TALLAPOOSA COUNTY ALABAMA

Tallapoosa County Alabama

Tallapoosa County Alabama is a county in Alabama located in east-central Alabama. Tallapoosa County is home to Horseshoe Bend Military Park, site of the last battle of the Creek War, as well as Lake Martin and the Thomas Wesley Martin Dam. Tallapoosa County was created by the Alabama legislature on December 18, 1832, from land ceded by the Creek Indians in the 1832 Treaty of Cusseta. Traders and settlers came to the area that would become Tallapoosa County via the Okfuskee Trail or the Upper Creek Trading Path, a southern route below the Appalachian barrier to the Mississippi Valley.

 As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,616. Its county seat is Dadeville. The name Tallapoosa is of Creek origin, and many Indian villages were along the banks of the lower river before the 19th century.

Home of beautiful Lake Martin, on 44,000 luscious acres. This county offers a variety of amenities with historic landscapes and family recreational opportunities. No matter what type of activity you desire, Tallapoosa County has something for everyone.  From our spectacular Golf Courses, to our scenic State Parks, Tallapoosa County is a wonderful place to live, work, and escape to.

Tallapoosa County History

Tallapoosa-River-Tallapoosa County - Tallassee Alabama
Tallapoosa-River-Tallapoosa County – Tallassee Alabama Copyright © 2013 Leadership Elmore County

The Creek Indians lived along the Tallapoosa River and its streams for many hundreds of years before the Alabama Legislature, in 1832, created a county called Tallapoosa. On April 6th of 1940 the Menawa Indians transferred the land they were granted through the terms of the 1832 treaty to the courthouse commissioners of Tallapoosa County for the courthouse site.

The early settlers were nearly all farmers and planters. Under the Federal Land Law of 1820, which was in effect when Tallapoosa County was settled, a farmer could purchase a minimum of 80 acres of land for $1.25 an acre. For $100.00 cash, the settler could acquire a small farm.

From 1832-38, the county seat was at Okfuskee. Since 1838, it has been at Dadeville, which was named for Major Francis Langhorne Dade who died in the Seminole War.

Tallapoosa County Alabama Cities:

Alexander City Alabama

Alexander City, known to locals as “Alex City”, is a city in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, United States, with a population of some 14,875. It is known for Lake Martin with its 750 miles of wooded shoreline and 44,000 acres  of water. Lake Martin stands on the Tallapoosa River and offers boating, swimming, fishing, golfing, and camping. Many neighborhoods and luxury homes are located on the lake.

Dadeville Alabama

Dadeville is a city in Tallapoosa County. At the 2010 census the population was 3,230, up from 3,212 in 2000. The city is the county seat of Tallapoosa County.

Tallapoosa City Alabama

Since Tallapoosa City is located within the City of Tallassee, all of the census and demographic data for residents of Tallapoosa City are included as part of the information reported for City of Tallassee.

Tallassee Alabama

Tallapoosa County Alabama Towns:

Camp Hill Alabama

Camp Hill is a town in Tallapoosa County. It was incorporated in 1895. At the 2010 census the population was 1,014, down from 1,273 in 2000. Camp Hill is the home to Lyman Ward Military Academy.

Daviston Alabama

Daviston is a town in Tallapoosa County. At the 2010 census the population was 214, down from 267 in 2000.

Daviston, incorporated February 16, 1887, is believed to be the first incorporated rural town in Tallapoosa County. Daviston was a natural evolution of the opening of Indian lands in 1832. Much of the Federal Horse Path was within Creek Indian lands in 1832. With construction of Chapman Road from West Point, Georgia to Fort Williams, Alabama on the Coosa River, land areas opened up to white settlement.

Daviston flourished with improved roads and became a hub of migration. It had grist and saw mills, a blacksmith shop, buggy shop, coffin shop, general mercantile, public well, federal distillery, six saloons or inns, pharmacy, and doctors. The first land deed found was dated 1836 to S.W. Monk. The post office was established in 1853 with John Davis as the first postmaster. The story told over the years is that he used his own name for the town name. When he submitted the name to the government, due to poor penmanship or a mistake, “Davis Town” became Daviston and has since remained.

