Arcola, Alabama, is a ghost town with a rich history rooted in early 19th-century French settlement. Below is detailed information about the town:
County: Hale County (formerly Marengo County)
Zip Code: 36742
Latitude / Longitude: 32.56617° N, 87.78183° W
Elevation: 128 feet (39 meters)
Time Zone: Central Time Zone (UTC-6; UTC-5 during Daylight Saving Time)
Established: Early 1820s
Disestablished: 1850s
Comments: Arcola was established by former French Bonapartists as part of the Vine and Olive Colony after they abandoned their initial settlement at Demopolis and found Aigleville unsuitable. The town was named to honor the French victory during the Battle of Arcola. Frederic Ravesies, the first settler, established himself at what later became the Hatch Plantation. Although never more than a village, Arcola became the largest settlement in the colony.
Remains: The main house of the Hatch Plantation, built by Alfred Parker Hatch in 1856, still stands. The house was the center of his 3,000-acre plantation.
Current Status: Historic; classified as a ghost town
Remarks: Beginning in the 1830s, American settlers moved into the area and purchased most of the former French land grants, primarily using Arcola as a river landing. By the 1850s, the French settlement had disappeared, replaced by a community of adjoining plantations.
