Guntersville in Marshall County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Courthouse Well
A wood shingle roof provided protection for the well and shade for visitors to the courthouse yard. During droughts, townspeople could draw water freely from this well.
Two cisterns dug by the city on courthouse grounds in 1893 provided water for fighting fires and watering livestock, but eventually outlived their usefulness. After the local newspaper called them "mosquito hatcheries," city workers filled in the cisterns in 1908, one year after "city water" became available.
In 1914 the Women's Christian Temperance Union raised funds to purchase an ornate metal fountain to quench the thirst of its citizens with water instead of liquor from nearby "Booze Row." The fountain was located near the old well but was removed in 1963 during a major renovation of the courthouse. The fountain is now located at the Guntersville Museum.
Erected 2021 by Marshall County Commissioners Ronny Shumate, Rick Watson, Lee Sims, Joey Baker, and James Hutcheson, Chairman.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 1883.
Location. 34° 21.539′ N, 86° 17.623′ W. Marker is in Guntersville, Alabama, in Marshall County. Marker is at the intersection of Gunter Avenue (U.S. 431) and Court Street, on the left when traveling south on Gunter Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 425 Gunter Avenue, Guntersville AL 35976, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Events in Marshall County (here, next to this marker); Veterans of Foreign Wars Marshall County (a few steps from this marker); Faith • Strength • Hope • Service (within shouting distance of this marker); Carter Hardware (within shouting distance of this marker); Indian Village Tali (within shouting distance of this marker); Site of Early Movie House and Congressman's Law Office (within shouting distance of this marker); Errol Allan Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Section of Core (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Guntersville.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 4, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 77 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 17, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.