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| 'Newton' historical marker in Dale County, Ala. |
This week’s featured historical marker is the “Newton”
marker in Dale County, Ala. This marker is located in a small park on the
corner of Queen Street and King Street in downtown Newton, Ala.
This marker was erected by the Historic Chattahoochee
Commission and Dale County Historical Society in 1979. There’s text on both
sides of the marker, and both sides are different. What follows in the complete
text from the marker:
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“NEWTON: Third County Seat of Dale County: In 1841, the west
half of Dale County became Coffee County, thereby making the county seat at
Daleville off-center. Five commissioners were appointed and they selected this
site south of the Choctawhatchee River, which the legislature named ‘Newton’
and designated the county seat on Feb. 9, 1843. In this ‘New Town” a wood
courthouse and a log jail were built. The courthouse burned March 22, 1869, and
the county seat was changed to Ozark in 1870.”
“NEWTON: Town on the Hill – 1843: Newton was hub of Dale
County activities from 1843 until 1870. During War Between the States
(1861-1865), Newton was center of recruiting, including the Home Guards, In
March 1865, local militia repulsed attack by band of irregulars. Board of
Physicians established 1856 to issue licenses. The Southern Star first
published here in 1867. Newton was port for river boats (until railroad built
in 1890). Home of Killebrew’s Mill, Kill Kare Kamp, Methodist Academy and
Baptist Collegiate Institute (operation 1898-1929).”
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A number of items on this marker caught my eye, and I feel
like I can fill in a few blanks with some specifics. Dale County lost its
western half when Coffee County was created on Dec. 29, 1841. The county seat
was moved from Newton to Ozark, which was incorporated as a town on Oct. 27,
1870.
The item about the attack by irregulars in March 1865 is a
reference to what is known as the “Battle of Newton,” which took place on March
14, 1865. This skirmish involved probably less than 100 soldiers and resulted
in three deaths. The Town of Newton commemorates this event each year with a
reenactment. Next year’s reenactment will be held on Oct. 17-18, 2015. For more
information about that event, visit www.battleofnewton.org.
The Southern Star is one of the oldest weekly newspapers in
the state and it’s still going strong today. Founded in Newton in 1867 by
Confederate veteran Joseph A. Adams, The Southern Star moved to Ozark in 1870.
The Southern Star is currently the oldest business in Ozark, where Adams passed
away at the age of 43 on Feb. 4, 1887. Adams was born in Oak Bowery in Chambers
County on Oct. 15, 1843. The newspaper is still managed by his family today.
In the end, visit this site next Wednesday to learn about
another historical marker. I’m also taking suggestions from the reading audience,
so if you know of an interesting historical marker that you’d like me to
feature, let me know in the comments section below.
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