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Gallion in Hale County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
 

Freetown

 
 
Freetown Marker (Side A) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tim & Renda Carr, November 12, 2010
1. Freetown Marker (Side A)
Inscription. In 1867 a group of African American men and women laid the foundations for Freetown. William, John, Albert, George, Richard, and Peter Collins; Susan and Lawrence Moore; Thomas Jeffries; the children of John Jeffries; and Louisa Conway and her children received over six hundred acres of land in the will of John Collins, a local planter who had migrated from Virginia to Alabama in 1837. The early residents included former slaves and free people of color.

Many of the men were skilled masons and carpenters, including Peter Lee and John Glascow who directed the construction of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Gallion. Freetown residents helped organize Bethlehem Baptist Church in 1867.

Freetown became a vibrant community and residents achieved local prominence. The settlement reached its peak in the 1920s as part of Allenville. Brown’s general store established around 1910 became the major commercial center and social hub. Women from the community were among the first teachers in the area’s African American schools. Some Freetown children received primary and secondary education as boarding students at Selma University. The community’s population declined after World War II as African Americans migrated to northern and southern cities. Residents and their descendants over time became skilled workers, professionals,
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and active members of communities elsewhere, while maintaining strong ties to Freetown.
 
Erected 2004 by Alabama Historical Association.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African AmericansSettlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Alabama Historical Association, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1867.
 
Location. 32° 29.608′ N, 87° 40.019′ W. Marker is in Gallion, Alabama, in Hale County. Marker is on U.S. 80, 2 miles east of State Highway 69, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Gallion AL 36742, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Dr. Benjamin M. Duggar (approx. 2.3 miles away); St. Andrew’s Church (approx. 2.3 miles away); Oak Grove School (approx. 3.7 miles away); St. Michael's Cemetery (approx. 5.2 miles away); St. Michael's Episcopal Churchyard (approx. 5.2 miles away); Vine And Olive Colony (approx. 8 miles away); Church of the Holy Cross (approx. 9.2 miles away); Gaineswood (approx. 9.9 miles away).
 
Freetown Marker (Side B) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tim & Renda Carr, November 12, 2010
2. Freetown Marker (Side B)
Freetown Marker and Bethlehem Church image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tim & Renda Carr, November 12, 2010
3. Freetown Marker and Bethlehem Church
Freetown Marker and Bethlehem Church image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tim & Renda Carr, November 12, 2010
4. Freetown Marker and Bethlehem Church
Bethlehem Church image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tim & Renda Carr, November 12, 2010
5. Bethlehem Church
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on November 14, 2019. It was originally submitted on November 18, 2010, by Timothy Carr of Birmingham, Alabama. This page has been viewed 2,437 times since then and 138 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 18, 2010, by Timothy Carr of Birmingham, Alabama. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024