Cover of the book, "Shadows and Dust III: Legacies"
Shrouded in the foggy shadows of our area's distant past is the long-forgotten colony known as the Canoe Highlands. The colony was apparently made up of settlers from the Mid-West and our local newspapers from the late 1800s to early 1900s gave a fleeting mention of the colony over roughly a ten-year stretch. The fate of the colony; as well as the men and women who struggled to carve it out of the wilderness, is a forgotten chapter of our past.
Perhaps the patriarch of the colony was the mysterious entrepreneur, Seth L. Baker. Baker was born in upstate New York on May 10, 1848 and settled in Canoe Station most likely in the late 1880s to early 1890s. Census records for 1900 show his occupation as a planter. He married his wife Fannie in 1871 and he could read and write very well for a man of his time.
Baker was an advocate for the colony, which was made up of Northern settlers. He often travelled to Chicago to encourage relocation to Canoe as evidenced by an ad in the Chicago Tribune from November 5, 1899 which advertised; "We will conduct homeseeker excursions to Canoe, Florida, on the Alabama and Florida state line on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month; round trip $24. We can sell you the best land in the South in fine Northern colony at $3 to $10 per acre; cost of your ticket applied to purchase. No expenses while there as we live on the land and care for our perspective neighbors. Call on S.L. Baker Rm 129 Hotel Morrison til Tuesday," stated the ad.
Baker was of Irish heritage as noted in a Brewton Standard Gauge, article from September 16, 1897 which held: "A small crowd assembled at the home of Seth L. Baker, Canoe, Alabama and afterwards dressed themselves in their Irish dress, in honor of their host and hostess native country. Five o'clock found them with Edward T. Baker leading the procession and playing the "Irish Wash Woman," followed by J.L. McGowan and wife, S.L. Baker and wife, Mrs. Baker Jr., and Miss Belle McGowan," The article goes on to discuss a moonlight picnic held in the area and the good time had by all.
Although it appears Baker enjoyed his time at Canoe, he was a businessman and conducted his business in a serious fashion. On December 16, 1897, the Pine Belt News noted, "Eight land seekers from Bevidere, IL, have been here for a few days past looking at land. They bought a large tract from S.L. Baker and will move their families here soon."
Within a short time, other settlers from the Mid-West were moving to the colony as stated in the November 24, 1898 edition of the Pine Belt News, "Messers W.I. and Fred Fitch, Chas. Lewis and R.J. Day Jr., with their families are among the new arrivals from Indiana. They have settled on the Canoe Highlands."
Yet what exactly was the Canoe Highlands Colony? One would assume it centered around agriculture and perhaps timber or turpentine. The most detailed description of the colony and its residents was published in Brewton's Standard Gauge, on December 24, 1903 during their interview with Asa Litchfield who was described as "well versed in southern folklore and especially well acquainted at the Hub of the Canoe Highlands Colony."
The article goes on to state, "The Canoe Highlands were partly established by S.L. Baker, now of North Dakota. One of the leading men of the colony at present is Fred German, horticulturalist, lumberman and stockman of Michigan, who has become a settler...."
Other colony residents were stated to be, "Mr. S.J. Whitley, Consolidated Naval Stores manager has the business up and running."
The paper also mentions the influx of additional settlers into the infant colony. "Two carloads of household stock and farming implements arrived last Friday night from Chicago in charge of Frank Knight...the owners, Messers Mechlenburg and Morton, van proprietors, piano movers, etc, of that city, intend to locate at the Highlands more or less permanently.
From the descriptions it would appear the settlers were intending to get in on what was known as "The Big Cut," whereby the virgin forest of the South were liquidated of the trees "which took God 8000 years to create and man 20 years to destroy," according to Rev. R.W. Brooks.
The discovery of the existence of the Canoe Highlands Colony creates one most important question, "what fate befall the colony?" The Atmore Record gives one of the last newspaper references to the colony, and perhaps a hint at trouble, on October 7, 1909 when the paper noted, "Mr. John Trawick, the "Salamander," bored 2 wells, or started 2, for Mr. J.R. Toomer and Charles Toomer last week. Water is getting to be a scarce article on Canoe Highlands." Yet none of the above referenced articles gives an exact location of the colony, however, it has been said elsewhere Mr. German's farm, mentioned above, was located on South Canoe Road.
Long before the colony slipped into the haze of history, Seth L. German left in search of adventures elsewhere. Some newspaper accounts discuss Baker and his wife making trips to Chicago on business. Yet we know based upon the above article he was gone from the area by 1903, allegedly having removed to North Dakota.
For a time, he called Canoe his home and called her people his neighbors. Yet wanderlust can draw a man to his destiny like a moth is drawn to a light. On that fateful day Baker departed Canoe Station, and the train's steam whistle gave her shrill call to leave, S.L. Baker knew he would seize his destiny in the American West. The train slowly passed familiar homes and businesses in a seeming parade of farewell and in a short time all he knew was behind him, within days Baker approached the Frontier which awaited him with new challenges, adventures and opportunities which his wanderlust craved.
Next week, Seth Baker finds his destiny in the West and a Yellow Dog becomes man's best friend.
The book Shadows and Dust III: Legacies is now available for purchase. The hidden history of our area is documented through ten years of All Things Southern articles. Learn about the Canoe Highlands Colony, the ghost town of Falco, Alabama as well the forgotten history of the last great act in the drama that was the War Between the States as Union troops marched through the area. The books are available online at Lulu publishing.com or by sending $35 (this includes shipping-the book cost without shipping is $30) to Kevin McKinley at PO Box 579 Atmore, AL 36054.
