Oak Bowery, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Oak Bowery is an unincorporated community
in southern Chambers County
, Alabama
, United States
. It lies along U.S. Route 431, north of Auburn, Alabama
.
and was originally named Woodlawn. A Methodist
camp meeting
ground named Oak Bowery was established there soon after settlement, and the community adopted that name around 1835. In 1837, the Oak Bowery Female College was established, and in 1850 the East Alabama Masonic College located there. The community grew rapidly in the 1830s and 1840s, but a change in the planned routing of the Montgomery and West Point Railroad
from Oak Bowery to a more southerly route ended the community's growth. Oak Bowery is today a small community of only a few residences and a church.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in southern Chambers County
Chambers County, Alabama
Chambers County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Henry H. Chambers, who served as a United States Senator from Alabama. As of 2010 the population was 34,215. Its county seat is Lafayette...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It lies along U.S. Route 431, north of Auburn, Alabama
Auburn, Alabama
Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2010 population of 53,380. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area...
.
History
Oak Bowery was first settled in 1828 by South CaroliniansSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and was originally named Woodlawn. A Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
camp meeting
Camp meeting
The camp meeting is a form of Protestant Christian religious service originating in Britain and once common in some parts of the United States, wherein people would travel from a large area to a particular site to camp out, listen to itinerant preachers, and pray...
ground named Oak Bowery was established there soon after settlement, and the community adopted that name around 1835. In 1837, the Oak Bowery Female College was established, and in 1850 the East Alabama Masonic College located there. The community grew rapidly in the 1830s and 1840s, but a change in the planned routing of the Montgomery and West Point Railroad
Montgomery and West Point Railroad
The Montgomery and West Point Railroad was an early 19th century railroad in Alabama and Georgia. It played an important role during the American Civil War as a supply and transportation route for the Confederate Army, and, as such, was the target of a large raid by Union cavalry in the summer of...
from Oak Bowery to a more southerly route ended the community's growth. Oak Bowery is today a small community of only a few residences and a church.
Notable residents
- Robert Lee BullardRobert Lee BullardRobert Lee Bullard was a United States General.General Bullard attended the United States Military Academy and graduated in 1885...
- general, U.S. Army - James Ferguson DowdellJames Ferguson DowdellJames Ferguson Dowdell was the second President of the East Alabama College, now known as Auburn University, from 1868 to 1870, and a U.S. Representative from Alabama.-Biography:...
- U.S. Representative - James Render DowdellJames R. DowdellJames Render Dowdell was an American jurist and the 20th Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court from 1909 to 1914....
- chief justice, Supreme Court of Alabama - Samuel Porter JonesSamuel Porter JonesSamuel Porter Jones was one of the most celebrated revivalists of his day, at the close of the 19th century. Famous for his wry wit and masterful story-telling, he is credited as a principal influence on Will Rogers....
- evangelist - John William JonesJohn William JonesJohn William Jones was an American politician and physician who served in the United States Congress.-Biography:...
- U.S. Representative - William J. SamfordWilliam J. SamfordWilliam James Samford was an American Democratic politician who was the 31st Governor of Alabama from 1900 to 1901....
- Governor of Alabama