Baldwin County history

In August, 1813, near Tensaw Lake the Fort Mims massacre took place, the most fearful tragedy in Alabama history.

The next year, in September, 1814, occurred the investment and bombardment of Fort Bowyer by Col.

After licking their wounds at Dauphin Island, the British launched another assault on Fort Bowyer and captured it on February 12, 1815.

Named for Abraham Baldwin (1754-1807), founder of the University of Georgia, delegate to the Constitutional Convention, member of Congress, 1789-1807. It has long been a center of conflicting claims: by Spain, France, and England; by royal governors of Florida, Louisiana, Carolina, Georgia, and West Florida until the Mississippi Territory formed in 1798 and from it, the Alabama Territory in 1817.

The first State legislature, December 13, 1819, still further enlarged it by adding all the country south of Little River as far east as the line between ranges seven and eight, and north of the 31st parallel.

Here it remained until December 16, 1820, when it was transferred to Blakeley.

Established in May 1862 near this location, Camp Withers served as a central point for coordinating picket duties, observing Federal troop maneuvers along the Alabama coast, and as a station for Alabama’s Seventh Cavalry Regiment.

In September 1863, the unit was incorporated into Company F, Fifteenth Alabama Cavalry Regiment.

Camp Withers remained in operation until after the Battle of Mobile Bay, August 1864.

In 1868, August 11, the county commissioners were directed to select a new location for the county seat on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, within two miles of Montrose.

In 1883, the legislature authorized Baldwin County to borrow up to $25,000 to build four fireproof county offices, as well as a courthouse on the site of the former courthouse.

The legislature, February 5, 1901, named Bay Minette as the seat of justice.

On this site, a significant educational experiment was launched by Marietta Johnson, who founded the School of Organic Education in 1907.

239, 1931 Regular Session of the Legislature of Alabama, as amended, adds other powers, duties & functions which strengthen the framework of the institutional governmental authority of the governing body of Baldwin County.

Baldwin EMC was organized in 1937, and experienced leadership combined with sound business principles have allowed us to thrive as an organization.

Within General Law, many of the powers, duties & functions authorized Alabama counties can be found within several, yet scattered, parts of the General Law (called "Titles" or "Sections") of the Code of Alabama 1975.

Original marker placed November 20, 1982, by the Fort Morgan Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in memory of the local men who served here.

The City of Fairhope acquired the campus in 1987 and leased it to Faulkner State Junior College.

Successive Spanish explorers sought this "Holy Grail" along the Gulf Coast, failing until a 1693 expedition concluded that what is now called Mobile Bay was the fabled Bay of the Holy Spirit. [2008: Intersection of I-10 & the Causeway, Spanish Fort 30.67716 N, 87.98431 W]

The photos under “Historic buildings in Little River, Baldwin County, Alabama by photographer Carol Highsmith 2010” are not of buildings in Baldwin county.

Have you ever heard of these ghost towns in Baldwin County, Alabama? - Alabama Pioneers November 13, 2014