The History of Decatur by Phil Wirey The Story of Decatur by John Knox and Bill Jenkins 1796 Map of Decatur
Dr. Jerry Carr and Dr. Frank Soday Samuel Moseley Stone Pipe Pine Tree Discovered December 1951 Quad The Quad Complex 10,000 BC Paleo-Indian Site by David Hulse (1955) Soday s 20,000 Artifacts at Gilcrease Indian Museum, Tulsa, OK Carr Artifacts with Echota Indian Tribe, Falkville, AL
Campell s Ferry Spring Creek Foxes Creek General Andrew Jackson Coldwater Creek Rose s Bluff Mallet Creek Colonel John Donelson s voyage in the boat Adventure passes here March 11-12, 1780 Huntsville Captain George Fields Bear Creek 44 Mile Tree on Gaines Road surveyed by General Edmund P. Gaines and possible location of Flat Rock on the Little Bear Creek. He was with General William Henry Harrison's army at the Battle of the Thames and is buried in Mobile. Lanes Springs Compact of 1802 Jefferson and Madison Jackson Hollow Andrew Jackson s Plantation Town Creek Pathkiller s Creek Melton s Bluff Andrew Jackson s Plantation Flint Creek referred to in Chickasaw Certificate of 7-21-1794 as Teuchacunda, Tenchacunda, or Tarchecunda Creek, also called Creek of Wild Corn (possibly from Yuchi tribe, Children of the Sun) Hutchings Bluffs, also referred to as Long Bluff Cotaco Creek The removal of the tribes from the territory which they now inhabit...would not only shield them from impending ruin, but promote their welfare and happiness. Experience has clearly demonstrated that in their present state it is impossible to incorporate them in such masses, in any form whatever, into our system. John Coffee Map Approved: March 15, 1816 Surveyors: John Hutchings, Charles Bright Camp Coffee Fort Deposit Creeks Crossing Chickasaw Old Fields George Fields Stephen Heard John Menefee Dr. John Sutherland Captain Joel Wallace and Esther Houston Chief Black Fox Captain George Fields Jonathan Burleson Davy Crockett John Coffee
Railroad Street 2427 Feet from Bank Cantwell Sixth Ave DPT Baird Addition Oak Street Line Street Alabama Street Washington Street McCartney Street Sycamore Street Bank Street Canal Street Madison Street Grove Street Ferry Street Well Street 1824 Decatur, Alabama Plot Map, Surveyed by L. S. Banks 1870, Charter Created 1833, Amended 1840, 54, 70, & 71 Tennessee River Bridge (20 by 75 feet) Rhodes Ferry from August 1820 Cotaco Court Records Streets in Old Decatur were 350 (N-S) by 400 (E-W) feet apart (E-W), each plot was ½ acre and approximately 132 (N-S) by 165 (E-W) feet 160 143 142 125 124 107 106 89 88 71 70 55 54 37 36 19 18 1 1 18 19,20 38,37 39,40 57,58 159 144 141 126 123 108 105 90 87 72 69 56 53 38 First Methodist Church 158 145 140 127 122 109 104 91 86 73 68 57 52 39 157 146 139 128 121 110 103 92 85 74 67 58 51 40 33 22 15 156 147 138 129 120 111 102 93 84 75 66 59 50 41 32 23 14 Water Street Market Street 155 148 137 130 119 112 101 94 83 76 65 60 49 42 31 24 13 6 6 13 25 32 45 52 154 149 153 150 Old Somerville Road Old Town 1821 Wilson Avenue and Highway 72 New Town 1836 Pond Street 136 131 118 113 100 95 82 77 64 61 48 43 30 Joe Wheeler Highway 99 feet wide 135 132 117 114 99 96 81 78 281 62 47 44 29 7 26Winston 11 8 Garth 8 11 Church Street 152 151 134 133 116 115 98 97 80 79 282 63 46 45 28 27 10 9 9 10 28 29 48 49 163 182 187 206 211 230 235 254 259 278 164 181 188 205 212 229 236 253 260 277 Dr. Henry