About the Baldwin County, Alabama Area

Baldwin County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is named in honor of Abraham Baldwin, a member of the United States Senate who never actually lived in what would become Alabama. As of 2000 the population is 140,415. The estimated 2011 population from the U.S. Census Bureau is 187,173. The county seat is Bay Minette. It is the largest county in Alabama by area and includes a portion of Mobile Bay.

The Baldwin County Board of Education oversees most public education in the county. Numerous private and parochial schools also serve the area.

The county is governed by a four member county commission each elected by districts. A sheriff, coroner, revenue commissioner are elected countywide. The sheriff of Baldwin County is Hoss Mack (R)

 


Lillian, AL

Little River, AL

Malcolm, AL

Bay Minette, AL

Bay Minette, AL
Nestled in the pine forests of North Baldwin County, Bay Minette is conveniently located 35 miles northeast of Mobile, Alabama, 45 miles west of Pensacola, Florida, and 75 miles east of Biloxi, Mississippi. Because of our favorable location, we enjoy the economic, social and cultural benefits of the surrounding urban areas while maintaining the charm and relaxed pace of a small southern community.

In addition to being home to a thriving timber industry, our surrounding forests serve as a playground for the southern sportsman, as does the nearby Tensaw River Delta and the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Bay Minette is also surrounded by restored Civil War and early American history sites perfect for history buffs, family picnics, hikers and campers.

Bay Minette has enjoyed steady, managed growth for many years. As the seat of Baldwin County (the second fastest growing county in the state), our residents enjoy many employment opportunities through local government, the county board of education, as well as legal and other professional offices, which support the county government. Home to the largest employer in Baldwin County, Bay Minette also offers residents employment opportunities in manufacturing and industry. In addition, the city actively seeks new employers through partnerships with the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance and the North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce.

There are approximately 8,500 residents living in the city limits of Bay Minette and an additional 20,000 beyond the city limits who call North Baldwin home.

We hope you will enjoy Bay Minette as much as we enjoy living here. We invite you to personally visit our city. While here, we hope you will stop by our City Hall, located in Downtown Bay Minette, if you find yourself in need of any information or assistance.

Gulf Shores, AL


Monroeville, AL

Bon Secour, AL

Bon Secour, AL
The Bon Secour NWR contains 7,000 acres of wildlife habitat for migratory birds, nesting sea turtles and the endangered Alabama beach mouse. The refuge was established by Congress in 1980 to preserve the coastal dune ecosystem, to protect threatened and endangered species, to provide compatible recreational opportunities, and to serve as a living laboratory for students and scientists.

The name Bon Secour comes from the French meaning "safe harbor," very appropriate considering the sanctuary for native flora and fauna that the refuge provides. The refuge serves the additional benefit of comprising one of the largest undeveloped parcels of land on the Alabama coast. Its dunes are a reminder of the Gulf Coast, as it once existed. As a consequence, the refuge has been named as one of the 10 natural wonders of Alabama.

Stapleton, AL

Stapleton, AL
The first post office in the town of Canby, as Stapleton was then known, was established in 1895. Later, the Hamm brothers of Chicago, IL convinced the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N) to build a subsidiary line between Bay Minette and Foley. By 1905 this spur called the Bay Minette & Fort Morgan Railroad had penetrated the thirty-seven miles of dense Baldwin County pine forests with the town of Camby lying along the route. Shortly afterwards the town's name was changed to honor W. D. Stapleton, the man who was instrumental in getting a railroad depot for their town. The railroad was important to the local economy and early on the trains passed through Stapleton several times a day as they made their way to the southern end of the county and back. Highway traffic also picked up as of 1936 when the only paved road in Baldwin County, other than a small strip in Bay Minette going from the courthouse to the railroad, was the stretch of US 31 coming in from Atmore and ending at Stapleton]. By the 1970's the train traffic had slowed down to at most one train making the down and back trip each day and now the train tracks are completely gone. EducationStapleton is zoned to schools in the Baldwin County Public Schools.Stapleton Elementary School serves grades Kindergarten through 6. Grades 7 through 8 go to Bay Minette Middle School. Grades 9 through 12 are zoned to Baldwin County High School.

