Historic Courtland, Alabama, part I

Downtown Courtland, Alabama

In the years around 1816 – 1820, settlers moved into what is now Lawrence County, Alabama from Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas. Some settlers formed a small town about 20 miles west of what is now Decatur, Alabama and named it Courtland.

This was a time when all of north Alabama was being settled by pioneers looking for open spaces and fruitful farm land well supplied with water. Here they found all three.

The Courtland area was home of one of the earliest railroads in the south. Even before locomotives were invented, railroad cars were pulled by horses here in the Courtland area.

Lots of history has been preserved in Courtland.

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Historic Marker for Early Courtland

Keep in mind that it was in 1819 that the Alabama Territory became the state of Alabama.

Beautiful old house just off the Courtland town square

One of the old drug stores in Courtland

Historic marker for the Harris - Simpson home

People still live in this beautiful old house, the Harris Simpson Home.

Old street corner with painted sign and horse mounting stone

Note the rock there on the right, standing near the edge of the sidewalk. That is a horse mounting stone, left over from the old days. It is one of at least four mounting stones remaining in historic Courtland. They were used to help short people, mostly females and the elderly, to mount their horses.

Old painted Coca Cola sign

I would like to know how old this sign is, but I don't.

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