Local Attractions

This church was completed in 1872. It was built by P. D. Flint who built many of the building in the area including the Bladon Springs and Cullom Springs Hotels. The Bladon Springs Church is a contributing property to the Bladon Springs Historic District that's listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. This church is located at the community of Bladon Springs in southern Choctaw County (GPS coordinates 31.731899,-88.197625).

Source: Choctaw County Historical and Genealogical Society.

Bladon Springs State Park is a 367-acre Alabama State Park at Bladon Springs, AL that is centered around four mineral springs. Park facilities include campsites, shelters, tables, and grills.

This is a small park that is located at the community of Needham, AL in Choctaw County. It is proof that a park need not be large or elaborate to be a real pleasure. The park is built around the old Walter Wilson gristmill which was the center of life in Needham for decades during the early twentieth century for the people of Choctaw County. The park has a hard-surfaced and wheelchair accessible nature trail that winds through a mixed hardwood forest along the small creek that once powered the gristmill. The park also has an old dogtrot log cabin which has been carefully restored, complete with furnishings appropriate to the period. The gristmill and log cabin have interpretive displays that tell their stories.

This park is located along the creek on both side of the main road at downtown Needham, AL (GPS Coordinates N31.987278,W88.331944.)

Source: Alabama Black Belt Nature and Heritage Trail, a publication of the Alabama Bureau of Tourism & Travel

The dogtrot cabin was a common style of rural home in the South during the 1800s. The dwelling would often begin as a single-room log cabin with the attic used as a sleeping loft. As the family grew, a second log cabin would be built and the two cabins would then be joined by a common roof and a wood floor between them. The covered open-air passage between the cabins became known as a "dogtrot". It not only served to link the cabins, but it also allowed a breeze to flow through the house which helped with tolerating the hot, humid summers. Many dogtrot cabins also had a full-length porch across the front. 

Wilson's Grist Mill was the center of life in Needham for decades during the early 1900s for the people of Choctaw County. The Saturday trip to town to have corn ground into meal was more than just the task of obtaining food for the family for the next week. Walter Wilson's mill was the social center of the town with news, opinions, and even the gossip of Needham and the surrounding area. 

The Broadhead Memorial Park is located along the creek on both side of the main road at downtown Needham (GPS coordinates: N31.987278,W88.331944.)

Choctaw County was established in 1847. The current courthouse in Butler is Choctaw County's second courthouse – built 1906 and occupied in 1907. There were additions to the courthouse in 1956 and 1965. It was placed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage in 1997. A Military Memorial Walkway was dedicated in 1997, as part of Choctaw's 150th birthday observances. There is a Confederate statue, located in front of the courthouse. It was made in Italy and erected in 1936 by. UDC Ruffin Draqoons Chapter, but not dedicated until 1937.

The courthouse is located at downtown Butler (GPS coordinates: 32.089389,-88.221639).

Source: Choctaw County Historical Society

The Choctaw County Historical Museum is located beside the Town Park at downtown Gilbertown, AL. The main building of the museum contains all types of displays that illustrate how life was in earlier times. Behind the main museum is another building that contains the larger items including old farming equipment. There is also an old country store that was relocated to the museum site and a small log cabin that was constructed with logs from Choctaw County's first courthouse at Barrytown. Next door to the museum is the Town Park which has an old caboose and oil rig. Additional details are provided on the pictures that are included.

The Museum is open on Wednesdays from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM and on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge is a little off the beaten path but well worth the trip. Water defines this 4,218 – acre refuge, covering roughly one-half of the refuge in creeks, sloughs, lakes, and backwaters of the Tombigbee River, which borders the refuge for 6.5 miles. These waters, and the hardwood bottomlands and open fields around them, draw a wealth of wildlife species, from American alligators to Anhingas. Refuge managers provide habitat and protection for threatened and endangered species, like the Wood Stork and Bald Eagle, and promote wildlife diversity, wildlife-dependent recreation, habitat for wintering waterfowl, and Wood Duck production and banding. Managers have placed more than 400 artificial Wood Duck nesting boxes in the refuge's wetlands to supplement natural cavities, and some 2500 Wood Ducks hatch in these boxes each year. Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge near Womack Hill, AL 2Though much of the refuge is accessible only by boat, roads traverse the north end, providing access to a variety of habitats. Visitors can hike, boat, view and photograph wildlife, fish, and hunt on the refuge. An interpretive kiosk provides information about the park's natural history, and the cypress swamp overlook offers an excellent spot for wildlife viewing. The Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge is included in the Alabama's Ten Best Bird-Watching Spots that's in the Alabama Bird Watching Guide published by Bill Thompson, III & the staff of Bird Watcher's Digest.

The Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge is located east of Womack Hill, AL in the southern part of Choctaw County. GPS coordinates of the entrance if the Choctaw NWR are N31.844833,W88.165778.

Source: Alabama Black Belt Nature and Heritage Trail (a publication of the Alabama Bureau of Tourism & Travel).

Service Park sits on the shores of 97-mile-long Coffeeville Lake, the third largest lake on the Black Warrior- Tombigbee reservoir system and the last reservoir on the Tombigbee River before it reaches the Gulf of Mexico. Service Park's campground offers 32 sites with electrical and water hook-ups, showers, and clothes- washing facilities. If you'd prefer a more rustic camping experience, you'll find primitive camping sites in the area, as well as seven day-use areas around the lake. You can fish from shore for catfish, white perch, bass, and bream, or launch your boat on the lake. Nearby Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge encompasses some 4,000 acres of Coffeeville Lake, creating a haven for wildlife, wildlife viewing, and hunting. Coffeeville Lake Service Park at Bladon Springs, AL 2A marshy slough behind the Service Park picnic area attracts shorebird species and offers a lovely vantage point from which to watch the river.

