By Maggie DiGiovanni
Elmore Autauga News
Calvin Chappelle, President of the Elmore Historical Society, board members, and members of the Society, welcomed Mayor Gary Davenport to speak of Eclectic’s history and future.
In 1540, Hernando DeSoto and his entourage camped on the west side of what would become the Town of Eclectic. However, the area remained in the hands of Creek Indians until 1836 when the Creeks were moved to new settlements in Oklahoma.
White settlers began making their homes in the area, with the first recorded white establishment being Sardis Methodist Church, located near what is today, Bullard Cemetery. They were industrious and their numbers rapidly grew.
Dr. Marshall Fielder purchased 122 acres of land in the Pleasant Grove Community. He built a drug store and a small tenant house in his front yard. In 1879 he applied for permission to build a post office and was given the privilege of naming it. He practiced what was known as “eclectic” medicine and named the post office after that medicine. Eclectic means being made up of what seems to be the best of sources. Over time the name Pleasant Grove faded into memory and Eclectic became the accepted community name.
In 1907, fifty-one voters cast ballots to make Eclectic a corporation and city in the state of Alabama.
Mayor Davenport spoke of the first schoolhouse that took children of all ages and how eventually the town’s growth required a high school and an elementary school. Today, those are joined by middle school, kindergarten, and a child development program. Eclectic schools consistently rank in the top 20% of all Alabama schools. Eclectic became the county high school handling students from an area roughly three times the size of the town, which was three miles in circumference.
The mayor spoke of the town growing from a low 315 residents, to a high of 1184 in 1970. Although it rose to 1200 citizens and shrank below 1100 over the years, it never sunk to less than a thousand. The police department, once having no more than two police now has seven officers and the chief of police, along with administrative staff.
The major industries in Eclectic were the schools and two cotton processing plants. Eventually, a small hotel was built, and the town drew people to it who wanted good lives for themselves and their children.
In the new year of 2024, the primary industries are schools, cotton, and Madix. Basically, Eclectic residents are not looking to become a large city, but want to remain a small, metropolitan country town.
The talk turned to the recent and future growth of Eclectic. With the recent addition of an ice cream parlor behind Original Grace Boutique and the soon-to-be-open Jack’s Chicken moving across from Russell Do It on Route 63. Developers are buying land and building more houses, the town is also looking at more recreational places for the residents and infrastructure to support growth.
The Pecan Orchard will have running paths that connect those already available throughout the town and grills for outdoor cooking. Also being considered is a platform for having family entertainment, such as movie nights or local musical groups performing. However, as with anything good, these plans may be three years or more before coming to fruition. Older buildings in town are being looked at for renovation, which will give Eclectic a facelift.
Overall, Mayor Davenport gave an interesting history and glowing future to a town he and the citizens of Eclectic love.
For more information about Eclectic, visit the town’s website at www.townofeclectic.com
