Erie, Alabama, is a ghost town located in present-day Hale County. Below is detailed information about the town:
County: Hale County
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 32°43′3.6″N, 87°47′50.24″W
Elevation: 548 feet (167 meters)
Time Zone: Central Time Zone (UTC-6; UTC-5 during Daylight Saving Time)
Established: 1819
Disestablished: 1855
Comments: Erie was established in 1819 and served as the first county seat of Greene County. The town was located on the east bank of the Black Warrior River, approximately 11 miles west of Greensboro. Digital Alabama In 1838, the county seat was moved to Eutaw for a more central location, leading to Erie’s decline. By 1855, Erie was abandoned.
Erie is a ghost town located in present-day Hale County, Alabama Ghost Townabama, United States. Located at the “Erie Bend” on the east bank of the Black Warrior River, the former settlement is approximately 11 mi (18 km) east of Greensboro. Originally located in Greene County, Erie was the first county seat (Erie became part of Hale County in 1867). Erie was incorporated in 1820 and was a thriving town with stores, a hotel, a jail, and a population of approximately 1,500 who “dwelt in pomp and circumstances with all the bickerings and intrigue (sic), the ambitions, love and hate that surrounds a prosperous town.”
Erie became a shipping point for cotton headed to Mobile, and the hauling of cotton by wagon gave employment to several professional teamsters.
Remains: The area is now overgrown, with no significant structures remaining. Several factors led to moving the county seat to Eutaw in 1838. Erie had “little and bad water and a muddy location”, and was not centrally located. During the late 1830s, Yellow fever spread through Erie, and the settlement experienced flooding.
No longer the county seat, Erie was soon abandoned, with the last remaining home destroyed by fire in 1933. The former settlement is now located on private property, and a few stones and bricks can be found there. The Erie Cemetery is located a short distance east.
Current Status: Barren; classified as a ghost town
Remarks: Erie’s decline was primarily due to the relocation of the county seat and the subsequent loss of county government business.
