Confederate Memorial Park (Marbury, Alabama) facts for kids
Confederate Memorial Park is a special Alabama State Park located in Mountain Creek, Alabama. It's in a quiet, rural area of Chilton County, Alabama, in the United States. The most important part of the park is that it was once Alabama's only state home for soldiers who fought in the American Civil War. This home was open from 1902 to 1939. It was a safe place for soldiers who were hurt or didn't have much money, as well as their wives and widows. The last soldier living there passed away in 1934. The home closed in 1939, and the remaining five widows moved to Montgomery, Alabama for better care.
In 1964, during the 100-year anniversary of the Civil War, the Alabama State Legislature created Confederate Memorial Park. It included the original 102 acres of the old home. The park was made to honor the people from Alabama who were part of the Confederacy. In 1971, the Alabama Historical Commission took charge of the site.
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Welcome to Confederate Memorial Park!
This park is a place where you can learn about a unique part of Alabama's history. It helps us remember the lives of soldiers and their families after a very difficult time in American history.
A Home for Heroes
The idea for the home started in 1901. A former Confederate soldier named Jefferson Manly Falkner, who was a lawyer from Montgomery, wanted to help. He saw that many soldiers, their wives, and widows needed a place to live. Even with the small amounts of money they received after the war, many struggled.
Mr. Falkner gave 80 acres of land in 1902 for the home. Mountain Creek was chosen because it was a popular summer spot. The state government began running the home in 1903. It was the only official home in Alabama for these soldiers.
Who Lived Here?
The home was like a small community. It had a hospital for medical care and a dairy barn for fresh milk. There was a mess hall where everyone ate together. Nine small cottages provided living spaces. It even had a modern sewage system for its time!
Between 1914 and 1918, the home was at its busiest. About 104 soldiers and 19 widows lived there. In total, between 650 and 800 people lived at the home over the years. Most were from Alabama, but some had lived in other states during the war and moved to Alabama later. The last soldier living at the home died in 1934. The home officially closed in October 1939. The five remaining widows moved to a home in Montgomery to get better care.
Exploring the Park Today
Today, Confederate Memorial Park is a place to learn and reflect. The grounds include two cemeteries where 313 people are buried. There is also a museum filled with items from the Civil War and from the home itself. You can also see a Methodist church and the building that used to be the Mountain Creek Post Office. Records about the home, like lists of residents and reports, are kept at the Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery.
See also
- Alabama in the American Civil War
- Confederate Memorial Park (Albany, Georgia)
- Pewee Valley Confederate Cemetery