Seminole, AL

Seminole, AL
Seminole is in Baldwin County, in the Daphne-Fairhope metro area.

The community was named for Indian tribe.

The latitude of Seminole is 30.515N. The longitude is -87.473W.
It is in the Central Standard time zone. Elevation is 108 feet.

Wilmer, AL


Theodore, AL


Fish River, AL

Fish River, AL
Fish River is coastal river that is located in southwest Baldwin County, Alabama. The entire 158 square mile of watershed is bounded between the communities of Stapleton on the north and Magnolia Springs to the south. Fish River is a major drainage of Weeks Bay, an estuarine embayment that ultimately drains into Mobile Bay. The Fish River is a tidal system with an average daily fluctuation of 1- to 1.5-feet. Its tidal nature also affects salinity levels that fluctuate substantially, from 0 to 25 ppt., depending on time of day and rainfall patterns.

Fish River is a small waterway with nine miles of navigable water that lies primarily between County Road 32 to the north and U.S. Highway 98 to the south. Two access ramps are available to accommodate anglers and boaters. One is located at the mouth of Fish River below the U.S. Highway 98 bridge, and the other is approximately 5 miles upstream off Honey Road and County Road 9, near the community of Marlow.

Magnoila Springs, AL

Magnoila Springs, AL
Magnolia Springs is located at the headwaters of the Magnolia River, which was originally called River de Lin, or River del Salto by local residents. Various boats and steamships brought travelers into the area.

The largest enterprise in the area was turpentine distillation. These stills were burned by their owners in 1865 to prevent them from being captured when Union soldiers began amassing in the area.

The area has historically had a large Creole population, sometimes called Cajun by the majority white residents.

Horace Mann Bond, a Fisk University sociologist, in 1931 studied Magnolia Springs and reported on it as a place where people self-identified in race. He called it an example of a "racial island." In doing so, he described the area based on his journey taken to reach the town.

One leaves "the Old Spanish Trail at the eastern head of the Cochrane Bridge, and drives south through Fairhope along Mobile Bay. Ten or fifteen miles beyond is the pleasant little village of Magnolia Springs, and one is in the sandy Gulf Coast soil where these people have their farms and community life. They call themselves 'Creoles', and their white neighbors qualify the term by calling them '[expletive deleted] Creoles.' The question of Negro blood has long been a sensitive spot with the Creole population of Louisiana and other southern states, but in Baldwin County it means only one thing to the dominant white class: some degree of Negro extraction."
"A stop at a little crossroads store where the young Creole clerk volunteered more information led us still farther into the intricacies of life among the Magnolia Springs Creoles. The clerk was a small man whose complexion had a hint of reddish brown, and he was one of the few men in the community who bore a French family name. He claimed to be the great-grandson of an officer in Napoleon’s Grande Armée. He had come to the Baldwin County community from across the bay. He gave as his reason the decay of the Creole community in Mobile County, and stated that this disintegration was almost complete."

Several structures in the town are on the National Register of Historic Places, including Moore's Grocery and St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

In May 2006 residents voted 224-96 to approve incorporation. The election results were certified by Baldwin County Probate Judge Adrian Johns June 29, 2006. Magnolia Springs recognizes this date as the town's anniversary.

Orange Beach, AL

Fairhope, AL

Fairhope, AL
In 1894, our community was established by a group of adventurous people who came together with a “fair hope of success.” Their experimental community blossomed and grew into a city. Now, more than 100 years later, Fairhope's “success” is more than apparent in our bustling downtown, spacious parks, and tree-shaded neighborhoods.

We're not a big city - in fact, Fairhope still retains much of its original small-town ambiance, but Fairhope is unique in many ways. We're known for our active arts community, exceptional schools, outstanding public services, excellent senior services, and top-notch recreational programs for all ages. Come visit, and learn why people from all over the world have come to call Fairhope home. We’re a great hometown for all ages – and newcomers are always welcomed.