Source: Wikipedia contributors, “Daviston, Alabama,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Goldville Alabama

Goldville is a town in Tallapoosa County. The population was 55 at the 2010 census, up from 37 in 2000. Goldville is located in north-central Tallapoosa County in the east-central part of the state; it is one of four towns in Alabama that has circular town limits.

The name of the area derives from the discovery of large gold deposits in the area. The area was so popular with prospecters that at one time the temporary post office of Goldville handled more mail in a day than New York City. As the center of gold-mining in east central Alabama, Goldville boasted numerous stores, several saloons, a hotel, a mining supply house, a race track, a school, and a masonic lodge. Gold reserves in the Goldville district began to be mined out by the late 1840s, around the time for the 1849 gold rush in California, and most people abandoned the area.

The historical monument in the town reads:

“Goldville, Alabama incorporated on January 25, 1843 was at one time one of the largest cities in Alabama with a population of near 5,000. With the coming of the California gold rush in 1849 the city became a dormant municipality later to be reinstated on July 9, 1973”

State Highway 49 enters Goldville running from the northeast but turns and exits town running southeast.

Jackson’s Gap Alabama

Jackson’s Gap is a town in Tallapoosa County. It incorporated in 1980. At the 2010 census the population was 828, up from 761. Jackson’s Gap is located in east- central Alabama. It includes land bordering Lake Martin.

New Site Alabama 

New Site is located in the north central part of Tallapoosa County. It incorporated in 1965. At the 2010 census the population was 773, down from 848 in 2000.

The community of New Site was established in 1849 when families wanted to locate to a quieter area away from the hustle and bustle of a gold mining town located just north of our New Site. Families loaded their wagons and traveled, looking for a “new site” to call home. When they arrived at the quite, wooded and peaceful area, the name of New Site stuck and the community’s name remains the same to this day.

 

Tallapoosa County Alabama Communities:

Frog Eye Alabama

Frog Eye is an unincorporated community in Tallapoosa County.

Now that “Cranks My Tractor.”

Hackneyville Alabama

Hackneyville is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Tallapoosa County. Its population was 347 as of the 2010 census.
A Brief History of Hackneyville Community by Hoyt M. Warren
Hackneyville Community Center
9461 Highway 63 North
Alexander City, Alabama 35010
Hackneyville Alabama Demographics Data

Our Town Alabama

Our Town is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Tallapoosa County. Its population was 641 as of the 2010 census.

Our Town had its start around 1913 when the railroad was extended to that point. The community was named by John S. Jones by saying, “It’s not your town, or my town, it is Our Town.”

Reeltown Alabama

Reeltown is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Tallapoosa County. Its population was 766 as of the 2010 census.

The “Reel” in Reeltown is a misspelling of “Real” from the last name of settlers James Patrick and Phillip O’Real. The town was called Thaddeus from 1880 to 1902 in honor of postmaster Thaddeus P. Webster. The name changed back to Reeltown in 1902.

Andrew Jackson Alabama

Andrew Jackson is an unincorporated community in Tallapoosa County, located on the west bank of the Tallapoosa River, 4.5 miles east of Alexander City.

Cherokee Bluffs Alabama

Cherokee Bluffs is an unincorporated community in Tallapoosa County. The bluffs were a landmark in Tallapoosa County, and they were chosen as the first site on the Tallapoosa River for the creation of a dam and reservoir.

Church Hill Alabama

Church Hill is an unincorporated community in Tallapoosa County. A post office was operated in Church Hill from 1888 to 1904.

Dudleville Alabama

Dudleyville, also known as Pittsborough, is an unincorporated community in Tallapoosa County. Dudleyville was named for Peter Dudley, who established the first trading post in the area. The town was incorporated on February 2, 1839. A post office was operated in Dudleyville from 1836 to 1907.

Equality Alabama

Equality is an unincorporated community in Coosa, Elmore and Tallapoosa counties.

