Livingston in Sumter County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Livingston, Alabama / Livingston's Bored Well

Livingston, Alabama Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, February 19, 2016

1. Livingston, Alabama Marker

Inscription.
Side 1
Livingston, Alabama
Prior to the signing of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek on September 27, 1830, this site belonged to the Choctaw Nation. Early settlers to the area came from the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia. In 1833, a commission was appointed to organize Sumter County and select the county seat. The site chosen was named Livingston in honor of Edward Livingston, a prominent jurist, statesman, and Secretary of State under President Andrew Jackson. On January 10, 1835, the town of Livingston was incorporated. The first courthouse, built of logs, stood on the corner of Spring Street and West Main. Another courthouse, which was a frame building erected on the Square in 1839, burned in 1901. The cornerstone for the present courthouse was laid July 9, 1902.

Side 2
Livingston's Bored Well
The Bored Well on the Courthouse Square in Livingston was started in 1854, and historians say an old blind mule pulled the auger around day after day until completion in 1857 of an artesian well. When people began to claim the mineral water had medicinal value, Livingston's fame as a health spa spread far and wide. In 1904 the water quit overflowing and a hand pump was added. In 1928 an electric pump was installed. Originally

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a wooden Chinese pagoda covered the well, but a new brick structure was constructed in 1924. In 1999 this building was removed for safety reasons, and in 2005 the present pavilion was completed. Once again the Bored Well became one of Livingston's most treasured landmarks.

Erected 2010 by the Alabama Tourism Department and the City of Livingston.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & Politics • Native Americans • Science & Medicine • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #07 Andrew Jackson series list. A significant historical date for this entry is January 10, 1835.

Location. 32° 34.996′ N, 88° 11.317′ W. Marker is in Livingston, Alabama, in Sumter County. Marker is at the intersection of Washington Street South and Franklin Street, on the right when traveling north on Washington Street South. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 115 Franklin Street, Livingston AL 35470, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Sumter County Confederate Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Sumter County (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Livingston, Ala. (about 700 feet away); Houston-Bailey House (approx.

Livingston's Bored Well Marker (Side 2) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, February 19, 2016

2. Livingston's Bored Well Marker (Side 2)

0.2 miles away); Livingston State College (approx. 0.4 miles away); Sumter County's Covered Bridge (approx. 0.8 miles away); Line 32° 28´ North Latitude (approx. 7.4 miles away); York Veterans War Memorial (approx. 9.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Livingston.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Also see . . . Rural Alabama website about Livingston Bored Well. (Submitted on February 20, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Sumter County Courthouse image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, February 19, 2016

3. Sumter County Courthouse

Livingston's Bored Well under pavilion. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, February 19, 2016

4. Livingston's Bored Well under pavilion.

Nearby warning plaque about the well. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, February 19, 2016

5. Nearby warning plaque about the well.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 25, 2018. It was originally submitted on February 20, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 830 times since then and 74 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 20, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.