PATRON – Clarke County, Alabama pioneers did not let obstacles stop them

Beautiful

Three of my ancestors named in the article: John Smith, John Loftin, and William Walker.

Are the names of the 90 Clarke County Settlers who came from south carolina in 1820 known?

Linda Billings

check out early tax records for Mississippi Territory, Washington County-that later became Clarke County.

These early tax records from 1802 – 1817 (not every year) include names of many of the early and longstanding family surnames in Clarke county history, and are probably the earliest records of these folks in the area. At the time much of the settlement was up on the west bank of the Tombigby river. In some of the records, some description of land location can be found.

My earliest Clarke county ancestors, John Dean and William Hamilton, are there. They ended up living closer to the Alabama River in the Bassett Creek/Suggsville area, but this clearly shows when they start appearing in the records.

I also found a reference to John Deane’s passport through the Creek Settlements to the Tom or Don Bigby River in the book: Passports of Southeastern Pioneers 1770-1823 by Dorothy William Potter. Other records to search for early mention of people in the area are the American State Papers–many volumes but may yield good info establishing when some of these families first appeared in the area that became Clarke County and are petitioning for various things.

—back to the Washington County tax records: old families listed in these early records include:
Coleman, Caller, Myrick, Walker, Wilson, Mims, Rivers, Creighton, Dees, Bettis, Whatley, Gaines, Odum, Wood(y)ard, Bassett, Landrum, Jones, Barnes, McCrory, Rankin, Allen, Sinquefield, Moselely, Robinson/Robertson and others.

My grandmother did too.

Yes! It’s beautiful now. Mr Glenn and I have roots in Clarke Co that go back before 1810 if I get a “scratch” we bleed pine sap & red clay!