surface, seams of superior
coal which vary in thickness from two to eight feet. These coals are
valuable for domestic, cooking, and steam purposes. Remoteness of
transportation has forbidden the establishment of mines in the past, but
the construction of the Georgia Pacific is awakening new life, and the
early completion of the Sheffield and Birmingham, and the Memphis and
Birmingham railroads, running from Kansas City to the Atlantic, will
greatly enhance the value of Walker county lands.
The surface of the country is broken, the
hills in some places being steep and high. Aside
from its mineral possessions, the county has other advantages, as the
following data will at once show.
Walker county embraces an area of 880 square
miles.
Population in 1870, 6,543; population in
1880, 9,479. White, 8,978; colored, 501.
Tilled Land: 46,725 acres. Area
planted in cotton, 8,743 acres; in corn, 21,838 acres; in oats, 2,579
acres; in wheat, 5,420 acres; in rye, 81 acres; in tobacco, 69 acres; in
sugar-cane, 11 acres; in sweet potatoes, 325 acres. Cotton Production: 2,754 bales.
Like the adjoining county of Winston, the
soils of Walker are not remarkable for their fertility, it being in
nowise an agricultural county, but adapted almost solely to
manufactures. Still, it is not without fertile lands. Snug farms are
found in many portions of it, and many of its inhabitants have subsisted
upon the productions of their farms since, and even before, the
formation of the county.
About one-third of the area of Walker is
covered with a sandy soil. This land is admirably suited to the
production of fruit, which grows here in great abundance, especially
such as the hardy fruits - pears, apples, peaches, plums, etc. Fruit
trees have been standing in many orchards for a great number of years,
and have rarely failed of an annual yield. In other sections of Walker,
especially in those lying adjacent to the main streams, there are many
thrifty farms, upon which grow, with great readiness, corn, cotton, and
wheat.
This is also true of what are locally termed
"the bench lands" - the plateau regions of the county. Here are many
first-class farms, which are easily tilled, and whose cultivation is
most remunerative. Stock-raising is receiving some attention in the
county, and the experiments have resulted most gratifyingly.
The county is highly favored with streams,
whose rapid and perpetual flow mark them for future usefulness in the
manufactures. Chief among these are Mulberry Fork, which flows through
the southeast, and joins Locust Fork in the south; the Black Water,
Sipsey Fork, and Lost creeks. These are supplied by numerous
tributaries, which drain the county from every quarter. As fine timber
forests skirt these streams as are found in the northern portion of the
State. These embrace the different varieties of oak, post, red, and
Spanish, together with beech, poplar, holly, the gums, and short-leaf
pine. In the neighborhood of South Lowell, about six miles from Jasper,
the county-seat, there is a section of long-leaf pine forest, covering
an area of about ten miles broad and twenty-five miles long.
This superb tract of timber is penetrated by
the Black Water river, the banks of which are lined by thriving
manufactories, such as corn, wheat, and lumber mills, and cotton gins.
Chief among these thriving enterprises is the mill of Messrs. Shields,
Craig & Carter, which combines all the facilities for the
manufacture of lumber, doors, blinds, sash, and shingles. This is the
only factory in the county, and furnishes, to the local trade alone,
half a million feet of lumber annually.
The passage of the Georgia Pacific through
the county has awakened much interest, and when that shall have been
intersected by the Mobile and Birmingham railroad, which will run the
entire length of the State from Mobile to Florence, the advantages of
the county will be immense. Through these great channels of trade her
rich minerals of coal and iron will seek outlets to the world beyond.
These minerals are considered practically inexhaustible. In the interior
of the basin in Walker county is the Jagger's coalbed, which is said to
be one of exceeding thickness.
Throughout the county the educational
advantages are moderate, and church facilities abound. Both these
improve as one approaches the principal villages. Jasper, the
county-seat, with a population of three or four hundred, has good
schools and two comfortable church edifices. Holly Grove and South
Lowell are also points of interest and growing importance.
Like other counties, the resources of which
are being rapidly developed, the people of Walker are anxious to have
their lands purchased and populated.
Great inducements are just now being offered
to purchasers of lands, and sagacious investors are not losing the
opportunity of turning the occasion to one of profit. In some instances
corporations have invested in large districts of these valuable lands at
amazingly low prices. Taken in connection with the abundance of fuel and
good water, and the absence of any ca ses which breed disease, Walker
offers a home of rare combinations. And, from a commercialpoint of view, no county offers greater inducements than does
Walker. But lands which are now held at reasonable rates will increase
in valuation'as the growing population will crystallize into centers of
interest and influence. There are
embraced within the limits of Walker county 128,840 acres of government
land.
Source:
Northern Alabama - Historical and Biographical by Smith & De Land,
Birmingham, Ala 1888 - Transcribed by Veneta McKinney
WALKER COUNTY.
Population: White 9,000; colored
5,000. Area, 880 square miles. Woodland, all.
Acres - In cotton (approximately)
8,750: in corn 21,830; in oats 2,580; in wheat 5,420; in rye 80; in
tobacco 70: in sugar cane 11; in sweet potatoes 325. Approximate number
of bales of cotton, 2,800.
County Seat - Jasper; population,
600; located on the Kansas City, Memphis, Birmingham & Atlanta
Railroad.
Newspapers published at County
Seat - Mountain Eagle, Democratic; True Citizen, Independent.
