Claiborne, Alabama in its glory days.
Antebellum river culture during the period of 1814-1855 brought about the overnight rise of many riverfront towns. Settlements quickly grew to towns along the Alabama River in rapid succession. Towns such as Claiborne developed into well established centers of affluent living and commerce within a few short years.
Claiborne was located half way between Selma and Mobile along the Alabama River in Monroe County. The town was a frontier nexus for settlers and thousands of immigrants to Alabama came to Claiborne by way of steamer and other forms of riverboats and thereafter disembarked for various areas of Alabama.
During the years 1817-1830, Claiborne lived in a self-styled golden age. At one time the city had a population of over 2500 people and was larger than either of Alabama's early antebellum capitals of Cahaba and St. Stephens. Claiborne was nominated to become the state capital and lost by only one vote.
The Claiborne of that earlier time was a place where riverboat gamblers, cotton brokers, farmers, paupers, settlers, and early American patriots shared the same streets. Among these patriots was William B. Travis.
Travis' family followed the path of migration that thousands of earlier settlers had made to settle Alabama. Originally his family settled in Sparta in Conecuh County Alabama but eventually moved to the booming commercial town of Claiborne during the "Alabama Fever" days of the early 1800s.
Travis began his adult life in Claiborne as a school teacher but read law under the Honorable James Dellet and, at the age of 19, he became an attorney. Travis was also the publisher of a local newspaper in Claiborne and became a Free Mason while living in the town. Travis had become a prominent local citizen, practically overnight. Little did he know that his rise to fame would be as meteoric, and short lived, as that of the town which he now called home.
At the height of his fame in Alabama, Travis mysteriously left the state, and his family, behind and headed to Texas. Travis became a major figure in the Texas Revolution. The provisional Texas government ordered Travis to take command of reinforcements and ride to a obscure Spanish mission called the Alamo.
Soon Mexican forces under General Santa Ana besieged the tiny mission and as Travis and his men stood defiantly against the Mexican army, his thoughts turned to a quieter, happier time along the banks of the Alabama River at Claiborne. These reflections of happier days would be short lived when on March 6, 1836 Travis, Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and several hundred other Texas patriots were cut down in the heroic defense of the tiny citadel.
During the battle, Travis fell from a gunshot wound to the head, he was only 26. The Alamo served to solidify American involvement in the region and many of the American military officers who fought in the war with Mexico, which occurred later, went on to become household names during the War Between the States. Men such as Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, U.S. Grant and others learned the art of war in the Mexican conflict.
The news of the Alamo filled the dusty streets of Claiborne as the town learned of the demise of its favorite son. Children would reenact the battle in the barns and corn cribs of countless local farms and shouts of "Remember the Alamo!" would echo along the rickety wooden sidewalks of the town. Yet just as the generation of Travis and Crockett had passed in short order, soon the town of Claiborne would begin to fade into the shadows of history.
Next week's article will detail the demise of Claiborne and the Perdue Hill area.
Don't miss the Claiborne Pilgrimage October 13-14, 2018. The event promises to give a rare glimpse into the settlement of the forgotten town of Claiborne, Alabama. This event will feature tours of stately antebellum homes, churches and historic sites along the Alabama River in Monroe and Clarke Counties. Ticket information is available through the Old Courthouse Museum in Monroeville at 251 575 7433.
Shadows and Dust Volume III: Legacies is available for purchase in the amount of $30.00+$5.00 shipping and handling to PO Box 579 Atmore, AL 36502 or visit Lulu Publishing.com; Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles.com OR at the Monroe County Heritage Museum in Monroeville, Alabama or by calling 251 294 0293.
