This county was created in 1866, and named in honor of
Genera. Patrick R. Cleburne, of Arkansas. Though abounding in natural
resources, the county is not as fully developed as some others in the
same region. Since the construction of a Railroad throughout the county,
giving its productions a ready outlet, it is winning to
itself a thrifty population, and in many ways the merits of Cleburne are
coming more and more to be recognized and appreciated. Great inducements
exist in the county for capitalists and immigrants, as its mines are
stored with rich ores, and its lands abound in fertility. The county has
an area of 540 square miles.
Population in 1870, 8,017; population in 1880, 10,976. White,
10,308; colored, 668.
Tilled Land—51.428 acres. Area planted in cotton, 9,156
acres; in corn, 21,552 acres; in oats, 5,672 acres; in wheat, 7,504
acres; in tobacco, 85 acres; in sweet potatoes, 221 acres.
Cotton Production—3,600 bales.
Cleburne has a varied surface. In the northern end of the
county there are rugged hills and mountains, with intervening valleys of
fertility. These valley lands are of a reddish hue, as is true of most
of the lands of this character, in this and the northern portion of
Alabama. The lands which lie along the ridges are of a light, grayish
color. But few of the mountain lands have ever been cultivated, as the
residents of the county have never felt the necessity of leaving the
level for the higer districts.
Along the slopes, however, there are good farming lands with
yellow subsoil. The remainder of the county is covered with either red
or grey lands, except in the creek and river bottoms, where the soil
partakes largely of sand. In the western portion of the county there is
a sparser population than in any other section, because the lands are
regarded as the least fertile. Cleburne has many fertile valleys, which
are mostly devoted to the production of corn, though some cotton is
planted. Along these valley stretches arc some of the best
farms in the county. The lower portion of Cleburne abounds in red
fertile lands.
The productions are corn, cotton, wheat and oats, with minor
crops of great importance. The soils are admirably suited to the
production of apples and peaches. The clovers and grasses are found to
thrive with great readiness, and hence, stock-raising is gradually
receiving more attention. The county has many forests of excellent
timber, the chief growth of which are white, red and Spanish oaks, short
and long-leaf pine, walnut, hickory and gum. For many years a gold mine
has been successfully worked at Arbachoochee. The same ore is also found
near Hightower. In different parts of the county, copper, mica, slate,
graphites, pyrites, zinc and kaolin, are found prevailing. Iron deposits
also exist. Silver has also been discovered. These await
capital in order to be properly developed.
The supplies of water in every portion of Cleburne are
unfailing, as it is penetrated by such streams as the Tallapoosa River,
and Terrapin, Muscadine, Cane, Shoal, Cahulga, Chulafinnee, Dying and
Lost Creeks. All these are sustained by numerous tributaries, which
contribute further to the supply of water.
The places of greatest importance are Edwardsville, the
county-seat, Heflin, Arbachoochee and Chulafinnee.
At Edwardsville there is a High School of local note, and at
Heflin there is an Institute, both of which are well conducted and
handsomely sustained. Other good schools are found in different parts of
the county.
The channels of transportation are, the Georgia Pacific
Railroad, and the East and West Railroad—the former a magnificent
thoroughfare, giving an outlet to each of the cities of Anniston and
Atlanta.
The Alabama Land and Mineral Company own about 40,000 acres
of land in Cleburne, which can be purchased at remarkably low figures.
Besides these, there is a great deal of government land in the county
still untaken, there being 50,000 acres. Lands can be purchased from
resident owners for from $2 to S10 per acre.
