History of Gurley

History of Gurley. . There has been a settlement at and around the area presently known as Gurley since before the 1800s. Located in Madison County in in the rich agricultural, mineral and timber belt of northern Alabama, Gurley lies 16 miles east of Huntsville and 80 miles west of Chattanooga on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad near the line between Madison and Jackson counties. In 1830, several families, including that of John Gurley, purchased land and built homes in what was then a dense forest of timber covering red clay lands and lowlands thick with canebrake. The area was full of game which provided abundant hunting for these growing families. Natural springs and wells were available to supply pure water to the homes. For many years, Gurley was a wooded area with no public roads. (Continued on other side), Reverse Side , The railroad was built through here in 1857. Then, because of the large cedar water tank, the town became known as "Gurley's Tank." The water tank supplied water to the steam-driven engines of the trains. When the post office was established in 1867, the was changed to "Gurleysville." The name was later shortened to Gurley because the mail to Guntersville was often confused with Gurleysville. In 1892, there were 24 businesses: livery stables, saloons, hotels, three churches and a school. There were physicians, a druggist, blacksmiths, woodworkers, bankers, jewelers and a photographer. Gurley had two newspapers, "The Gurley Record," and later, "The Gurley Herald." Besides having a large mercantile business, Gurley had in 1890 a number of manufacturing establishments including the Eagle Pencil Mill. Through the years, fire ravaged the business district at least three times. In 1923, fire almost completely destroyed the business district. Only two stores were spared from the fire.