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June 4, 2005 at Gene
Clary Park
Laurel Hill History
Remembering a century of history
Kim Henderson,
News Bulletin Reporter
Laurel Hill will officially celebrate its centennial anniversary this year.
The community is steeped in rich history, families who have been around for generations, and notable traditions. “It’s a very friendly place,” said Tracy Curenton, one of the organizers of the upcoming anniversary ceremony for Laurel Hill. “Everybody cares about everybody else and it seems like everybody knows everybody else. I think, for most people, there is a deep sense of history here. Those family connections are very important.”
The Curentons have been living in Laurel Hill for numerous generations. Tracy’s brother Mark can count at least four generations back of great grandparents.
“People in Laurel Hill are very proud of this town,” Tracy said, admitting that she is one of those who is proud of her community.
The centennial ceremony has been scheduled for June 4, 2005 at Gene Clary Park. The event is slated to last all day, with activities and many opportunities for walks down memory lane.
According to Curenton, there will be a noon meal, probably barbecue, which will be free to everyone. Old and historic photographs of various aspects of the city, along with items of importance, will be on display throughout the day in a mini, one-day museum that will be set up.
In addition, a tour of some of Laurel Hill’s older, historic homes will be conducted as well as a tour of the city’s many churches. One example of the historic value in Laurel Hill’s religious buildings lies within the walls of the Presbyterian Church. A white frame structure, complete with a steeple, this church was constructed years before Laurel Hill was incorporated, in the year 1898 to be exact. Today, the Presbyterian Church is still operational and church services are held on a regular basis.
“We will hold a special recognition ceremony for the first families who settled in Laurel Hill back in 1905,” Curenton explained. “We will give something special to their relatives who are in attendance.”
Some of the original settlers include the following names: Atwell, Clary, Jones, Laird, Richbourg, Stokes, Tucker, Cobb, Fountain, Campbell, Hart, Moore, Whitehurst, and others.
“Many of those families pre-date the town,” Mark noted. “Back in the 1830s, some of those same families signed a petition before Congress to open up the Yellow River.”
In its early days, Laurel Hill was known for its timber trade, which was very important to the economy and livelihood of the community.
Laurel Hill was also known for its connection to the railroad, which provided freight and passenger carriage. “It was a fairly prominent town in its day,” Mark pointed out. “Laurel Hill was the headquarters of the railroad. There were engine shops here and machine shops here and a lot more.”
According to research the Curentons conducted, the Yellow River Railroad was chartered in July 1887 to build a railroad from Crestview to Florala, Alabama. Original railroad stockholders were George W. Wright and W.B. Wright of Pensacola and Rufus Milligan of Santa Rosa County. The railroad opened, with headquarters in fact in Laurel Hill, in May 1894. It was sold to L&N Railroad. Originally, the railroad was built to provide access to the town’s timber holdings, according to the Curentons.
Laurel Hill was indeed quite a bustling town in its early days. It was home to a theater, a hotel, many family-owned businesses, a cotton gin and two competing banks at one point.
The town even had its own newspaper for a time, The Laurel Hill Gazette.
The original name of the town was actually Old California, according to many. Interestingly, the current name, Laurel Hill, came to be because of a large laurel tree that used to sit in the middle of town. The tree was reportedly a sight to behold, but was also used for practical purposes like hitching horses.
Organizers of the centennial celebration are hoping that the event will spark interest in the rich traditions and history of Laurel Hill, for people who have recently moved there, those from neighboring cities and towns, and especially for the town’s young people. “We would like to let people know about the history of Laurel Hill,” said Tracy.
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