The Settlement on Mulberry at Bogles Creek

submitted by Wayne Scoggins

from "A History of Early Bibb County, Alabama 1820 - 1870" by Ulysses Huey Abrams

Five miles north of Plantersville, and twenty-five miles north of Selma, a small stream known as Bogles Creek runs eastward and empties into Mulberry Creek. It took its name from one of the first families to settle on its banks about 1816, or sometime before. This was the family of Samuel H. Bogle, who was originally granted two sections of land in this location. He was an enterprising person and soon developed a large farming operation, which he carried on with slave labor. Along with his farming, he operated a prosperous business, and the site of this business became the center of a community known as Bogles. His store was located only a few yards into Perry County, while most of his farm land was in Bibb County. A post office was established here in 1830 with Bogles as Postmaster. There were many other families who settled here about the same time, some of whose names remain only faintly in the old records today, while others remain indelibly. Included among these early names were Allen, Dennis, Gandy, Rice, Shackleford, Barsfield, Goodwin, Lowe, Clark, Frasier, Morris, Kinard, Parnell, Wooten, Sims, Ward, Wright, Carey, Broadnax, Scoggins, Moore, Peeples, Ousley, Voeglin, and McGee.

This was the home of John Allen, one of the most active community leaders in early 1818, when Cahawba County was created. The act of creation directed the boundary line of the county to begin on Mulberry Creek in such a way as to leave John Allen in Cahawba County. This was also the home of William Allen, the early Baptist minister. Charles A. Dennis lived here. He was, perhaps, the most prominent leader of the community, and stood high in stature among the people of the county. He served a term as member of the County Court during the early days, was elected state senator from Bibb County in 1821, and served as a member of the House of Representatives in 1823 along with Alexander Hill.

This was the home community of Young Goodwin and his outstanding family. He was a prominent planter-farmer and business man of the first years, and the members of his family were active and devoted members of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. The family of Theophilus Goodwin, the Revolutionary War soldier, arrived in 1827 to join other members of his family who had, perhaps, settled here some years previously. His son, Julius Goodwin, became a general in the State Militia. represented Bibb County in the State Legislature in 1831, and was always an active member of the Ebenezer Baptist Church and active in the affairs of Mulberry Baptist Association. Theophilus Goodwin was related to Young Goodwin mentioned' above, Young being Theophilus' half-uncle.

Some orders copied from the minutes of the Bibb County Court that involved some members of this community are as follows:

"1821 - Ordered by the Court that John Allen be appointed overseer of the poor instead of John Ward in the beat commanded by Captain David Moore."

"1821 - Ordered by the Court that William Peeples, William Wooten and John Gandy be appointed judges to superintend the election at the house of John Allen."

"1830 - Ordered by the Court that Julius Goodwin serve as overseer of the poor in the military district commanded by Captain Young Goodwin."

"1832 - Ordered by the Court that Theophilus Goodwin, Elijah Parnell and John Gandy be appointed to serve as election managers at the general election to be held in August next at the precinct at Bogles."

About the time of the construction of the Alabama and Tennessee River Railroad through this community, the population center shifted to the railroad and then took the name Dixie. No doubt, the local inhabitants marvelled at the sight and sound of the first trains that rolled through this community in the fall of 1852.

Here on Bogles Creek was fought the major engagement of Wilson's raid through Alabama. Here General Nathan B. Forrest came face to face with General James H. Wilson. General Wilson in his memoirs relates the following story, which is told here in substance. He said that late in the afternoon after the battle, while his men were scouring the countryside for food, one of his captains with a detachment of soldiers came upon a nice home, and, while robbing the smokehouse of its contents, a pretty young woman came running from the house. Recognizing the captain, she called him by his name and told him to put the stolen goods back. He recognized her; they had met in Indiana. He obediently and humbly restored the contents of the smokehouse and moved on to the next house.