W. Rhodes Home 165 180 189 204 213 228 237 252 261 276 287 302 311 166 179 190 203 214 227 238 251 262 275 288 301 312 167 178 191 202 215 226 239 250 263 274 289 300 313 324 168 177 192 201 216 225 240 249 264 273 290 King Addition Rogers Addition 169 176 193 200 217 224 241 248 265 272 291 170 175 194 199 218 223 242 247 266 271 292 Fair Addition 171 174 195 198 219 222 243 246 267 270 293 285 304 309 286 303 310 172 173 196 197 220 221 244 245 268 269 294 295 299 298 297 296 Annexations 2484 Feet from Bank AME 314 315 316 317 318 326 325 323 35 20 17 34 21 16 25 12 2 3 4 2 3 4 17 16 15 21 22 23 5 5 14 24 General Jesse Lafayette Street Vine Street Merchant George Peck, Dr. Henry W. Cherry Rhodes Street 322 339 346 363 370 387 394 411 418 435 442 321 the U. 340S. 345 Congress 364 369 and 388 President 393 412James 417 Monroe 436 441 7 Davis Street 320 341 344 365 368 389 392 413 416 437 440 December 8, 1826 Charter issued by Alabama 319 342 343 366 367 390 391 414 415 438 439 12 36 41 56 35 42 55 34 43 54 33 44 53 26 31 46 51 27 30 47 50 161 184 185 208 209 232 233 256 257 280 283 306 307 330 331 354 355 378 379 402 403 426 427 450 162 183 186 207 210 231 234 255 258 279 284 305 308 329 332 353 The 356 Birth 377 380 of Decatur 401 404 425 428 449 328 333 352 357 376 381 400 405 424 429 448 June 6, 1820 (Knox and Jenkins) Date of the 327 334 351 358 375 382 399 406 423 430 447 Articles of Association of the Decatur Land Walnut Street Company in Huntsville. Signers were General 335 350 359 374 383 398 407 422 431 446 Jesse 336 349 Winston 360 Garth, 373 384Colonel 397 408Isaac 421 Lane, 432 445 337 348 361 372 385 396 409 420 433 (July 11, 1820), and Colonel McKinney 338 347 362 371 386 395 410 419 434 444 443 Holderness (August 5, 1820) Cain Street 1823 Proposed that it was founded by order of (document not yet found) State Legislature Lee Street 2517 Feet from Bank
Lafayette Street Cemetery Paintings ~ 1844 Mary Stuart Beard with portraits of Margaret Jarret Noble and Colonel Lawrence Slaughter Banks 102nd Ohio Infantry Lorena Banks Abe Plough (St. Joseph Aspirin, Maybelline Cosmetics, and Coppertone) donated $40,000 toward Decatur Public Library in Lorena Banks memory. She taught in Memphis for over 40 years before retiring back to Decatur.
1888 Map of Decatur, Birdseye View from North of River From Original Map by Major James R. Willett Johnson Building Albany Station Ivens & Sons Machine Shop Casa Grande Hotel (not built as shown) Stables (Princess Theatre) Decatur s First Courthouse John T. Banks Drugstore The Bond Block The G. C. S. Co. Shadowlawn Wert-Martin House Moseley House Leadingham / Collier Homes Lafayette Street School Scott Block Episcopal Ch. Katherine Carey Lackner Miss Kate and Josephine Lyons Sword House Todd House Methodist Church Rhodes Family Cemetery Hotel Bismarck Saloon and Restaurant Polk Hotel Union Hotel (Windsor, American) N African American Baptist Church Brown Funeral Home Old Decatur and Tennessee River Documentation by Phil Wirey Public Hall Simp McKee s Home Railroad Bridge McCartney Hotel Old State Bank Original Post Office / Dr. Willis Sterrs Drug Store Riverview (Hinds House, Burleson, McEntire) George Washington Harris Home (Author Sut Lovingood) Schaudies - Banks Cottage
Mildred Nungester Wolfe
Questions? Phil Wirey 256-566-9005 pdwirey@aol.com Walking Tours of Bank Street