Within the present boundaries of
Henry County, Alabama
By T. Larry Smith
Abba – Abba was located on County Road 65.
Abberdeen – General Alexander Curry Gordon acquired large land holdings west and north of Abbeville and moved to a place called Ward’s Crossroads. He named his huge home “Aberdeen.” The village that grew around the crossroads became known as Aberdeen, Alabama. After the war, Aberdeen began to face away. The town existed from circa 1849, to circa 1870.
Baker –
Balkum – Balkum, Alabama was named for James Whitfield Balkum. In 1870, he moved to the Abbeville-Columbia and Newton-Franklin Crossroads just west of Browns Cross Roads. The name was Balkumville and then Balkum in 1883, when the post office opened there. Balkum, Alabama faded in to history when the post office closed in 1903.
Brackin –
Brown Cross Roads – After 1839, Thomas Brown settled at one of the Abbeville/Columbia – Franklin/Newton Cross Roads. This cross roads is at the intersection of County Road 53 and County Road 99 (?). The settlement was named for Tom Brown.
Capps –
Cawthorn –
Choctawhatchee –
Cureton –
Dewit –
Doswell – Doswell is now Union Crossroads.
Edwin –
Egypt – Smithville and Egypt were actually the same. Smithville was settled by our first county general, Gen. Bartlett Smith. The name of Smithville was changed during the Civil War to Egypt. After the war, the name again became Smithville. Smithville and Egypt were located northeast of the present Halesburg. The post office was located in Gen Smith’s office in the yard of his plantation home. It closed in 1905.
Franklin – Franklin was the first town in Henry County. It was on the west bank of the Chattahoochee River across from Fort Gaines, Georgia. It was four miles north of Shorterville. Franklin first appeared on the state maps in 1838, at a junction of the road leading west to Abbeville and a road leading north to Tuskegee. A post office operated in Franklin from 1830 until 1877. Because of continued flooding the town was abandoned in the 1880’s.
Graceville –
Grayson –
Hardwicksburg – Hardwicksburg was located at the crossroads of the Smith Ferry Road and the Franklin to Newton Road. This is now where County Road 65 crosses Highway 95 about five miles east of Browns Crossroads. Hardwicksburg was named for Colonel William Mack Hardwick and his family. By 1879, the village attracted a post office that opened July 23, 1879, and was known as Hardwicksbrugh. 1893, the ‘h’ was dropped and it became Hardwicksburg. The post office was moved to Shorterville November 30, 1905.
Hilliardsville –
Lawrenceville –
Lemans Store –
Levin –
Little Rock –
Metropolis –
Mill Grove –
Otho – Otho was located in the northeastern section of Henry County known as “Screamer” along the Chattahoochee River. The town was started by Indian traders and was part of the “Nook” that was added the county in 1832. The post office was officially established at Otho in 1854, and closed on November 15, 1905.
Smithville – Smithville and Egypt were actually the same. Smithville was settled by our first county general, Gen. Bartlett Smith. The name of Smithville was changed during the Civil War to Egypt. After the war, the name again became Smithville. Smithville and Egypt were located northeast of the present Halesburg. The post office was located in Gen Smith’s office in the yard of his plantation home. It closed in 1905.
Wesley –
Weston –
Many other Dead Towns were once in Henry County prior to 1903, when the last county named Houston was carved from Henry County.
