Oakville, Alabama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oakville, Alabama
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 Oakville, Alabama
Location in Alabama
Oakville, Alabama
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Alabama |
| County | Lawrence |
| Elevation | 200 m (640 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 256 |
| GNIS feature ID | 160286 |
Oakville is a small community in the southeast part of Lawrence County, Alabama, in the United States. It's not a city or town with its own government, but a group of homes and businesses in one area. Oakville is known for its two important parks.
One of these parks is home to the Jesse Owens Museum. This museum opened in 1996. It honors Jesse Owens, a famous Olympic athlete. Owens was born in Oakville and lived most of his childhood here. His family later moved to Cleveland, Ohio. The Jesse Owens Memorial Park and Museum is located where county roads 203 and 187 meet.
Contents
Discovering Oakville Indian Mounds Park
The Oakville Indian Mounds Park and Museum is a large state park. It covers about 83 acres (33.6 hectares). This park teaches visitors about ancient Native American history. It also shares the story of the historic Cherokee nation in the Southeast.
Ancient Mounds and Their Builders
The park protects twenty large mounds that are 2,000 years old. These mounds were built by people of the Middle Woodland-era (around 1 to 500 CE). These early people are called prehistoric indigenous peoples. They were part of the Copena culture.
The Copena culture grew from the Hopewell tradition. The Hopewell people had a huge trading network across North America. The Copena culture got its name because they used copper and galena. Galena is a mineral that contains lead.
The most important earthworks here are a burial mound and the Copena Ceremonial Mound. The Copena Ceremonial Mound is the biggest ceremonial mound still standing in Alabama. It is about 27 feet (8.2 meters) tall. Its base covers about 1.8 acres (0.73 hectares). The flat top of the mound is about 1 acre (0.4 hectares) in size.
Exploring the Museum and Its Exhibits
The state museum at the park is designed to look like a Cherokee council house. The Cherokee were the main Native American group in this area when Europeans first arrived. The museum has exhibits about the Copena culture. You can see over 1,000 archeological artifacts that were found right at this site.
The museum also shares information about the historic Cherokee nation. The Cherokee people moved to this area and lived here by the 17th century. They are not direct descendants of the Copena culture. It is believed they migrated south from the Great Lakes area a very long time ago.
Understanding Local History and Heritage
The museum also has a special display about the "Black-Dutch" people of the area. These are people with mixed European and Cherokee heritage. They stayed in the area after the Indian Removal in the 1800s. To avoid unfair treatment, they sometimes called themselves "Black Dutch."
Since the mid-1900s, these families have proudly reconnected with their Cherokee roots. The museum explains that about four thousand people are now part of the state-recognized Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama.
Trails and Outdoor Activities
The museum grounds include a part of the Black Warriors’ Path. This was a major Native American trading route that passed by the mounds. It starts in Cullman County, Alabama, and goes through the state. Later, early American settlers called it Mitchell Trace.
The park is also a popular spot for sports. It hosted the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Cross Country National Junior Olympics in 2008 and 2015. It has also hosted the AHSAA XC Championships every year since 2002. The park also has a lake and a fishing pier for visitors to enjoy. The park's address is 1219 County Rd. 187, Danville, Alabama, 35619.