Directions: Service Park Road is on the north side of Hwy 84 approximately 2 1/2 miles west of the Coffeeville, AL river bridge. GPS Coordinates of the park attendant's house is N31.751528,W88.145722.

Source: Alabama Black Belt Nature and Heritage Trail, a publication of the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel

For many of its customers, Ezell's Fish Camp is much more than a restaurant. It is a cultural institution, representing a way of life very much connected to the community's river heritage and to family tradition. This well known landmark, on the Tombigbee River, is believed to have been built by a French fur trader, and the building served as a trading post. It was later acquired by Charles Agnew (C. A.) Ezell and remains in the Ezell family today. Originally a classic "dogtrot" log cabin, with two rooms joined by a central breezeway, additional rooms have been added, providing space for the restaurant that is known far and wide for its catfish. Before Crumpton Bridge was constructed, this was also the location of Lott's Ferry, and you'll still find an active boat ramp below the restaurant.

This restaurant is located on the west bank of the Tombigbee River just north of the Hwy 10 river bridge at Lavaca, AL (GPS Coordinates N32.135000,W88.041722).

Sources: 1) Choctaw County Historical and Genealogical Society; 2) Alabama Black Belt Nature and Heritage Trail, a publication of the Alabama Bureau of Tourism & Travel

On January 2, 1944, the State of Alabama granted Hunt Oil Company a permit to drill the A. R. Jackson Well No. 1 at Gilbertown, AL. Hunt Oil Company was owned by the famous oil man, H. L. Hunt of Dallas, Texas. The drilling commenced on January 10, 1944, and oil was struck approximately one month later at 2580 feet in fractured Selma chalk. The discovery of this well led to the creation of the State Oil and Gas Board of Alabama in 1945, and to the development and growth of the petroleum industry in Alabama.

This oil well was about two miles southwest of downtown Gilbertown, AL on the Paragon Road. The GPS coordinates of this well are N31.869194,W88.351278. This location is shown on the map. The only thing present at the site today is the concrete foundation of the oil well and a Historic Marker. There is an old Hunt oil rig at the Town Park in downtown Gilbertown that is similar to the one that struck oil.

Source: First Oil Well In Alabama Historic Marker

This two story house was built circa 1850 using hand-hewn 12-inch boards put together with pegs. The house was moved back about 30 feet from the highway in 1994 and remodeled by Marilyn Felts. During remodeling, modern conveniences were added to the house while still retaining its original charm. This house is a contributing property to the Pushmataha Historic District that was added to the Alabama Register of Heritage and Landmarks in 2008. The Ford House is also included in Alabama's Tapestry of Historic Places published by the Alabama Historical Commission.

The Ford House is located beside Highway 10 in the community of Pushmataha in Choctaw County, AL (GPS coordinates 32.189183,-88.34791).

This is a private residence – drive by only.

Sources: 1) Choctaw County Historical Society; 2) Alabama's Tapestry of Historic Places published by the Alabama Historical Commission.

The Mt. Sterling Methodist Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built circa 1859 and was used for church services up until 1976, when it was donated to The Choctaw County Historical Society. Extensive renovations were done by the Historical Society, including new wiring, plumbing, air-conditioning, and other improvements. A mid-19th century style addition was also built. The building is now used for meetings and 19th century style ceremonies and reenactments.

This church is located approximately 4 miles east of Butler, AL in the community of Mt. Sterling (GPS coordinates 32.091611,-88.163611).

Sources: 1) Choctaw County Historical Society; 2) NRHP "Mount Sterling Methodist Church" Nomination Form.

Until its closure to automobile traffic in 2000, the Naheola Bridge was one of only two bridges in the world that accommodated rail and auto traffic on the same traveling surface. Traffic lights were mounted at each end of the bridge to signal the auto traffic to stop or proceed. The lights were controlled by the drawbridge operator, who was stationed in the bridge house near the middle of the bridge. This was necessary because the bridge is only wide enough for one-way traffic, and motorists could not see from one end of it to the other because the half-mile long structure had a blind curve at one end. The lights were also necessary to warn motorists of the presence of a train or the possibility of the drawbridge being in a raised position to allow barge traffic underneath.

The Pushmataha Methodist Church was established ca.1872 and was first called Sardis. The current church building was built ca. 1911. This church is included in the Pushmataha Historic District that was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in October 2008.

The Pushmataha Methodist Church is located in the community of Pushmataha in Choctaw County, AL (GPS coordinates N32.190341,W88.3534).

This building was built circa 1923 by Seventh-Day Adventists. They built a new church and sold this one to First United Pentecostals. The building is now privately owned.

This church building is located on Main Street near downtown Gilbertown (GPS coordinates 31.876651,-88.319109).

Source: Choctaw County Historical and Genealogical Society

The Community House is located in the old Town District of Silas. It was established in 2001. The house is one of the few remaining early 20th Century residence in the town. The front portion of the Community House, predating 1917, was an ice cream parlor. The house is used for community events. It is also available for rent for special functions – weddings and receptions, family reunions, club meetings, anniversary parties, birthday parties, etc.

The Community House is located at the intersection of Pine Street and First Street in Silas (GPS coordinates 31.764452,-88.328882).

Source: SilasAL.com

The Turner/Sessions/Kopf house was built c. 1859. It is included in the Bladon Springs Historic District that's listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. This house is located beside Bladon Springs Road approximately 0.6 mile east of the intersection in downtown Bladon Springs (GPS coordinates N31.731425,W88.188195).

This is a private residence – drive by only.

This marker is located in Choctaw County beside Co. Rd. 27 approximately 4 miles SE of Mt. Sterling just before getting to the Tuscahoma Landing on the Tombigbee River (GPS coordinates 32.060166,-88.114815).