Elyton, Alabama facts for kids

Elyton (also known as Ely's Town) was an important town in Alabama a long time ago. It was the main town, called the county seat, for Jefferson County, Alabama from 1821 to 1873. Before Elyton, the county seat was Carrollsville, which is now a part of Birmingham called Powderly. In 1873, the county's main office building, the courthouse, moved to Birmingham. Today, the area that used to be Elyton is found in the West End of Birmingham, near 7th Street Southwest and Cotton Avenue.

How Elyton Started

Elyton became an official town on December 20, 1820. It was chosen to be the county seat because of a special land deal. A government agent named William Ely, from Connecticut, helped get a 160-acre (0.65 km²) piece of land for the new town. The town was named in his honor. Before it was called Elyton, the area was known as Frog Level. It was mostly famous for horse races.

Life and Growth in Elyton

When Elyton started in 1821, about 300 people lived there. By 1873, the town had grown to more than 1,000 residents. The U.S. Census in 1880 showed Elyton had 700 people. During these years, Elyton was a very important community in central Alabama. A U.S. Representative named Thomas Haughey lived there from 1868 to 1869. It was also the main office for the Elyton Presbytery, which is a group of Presbyterian churches, formed in 1832.

In 1853, a local merchant named John Cantley started a newspaper called the Elyton Herald. He bought the printing press from Moses Lancaster, whose newspaper had stopped. Over the years, the Elyton Herald changed owners and names many times. Eventually, in 1950, it became the Birmingham Post-Herald.

Becoming Part of Birmingham

Elyton officially became a city in 1907. However, it was later joined with Birmingham as part of a law called the "Greater Birmingham legislation." This change happened on January 1, 1910. Frank W. Smith was the first and only mayor of Elyton. The town council, called the Board of Aldermen, included Ollis Brown, Van Smith, C. M. Bitz, T. T. Alley, and W. M. Marriner. Even today, people still use the name Elyton to talk about this part of Birmingham.

Notable People from Elyton

• Walker Keith Baylor (1796–1845) was a lawyer, judge, and politician. He had his law office and lived in Elyton.
• Morgan C. Hamilton (1809-1893) was a U.S. Senator and businessman. He worked in trade and business in Elyton.