Marengo County AlArchives History .....Marengo County 1888
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 September 15, 2011, 11:39 am

XII.
MARENGO COUNTY.

    Population: White, 7,276: colored, 23,617. Area, 960 square miles. Woodland,
all. Prairie oak and hickory uplands, with long-leaf pine and post-oak flat wood.

    Acres in cotton 80,790; in corn, 43,876; in oats, 6,574; in sugar-cane, 43;
in tobacco, 43; in rice, 26; in sweet potatoes. 1,138.

    Approximate number of bales of cotton, 24,000.

    County Seat—Linden; population, 300; 52 miles southwest of Selma.

    Newspaper published at County Seat—Reporter (Democratic.)

    Postoffices in the County—Clay Hill, Dayton, Demopolis, Dixon's Mills,
Faunsdale, Gay's Landing, Hampden, Hoboken, Jefferson, Linden, Luther's Store,
McKinley, Magnolia, Moss, Myrtlewood, Nanafalia, Nicholsville, Nixonville,
Octago, Old Spring Hill, Putman, Rembert, Shiloh, Sweet Water, Tombigbee, Van
Dorn, Williamsburgh.

    This historic county was settled by French immigrants after the fall of
Napoleon I., and was organized as a county in the year 1818. It is one of the
largest counties of Alabama, containing 960 square miles, or about 615,000
acres. Its soil, for the most part, is fertile, and the uplands offer as great
advantages to the agriculturist as can be found in the world, combining, as they
do, healthfulness with great productiveness. It has a population of about
30,000, three-fourths of whom are blacks.

    The white population is made up largely of immigrants from the older States,
and their descendants, chiefly from the States of Virginia and South Carolina.
Throughout its length and breadth the county possesses intelligent, substantial
citizens, far above the average of agricultural communities. Prior to the war
between the States the people of the upper portion of the county were noted for
their wealth, culture and hospitality, and, although impoverished by the war,
they yet retain the characteristics of ante-bellum days.

    The northern portion of Marengo County is level, or slightly undulating. The
soils vary, being partly still prairie and partly light, sandy loams. There is
prevailing in some parts of this section a post-oak soil, which is heavy, sandy
clay, of reddish and yellowish colors.

    The county is diversified throughout with hills, plains and fertile valleys.
The great stretches of prairie are broken here and there by a line of hills,
which overlook vast regions of country or gaze down upon rich valleys. The
several soils are black prairie, which belong to the plains; the mulatto soils,
which belong to the higher tablelands, and the gray hummock. As is true
throughout the counties of the Black Belt, the most valuable of these soils is
the black prairie, but all are valuable under different circumstances. Over
these limelands grows the mellilotus, or honey-weed, an excellent forage herb,
of which stock of all kinds are exceedingly fond. Oftentimes it grows to the
height of six feet, and overspreads the bare lime rock. Raisers of stock prize
it quite highly for its nutritious qualities.

    The cane-brake lands of Marengo are found in the northern end of the county,
and extend southward about ten or fifteen miles. These lands have long been
proverbial for their marvelous productive qualities.

    From about the center southwards the lands become thinner with a sandy
surface. About the county occur the "flat woods," which extend with varying
width across the country from east to west. The average width is five or six
miles. This region of flat woods is slightly undulating, and, because of the
waxiness of the soil, is sought by the planter. Upon analysis, the soils of this
peculiar section are found to be deficient in lime, though in some portions of
it cotton grows remarkably well. Early in the spring the wild clover
(lespedaza), begins to show itself in this flat woods country, and attains to
the height of two or three feet. A finer grazing region was never seen than this
flat woods section, which sweeps without interruption from the Tombigbee to the
Alabama River. This wild clover is eagerly sought by all kinds of stock, and
lasts from March or April until the coldest periods of winter. Where streams
flow across the flat woods they are thickly bordered with luxuriant swamp cane.

    Lower down still are the famous Rembert hills, the favorite resort of the
planters of the past as a region in which to establish their homes. These high
hills overlook the rich valleys which lie along Beaver Creek. Along the last
named stream are outcroppings of marl beds, which lend additional richness to
the soils. All these lauds—the black prairie and the brown loam ou the uplands,
as well as the light gray—are valuable aud productive. The crops usually
produced are corn, cotton, peas, sweet potatoes, millet, oats, and sugarcane.
Corn and cotton thrive about equally well upon the different lands.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Northern Alabama: Historical and Biographical
Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land
1888

PART III.
HISTORICAL RESUME OF THE VARIOUS COUNTIES IN THE STATE.
COTTON BELT.


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