Silverhill, Alabama
The Svea Land Colony was created in 1890 in Chicago, IL. In June of 1896, the Colony purchased its primary land holdings in south Baldwin County. Owners included Oscar Johnson, John Linden, Carl O Carlson, Carl Vallentin, and Fred Anderson.
Several years prior to this, a Mr. Lowell operated a turpentine still just east of the present day Silverhill community, on the hill where the park is today. Mr. Lowell required all transactions to be made with silver. So, come payday, the workers had to go up the hill to the still to get paid, hence the name Silverhill. The name became the name of the Svea Land Colony settlement. The land spanned the area from Fish River to present-day Robersdale (founded in 1905).
Dr. and Mrs. E C Slosson and their two daughters Ellen and Lois lived south of Silverhill and raised sheep. Some of their land was purchased by the Svea Land Company.
The first settlers of Silverhill were of Swedish descent, among them, Johnsons, Carlsons, Lindens, Nelsons, and Swansons.
The land company office (the present day library) was built, more families settled, and the land company office was partitioned to create a school room. Miss Sarah Carlson was the teacher. Miss Millie Anderson took over in 1902. Finally, in 1905, a seperate school was completed. This school operated from 1905 to 1928. Professor Owens taught at this school. The colony also boasted two hotels, three churches, a saw mill, a sugar cane mill, and a brick yard.
The settlers suffered many setbacks - finding crops that would grow here, insects, fruit trees destroyed by insects, and the decision of th L&N RR to locate a depot several miles east of Silverhill rather than through town.
For many, the last disappointment was the hurricane of 1906, which devasted the county. After that, many of the settlers gave up and left.
The farmers gradually began to make a profit from cucumbers and potatoes. Then, came cattle, dairy, kumquat, and satsuma farming. These were encouraged by Dr. O F E Winberg.
Dr. Winberg was a veterinarian and horticulturist trained in Germany who came to live in Silverhill. He taough the farmers the intricacies of breeding cattle for meat and dairy. As a result, the dairy and creamery in Silverhill was the first established in the state of Alabama.
Dr. Winberg also developed sweet varieties of kumquat and satsumas, including the Silverhill Satsuma Mandarin.
The first electricity in Silverhill was supplied by a gasoline-powered generator. Later, plans were made to build a dam and generating plant on Fish River, just west of town. Although construction began on the dam, the power company franchise was sold to the town of Foley prior to completion.
As Silverhill grew, Czechozlovakian immigrants settled here (1909-1914). They built a meeting hall, to become known as "Little Hall" , which was also used as a school for the children of the farming community. Eventually, the schools were consolidated and everyone attended the Silverhill school. Dave Forsman became the first "bus" driver for the school, converting an old truck for the purpose.
The town of Silverhill was incorporated August 13, 1926.
Sources:
Silverhill Elementary
The History of the Swedes of Ilinois Part II, Chicago, the Engberg-Holmberg Publishing Company, 1908, edit by Ernst W Olson and martin J Engberg
"Vignettes of Baldwin County", published 1983 by the Gulf Telephone Company.