Oak Hill is a small community located in east Wilcox County. This historical marker provides details about the history of Oak Hill. The marker is located in Oak Hill beside Hwy 21 approximately one mile north of the intersection of Hwy 21 and Hwy 10 (GPS coordinates 31.922559, -87.081307). This marker was erected in April 2010 by the Alabama Tourism Department and the Town of Oak Hill
Below is the text on the marker:
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TOWN OF OAK HILL
Originally known as “The Ridge,” Oak Hill was settled c. 1830 primarily by former South Carolinians. During the early 1800s, Ebenezer Methodist Campground was located here. Due to a malaria outbreak, settlers from nearby Hamburg moved to Oak Hill in the 1840s. In 1856, Bethel Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church was established. A Baptist church was erected in 1910 but disbanded c. 1928. One of the first African-American Lutheran congregations was established at Oak Hill. The Oak Hill Academy, a boarding school for girls, existed here from 1849 – 1869. In the 1870s, a coeducational school was established which was eventually absorbed into the public school system. The school closed in the 1940s. A post office was established in 1894. Circa 1900, Oak Hill had four general stores, a drug store, gin, a blacksmith shop, and a Masonic hall. In 1940, Oak Hill was incorporated as a town. Benjamin Meek Miller, Alabama Governor 1931-1935, was born here in 1864. He was known as the “sturdy oak of Wilcox”. In 1998, Oak Hill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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