Autauga Creek

Autauga Creek. . Side 1 , Water has always played a significant role in the history of Prattville. Daniel Pratt chose the location for his new town because of the proximity to Autauga Creek and the Alabama River. This area was referred to as an “unhealthy quagmire” in the earliest records; but the location of Prattville proved to be ideal for Daniel Pratt’s new town. He built his gin mill, saw mill, and grist mill on the banks of Autauga Creek in the early 1830’s. In 1847, an article in De Bow’s Review described Autauga Creek as "a bold, clear stream…with a pretty water fall and pine forests making up to the edge. The woods abound with pine timber, the country healthy, navigation convenient and everything favorable to extensive manufactories." (continued on other side). Side 2 , (Continued from other side). Since the 1830’s the waters of Autauga Creek have powered cotton gins that have employed generations of families; turned saws that cut wood for lumber to build homes, barns and businesses; ground corn and grain that have fed families and livestock alike; bathed, baptized and provided recreation for thousands of people. Autauga Creek continues be a source of beauty and wonder., All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.