Irvington, AL

Daphne, AL

Daphne, AL
We, in the City of Daphne, welcome you to the Eastern Shore. If you are thinking about locating to Daphne or have already moved here, you will find that we are a "city on the move." Over the past few years, our population has increased by 30%. Despite this rapid growth, Daphne has been able to maintain the ambience of a small

town where the people are friendly and caring, and newcomers soon become good friends.

Mobile, AL

Foley, AL

Foley, AL
The City of Foley, Alabama welcomes you to the Alabama Gulf Coast. We are pleased to have you in our community and hope you enjoy the many unique qualities of our city. Foley o­ffers an abundance of interesting things to do, including the famous Tanger Outlet Mall, unique antique stores, specialty shops, a nature preserve, state of the art recreational facilities, and a historic downtown. Excellent restaurants off­er a variety of ethnic cuisine and local seafood favorites. For the history buff, there are several museums where you can explore Baldwin County’s diverse heritage and fine art, all in the warm and friendly atmosphere of a small town community. Foley is one of the fastest growing cities in the Southeast. So many of our residents came to visit and returned to stay. We hope you will enjoy our city and visit many times in the future.Take Exit 44 from Interstate 10, Exit 37 from Interstate 65, and head south on Highway 59. Discover it for yourself. Foley, the Forward City!

Grand Bay, AL


Semmes, AL


Spanish Fort, AL

Spanish Fort, AL
The City of Spanish Fort was incorporated on July 19th, 1993.

Spanish Fort rests on a hill overlooking Mobile Bay, just a short distance from the City of Mobile. Our City's history dates back to 1781 shortly after the American Revolution when Spanish troops defending the City of Mobile engaged British troops attempting to recapture Mobile.

Military action also occurred in the area during the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. In 1865, three Confederate Brigades stopped 20,000 Union Army troops at Spanish Fort. The Confederate Forces, outnumbered 10 to 1, engaged the Union Forces in the last battle of the War Between the States; March 26th - April 9th, 1865.

Breastworks from the Civil War still remain throughout our area and the residential subdivisions. Because of our great past, the City's seal represents its history.

Eight Mile, AL


Chunchula, AL


Elberta, AL

Elberta, AL
Elberta was founded in the early 20th century by a Chicago based land company. The Baldwin County Colonization Company was organized in 1903 and the first settlers arrived in 1904. The community was founded by farmers who had immigrated from Germany to the midwest of America. The land company advertised the area as having rich soil and a climate that allowed year round farming. The first two organized churches were Lutheran (1908) and Catholic (1911). ("Land of Milk and Honey" by John Haupt as told to Nina Keenam, 1990)

The land company laid out Baldwin County in the manner found in the midwest; that is to say, roads were laid out on section lines that were due north-south and east-west. Property, especially farms, were laid out in squares. With the immigration taking these farmers through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and other midwestern states, the early years of the community resembled midwestern farming communities more than those of the deep south. In the 1930s through the 1940s, the town boasted a farmer's hall where dancing and singing were enjoyed, a hotel, a movie theatre, as well as a butcher shop, grocery and drug store. Many of the residents spoke German and St. Mark's Lutheran Church offered German language services until 1976.[citation needed]

The State Bank of Elberta was incorporated in 1922. The bank was unusual in that it did not close during the Great Depression.

The town was incorporated by vote on December 9, 1952.

To support the town's volunteer fire department, "The Elberta German Sausage Festival" was started in the mid-1970s. This event is held the last weekend of March and the last weekend of October and features polka music, Elberta German Sausage, and 250 arts and crafts vendors.

 
The Elberta German Sausage Festival is a bi-annual fundraiser that benefits the Elberta Volunteer Fire Department. The festival is held on the last Saturday of March and last Saturday of October. The fire department sells nearly 7,000 pounds of sausage and boasts nearly 30,000 visitors each festival.

The festival is located in the Town Park in Elberta, AL. The park is right off of US HWY 98 at Chicago St. We have nearly 250 booth spaces and over 100 arts and crafts vendors.


