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Alabama Counties
Alabama currently has sixty-seven counties. The oldest county, Washington, was created on June 4, 1800, when what is now Alabama was then part of the Mississippi Territory. The newest county is Houston, created on February 9, 1903.Bullock County, Alabama History
Bullock County Education, Geography, and History
Bullock County, Alabama is a county of the state of Alabama. Based on the 2010 census, the
population was 10,914. Bullock County was
created on December 5, 1866 from Barbour, Macon, Montgomery and
Pike Counties, though its boundaries were changed in Feb 1867. In 1867. Union Springs
was designated as the county seat.
Bullock county is named is in honor of Colonel Edward C. Bullock of Barbour County.
Etymology - Origin of Bullock County Name
Bullock county was named in honor of Confederate hero Col. E. C. Bullock.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Bullock County History
Bullock County, Alabama
Bullock County was just sophisticated when Creek Indians moving westward from Georgia settled here in the early 1700s. It was said that in those days, 27 springs of fresh water fed the area, making it a fertile oasis for the migrating Creeks.
Around 1832, following a bitter war between the Indians and the early white settlers, the Creeks ceded all their lands east of the Mississippi River. This allowed families from surrounding states to move in and find a new life in this flourishing countryside. Within three short years, churches, schools and stores began appearing as the community of Union Springs was born. Union Springs became quite prosperous prior to the Civil War, boasting of numerous factories, tanneries, hotels and mercantile shops. An early account described Union Springs as a "healthy land where lived the wealthiest plantations."
Following the war, in 1866, portions of Macon, Montgomery, Barbour and Pike counties were brought together to form a new one. This new county was named Bullock in honor of Confederate hero Col. E. C. Bullock.
The completion of the Macon and Brunswick Railroad through Appling County in 1870 led to the early development of Baxley, originally known as Station number 7, because of its location along the railroad. Following the construction of the railroad, naval store enterprises and sawmills moved into this area. Centrally located northwest of Homesville, Baxley was named for Wilson Baxley, a prosperous local farmer, cattle owner, and businessman who owned extensive acreage in the area and operated the community's first store. Baxley replaced Holmesville as the county seat in 1874, and during the next year the town was incorporated.
The first court held in this county was held at the present site of the Baxley Children's Home, eleven miles from Baxley. The first courthouse for this county was located at old Holmesville. The present day courthouse built from 1907 to 1908 in the neoclassical style, cost $50,000. H.L. Lewis designed the two-story limestone and concrete structure, which is the fourth courthouse to serve the county. The courthouse was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of a statewide county courthouse thematic nomination in 1980.
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 625 square miles (1,620 km2), of which 623 square miles (1,610 km2) is
land and 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2) (0.4%) is water. The county is in the
prairie region in the southeastern section of the state. The Chunnennuggee Ridge runs through the center of the county.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- North: Macon County
- Northeast: Russell County
- Southeast: Barbour County
- Southwest: Pike County
- Northwest: Montgomery County
Places of interest
Bullock County is home to several historic homes including the McCaslan-Garner House and Bonus-Foster-Chapman House.
Education
A National Center for Education Statistics report released in January 2009 showed that Bullock County had the highest illiteracy rate in Alabama at 34 percent.
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