Decatur in Morgan County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Albany
1887
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, November 22, 2020
1. Albany Marker
Inscription.
Albany. On Jan. 11, 1887, the Decatur Land Improvement and Furnace Company, Inc. was formed under the leadership of E. C. Gordon, C.C. Harris and W.W. Littlejohn. With a capital investment of $7,500,000, the company purchased 5600 acres of land, including 100 acres set aside for churches and schools. "New Decatur" was advertised as the "Gateway City" with well planned streets and improvements, and 41 new industries and 500 new structures were built in 1887. To alleviate northern/southern rivalries, streets bore the names of four Civil War Generals, two Union and two Confederate. The State Legislature confirmed the "New Decatur" charter on February 13, 1889. However, a yellow fever epidemic in 1888 and financial panic in 1892-94 halted the initial boom. Recovery was slow but steady. In September, 1916 "New Decatur" changed its name to "Albany" (after Albany, New York) to diminish rivalries between "Old" and "New" Decatur. A consolidation effort failed on August 28, 1923, because of tax inequities, but finally succeeded on February 4, 1927. Albany was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Feb. 3, 1983.
On Jan. 11, 1887, the Decatur Land Improvement and Furnace Company, Inc. was formed under the leadership of E. C. Gordon, C.C. Harris and W.W. Littlejohn. With a capital investment of $7,500,000, the company purchased 5600 acres of land, including 100 acres set aside for churches and schools. "New Decatur" was advertised as the "Gateway City" with well planned streets and improvements, and 41 new industries and 500 new structures were built in 1887. To alleviate northern/southern rivalries, streets bore the names of four Civil War Generals, two Union and two Confederate. The State Legislature confirmed the "New Decatur" charter on February 13, 1889. However, a yellow fever epidemic in 1888 and financial panic in 1892-94 halted the initial boom. Recovery was slow but steady. In September, 1916 "New Decatur" changed its name to "Albany" (after Albany, New York) to diminish rivalries between "Old" and "New" Decatur. A consolidation effort failed on August 28, 1923, because of tax inequities, but finally succeeded on February 4, 1927. Albany was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Feb. 3, 1983.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is January 11, 1887.
Location. 34° 35.843′ N, 86° 58.37′
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W. Marker is in Decatur, Alabama, in Morgan County. It is at the intersection of Gordon Drive Southeast and Sommerville Road Southeast, on the right when traveling east on Gordon Drive Southeast. Marker is located in Delano Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Decatur AL 35601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 11, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 11, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 311 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 11, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.