Post offices in the County -
Bartonville, Beach Grove, Boldo, Clark, Cordova, Corona, Eagle, Edgil,
Eldridge, Gamble, Gravleeton, Gurganus, Hewitt, Holly Grove, Janeburgh,
Jasper; Kansas, Leith, Loss Creek, Luckey, Manasco, Marietta, Middleton,
Nauvoo. Patton, South Lowell, Wilmington, York,
Walker was created December 20,
1824 and the territory taken from Tuscaloosa and Marion. The northern
portion was set apart to form Winston in 1850. It lies south of Winston,
west of Blount, northwest of Jefferson, north of Tuscaloosa, east of
Marion and north and east of Fayette. It was named for the Hon. John W.
Walker, of Madison.
It is attracting remarkable
attention at this time by reason of its immense resources of coal. From
present indications Walker is the richest of all the counties of the
State in its mineral deposits. It seems to be almost an unbroken
coal-field from limit to limit. The coal is of a hard bituminous
character, with but a small percentage of ash. Various geological
reports point to the existence of five or six valuable seams, which lie
in successive layers, one above the other. There are various
outcroppings, indicating, from the surface, seams of superior coal which
vary in thickness from two to eight feet. Remoteness of transportation
has forbidden the establishment of mines in the past, but the
construction of the Georgia Pacific is awakening new life, and the early
completion of the Sheffield & Birmingham and the Memphis &
Birmingham Railroads, running from Kansas City to the Atlantic, will
greatly enhance the value of Walker County lauds. The surface of the
county is broken, the hills in some places being steep and high.
Like the adjoining county of
Winston, the soils of Walker are not remarkable for their fertility, it
being in no wise an agricultural county, but adapted almost solely to
manufactures. Still, it is not without fertile lands. Snug farms are
found in many portions of it, and many of its inhabitants have subsisted
upon the productions of their farms since, and even before, the
formation of their county.
About one-third of the area of
Walker is covered with a sandy soil. This land is admirably suited to
the production of fruit, which grows here in great abundance, especially
such as the hardy fruits, pears, apples, peaches, plums, etc. Fruit
trees have been standing in many orchards for many years, and have
rarely failed of an annual yield. In other sections of Walker,
especially in those lying adjacent to main streams, there are many
thrifty farms, upon which grow, with great readiness, corn, cotton and
wheat.
This is also true of what are
locally termed "the bench lands"- the plateau regions of the county.
Here are many first-class farms, which are easily tilled, and whose
cultivation is most remunerative. Stock-raising is receiving some
attention in the county, and the experiments have been most gratifying.
The county is highly favored with
streams, whose rapid and perpetual flow mark them for future usefulness
in the manufactures. Chief among these are Mulberry Fork, which flows
through the southeast and joins Locust Fork in the south; the Black
Water, Sipsey Fork and Lost Creeks. These are supplied by numerous
tributaries, which drain the county from every quarter. As fine timber
forests skirt these streams as are found in the northern portions of the
State. These embrace the different varieties of oak, post, red and
Spanish, together with beech, poplar, the gums, and short-leaf pine. In
the neighborhood of South Lowell, about six miles from Jasper, the
county seat, there is a section of long-leaf pine forest, covering an
area of about ten miles broad and twenty-five miles long. This superb
tract of timber is penetrated by the Black Water River, the banks of
which are lined by thriving manufactories, such as corn, wheat and
lumber mills and cotton gins.
The passage of the Georgia
Pacific through the county has awakened much interest, and when that
shall have been intersected by the Mobile & Birmingham Railroad,
which will run the entire length of the State, from Mobile to Florence,
the advantages of the county will be immense. Through these great
channels of trade her rich minerals of coal and iron will seek outlets
to the world beyond. These minerals are considered practically
inexhaustible. In the interior of the basin in Walker County is the
Jagger's coal bed, which is said to be one of exceeding thickness.
The coal development of Walker
County is only in its infancy. The following collieries have been opened
and are now in operation on the main line of the Georgia Pacific
Railroad : The Tennessee & Mobile Coal Co.; Virginia & Alabama
Mining and Manufacturing Co.; Wolf Creek Coal Co.; O'Brien Coal Co.;
Black Diamond Coal Co.; Ed. Donaldson Co. and the Norvil Coal Co. The
capacity of these mines at present is 1,500 tons daily, and if a supply
of cars could be bad they would increase their output to 2,500 tons of
coal daily. The quality of this coal can not be excelled for domestic
and steam purposes. The seam of coal averages three feet and eight
inches, covering a territory of 20,000 acres of this seam of coal, to
say nothing of three other seams of coal on the same property, adapted
for coking and steam purposes.
The Kansas City, Memphis &
Birmingham Road is now completed from Memphis to Birmingham, passing
through Walker County. The seams of coal in Walker County in the Warrior
Coal Fields are entirely clear of faults, which is a great inducement
for coal operators to locate in Walker County. There is no county in the
State of Alabama to equal Walker County in coal and lumber interests.
Throughout the county the
educational advantages are moderate, and church facilities abound. Both
these improve, as one approaches the principal villages. Jasper, the
county seat, with a population of three or four hundred, has good
schools and two comfortable church edifices. Holly Grove and South
Lowell are also points of interest and growing importance.
The other counties, the resources
of which are being rapidly developed, the people of Walker are anxious
to have their lands purchased and populated. Great inducements are just now being offered to purchasers of
lands. There are embraced within the limits of Walker County 128,840
acres of Government land.
