The
History of Lauderdale County (continued)
by Oscar Lewis; Associate
Editor of The Florence Herald
After the cession of Indian lands
in North Alabama in 1816 to white settlement, the United States
began selling the lands at the public auction and many new towns
were started. In the Muscle Shoals area, Bainbridge was
located six miles up river on the Colbert County side of the
river and connected by ferry from the Lauderdale side near the
mouth of Shoals Creek. A bridge was later built at this
location but was destroyed by high winds. Marion, a little
farther down was located near what is now the south end of
Wilson Dam.
Other towns in Lauderdale County
competing for early settlers because of their proximity to the
river were Savage's Spring, nine miles below Florence and
Waterloo, some 20 miles downriver. The river was indeed
the highway of that day and most towns of consequence were
necessarily on the river. Bainbridge did not survive
because it was too far upstream in the turbulent shoals for
boats to reach.
Waterloo, established in 1819 was
settled by people for the Carolinas and was presumably named for
the Belgian town, the scene of Napolean's defeat.
In its early history, the post
office was removed to Barton, across the river in Franklin (now
Colbert) County, but was later re-established in Waterloo in
August 1828. Waterloo became incorporated in 1832 and is
one of the oldest incorporated towns in the state. It was
a regular port of call, as was Florence, for many of the old
river boats, some coming from as far as St. Louis with cargoes
and passengers and others carrying cotton from Lauderdale farms
to the port of New Orleans.
There were few routes to travel
in those days, the pioneers using the river as their main mode
of transportation even though the way was fraught with
perils. Some came overland by the Natchez Trace, then
little more than an Indian trail, later on by the Military Road
that was cleared by the troops of Andrew Jackson in 1816.
It was later officially named Jackson Highway.
The first steamboat brought a
cargo of freight and passengers to Florence in 1821 and from
that time on , boats became increasingly important to the
prosperity of the town and county. It is not actually
known who the first settler's were, however, such trail blazers
like Major Dillahunty were sent by President Monroe "to
prepare the minds of the Indians for the ceding for their
lands." The Major married Nancy, the daughter of John
Johnson who, history relates, leased the first land in
Lauderdale County from the Cherokee Chief Doublehead.
...continued,
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