Alabama was a part of the Mississippi Territory until Mississippi became a state in 1817, at which time the Alabama Territory was formed. The news spread quickly that there was rich fertile soil, good climate and great forest in the Alabama territory. A great invasion of Settlers came to claim land, so many that this land rush became known as “Alabama Fever.” Alabama was admitted as the 22nd state of the United States on December 14, 1819.
The Land Act of 1820 was enacted April 24, 1820 as a United States federal law that permitted the purchase of public domain lands for cash. The Homestead Act May 20, 1862 was a law passed by Congress in 1862 that granted 160 acres of federal land to any U.S. citizen. An individual was given ownership of the land for free if that person lived on the land for five years and improved the land by building a home and producing a crop. The Acts of the general Assembly of the State of Alabama on December 4, 1888 divided Mobile County into three revenue and road districts. The districts were further divided into Precincts. The Second District precincts were Citronelle (1), Mount Vernon (2), Creola (5), Mauvilla and Chunchula (6), Albritton (7), Carver’s (8), Steeley’s Store (20). The town of Semmes was not laid out and named until 1900, when Semmes Land Company was formed by August Pickus, and eight other fellows. According to Probate Records, Book 3, page 484, Semmes Land Company purchased a section of land fifteen miles northwest of Mobile, Alabama and laid out streets, and lots, to their proposed town site. However, not many people came to buy Semmes land and many of the original land company left. “Scrapbook of Memories” Early Settlers who purchased or homesteaded land in Township 3; Mobile County, Alabama, Albritton Precinct, according to BLM Records, (Bureau of Land Management) are listed below. 1839-Henry Chamberlin, William Goff, Elisha Powell, James Powell, Samuel Swift, Josiah Wilkins 1840-David Rester, Fredrick Rester, Zachariah Rester 1843- Benjamin Howell, Charles Havard, William Goff 1845-Jacob Collins, Benjamin Howell, James Roberts 1846- Samuel H. Wolf, 1848- Daniel McLeod 1859-Abraham S. Woodcock, Martha M. Cook, and John W. McCrary 1877- Benjamin Howell, James Howell, Anna A. Jerkins, Joseph W. Thompson 1879- Henry McCrary, Thomas D. O’Rourke, Henry McCrary, Hiram Powell, Jesse S. Powell, Jackson Rester, Mildred E. Allen, Nancy Cochrane, Sarah M. Whiting, James H. Allen, Isam W. Deese 1880- Frank King, Jackson Pierce 1882-Washington W. Snow 1883- Ralph Garner, Milton McCrary, Littleton Lee, Franklin Brown 1884- Thomas J. Howell, Nathan J. Allen, Commodore Reid 1885- Thomas Simon, Theophilus Snow 1887- Mary J. McCrary 1888- Thomas Howell, 1891- Jesse S. Finlay, John W. Howell, Louis M. Howell, Edward Parker, Jefferson D. Pierce, Henry Rester, Abigail Finlay 1892- Marion Havens, Hiram Powell, John A. Finlay 1893-Charity A. Pearce, & James Pearce 1894-Francis M. Helveston 1895-William E. Powell 1898- James A. McCrary 1899- Henry W. Allen 1900- Ellen Jackson, Nathan H. Howell 1901 -Andrew J. Lowery, Edward Rester 1902- Nellie Simmons, Mary Vickers 1904-John F. Corley, James A. McCrary, Willie Waltman 1905 - Virgil Helveston, Eugene A. Powell 1906- George E. Vickers 1910 -John Rester, Albert Foster 1912- Jerome Joyner 1914- John Helveston 1915- James D. McKinney 1929-Francis Sterling Kemp
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SemmesPreserving our History Archives
September 2024
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