Headstone of William Coombs, a heart broken stranger at Claiborne's cemetery.
As William B. Travis' body lay in the cold dirt of a Texas grave, the town of Claiborne, AL was reaching its zenith. The town was an epicenter of antebellum river culture in Alabama and was the symbol of a bygone era by the end of the Civil War. Yet Claiborne's legacy would continue in the form of another community by the name of Perdue Hill.
As Claiborne began to subside in prominence, some buildings were disassembled and moved to Perdue Hill (which is along Highway 84). The Masonic Lodge, which was constructed through a Masonic Lottery held in the county, was constructed at Claiborne around 1825 and later moved to Perdue Hill. John Parks supervised the construction.
The famous French general of Revolutionary War fame, Lafayette (also known as the Swamp Fox) visited the building on April 6, 1825. The building was moved to Perdue Hill from Claiborne in 1884. Over the years the building has served as a courthouse and Masonic Temple. The Masons moved to Monroeville and deeded the facility to the Women's League of Perdue Hill. It is through their efforts that the building has survived to modern times.
Other prominent homes in the Claiborne area include the home of James Dellet. He was a prominent attorney and early Alabama politician who built an antebellum style home during the golden age of Claiborne. The home was built between1834-38. Dellet served in both the Alabama House and the Twenty-Sixth Congress of the United States (1839-45). He died in 1848 and is buried in a private cemetery in Claiborne. By the time of his death, the economic demise of Claiborne had already occurred.
According to Mr. Agee Broughton, the economic demise of western Monroe County was brought about through the construction of railroads in the eastern portion of the county. New railroads and changing centers of commerce began to chip away at the economy and population of the Claiborne area.
By the time of the War Between the States, the county seat had been moved to Monroeville and the town was already a fading ember of the brush fire that was called "Alabama Fever." Another chapter in the history of Claiborne would be written by marauding Yankee raiders who pillaged and plundered the farms around the town in early 1865.
Following the war, Claiborne disappeared as a town and faded into the ghostly shadows of early Alabama history. By 1925 the only visible remains of the town was the ruins of the Torrey Place.
Today, the general area of the town is marked by the nearly forgotten cemetery of River Bluff which speaks volumes of the Claiborne town folks. Among this cemetery; where pine, oak, and sweet gum trees have fused with the tombstones of yesteryear, depressions mark the locations of unmarked graves. Few graves have death dates that are more recent than 1840. Many of the graves have been washed down the hillside from years of flooding.
The graves with tombstones remaining give ghostly whispers as to the past lives of those interred at the site. Many of the graves contain poetic epithets. William Coombs, a native of Portland, Maine who died February 27, 1838 has the following verse etched on his tombstone: "Alone and in sorrow-Dark hours roll by-Forsaken and friendless-Why Should I not die? The turf will lie lightly above the lone spot-Where the heart broken stranger is laid and forgot."
Perhaps a lost love, alcohol, or war; or perhaps he left this life by his own hand; the reasons behind his death are lost to history.
The once booming streets of Claiborne are now dusty dirt roads. Time and history has passed by the antebellum communities of Claiborne and Perdue Hill just as summer passes to fall. Yet on a quite afternoon drive, the sight of steam boats on the Alabama and the sounds of a town full of life are not hard to imagine while riding along Highway 84 in Monroe County.
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.
