Historical Markers in
Macon County, Alabama

119 Westside Street A Bit to Eat A Typical Day Amelia Boynton Robinson Anticipation Area Churches That Hosted Important Civil Rights Meetings Bartram's Trail Bath and Locker House Bethlehem Birth of Trades Program Birthplace of Zora Neale Hurston Booker T Washington Booker T. Washington Brief History of Tuskegee, Alabama Butler Chapel AME Zion Church Camp Watts Campus Architect Carver Research Foundation Carver's Laboratory Charles Goode Gomillion Creek Stand Methodist Church Dining and Social Center Dorothy Hall Enhancing Health Care Fire Suppression Pond FIRE! Fort Davis Railroad Depot / Fort Davis Community Franklin's Educational Legacy Fred David Gray Frederick Douglass Hall George Stiggins George Washington Carver Ghost Structures Great Philanthropists Hangar No. 1 Historic Quadrangle Huntington Hall In Memory of Phoebe Tolbert Key It Was Called "Dope" Jessie Parkhurst Guzman Julius Rosenwald Lifting the Veil of Ignorance Little Texas Tabernacle and Campground Macon County Confederate Monument Macon County Legal Milestone Managing the School Moton Field Expands Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church New Vistas Oil Storage Shed Pioneer Trail of Methodism Porter Hall 1883 / Huntington Academic Building 1905 Prairie Farms Resettlement Community Prepared to Fight and Die Rosa Parks Samuel "Sammy" Leamon Younge, Jr. Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church - Baptismal Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church - Church Privies Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church "The Tree" Shiloh-Rosenwald School / Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church Shorter, Alabama Site of Olivia Davidson Hall The Burnt Place The Control Tower The Oaks The Place Where We Learned to Fly The Tuskegee Airmen The Tuskegee Airmen's Plaza The Tuskegee Institute Advancement League The Tuskegee Veterans Administration Hospital They Came to Tuskegee Thomas Monroe Campbell Thrasher Hall "Trade With Your Friends" Tuskegee Cemetery Tuskegee Chapel Tuskegee Civic Association Tuskegee High School Tuskegee University Union Christian Church Up From Slavery Waiting for the Bus Warehouse/Vehicle Storage White Hall William P. Mitchell
The first known use of the phrase "Roll Tide" was in a 1907 Birmingham News article that referred to the University of Alabama football team. The phrase became a rallying cry for Alabama football fans and is still used today.
Macon County, Alabama has a rich and diverse history that spans over centuries. The area was originally inhabited by the Creek Native American tribe, who lived off the land and established a flourishing agricultural community. In the early 19th century, European settlers arrived in the region, leading to conflicts and the eventual displacement of the Creek people during the Creek War of 1813-1814.

By 1832, Macon County was officially established and named after Nathaniel Macon, a prominent North Carolina statesman. The county quickly became a prominent center for the cotton industry, as the area's fertile soils and favorable climate made it ideal for growing the crop. The cotton boom brought great wealth and prosperity to Macon County, leading to the construction of elegant antebellum mansions and the establishment of new towns such as Tuskegee.

During the Civil War, Macon County played a significant role as it was situated along key transportation routes and supplied troops, weapons, and provisions to the Confederate Army. The county also witnessed numerous clashes and battles, including the Battle of Tuskegee in 1865. However, in the aftermath of the war, Macon County, like many other parts of the South, struggled with the devastating effects of Reconstruction, including economic decline and social upheaval.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Macon County became a focal point for African American progress and education. Booker T. Washington founded the Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1881, an historically black college that played a crucial role in promoting education and self-sufficiency for African Americans. The institute attracted prominent African American educators, scientists, and civil rights advocates, and the legacy of their work continues to influence the county today. Macon County is now known for its historic sites, educational institutions, and diverse cultural heritage, serving as a reminder of its vibrant past.

This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Macon County, Alabama.

  • 1832 - Macon County was established on December 18, 1832, as a territorial county in Alabama.
  • 1835 - Tuskegee was chosen as the county seat.
  • 1865 - The Civil War ended with Macon County being heavily impacted by the war.
  • 1920 - Tuskegee Institute was established by Booker T. Washington.
  • 1932 - The Tuskegee Airmen were formed at Tuskegee Institute.
  • 1965 - Macon County played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement with the Selma to Montgomery marches.
  • 2003 - The Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site was established to honor the achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen.