The Town of Loxley

The Town of Loxley. . , As early as 1889 settlers came to this community, then known as Bennett, to farm. In 1891, John E. Loxley, from Michigan, opened a lumber mill he named 'Bennett Mill'. The settlement was later renamed Loxley, honoring the timber merchant. , The Loxley Hotel was built around 1900 to house travelers along the stage route that ran through the town. In 1905, the L&N Railroad ran a line through Loxley that included a depot. This provided farmers with a route to market their produce. The track, built along the track, built along the old stage trail, also allowed easy access to the hotel's accommodations. , Loxley's first schoolhouse was built in 1908 with students traveling by train to Bay Minette to complete high school. Known as the "Pine Knot Special', the engine was fired by pine knots gathered along the way. The depot was destroyed by fire in 1965 marking the end of Loxley's railroad era., Development of modern Loxley began in 1913 when Robert M Mahler, of Chicago, purchased 2300 acres in the area and began promoting the town. He encouraged the building of good roads for the community, donating many miles of land for the present roadways and assisting in other public projects., The landmark St Raphael's Catholic Church, built in 1916 of locally manufactured brownstone, is now home to the Loxley Library. Along with the Loxely Hotel, it is one of the few surviving structures dating back to the early 1900s., Loxley was incorporated in 1957 and has been known as the 'biggest little town in Balwin County'. Many recent improvements can be credited to the hard work of lifelong resident and seven-term mayor Billy Middleton. A Marine Corps veteran and dedicated civic leader, Middleton served this community for over 31 years from 1988-2019. This marker is dedicated to honor his memory.