Exploring Alabama’s Stagecoach Stop at Blount Springs

[DeBandi]

The place I call home is little more than a ghost town from the early 1800s.


The people of that era had a very difficult life. Especially when you compare how they had to live off the land and travel in ways that we would think practically impossible today. They had no cars, no trains, no cell phones and very primitive maps. The stagecoach route was how this nation traveled in 1826.







A neighbor of mine tells me he believes he has found the old Blount Springs stagecoach stop.

Needless to say, I wanted to learn more.

With little more to go on than a general area of proximity, I set out to see if I could locate the mysterious stagecoach stop at Blount Springs.

[mcc66]

DeBandi,
always enjoy your ride reports. Look forward to reading and seeing your photos.
Thanks
mcc66
Michael

[DeBandi]

With Hunstville situated 74 miles to the north, the stagecoach patrons would pay $5.50 each way to get to Blount Springs.








That's serious money in 1826.













This is the old stagecoach route.









Let's go look around.

[beatnck]

lookin forward to this

[NoNo]

Ooooooooo I'm on board.

[brunstei]

Originally Posted by DeBandi

That's serious money in 1826.[/B]

OUCH!!!! You're not kidding...

Waiting for more!

[DeBandi]

Why did the stagecoach stop at Blount Springs?








This area is blessed with bubbling mineral springs.



It was known as the “Alabama Fountain of Youth.”



The wealthy and healthy would come to escape the heat and bathe in the mineral baths to stay young.



The sick would come in search of cures for scrofula, rheumatism, dyspepsia, sore eyes, gout, pimples, blotches, lost appetites, paralysis, and many other ailments.




This is how the area of the springs looks today.




I can only imagine what it looked like back in the early to mid 1800s.
























The population would reach 3,000 people in the summer months.




The elite had summer cottages here.


This was circa 185 years ago.










More later......

[gremor]

Sooooo in!!

[wrigh003]

Howdy neighbor- I live right up 31 in Smoke Rise, and my wife's the photographer who rents the building in front of the current Blount Springs village. Loving this- I kinda knew the general outline, but this is a step beyond that. Good work, keep it up.

[Brown Dog]

DeBandi is good people

[DeBandi]

Originally Posted by wrigh003

Howdy neighbor- I live right up 31 in Smoke Rise, and my wife's the photographer who rents the building in front of the current Blount Springs village. Loving this- I kinda knew the general outline, but this is a step beyond that. Good work, keep it up.

Thanks and welcome wrigh003.

More to come.

[ihatefalling]

Killer story and hat's off on another world class ride report.

It's amazing how time can erase local history.

Props to you for keeping it alive . . . . . . .

[S.t.t.G.]

Awesome....

[dkcambel]

I just recently discovered ADV. I've been riding for close to 40 years. And, grew up just north of you in Garden City. Back in the 70's, when I was a teen (And in Alabama they allowed MC Licenses at age 14 back then) I had a group of friends that all rode DP bikes. And, one friend had a WW2 era Jeep. We spent a LOT of time riding the Blount Springs / Bangor area.

I absolutely love your threads - they bring back a lot of memories. I'm a bit surprised at what it seems like you've missed though. Have you made it to Bangor Cave? Also, there was a place high on a mountain with no roads that had a small grave yard along with a decayed house with beautiful views. And, there was an old mill with a small waterfall. Both were on the right side of HWY 31 if you were headed away from Garden City. There was a really great abandoned rock quarry we used to all swim at - and do stupid cliff dives from (sadly one of my high school classmates didn't survive one dive - RIP Tony S.). Also, on top of the hill over Garden City there is an old abandoned water tower that's kinda cool to ride to.

My friends and I used to hang out with a bunch of old timers at the general store in Garden City (I think it was called Shaffers). We would drink cokes with peanuts while they drank god only knows what. They gave us great tips on places to go visit on our bikes or in the jeep. That was 30-35 years ago so I guess they're probably all gone now. I left the area in 1983 but still have several friends in the area.

Is the Top Hat still around? They had great BBQ.

I really envy your ability to ride the area. I miss it a lot. As well as being an immortal carefree teenager with absolutely no regard for trespassing laws and being willing to ride on active RR tracks.

[DeBandi]

Originally Posted by dkcambel

I just recently discovered ADV. I've been riding for close to 40 years. And, grew up just north of you in Garden City. Back in the 70's, when I was a teen (And in Alabama they allowed MC Licenses at age 14 back then) I had a group of friends that all rode DP bikes. And, one friend had a WW2 era Jeep. We spent a LOT of time riding the Blount Springs / Bangor area.

I absolutely love your threads - they bring back a lot of memories. I'm a bit surprised at what it seems like you've missed though. Have you made it to Bangor Cave? Also, there was a place high on a mountain with no roads that had a small grave yard along with a decayed house with beautiful views. And, there was an old mill with a small waterfall. Both were on the right side of HWY 31 if you were headed away from Garden City. There was a really great abandoned rock quarry we used to all swim at - and do stupid cliff dives from (sadly one of my high school classmates didn't survive one dive - RIP Tony S.). Also, on top of the hill over Garden City there is an old abandoned water tower that's kinda cool to ride to.

My friends and I used to hang out with a bunch of old timers at the general store in Garden City (I think it was called Shaffers). We would drink cokes with peanuts while they drank god only knows what. They gave us great tips on places to go visit on our bikes or in the jeep. That was 30-35 years ago so I guess they're probably all gone now. I left the area in 1983 but still have several friends in the area.

Is the Top Hat still around? They had great BBQ.

I really envy your ability to ride the area. I miss it a lot. As well as being an immortal carefree teenager with absolutely no regard for trespassing laws and being willing to ride on active RR tracks.

Hello dkcambel & welcome to ADV.

A few of the items you mentioned are discussed in other Exploring Alabama ride reports.

I believe the old graveyard you mentioned can be found on pages 2 & 10 of the Exploring Alabama’s long lost cemeteries ride report. The link is below.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=577490

I've been to Bangor Cave many times and frequent the RR tunnels. Blount Springs is a great place to live, ride & discover. Top Hat still makes great BBQ. The old mill is gone, and the old motel is all but a shell of what it once was. Thanks for the kind words. And again, welcome to ADV!


Thanks everyone for the all the responses and interest in the subject of history.

I'll keep looking around.