The town is the home of the Baldwin County Heritage Museum. The museum is located on U.S. Highway 98 east of the town. It features exhibits devoted to the development of Baldwin County. The museum includes a large amount of farm equipment and exhibits of life in farm homes. The old St. Mark's Lutheran Church building was moved to the grounds and restored.

 


Robertsdale, AL

Robertsdale, AL

 About Robertsdale

The Southern Plantation Corporation of Chicago, Illinois founded Robertsdale in 1905. They chose the city’s present location largely because of the fertile farmland and the fact that the Louisville and Nashville Railroad line had just recently made extensions to Foley, Alabama. The town was named after one of the officials of the Corporation, Dr. B.F. Roberts, and was incorporated in 1921. Nestled in the middle of Baldwin County, Robertsdale is a quickly growing city with a small town atmosphere.

Robertsdale is called the Hub of Baldwin County. The city’s central location provides quick and easy access to the beautiful white sandy beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama and the historic ports of Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida. Included within the city are numerous parks, churches, shops and restaurants. The city provides it’s own utilities that include electricity, natural gas, water and sewer services. The city also provides a public library that offers several public computer terminals, children reading programs and current best sellers. Robertsdale is home to Robertsdale Elementary School, Central Baldwin Middle School and Robertsdale High School.

Robertsdale is growing both with industry and residential dwellings. A good hometown atmosphere is evident here and a growing number of people are calling it home.

Summerdale, AL

Summerdale, AL
Summerdale, a small, quiet town located in Baldwin County just minutes from the sandy white beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. Summerdale is very encouraged about the area’s growth with much anticipation that more visitors will be passing through, while some will decide on staying permanently. We believe Summerdale is a place you can call home.


Loxley, AL

Loxley, AL
We are a small community with a lot to offer. Located in Central Baldwin County, Alabama, Loxley offers its residents and businesses easy access north, south, east and west. Loxley...:

*
...has the largest planning area of any community in Baldwin County. There is room to grow.
* ...has one of the most progressive Town Councils in the area.
* ...has secure residential neighborhoods with easy access to shopping.
* ...has well planned light industrial and warehouse districts.
* ...has one of the most exclusive residential communities in all of South Alabama: Steelwood.
* ...has easy access north to south via Alabama St Hwy 59 (Gulf Shores Parkway) to Interstate 65.
* ...has easy access east to west via Interstate 10.
* ...is located in the center of one of the most progressive counties in Alabama.
* ...has a great school system.

Rosinton, AL

Rosinton, AL
Rosinton is in Baldwin County, in the Daphne-Fairhope metro area.

The latitude of Rosinton is 30.618N. The longitude is -87.693W.
It is in the Central Standard time zone. Elevation is 180 feet.

Silverhill, AL

Silverhill, AL
History

Silverhill was founded in 1897 by Oscar Johnson, C. O. Carlson and C. A. Valentin, of Chicago, Illinois. Oscar Johnson was an immigrant from Dalarna, Sweden. The Svea Land Company in Chicago, which advertised land for sale in Silverhill, was also founded by Oscar Johnson. Land was acquired by purchase from a Mr. Harford, the first block of land being 1,500 acres, which was added to from time to time as the colonization work progressed. Scandinavian settlers came to Silverhill from virtually every state in the Union and began the development of what is now the Silverhill district.

Education

Silverhill is a part of the Baldwin County Public Schools system. Silverhill has one school, Silverhill Elementary School, which serves grades kindergarten through 6. Silverhill students continue on to Central Baldwin Middle School (7-8) and Robertsdale High School (9-12), both of which are in Robertsdale.

Elsanor, AL

Elsanor, AL
Elsanor is in Baldwin County, in the Daphne-Fairhope metro area.

The community was named for Elsa Norton, wife of a Chicago dentist who donated money for a school

The latitude of Elsanor is 30.545N. The longitude is -87.583W.
It is in the Central Standard time zone. Elevation is 135 feet.


Perdido Beach, AL

Brewton, AL

Baldwin County, Alabama Area Map