The City of Evergreen and Conecuh County, Ala.

Business Opportunities in the City and a Description of the Resources and Lands of the County,

with a List of Properties for Sale.

By Johnson-Whitcomb Real Estate Co.

 

Evergreen, Ala., is the county site of Conecuh County, population about 2,000. It is situated on the main line of the L & N Railroad, midway between Montgomery and Mobile. The city has a fine system of electric lights, pure artesian water of medicinal quality, and a telephone system with long-distance connection. A short historic write-up follows, after which a list of business opportunities is given.

 

Historical

Prior to 1838, there was no place in Conecuh County known as Evergreen and the first impetus given to the place was during that year. From 1840 to 1858, Evergreen was on a stage line with tri-weekly mails. This was the extent of the outside communication until 1858, when a railway (now the main line of the L & N) was built through the county. Until 1865, the county seat was Sparta, but during that year the court house was burned by the Union Army, which invaded this section. After the war, a new court house was erected in Evergreen. Then this town took new life. The establishment of the Southwest Alabama Agricultural College here gave further impetus. The school is supported by the state and, with the exception of a small matriculation fee, tuition is absolutely free. In connection with the school there is an experimental farm, where practical agriculture is taught to all students who desire to pursue this course. The school has classical and scientific courses as well, and has an enrollment of 249 students at present.

In 1901 a new court house was built of stone and pressed brick. This handsome structure stands as a silent witness to the thrift of the citizens of this county.

In 1896, the People’s Bank was established and the last report shows that our citizens have $112,000 on deposit subject to check.

 

Descriptive

We have four organized churches — Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal — with numerical strength in the order named.

The Baptists are preparing to build a $7,000 structure. No town of its size has more prosperous lodges than has Evergreen.

The Masons, Knights of Pythias, Red Men, Woodmen and Knights of Honor have quarters here.

We have a good Opera House, several solid mercantile establishments prosper, and most anything needed can be bought in our market at a reasonable price.

Yet there are some commercial pursuits that are not represented here. Below we give a list of the same:

 

Business Opportunities

Excellent opportunities here for the following commercial pursuits and trades, in nearly every instance there being no representative at all; while in the remainder there is no exclusive line or but a single firm or person engaged. We need a cotton factory (10,000 bales marketed here annually). This is a noted winter resort, our tourist hotel burned and not rebuilt (no insurance). We need a modern office building (lawyers would welcome it heartily); department store doing a wholesale business in connection (20 towns in this county depend upon Evergreen for supplies, area of county 831 square miles, population 20,000. No other town has more than 200 people and but two over 100).

Evergreen is the trade center for the entire county. Opening for a well-equipped machine shop, building and loan association, steam laundry, bakery, tin shop, harness maker, marble yards, confectionery store, wall paper store, fruit store, gent’s furnishings store and music store (any kind of store or shop where the proprietor knows the value of advertising would prosper here). A butcher shop, news stand, white restaurant, white barber shop, tailor and public stenographer would all be welcomed and could do well. We invite correspondence relative to any of the above mentioned opportunities.

 

Conecuh County

The resources of this county have never been advertised to any extent. Our people have not mixed much with the outside world, but have lived with in themselves, with peace and plenty all about. But now when agricultural pursuits are more profitable, when markets are nearer and easier access; now that the spirit of progress pervades the entire south and because conditions are such that our planters all have more land than they cane have filled as it should be, we invite out white brothers from less forward lands to come among us and be of us and to enjoy the heritage which is the sure reward of industry where nature aids instead of retarding every endeavor. We raise cotton and corn as our leading field crops. All of the syrup that is consumed in the county is made form sugar cane grown on our lands. Peas of every variety are raised. Three crops per year of these may be grown. Then we have sweet and Irish Potatoes, sorghum, wheat, rye, barley and anything else that can be grown anywhere in the United States, excerpting the tropical fruits.

In the gardens is raised every vegetable named in the seed catalogues. Vegetables are not only raised here, but hundreds of cars are shipped north. Our growers are but little, if any, behind the Florida gardeners in getting their early produce to market.

The fruits that can be grown to advantage are numerous, and the yields are simply immense. Strawberries, okra, peaches, apples, quinces, scuppernongs, apricots, plums, cherries, pears, grapes, blackberries, raspberries—in fact all the fruits indigenous to the temperate zone, and many that were before exotics, have been acclimated and do well.

 

Our Lands

The lands of the county have all been homesteaded. Those who desire to purchase will have to do so through some real estate agent, as the owners of land follow this course, almost exclusively when desiring to sell properties. Often the real estate agent persuades a planter to sell off part of his estate and thus to devote extra energy to the remaining acres.

This is being done at the present time.

The county is thickly settled by any means, and those who wish to purchase in small or large tracts can do so to a good advantage. Much of the county is yet covered with primeval forest. Where the saw mills have not entered, the traveler may go for miles and all the while be in sight of as fine timber as can be found anywhere in the United States. Those lands, where remote from the railway or water transportation, may be purchased as low as $5 per acre. This price, of course, does not prevail in all parts of the county; but timbered lands anywhere can be had for $10 per acre.

Farming lands are held at various prices—anywhere from $10 to $30 per acre, greatly depending upon the distance from Evergreen. The writer has known good agricultural lands, within 5 miles of Evergreen, to be had for $10 per acre. These lands are, for the most part, level or table, with clay subsoil, and when properly cultivated will produce wonderful crops. Forty bushels of corn and three-fourths of a bale of cotton are not unusual; and one advantage is the case which these lands are cultivated. No rocks are in the way, and while there is a soft limestone to be found in one portion of the county, there are other portions where you may travel all day without seeing a rock of any kind. Many parts of the county are covered with vast stretches of cane brake, where cattle may be wintered with out other food.

I have just told you of a lime rock that is found in some parts of the county. This is used to build chimneys, and is so soft that it may be prepared for use with a saw. A few houses have been built of the same material. Space forbids a further description of the lands in this county. You will find that all stated herein is true. Come down and make a personal investigation on your own accord.

We can secure you a round trip rate of $18.50 from St. Louis or Cincinnati, and correspondingly low rates from other points. You will note a list of lands and town properties for sale in another column of this paper. If you don’t see anything in this list that appeals to you, write the Johnson-Whitcomb Real Estate Co. at Evergreen, Ala., for additional lists of property.

 

Submitted by Sherry Johnston