FROM SKIP LOBMILLER
AUTAUGA CREEK IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE
I took a hike recently to some areas of concern along the Autauga Creek Canoe Trail, armed with my recently purchased new battery powered chainsaw from Carquest Auto Parts – Durbin Auto Parts to do some pruning and fine tuning.
My final planned destination was to the first Historic Marker that ACIC (Autauga Creek Improvement Committee) had erected Creekside back in 2014. We have a total of five Historic Markers placed now.
McNeill’s Mill will always have a special place in my memories. Lots of good friendships formed there while some very cool artifacts were unearthed from that site back in the early years of ACIC.
Unfortunately, we had to make a decision to let the underbrush grow back due to some folks trespassing on Private Property. We had worked very hard to build a good relationship with that Property Owner, and I was not going to risk or allow some idiots to destroy that.
By allowing the underbrush to grow back, it also has allowed sand, dirt, and silt to build up in the area after several years of multiple highwater events. Last fall, after noticing our #1 Marker was apparently shrinking and rusting due to the soil build up around it, I made the decision to cut the foliage back. This allowed the ground around it to erode and wash some in a good way. And it is working!
I cut it back again yesterday, which now makes the Marker more visible from the Creek.
PLEASE do not Trespass on this Private Property. Instead, pull up across the Creek, enjoy from a distance. There is NOTHING there but a Marker. All artifacts that were recovered, along with a detailed and very informative kiosk that outlines the history and dateline of Prattville’s Founding Father Daniel Pratt and his time there. This is now on display Downtown on the corner of First and Chestnut and in front of the Museum. It is a block up on the corner of Main and Chestnut. There are also smaller items inside the Museum.
What is there, and visible, are remaining bricks from the Dam that once crossed the creek, which produced power for the McNeill Mill. Daniel Pratt leased power from Mr. McNeill to build his first 30-40 Ginning Boxes from 1834 to 1838.
Later in 1839 Pratt explored further upstream and purchased 2000 acres of swampland to build his own Dam and his own Gin Manufactory buildings in this place I love to call Home.
