History of Semmes, Alabama

Before Semmes was Semmes, census records show that it was named Albritton Precinct.

Even before there were towns, it was necessary to establish designated places in order to conduct the business of the government, such as census counting, voting and mail delivery.  Congress was given the power to establish post offices and post roads.  A line of posts was set up along a designated road (Highway 98) and dependable deputies were appointed to be accountable for the mail deposits.  The grandfather of Pauline Pound Dodd received some of the his mail at the 15 mile post.  The first post office in Semmes was established around 1890-1994 with D. O. McCrary serving as the first postmaster.

Semmes was named for Admiral Raphael Semmes, a southern naval hero who cruised with considerable success against northern shipping during the war between the States (1851-1865).

August Pickus, who was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1873 and living in Christian County, Illinois, took out his naturalization papers November 5, 1894.  At the age of twenty-one, he had saved up two hundred and fifty dollars by "working out."  He and either other fellows formed Semmes Land Company, Inc. (Book 3, Page 484) in November 1900.  They bought a section of land fifteen miles northwest of Mobile and came to Albritton Precinct to lay out the Town of Semmes.  Pickus and the other fellows boarded with the McCrary Family.

Pickus and his partners in the Semmes Land Company laid out the Town of Semmes in lots and streets.  However, no one came to buy the lots, and the Semmes Land Company was starved out.  Note the names of the streets across the railroad tracks near the site of the First Baptist Church.  These are believed to be the names of the streets that Pickus and the Land Company laid out.

Some of the names of early settlers of Albritton Precinct (Semmes) and the surrounding area are the McCrary (McCrary Road), Wulff (Wulff Road), Howell (Howells Ferry Road), Allen (Allentown Cemetery, Allentown School), Ashbee (gave the land for Semmes Cemetery), Harroun, Lee, Jarvis, McDuffie, Pollard, Rester, Powell, Lowery, Tanner, Roberts, Vickers, Miller, Waltman, Snow, Blackwell, Pierce, and Williams.  Many descendents still live on land that was settled by their forefathers.

The McCrary Family had a stop over house behind their house where travelers stayed on their way to and from Mobile.  Mobile was a busy seaport.  Men driving cows, sheep and horses to Mobile "stopped over" at the McCrary.

There was a ferry that transported people, livestock and goods across the Escatawpa River near Wilmer.  Pauline Pound Dodd remembered her grandmother, Mary Jane Roberts McCrary, would get in the kitchen and start cooking for the "travelers" when she heard the whips of the men driving the livestock and the wagons coming.

Railroads played an important part in the development of Semmes.  Mobile in 1900-1902, was an important railroad city and the largest seaport exporting lumber in the United States.  Semmes had much lumber to harvest.  Dummy railroad lines were set up in the forest to bring lumber to the mills and the main line.  One of the lumber mills, Morris Lumber Co., was just north of the railroad depot.  Three railroad stations were built along the railroad way -- Orchard, Semmes and Wilmer.  Three Christopher brothers, P.G. (Semmes), Lee (Orchard), and Will (Wilmer) moved to this area to run the stations.

A small town, Laurel, Mississippi, located 110 miles up the railroad had the largest pine manufacturing lumber business in the world.  Lumber was shipped to Mobile by rail and loaded on ships to be sent all over the world.

Semmes was growing and in 1901, Funk Hotel was built by Albert Rufus Funk who came from Illinois in 1899.  He married Amanda Nixon.  The hotel was located near the train station, post office, and Charles McCrary's store.  Mr. Funk donated the bell for the church.  Mr. and Mrs. Funk are buried in Semmes Cemetery.

The first formal school in Semmes was a log cabin (1800's) on the 16th Section (across from from the present day Mary G. Montgomery High School).  In 1902, the property where old school and Malone Chapel now reside (3871 Wulff Road), was donated by Thomas Jefferson Howell for the construction of a school and church (one-half acre to each).  The Semmes School is the original 1902 building that has been restored by the Alumni & Friends of Semmes School.  In the restoration process, early lessons were discovered on boards and are displayed. The church building (Malone Chapel) in the Heritage Park is a replica of the church in Semmes that was originally called Mt. Pleasant, now Semmes First Baptist.  The church began in 1872 in the log cabin school on the 16th section.

The landscape of Semmes has changed through the years.  Early settlers homesteaded, farmed, and cut timber.  Cash crops included logging timber, charcoal, and turpentine.  Later fruit and nut orchards, small truck farming, nursery and dairy industry arrived in Semmes.  The industry that has remained through the years is the nursery industry.

Even today Semmes is known nationwide for its nursery growers.  It has been called the nursery capital of the world growing azaleas, camellias and many varieties of plants that are shipped all over the world.

In 1914, Mr. T. Kiyono from Japan purchased the Harroun property (property that the McCrary Family had lived on) and the C. R. Samson Family purchased a Satsuma grove and the house built by Seeb McCrary.

Two Welch brothers, John and Fred along with their mother, moved from Shenandoah, Iowa to Chunchula in 1892 and started an orchard and nursery selling fruit and nuts locally and shipping stock back to Iowa.  Fred died in 1920, and his widow, Dora and her brother, Tom Dodd, Sr., started a nursery in Semmes which was named Dodd and Welch Nursery.  At Semmes, they produced only field grown ornamentals which were shipped to Mt. Arbor Nurseries in Iowa.  In 1928, Tom Dodd, Sr. purchased his sister's interest in the business and the name was changed to Tom Dodd Nurseries.  Today, Tom Dodd, Jr. is known nationally for his development and research in nursery stock.  He has been recognized by Auburn University and has received an Honorary Doctorate Degree for his outstanding work.

There has been a steady increase in the number of nurseries in Semmes from the early years.  Methods of growing nursery stock has changed through the years from field grown to hot houses to pots.

We appreciate the heritage from the pioneers who settled in Semmes.  Many of the descendents of those early settlers still live in Semmes and have paved the way for Semmes to grow from Albritton Precinct to its present size with modern stores, doctors offices, banks, a fire department, sheriff's office, emergency response office, new schools and other businesses.

We have the unique opportunity to know and be proud of our community.  Semmes Heritage Park's goal to is preserve and educate others to our community heritage, a heritage to be proud of as we look to the future.

The History of Semmes is taken from from the Scrapbook of Memories '97,
written by Alumni & Friends of Semmes School, Inc.,
a volunteer non-profit 501(c3) organization.