Autauga Creek, Prattville, AL - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Architect and industrialist Daniel Pratt, a native of Temple, New Hampshire, founded Prattville in 1839. When Pratt first saw the Autauga Creek in the 1830’s, the area was mainly inhabited by Native Americans and a few settlers. He purchased approximately 1,000 acres and set out to build his manufacturing facilities and the town along the banks of the Autauga creek. The location was chosen because the creek could supply power to the cotton gin manufacturing equipment. The town became an industrial center and rapidly grew. In 1868, it was named the county seat for Autauga County.

Marker text:
East side:
Water has always placed a significant role in the history of Prattville. Daniel Pratt chose the location for his new town because of the proximity to Autauga Creek and the Alabama River. This area was referred to as an “unhealthy quagmire” in the earliest records, but the location of Prattville proved to be ideal for Pratt’s new town. He built his gin mill, saw mill, and grist mill on the banks of Autauga Creek in the early 1830’s. In 1847, an article in De Bow’s Review described Autauga Creek as “a bold, clear stream…with a pretty waterfall and pine forests making it up to the edge. The woods abound with pine timber, the country healthy, navigation convenient and everything favorable to extensive manufactories.”
(Continued on other side)

West side:
Since the 1830’s, the waters of Autauga Creek have powered cotton gins that have employed generations of families; turned saws that cut wood for lumber to build homes, barns, and businesses; ground corn and grain that have fed families and livestock alike; bathed, baptized and provided recreation for thousands of people. Autauga Creek continues to be a source of beauty and wonder.
All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.

Group that erected the marker: Alabama Tourism Department and City of Prattville Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: 342 Chestnut St Prattville, AL USA 36067 URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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