Town of Oakville - Oakville, AL - Alabama Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The Town of Oakville historical marker is a metal Lawrence County Historical Commission marker. It is located on a side road in the Oakville Indian Mounds Park. The marker was placed by the Lawrence County Historical Commission.

Marker Name: Town of Oakville Marker Type: Rural Roadside Addtional Information:: Marker Text: Based on the large number of local mounds and artifacts, this site shows evidence of Indian occupation over 2000 years ago. According to tradition about 1780, Oakville became a Cherokee town located on Black Warriors' Path. By the early 1820's, Celtic people of Scots-Irish ancestry had moved here in large numbers often intermarrying with the local Indians. Prominent names of this era included Irwin, Hodges, McNutt, McWhorter and McDaniel. Wiley Galloway was a teacher of the first known school in 1824. On 9 Dec 1833, the state legislature incorporated Oakville with town limits set 1/4 mile in every direction from the spring in the public square. The town flourished and at various times had a post office, tan yard, tavern, (Inn), Oakville Female Academy (1837), general stores, and brass band. Some early storeowners included G. W. McNutt, Thomas Sparks, Fleming Hodges and others. Judge Charles Gibson's hog pen on the natural drain of the public spring led to the waters backing up, becoming contaminated and causing the c1855 "bloody flux" epidemic. This gave Oakville the reputation as an unhealthy site and contributed to its gradual decline. The rising waters started the persistent legend that the town has sunk. Date Dedicated / Placed: Unknown Marker Number: None

Visit Instructions:
Please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Alabama history please include that in your log.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.