Indian Villages in Tallapoosa County Alabama

Hillabee was the center of a cluster of towns and villages, known as the Hillabee complex or, simply, Hillabee. The people living in the Hillabee complex area are sometimes called the Hillabees. That name does not refer to a separate tribe or clan but merely those Muscogees who lived in the Hillabee complex area. Hillabee was an important Muscogee (Creek) town in east central Alabama before the Indian Removals of the 1830s.

Today the area is in southern Clay County and northern Tallapoosa County, north of Alexander City. The present-day villages of Millerville (Clay County)  and Bluff Springs (Clay County) lie within the former Hillabee complex area.

Hillabee and its satellite villages were located along Little Hillabee Creek and Enitachopco Creek where they join to form Big Hillabee Creek. Villages within the complex, along these streams, included Echoseis Ligau, Enitachopko, Lanudshi Apala, and Oktasassi.

Nearby towns and villages associated with Hillabee include Oakfuskee, Little Oakfuskee, and Atchinalgi. Today the area is in southern Clay County and northern Tallapoosa County, north of Alexander City. The present-day villages of Millerville and Bluff Springs lie within the former Hillabee complex area.

Recommended Readings: A Historical Analysis of The Creek Indian Hillabee Towns: And Personal Reflections on The Landscape and People of Clay County, Alabama

A History of the Creek Indians in Alabama

Tallapoosa County Alabama Historic Destinations:

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park

Daviston

Tallapoosa County Museum

Dadeville

Tallapoosa County Alabama Attractions

Lake Martin

Tallapoosa County is also home to one of the most beautiful lakes in the country. Lake Martin was formed after the completion of Martin Dam on the Tallapoosa River. Martin Dam is used to generate hydroelectric power. The dam was begun in 1923 and completed in 1926. Lake Martin, with its 44,000 acres of crystal waters, can be enjoyed in January as well as July and every month of the year. One of the largest man-made lakes in the United States, Lake Martin is an excellent source of recreation. Lake Martin is a truly regional attraction for swimming, boating, fishing, skiing, camping and golfing. Lake Martin is one of our area’s biggest assets.

Wind Creek State Park

Located off Highway 128 between Highways 63 and 280, Wind Creek State Park sports one of the largest camp sites in Alabama. Campers, fishermen, and boaters from across the country come to Wind Creek to enjoy water sports on Lake Martin. Wet boat storage, paved boat ramp access, a marina, a full-service store and bait shop service all boaters. A swimming area and beach with a bathhouse, picnic areas, and hiking trails are available for campers or day-use. Wind Creek offers 635 campsites on its 1400 acres. For more information contact (256) 329-0845.

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park commemorates the epic frontier struggle between the advancing white American settlers and the Creek Indian Nation. On March 27, 1814 at Horseshoe Bend on the Tallapoosa River, 2000 regular army troops, Tennessee militia, and friendly Indians under the command of Andrew Jackson confronted 1,000 Creek Warriors under the leadership of their war chief Menawa of Okfuskee. The crushing defeat inflicted on the Indians effectively ended 300 years of military superiority of the Creek Nation in Alabama and Western Georgia. Today the descendants of the Indians and their White adversaries, who faced each other on the battlefield that early spring day, are American citizens. We identify with the people of both sides in this struggle. The cause for which they fought, the values and traditions they sought to preserve, the heroism, and the villainy displayed by both sides are now part of our American heritage.

Tallapoosa County Alabama Historical Crossings and Ferries

Double Bridges Ferry 

32.6762428284
-85.909683227

Fredrick Ferry

33.0062332153
-85.615234375

Germany Ferry

32.9654006958
-85.6469039917

Griffin Ferry

32.9723472595
-85.6999588013

Matilda Ferry

32.9612350464
-85.6832885742

McCarty Ferry

32.7256851196
-85.8880157471

Millers Ferry

32.9773445129
-85.7430114746

Sandy Ford

33.0662307739
-85.8780212402

Stow Ferry

32.9217910767
-85.8699645996

Walker Ferry

32.8606796265
-85.9055175781

Welch Ferry

32.9565124512
-85.8113479614

Whaley Ferry

32.9723434448
-85.7741241455

Youngs Ferry

32.7976264954
-85.8677368164

Tallapoosa County Alabama Sites of Interest

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