Perote Bullock County
This community, settled during the mid-1830s, was first called Fulford’s Cross Roads, then Missouri Cross Roads when a post office was established here in 1846. The name Perote, adopted in 1850 was suggested by veterans returning from the Mexican War (1846-48), who remembered a citadel in Mexico by that name. Incorporation followed in 1858.
Early settlers in the area, who came primarily from the Carolinas and Georgia, included the following families: Sellers, Crossley, Blue, Locke, Peach, Hixon, Culver, Johnson, Adair, Ardis, McCall, Rumph, Brabham, Miles, Cameron, Starke, Wilson, Walker and Ivey. Methodist and Baptist churches were among the first structures in the community, around which much of the social life centered, including “protracted meetings” – revivals.
Perote grew rapidly in the 1850s so that by 1860 the community was thriving with several doctors, stores, a carriage factory, a Masonic lodge, and a school. At the beginning of the War Between the States (1861-65), the school numbered about 150 students. Many of the young men from the school served in the Perote Guards, organized in 1859 as war clouds gathered. They went off to war as part of the 1st Alabama Infantry Regiment with uniforms and a flag handmade by the women they left behind.
The community’s fortunes fell following the war as
cotton cultivation, the area’s traditional leading economic pursuit, receded in importance. By-passed by the railroad and experiencing several disastrous fires, Perote suffered a steady decline in business activity and population.Erected 2003 by The Bullock County Historical Society and the Alabama Historical Association.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers • War, Mexican-American. In addition, it is included in the Alabama Historical Association series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1846.
Location. 31° 56.831′ N, 85° 42.333′ W. Marker is in Perote, Alabama, in Bullock County. Marker is on U.S. 15/29, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Perote AL 36061, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Samuel Sellers Cemetery (approx. 2.7 miles away); Three Notch Road (approx. 2.7 miles away); Aberfoil Community (approx. 8½ miles away); Aberfoil School (approx. 8.8 miles away); Monticello (approx. 9.6 miles away); Mt. Pleasant Cemetery (approx. 9.8 miles away); Sardis Baptist Church, Cemetery, and School (approx. 10.4 miles away); Hobdy's Bridge: Last Indian Battles in Alabama (approx. 11.3 miles away).
Also see . . . San Carlos Fortress, in Perote, Veracruz, Mexico mentioned in the marker. (Submitted on May 15, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 13, 2012, by David J Gaines of Pinson, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,107 times since then and 76 times this year. Last updated on May 15, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 13, 2012, by David J Gaines of Pinson, Alabama. 4. submitted on January 10, 2023, by James L.Whitman of Eufaula, Alabama. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.