The Old Claiborne Pilgrimage scheduled for Oct. 13-14, 2018, promises a rare glimpse into the settlement of the forgotten Alabama River town of Claiborne and of Monroe County, which was founded four years before the State of Alabama.
“Claiborne's ferries, steamboats, and bustling commercial center made it our nation's gateway to the “old southwest” in the early 1800's,” said pilgrimage chairman Gail Deas. “We are excited to share our rich history of pioneers, planters and paddlewheelers through this event, and to showcase a number of true antebellum treasures.”
The two-day event will include docent tours of several rarely-seen, private antebellum plantation homes, early churches, and sites of historic significance along the Alabama River in Monroe County and in neighboring Clarke County.
Other tour highlights will be the site of Fort Claiborne; the home of William Barret Travis, who commanded at the Battle of the Alamo; the 1825 McConnico Cemetery; and the oldest standing public building in the state – the Masonic Lodge where the Marquis de LaFayette was entertained in 1825.
Historian Tom McGehee will entertain ticketholders with stories and legends of life along the river at a 6:30 pm gathering Saturday in the courtroom of the Old Courthouse Museum in Monroeville, followed by a wine and cheese reception on the courthouse lawn.
Ticket information and sales will be available starting in August through the Old Courthouse Museum in Monroeville at 251-575-7433. Event details are available via the museum website at http://www.monroecountymuseum.org.
The pilgrimage is presented by the Monroe County Museum Endowment, to generate financial support for maintenance of the historic Old Courthouse Museum in Monroeville, and by the Perdue Hill-Claiborne Foundation, Inc., which works to support and maintain sites of historic significance in Perdue Hill and the Claiborne area.
